Document Management Software and Workflow Automation
Let’s admit it, change is painful, but the benefits of great change are most often the most significant. So why do we resist it? It doesn’t matter if the change is small or large, most of us just don’t want to do it. We don’t embrace it and we will resist it to the point of experiencing continual and often nearly unbearable personal pain before we are willing to start to consider options that lead to change.
As I sit here planning for the New Year, I try to prioritize what is important and critical to our success in 2013 and beyond. I reflect on what we accomplished last year and try to observe where some of our greatest gains came from so we might apply some of our best lessons of the past year to aid in the new year’s success. Some of our greatest success came from …
When automating a system, those words should set off alarm bells. At the very least, it shows that the person doesn’t understand how their system is supposed to work.A project manager I knew had an impressive but low-tech approach to this issue. The accounting implementation I was involved with was a part of a much larger reorganization…
So you’ve been given the go-ahead on your shiny new business process improvement initiative. The champagne corks have been popped, you given yourself a big pat on the back then suddenly the eyes of the business are on you – asking how you are going to make it a success! Here are six ways to improve your chances of Process Improvement Success…
Wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to spend any time administering your business? Now, I’m not suggesting for a moment that you can reduce your administration costs to zero, but maybe you will be inspired by one example of a therapist who has used automation to manage his business and reduce administrative tasks.
Excerpts from a recent ebizQ discussion shed some light on the topic.
Accounting systems are only as good as their structure. And it’s hard to make good decisions based on bad data. A big problem that I see in medium sized business is that the owners / managers don’t know what to ask for (or even stop to think that it might be available) and the accountants don’t know what the owner needs. So here is how to get started.
“Charities should be run more like businesses. They are so slow and inefficient.” You hear those words over and over from volunteers fresh from executive positions with major corporations. I used to think that too. Yet, once I had the opportunity to work with charities, my perspective changed.
Arguably, our first responsibility as accountants is to inform, to communicate but when someone asks us to explain accounting, we tend to start with debits and credits. It ’s like teaching someone to drive by explaining how an internal combustion engine works. In this article iNSIDER Bill Kennedy offers 3 tips to engage in more effective and successful communications.
I always like looking at concepts outside of HR to see if they would work in my HR shop. I was at a software conference recently where the speaker was describing a well-known concept in software development called ‘Agile’. Here’s the basic concept of Agile software development…
Computerization starts by mimicking a manual process then improving it. As the technology gets better, the computer process transforms and surpasses the manual process, as people realize that technology opens options to them that they didn’t have before. At some point, it may become difficult to recognize the original manual process in the final product. Workflow started by taking electronic documents along the same path as the old paper documents…
When you implement a new technology, who owns the system? Who is responsible for it, takes ownership? And how do you make your staff feel that they, too, own the new system? Find out in this iNSIDER article by Accounting Expert Bill Kennedy.
Personal professional development is very important for accountants, but have you noticed how often the accounting system languishes, still at the version that was installed years ago? Staying current, both professionally and with your systems, is important for continued growth and success. But how do you ensure that you get what you want out of your system and stay up to date? Bill Kennedy tells us how.
As a small manufacturer, getting your first order from a giant company like Walmart or Sears can be a dream come true. But that dream can quickly turn into a nightmare if you don’t have the right systems in place. Let’s stand back a little and look at the best strategy for your systems if you are a medium sized company swimming with sharks.
Getting buy in for a new technology can be tough. In this 3 part series, Pam Baker outline the top three threats to getting buy-in and how to resolve them. In part 1, you will discover the most common reason top-level management says NO to even the best-laid plans. Cut them off at the pass with these tips and address their concerns up front for a better chance at getting buy-in.
