productivity – Cooper Mann Consulting

May 1, 2025

Software and the Business Lifecycle

Every year, roughly 4.5 million US small businesses are started. The fuel which drives the American economy, small businesses account for more than 99% of all businesses in the US. And job creation happens in small business, which means growth also happens here. Growth happens at every stage of a business if the business is moving forward. From just starting out to achieving large enterprise status, the lifecycle of a business carries with it a multitude of learning moments.

As businesses implement solutions to manage accounting and operational needs, there is often less consideration for the agility of the solution to meet changing and expanding business needs than there is for affordability and the immediacy of the implementation. Small business owners frequently adopt solutions because they fit the needs now, not understanding what may happen when the business outgrows the solution. Sometimes a product meets the functionality requirements quite nicely yet can’t handle the increasing volume. These are among the issues facing growing businesses and forcing stakeholders to make more buying decisions regarding the software supporting the operation.

Each stage of a business where functional or process requirements change drives to another software buying decision. This buying decision is most often met with angst, as considerations include not only cost, but data conversion vs re-loading, new process or system design and setup, user training, proofing the system (running parallel?) and a host of other issues, not the least of which is the business benefit to be derived.

If information is power, too many businesses are losing that power when they migrate from one software product to another.

Businesses often lose valuable historical information by leaving transactional and other detail data behind when they change from one business software system to another. This should be an area of focus and key discussion point when any change to systems is considered. After all, the insight and business intelligence gathered over the years was likely instrumental in helping the small business grow to become a successful big business and will continue to be important for years to come.

Maximizing a return on investment is crucial with any business expenditure, whether it is in people, processes or systems.

The selection of software to support the operation plays a most important role in finding that value return, as the software is what empowers the people, guides the processes and drives the systems’ foundation. Knowing the crucial positioning of the software selection in supporting business growth and recognizing that future changes may risk loss of valuable business intelligence, the importance of the initial selection becomes that much greater.

Mendelson Consulting will help you review your business and processes, building an understanding of what functionality needs to be supported and how the business intends to operate. For businesses looking to take the next step, we help identify where automation can improve efficiency and productivity. With that understanding, we help business owners and stakeholders navigate through the overwhelming landscape of solutions and approaches to find the right one for your business.

At every step and stage of business growth, Mendelson Consulting looks ahead to what’s next, helping our clients plan for the future.

While we don’t have a crystal ball, our experience coupled with industry and product knowledge allows us to make recommendations which minimize loss of valuable business intelligence while maximizing the ROI of the software which it informs.

jm bunny feet Make Sense?

December 10, 2019December 9, 2019

Optimize Costs of Business IT With Cloud Hosting on Azure

Small business owners, like managers of enterprise workgroups, face daily challenges in keeping business information secure yet available to co-workers and business partners. Each type of user has a different need when it comes to applications and data, and users often work from different locations.

For a small business owner, this may mean keeping a set of books at each of several business locations or maybe packing up the information and bringing home the data to work on at night. For a business enterprise it may be the challenge of providing centralized application and data access to multiple branch offices or a distributed workforce.

The problem is in providing affordable secure access to keep people productive. A great solution is moving from local IT to cloud IT on the Microsoft Azure platform with Noobeh.

Anytime, Anywhere Access

Managing business data in a distributed environment or multi-location business is very difficult. When data files are stored on local PCs or on multiple servers, the organization may be spending quite a bit of money to backup and protect only some of its information assets. The data that rests on desktops, laptops and tablets is often overlooked and left unprotected.

Noobeh’s cloud service is a better alternative, hosting business applications and data on the massively scalable, agile and secure Microsoft Azure cloud. The service puts the business information and applications users need where they need them, allowing users to work from any location at any time.

Lower Cost of Supporting Productivity and Uptime

The #1 motivator for cloud adoption is cost optimization, according to the Microsoft Survey SMB Cloud Journey 2018. This is especially true for small and midsize businesses who are often running their businesses on lean budgets.

Compared to the costs traditionally associated with owning and maintaining a business network, managed hosting services can represent significant cost savings while improving the stability and security of the network overall.
It may seem that buying equipment and running it until it can’t go any more is the most cost-efficient way to handle business IT, but the real investment gets realized when businesses face the costs of lost productivity, incompatibility with modern technologies or services, and the risks that outdated systems introduce.

No Penalty For Going Back

Perhaps the most important element of application hosting services is the reality that the business aren’t penalized for making a different choice in the future. Business conditions change and most small businesses want to know that they could return to localized operation if desired, and much more easily than if they had invested in a purely cloud-based or SaaS solution. When a business migrates to an online application, the process of converting back if it doesn’t work out is a daunting and costly task if it can really be done at all.

With the application hosting approach, you continue to use the applications and data you already have investments in… you simply use them from your cloud environment instead of running everything on your local PCs and server.

Application hosting services from Noobeh allow you to continue using the desktop products your business relies on but to also take advantage of modern platforms and cloud service. Noobeh delivers the applications and data from the Microsoft cloud platform, keeping it all managed and working.

But if you don’t want to keep working that way, you can always discontinue the service and pull your data back to your local computers where you simply install your software and keep working.

Noobeh cloud services help businesses get more from their investments in software, associated data assets and personnel training. Users get all the benefits of managed IT service and anytime, anywhere access to their applications and data plus the security of knowing their systems are running on a highly redundant and robust platform. Even with all of that, if the working model is not to their liking, they still have the option of taking their ball and going home.

Make Sense?

January 7, 2015October 9, 2017

Everything Old is New Again: Big Fat Phones and Desktop QuickBooks in the Cloud

Every year that passes leaves some reminder of the time – some person or occurrence which touches us and creates a lasting memory. 2014 delivered its share of memorable people and moments and proved again that social platforms such as Twitter and Instagram have become increasingly significant as people across the world organize, march or call for change. Yet even as change is demanded from us and often forced upon us, it is wise to remember that the pendulum eventually swings both ways. We want to have our cake and eat it, too, which is the ultimate no-win situation and causes us to constantly and consistently seek out the alternative. Like the puppy chasing his tail, we end up going round in circles. Harem pants and jeans torn from knee to thigh have come back in fashion, and even though they didn’t really work the first time, here they are again. It is inevitable.

Information technology trends follow similar patterns, and what was once in high fashion may now be considered as “legacy”. Perhaps the better word is “classic”, as these legacy solutions often represent the standards by which new solutions will be measured. Eventually, the properties of the classic or legacy solution wind up in the new breed, because this is what the market has come to expect and/or demand. Even when entirely new standards are believed to be adopted, the truth is that years of learning and experience will often find the path previously traveled by others to be the right path.

It seems like so long ago when some said “the desktop is dead” and that all applications would be used by every device via the web, but not run on the device. Well, there are quite a number of web-based applications and services delivered in just that manner, but there are also lots and lots of computers out there with software still installed on them, happily working away for their users (there’s an app for that, right?). The desktop isn’t dead at all, it seems, and what’s more – there are trends to extend the capability and reach of the desktop to the web rather than replacing the desktop with the web. Application integration, process integration, interoperability, functionality and modality – all these factors and more have become the underlying drivers for extension of and hosting for desktop applications, and are the areas where SaaS and web-based application service has not delivered as expected.

The idea of having no software on the computing device is kind of silly, when you think about it. Computers continue to get more powerful and have more capability than ever. Heck, even phones are getting fatter and bigger again. The best phones these days are the ones that rival tablets and laptops in size and have lots of apps to run.

Microsoft Office, too, hasn’t gone anywhere, really. It’s still firmly attached to most workstations whether they’re iPads or Macs or Windows systems. Web-based productivity tools are certainly gaining in use, but not nearly as widely as some would believe. Office productivity continues to live on the desktop, and ties many users to desktop computing for that very reason. Use CRM in the cloud? I’ll bet you still export data to Excel or Word on the PC. Use accounting in the cloud? A lot of reporting still goes through Excel, trial balance systems and the like. The universe of web-based and SaaS apps is getting larger, but it hasn’t yet become the center of the universe for most established businesses. Net-new customers and smaller businesses are adopting SaaS due largely to cost and to the success of the marketing message, but use and direct experience with the product applied in the business setting often demonstrates that adoption of a more flexible (malleable) or functionally rich solution is indicated. The business likes the mobility, remote access and managed service, but not the actual SaaS application. So, hosting becomes the better alternative and the business is able to use the software that works for the business, and use it in a manner that allows the business to take advantage of remote and mobile capability, subscription service, and more.

I really have no gripes with web-based and SaaS solutions. In fact, some of my best friends use SaaS 🙂 The message I’m trying to convey is simply that, regardless of what the media and marketing may tell you, things don’t always change as quickly as it seems. Yes, there is a movement towards cloud solutions and online working models. Yes, there is change in how information technology is obtained and used. And equally true is the reality that only a portion of the market has adopted these changes and new philosophies. By the time there is “complete” adoption, there will be a new standard or approach being marketed and we will be in this place once again. Is there wide recognition of the benefit for mobility and remote capability? Sure there is, but it is also accompanied by the understanding that tried and true solutions will continue to deliver the functionality and capability businesses rely upon, even as new models for delivering them come about.

Make Sense?

Here are some of the most popular articles from CooperMann.com in 2014. Surprisingly enough, the most popular were articles about QuickBooks and the Cloud, a subject I’ve been writing about for many years. In fact, some of the most popular of my QuickBooks/cloud articles are from 2013 and they remain among the most frequently viewed even today. Search and view metrics indicate that the topic’s popularity is not likely to diminish soon, so plan to hear more about how businesses are using QuickBooks (and other desktop and network applications) in the cloud, but aren’t using Online editions to make it work really well.

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. CooperMann.com blog was viewed about 19,000 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 7 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

January 28, 2014

Why Accounting in the Cloud?

Business owners and managers need to keep close control of their financial data. They need to know where they stand at all times, and having information available to make business decisions is essential. When the financial information is in the office but the owner isn’t, how can wise decisions be made without access to supporting data? They can’t, and that’s a problem. The solution is simple: work in the cloud.

A cloud computing model properly applied to accounting and bookkeeping systems helps businesses of any size keep their financial data and accounting applications in a safe a secure environment, yet accessible to those who need it. By locating the business applications and data in a protected central location, access to programs and data sets can be provided to authorized users regardless of location or computing platform. For a small business owner, this means that working from home or on vacation can be as productive as working in the office. In larger businesses, cloud-based accounting means the accounting department, CFO and financial advisers might all access the same financial records and applications no matter where they work from.

Cloud computing and hosted application models applied to accounting and bookkeeping represent a viable option for managing, securing and providing access to critical financial information. Businesses outsourcing their accounting or bookkeeping work find that cloud based approaches offer workflow and process efficiencies to help get the necessary information in the hands of those who need it, quickly and efficiently.

Keeping accounting and bookkeeping systems safe yet available, providing business decision makers with the flexibility of accessing their financial data from anywhere and at any time is a highly valuable service. Accounting and finance professionals can act as the trusted adviser to their clients, providing important business insight and information, with guidance in developing cloud computing and online accounting approaches being among the benefits the firm offers. Working closer with clients allows professionals to produce better, more accurate and insightful results. Cloud computing models remove distance barriers and allow professionals and their clients to work more collaboratively with applications and data than ever before.

Many firms are just recently discovering the relationship between technology adoption and business competitiveness. Those that embrace new computing paradigms gain the ability to meet client requirements in innovative, efficient and timely ways while those that do not adopt these new models continue to struggle, unable to communicate value and differentiation in their service offerings.

There are some recognized truths in business, and one is that is isn’t what you know but who you know. Another truth, an understanding that is just now being fully recognized, is that it’s not what you do, but how you do it that matters. Accounting and bookkeeping for business is absolutely an area where cloud computing and the wise application of technology and service can improve cost efficiency, accuracy and turnaround times, allowing the firm to provide a higher level of service to clients. Accounting in the cloud is a technology-enabled approach which propels the firm into an entirely new range of capabilities and potential service offerings, reaching higher levels of performance and profitability.

Joanie Mann Bunny Feet Make Sense?

January 21, 2014November 10, 2017

Efficiency and Value with Cloud Accounting

For some accounting professionals, the problem is finding a way to provide services that are valuable to the client, and doing it in a way that makes it profitable for the provider. Outsourced and online accounting models are the answer, employing innovative tools in the practice and with clients: tools and resources necessary to get more informed and run the business better.

accountingCloud

With online accounting solutions the firm is able to increase profitability with the range of services offered, often adding clients and work without hiring more personnel. Online solutions allow professionals and their clients to work from anywhere at any time, providing both with the freedom to focus on core business capabilities (and lifestyle).

Reducing the requirement for sophisticated on-premises technology may mean providing everyone with the ease of use and security of server-based computing models, which is among the benefits of a cloud IT approach. Centralizing and managing applications, protecting valuable data resources, and streamlining business processes are among the benefits to be achieved with an outsourced, managed application hosting solution. Businesses who outsource their IT management often realize an increased capacity to do business simply by leveraging the cloud to make the current working models more efficient and effective.

Leveraging mobility and real time access is also about increasing the overall range of opportunity to deliver value. Contractors, employees and clients all find improvements in getting the information they need when it matters, and the firm finds a greater agility in meeting client demands and expanding service offerings.

Cloud computing and online accounting solutions have proven the viability of anytime, anywhere working models, and professional accounting practices of all sizes and orientations are realizing the benefits of working closer with their clients by applying them to the engagement.

Cloud accounting is really about improving the profitability of the accounting practice while delivering higher levels of service to the client. The movement of information from one place to another; translating data from one form to another – these are the processes representing the cost and inefficiency in the practice, and are specific areas where a collaborative, online approach may introduce new service efficiency and value.

jmbunnyfeet

Make Sense?

It is worth noting that “cloud accounting” and online accounting models do not necessarily require the use of a SaaS solution. QuickBooks Online, Xero, Freshbooks – these are new small business offerings that exist purely on the web. QuickBooks desktop editions can be “cloudy”, too, when they’re hosted by an authorized QuickBooks hosting provider. The point is not necessarily to use web software, but to approach IT management and systems from an outsourced perspective, allowing for centralized management and administration and delivering secure remote and mobile access. The systems should facilitate the working model, not force it.

January 14, 2014

The Productivity Paradox: Accounting for Returns on IT Investments

There has always been somewhat of a struggle between the IT department and “management”, much of the difficulty existing with the need to demonstrate clear returns on investments for IT purchases. Unfortunately, expenditures in information technology are often the result of short-term views of long-standing problems, applying “solutions” that do not fully address the requirement or which do not deliver the productivity or performance gains expected, particularly in a dynamic and rapidly changing business environment. The assumption is that a wise investment in information technology will result with improved profitability and performance. Demonstrating this on paper is not always easily accomplished.

There is a great deal of research on the subject of accounting for returns on IT investments. Some of this research describes “The Productivity Paradox”, referring to early studies on the “relationship between information technology and productivity, and finding an absence of a positive relationship between spending on IT and productivity or profitability”. [1] Previous to the emergence of cloud computing and widely available remote and mobile technologies (and now possibly even more with the prevalence of available options), businesses invest heavily in IT infrastructure and applications which deliver nominal benefit to the business when measured against the cost of acquisition and implementation. Heavy IT investments are made with little or no measurable benefit to profitability, even if operational performance improvements are created. In many cases, the difficulty in “proving” benefit from information technology investments rests with the lack of information relating to impacts in non-operational areas, such as with investors, auditors or analysts.

The early research has become a foundation for making the argument that accounting professionals should be more directly involved in determining the value and impacts of IT investments – due largely to the fact that accounting professionals are generally familiar with the variety of formulas and approaches which become relevant in measuring the effects of IT purchases. Information technology spending will result in short-term impacts, but will impress on the business over the longer view as well. With a foundation in accounting principles, valuation and analysis, and accompanied by IT knowledge and experience, management accounting benefits from an improved ability to recognize the relevance and value in IT implementations even where no direct profit improvement is visible.

Can difference in firm performance be explained by differences in IT investments? — Can differences in firm performance be explained by differences in IT investments?

Emerging technology models are having huge impacts in business capability as well as risk, and this new paradigm requires that accounting professionals apply their skills to understanding more fully the influences from and results of IT spending in the enterprise.

Having a basis for studying valuation and recognizing the good and bad of focusing on various key measurements (return on assets vs equity vs sales vs investment…) is essential in developing a “formula” for predicting impacts of and potential returns from IT spending, and solving the puzzle that is the productivity paradox.

jmbunnyfeet Make Sense?

[1] Journal of Information Systems Vol. 16; “Returns on Investments in Information Technology: a Research Synthesis”

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Why Accounting in the Cloud?

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The Productivity Paradox: Accounting for Returns on IT Investments

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