Month: September 2012

Bacs software is a must for modern organisations

It wasn’t so long ago that book-keeping was carried out manually – it actually was book keeping – and payments were made by cash or cheque. This was time-consuming and laborious, and vulnerable to errors that could cost you and your organisation a significant amount of money. Not only that, but dealing with cash or cheques could be insecure and slow. Fortunately, with the advent and popularity of bacs, this is no longer the case. Bacs payments are fast and secure, and bacs software can be integrated with most accounting software – meaning that all of your book-keeping practices can be neatly brought together so that there is no ambiguity and no surprises.

Bacs, or bankers automated clearing system, has been around for decades now but has only relatively recently been adopted on a large scale. Until a few years ago it was normal for employers – particularly smaller ones – to pay workers in cash or by cheque. In the 21st century there is no call for this, or for the problems it brings. Bacs payments mean that you do not have to keep large quantities of cash on the premises. Neither do you have to wait to have cheques countersigned, or have to wait for them to clear. Bacs is not instant, but it is predictable. (In fact, in many cases bacs payments will go through in just minutes, rather than the three-day standard. In any case, if you need quicker payments then the SWIFT system is available for an additional fee.)

You may be able to manage, just about, on your own without bacs. However, issues typically happen when you try to mix old with new – when you are paid by cash or cheque but your accounts are automated with bacs software, or when you don’t use bacs payments but clients and suppliers do. In these cases it is easy for payments to be overlooked, perhaps because one or other of you isn’t used to dealing with cash or paying in cheques, or else isn’t able to check accounts online and keep track of their cash-flow electronically. Since bacs has become the standard and most businesses and other organisations now use it, it makes sense to switch to this system. The savings of time and money it brings should soon pay for any one-off costs to your accounts department and will future-proof your organisation.

Please visit http://www.bottomline.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

http://www.bottomline.co.uk/

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Document processing that allows employee voices to be heard

Offices used to be disordered and complicated places with machines and filing cabinets in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Cumbersome photocopiers would stand next to great switchboard systems, and computers with voluminous monitors would occupy whole desks. Going back further still, some parts of offices would have been reminiscent of craft shops, as employees made carbon copies of worksheets. Document management in those days represented a formidable task, requiring memory and handwriting abilities at the top of their game. Now, of course, these skills are not outright disregarded but they can be overlooked among people whose analytical thought as well as their pragmatism is deemed to be more of an asset. Indeed, document processing really requires staff to have their wits about them, especially if the documents are going somewhere private. Confidentiality is certainly important these days, and perhaps more than ever since ‘hackgate’ (The Leveson inquiry). Even fellow employees must be protected in this department, for the safe invoice processing of their wages and fees is an important marker of any given institution’s reputation.

A company that can secure a healthy reputation in terms of its relationship with its employees will be sure to have a weight lifted from its shoulders, as well as a better sight of its future aims. Speedier invoice to pay systems, used by temporary workers and freelancers will be very helpful in terms of granting a clear vision looking forwards. Thus the modern working environment that utilises document management systems efficiently will literally and metaphorically have more capacity to grow – paper transformed into electronic content will give clear sightlines and an uncluttered environment while fast payment systems will keep the company in the good books and ensure that external services are proposed ever more eagerly. Put simply, decluttering and getting on top of admin and accounts means empowering the mobile workforce.

What the majority of companies should be striving for in this day and age is a transparent system and a realistic, though vigorous approach to allocating budgetary funds. Different departments of individual companies have extremely varying needs and it is important that the management acquaints itself with every department’s requirements, individually. If that sounds like a problem, consider document processing whereby elected individuals could be speak for their department and interact directly with document content in a location visible to the directors. When document management occurs in this way, the management proper will have more knowledge and be able to do a better job. Invoice processing is slightly different of course but can be handled in an equally fair and transparent way.

Please visit http://www.bottomline.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

http://www.bottomline.co.uk/

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