An introduction to browser-based accounting
Through this guide, you will find out more about:
- What ‘browser-based accounting' actually means
- What key business benefits it uniquely delivers
- Why security is not an issue
- Why it is the simplest alternative to deploy
- Which organisations are likely to reap the most benefits
Contents Summary
- Defi nition of a browser-based system
- What does it mean?
- What are the key benefi ts?
- How does it work?
- Are there any security concerns?
- How easy is it to deploy & maintain?
- What type of operations is it suitable for?
What does it mean?
The term 'browser-based accounting' refers to a system that provides personalised, secure and easy access via a standard web interface such as Internet Explorer or Firefox. The core finance system can reside at a company's premises or alternatively can be maintained at a remote site by a third party supplier, as in hosted environment.
With a browser-based system registered users can log into the system from any location and can access documents or data via a single customised portal. This speeds up the whole process of fi nancial management and allows both finance and non-finance users to act on the latest information in real-time.
What are the key benefits?
Many of the benefits of browser-based systems can be realised almost immediately. Firstly, the familiarity and ease of use of this type of platform means that there is minimal training required and users can really get to grips with the system from day one. For those organisations that wish to devolve many accounting activities to non-financial staff, a browser-based system is probably the most effective as it removes the ‘fear-factor' associated with finance issues and is readily available regardless of the user's location.
Easing the bottleneck leads to greater efficiency
By providing a link to the finance system via a common interface such as a browser, means that staff are more encouraged to get involved and contribute to the financial operation of a business. The accounts department can often represent a bottleneck within an organisation, because simple procedures such as creating quotes, signing off purchase orders or invoicing are delayed. This can have a negative impact both on cash-flow and profitability. With a browser-based system, key non-financial employees can help speed up these processes and make you more efficient.
Instant access to up to date information & bespoke reports
Think how much easier it would be for example for a sales person to produce proposals or alert the finance personnel when a job is ready to be invoiced or chased for payment. This could be done in realtime when they remember, rather than when they are next in the office. Not only is a browser-based platform easier to access, but the information that can be displayed can be tailored to meet the exact specifications of the user. For instance, rather than the finance department spending days compiling reports for senior management, why not let them view this information themselves via an ‘at a glance' portal rather than deciphering complicated spreadsheets.
In today's economic climate the difference between success and failure will be the ability to be one step ahead of your competitors in improving efficiencies and reducing costs - a browser-based system can help you achieve both.
How does it work?
Users can access the finance system from any location in the office or remotely where there is Internet access. Each user can be given personalised access to the system, so that he/she may have different user rights dependent on their position or needs and will be shown a customised view of updated information. To log in to the system each employee is given a user name and password. Access is provided via a VPN (virtual private network) or via an https secure server. For non-office based workers entry to the system is very similar to how remote access operates so there is a minimal learning curve. New users are simply emailed a URL and they can be up and running in seconds. On initial registration, Java is automatically downloaded taking just a few seconds but subsequent visits experience minimal delay. No client software needs to be installed.
Are there any security concerns?
The majority of businesses now support some kind of remote working for staff and there is really little difference in terms of security issues with this and accessing a browser-based system. Both work in exactly the same way, using a high speed connection with at least 128bit encryption. To heighten security it is possible to change passwords on a regular basis.
How easy is it to deploy & maintain?
The beauty of a browser-based solution is that initial deployment and on-going maintenance is incredibly small. There is no need to install new software on multiple machines, little training is required and users don't have to fire up a separate application every time they want to view financial data. Moving forward, unlike many other non-browser based systems, there is no cumbersome upgrade procedure that can cause significant downtime. Instead maintenance releases are issued regularly so that users can always be up to date without major inconvenience.
What type of operations is it suitable for?
Unless you only want a restricted number of personnel to access the finance system, then most organisations would be interested in a browser-based package. In particular if you have a disparate workforce or multiple sites then this type of solution would be very attractive and it could be deployed effortlessly.
But the main reason you should consider a browser-based solution is to increase efficiency and decrease costs. Whether it's through real-time management reporting, speeding up the sales cycle or reducing the overhead in IT management, a browser-based finance system gives you the tools towork smarter and boost revenues. | 
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