[IMGCAP(1)]Caesar’s Epic Buffet set the perfect stage for describing the state of profession today—in terms of all the technology choices in front of practitioners…good choices! I stood and stared for a moment, overlooking the massive buffet, thinking: “Where do you even begin when everything looks so good?”
It occurred to me that accounting professionals must feel the same way when they look out over the smorgasbord of technology choices. To help, I devised a plan for the buffet that translates nicely when applied to technology selection.
• First, I opened up discussion among others around me, asking my fellow diners what looked good to them, if they’d tried certain items before, and what was their opinion on those selections. Finally, I asked them what were there ultimate choices.
• Second, based on my needs and the input I received from my peer diners, I made my final selections and sampled each.
• Third, if I found I didn’t like a certain selection, I went back and tried something else.
No doubt you see the parallel here. There are so many great applications in the marketplace, so following plan for selecting the right solutions is imperative.
First, firm leaders must understand their own needs—what technology is required to support a highly efficient internal system? Once this is defined, talk to others in the profession and get feedback on applications. Then demo applications—that is, try them on for size before purchasing.
If you don’t like one of your selections…go back to the buffet and try another. Just like Caesar’s Buffet, no choice is final. You can go back as many times as you like until you are satisfied. While in Vegas, I went with the crab legs and GotoMeeting!
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