Due to the growing time constraints and pressures of owning or managing a business, more and more responsibility is being thrust upon bookkeepers and administration staff to 'run' the business. Unfortunately in many cases staff are under-equipped in their skill-base to effectively, and importantly, accurately perform their duties.

Many staff, through not fault of their own, have not been afforded the necessary training in either bookkeeping systems, bookkeeping software, or both. This can lead to, at the least, inefficient data entry and storage practices, however much more serious issues can arise such as inaccurate reporting of GST, PAYG Tax and Super liabilities which carry heavy penalties for even the most unintentional of mistakes. Believe me, I say this not to scare you, I only say this because I have seen it more times than not.

A business is only as good as its people, so it makes sense to provide them with the tools and skills to perform their roles effectively within that business.

As managers and business owners we rely heavily on data to make informed business decisions, however it is imperative that the data be both timely and accurate. Unfortunately this is often not the case due to staff having little or no training on computer software programs, and a lack of administrational procedures in the back-office. These problems are only magnified when new staff join and are trained in procedures that were not correct to begin with.

My aim in this area is to have all employees and managers on the one track in terms of software use and office procedures. This does not only include data entry, basics such as file saving to the correct folder and data purging can save an inordinate amount of time in terms of end-user searches and data recovery. In reality (in the accounting world) there is only one way to do something, and that is the right way.

Once those responsible for data entry are shown the right way, errors are reduced and management can be confident that their decisions are based on fact.