WAKE UP, SLUGGARDS!
Of all of the major components of a financial system, Accounts Payable (A/P) is probably the . . . .
Of all of the major components of a financial system, Accounts Payable (A/P) is probably the most simple to design correctly; yet, it is often the most poorly designed of the entire system. Why is that?
The truth is that A/P is not the flagship of the design. It’s more like the supply ship! Not fancy, not the center of most management meetings, just a valuable tool that manages expenditures.
We all know that most developers are lazy by nature. They don’t expend effort unless it’s required.
So what’s missing in most A/P designs? The list is long, but how about the following for starters:
• We need the ability to research a vendor’s invoice from the vendor screen without having to run a report. This would include the ability to see a digital image of the original invoice. Invaluable for research.
• We need the ability to research payments made to a particular vendor’s invoice from the vendor screen without having to run yet another report. We need the ability to see a digital image of a check or the posting of the electronic transfer of funds for that payment. Again, invaluable when researching.
• Where are multiple discount options for a vendor? Many vendors offer different payment discounts based on what you’re buying or the amount owed.
• Why not provide a flexible method for analyzing the benefit of maximizing float according to due dates versus the savings of using maximum discounts.
• We need the ability to access vendors by a meaningful code as opposed to some arbitrary, non-intuitive number or code.
• The package must have full support of 1099 type reporting. (See article: “To 1099 or not 1099.”)
• Finally, give us detail information. Don’t summarize into reporting periods or require a formal year-end close, losing prior year data. How archaic.
There are more items that need to be included before we get a GREAT A/P application. This is enough challenge for sluggard developers for a while!