Guide
Besides being the most formidable sales management and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution on the market, Salesforce is equipped with native accounting software that works seamlessly with the rest of its IT environment.
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Salesforce can do accounting functions—but not alone. On its own, Salesforce is a CRM, which focuses on managing and tracking the sales process. While it does have add-on features like Salesforce Billing and Revenue Cloud, it’s not a dedicated accounting system.
Even with Salesforce, you still need to track transactions, account for the debits and credits in your business, and then compile and analyze this data to understand your financial health. You can’t do this with the Salesforce product alone, but that’s where other software comes into play. Salesforce can either work with outside technology or, even more effectively, connect with native software tools that are built on Salesforce itself. It is through native Salesforce accounting software that you can manage accounting fully in your Salesforce platform.
You may be familiar with the urgency and stress associated with accounting. Maybe it’s why you’re looking for a better accounting app. If you’re on Salesforce, you have a significant opportunity to connect and streamline all your major applications to consolidate your data and operations onto a single platform. When you add accounting into the mix, the financial process behind your operations gets easier and more accurate. Let’s look at how.
Most, if not all, of your business tools need to share data with your accounting system. Whether it’s processing a vendor payment, turning a quote into a bill, or recognizing a customer transaction started in another software, these tools must submit the transaction to the accounting system. The accounting software takes over to account for and track the finances that were generated. On Salesforce, this data-sharing can be instantaneous, thanks to the connectivity between platform applications. Some of the most common connections start with Salesforce’s Sales Cloud and Service Cloud.
Learn about Salesforce Accounting Connectors
Salesforce on-platform accounting eliminates the need to monitor expenses or track billing in a separate system or spreadsheet. On Salesforce, you can click a button in one app and the accounting will take over when it’s needed. It’s as easy as initiating a bill in Salesforce and then having that data show up in your general ledger for processing and recognition. Additionally, automations can be more effective because all of your solutions are in one place. This streamlines your accounting lifecycle and increases visibility because the relevant data is connected to your accounting system, uninterrupted.
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The lack of interruptions or having to manually input data also eliminates accounting errors while giving you fast answers and accounting processes, such as like monthly close. This also saves you more money! However, the level of technical efficiency and accounting benefits really depend on the type of software you’re using. Just because an accounting app can work with Salesforce does not make it a native Salesforce accounting software solution.
Request a demo Most, if not all, of your business tools need to share data with your accounting system. Whether it’s processing a vendor payment, turning a quote into a bill, or recognizing a customer transaction started in another software, these tools must submit the transaction to the accounting system. The accounting software takes over to account for and track the finances that were generated. On Salesforce, this data-sharing can be instantaneous, thanks to the connectivity between platform applications. Some of the most common connections start with Salesforce’s Sales Cloud and Service Cloud.
Learn about Salesforce Accounting Connectors Salesforce on-platform accounting eliminates the need to monitor expenses or track billing in a separate system or spreadsheet. On Salesforce, you can click a button in one app and the accounting will take over when it’s needed. It’s as easy as initiating a bill in Salesforce and then having that data show up in your general ledger for processing and recognition. Additionally, automations can be more effective because all of your solutions are in one place. This streamlines your accounting lifecycle and increases visibility because the relevant data is connected to your accounting system, uninterrupted.
Request a Demo The lack of interruptions or having to manually input data also eliminates accounting errors while giving you fast answers and accounting processes, such as like monthly close. This also saves you more money! However, the level of technical efficiency and accounting benefits really depend on the type of software you’re using. Just because an accounting app can work with Salesforce does not make it a native Salesforce accounting software solution.
Request a demoWhile Salesforce can work with just about any type of solution through custom integration, there are those better suited than others. This is particularly true with accounting technology. Since data generated from other business tools needs to be shared with the accounting system, a reliable IT connection is essential.
Traditional, custom integration is used to connect unrelated software, but this isn’t the case for Salesforce-based solutions. There are two types of software to choose from based on how they can work with Salesforce.
Native accounting products are built using the Salesforce IT architecture. Some of these products are also considered Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions, such as Accounting Seed. This is because we’re built with the same Application Programming Interface (API) as Salesforce. Besides inheriting core platform features, the Open API lets native solutions connect with other on-platform applications without a new integration being created. These solutions are designed to work together on Salesforce.
The connectivity between these native apps is highly stable and reliable because it is a simple stream of data sharing. This means that technical issues are very minimal, if not non-existent.
Native accounting products are built using the Salesforce IT architecture. Some of these products are also considered Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions, such as Accounting Seed. This is because we’re built with the same Application Programming Interface (API) as Salesforce. Besides inheriting core platform features, the Open API lets native solutions connect with other on-platform applications without a new integration being created. These solutions are designed to work together on Salesforce.
The connectivity between these native apps is highly stable and reliable because it is a simple stream of data sharing. This means that technical issues are very minimal, if not non-existent.
Using native Salesforce accounting apps means you don’t have to pay for the development and maintenance of an integration.
Implementation of the accounting solution is much faster than an outside product.
Data is easier to access, more manageable, and totally within the Salesforce Platform.
Cross-application automations make it easier to control multiple dimensions of your operation and sync with required financial processes.
You gain a single source of truth when it comes to your financial data. Forget manual entry and inconsistencies. This setup provides a one-and-done stream from your Salesforce apps to your accounting.
Salesforce is well known for its flexibility; this is among its best features shared by native apps. Therefore, you can connect and work with non-Salesforce-based accounting systems, but only through integration. This process comes with several disadvantages, including how traditional integration works and costly expenses.
While the single platform integration is simple, traditional integration is much more complicated.
Native to native connection only requires one third of the process of a traditional integration. Custom built integrations require three distinct actions for data to sync and then share data between the accounting system and Salesforce. Your data must basically flow out of Salesforce and then be stored in another software. Because of all this activity with fragile construction, data errors and dysfunctions can occur. Below you can see how an integration will look with the use of connectors to facilitate data flow with outside technology.
The other disadvantage of integrations is the costs involved—both time and money. Even when it's operational, integration is the biggest IT expense companies face. The core expense involved directly with integration is IT labor, and it shows up in several ways—pricey ways that are often under the surface of your initial software purchase.
Let's take a closer look.
Hidden costs
The labor surrounding integration and dealing with siloed applications can actually be more costly than establishing the integration. These expenses persist over time and primarily relate to maintaining the integration itself. These labor costs can be broken up four ways.
Internally, this can involve managing system controls and user permissions. If done with solutions outside of Salesforce, users may be doing more work because the data, changes, and updates are in the separate systems. Externally, this may involve managing user tickets or IT consultations to help resolve issues with integration.
Integration maintenance is the biggest financial cost of cloud software. After the software integration is implemented, it must be maintained. Whenever Salesforce and/or the outside accounting product updates, the integration must be adjusted. Occasional maintenance must also be done to ensure the connection doesn’t break or to resolve errors. Costs can also include middleware, as mentioned.
This involves the time-intensive manual processes of checking and correcting the information between cloud applications. Because your data isn’t just on the single Salesforce Platform, there is a risk of data inconsistency. All the time your staff must spend verifying and re-entering data is time drawn away from the customer.
If an IT integration fails, users are forced to reconcile data to check for and resolve errors. This involves physical data re-entry. Depending on how thorough your integration is, staff may store data separately anyway, like on spreadsheets. This threatens your productivity and data accuracy.
So, if you’re on Salesforce and you need accounting, the choice is whether to use outside accounting tech and deal with integrations or go native. The reality is that native accounting technology lets you avoid all the costs of integration while also giving more reliable, flexible financial management.
Even if you’re using a popular accounting software with a well-constructed integration, you’ll still face data risks and maintenance issues. And of course, integration maintenance will go on throughout the system’s lifecycle. This is not the case for native software.
Let’s compare an outside accounting system with native Salesforce Accounting ERP, Accounting Seed. Working with Salesforce accounting apps like Accounting Seed is easier, more affordable, and more streamlined. Because the layout and platform features are inherited from Salesforce itself, you can expect a smooth adoption and seamless accounting across all of your organization. But, more importantly, it’s sustainable. This is because native solutions are just as customizable as the platform itself. And, if that’s not enough, here are some additional benefits.
Sage Intaact vs. Accounting Seed |
|
|---|---|
| Sage Intaact | Accounting Seed |
| Custom API integration | Native connection |
| Standalone application | Financial Suite is built directly into Salesforce |
| Two sources of truth (Sage and Salesforce) | A single source of truth in Salesforce |
| Custom connector (maintenance based on 3 releases a year by Salesforce) | No integration needed—one common data source |
| Not connected to other IT tools and resources | Heavily connected ecosystem of native applications |
All native solutions have shared Salesforce Platform features. These make it easier for users to track activities and monitor accounting lifecycles. Salesforce is an automation powerhouse, and so are its accounting apps—most notably, Accounting Seed. Automate billing, reports, and generate configurable Salesforce dashboards with a button click. You can automate the entire financial journey from lead to ledger.
Automate the entire financial journey
Native Salesforce accounting solutions can be fully tailored to suit unique reporting and processes relative to your individual reporting needs. Instead of having to conform your accounting processes to the software, it adapts to you. Native applications come equipped with customization and configuration tools for easy use. This makes your financial management more streamlined and effective. Additionally, native accounting solutions work with all other native tools without integration. This means you have access to hundreds of native applications from the Salesforce AppExchange you can use without additional costs or time on implementation.
Customization and configuration tools
Collaboration and the visualization of data within the accounting system is key. Teams must access, share, discuss, and validate accounting data together. Because native accounting is Salesforce-based, staff will be able to use relevant tools and processes to stay on top of all critical data.
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Native Salesforce accounting tools like Accounting Seed are fully equipped with robust IT security. Besides inheriting the highly reliable and secure Salesforce infrastructure, users can access high-level data security features right out of the box. Platform-based internal control and permissions features protect you from both internal and external threats. These also make managing compliance a lot easier. The security features include secure API, 2-factor authentication, user permissions, real-time event monitoring, and more!
Native Salesforce accounting tools
Integrating to an outside solution isn’t just costly, it can also take a lot of time to implement. This is not the case for native Salesforce accounting software. Remember, they are pre-designed to function on Salesforce and with related tools. For example, Salesforce customers are able to adopt and implement Accounting Seed in a fraction of the time it takes to integrate to outside products.
Request a demo All native solutions have shared Salesforce Platform features. These make it easier for users to track activities and monitor accounting lifecycles. Salesforce is an automation powerhouse, and so are its accounting apps—most notably, Accounting Seed. Automate billing, reports, and generate configurable Salesforce dashboards with a button click. You can automate the entire financial journey from lead to ledger.
Automate the entire financial journey Native Salesforce accounting solutions can be fully tailored to suit unique reporting and processes relative to your individual reporting needs. Instead of having to conform your accounting processes to the software, it adapts to you. Native applications come equipped with customization and configuration tools for easy use. This makes your financial management more streamlined and effective. Additionally, native accounting solutions work with all other native tools without integration. This means you have access to hundreds of native applications from the Salesforce AppExchange you can use without additional costs or time on implementation.
Customization and configuration tools Collaboration and the visualization of data within the accounting system is key. Teams must access, share, discuss, and validate accounting data together. Because native accounting is Salesforce-based, staff will be able to use relevant tools and processes to stay on top of all critical data.
Request a demo Native Salesforce accounting tools like Accounting Seed are fully equipped with robust IT security. Besides inheriting the highly reliable and secure Salesforce infrastructure, users can access high-level data security features right out of the box. Platform-based internal control and permissions features protect you from both internal and external threats. These also make managing compliance a lot easier. The security features include secure API, 2-factor authentication, user permissions, real-time event monitoring, and more!
Native Salesforce accounting tools Integrating to an outside solution isn’t just costly, it can also take a lot of time to implement. This is not the case for native Salesforce accounting software. Remember, they are pre-designed to function on Salesforce and with related tools. For example, Salesforce customers are able to adopt and implement Accounting Seed in a fraction of the time it takes to integrate to outside products.
Request a demoAdditionally, native accounting apps work seamlessly with Salesforce extensions and packages. For example, with Sales Cloud, Accounting Seed picks up right from the opportunity and adds optional actions (create a billing, project, etc.) to the opportunity screen.
Besides helping you use and access the technology faster, this also helps save you money directly. Additionally, staff will be able to pick up the software faster because the interface is the same as other native tools already being used.
For more insight on the benefits of native Salesforce accounting technology, check out our blog, Accounting in Salesforce: the benefits of a native solution over standalone software.
Using native applications all on a single platform simply gives you better accounting. Instead of juggling the different components and finances of your business, you can focus on commanding your whole business through a single, trusted platform.
Ready to move?
If you’re ready to move your accounting onto Salesforce, the first step is simply choosing a native accounting solution. You can begin by searching on the Salesforce AppExchange for individual solutions and filter by “Native” applications. Among the top-rated solutions is Accounting Seed. You can check out our customer stories, reviews, and awards to see why! You can also download "The Ultimate Guide to Accounting on Salesforce" PDF guide here »
In terms of preparation, you’ll want to assess your financial needs, business requirements, and your entire IT makeup. Just as accounting is interwoven into every facet of your business, so will your financial software.
Accounting Seed is a modern, robust accounting solution powered by the Salesforce Platform. We’re committed to breaking down silos and building connections in order to take your business to the next level.
