QuickBooks vs SAP Business One - A Software Comparison for SMEs

When your business is starting out, a basic accounting package, like QuickBooks, is a great solution to manage your accounting needs. It’s simple, easy to use and doesn’t require any significant knowledge of accounting. But as your business grows, so does the volume of your business data. You have more customers to serve, possibly across a larger territory. With more customers come more orders to process. And eventually, you’ll hire more staff, which means you have more users accessing your system. Once your data reaches a certain level, your QuickBooks system might start to slow down, and your day-to-day efficiency could begin a decline. On top of that, you’re likely using separate systems outside of QuickBooks to manage different areas of your business. Maybe it’s spreadsheets, additional point solutions or homegrown systems that you’ve built up over time – the key point is that these systems are all distinct and likely don’t talk to each other all that well, if at all.

This is the point where you’ll start to consider a new solution. There are many different options out there, so here’s the big question you need to answer: Do you stick with QuickBooks for accounting and add on other loosely integrated systems to handle the rest of your business needs? Or do you look at an ERP solution to integrate your entire business into one system? Ultimately, the answer will depend on what your business needs are – now and into the future as you continue to grow.

Are you ready to move on from QuickBooks?

If you’re reading this article, you’re likely already feeling some level of pain with your QuickBooks system. Take a few minutes and write down a list of the challenges you and your team are experiencing with your current systems. Here are a few prompts to get you started:

• How many systems do you currently use in your business? Include everything that supports your day-to-day operations, including applications for CRM, inventory management, project management, spreadsheets, etc.

• How do you transfer data between these applications? Do you have an integration? Do you have to export from one system and import into another or manually re-enter data? Do you just export everything to Excel and work with it there?

• Think about the key metrics you use to measure your performance. Do you have concrete numbers, or do you use a ‘best guess’?

• Can you access the data you need to make decisions? Do you trust that data?

• How long does it take to run reports? Do you have to manually compile reports from multiple sources?

• Do you have consistent processes in every area of the business? Or does each employee have their own way of doing things?

• Do your systems alert you to potential issues or irregularities in your business?

Give your list a quick scan. These are the challenges you’re currently facing. If you have growth plans of any kind, this will likely become more challenging over time. The time-consuming manual processes and lack of visibility can even hinder your ability to grow. And the impact on your team can be significant, as they try to implement workarounds for a system that you’ve become successful enough to outgrow. Put simply – these are signs you're ready to upgrade to an ERP system.

Is SAP Business One your next step?

Over 70,000 small to mid-size companies around the world choose to run their businesses on SAP Business One. And for good reason – it’s a powerful solution that can help you simplify your processes, reduce manual effort and save money as a result. There are also some things to consider as you move into the world of ERP. We’ll look at both sides to give you the full picture.

SAP Business One Advantages

• Gain total visibility into your business. Instead of using a separate application for every part of your business, it’s all in one system. Your data is connected, so you can clearly see how your business is performing at any point in time. Instead of relying on outdated, questionable reports, you have access to accurate, real-time reporting to help you make better business decisions.

• Boost efficiency. Think of the time you currently spend manually transferring data between systems, compiling reports or closing out month-end. With SAP Business One, manual effort is dramatically reduced thanks to streamlined processes and automation. The time your people save can be shifted to higher-value tasks, giving you even greater returns.

• Adapt the system to your needs. As a growing business, you need to be agile, and your business management systems should be too. SAP Business One is flexible, so you can adapt the system to fit your processes, instead of the other way around. That doesn’t just apply to your initial system implementation. As your needs and processes change over time, you can implement new functionality, adjust workflows and integrate with other applications to keep pace with your changing business.

• Build a foundation to scale. We’ve talked about the advantage of flexibility so you can build out your system over time. But simplifying your processes and operating more efficiently today gives you more time and money to re-invest into your future growth. Not to mention you’ll have a robust system that can support the increasing transaction and data volumes that come with growth, so you don’t have to worry about performance issues.

Things to Consider Before Implementing ERP

• An ERP implementation can be overwhelming, especially if you’ve never been through the process. We get it – you’re impacting nearly every department in the business. Having a clear picture of what challenges you want to solve and setting clear expectations will help you stay focused on the goal.

• Your processes will change (for the better). Be open to new ways of doing things, even if it feels uncomfortable.

• Not everyone welcomes change. That’s why it’s important to help your team with the transition. You can use our ERP change management guide as a starting point.

• Selecting your ERP partner is just as important as selecting the software. Your partner will become part of your business for years to come, so you want one that not only knows the software but understands your business and fits your culture.

SAP Business One vs. QuickBooks Functionality Comparison

If you want to learn more about SAP Business One, we can help. As a leading Canadian SAP Business One partner, we've helped many small and mid-size businesses transition from QuickBooks to SAP Business One. We’ll ask some questions to understand your business and see if SAP Business One is a good fit for you.

Or you can dig a little deeper on your own – check out the features and functionality comparison below.