Technology is having a larger impact on dealerships today than it ever has. But most of the time the accounting office gets the short end of the technology stick. If we travel back ten or twenty years, chances are your accounting office hasn’t seen as many significant changes as the other areas in the dealership. Overstuffed filing cabinets, shabby office chairs, clunky computers, obnoxious printers – these are the nightmares of your office manager.

Does it really make sense to have a 21^st century showroom, service drive, and website while the office stays stuck in the 1980s?

Since the accounting department isn’t customer-facing, dealers may not consider how technology could improve the department and the dealership. According to an article in the Harvard Business Review, technology is important to management: “63% said the pace of technological change in their workplaces is too slow, primarily due to a ‘lack of urgency’ and poor communication about the strategic benefits of new tools.” The attitude that technology is too difficult is out-dated, and that thinking will continue as long as you let it.

Here are five ways you can update your accounting office:

1. Implement a more efficient phone system with the ability to recognize who is calling and what he or she needs. You won’t waste time asking questions if you already have the answers at your fingertips.

2. Email vendors receivable statements, repair orders, and parts invoices. Give them the ability to send invoices via email and pay them electronically. Using emailed statements and accepting electronic payments is much simpler than trying to print, mail, and track paper invoices and receipts.

3. Use an electronic filing system to store documents for easy access. If your vendors are sending invoices via email and you’re paying them electronically, doesn’t it make sense to store receipts electronically as well? This will help keep your office more organized and secure.

4. Use multiple monitors at workstations for more efficiency. Employees can quickly reference what they need without having to leave the screen they are working on.

5. Use better reporting tools that allow department management to do research without tracking you down. By giving your management team the tools they need, they’re empowered to find answers themselves.

Conclusion:

How can you be sure which technology is right for your dealership?

Choose wisely and keep it simple! You want a system that is built together for a smooth transition from one area of your dealership to the next. The accounting office should work hand-in-hand with other departments, not for them. It also helps to remember, cheaper isn’t always better. Do some research into what will work best for you and your dealership.

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