For the last many years, small and medium-sized businesses across Canada and the U.S. have been using Quickbooks as a go-to inhouse accounting software platform for paying bills, preparing invoices, managing customers, tracking overall financial health, and more.
For those who’ve used the Desktop version of the software successfully for as long as they can remember, it might be tempting to think, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” Yet many who’ve willfully disrupted their setup by trying the online version and compared it with their previous experience have lauded the cloud-based approach for some practical improvements it can provide.
What should you know about Quickbooks online if you’re interested in accounting courses? Here’s a quick look!
Cloud-Based Technology for Reduced IT Hassles
QuickBooks Online lets you do all the things you could with the desktop version, from tracking sales and cash flows to creating estimates and invoices and more.
The major difference is that QuickBooks Online operates completely in the cloud, removing the need for a server and hardware. Not only does this eliminate IT hassles such as hardware and software purchases, associated maintenance costs, and multi-user mode issues, but it also offers the advantage of allowing you to access your QuickBooks accounting service anywhere, anytime from you tablet, laptop, or Smartphone. All you need is a good internet connection, and you’re good to go.
Future-Proofing Accounting Careers with Seamless Access to the Best Apps
With QuickBooks Online, you move from paying every three years or so to update your software to a monthly service payment. Having your QuickBooks software in the cloud on a monthly paid basis may or may not cost less in the long run than the cost of updating software every three years, but it does have the decided advantage of giving you the confidence that your system is always up to date.
Anyone in accounting careers knows the headaches software updates can cause, like incompatibilities between refreshed systems and older files, causing endless delays trying to install additional Windows programs and other syncing tools. QuickBooks Online makes the process of updating seamless, and also makes the business you work at more scalable with the unlimited storage capability of cloud-based systems.
Easy integration with an unlimited number of third-party apps turns out to be another pretty amazing bonus of the Online system, letting you connect with Method CRM, Bill.com, LivePlan, T-Sheets, Expensify, and other top-rated apps with ease through Apps.com.
Migrating Can Be Tricky for Those Used to the Desktop Version
Anyone with accounting and payroll administration training likely knows that adapting to change isn’t easy. For all of the benefits of using QuickBooks online, it’s easy to see why so many people starting accounting systems from scratch opt to set up with this version out of the gate. It can, however, be tricky for those migrating from Desktop, as they will be expecting the cloud-based version to be totally familiar.
By hopping over, the QuickBooks user may miss some aspects of the Desktop version that are not yet available in the cloud version, such as Payroll Job Costing and Invoice Customization. There’s also a notable lack of Sales Orders, which may be problematic for some businesses.
As a result, payroll professionals may work with QuickBooks online or the Desktop version throughout their careers. Both have a lot to offer, and can help graduates do well and accomplish a lot.
Are you interested in a career in accounting?
Learn how to earn your accounting and payroll administration diploma at Canadian Business College!