Accountancy

Having accounting software like the accounting information system is every business owners’ goal. Accounting information system involves the use of software that puts together financial, tax and payroll data. Since it can perform other bookkeeping functions, it can also collect and process transaction data. The best part of having this software is that it can be used by stakeholders and investors in making decisions

Every business is encouraged to use it for the following reasons.

Efficiency. No business wants to waste valuable time in manually storing and filing data. With such online accounting programs, scanners are able to automatically generate accounting information.

Cost-efficient. Since such programs are accessed online, the use of computers is imperative. But if you look at how much computers are sold for today, you can really say that having such accounting online is affordable and inexpensive.

Automation. Should investors and business owners want to see the transactions and files for a certain year, the data and figures are automatically imported, saving everyone time and hassle. The data are already summarized and the information is also timely.

Easier Payments. Unbelievably, the accounting information system enables a business to make payments made on accounts payable. With just a click of a button, payment of all bills is automatically made. Checks are filled out by just selecting a date.

Easier Billing. As for accounts receivable, the system can handle records of such and the clerk can have the option to choose when it is time to print the bills. Also, such bills and invoices can be sent to clients via the email.

With the modernity of today’s technology, it has become a trend for many business owners to shift from manual to automation to ensure that the business does well and thrives well.

Finance

A financial information system (FIS) accumulates and analyzes financial data used for optimal financial planning and forecasting decisions and outcomes. An FIS is used in conjunction with a decision support system, and it helps a firm attain its financial objectives because they use a minimal amount of

resources relative to a predetermined margin of safety. An FIS can be thought of as a financial planner for electronic commerce that can also produce large amounts of market and financial data at once obtained from financial databases worldwide.

Financial data analysis may be conducted through trend evaluations, ratio analyses and financial planning modeling. Data outputs that are produced by FIS can include

Operating and capital budgets Working capital reports Accounting reports Cash flow forecasts

The predictive analytics included in these applications may also narrow down exactly what could be expected from a business interaction or transaction that has yet to take place.

The management of financial information in an e-commerce business is paramount in order to gain maximum operating results in the shortest amount of time. An FIS can also yield huge amounts of data for daily business operations. Financial markets traders and salespeople have the greatest demand for FIS because they work in very fast environments and their on-demand computing systems must keep up with real-time activities in order to allow these professionals to operate in real time. Broker investigating, investment and trade data along with fiscal asset classes can be relayed through an FIS. This also works for smaller businesses that need to obtain financial data about local markets. FIS is a form of real-time operating system that works to enhance financial information exchanges.

Marketing

A marketing information system is used for tracking your marketing activities and results. It's what makes measuring marketing success possible. To ensure your marketing activities are cost effective, you must track your activities, costs, and results.

Fortunately there are many software packages available that make this relatively simple. They are referred to by many names, including client tracking software, client database software, sales CRM software and/or marketing database systems. Whatever you call it, you need software that, at a minimum, does the following.

Track sales leads and the source of each lead Track lead conversion (leads become prospects) Track prospect conversion (prospects become clients) Track the costs of each marketing activity Report the results using charts and graphs

The goal is to track the customer acquisition process from first contact to the eventual sale to find out how much it costs to get clients. I'm constantly amazed at how many businesses don't track the results of their marketing activities and waste untold amounts of time and money each year on useless marketing. Do you know how your clients found out about your business?

Using a marketing information system will answer the following questions.

For each marketing activity, how many clients did you receive? Which marketing activities produce many leads but few clients? Which marketing activities produce your most valuable clients?

With such a system in place, it's also relatively simple to test and track different variables, from the headline of an ad to offering different prices for the same service. Only by testing and tracking can you know what works and what doesn't.

I don't recommend any particular system here because technology and prices are always changing. A new business can get started with a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel. When you're ready to move up to a better system, I can help you evaluate your options to make sure they have the most important features for your business.

A marketing information system gives you the necessary feedback to determine what works and what doesn't. Once you know these things you can develop a predictable, repeatable process for business growth.

Human Resource

A HRIS, which is also known as a human resource information system or human resource management system (HRMS), is basically an intersection of human resources and information technology through HR software. This allows HR activities and processes to occur electronically.

To put it another way, a HRIS may be viewed as a way, through software, for businesses big and small to take care of a number of activities, including those related to human resources, accounting, management, and payroll. A

HRIS allows a company to plan its HR costs more effectively, as well as to manage them and control them without needing to allocate too many resources toward them.

In most situations, a HRIS will also lead to increases in efficiency when it comes to making decisions in HR. The decisions made should also increase in quality—and as a result, the productivity of both employees and manages should increase and become more effective.

Solutions offered by HRIS Systems

There are a number of solutions offered to a company that adopts a HRIS. Some of these include solutions in training, payroll, HR, compliance, and recruiting. The majority of quality HRIS systems include flexible designs that feature databases that are integrated with a wide range of features available. Ideally, they will also include the ability to create reports and analyze information quickly and accurately, in order to make the workforce easier to manage.

Through the efficiency advantages conferred by HRIS systems, a HR administrator can obtain many hours of his or her day back instead of spending these hours dealing with non-strategic, mundane tasks required to run the administrative-side of HR.

Similarly, a HRIS allows employees to exchange information with greater ease and without the need for paper through the provision of a single location for announcements, external web links, and company policies. This location is designed to be centralized and accessed easily from anywhere within the company, which also serves to reduce redundancy within the organization.

For example, when employees wish to complete frequently recurring activities such as requests for time off or electronic pay stubs and changes in W-4 forms—such procedures can be taken care of in an automated fashion without the need for human supervision or intervention. As a result, less paperwork occurs and approvals, when deigned, may be appropriated more efficiently and in less time.

HR and Payroll Factors

When a company invests in an affordable HRIS, it suddenly becomes capable of handling its workforce by looking at two of the primary components: that of payroll and that of HR. Beyond these software solutions, companies also

invest in HRIS modules that help them put the full productivity of their workforce to use, including the varied experiences, talents, and skills of all staff within the enterprise.

HRIS Popular Modules

A range of popular modules are available, including those for recruiting, such as resume and applicant management, attendance, email alerts, employee self-service, organizational charts, the administration of benefits, succession planning, rapid report production, and tracking of employee training.

HRIS Summary

In conclusion, it is important to choose the right HRIS. A company that takes the time to invest in a HRIS that fits their goals, objectives, mission, and values, is a company that is investing in its future and in its success. It will be necessary to customize any HRIS to the unique needs of a company so the system will remain flexible and relevant throughout the life of the company or enterprise. For more informative HRIS resources, be sure to check out our vast HRIS Database.

Help Desk Technician

Help desk technicians are vital to the IT workforce, as they keep the technologies that organizations rely on to do business current, and running smoothly.

IT help desk technicians provide technical support and troubleshooting services to end-users who need assistance with their computer hardware or software. There are two chief types of help desk technician: In-house and Remote. Remote help desk technicians support technology customers via phone, online and occasionally on-site. In-house technicians only provide support for internal employees.

Help desk technicians need a deep understanding of computer hardware and software. Strong communication skills are also essential, as help desk specialists must be able to effectively communicate solutions to both technical and non-technical end-users. The IT help desk career path is ideal for methodical problem-solvers with an aptitude for learning and quickly adapting new skills. Patience, resourcefulness and a desire to help others are desirable virtues in technical support and help desk roles.

Many IT pros begin their career as help desk technicians because of the low experience and education requirements, then as they're exposed to new IT disciplines and technologies they discover their niche and branch out into other IT careers, such as network administrator, DBA or IT security specialist. Other technicians will remain at the help desk and leverage their experience to become a help desk technician manager.

Help Desk Skills & Responsibilities

Typical day-to-day duties and in-demand skill sets for IT help desk technicians include:

Help desk technicians diagnose PC errors and provide technical support.

Help desk technicians troubleshoot software, hardware and network issues.

Help desk technicians train end-users how to setup and use new technologies.

Help desk technicians backup and restore an organization's data files and folders.

Help desk techs install, configure and upgrade PC software and operating systems.

Help desk technicians clean and repair computer hardware, such as keyboards and printers.

Remote IT help desk specialists provide technical support over the telephone or Internet.

Remote help desk technicians may use specialized help desk support software to take remote

control of end-users' computers to troubleshoot, diagnose and resolve complex issues.

System Analyst

A systems analyst designs new IT solutions to improve business efficiency and productivity. The work might be for an external client or an internal client (such as a department within the same organisation).

Working closely with the client, analysts examine existing business models and flows of data, discuss their findings with the client, and design an appropriate improved IT solution. They act as the liaison between the client and the developers.

They produce outline designs and costings of new systems, specifying the operations the system will perform, and the way data will be viewed by the end-user, present their design to the client and, once it is approved, work closely with the client team to implement the solution.

Job titles in the IT sector are fluid, changing with advances in technology, and also varying between organisations. It is a good idea to look at the job description beneath the job title. For example, analysts may be known as systems or business analysts. The situation is further complicated by fourth generation languages (4GL) and object-orientated programming, which are programming languages designed to reduce the time and cost of software development. This makes it easier for 'analysts/developers' to design and modify systems, so traditional boundaries between systems analysis and programming have eroded and many practitioners now regard themselves as analysts/developers. Overlap with project management is also common.

Typical work activities

Most systems analysts work with a specific type of IT system, which varies with the type of organisation. Work activities also depend on the size and nature of the organisation, but typically involve:

liaising extensively with external or internal clients; analysing clients' existing systems; translating client requirements into highly specified project briefs; identifying options for potential solutions and assessing them for both

technical and business suitability; drawing up specific proposals for modified or replacement systems; producing project feasibility reports; presenting proposals to clients; working closely with developers and a variety of end users to ensure

technical compatibility and user satisfaction; ensuring that budgets are adhered to and deadlines met; drawing up a testing schedule for the complete system; overseeing the implementation of a new system; planning and working flexibly to a deadline; writing user manuals; providing training to users of a new system; keeping up to date with technical and industry developments.