Before you make any important business decisions, it’s wise to check the books. Can you afford to take on this project or will it strain the profit margin? Unfortunately, entry-level accounting software like QuickBooks doesn’t provide easy or quick answers to these questions. While you can draw financial data from QuickBooks, you still need details from procurement, manufacturing and other departments to be able to move forward. Constantly going back to the books and your managers means you’re looking backward more often than you should.
Growing Pain No. 4: You Can’t Move Forward When You Keep Looking Back
According to a 2012 survey by InformationWeek’s Enterprise Applications, 24 percent of businesses hope to develop and deliver innovative products and services. To facilitate this forward-thinking approach, you need access to critical business data to make timely decisions that drive growth. If you can’t get your hands on detailed, real-time financial reports, you never really know where your business stands. Are you making or losing money? Is your profit margin high, or are you barely breaking even? You know you’ve outgrown QuickBooks if you’re so busy sorting through backward-looking reports you don’t have time for planning and capitalizing on your future.
Microsoft Dynamics solutions can help you refocus on the next chapter of your business by putting important data at your fingertips without added complexity. With quick access to accurate financial, manufacturing, inventory and other key information, you won’t need to waste time calling managers or digging through the books. Microsoft solutions provide powerful and personalized business intelligence that helps you make smart, quick decisions. They also can help you spot internal and external trends with customers and suppliers and use them to your advantage.
Joe Whitty, controller at Amalfi Semiconductor, thinks Microsoft solutions help his company grow wisely: “With Microsoft Dynamics … we can grow our sales and operations based on real insights into the actual needs of customers. If we had to do it all over again, we’d make the same choice.”
More insight can help you boost profit margins by improving your supply chain and productivity and enhancing cash flow. Outperform your competition by quickly responding to customer needs, knowing what your customers want or need before they do and maintaining the profits to keep your business flourishing.
Stop looking backward and use robust Microsoft business solutions to take your business to the next level. To learn more, watch the Turn Data into Insight video, take a test-drive or read about Microsoft’s cloud or on-premises solutions for small and midsize businesses. And be sure to join us next time when we explore Growing Pain No. 5: Putting Off New Business Opportunities.
This blog series addresses some of the common signs your business has outgrown QuickBooks and how Microsoft business solutions can help you keep growing. If you missed the previous posts, you can view them here:
Growing Pain No. 1: Rubber Bands & Sticky Notes Are Keeping You Up at Night
Growing Pain No. 2: Managing the Books & Cash Flow Isn’t As Easy As It Used to Be
Growing Pain No. 3: Lack of Financial Controls & Audit Trails Is Putting You at Risk
The post Telltale Signs You’ve Outgrown QuickBooks – Growing Pain No. 4 appeared first on Dynamics GP Insights.