Implementing a New Accounting System
We have attempted to address some of the common areas of concern for those considering the implementation of a new accounting system. We would appreciate any feedback on our accounting system FAQ or if you have any further queries please Contact Us.
Data Transfer
We have 10 years data in our current system which we would not like to lose – Is it possible to bring all of this data into the new system?
Most companies keep a copy of their old system available to them for reference purposes and only transfer across outstanding transactions into the new system; Also, the implementation of a new system provides you with the opportunity to remove redundant customers, suppliers and stock items.
How can we bring our existing customers, supplier and stock codes and balances into our new system without manually inputting the data?
Both Exact Online and Sage 50 have import facilities which allow for the import of data in CSV (comma separated values) or Excel format. The data needs to be produced in a specific format which we can provide you with.
Timing
Our financial year end is in December which is a busy time for us so we were considering changing our system in April when it is more convenient for us – is this possible?
You can implement a new system at any time of the year. We would recommend you choose a month end date which is also preferably the end of a vat period also eg. April 30th.
We plan to implement our new system on 1st March but we are unlikely to have audited Accounts until June at earliest. Will this delay our implementation?
No, you can implement your new Sage 50 or Exact Online system without a full trial balance. You will need opening balances for customers, suppliers and bank accounts to commence. All other balances can be input retrospectively after your Auditor produces the final trial balance.
We have a very busy Sales office so our new system would need to be up and running on 1st day of the month of changeover and we normally receive supplier invoices up to 2 weeks after month end; How can we achieve a smooth implementation in the light of these constraints?
With planning, it is possible to successfully implement a new system with tight deadlines. The customer, suppliers and stock listing would be setup or imported in the week prior to changeover. Similarly, invoice and delivery note stationery layouts can be designed in advance of changeover. This will facilitate trading with the new system on Day 1 of new trading period. Opening balances can be entered/imported subsequently after they have been finalised.
Hardware issues
We hope to have 4 users on our new system, do we need to install a server?
Yes, we would recommend strongly that you install your Sage 50 software on a dedicated server if you have 3 or more users on the system.
Exact Online is a cloud based system so no server is required.
Can we run our new accounts system without Broadband?
Yes to a certain extent you can run your system without broadband. If you opt for Sage 50 subscription however you need to be able to connect to the Sage licence server and the Updates service. Otherwise your software will not work. We recommend that clients obtain broadband if possible for support purposes which facilitate us dialling into your system over the internet. This is a very speedy support mechanism with no extra cost to the client besides the cost of the broadband service.
Exact Online is a full cloud system so of course it will not work without broadband.
Our local hardware supplier is pushing us to subscribe to an internet based backup service which automatically backs up all changes in files on our server. Is this a good idea for our accounts system which is vital to ongoing survival of the company?
Yes, the more backups the better! However use this as an insurance policy. Do not fail to create your own manual backups. We have seen companies relying totally on backup services that have failed to restore properly when required. During the implementation and training phase of your new system, we demonstrate how the backups are to be done and discuss frequency, backup media devices etc. As part of our ongoing support service, we can test the restoration of your backups to satisfy that your backup procedures are working successfully.
Integration
We are planning to purchase a front office system which deals with customer enquiries, jobs and produces an invoice which is linked to the Sage accounts system. How does this work?
Sage 50 accounts can take in data including invoices from other systems in one of two ways. Firstly, data can be imported into the accounts system from the 3rd party system. The second option is where the 3rd party software system makes use of the Sage developer kit to write data both in and out of the accounts system automatically. We can liaise with your 3rd party software supplier to determine how this linkage works.
We are hoping to implement 3 systems – accounts, payroll and customer relationship management (CRM); is it necessary to have all 3 integrated?
Whilst it is not necessary to have your systems integrated, it is desirable in certain circumstances. The key question is the amount of duplication and time/effort which is required due to the lack of integration. Some examples where integration would be nice but not necessary
You need to manually input a payroll journal which takes 5 minutes each month;
You only occasionally set up a new customer so have to duplicate the customer details which are already in the CRM system.
There are some instances where integration is of huge benefit for example
You add new customers daily which have already been set up in Sage Act and you can synchronize your Act CRM system with your Sage 50 Accounts system to avoid duplicating the entry.
Alternatively why not consider Exact Online, a fully integrated Accounts and CRM package with the added benefit of being in the cloud?