By James Murray

Any business that is project driven will reach a point where they need to have information that is easily accessible, accurate and available when it is needed. With the standard paper, phoning, and fax methods, companies have a very difficult time keeping tracking the costs and progress of projects. Using project accounting software can resolve these and many other problems that are often prevalent for a business that is project driven.

Deciding on your present and future project accounting needs will be an important first step in determining what types of systems you will want to review and compare. The levels of service in software vary. Some of the programs are designed for specific industries, some are designed for a specific number of people in the organization managing projects, and some have modules which integrate into other areas of management such as the accounting program.

After determining your needs, identifying those systems that have the most features and functions to meet your needs will allow you to begin to take the important steps to select the best program for you. The program must be easy to navigate and integrate easily with your accounting and other management software. The ability to integrate, import and export data will save you and your staff time when information is needed on a broad level.

Accurate, real-time information and reports are critical to cost savings and waste reduction. The program you select must be able to provide the kind of real-time reporting that will provide you and other stakeholders to make decisions in a timely manner and make adjustments to strategies as needed. When the system is networked throughout your business, all of the individuals working on a project can input data as received so you are able to review information without taking them away from the important task of working on the project.

Another factor that will need to be attended to prior to making your final software decision will be to make sure that your in-house computer systems have the operating system and memory to accommodate the program and be networked. The ability of all staff working on a project to interact and input information simultaneously will be an important feature of the program that you select.

When selecting the best project accounting software will also entail talking to the provider and ascertaining their experience in your industry will be important. The system must be adaptable, flexible and able to expand, evolve and grow with your business. As your needs begin to increase, the provider must have a strategy in place to meet those growing needs.

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