You can't be Half Pregnant

Do you still fancy behaving like a Post Office after last weeks topic? This week, in the last of the series of the 7 Steps with Clarity Street that EVERY Accounting firm needs to Improve On, we talk about a topic that is dear to Clarity Street’s heart. Like all of the posts in this series, although they’ve been predominantly pitched at Accountants, this week our final blog relates to every business, no matter what industry or size, because it’s true to say that…you can’t be half pregnant, it’s time to fully adopt!

7. YOU CAN’T BE HALF PREGNANT

The biggest issue we see at the moment in the accounting industry in relation to all the noise around software development, is either not adopting these solutions fully or adopting new software but still using your old processes. The industry knows that change is occurring and it’s evident that adoption is occurring, really though the change is only to the way that you communicate (internally and with your clients) and how you manage your internal operations through software solutions. Sure, as we’ve mentioned, there’s talk of compliance being dead and a push for accountants to leverage themselves into an advisory role, but really, compliance will always be there and needs to be completed.

When it comes to software, the main push and change is in relation to cloud based options. Moving away from having to be heavily reliant on costly infrastructure such as an internal server to house all your software solutions, also that of having to rely on IT support either internally or externally employed. As your servers are coming to a lifespan end, the industry is looking to replace this with the plethora of cloud based software solutions available.

This is fantastic for all the reasons that these companies are marketing themselves as; user friendly, intuitive, limited downtime, cost effective, easily accessible from any location with an internet connection, time saving, efficient, real time information.

The issue this industry is facing though, is adopting these software options, yet expecting their current processes to still apply? That just won’t work, it’s putting a bandaid over the situation. And your mentality around change, really needs adjusting.

Only adopting and implementing new software and most of the time, only adopting parts of these new software solutions, still means you have multiple, clunky processes to complete the required tasks.

Without having an understanding of the impact these solutions will have on your internal operations (namely that things will change), will have a detrimental effect and is I believe, why so many accounting practices and small businesses are looking to cloud implementers and consultants to come in and fix the issues that have arisen.

Most of the issues are in relation to how your team/staff are impacted, how your clients are impacted and therefore, the negativity that gets dumped on the partners and business owners as the decision makers.  

The solution here is not always easy, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. It requires just one thing from the partners and business owners:

“A UNITED belief that with new software, comes new processes and change management and with persistence and the right management of change, you will guide your team and your clients through these new developments….relatively unscathed”.

Your team need to understand that:

• ~ New software is not a threat to their employment,
• ~ ​That what they do on a daily basis will change, yet the outcome to provide an exceptional level of service to your clients still remains exactly the same.
• ~ Your clients need to understand through clear communication, that likewise, your exceptional level of service will not be impacted and that in fact, it should become easier for them to communicate with you and receive required information at a much more rapid pace.
  
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​Implementing new software without fully adopting all aspects of the software and changes in processes that come with this, will lead to failure. Literally, you can’t be half pregnant!

If you’d like a pretty and free version of the 7 Steps with Clarity Street that EVERY Accounting Business needs to improve on, follow this link and grab your copy!

In the next blog, we’re going to talk about Xerocon Brisbane 2018 and Ian’s key takeaways from the event!....want to know more? Get in touch for a chat!