RSMUS.comCovid restrictions may be starting to lift around the country, however, according to a recent survey only about 1 in 10 companies expect all employees to return to their pre-pandemic work arrangements. The National Association for Business Economics found that just 11 percent of survey respondents expect all staff members at their companies to return eventually. Around 65 percent of companies have allowed “most” or “all” of their staff members to work from home during the pandemic, and about half of respondents said they plan to continue the policies until the second half of the year.
While the ability to work from home is a benefit many employees and businesses value, a surprising number of businesses still lack the technological infrastructure to offer that capability. The truth is that many companies still rely on a core business platform, hosted on their corporate network, with key supporting documents and content also hosted on a network file server.
The concept of digital transformation is something that has been around for several years, but it has become more pressing than ever that companies be prepared and willing to go digital. Workplaces need to be geared toward flexibility, collaboration and connectivity. The bottom line is that providing stable, secure, and easy access to your company’s core processes and collaboration tools is essential. Even beyond extenuating circumstances, businesses should be supported by technologies that allow their employees access to streamline their work.
So, how can you optimize Dynamics GP for remote work? RSM has been helping companies do just that for many years. While every organization has unique needs and processes, we believe there are a few things that all Dynamics GP users should be doing now.
Remote Access
To be able to work efficiently while working remotely you need a reliable setup to support remote access. The environment needs to be accessible but also secure – this is a critical component of working from home, and includes strategies around cyber security, monitoring and secure VPN and browsing.
For over 20 years, RSM has hosted Dynamics GP in the cloud (both Private and Public cloud) for our clients. We can help you ensure your Dynamics GP system is easy to access, but also secure. Click here for more information about our Cloud Computing Solutions.
Eliminate Paper
Throughout the pandemic, paper emerged as one of the largest problems to face for finance departments that hadn’t previously embraced digital transformation. Whether dealing with vendor invoices, printing checks, or receiving and processing customer checks, finance departments found themselves frequently needing to go back to the office this past year.
Eliminate Paper from the Accounts Payable process
Over the past year, we have seen many of our Dynamics GP customers embrace A/P Automation solutions. These solutions are able to receive invoices electronically, automatically read key information from the invoice and route them for approval. Finally, these solutions can also process payments, eliminating the need for you to print and sign checks.
There are lots of A/P Automation solutions on the market that integrate with Dynamics GP. We can help you identify and implement the right solution for your organization. These solutions typically pay for themselves through the significant efficiencies achieved.
Eliminate Paper from the Accounts Receivable process
A surprising number of companies still print and mail invoices. In addition to often requiring another visit to the office, the process is expensive. According to experts, the cost of a paper invoice can range between $12 to $30 to process with an average cost close to $15 per invoice. Add to that the need to receive, process and deposit checks from your customers – the cost just keeps going up.
There are some simple things that you can do to eliminate paper from this process. Invoices should be emailed to your customers. Lockbox processing can easily be set up so that payments are automatically applied. Also providing payment portals for your customers can speed up the collection process without any paper.
Free Digital Assessment of Dynamics GP
Let the RSM Dynamics GP team provide a free digital assessment of your system today. We can help you find ways to work remotely, more securely, and efficiently. Find more information about our Dynamics GP Team on our website.
Tom Burtner
Thomas Burtner is a consulting services partner with the business applications practice at RSM US LLP. He specializes in providing technology strategy, system selection, packaged software implementation, application development, business intelligence implementation, systems integration and technology project management services to clients throughout RSM. Tom is the national leader for the Dynamics GP/SL practice which consists of over 30 consultants supporting over 800 existing clients.