REDUCE RISK OF WRONG ACCOUNTING SYSTEM SELECTION

It provides an industry standard approach to assemble your requirements in an orderly, structured way. When used as part of an RFI or RFP, it enables prospective vendors to respond to your specific needs without confusion, in a standardised format. And hence ensure an easy and impartial comparison of proposals and identification of the best solutions.

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VERSIONS TO SUIT ALL TYPES OF ORGANISATION

• small medium and large size organisations (with turnovers from £1m to £500m), including:
• commercial companies / businesses and non-profit / government organisations
• accounting or IT staff, functional specialists, managers, directors
• any person or organisation involved with specifying a new accounting system

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IMPARTIALITY ASSURED

The Checklist has been created to be totally impartial and has no bias towards any accounting software package or supplier. It is only concerned with your future needs and requirements.

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WHEN TO USE IT

If you are planning to replace your accounting system in the future, you should review this Checklist NOW. You’ll benefit most prior to contacting software vendors. This will focus your thoughts on your specific needs rather than being sidetracked with potentially unsuitable solutions.

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USER FRIENDLY - GUIDES YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS

Clear instructions are provided. You are guided from the very first steps right through to producing a comprehensive requirements specification / user needs list for your new accounting system.

The Checklist is structured in 2 levels - overview and detailed levels, to help you to be more systematic and thorough when specifying your requirements.

The Business Analysis and Overview sections will provide you with your outline system requirements and the detailed sections will provide your detailed accounting system requirements.

System Selection guidelines show you how to use your completed Checklist, RFI / RFP schedules to select your next accounting system.

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30-DAY, 100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE

If you are not completely satisfied with this Checklist - simply return it within 30 days and we will give you a full refund on the spot or cancel your invoice, no questions.

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FORMAT OPTIONS

The Accounting System Checklist is available in Microsoft Excel 97-2003, Microsoft Windows 95-XP format:

• by immediate download or email file attachment (“.zip” file)
• on CD (Excel “.xls” file)
• or as a printed and bound paper book (A4 size) - by special request

The minimum recommended system requirements are:  Pentium 450, 64 MB RAM, 3 MB free disk space, MS Excel 97 or later version, MS Windows 95 or later version and a CD / DVD drive (if ordering a CD).

NB: (i) The Checklists work in all versions of Excel from 97 through to 2007 (SP1) and Windows from 95 through to Vista.  (ii) “.zip” files require ‘winzip’ from www.winzip.com

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WHERE CHECKLISTS ARE USED

          ... within the UK, USA, Europe and numerous countries worldwide.

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ALTERNATIVE WAYS THE CHECKLIST HAS BEEN USED 

• assisting with ‘brain storming’ - to identify user needs / system requirements
• preparing requirements documents
• as RFI / RFP schedules for prospective vendors to ‘tick’ the boxes where their software meets customer requirements
• as reference lists - to check that everything is included within the requirements specification / RFI / RFP
• to understand more about accounting systems

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TESTIMONIALS

We have used the Axia System Requirements Checklists as ‘cornerstone’ inputs into our Business Requirement and Change processes for two of our most significant IT projects in recent years. These comprehensive documents have directly saved us considerable time, effort and cost in terms of project / quality planning and external consulting activities. I would not hesitate to recommend the use of these tools for future IT and / or Business Change Projects.   (Richard Mackenzie, MRM Programme Manager, RAC Western Australia)

I bought your very useful doc on Payroll and HR system requirements last September and used it to form the basis of an ITT I prepared for the University. While I was sure it would be useful, I’ve been more than impressed with it in practice and have been extolling its virtues to one and all.   (Dr Chris Lambe, Project Manager, University of Reading)

Your CRM Checklist saved us over 44 man hours during the requirements definition phase of the project. I am very grateful for your service   (David Cannon, President, Certtest Inc)

I found the HR and Payroll checklist very comprehensive and extremely useful in forming a base document to utilise in the selection of a new HR solution. It certainly saved us a huge amount of time in compiling a list of requirements, excellent!   (Richard Buckingham, HR Systems Analyst, Mizuho Corporate Bank)

We found the Payroll Checklist so useful ... we were able to adapt the schedules and issue them as ‘questions with tick-box answers’ for suppliers to tick as to whether they could meet our requirements ...  it saved us a lot of time   (Payroll Manager, Financial Services PLC)

Your Checklist was of great use to me in preparing for vendor selection and it also saved me a great deal of time in ensuring we covered all relevant areas of the user requirements   (Dr Stephen Hutson, Director, Pharma4sight)

It’s a fantastic product - the standardised format is very useful in specifying systems requirements   (IT Manager, Business Services Group)

The Payroll and HR Checklist was extremely useful. It allowed us to focus on specific areas without having to start off with ‘blank sheets’ of paper   (Internal Services Manager, Pharmaceutical Group)

We chose the Axia Accounting Checklist because it looked from a google search on such things, to be the best value for money product of this nature. We used a spreadsheet based on an edited / personalised version to go out to suppliers in an open Euro-tender and got six responses. I am sure if we had gone out to Euro-tender with something less detailed, we would have had dozens of claimed solutions, if not hundreds. It was also very useful to our teams (eg Purchasing, Sales, Accounts) as a prompt to what sort of functionality we already had as well as what we wanted from a replacement system. We certainly think the exercise delivered us a choice between two or three quality solutions - one of which we have decided to go with.   (Andrew Haslehurst, Head of Accounts, Southampton Solent University)

A very useful and comprehensive list ... very easy to use. It stimulated our discussions, prompted thoughts and helped with our investigations   (HR Director, Construction and Management Consulting Group)

We’ve used it extensively ... its been a major benefit to creating a long list of our requirements   (Systems Accountant, Housing Association)

We recognised from the outset that a key to the success of the project would be to get the functional specification for the procurement stage absolutely clear. With the Axia Checklist, we have been able to do so much more though. It has given us a really good start with our task of discussing with key stakeholders exactly what they require from a HR / Payroll system at both a strategic and operational level, and has also given us a methodology for collecting volumetric data about the Council ...   We have also already used the Checklist to very good effect when choosing an interim Recruitment system solution when the Checklist helped no end in focusing us in on what exactly we wanted from a system ...   My only surprise is that the Checklist is so reasonably priced - we must have already had a return on our original investment several times over!   (Chris Burrows, HR Manager (eHR), Coventry City Council)

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CONTENTS

Three Accounting System Checklist versions are available - SME, Corporate and Enterprise.

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DETAILED CONTENTS

1.   Business analysis - business sector, location and employee analysis, number of system users, present accounting system, future accounting system, outline budget for new accounting system

2.   Accounting system overview - of the key systems functions detailed within sections 3 to 24

3.   System wide functions - system / software quality accreditations, internet / intranet, ESS (employee self service), MSS (manager self service), employee portal, workflow, alerts, DIP (document image processing), euro / european monetary union, Compliance - accounting standards / Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) / Year 2000, multi company / currency / lingual capability, windows, VAT / sales tax, system enquiry, sms text messaging to mobile phones, reporting, e-reporting, e-documentation and forms, links to other systems

4.   Advanced analytics and business intelligence - analytical system, self-service, analysis, forecasts, product and service analysis, customer analysis, cost analysis, data warehouse, data mining, combined business intelligence and analytics, integrated links, statistics and volumes

5.   General ledger - general ledger structure and chart of accounts, e-general ledger, budgets and forecasts, actuals / transactions, accounts consolidation, corporate taxation, statistical allocations, management accounts, reports, integrated links, statistics and volumes

6.   Accounts payable - supplier master file, transaction details, e-accounts payable, data entry, data validation, invoice / order matching, non invoiced payments, payment, documents and reports, integrated links, statistics and volumes

7.   Employee expenses - expenses system codes, processing, payments, e-expenses, e-travel, reports and analysis, integrated links, statistics and volumes

8.   Time recording - time data and data capture, additional equipment installation, time sheet design, time data - display, monitoring and analysis, rostering, UK Working Time Directive, reports, integrated links, statistics and volumes

9.   Construction industry records - certification, sub contractor records, payments, reports and documentation, integrated links, statistics and volumes

10.   Purchase order processing - procurement options, web based e-procurement options, purchase planning, requisitions, quotations, orders, order amendment, user / employee self-service, contracts, purchase day books, e-procurement integration with suppliers, supplier portal, supplier self service, supplier managed inventory, par inventory and replenishment, e-procurement integration with customers, expediting, receipting / goods received, returns, enquiry, electronic payment, documents and reports, integrated links, statistics and volumes

11.  Accounts receivable - customer master file, payments received, invoice / payment matching, credit notes, credit control, invoice query management, search and enquiry, customer access to accounts receivable via the internet, documents and reports, integrated links, statistics and volumes 

12.  Contract accounts receivable - contract records, sales contracts, invoicing, enquiry, documents and reports, integrated links, statistics and volumes 

13.  Sales order processing and invoicing - contact and sales management, quotations, contracts, orders, sales day books, fulfilling orders, delivery, invoicing, integration with website / shopping carts, customer portal, customer self service / sales orders, sales order data exported to e-commerce website, website product catalogue, sales order data imported from e-commerce website, e-commerce payments, cash sales and trade counter, sales order documents and reports, integrated links, statistics and volumes

14.  Job order processing - quotations and costings, job orders, system enquiry, invoicing, documents and reports, integrated links, statistics and volumes

15.  Service management - service management database, preventative maintenance, call logging and analysis, engineer scheduling, call progressing, reports, integrated links, statistics and volumes

16.  Job costing and invoicing - job static data, project planning / management, quotes contracts and budgets, job variations, income costs and work in progress, invoicing, reports, integrated links, statistics and volumes

17.  Inventory - item master file, barcodes, transactions, locations, sales prices, additional details for single and batch items, inventory item levels, values and cost prices, stock counts, item allocations, reports, integrated links, statistics and volumes

18.  Bill of materials (BOM) and works orders (WO) - quotations and order processing, basic BOM / assemblies, configuration creation and maintenance, routing, costing, BOM documentation and reports, WO creation, kitting, WO documentation and reports, integrated links, statistics and volumes

19.  Cash book - bank accounts, transactions, e-banking, reconciliation, cash forecasts, reports, integrated links, statistics and volumes

20.  Fixed Assets - asset records, asset types, asset valuations, capital expenditure budgeting, capital projects, asset tracking, depreciation, capital allowances, lease asset accounting, asset insurance, local / central UK government / NHS requirements, international fixed asset features, reports, integrated links, statistics and volumes

21.  Plant hire - plant hire records, hiring, invoicing, documents and reports, integrated links, statistics and volumes

22.  Systems operations - system reliability, operational efficiency, system performance, user productivity assistance, data processing and systems control, data volumes and quality, security, back up and recovery

23.  Technology requirements - application software, databases, database administration and monitoring tools, operating systems (mainframes, servers, clients, networks), XML, network types and cabling, wireless (LAN) networking, ASP (Application Service Provider) / hosting organisation, internet access and hosting, hardware platforms (mainframe, mid range, server, workstation, client), hardware (wireless / portable devices), other hardware requirements

24.  Software / system support - sources of support, supplier quality accreditations, vendor / support organisation expertise and reputation, implementation assistance, training, maintenance and support

25.  System selection - selection process, shortlist phase, detailed selection phase

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LINKS TO SAMPLE PAGES

Click the links to view the following sample pages.

• accounting system wide / systems operations requirements
• purchase order processing
• accounts receivable (sales ledger)

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DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE THREE ACCOUNTING SYSTEM CHECKLIST VERSIONS:

The three versions are designed for different size organisations and different accounting system functional needs.

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Plus additional charges for:

- VAT @ 17.5% on CD’s, email and downloaded copies delivered within the UK

- CD creation and book printing/binding

- postage and packing for CD’s and printed books

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ABOUT THE CHECKLIST CREATOR

Accounting System Checklists were created and developed by Richard Starling BSc FCCA, who has spent the past 19 years specifying, shortlisting, selecting and implementing Accounting, HR and Payroll systems.

In 1994 he led the formation of Axia Consulting to provide specialist consultancy advice and resources to assist organisations with selecting and implementing new Accounting, HR and Payroll systems.

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ORDERING AND DELIVERY

Place your order using this order form or click the link below.  

Immediate delivery / download. Pay with credit or debit card at our online shop.

Or same day despatch, wherever possible  - for email files, CD’s and printed copies - when paying on invoice.

ORDER YOUR COPY NOW and save weeks of your time

The Accounting System RFI/RFP Requirements Checklist is comprehensive and easy to use. It is completely impartial and backed by our 30-day 100% satisfaction money-back guarantee. You risk nothing by trying it out!

© 2008 Axia Consulting Ltd. All rights reserved.