Checklist for Choosing the Right Invoicing Solution

According to the CPA Practice Advisor, 72% of finance professionals are spending 10 hours/week, or 520 hours per year on tasks like invoice processing and payments execution. With many teams relying on manual processes or outdated solutions, invoices are easily lost track of or processed late, leading CFOs and department heads to look at other options. But, where do you start, and how do you choose the right invoicing solution?

Here is your checklist for not only starting the discovery process but ensuring you have the features and benefits you’re looking for when it comes to invoicing software solutions.

#1: Step Back and Examine the Bigger Picture.

• Discover the number one reason you’re looking for a new invoicing solution.
  Before you give this a checkmark, ask yourself, what am I struggling with most when it comes to invoicing? The first thing that pops in your mind is your number one reason!
• Don’t make any decisions in a silo. Include your team early on in the discovery process.
  Reach out to those that would be impacted by moving to a different invoicing solution for feedback, ideas, and opportunities.
• Jot down your wish list for a new solution and keep it handy when researching.
  Do you need a more robust solution for handling sales tax calculations? What about handling multiple currencies? Are you thinking of a stand alone solution or a full accounting package? These questions and more will help you learn what features and solution types really matter to your business.

#2: Think About What’s on the Invoice Itself.

Does your ideal solution need to…

• Convert quotes/proposals to invoices easily and carry all associated details to the invoice?
• Make it simple to select a customer and pull in their name and address?
• Let you easily select products or services you sell so descriptions and prices are pulled into the invoice?
• Create secure virtual invoices that customers can link to and access online?

If you checked off more than two of the above options, you likely have other configuration or customization needs for your entire Accounts Payable (AP) and Accounts Receivable (AR) process. Explore the differences between configuration and customization here.

#3 Will Automation be a Must-Have for You?

Does the ideal invoicing solution have the ability to…

• Connect to your bank accounts, and match payments to invoices for you?
• Set up automatic invoice reminders to prompt customers to pay?
• Set up automatic invoice reminders to prompt your team to pay vendors?
• Use click-no-code automation to make it easy to produce invoices that are clear to read and look professional? If you checked off even one of the above options, automation is a need for you! Explore what accounting automation looks like in 2022 with this free guide.

Is it Time for You to Make a Change?

With nearly 50% of businesses still using manual invoice processes, it isn’t surprising that processing this data is one of, if not the most, challenging aspect of AP for accountants, causing folks to look for alternate solutions. Rather than wasting man hours on outdated processes or outsourcing AP/AR for an added monthly cost, why not explore an invoicing solution that works with your specific needs?

If you’re on Salesforce, consider exploring Accounting Seed as your invoicing solution! A native Salesforce accounting app, Accounting Seed, provides a full 360-degree view of your business’ performance to help you and your team make the best decisions possible.

A native Salesforce accounting app, Accounting Seed, provides a full 360-degree view of your business’ performance to help you and your team make the best decisions possible. Not on Salesforce? Our software can be customized to work with any system you have through a reliable connection.