Technology in Accounting Offices: What Has Changed?

Have you ever stopped to think about what an accounting office was like 50 years ago? Certainly, it has no relation to the current reality. The technology in accounting offices has changed the way accountants relate and service their customers. Can you imagine the office boys coming and going between the client’s office and the accountant’s office, bringing documents in and out? It is true that they had invented the facsimile machine. You put the document on the side here and your caller was waiting on the other side. This is of less if we stop to think about how the deeds were done, with manual filling of fiscal books, accounting entries and elaboration of statements. For the accountants, it was a lot of work, a permanent exposure to errors and lengthy conciliation procedures. Not to mention the old typewriter, which when you got it wrong gave a damn trouble to correct. It was the numbering machine, you missed a number and that was it. The sum was wrong, the numbers did not beat and had to start all over again. As a consequence, the productivity of an accounting firm can not be said to be exemplary, however great the accountant’s expertise. What was more advanced was the spreadsheet system called Lotus 123. It was the maximum of automation possible in the accounting offices.

The leap of technology

From the 90’s, mainly, business management software began to gain strength in Brazil. Small, medium and long-term companies received IT solutions that allowed a broad view of the business through management reporting. The paperwork decreased, as well as the need for human resources involved in administrative processes, allowing companies to allocate them in their activities. Decisions became more agile and even the life of accountants was facilitated, since most of these software had accounting modules. At the same time, accounting offices have gained specific tools for accounting records and reporting. Automation on both sides, the productivity gain was natural.At the beginning of the twenty-first century technological solutions began to evolve at a dizzying pace. With the spread of the Internet as a business tool, data transmission has gained new momentum. Office boys were on their way. Today, we are experiencing the age of cloud software and system integration. Now the challenge is to integrate the various sources of strategic information, from software to news feeds into a single tool. We have already come across solutions that allow you to control various financial flows centrally. The logic is reversing. Now it is no longer the manager who seeks information, but the opposite. We are in the information age in real time. Competing is no longer just having the best value proposition for customers. You need agility to make decisions now.

Competitive accounting technology and offices

If you are an accountant, you must have realized that technology and competitiveness go hand in hand. An accounting office competes with other offices. Although competing for price is not the best of strategies, sometimes it becomes inevitable. After all, customers want the best service at the lowest cost. The good news is that this is fully possible. From the moment you have greater productivity, you can serve more customers and, therefore, deliver competitive prices. In accounting, today, agility in the provision of accounting services is a way to generate value for the customer . As for prices, a lean and agile operation, coupled with productivity, guarantees reduced costs and the possibility of being competitive.

What do we have to change these days?

The new change, which is not even so new, in the organizational universe are online softwares. The advantage of this type of software is that it allows you to integrate people into different places. Managers, vendors and administrative staff can share the same information whether or not they are in the office. Thanks to new data transmission technologies, software can be integrated. From this leap forward, the new business model involving accounting offices and their clients is full integration and remote transmission. By means of accounting integration it is possible that the accountant has remote access and capture not only of the financial reports, but also of the fiscal documents. From this resource, besides the near zero reduction of the risk of errors, the work of the accountant has become still more agile. The customer data is captured and already absorbed by the accounting software. With this, we have a scenario in which the financial statements can be produced almost in real time. That means, for the accounting offices, more productivity, less costs and more customers.

Article by: GestãoClick

The advantages of automating logistics management

The logistics sector is one of the most strategic in a company and it is an area that requires more attention and care during the day-to-day. When this sector does not work properly, the entire productive process of a company can be called into question. Automation in this industry boosts results and brings several benefits to companies. In today’s article, we present the main advantages of automating the logistics management of your company!

Total process control

To automate the management of information in the logistics sector is to ensure that there is a large organization at all levels. Through real-time monitoring systems such as Multipeers, the company is able to know at every moment what is happening along the logistics chain, and can take immediate decisions that benefit the business. Employee routines become simpler because they can perform faster analyzes and do not need to search for information from a variety of data sources.

Reducing Costs

Reducing costs is a constant concern in companies. Greater control over processes allows for more conscious actions that will automatically lead to better and more advantageous decisions for company accounts. In addition, the replacement of manual processes with automated solutions, with the consequent reduction of errors and early identification of failures, contribute positively to the control of costs.

Integrated Information

An automated management system allows all company information to be concentrated in one place and this makes access to data easier for all employees. This rapid access to logistical information allows faster and more conscious decisions to be made, avoiding delays in the execution of tasks. The integrated information allows you to create reports in real time, allowing the immediate detection of any problems that compromise the workflow.

Higher efficiency

The correct partnership between man and the machine allows a higher yield in the day-to-day. It also allows for the elimination of excess labor costs, since it is easy to optimize the work of the employees. Automation in the logistics industry has this advantage, because tasks that previously required human intervention can now be performed automatically and much faster.

Quick identification of business opportunities

With the use of automated tools you can identify opportunities right when they arise, allowing you to stay one step ahead of the competition. A change in demand for a product, for example, could lead you to launch a specific campaign, which will increase sales and improve overall results.

 

 

 

How should the manager of the future be?

The manager of the future can not be the same as the manager of the past. The business world changes at an amazing pace, so it is necessary that the manager is always aware of the latest changes in the market, because only then can you remain competitive and make the right decisions for the future of the business. The manager of the future is expected to be more proactive than now and not expect situations to happen to act. In today’s article, we cover the key aspects about what a future manager should have!

More than one manager should be a leader

The manager should be an example to follow and should be able to motivate his team to work in the direction that he believes is the most suitable for the business. The manager can not be someone who gives orders and expects them to be fulfilled blindly. It should be a leader within the organization, because only then can you make a difference.

Know how to listen

This advices fits into any area of personal and professional life. People say that as we have two ears and only one mouth, we should talk less and hear more! In the business world, the leader must know how to listen to his employees because only then he will be able to find problems and implement improvements. When the leader listens to his or her employees, a closer relationship is established between them and together they will be able to find answers that will be beneficial to management.

Constantly evaluate the business

“A business that produces nothing but money is a poor business”: the celebrated phrase is by Henry Ford and still stands today. A good leader should evaluate a business as a whole and not just focus on money. The manager should be able to assess the financial aspects, but also the aspects related to employee motivation, working conditions and social impact of the business

Simplify processes

“Simplicity is the supreme sophistication”: this phrase was on the first flyer of Apple and was a philosophy followed by Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs eliminated all the accessory elements and focused only on what was really important. Managers tend to complicate everything from creating reports to holding extensive meetings. A good manager should be able to present the information to his team in a simple and easy-to-understand way so that the work can flow at a good pace. This increasing need for this simplicity was one reason why software such as Multipeers has emerged, allowing you to analyze information in real time in a simple, practical and intuitive way.

Know the technology

It is not expected that the manager of the future is a technology expert, but must be aware of existing offerings in the market that can improve the organization’s productivity. Technology has more and more impact in the business world, so this area must be closely monitored by the manager.

7 immediate advantages of real-time data analysis

Real-time information is an ever-present need in today’s business life. Managers can no longer leave their decisions for later and it is not advisable to use reports with a few days as the data source to decide. Business life happens now, at every moment, so it is indispensable that the managers have a current and reliable knowledge of all the situations of the company. Softwares like Multipeers will be more and more a constant presence in companies. In today’s article, we’ll introduce you to 7 immediate advantages of real-time data analysis for your business!

More Conscious Decisions

When the manager knows exactly what is going on in the business, it is much easier to make the right decision and this is undoubtedly the most immediate and most important advantage of using a real-time information system. Analyzing the business in real time allows you to have all the necessary inputs so that you can consciously decide on the best route to take, since the information you are analyzing is up to date and reliable.

Setting up business alerts

Business monitoring software such as Multipeers allows you to set up business alerts so that you are warned whenever a situation goes beyond its standard. Wherever you are, you will be notified by SMS or email about any changes to your previously set standards and you can act immediately, even before there is damage to the organization. This proves to be a huge competitive advantage because it enables immediate action and prevents negative consequences for the business.

Consult information on any device

Almost all real-time information management programs offer the possibility of being used on mobile devices, which is a huge advantage as the business market is increasingly mobile. With this tool, you can be in a meeting or a trip and have real and updated information about the true state of your business.

Early detection of possible problems

A failure in the production process can mean serious problems with customers, suppliers and partners if it is not detected and corrected in time, destroying complete production lines and damaging the relationship with stakeholders. Monitoring the production process in real time allows identifying faults and their timely correction. In this way, any deviations will be corrected as soon as possible.

Using multiple data sources simultaneously

With the use of a real-time analysis system, it is possible to aggregate all the company information in a single system. In this way, the access to information becomes much easier and intuitive, reducing the time previously spent by the manager to condense information from various data sources.

Decreased likelihood of error

The use of real-time data analysis systems reduces communication failures and speeds data consolidation, thereby reducing the likelihood of making business-critical errors. All company information will be condensed only in one place, which makes analytical processes more agile and efficient.

Fast identification of business opportunities

With the use of a real-time analytics tool you can identify opportunities at the very moment they arise, allowing you to stay one step ahead of the competition. A change in demand for a product, for example, could lead you to launch a specific campaign, which will increase sales and improve overall results.

 

Analyzing data in real time is increasingly a reality in companies around the world. Business happens at a very fast pace and it is essential that you know what is happening in your company to make the most appropriate decisions for your business. Download our e-book and learn how a BAM tool can help your management!

How is the decision-making process in successful companies?

Decisions, decisions and more decisions: this is the day-to-day of a manager. Any decision interferes with the success (or failure) of the business, so it is essential to have adequate and up-to-date knowledge when deciding. Decisions must be made consciously, for when we decide intuitively, without concrete facts and figures, we may be seriously damaging our business. In today’s article, let’s realize how the decision-making process is in successful companies!

Step one: problem identification

In most situations, decision making aims to solve a problem. Thus, it is necessary to identify its origin and list all possible solutions. This step seems basic but it is one of the most important because it will give us the data needed to know which path to choose. In the end, the decision taken will have to agree with the identified problem. If this doesn’t happen, the decision you make may be completely ineffective for the company’s needs.

Step two: data collection

At this stage, it is important to collect the data needed to make the decision. It is here that a complete analysis of the situation is made. Increasingly, managers need to have access to the data in real time. Solutions such as Multipeers allow the manager to have access to all information coming from all of the company’s data sources. This scenario is best suited to make the decision made right for the business, since the manager knows, at every moment, exactly what is going on in his business. Real-time information is increasingly a necessity and a reality in companies around the world.

Step Three: Evaluate all the ways

Before making a decision, the manager must identify and analyze in detail all available alternatives. The same problem can have several solutions and the manager should rely on the help of his team to choose the best way forward. In this way, not only does the company win, because everyone’s opinion will certainly be better than that of a single person, as employees will feel more motivated because they feel that they are an integral part of the process.

Step 4: decision and follow-up

The last step is to choose the most appropriate alternative to the reality of the company. However, the decision-making process should not be extinguished at the time it is decided. In order for business to evolve positively, all decisions must be monitored continuously to see if it really was the right decision for the business and to make changes if necessary.

Analyzing data in real time is increasingly a reality in companies around the world. Business happens at a very fast pace and it is essential that you know what is happening in your company to make the most appropriate decisions for your business.

Get to know the advantages of the BAM system and learn how these tools can help your business!

 

 

7 Decisions that can lead a company to bankruptcy

Managers face  each day important decisions for the direction of business. Nowadays, there are tools like Multipeers that help managers take a more global and comprehensive view of the real state of the business, which has a very significant weight for more conscious decision making. However, deciding always involves risks and there are decisions that can lead a company to go bankrupt. In today’s article, we cover the 7 decisions that can compromise the survival of a business.

Going for a new investment without analyzing the market

If you want to start a business or if you want to invest in a new product or market, it is mandatory to study the market, its needs and characteristics. A bad investment can ruin a business. When a company invests in a new area, it tends to use its monetary and time investments into this area, eventually neglecting other sectors of the business. If this bet is not successful, it may jeopardize the viability of the business. A thorough and detailed analysis should be done before moving on to new projects.

Do not listen to the customer

The customer is very important to the success of a business. Without customers, business does not make sense. Therefore, the company must take into account the needs of the customer and must be available to listen to their criticisms and suggestions. Many companies make the mistake of thinking that the sale concludes at the time of purchase. The truth is that after-sales service is very important (more and more!). And the customer likes to feel accompanied even after the purchase.

Do not invest in marketing

Marketing tools are essential for every business that wants to stand out in the market. With the evolution of digital marketing, it is increasingly important that companies invest in marketing actions that capture the attention of potential customers. Nowadays, a company that does not exist online is almost as if it did not really exist. That is why marketing should be viewed as a strategic business vector.

Lack of planning

Many companies do not plan their actions and prefer to go on acting as situations arise. This is a decision that can seriously compromise business success. Companies should plan in the short and long term and should have alternative plans if the chosen strategy doesn’ work. Having a good planning is to avoid unpleasant surprises and is to always be prepared for unexpected situations.

Fail to keep up with market changes

Even companies that have been in the market for many years should always be attentive to market trends. Over the years, consumers’ behaviors and habits change, and businesses must be prepared to change with them. The company must adapt its product/service to the needs that the market is presenting because only in this way will it be able to stay in the “fight”.

Do not invest in the right tools

Often companies don’t want to invest in management tools because of their price but end up paying a higher price because of the lack of information and the clutter that sets in the business. Many tools mean greater efficiency and market knowledge, which brings innumerable advantages to the company. A solution that is increasingly needed and used in companies is Multipeers, which allows you to analyze your business in real time through a dashboard that aggregates all information from the various sources of data that exist in the company.

Do not innovate

Innovation should be seen as a strategic tool in companies. A company that has been stagnant for years has nothing new to offer the public. In a time when business competition is so “tight”, it is critical that companies have a person responsible for the part of the innovation, because only then will they be able to offer more value to their customers.

 

5 common mistakes in information management you need to eliminate right now

Information is the most valuable asset of companies. With each passing day, companies store more data that needs to be addressed to provide the inputs needed for effective and informed decision-making. When the information is not well treated and analyzed, the more likely the company is to make the wrong decisions that will undermine its functioning. Thus, it is essential to know how to deal with the information and it is necessary to eliminate all the barriers that prevent the good treatment of the data. In today’s article, we present the 5 most common errors in the treatment of information you need to eliminate right now!

Error # 1: Working without Goals

In today’s business world, which is so competitive, it is very important that companies set general and specific goals, because only then will they know what strategy to follow in order to achieve the desired results. Each employee must work with specific KPI’s that are appropriate to their function, because only in this way will they be able to evaluate the data and transform it into useful and beneficial information for the pursuit of their work.

Error # 2: Fail to keep pace with rapid technological change

Today, technology is evolving at breakneck speeds, making companies constantly face the challenge of being up to date constantly. Nowadays, real-time analysis is already a reality in many companies. If it was enough years ago to know what was happening in the company a few days after the events, today this reality is completely changed. Analyzing business information in real time is the first step (and we can risk saying that it is the most important) to be able to decide consciously and effectively. Many companies still make the mistake of basing their reporting on a few days. Systems like Multipeers are becoming more and more indispensable in today’s business world.

Error # 3: Give the same access to all employees

This error is linked to information security, which is one of the most important aspects, but that companies still do not pay attention to this. Company information should not be accessible to all employees in the same way. Each employee must have access only to part of the information they need to perform their work. This will allow the collaborator to focus more easily and, at the same time, will allow to discover the origin of an eventual leak of information.

Error # 4: Do not back up the data

It seems like a very basic advice, but unfortunately many companies have not yet implemented a serious backup policy. We live in an increasingly connected world and with more and more virtual threats. Therefore, it is essential that you be prepared for any situation that could put the security of your information at risk. These days, putting a security password in your most important files is no longer enough. Making backups of data frequently is a critical step in ensuring that you will not lose sensitive data of the utmost importance. In addition, it is advisable to use a disaster recovery system such as RAAS. Disaster recovery should be regarded as a must have in companies as it is the guarantee that the most important information of the company is safeguarded and that the company will continue to function properly even when computer problems happen.

Error # 5: Create complex reports

The tendency of managers is to create reports with many pages and complex terms that make it difficult to analyze them. The ideal is to make short reports that contain only the information essential to making the right decisions for the business. Create appealing and easy-to-read graphics because through these elements it will be easier to convey your message and better understand the data. If you complicate too much the presentation of the information, it will discourage the employees who have to make their analysis!

 

What can we expect from technology in 2019?

The end of the year is always the time to anticipate trends and it is essential that companies are aware of the technological innovations of the upcoming year. Gartner has already pointed out the key technology trends that we will find in 2019. In today’s article, we talk about the major technology trends in the new year!

Digital Twins

This is a solution that aims to improve the processes of creation, testing and correction in the manufacture of new products. In fact, digital twins are nothing more than a copy of processes that exist in reality. At the same time that a product is developed in the physical world, its creation also happens in the virtual world. In this way, it is possible to carry out tests and analyzes before the product reaches the market. The main advantages of this technology are: reduction of production time, reduction of costs, greater capacity of adaptation, better forecast of profits and improvements of the forecast of risks and reduction of errors.

Augmented Analytics

Data are the most important assets of companies and managers need to be aware of this. By 2019 data analysis is expected to become even more important and programs and applications are used to enable data to be analyzed faster and more automatically. The goal is not to replace humans in this task, but to equip them with all the tools and information necessary for more assertive decision making. In this way, you can automate data creation, discover trends, and exchange information across departments. The RH, financial, sales and marketing departments are the ones who most benefit from this type of analysis.

Blockchain

Blockchain is very fashionable due to the increasing use of crypto-coins, but its use goes far beyond that. This technology makes transaction logging much more secure. This technology has innovated in the way of recording information, which provides a new way of working with data in the web world. However, Blockchain is not only used in the world of crypto-coins. Also in the area of ​​health this technology can be used, since it allows a registry of all data movement, which increases the security of the same. 2019 will be the year of solidification of this technology.

Chatbots

Chatbots are the stars of artificial intelligence. They are linked to the company’s database and use common language to talk to customers. They are able to recognize names and phone numbers to predict customer behavior. They are very intelligent systems in that they store the essential information so they can refer customers to the areas they need to consult. Ryanair, for example, already uses this system to talk to customers. More and more companies are using this functionality and it is expected that in 2019 there will be a great increase in their use.

Interactive Dashboards

The large volume and complexity of data requires new ways of analyzing information. Interactive dashboards are going to be a big trend next year. Softwares such as Multipeers allow the creation of an interactive dashboard with information from several data sources, which makes the analysis faster and, consequently, the decision making is faster and efficient.

5 Reasons not to manage your data in Excel

Many companies still use Excel to manage their sales, marketing, and other data. However, although it is fairly easy to work with Microsoft Excel, this program has too many limitations and is ultimately insufficient to manage all the information in a company. As companies grow, managers feel the need to use more sophisticated tools to manage business information. But despite this growing need, many managers insist on using Excel as their primary work tool, and this is because of ease of use and resistance to change. In today’s article, we give you 5 reasons not to manage your data in Excel!

Excel is not secure

Excel is a manually managed program that works based on formulas that not every employee in a company understands. Thus, managing an organization’s data through Excel can be quite confusing, as a contributor simply changes a formula so that all data is corrupted. In addition, Excel has a large security gap because it doesn’t allow you to create hierarchies at the document editing level, which greatly compromises data security.

High consumption of time

Entering data in Excel is time-consuming and takes up a human resource that could be dedicating itself to another task. There are studies that show that managers spend about 50% to 80% of their work time collecting data and inserting it into programs such as Excel. The ideal is to use a tool such as Multipeers that brings together in a single platform all the information coming from the most diverse sources of data of the company. And everything in real time and automatically.

High probability of error

Excel files are handled manually and so there is a high probability of human error. In the business world, you need to have great confidence in the data, because only then can you make the right decisions for the business. A wrongly entered data in Excel can affect all information entered and can trigger a bad decision that seriously damages the company.

Danger of data loss

Fortunately, we already have the option of using Excel online through Office 365. However, most people continue to work on files stored on their computer and this compromises data security. In the event of a computer disaster or hacker attack, there is a high likelihood that the file will be lost forever. If you use Excel, the best decision to make is to use it in Office 365 so that you can automatically save changes and save the file to the Web.

Lack of integration

To manage a company well, it is necessary to work with several Excel files, but it is quite complex to get them to “talk” to each other. There are formulas that allow a changed data file to impact other files, but this makes the documents too heavy and sometimes does not work correctly.

 

 

How to transform your company data into relevant information?

Companies generate a large amount of data daily. These data will be the inputs needed for effective and conscious decision-making, so it is vital that managers are able to extract the most value from them. It is important for companies to define an integrated information strategy, otherwise the data will not have the required value. In today’s article, we leave you with some tips to transform your company’s data into relevant information!

Data vs. Information

First and foremost, you need to distinguish between data and information. Although they are connected, these concepts don’t have the same meaning. Data is all information and initially does not bring any value to the company, as they have not yet been filtered or interpreted. They are data with potential. Already the information is a set of data that have already been categorized and it is already possible to extract useful information. The important thing in this process is to be able to distinguish what can be used with relevance and what does not have any kind of value.

Get to know the state of your business at all times

The day-to-day of a manager is quite busy and it is humanly impossible to keep up with all the situations that happen in the business. It is very important to have a real-time business monitoring system that allows you to set business alerts so that you are advised whenever any important situation requires immediate intervention. Multipeers is a BAM system that allows you to define business alerts that warn you whenever a situation requires your attention. In this way, you will always be aware of the events of your business and will be able to decide in good time. Many of the decisions are made based on reports a few days late, which makes the company have a reactive and non-proactive action. With Multipeers you can always be ahead of the competition. This is one of the most effective ways to turn data into relevant information!

Create efficient planning

For more complex, and especially long-term, decisions, you need to carefully plan each step to be taken considering all the pros and cons of each situation. A very efficient technique is the 5W2H tool, an acronym of 7 questions, in English, that serve as a basis for developing good strategic planning.

  • What (what will be done?)
  • Why (why will it be done?)
  • Where (where will it be done?)
  • When?
  • Who (who will be made?)
  • How (how will it be done?)
  • How much will it cost?

Use KPIs to evaluate actions

Defining business indicators in a conscious way is fundamental to being able to analyze the business objectively. It is essential that the indicators analyzed show managers the way forward in order to correct errors and apply new strategies. KPIs should be simple so that the entire team is able to understand them. If you get too complicated a KPI, you run the risk of not being able to extract any useful information from your analysis. If employees do not understand the indicator, they can become unmotivated, which harms the company’s performance. A KPI should be analyzed frequently because only with constant monitoring can we understand if we are correctly executing the company’s strategy and generating value with our activity. You should always opt for indicators that can be measured easily and frequently so that you can make day-to-day decisions based on reliable and up-to-date information.

Use dashboards in your day-to-day business

A dashboard visually displays the most important information about the business. In case of using a tool like Multipeers, the information is updated permanently and automatically, so that you have at your disposal the most current information on everything that happens in the company. By using a dashboard, you can easily see if your business goals are being met. Linking KPIs with day-to-day activities is essential if individual and global goals are to be achieved more simply. The dashboard is a very important tool in that it presents the data and organizes it so that the manager can analyze them objectively and so that he can extract as much information as possible.