Let’s face it–nothing’s more off-putting than when you go to a family gathering and some relative comes up to you and says, “Oh, that’s you….yes….I forgot who you were….you look so different now.” If we’re not careful, we’re going to have that same “moment” with our own workplaces as we start to transition back to in-person office life. It also means that you’ll need to do some reflection on employee roles and potentially think about doing some recalibration and/or retraining.
Network concept, digitally generated image
Let’s think about what that might look like if you have an enterprise resource planning system (ERP). Whether you’re new to the ERP game or trying to make your current setup more efficient, right now is the absolute best time to remember how to have successful ERPs whether it’s pre or post-pandemic.
For a successful ERP, you’ll need to reflect on four key questions (although the first one’s a bit of a two-parter):
1. Who’s on our team and where can I set them up for success?
2. What’s the best ERP solution for the company?
3. Who’s the best vendor that will help me implement my ERP?
4. What should the official roles be for the members of our ERP team?
Who’s on our team and how I can set them up for success?
If you had the time to study some of the best managers regardless of whatever field they’re in, you’ll find a common bond pretty quickly–they know who they have and where they belong.
Before you even pick an ERP, you need to have a solid idea of the strengths and weaknesses of your team. Take this information with you to the marketplace once it’s time to go searching for your new system. Let those strengths and weaknesses guide your selection.
What’s the best ERP solution for the company?
Armed with the knowledge you found from the previous question, you are now making nearly the most informed decision possible as you select the best ERP solution. However, you can make this decision even MORE of a slam dunk if you consider the size of your business.
Think about which of these three most sounds like your business:
Small Business: Very few employees, most of your customer base is local, basic bookkeeping programs are plenty sufficient for your needs.
Medium Business: Several employees, growth has been quick, overseeing the addition of new employees has been more difficult when using procedures that worked as a small business
Large Business: Extremely high number of employees, a large customer base that reaches nationwide or even globally, many sophisticated needs occurring simultaneously
There are plenty of ERPs that can be tailored to business size. Consider that benefit when making your choice. You might even build some more goodwill with your team by asking for their input on the decision, too.
Who’s the best vendor that will help me implement my ERP?
Just like the previous question, there are lots of options. However, while we must admit we are biased, we’re big fans of our friends clocking in at #2 on this menu of vendors here.
Rely on the expertise of your vendor for a seamless transition.
What should the official roles be for our ERP team?
Depending on the needs of your business, these roles will vary significantly. However, we recommend thinking about these roles that will likely be critical for the success of any business:
The “Manager”–this is the person who makes all of the overall final decisions on anything ERP-related. They should be skilled at soliciting input from other team members and communicating their own ideas to the rest of the team.
The “Implementer”--this is the person who will oversee the implementation of the ERP and organize training as necessary. They should have substantial knowledge of ERP vendors and how to work with them.
The “Expert”–this is the person who acts as your go-to member for all questions tech-related. Having more than one person in this role can be very successful, too, especially if your company is large and/or you want to provide more leadership opportunities for your brightest stars.
The “Reps”–these will be people who represent their various departments. They should be people who can communicate their own teams’ most immediate unique needs as they relate to ERP matters.
The “Writer”–this person will be your master at organizing information and relaying it back to the rest of the team. ERPs are complex systems with lots of moving parts. You’ll need someone who knows how to articulate everything that’s going on but in a way that everyone can understand.
So there’s a quick guide to get you started. As with any big decision, reflection and contemplation are critical. Bring your team members into the process, and let us know how it’s going on our social media pages!
Cryptocurrencies are all the buzz right now especially following Elon Musk’s Saturday Night Live debut. Musk has been publicly tweeting about the cryptocurrency Dogecoin. His backing of this coin has made the coin rise in value in a very short amount of time.
Elon’s public display of the backing of digital currency doesn’t stop there either. He also started accepting BitCoin as a form of payment for his Tesla Vehicles. This raises a lot of questions about what cryptocurrencies are and how they are worth anything. This article will go into detail about what cryptos are and why they are becoming so popular.
Investopedia defines cryptocurrency as, “a digital or virtual currency that is secured by cryptography, which makes it nearly impossible to counterfeit or double-spend.” Cryptocurrencies are decentralized and are not issued by any government entities, which makes them invulnerable to government interference. Crypto’s are also extremely easy to use. The transfer of money between two parties no longer requires banks to process transactions. Also, dealing with cryptocurrency is fairly easy and does not have many fees associated with it.
Now that we have discussed the basics of cryptocurrency, does any of it matter? Many people think that crypto might be the future, but there is a lot of thought that has to go into it.
First, for people to pay in crypto instead of your local currency means that there has to be a national switch. Meaning that the government creates their own coin for their country or that private coins have dominated completely. This sort of switch will not happen anytime soon. To build the foundations of digital currency we would have to dismantle the current fiat money system we use in the United States. To overthrow that sort of system would take time and chaos would ensue.
Second, the public would have to become educated. Cryptocurrency is not an easy thing for people to understand or necessarily be willing to accept with open arms. Many people do not even understand the money system that works now, it would be unreasonable to think that citizens would be willing to take the time to learn an entirely new system. Citizens and politicians would have to understand the implications of crypto, its risks, and what it means to have a truly digital currency.
Third, the scale at which we would be using the crypto would exceed the limitations of most coins at the moment. In the US we have the Federal Reserve. They calculate the amount of money in our system and replace it accordingly. They are able to control the amount of actual physical currency in our system and the time value of money (interest rates). On the other hand, we can take a look at the most popular coin (Bitcoin) and compare it to an actual currency system. There are a finite amount of Bitcoins in the world and it is capped at 21 million coins. That means once all of the Bitcoin has been mined, that is it. There are no ways to mine the coin, it can only simply be taken as payment. When this happens, the price of Bitcoin will rise. So if you think that everyone will be paying for products with Bitcoin, you can think again.
All in all, only the future will tell us what role digital currency will play in digital accounting and what it could mean for AP Automation. China has started to develop its own digital currency already and will be slowly implementing it into its monetary system. The world will be watching to see how it plays out, but in the meantime, many countries will most likely choose to take the safe route and rely on their fiat money system to take the way for exchanges.
We are always looking for ways to improve our business. We want to eliminate inefficiencies and increase our profit margins.
Sometimes the answer is not as clear as we typically think. Many people think that their workers are not doing their best or that our new online work environment is holding them back. Companies, large and small, should take this time and rethink how they operate on a day-to-day scale. Specifically, the accounts payable department in businesses is tough to manage and can cause drag or confusion. We will be describing the best improvements and practices in your business that can benefit your company today.
Going Paperless
One of the ways accounts payable slows down your business is the heavy paper flow of your business. Having to wait for the mail to complete work often creates a lull in your company’s workflow. Paperwork can also be lost or damaged which creates too much confusion to deal with.
Electronic billing can eliminate the slow paperwork process that your business faces today. During the pandemic, businesses have been utilizing electronic invoices and accounting software to handle their accounts payable process. Invoices and purchase orders no longer get lost or damaged. As long as they are sorted correctly, finding and processing paperwork should be a breeze.
Giving your customers the option to choose an electronic option also allows you to monitor the process from your phone or computer. You can set up online payment plans to organize when you know your next payments are coming in and be instantly notified instead of waiting for the documents in the mail.
Creating An Organized Online Data Cabinet
Sometimes filing paperwork away in metal containers and then eventually cardboard boxes leads to confusion and disarray when a customer requests a specific document. After you receive any documentation regarding your billing, you should store it in an online archive that holds all financial documentation for all of your customers.
This organization allows you to accurately pay invoices and in a timely manner. You know exactly what has to be paid, who is paying, and what it is you are paying for. This high level of organization also allows you to quickly and accurately fill out your tax information. The tasks that seem to be a drag before no longer seem like a hassle.
Treat Your Customers Like Family
Oftentimes it seems like you are burdened with the idea of reaching out to customers to extract necessary information in order to do your job to the best of your ability. Start reaching out to customers when there is no bad news or issues. Create a relationship with them and establish a culture of trust between you and the vendors you work with. This can lead to better deals in the future, open honest communication, and grow your network. They are more likely to refer you to someone else if you are a pleasure to work with. Also, maintaining a constant dialogue with your customers allows your contact information to be as current as possible so there are no issues in communication when you need to contact them urgently.
Optimize Your Business Expenses
Businesses face major problems when they realize that they have spent more money in a month than they brought in. Creating a business budget explicitly lays out how much money you will be spending at certain times and will improve the end-to-end accounts payable process. You will be more aware of where you stand because you are more conscious of when and what you will be spending in a certain time period.
Your business can also look for discounts on the supplies, inventory, and services you need in order to spend your money in the right place. Obviously buying in bulk will open up discounts for your business, but make sure your company is turning over the inventory before you decide to buy in larger quantities.
Create an Emergency Fund
It would be nice if the business was always booming, but that is not always the case. When things are slow it is easy to fall behind on payments. Creating an emergency fund for extra cash during times of heavy cash flow can help your business maintain steady growth. Creating and contributing to your company’s savings account for emergencies will help you delegate money to payments when you appear to be short on cash. Just be sure to replenish your emergency account when you have the funds to do so.
The accounts payable section of our business is typically strenuous on our eyes and minds. After a few hours, numbers begin to switch places, things go missing, and we feel like we are losing our minds. A perfect example of why transposition in the most common accounting error. A switch between two digits can cause hours of confusion and miscommunication. Today we’ll be going over the most common mistakes made in accounts payable.
Top Challenges in the AP Process 2021
Human Error
Constant data entry is bound to create errors. Like we said before, staring at numbers all day will eventually lead to slip-ups. Manually inputting purchase orders and invoices could create more confusion for other parts of your business when it is time to match up your financial documents. By allowing human error to be a disservice to your business, you could mislead the financial reporting section of your company and cause the leaders of your business to make poor decisions based on misinformation.
Double Payments
If a supplier’s invoice is not processed in a timely manner, they might send a second invoice. So now it seems like a fresh invoice, but now you will end up paying it twice. If you are having trouble keeping track of your invoices, consider switching to electronic invoicing to easily match invoices and purchases to ensure accuracy.
Early Invoice Payments Before Receiving Receipts
Sometimes employees in your accounts payable department will approve payment of an invoice before receiving a receipt. If this product has not been properly handled or delivered, you will have an accounts payable headache. Be patient when it comes to processing your paperwork to ensure the validity of your actions.
Delay in Payments
The suppliers you work with expect to have their payments on time. If you constantly have to tell them that you have lost the invoice or the due date, you could incur fees or lose business. Create an accurate schedule and up reminders to when payments are due to stay up to date in your business.
Slow Invoice Processing
Without an accounts payable automation system, it takes an accounts payable clerk one hour to complete 5 invoices. With an automated system, a single clerk can file 30 invoices an hour. Manually inputting invoices creates drag in your business and it can easily be eliminated. Using an automated system also lowers the demand for physical workers and you can be more efficient with fewer workers.
How to Eliminate These Problems
In the year 2021, it seems bizarre that businesses are still manually inputting data and are experiencing these types of errors. Accounts payable automation system eliminates many of the problems we laid out here today. Automation is the way of the future in more aspects of the business than just the accounts payable sector. It increases efficiency, accuracy, and keeps your suppliers satisfied. By eliminating errors you are able to keep your business running smoothly and make other people enjoy working with you.
Embrace Your Expansion with Better Database Options
Thoughtful business man looking at a database on a board and trying to solve a problem
No matter how much we love buying up Mediterranean and Baltic Avenue and slapping those hotels down, we’re not going to win unless we either acquire more properties (winning strategy) or just hope to get really lucky and have everyone land on those two spots each time around the board (lazy loser strategy). When we expand our property set, our attention gets diverted to a bunch of places at the same time because we need cash to build up everything all at once. If you don’t have a system in place, you can either spread yourself too thin or not maximize your chances quickly enough and end up in the inevitable flip-the-board-because-Aunt-Agnes-is-a-dirty-rotten-cheater situation.
Unfortunately, sometimes being successful comes with its own drawbacks. If your success dictates expansion, you get to a point where you realize that you can’t run a large enterprise and a small business the same way. With that small business, you can keep tabs on pretty much everything by yourself (or hire a small team of employees and cover all your bases for sure). But with a large enterprise, you have to pick and choose what you can address on a given day at a given time. You need to have systems in place to take care of all of the tasks that you can’t get to because you’re only human (but a really successful one!).
When you expand your business, your databases expand as well. Sadly, as your databases expand, they don’t learn how to coordinate with each other. You are the one who has to make sure they all play nice with each other. That can get really tedious once your database count hits 10, 20, 30, and so on. Wouldn’t it be really nice to have some software that takes away those headaches for you and your employees? Wouldn’t you rather have your employees devote their time to something a little more exciting and innovative during the workday?
Guess what? That software exists! It’s called Multitenant, and it does all of this for us:
Groups databases together in containers
Allows us to update databases in batches rather than individually
Lets us schedule multiple simultaneous backups
Creates multiple containers that we can prioritize for different functions
Permits the moving of individual databases into different containers as needed
You can probably already tell why this software is a game-changer. But in case you need more convincing, consider the following benefits.
Increased Efficiency
If your software is updating multiple databases all at the same time, that means you aren’t losing time manually going from database to database. If you have say, 50 databases to maintain, that process will take forever under older software. Multitenant takes care of that for you.
Maximum Consistency
When you have different databases with different priorities and different needs, you’re not going to update them all in the same way. Trying to remember the various needs of each database opens you up to too much human error. With Multitenant, you can set rules for how your databases are maintained so that it’s done right. Every. Single. Time.
Sweet, Sweet Hardware Relief
Multitenant reduces the need for resources because your individual databases all operate within the program instead of being their own separate entities. That’s going to speed up your computing. You could also use that increased amount of resources to accomplish other tasks, too.
Don’t let your success derail your progress just because your business needs change. Develop a plan and let the technology take care of the tedium. Check out the video below from Oracle to get more insight on how Multitenant works. And don’t forget to sing its praises on our social media pages, too!
