We sat down with Bob Whitefield, CRO at KPS3, to learn more about why he moved off of NetSuite and when he knew it was time to make a change.
Accounting is the backbone of your business, but if your team is still relying on outdated or inefficient software, you’re likely feeling the pain. When your accounting system starts to slow you down instead of supporting growth, it’s time for a change. Here are five clear signs it’s time to upgrade your accounting software.
1. Your team is still manually entering data
If you’re spending hours fixing typos and dealing with broken spreadsheets, you’re not alone. Manual data entry is more than just an inconvenience—it’s a major risk to accuracy and productivity. Without automation and a structured data system, bad data creeps into every process, from billing to reporting.
And here’s the kicker: even AI can’t save you if it’s fed bad data. Clean, connected data is essential for advanced automations and accurate financial insights.
💡Learn more about automation software.
2. Your month-end close is a never-ending process
If invoicing feels like an Olympic event, your software is holding you back. Many businesses find that their current system forces them to rely on spreadsheets and multiple manual steps to generate invoices.
Take Bob, CRO at KPS3, for example. As an advertising agency, they process 350–400 invoices every month. With their previous system, they had to:
- Manually export time entries into a massive spreadsheet
- Cross-check every detail to avoid errors
- Send invoices back and forth between account managers and finance
- Manually create and send each invoice
It was a bottleneck that required overtime and extra hands just to get invoices out the door. By switching to an automated system, they cut down the invoicing process dramatically, enabling them to close the books a week faster.
💡Learn more about on AR and AP automation.
3. It’s too difficult or expensive to configure
A major red flag that it’s time to switch accounting software is when your system is too difficult or expensive to configure. Outgrowing software isn’t just about company size—it’s about fit.
Rigid, inflexible systems limit your ability to adapt as your business evolves, whether that means expanding globally, restructuring, or updating processes. Worse, if your software isn’t built to handle these changes, you’ll face mounting inefficiencies and data issues that prevent you from leveraging AI and automation effectively.
Bob’s company, for example, struggled with a costly and frustrating NetSuite implementation that failed to meet their needs. Their team spent months working around a system that never truly fit, leading to endless manual processes and a stressful month-end close.
After switching to a more flexible system, they not only streamlined their operations but also saved over $250,000 in costs. The right system should evolve with your business, not hold you back.
💡Take a closer look at customization.
4. Reporting and insights are painfully slow
How long does it take to generate a report in your current system? If the answer ishttps://www.accountingseed.com/solutions/business-need/custom-accounting-software/ “too long,” that’s a problem. Financial reporting should be fast, easy, and accurate.
Many businesses struggle with outdated accounting systems that don’t integrate well with their CRM or other operational tools. For Bob, creating cross-object reports in his old system was frustrating and clunky. After switching to an integrated solution, he was able to build reports in seconds—something that used to take hours (or was impossible).
If your workflows involve exporting data from one system, cleaning it up in a spreadsheet, and then importing it into another system—stop.
Not only does this waste time, but it also introduces errors. When multiple people are handling financial data across different systems, inconsistencies are bound to happen. Bob’s team used to spend hours every week just trying to verify data across spreadsheets. With an all-in-one solution, they eliminated the need for constant data transfers and dramatically improved accuracy.
💡Dive deeper into Accounting Seed Financial Analytics.
5. Your data is siloed across departments
Maybe your accounting software worked fine when your business was smaller. But as you scale, you might find that it:
- Doesn’t support complex billing needs
- Lacks automation for recurring tasks
- Requires excessive workarounds to handle your industry’s requirements
- Takes forever to close the books each month
For KPS3, NetSuite wasn’t built for their evolving needs. Implementation was a challenge, support was lacking, and they were constantly trying to “make it work.” Sound familiar? If you’re spending more time wrestling with multiple software solutions rather than actually analyzing your financials, it’s time for an upgrade.
💡Learn more about unified platforms.
The bottom line
If you’re dealing with any of these issues, your accounting software is working against you, not for you. The good news? The right system can automate time-consuming tasks, improve accuracy, and help your business scale with ease.
Watch the whole webinar about Bob’s journey to Accounting Seed in the “5 Signs you need better accounting software” webinar.
