Question Continue or abandon ship?

[Bill]

Currently using Access NW database (with many tweaks) for Point of Sale in a retail shop. Works great save a couple of minor issues.

The problem is that I am using a seperate accounting software for all other business related transactions. As the business has grown, this becomes a larger problem every year at tax time.

I guess my question is, should I continue with Access and piece together accounting functions into the database or jump ship to a canned package.

If I go out and purchase a "canned" software that will do it all, I'm stuck with using them for support and the prices are steep. Not to mention any what if's that I come up with may or may not ever be answered, where I can make Access give me the answers.

The older version of Access (03) that I am using may be missing new funtions and features that would make building the accounting side easy enough. But short of downloading a trial version of 2010, I don't know if you all can tell me if it's worth the trip.

 

[plog]

If your Access database isn't doing what you want, a new version of Access isn't the answer. On one hand you say its working great (save a few issues) then you go on to say its not doing what you want.

Is it fine day to day, but only bad once a year/quarter at tax time? If so, the answer might be building a new database that connects to your data and manipulates it like you want to achieve what you need concerning taxes.

 

[Simon_MT]

Does your Accounting allow to import transactions, if is does you could keep your Access solution and interface into the Accounting solution.

Simon

 

[Lightwave]

Access 2003 can do everything you need to do so second vote that going to a new version of Access won't solve your problems.

Without knowing completely your skill level it is difficult to advise completely.

It is a great feeling to completely understand the software you use and gives you a great deal of peace of mind. Being able to manipulate design according to new events is great as well.

Off the shelf accounting packages are better than most as so many people use them in very similar ways but it is likely you will be restricted in how you alter it. You could go with a very cheap option and see how you go running them side for side for a bit.

 

[spikepl]

For this type of decisions here is a dispassionate recipe:

1. Identify your options in writing
2. For each, identify and assess, in writing, each benefit, the disbenefit and the cost
3. Remember to include the status-quo, the do-nothing-and-live-with-what-you-have option. This option obviously has costs too, and you are not very happy with it.
4. Compare and decide.

We cannot put value on the benefits and disbenefits, because those are very context-dependent, but can help you identifying them.

A common but irrelevant trap in such considerations is the "sunk costs" - "we have already spent so much on building and training this thing, so we better stick with it ... " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunk_costs

Define where do you want to be, and how much do you want to spend in terms of effort and money to get there, from where you are right now.