How to make your accounts production service more efficient

Let’s start with the obvious: using the right software is the best way to make your accounts production service more efficient. 

And, given that accounts production forms a core part of most firms’ regulatory and compliance offering (but, generally, isn’t the most exciting of tasks), finding ways to make it quicker and simpler can be a game changer. 

Establishing exactly what software will work for you, and putting it into practice, though, can be a little trickier. Here are our tips for using software to successfully streamline your accounts production. 

Look at your existing processes first 

Before thinking about software, it’s important to have a clear understanding of exactly what your existing accounts production process looks like end to end. 

That means mapping out your workflows, from onboarding to billing, all the way through the client life cycle. Doing this means you’ll have a genuine understanding of exactly what happens when – which puts you in a strong position to identify areas of bloat, inefficiency, or unnecessary effort. 

Then, you’ll know exactly which gaps you can plug with tech, and where you’ll need to rethink things slightly differently. 

Craft your wish list 

Once you’ve got a clear picture of the landscape as it currently stands, it’s time to think about how things would work in an ideal scenario. 

Ask your team which elements of your accounts production service they find time-consuming, seek suggestions and ideas for different ways of working, and take inspiration from others you think are doing it well. 

Then, build your wish list. Start by plotting out the specific challenges you want to tackle – like ‘manually transferring data from bookkeeping’, for example, and match that to the solution you need – like ‘software that integrates with my bookkeeping solution’. 

Focus on integration 

It’s likely that, as part of your accounts production software wish list, you’ll come up against challenges caused by lack of integration. And that makes sense. Adding another platform for your team to log in and out of doesn’t create efficiency – it does the opposite. 

So, when you’re ready to start shopping around, make sure you have a clear idea of where integration is really key. Which parts of your tech stack, in other words, need to talk to each other? 

Be clear about how and when you’ll use it 

Don’t be afraid to ask for demonstrations of accounts production software before committing to purchasing anything. Any good supplier will happily show you how their platform works. 

Demonstrations can also be a really good opportunity for you to ask questions and work through different use cases, which can help build out some clear parameters about how and when you’ll use your software, and what features are most important for you to be embedding straight away. 

Training and support 

Finally, no matter how brilliant the software, its ability to streamline your accounts production service will live and die by how much you and your team ultimately understand and use it. 

Before signing up to a specific software package, make sure you’re happy with the level of training and support the supplier will offer you. While it might not always be the cheapest solution out there, you’ll see return on investment in the way your team is able to use it – and the efficiency they’re able to generate as a result.

We’ve put a lot of development time into our own accounts production software. With quick and easy to use features, you’ll save time and money from day one. Sign up for a demonstration or a free trial today.