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AIA

KashFlow unapologetic about data entry tool

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31st Jan 2011
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While Sage was rolling out its web-based SageOne application, its Cloud accounting rival KashFlow was moving in the opposite direction with an offline tool to speed up data entry.

KashFlow’s new RapidFire program works in tandem with the developer’s Orbit Accounts version that lets accountants manage multiple clients. The accountant can set up multiple RapidFire Bookkeeper accounts into which companies and their bookkeepers can enter data. KashFlow admitted that the RapidFire interface and keyboard shortcuts leaned heavily on Sage 50 conventions to help Sage users adapt quickly to the data entry module.

“Bookkeepers are used to being able to enter data quickly using just the keyboard. This is an area where web-applications fail to deliver,” said KashFlow sales director Michelle Gorsuch. “Rather than trying to change the way our customers work we have instead developed a tool to help them work just as efficiently as they have in the past with on-premise software”

KashFlow’s hybrid on/off-line product strategy has already attracted critical comments in AccountingWEB.co.uk’s Cloud computing discussion group.

But Jackson was unapologetic for coming up with a feature his customers were asking for. “You can either be an idealist, tell the potential customer they're doing it the ‘wrong’ way and try to bring the world around to your way of thinking. Or you can accept that that's what the customer wants and develop something that works how they want it to. We're going to option 2, even if it does mean just a faster horse instead of a car,” he said.

In a blog post announcing the new feature, he added: “I’m no SaaS-zealot. If a desktop app is better suited to the job than a web-based app then so be it!”

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By chatman
03rd Feb 2011 19:18

I think it is a great idea

Also, we get so used to smug cloud/saas (or whatever you call it) suppliers telling us we are wrong, and that they know better than us, that it is nice to hear of one that listens to their customers (and potential customers).

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