“Tayo, what is your honest opinion about commercial off-the-shelf accounting software, compared with the custom applications you build?”
I am sometimes asked the foregoing question in various forms, by prospective clients trying to make up their minds about what option to choose (i.e off-the-shelf apps versus my custom Excel-VB application development service).
Here’s a typical example of the answer I normally give them…
I have helped clients (in different professions/industries) develop 100% custom Excel-VB Driven Software to overcome peculiar limitations of traditional software (or manual/paper-based) systems that they use for their financial and operational data handling/analysis and report generation .
Accountants/Finance Managers of large organisations in particular have so far made made the most demands for my services. Excel-VB afford you the advantage of being able to extend the capabilities of your existing software – or manual systems – using my 100% customisable Excel-based software that empower you to get more work done with LESS effort via efficient time/cost-saving automation.
In other words, my custom Excel Software COMPLEMENT rather than REPLACE your existing software and/or systems.
You therefore LOSE NOTHING since your prior investment in the latter is protected.
All that I have already said above is effectively what I tell prospects/clients in general.
However, for those in my part of the world (i.e Africa), I emphasise that I DO NOT build Accounting software – except a clients specifically requests it.
Instead my applications are custom Entreprise Information Systems(EIS) which help their owners manage operations (e.g. materials usages) &/or accounting data for more reliable business decision making:
1. The commerical accounting software work well for anyone whose needs are fully catered for by the various useful features and functions they offer.
I have seen many organisations – including schools – that have found this to be so. They confidently told me they did not have any unmet needs from using the programs they chose.
2. However, the accounting applications are built to prepare accounts in line with standard reporting formats used mainly in developed societies.
As a result, they often cannot accomodate the business/accounts data handling/report generation needs/peculiarities extant here. This is due to our largely unregulated environment in this regard. That’s why many who use the programs still find themselves periodiocally/repeatedly turning to programs like MS Excel to cater for areas not covered by their commercial software.
It is the above type of situation that creates a need for the solutions I offer.
In other words, if you have a software system in place and STILL find need to do some of your important work OUTSIDE of it, then a custom solutions development service like mine is likely to benefit you greatly.
3. For prospects who indicate interest, I go further to refer them to a very insightful/experience-based opinion expressed by a financial consultant which shows that MS Excel-based solutions can indeed help OVERCOME limitations that accounting software may have.
Incidentally, this is why you will hardly find any off-the-shelf accounting software which do not offer the user an option to export data stored in them into MS Excel!
Final Words
Like I always tell my clients and prospects, if there is an alternative that works satisfactorily and is cost-effective, it would make NO sense to hire me.
It is when you have searched for one and found NONE, that my custom Excel-VB solutions development becomes relevant – and potentially VALUE adding. At this point, it WOULD be justifiable to invest in it.
Read this article: Use Custom Automation Of Your Spreadsheet Reports To Drive Down Costs And Increase Your Profits.
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