As many businesses grow, QuickBooks may no longer be robust enough to support the organization, requiring them to find a new solution. Fortunately, there are plenty of options to replace QuickBooks. Before making a decision, it is important to assess what is working, what is not working, and what measures you need to take to ensure success with the future software implementation.

There are four critical considerations before replacing QuickBooks:

1. Identify processing gaps and desired outcomes

   Before you can figure out which financial software solution is best for your organization, you need to identify processing gaps and desired outcomes across all operational areas.

   A gap analysis will help you understand what your company is currently doing, where you want it to go, and what the gap between those two situations looks like. By examining processing gaps and analyzing your desired outcomes, you will be able to elevate your organization’s performance overall.

   Generally, a gap analysis addresses four key questions:

   • Do the desired activities, processes, and tasks exist in the current business system?
   • Do the current activities, processes, and tasks work well, or are there problems?
   • How extensive is the problem with the current activities, processes, and tasks?
   • What are the desired key performance indicators (KPIs) and analytic outcomes, and how are they prepared today?

   Diving into each of these questions helps determine how you can make improvements and facilitate peak performance as you replace QuickBooks. During your gap analysis, focus on quantifying your business’ needs using trackable KPIs to accurately measure and understand shortfalls, needs, and opportunities. At the same time, be mindful that you can always put better measures into place, so you do not necessarily have to wait until something fails. When you proactively look at ways to improve your company, you can position your organization ahead of your competition.
   
   

2. Establish a well-defined data migration strategy before you replace QuickBooks

   Ensuring your migrated dataset is optimized to support your business process workflow, as well as your operational and financial reporting objectives, is vital. Make sure the product and service provider you choose offers translation and enrichment of your general ledger (GL), chart of account structure, item master, and customer master to incorporate the dimensions you need to drive your business success.

   Eliminate unnecessary data during the migration process by cleaning up old, redundant, and inconsistent data in your system before you introduce it to your new solution. When it comes to conversions, less is more. There are several tools, such as Power BI, that can be used to aggregate and analyze data in a data warehouse for informational and analytical purposes without having to integrate it all into your enterprise resource planning (ERP).
   
   

3. Involve your entire team

   Prior to opting to replace QuickBooks, your back-office accounting and bookkeeping staff were likely the primary users. Your new ERP solution will involve everyone’s input, so achieving participation and buy-in is critical to success.

   Understand who will be using your new ERP platform once it is up and running. More than likely, most employees in your organization will work with it in one way or another. Getting everyone on the same page from the very beginning is an essential component to the success of your overall implementation process. Figuring out whom this transition will impact and how it will affect them allows you to be ready to answer questions and mitigate any concerns.

   Start your change management strategy by including your entire organization in the process so you can hear employees’ concerns and suggestions early on. This will help you consider things before you integrate data or configure systems. It will also help you create a training plan that is tailored to particular departments or roles. Remember, people want to feel involved and heard. Letting everyone take part in this transition will help you gain early adoption of your new ERP product, thereby removing some stresses and frustrations that could otherwise come down the road.
   
   

4. Leverage assistance from experienced professionals to replace QuickBooks

   Although modern mid-market business management solutions are easier to use than ever, their robust nature requires a greater level of professional guidance before, during, and after go-live compared to QuickBooks. Working with a professional services provider can help identify the best solution to support your organization, facilitate an efficient transition, and maximize the benefits of the new platform.

Citrin Cooperman’s Digital Services Practice is here to help you transition from a platform that may no longer be serving you to a solution that is tailor-built for your organization’s unique needs. For more information on ERP platforms, such as NetSuite or Acumatica, reach out to your Citrin Cooperman advisor or Maria Hammadi and Jory Weissman at sales@citrincooperman.com.