AccountingWEB has launched a new user survey to uncover what accounting software users are looking for in the products they use.
This is your opportunity to provide crucial feedback directly to the industry - what you like or don’t like about existing products on the market, what’s missing as a service, and what critical areas current vendors are failing to cater for.
With your help, we can improve the knowledge gap some vendors’ have shown in their understanding of practitioners’ attitudes and needs.
This is an ongoing research programme that will provide quarterly reports on new trends. Keep your eyes peeled for further news on this year’s Accounting Excellence Awards programme.
Please take part in the software survey, but also feel free to share your impressions and feedback by commenting below. How well the software developers understand the profession and where do you think they can improve?
Replies (25)
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I would like to participate but - like several people on AW - use predominantly VT software. Not only is it not listed, I'm unable to enter it in the other options box.
Is this survey only intended to promote the suppliers who advertise in the site?
Sorry - it's always been that way. Our verbal security guard comes from across the Atlantic, where that word has slightly different connotations.
I'll second that!
In the US, the film classic F-anny by Gaslight was renamed Man of Evil.
In the US it's about as risque as [***] is here though, I would say we have the dirtier connotation!
holy cow, I didn't realise b-u-m would be censored. Weird how you can still say "There are over two thousand billionaires in the world while 10,000 children die of starvation every day" but you can't refer to a posterior in the mildest of terms, really makes you think.
UK [***]
USA [***]
Both countries: A person's name or nick name
Lots of other uses
In all contexts not offensive
Disney in their parks sell [***] packs
Stop Craddocking around with the British English language
Hi BIGWAL,
Thanks for alerting us to this - we have resolved the issue, so you can now enter VT Software as your preferred supplier in the survey :)
Many thanks for sorting out
I will just quote what I said on the article promoting this survey.
You should mention that there is a draw to win £100 Amazon vouchers. This means anyone filling out the survey has at least a chance of getting a return from doing so.Even with that, this is still a case of accountants being asked to provide free information to the companies that make them pay through the nose for software. Please help us be able to justify charging you more is not a good look.
As an aside, in what way is being able to "receive a synopsis of the key findings of the study, which may be valuable when you are considering which software to adopt." considered a benefit? At best, it may show me other people have considered a feature that I had not thought of. At worst, it will tell me software companies are being asked to include features I consider a waste of time, but I will end up paying for if taken up. Neither will help me choose software, because that will still depend on what actual features software companies implement.
Slight confusion - the survey talked about 'accounting software' but appears to be very much focussed on 'bookkeeping' software (in terms of what do you use) so i started filling it out thinking about all of my software and then shifted to bk as it seems that is where the focus is.
That may or may not explain why the cost bands were quite low - the highest available being £10k+. Or maybe there's an assumption that only smaller firms/sole practitioners will reply. Dunno. Certainly £10k per annum on Xero/RB/AE/SAGE is easily done, but the question was early on IIRC and if we were thinking practice software too then I'd expect the £10k+ band would be far and away the most common one - or certainly the top two. Depends what data you're after i guess.
Is it not just a case of if you don't want to help software providers with feedback then just don't waste your time filling in the questionaire instead of having a go at the OP.
The pubs will be open soon for day drinking.
Is it not just a case of if you don't like my pointing out the problems I see with the survey, you can just ignore my comment? If not, please explain why you find my comment objectionable and yours not.
Enjoy your day drinking.
For all the naysayers think positively, £100 of Amazon vouchers- I have already completed the survey, not because my feedback will be useful to them (being retired from practice the only things I still use are Brightpay and TaxCalc) but because I might win enough for a new cold frame for my garden. Mind you, I ought not to be encouraging the rest of you, the more who take part the lower my chance of winning.
You obviously need to say what a horrible slog it was to work through and how glad you are that you don't have to do it again. :-)
Hopeless survey
Did not ask any question about how to improve products
Just asked opinions on the software I use and software I dislike
My opinion is that the accountant wants reports with titles that are familiar to accounts
EG Trial Balance and Detailed nominal ledger
NOT statement of activity
Any idea how many Newbies think the 'Audit' report is all the auditor needs?
STOP false promises
Bank feeds cannot analyse payments reliably
Computer does not know WHY payment made only WHO paid
What does it do with Paypal and Amazon?
Help software developers make better products.
Sure, my consultancy rate is £1,000 a day.
Three things supremely irritate me with accounting software providers:
1. 7 day free trials - what a joke. Make it a month and we can test it properly throughout the monthly accounting cycle.
2. Having to buy licenses in bulk. 10, 25 etc. If you need funding go to a VC, don't get me to fund your business buying licenses that I don't need.
3. Not posting prices on your webpage. I have never bought any Iris software because I have no idea what it will cost me and I have almost zero tolerance for speaking to salespeople on the telephone for an hour just to get a price estimate.
Taxfiler - a very good product - but IRIS expects us to log enhancements for free, and attract votes, whilst doubling the price.
Surely they can afford someone to be more proactive?
Will you be sharing the results of the survey? I think it would be a great read for us all!