Research Paper Template
Gayle Pierce
GpiercS3004
Travis Williams
Date submitted: 9/20/2015
Accounting software/programs: How do you know which accounting software/program is a good fit for your business?

Introduction
In the world of accounting software/programs, there are more choices available than there were 10 years ago. Accounting has gone from a pen and paper system to accounting software/programs that are either in a server at the business, the information is on a server that is not in the business office, or more recently the information is stored in what is called the “cloud” The “cloud” has just come into play in the last few years
In my paper, I will be discussing the history of accounting from the early beginning to the advances made today, a few of the different accounting software/programs, and some of the problems that include hidden costs, compatibility issues and the proper training of the accounting staff. History of Accounting The first accounting software/programs were written by the individuals who used them. One of the earliest programs written was by Bob Nadel, a CPA for an accounting firm located in New York.(Nadel,1959) As time went on businesses had heard about the new accounting software/programs that were known as “computerized” accounting systems. These new software/programs made accounting easier by allowing the accounting staff to be able to pull up reports so they could be analyzed immediately. These new ideas made the process easier by allowing the user to enter the data and be able to retrieve the information that was pertinent to the reports they wanted to print out or create and it was easily organized within the software/program. When these programs were first created they were created for use on the Commodore64, the Apple ll and Apple lll.1984). The major breakthrough or new “age” accounting software/programs were written by TeleWare in 1985. This new software/program allowed the users to get reports immediately. .When transactions were entered into the system the data automatically updated the various accounts. The accounts that were automatically updated could include Accounts Receivable which told the accountant which vendor or customer awed them money, the Accounts Payable which would tell the accounting staff which vendors the business owed money to and in some businesses that ran a manufacturing program the inventory accounts would automatically update which parts or pieces were taken out of inventory and put into the product. The computerized accounting software/programs allowed the accountant to immediately check on the Balance Sheet and PL (Profit Loss) which automatically updated when the data was put in. Most of the earlier programs were written by the people who used them. One of the major accounting programs which was created in the 1970’s came about when 3 students at Georgia Tech and decided to create a company that made or created accounting programs. That is how the accounting software Peachtree came into existence. (Roberts,Mann,Stafford,Dunion, 1975) Peachtree became the leader in software sold to accountants. In today’s world of accounting software/programs every few years there comes a new software/program that comes out and claims they are the best. That may be true, but the developers of accounting software/programs did not account for the fact that some of the software/programs created would not be compatible with all computers. Now with this problem identified a whole new software/programs had to be created so that the software/programs would work with the operating system on the computer. With the early software that was created, not all features of the software worked. Some of the software did only the basics; general ledger, a skeletal accounts payable, an accounts payable journal, purchasing journal and it also could contain a payroll journal.(Cohn,Bellone,1997)

Accounting Software/Programs
When selecting accounting software choosing the right software is critical to the operation of the business. Software that is not compatible with the operating system on the computer(s) could cause problems with producing reports that were accurate. When the reports are not correct that could mean that the business could be losing money and never know it. So choosing the right software/programs is of the utmost importance. With the wrong software chosen not only could the, billing be incorrect but more detrimental to the company would be the financial statements that needed to be produced. Some of these statements needed to be produced on a weekly basis (Ivancevich,Ivancevich,Eikai,2010) The functionality/capability category of software was considered the most important in software selection, while the cost of the software was rated as the least important factor with respect to changing software.(Ivancevuch,Ivancevuch & Elikai 2010) In 2007 the authors of the article on Accounting Software Selection and Satisfaction (CPA Journal 2007) mass emailed a survey to some companies asking them to rate the importance of the software that they used, the compatibility and what problems caused them the most problems. What was interesting was that most companies when asked about the problems always seemed to complain that their software was not compatible with their operating system on their computers, or it just did not work. While the authors analyzed the survey several findings were particularly noteworthy. First, the functionality/capability of software was rated as most important to users when selecting software. If the software does not meet the current needs, there is no reason to have it..(Ivancevuch,Ivancevuch & Elikai 2010) The new technology allows the software to be web based and is pulling ahead of the disc based accounting software that one can download to their computer (2011) . There is great concern that their services could become obsolete within a few years’ time if advances are not made in that software program. (2011. Sec.2) what is really swinging the trend from the typical software program are the advances in cloud technology, where all of the information is stored in outer space, or so to speak. (2010) When discussing the cloud for accounting the firms have to pay a small fee or “rent” a space on servers that are not in-house, a server that is in someone else’s server farm. (McClure, Dave, 8/22/11) The biggest benefit to the cloud is that storage can be backed up so that if there is a problem and the computer crashes, access to the accounting software can be accessed in the cloud. What that really means is that there is a recovery form that the business can access and the cost is economical. With all of the updates and to improve accounting processing information, a lot of firms are using ERP. (Enterprise Resource Planning) software. (Wagner, Erica, Moll, Jodie, Newell, Sue) Not all ERP systems are going to be compatible to the system/systems in place and will require some modification.(Wagner. Et al) When there is incompatibility companies will often create stand-alone software which costs less and is created so the user will not have problems. (Wagner et al..2007) .

Accounting Challenges
The single biggest change in accounting will be the fast rate in which technology will change the way that businesses do accounting.(Alles, Kogan, &Vasarhelyi, 2000) By itself, technology can’t give the information that is put in any relevance but with other more comprehensive software it will allow for assurances that the process is working the way it should.(Alles et al., 2000) If accounting is to have any relevance in the future it will have to make sure that measurement and assurances are reliable or else the whole system will suffer. .(Alles et al.,2000) With the advancement of technology, IT departments have now come to serve a greater function in the accounting arena. After information technology had progressed to powerful electronic computers and networks, accounting shifted to relational database management systems and enterprise resource planning (Alle et al. 2000) With the advent of new technology businesses are seeing the reduced costs, improved processes which would include invoicing, bill payment and reduced people in the workforce.(Rettig,Cynthia) With the increase in technology, IT departments are spending more time trying to make sure that the process in place are functioning appropriately.(Rettig,Cynthia) When building software, the programmers have to follow a set of instructions and must not deviate from the instructions. If the programmers do deviate from the instructions or add something else it can cause a meltdown in the company.(rettig,Cynthia)

Conclusion
In conclusion this paper focused on the types of accounting software/programs available and how to choose the right one for your business. Not all are created equal. There are some software/programs that would work in a small business with under 50 employees and non –manufacturing to other types of software that are made for the companies that are extremely large, which would include those companies who have plants all over the world.

References
.
Chen, H., Yan Huang, S., Chiu, A., & Pai, F. (2012). The ERP system impact on the role of accountants. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 112(1), 83-101. doi:10.1108/02635571211193653
Cohn,Michael, Bellone,Robert H. Accounting Technology January 1998
Competetive Edge: The Software vendors’ view,Drew, Jeff 2015
Constantin Daniel Avram. (2010). ERP inside large organizations. Informatica Economica, 14(4), 196.
ERP systems and management accounting change: Opportunities or impacts? A research note.(2003). European Accounting Review, 12(1), 201-233. doi:10.1080/0963818031000087907
Helping Small Business Entrepreneurs avoid Critical Mistakes in QuickBooks Accounting Software. Schiff Andrew, Szendi, Joseph, Towson University)
Ivancevich, S. H., Ivancevich, D. M., & Elikai, F. (2010). Accounting software selection and satisfaction: A survey of accounting professionals. The CPA Journal, 80(1), 66.
Library: Accounting in 2015. Alles,Michael, Kogan, Alexander.,Vasarhely, Miklos A. The CPA Journal(/pubidlinkhandler/sng/pubtitle/The+CPA+Journal
Rettig, C. (2007). The trouble with enterprise software. MIT Sloan Management Review, 49(1), 21-27. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.library.capella.edu/docview/224967153?accountid=27965
Wagner, E. L., Moll, J., & Newell, S. (2011). Accounting logics, reconfiguration of ERP systems and the emergence of new accounting practices: A sociomaterial perspective. Management Accounting Research, 22(3), 181-197. doi:10.1016/j.mar.2011.03.001

Appendix A: Critical Thinking – Six Steps Used to Draft Your Paper

Each course assignment is a problem to solve that requires critical thinking. Our Unit 5 assignment is to compose your drafted research paper. When finished with the draft, reflect on the critical thinking six-steps you used to complete this assignment. Refer to the Critical Thinking Process in Unit 3 studies as needed. Note that your critical thinking six steps are grading criteria for this assignment. Elaborate your compositions to show clearly that you have applied the six steps.
Because the ability to think critical is so important to college-level learning, you will complete similar assignments in each learning unit of this course. As you continue through each learning unit, notice how your critical thinking process has changed over time. This type of observation can assist you to more effectively solve problems as you complete coursework.
Compose your reflections below.
Step 1. Demonstrate a positive attitude toward solving a problem. (In this step, explain how you kept a positive attitude as you completed the assignment.)
It really was not hard to keep a positive attitude. The more research that I did the more inquisitive I became. There were so many topics on different software/programs and about the systems that would help optimize the accounting software/program. It was actually fun to do this research as I learned quite a bit. I always thought that I knew a lot about the different software/programs that were out there for businesses that manufactured products. I could have never been so wrong. By doing this research it enabled me to look into a better software/program for when we actually start to manufacture our new product.

Step 2. Focus on the accuracy of the assumptions and conclusions. (In this step, explain how you kept a focus on the assignment to be clear about the requirements. For example, describe how you verified the assignment instructions and scoring guide to make sure everything required is included.)
[To make sure that I was following the protocol given to us by our professor I printed out a copy of what was to be included in our research paper. By printing this out I always had the requirements right in front of me in case I had or needed assurance that what I was researching and writing was correct.

Step 3. Break the problems into workable parts. (In this step, explain how you broke the assignment into smaller more easily tackled parts and provide a reason for each part.)
When refining my search criteria, I found that if I input keywords, such as, accounting software/programs, I was able to retrieve the information that I needed. In breaking down the information into parts I was able to gather more information. An example would be by inputting accounting issues in 2015, I was able to get access to some accounting journals that described the problems with accounting software/.programs and how technology could create problems.

Step 4. Do not guess or jump to conclusions. (In this step, describe how you found if you have the necessary information to proceed. For example, explain how you identified what information is provided and what information must be determined.)
After looking up the keywords in my search, I found that the information that I have was somewhat incomplete. I had to dig deeper to find what I was looking for. When I ran into a road block, I had to make my search more defined than just inputting “accounting software.” After making my search more specific, I was able to conclude that the information that I had was what I needed to finish my research.

Step 5. Employ meaningful self-dialogue throughout the process, including written or drawn prompts as well as spoken words. (In this step, explain how you organized the assignment using notes, tables, diagrams, and drawings.)
I did not use any table tables, diagrams or drawings in organizing the my paper. What I did do was to write down my main ideas and then took the research from there. In organizing the information for my paper, I took what I thought was relevant and used that information first and continued on from there.

Step 6. Briefly describe what it felt like to go through the process.
I was a bit intimidated at the beginning of the research process. A lot of the ideas were new to me so I was a bit unsure of how to proceed or what I should include. As I delved deeper into researching my topic it became clear that what I needed to include was spelled out for me in the instructions for the paper. This whole process was made easier once I got started writing,.

Appendix B: Critical Thinking – Six Steps Used to Revise Your Paper (Unit 6)

Each course assignment is a problem to solve that requires critical thinking. Our Unit 6 assignment is to revise your research paper. When finished with the revision, reflect on the critical thinking six-steps you used to complete this assignment. Refer to the Critical Thinking Process in Unit 3 studies as needed. Note that your critical thinking six steps are grading criteria for this assignment. Elaborate your compositions to show clearly that you have applied the six steps.
Because the ability to think critical is so important to college-level learning, you will complete similar assignments in each learning unit of this course. As you continue through each learning unit, notice how your critical thinking process has changed over time. This type of observation can assist you to more effectively solve problems as you complete coursework.
Compose your reflections below.
Step 1. Demonstrate a positive attitude toward solving a problem. (In this step, explain how you kept a positive attitude as you completed the assignment.)
It was not hard to keep a positive attitude as all of this research was very interesting to me. I knew some of the material but I really enjoyed reading about the history of accounting and all of the different changes that have come about as technology has evolved.

Step 2. Focus on the accuracy of the assumptions and conclusions. (In this step, explain how you kept a focus on the assignment to be clear about the requirements. For example, describe how you verified the assignment instructions and scoring guide to make sure everything required is included.)
[Write your composition here.]

Step 3. Break the problems into workable parts. (In this step, explain how you broke the assignment into smaller more easily tackled parts and provide a reason for each part.)
[Write your composition here.]

Step 4. Do not guess or jump to conclusions. (In this step, describe how you found if you have the necessary information to proceed. For example, explain how you identified what information is provided and what information must be determined.)
[Write your composition here.]

Step 5. Employ meaningful self-dialogue throughout the process, including written or drawn prompts as well as spoken words. (In this step, explain how you organized the assignment using notes, tables, diagrams, and drawings.)
[Write your composition here.]

Step 6. Briefly describe what it felt like to go through the process.
[Write your composition here.]

Instructions when you are finished finalizing your paper for the Unit 6 assignment:
Make sure your composition is error free. Then revisit the Unit 6, assignment 1 instructions for the two-step submission process.

Your revised paper is due Sunday of week 6.

Appendix C: Optional (not part of the grade)