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Why Generic Accounting Software Isn't Right For Your Business

For construction businesses who are trying to grow and scale up their operations, there could be one over-looked stumbling block preventing them from getting ahead of their competitors and achieving ambitious growth plans: generic accounting software.

Explore the four key problems construction businesses using generic accounting software experience – perhaps some of these sound familiar.

1. It’s not built for construction

Generic accounts software not designed specifically for construction – generic. It has to be in order to cater for the wide variety of different business that use it. From hairdressers to marketing agencies, plumbers to retail stores; the functionality has to be so generic that it works for them all.

But construction businesses face a specific set of challenges when it comes to accounting that generic software just cannot cater for, including subcontractors, retentions, applications, valuations, job costing, payroll and more.

Evolution Mx from Integrity Software is built specifically for construction businesses, allowing businesses to keep job costing, accounting, payroll and subcontractor and procurement processes all in one place. Our Document Management module even stores all your contract and company-related documents behind each transaction to help you find and reproduce them easily.

Where you will likely have a raft of Excel spreadsheets to keep track of job costs alongside your generic accounting system, Evolution Mx does this all in one place. That means your teams can all work from one version of the data, and you can say goodbye to the hundreds of spreadsheets you have floating around your business or documents held on sources.

2. Only accounts team use it

Another problem with generic accounts software is the fact that is it typically just your accounts team using it, which doesn’t make for great communication and data sharing throughout the business.

Those requiring information from the accounting system – for example, Managing Directors wanting to see all invoices for a specific supplier – have to rely on the accounts team to generate this information and send it to them, putting added pressure on the team.

It’s quick and easy with Evolution Mx to set up individual dashboards for different users depending on the key information they need to see. This enables the user to view the information for themselves using their pre-existing dashboard, not only easing the burden on the accounting team but get access to information whenever they need it –even when they’re not in the office or working remotely.

Evolution Mx is used by not just the accounting team, but senior management along with your people on-site such as Contract Managers and Quantity Surveyors. That means better collaboration and communication between your teams.

3. It cannot be white-labelled to your business

Generic accounting software is typically very rigid and cannot be adapted to meet the needs of your business. One of the benefits of using something like Evolution Mx from Integrity Software is the flexibility of the software, given that it has been written and continues to be developed in-house by a team of experts.

Folder structure and naming conventions can all be tailored to suit your business in Evolution Mx – we don’t expect your business to adapt to our software. Whether your business refers to projects as jobs, contracts or something else, the system can be personalised to reflect that.

Cost codes you’re already using can also be imported to ensure that the software matches your current business processes and protocols as closely as possible, making the transition from generic construction software to Evolution Mx as easy as possible.

It is even possible to make the software even more tailored to your business, with many Integrity customers customising their Evolution Mx software to fit their process.

4. Poor customer support

Accounting software is only as good as the support provided to its users, and lots of our customers who have moved from generic accounting software comment on the frustrations they have felt when it comes to seeking out support from previous software providers.

At Integrity Software, we recognise the importance of an excellent support system for our clients, and our knowledge and expertise in the construction industry is there to help you get through any issues you may have as we understand construction and how the processes work.

Conclusion

For construction businesses truly looking to grow and streamline efficiency, construction-specific accounting software is essential in giving you real-time visibility for all your teams in both accounts and operations. Evolution Mx from Integrity Software is a fully integrated construction-specific accounting software, relied upon by more than 1,000 construction businesses throughout Ireland and the UK.

With top Irish contractors already using our software to gain real-time visibility of costs, procurement and greater control of their contracts margin including MMD Construction, J Manning & Sons and J Vaughan Electrical to name a few, you’ll be in good company. To find out more about the types of businesses using our software, you can explore our client case studies here.

To find out how Evolution Mx can help improve efficiencies in your construction business and support your plans for growth, book your free demonstration today.

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