Things to consider when building an AppStack for your organisation

It’s a temptation for an organisation to invest a lot of time collecting the perfect combination of apps for your needs. However, there is a risk that the hunt for the perfect “app stack” can leave you with a system that is unnecessarily complex and at risk of failure.

Whether you’re responsible for your own organisation’s finances, or are an accountant handling someone else’s, it’s worth considering whether the right accounting software could do the work of many applications.

What is an app stack and how does it work?
An app stack is a collection of applications brought together to handle the work of an organisation for tasks such as:
– Producing consolidated accounts
– Dealing with authorisation workflows
– Processing card payments
– Project and job costing analysis

App stacks can save money in monthly subscriptions, while also saving time, but the process can come with risks. A simpler solution might be better cloud accounting software for medium-sized businesses that has many of these features in-built.

The risks of app stacks
However well-assembled and researched the stack is, there are some risks to consider.
– Are the apps being used as their creators intended?
– Is your hierarchy of apps scalable?
– Who fixes it if something goes wrong??
– How will those apps look in the future?
– What if an app changes hands?
– How much money is it really going to save?

Why a mid-market cloud accounting platform can be the best solution
These complex collections of apps are often bolted on to an accounting platform that was created to serve the needs of start-up businesses.

But much of the work done by these app stacks could be handled in a single system if the client changed finance platforms.

The extra apps tend to be added to carry out tasks that the accounting software cannot: extracting data into Excel spreadsheets, producing consolidated accounts, reconciling inter-company transactions and reporting on how individual entities or projects are performing.

But a more powerful true-cloud accounting system can typically handle all those things and many other functions performed by other apps. It can also accommodate the organisation’s growth.

Compared with acquiring multiple copies of entry-level accounts software – and then replicating that app stack across a group of entities – a better accounting package can also be the most cost-effective solution.

It’s fair to say that every accounting practice will, either now or in the future, have a client that needs to think about true-cloud software as the answer to its growing needs.

Accountancy Practice Webinar, Thursday 27th April at 11am BST
iplicit is a mid-market true cloud accounting platform that can enable you to meet the needs of clients with more sophisticated requirements without the expense of ERP solutions like SAP, Netsuite and Sage Intacct and will be hosting a webinar devoted to helping accounting practices grow their business on Thursday 27th April. Visit www.iplicit.com/resources/webinars for more information.

By Matt Lewns, Partner Manager, iplicit

iplicit will be exhibiting at Accountex London on the 10-11 of May 2023, at stand 1420.

You can register for a free ticket here. 

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