When You Should NOT be Looking for New Construction Software

By Sheldon Needle

What could more apple pie than searching for a new construction accounting software solution for your company.

After all, it’s something you think you need and that would help your office get organized, run more productively as well as provide needed management information on a timely basis.

All this is certainly achievable. The problem is most users are not seriously looking. They just don’t realize it until the time comes to write the check and go through the inevitable pain that comes with converting their data and learning a new system.

Yes, it is a major commitment even for a small company. Here are the some of the signposts that companies should keep in mind to find out if they are truly serious about acquiring new construction software.

• When the search is initiated by an office crisis such as the old system crashing or executives raising hell about not being able to get the information they need at a particular time. As soon as the crisis passes, everyone relaxes and drops the new software search.
• When management thinks their chaotic office processes will be straightened out by getting a new system. This common myth is simply untrue. Your office will remain chaotic because well understood procedures and disciplined staff must be in place to follow them.
• When records are out of date or inaccurate. Moving bad data from one system to another only complicates data conversion and guarantees you will start you new system with a shaky foundation. The lesson is work on getting the information correct before you start looking for new software.
• The budget for new software is “as little as possible.” There is no such thing. Without some kind of expectation of what you need to spend depending on your needs and number of users, you will suffer sticker shock at any amount the vendor quotes.
• Lack of staff support. The smartest manager in the world cannot be successful with new software without active support from his staff, whether that staff is a room full of people or a single bookkeeper. Qualified staff has to be properly trained in order to get value from the new system.
• When everyone using the current system is unhappy and management fails to troubleshoot the problem. What makes you think they will like a new one? Many a “failed” software installation has been rescued once the core problem is understood.

In summary, while we are initially excited by the prospect of a better way to manage our business, the fact is that the vast majority of the companies who start a software selection search never complete it because they were never fully committed in the first place.

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