You know your charity’s finance system is in desperate need of an upgrade.
Your team spends way too many thankless hours keying data into the system and wrangling figures in spreadsheets. And the result of all that labour is reports that are out of date by the time anyone reads them.
Yet the prospect of changing a core system looks so time-consuming and disruptive that it can seem like a career-threatening risk. Doing nothing starts not to look so bad after all.
This all too real dilemma for finance leaders has inspired a new guide called How To Change Finance Systems (Without Getting Fired).
Drawing on a host of interviews with FDs, accountants and tech experts, the guide is published by iplicit. It’s intended as a jargon-free, entertaining but comprehensive companion to the daunting business of switching finance software.
It starts by acknowledging the fear of getting change wrong.
The guide says:
‘Many FDs and CFOs recoil from the thought of changing systems – and many will admit putting it off too long. That’s not because they’re living up to the tired old stereotype of the overcautious, risk-averse accountant. It’s because there are some good reasons to hesitate.’
Lauren McCluskey, Head of Virtual Finance Function at accountancy and business advisory firm AAB, said:
“If you’re the leader of the finance team and the change hasn’t gone well, it is soul-destroying. It will take over your life.”
iplicit’s guide is being published free online, with three chapters available now.
Chapter 1 is called ‘Where does it hurt? How to tell if the pain of change is worth it’. It shows how to weigh up the pain of change against the costs of doing nothing – and contains a comprehensive checklist for evaluating your current situation.
Chapter 2 is ‘Getting the board on board: How to win allies and influence people’. It explains how to make the case for change inside your organisation, offering pen portraits of likely stakeholders and the issues that will be on their minds.
Chapter 3 is ‘Conducting the search: The wary FD’s guide to software shopping’. It considers whether you should bring in outside help, how you should go about the research process and the questions you need to ask in software demonstrations. It also identifies four key pitfalls to avoid.
- Ready to conquer your fear and consider a change in system? Grab these chapters now – and sign up for early access to future instalments.
