Accounting software is one of those annoyances that organizations must update annually. After one year, the accounting software vendor requires you to upgrade to the most recent version. Additionally, you must pay for the update. This article assists restaurant owners in determining whether to update.
Contrary to what your software vendor may tell you, you do not need to upgrade your restaurant accounting software every year in most circumstances. The concept that a yearly upgrade is required originates in tax accounting. It is a reality that tax accounting laws change annually, and tax accounting software also changes annually. Regardless of the beliefs, you have been taught through the years; tax accounting is distinct from other types of accounting.
Accounting is recording economic data (often transactions such as sales and purchases) and utilizing that data to make decisions. You use the data for tax purposes, but if that’s all you do with it, you need to take advantage of opportunities to boost your restaurant’s profitability.
My experience has shown that many small companies upgrade their accounting software every three to five years. This is the reason why:
The payroll module of the software is no longer supported. Numerous restaurant software providers attempt to frighten you by asserting that the deduction and withholding data in your payroll module is obsolete. You must pay a monthly fee for the payroll module to receive an “updated” version each year. Although this is not the worst strategy (payroll laws regularly change), it is only sometimes required. In most instances, your old program will function identically to your new software. Check the date of the most recent modification to municipal or state law. If there is often a five-year gap between legislative changes, there is no need to invest in an upgrade.
The previous system’s database is complete and sluggish, which is another incentive to modernize restaurant accounting software. It can become slow when a certain amount of data is entered into the database. Restaurant owners often update the technology to avoid this issue. Before purchasing accounting software for a restaurant, you should ensure that the database will last for many years.
The final reason many business owners change their accounting software is that it lacks certain features. Occasionally, managers wish to share data via the Internet, necessitating an upgrade. Managers sometimes require software that can generate specific reports, and they select a system that gives these.
Please think twice before purchasing the newest edition of your accounting software the next time it is launched. Ensure that it provides your restaurant’s functionality before expending essential resources.