It can seem a bit mysterious, but embracing this straightforward approach to your business software can bring great results
Often ‘The Cloud’ is spoken about with little context on what it offers that established systems don’t. It is easy to dismiss cloud or online services as nothing more than just buzz. After all, if it isn’t broke, why fix it?
The reality is that computer systems are changing, along with the way we engage with them. Today’s workers are mobile and regularly work outside of traditional business hours. Cloud computing makes it easy for us to adapt to our new behaviours and enable us to be more efficient than we ever could with traditional software packages.
Our jobs and the way we engage with the workplace have drastically changed over the past decade. Today, many of us are using smartphones and tablets to handle day-to-day work tasks away from our office desks. With so many people working from multiple locations at different times, it is integral that users are able to access the software they need to get the job done.
Cloud accounting software can let you send out invoices, create reports, claim expenses, and even manage project costs on the go. These new, online systems often come with mobile applications that work together to give users the freedom to work anywhere so they’re no longer tethered to a specific computer in which a software package is installed.
Traditional software packages generally provide standard products to customers in their effort to be all things to everyone. Cloud services are different, and enable users to have a greater say in the features included in their system.
In fact, there is cloud accounting software on the market that is modular and scalable which means you can ramp up or dial back features based on your immediate needs and price sensitivity.
For example, your organisation might not need to create timesheets all the time, or may only require invoicing tools once every few months. There are cloud-based solutions available that let you cherry pick the features you need so you can save money by not paying for tools you don’t use.
There is nothing more frustrating than waiting for software to update or checking to see that your computer is capable of running an updated software package.
Cloud service updates take place automatically, with the service provider responsible for the installation. This ensures all members in your organisation are using the same, current version of the service. Come tax time, this can be particularly handy, as current tax tables will be automatically refreshed.
One of the core benefits of using the cloud is the opportunity for real-time collaboration with co-workers and your accountant. Users won’t be expected to save files before sending them to colleagues or saving them on shared drives. Rather, to access the information, users simply need to log in to the cloud-based platform.
Sharing and distributing information is simplified, leaving little room for confusion as to when or even whether the files have been sent or where they were sent.
Beyond the ease and convenience associated with collaborating together on the one cloud service, potential risks of exposure of personal and financial information are also mitigated.
Users working together on the one platform don’t have to use additional services like email, FTP, traditional postal mail, or online file sharing services to move around documents. The fewer steps users need to go through to share documents and information, the more control you have over your personal and financial information. This is highly important when keeping your sensitive financial information away from prying eyes.
With automatic updates handled on the servers themselves, it also means that any security updates and patches are immediately applied. Many users are often too busy to update software themselves, leaving their systems vulnerable to a number of security threats.
Want to see how cloud accounting can give your business a boost? Visit the Reckon website to test drive cloud accounting software today.
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