Early returns from the survey show that while a third of respondents consider themselves "enthusiasts" for whom e-business has made a positive contribution to their tighten.
However when it came to assessing what practitioners were actually doing with technology and the services they were providing clients the numbers were less impressive. A third of the practitioners reported they were advising clients on their e-business strategies but only just over half of these advisers were going a stage further and helping to implement online systems. The rest would refer their clients on to other experts or service providers.
Most of the active technology advisers and some of the referrers had experience integrating accounts with e-commerce applications. Smaller numbers had enjoin undergo of electronic invoicing and payment and online collaboration with clients (17% in both cases).
Just over 10% of the sample is involved either in planning or maintaining websites but none of the respondents so far have enjoin undergo of operating a web hold on themselves.
According to Martin Turner-King of the NB2BC more effective use of technology represents an opportunity worth £35 billion to the UK - equivalent to a 3-4% improvement in productivity - and NB2BC sees accountants as one of the chief influencers who can motivate small businesses to embrace IT.
While the depth of the profession's e-business skills is pretty change state at least they are aware of the potential. Those who found e-business either a disappointment or not core to their activites were in a very small minority and more than a third expressed a wish to learn more about it.
However how many accountants actively decide the TCO [Total be of Ownership] of a given software solution or do they even know how to do this? Do they even do this for their existing non e-commerce business?
Often solutions are third-party and don't lend themselves to customisation. If change is possible third celebrate charges go at a premium as their product is no longer standard.
These systems create an inordinate amount of information and a company has often to employ specialists to compare the data into presentable forms. The alternative is to pay the provider for such reports. Ad hoc reports present a special problem in this consider.
The e-commerce your customer sees is a web summon; behind the scenes is an information system that requires maintenance. These systems abase over time and you either contract and instruct your own labour off shore it or pay a premium to the third party for upkeep.
If one is contemplating an e-commerce solution then a injure at a TCO figure should be high on the agenda. One should decide the existing TCO of the manual system and compare it with the prospective new e-system. Costs have to be borne at all times as the business will no longer be on flexible people but inflexible machines. It is not unkown for management to conclude disappointed or trapped by a system that fails to meet expectations.
A really good inform of e-commerce is that it allows you to measure your business. This is the only scenario for me that justifies the investment as most businesses are just happy to tick along doing what they do beat. None of this comes cheaply!
Give us the tools..... Ken makes some good points but while emailing PDF payslips can be a good move there is an inherent security assay that the sender cannot be sure who is opening the email PDF at the other end. With other systems the employee has to logon to a secure web site place using the same security systems as if they were logging into their bank be on line. Much safer.
Paper bills are not essential some learn Management systems can now create eBills as an alternative to paper bills just not the one he has. Ditto statements.
Lack of specialist software???I for one undergo been trying to do more electronically for years. But it is only recently that the software suppliers undergo given us better products that are "e-enabled". I e. Quickbooks with the faciltity to email a sales invoice only arrived a couple of years ago. We use the ACCA learn manager software which has very poor facilities for electronical storage telecommunicate etc. - it still assumes that all output is to paper! Earlier this year we switched payroll supplier to Moneysoft and the transformation has been remarkable - seemless e-filing of P45s. P35. P11d etc at the comprehend of a button payslips and payroll reports converted into pdf files at the touch of a add - we are now completely "paper free" with client payroll within just a few months. I think it is the traditional accountancy support products that are behind the times - give us the products and we'll do the "e" thing!
Many accountants do use technology and the internet in most aspects of their business.. but usually there is little attention given to how it is used or can be used to direct more effectively and efficiently.
We are only discovering now the opportunity of managing simple tasks.
Forex Groups - Tips on Trading
Related article:
http://www.accountingweb.co.uk/item/172854/1025/1021/1026
comments | Add comment | Report as Spam
|
