Setting up digital administration? These pitfalls you must avoid!

7 pitfalls in setting up digital records

Now that working from home is unthinkable, every company actually needs to digitize its financial records. This is the only way employees can access documents anytime, anywhere to process and approve them. In addition, a digital archive allows you to keep invoices and other important documents in an organized manner so you can always refer to them – wherever you are. But setting up digital records involves a lot. If you don’t have experience with this, you could be in big trouble. What pitfalls should you avoid? We list the 7 most important ones for you!  

1. Getting out of the starting blocks quickly

If you decide to set up digital records, then you have a lot to take care of. For example, you need a solid ERP package. In addition, you may be looking for a solution to digitally process, approve and archive incoming documents. It is tempting to organize everything quickly, for example by going off on the advice of your accounting firm without having done preliminary research. Or by going for the cheapest solution without finding out if there are hidden costs. You might well regret such a decision in retrospect. It is wise to take the time for the orientation phase so that you can make the right choice.  

2. Not having a clear goal

You are looking for a digitization solution to keep track of your records and keep an overview. But what else do you want to accomplish with digital administration? Perhaps you think it’s important to stop overtyping or to work with a good digital archive for invoices. These things are all possible. But not all software solutions offer the options you’re looking for. So make sure you have your goal in focus so you can determine if a solution will meet all your needs.  

3. Too little consideration for the future

Suppose your goal is to process purchase invoices digitally because you want to get rid of the paperwork. You will find a solution that allows you to process, approve and save invoices in PDF version. That’s great, but have you thought about the future as well? You may want to process other types of incoming documents in the not too distant future. Or your business is growing steadily, which means you’ll soon need to be able to work with more than two people in a package. It is helpful to take these things into account when choosing a solution. Check carefully to see if the archive software of your choice is future-proof!

4. Not using your ERP package as a starting point

All software vendors make nice promises. But if you rely on this, you sometimes lose sight of the foundation: your ERP package. THAT is where you have to keep your financial records, so everything hinges on this. Don’t get distracted by all kinds of peripheral applications. Take your ERP package as a starting point. And don’t tinker with that too much under the guise of “customization,” because then the costs quickly add up. Rather, choose complementary software solutions that integrate seamlessly with your ERP system.  

5. Wanting to do everything at once

When you switch to a new ERP system, it seems convenient to arrange everything at once: digitizing your administration, keeping track of income and expenses, processing and approving purchase invoices, and keeping documents in a digital archive. But in fact, that’s how you go from a bicycle to a Ferrari. And that often results in accidents. It is much wiser to learn to drive first. The advice: decide ahead of time which facets you want to automate, but take it one step at a time. First, get to know your ERP system so you can get a good understanding of all the processes. Then you can go live with additional solutions.  

6. Using too many different peripheral applications

Using a separate software application for each facet of your administration can cause problems. If something goes wrong, then you are working with all different “building blocks” that do not fit together. This can cause your administration to collapse like a house of cards. Instead, work with one convenient total solution that offers all the options you are looking for: reading the invoice mailbox, automatically sorting and editing incoming e-mails, scanning and recognizing incoming documents, approving each document using workflow software and keeping all documentation in a digital archive.  

7. Not taking full advantage of all opportunities

A good software solution often includes all sorts of features you don’t know exist at all. After implementing a new solution, you quickly get into a routine, so you won’t explore these features either. That’s a shame, because you’re not making the most of the opportunities this way. Perhaps you still approve purchase invoices on paper, even though you have a workflow that allows you to approve PDF invoices digitally. And perhaps you keep printed invoices in a large filing cabinet, not knowing that you have a convenient digital archive where you can easily find every approved document. So always check for features that can make your job even easier!