Accounting, ERP, and Financial Management

Depending on where you find yourself, Data Guidance Group may be able to assist you in finding and implementing an ERP or accounting system that meets your needs. We wrote the Guide to Selecting Business Software to help you avoid the pitfalls and follow a process that will assure success.

Our clients generally find themselves in one of three situations:

You Need the Right New Software

Some businesses know already that they need new business software. Perhaps they're using QuickBooks or Peachtree, and they've reached the limits of what they can do. Perhaps they're on old software designed for an outdated and expensive to maintain system. At any rate, they've already decided that they need to replace the system.

You may find yourself in the same place. If so, you've already identified that the problem is choosing the right software.

There are hundreds--perhaps thousands--of software products for businesses to choose from. Knowing accounting and business processes plus understanding the available software is the secret. Unfortunately, as Bob Palmer says, "I'm a CPA. I've been working with mid-range accounting solutions for 20 years. But I don't envy any business the task of selecting the right software. The information you need to make an informed choice between software packages just isn't available from vendors."

The trouble is that selecting the right ERP or accounting software for a distribution, manufacturing, service, retail, or other business requires knowing how the software will work in that business. This means that you'd need to work with the software 6 to 8 months before you made a decision. And that's not reasonable for any business I've ever met.

So you must rely on the vendor to provide the right information. And most vendors think their solution is the best solution for your business. And most vendors don't do a thorough needs analysis. In over 20 years of practice, needs analysis has been the key to selecting the right software system.

You Need The Right New Business Process

The second situation is more complex, but generally occurs earlier so you have more time. It begins when new business demands start to overwhelm your existing system. Clients in this situation usually tell us things like

• We're having trouble with inventory. We have too much, too little, or not the right kind. We need help deciding what and how much to stock.
• We're growing rapidly, and things are falling through the cracks. More and more customers are complaining about simple things. We shipped the wrong color, the tolerances weren't tight enough, or we didn't ship on time. Our staff is overwhelmed.
• We don't have enough time in the day or enough space. We can't afford to move or hire more people. Cash flow won't support it. We need a way to get more done with less.

These are simple examples, but you may recognize your business in these statements. It isn't as clear that the software is the issue and, frankly, it may not be the issue. The issue could be one of business process. Or it could be a combination: the business process you need isn't possible with your current software. In this case, you may need help evaluating what you can do with the software you have and what process changes might help accomplish your business goals.

You're Not Sure What You Need

Some businesses come to us unsure of their needs. They think they need software, but they don't know what good software would do. Things seem to be operating smoothly, but profit isn't what it could be or should be. New employees reminisce about their old companies and how good the computer systems were there. Generally it isn't clear what to do.

You may have felt this way. At Data Guidance Group, we're technologists but we're businesspeople first. If you're not sure what you need, we may be able to help. Perhaps all you need is a little tune-up, a new business process, or a few reports tweaked.

Everything depends on selecting the right system and correctly evaluating your needs. Our unique process for selecting the right software for our clients has been successful for over 20 years! We also have a collection of tools to help you evaluate mid-market software.