"Tayo, what is your honest opinion about commercial off-the-shelf accounting software, compared with the custom applications you build?"

I am sometimes asked the above question in various forms by prospective clients trying to make up their minds about what option to choose (i.e off-the-shelf apps versus my custom Excel-VB application development service).

All that I have already said above is effectively what I tell them . However, for those here in Nigeria, I emphasise that I DO NOT build Accounting software. Instead my applications are custom Entreprise Information Systems(EIS) which help their owners manage operations(e.g. materials usages) &/or accounting data for more reliable business decision making:

1. The commerical accounting software work well for anyone whose needs are fully catered for by the various useful features and functions they offer. I have seen many organisations - including schools - that have found this to be so. They confidently told me they did not have any unmet needs from using the programs they chose.

2. However, the accounting applications are built to prepare accounts in line with standard reporting formats used mainly in developed societies. As a result, they often cannot accomodate the business/accounts data handling/report generation needs/peculiarities extant here. This is due to our largely unregulated environment in this regard. That's why many who use the programs still find themselves periodiocally/repeatedly turning to programs like MS Excel to cater for areas not covered by their commercial software.

It is the above type of situation that creates a need for the solutions I offer. In other words, if you have a software system in place and STILL find need to do some of your important work OUTSIDE of it, then a custom solutions development service like mine is likely to benefit you greatly.

3. For prospects who indicate interest, I go further to refer them to a very insightful/experience-based opinion expressed by a financial consultant which shows that MS Excel-based solutions can indeed help OVERCOME limitations that accounting software may have. Incidentally, this is why you will hardly find any off-the-shelf  accounting software which do not offer the user an option to export data stored in them into MS Excel!

Click here to read evidence(inadvertently provided by a financial consultant – John Nessel - in an excerpt from his article) that supports the assertion I have made above .

SUMMARY: Like I always tell my clients and prospects, if there is an alternative that works satisfactorily and is cost-effective, it would make NO sense to hire me. It is when you have searched for one and found NONE, that my custom Excel-VB solutions development becomes relevant - and potentially VALUE adding. At this point, it WOULD be justifiable to invest in it.

Click here  for more details of the unique value I offer.