THORNY THREE

There are 3 things that are common to General Ledger packages that prove that no thought process took place when these packages were written. . . 

There are 3 things that are common to General Ledger packages that prove that no thought process took place when these packages were written.  These 3 items have been a thorn in Controllers’ sides since computer-based General Ledgers were devised.

Thorn #1:  Account structure format is permanently defined when the system is initially installed, and therefore cannot be changed!  Eventually, business and accounting needs change.  Without the ability to modify the account structure format, the only way out is to start completely over again.  Only the mentally ill would want to do that.

Thorn #2:  For some unknown reason General Ledger accounts can be deleted if there is no apparent activity within the General Ledger.  On the surface this may make sense, but what about activity in the subsidiary systems, such as Accounts Payable, Receivables, Payroll, etc.?  Talk about a disaster!  When you buy a Financial System you would think that there would have been enough intelligent thought given to this problem.  Wrong!

Thorn #3:  Developers assume that only one calendar is needed to run a business and that it consists of 12 periods, period.  I guess they also assume that you only work 9 to 5, Monday through Friday, and that there are only 3 colors in the universe.

You’d think some intuitive software developer would have figured out the solution to these “thorns,” but it looks like we’ll have to live with them a few more years.  I hate to be so picky, but enough is enough.