How to Choose the Best Integrations for Your Accounting Software

Synder Business & Accounting Blog
5 min readOct 21, 2020

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Today every business owner understands the need for accounting software and its benefits. However, there is no “fit for all” solution that can satisfy all business needs. There may be one pain point that is not covered by your software solution, and in the end, you will have to deal with the issue by yourself anyway. Also, as your business grows, you might discover that the current set of features is not enough, and you will start looking for expansion.

That’s the moment when a third-party solution may help you without forcing you to completely change something in your business processes.

I will give you a brief guideline on how to choose the best integration for your accounting software.

Marketplace

Before we start with the guidelines, let’s figure out where to look for integrations. The most logical option is to search through the marketplace of the app you are using. Usually, popular accounting solutions like QuickBooks, Xero, and others, offer their users a wide variety of third-party integrations to cover particular needs. And searching through a marketplace is not an issue if you have an idea of the functionality you lack.

You can also look for apps on software review sites like G2 or Software Advice, where you can set up the search filter and get relevant results with ratings and reviews.

Budget

Even though today’s business accounting software has very attractive pricing, don’t rush to buy the first thing you see, even if it seems to be a perfect match. Consider your budget first. The end-price will depend on how specific your requirements are, and the demand for this particular solution. However, usually, you can find general applications that are aimed at a large audience for free or at a low price.

Integrations

This is the second important point to consider when choosing software for small businesses. You really want the additional software to run smoothly together with your current accounting platform. So right after checking the price, make sure that it is possible to connect the app with your existing setup that you use.

Usability

After the price and the ability to integrate with your platform, usability is the next most important point to consider. Intuitive and clear interface, two-click setup, and straightforward instructions guarantee you peace of mind, knowing that you’re not going to ruin anything in your books. For example, I’ve seen an app description that clearly said that right after you install it, you’ll be contacted by a manager from a support team to make sure your app works correctly. So before you download or install an app, try to learn how it should work in order to avoid a bad experience.

Data protection

Make sure that the app you are going to entrust your financial data to keeps it safe. Two-factor authentication and encryption are the terms that you would like to learn about before you input your credentials somewhere.

Role-based access

This is quite a good option to have if there is more than one person working on your bookkeeping and accounting. By setting a limit on access to your accounting information, you can give roles to employees, and they won’t see sensitive information if they do not have enough access rights.

Potential business growth

Call me an optimist, but I think this point is important. When searching for a solution, ask yourself: what if my business starts to grow, will the app be able to scale the accounting accordingly? This is something you should always think about when choosing any software for your business because sometimes it is hard to bring all the data to a new place.

Reviews

Check the reviews for the apps to make sure that they work in the way you expect. Positive reviews about a solved problem that exactly or partially resembles yours mean that you are on the right track. If the app has negative reviews it is also fine because you can always tell whether the review is written by someone with an educated usage experience, or by somebody who didn’t understand the flow of the app. These reviews can be so helpful and it’s always good to search for reviews with factual information rather than those with higher emotional content.

A specialist’s opinion

If you get confused by the diversity of applications or do not fully understand how some features work, don’t hesitate to consult an accountant or another specialist. It is better to be completely sure that you pay for the product you need than just to lose money.

Synder

Here is a typical example of why you need a third-party integration. Let’s look at QuickBooks. QuickBooks is a good application in itself, but often users have to struggle with manual data entry or importing it manually from multiple sources. This method is fraught with mess-ups in your books and hours wasted on fixing it. It would be nice if the data was simply taken from a payment system and automatically recorded in your accounting software.

Let’s see how it can be done using the Synder example. It is one of the top-rated apps on apps.com, and it helps users to solve problems like having too much manual bookkeeping work; needing to categorize sales; closing the invoices; tracking the inventory, or products, among others.

For instance, you can send an invoice that you created in QuickBooks, and right after a customer pays it, the invoice will be automatically closed and the payment recorded. If you sell different products or have shops in different locations, you can categorize transactions for products or shops. As a result, all your sales will be recorded in real-time based on product names or shop areas, ensuring a fully integrated, sophisticated accounting cycle.

In terms of all of the above, Synder proves itself as a reliable, and scalable tool that makes your bookkeeping and accounting comfortable at affordable prices. When on the lookout for a working solution, you can keep this example in mind to help you decide.

Final word

Now I’ve come to the conclusion of this brief guideline, designed to make your choice easier. Remember to take some time to make a decision, and try to determine which parameters are the most important for your business. I hope that this information will help you to choose the best integration for your software and improve the business processes in your company.

Originally published at https://synderapp.com on October 21, 2020.

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Synder Business & Accounting Blog
Synder Business & Accounting Blog

Written by Synder Business & Accounting Blog

Helpful articles for SMBs, e-commerces, and finance specialists to manage your business data better and facilitate your accounting data.

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