The term cloud accounting tools can seem a bit intimidating to some people, however in reality it is a simple concept. Anything that is described as being cloud based means that it can be accessed remotely via a website, as long as you have an internet connection. This makes it much more convenient than software that has to be downloaded onto a specific computer. So, a cloud accounting tool is software designed to help you carry out accounting tasks for your business, from anywhere you want.
Efficiency
Using accounting software helps you to save time, as it manages lots of different responsibilities for you. For example, it will automatically generate invoices at the right times using the right information, send them and chase them up if they are not paid. Having an automatic rather than manual system also helps to cut down on human error; minimising mistakes, complications and therefore improving the reputation of your business.
Furthermore, using cloud accounting software gives you more value for money than hiring a member of staff to look after it, just check out this Xero vs Quickbooks comparison for example. Accountants are notoriously expensive but if you prefer to have a real person looking over your accounts, it is easy to blend your software with their methods on a part time basis as it has also been designed for this.
Design
Cloud accounting software has been designed with the user in mind so don’t be intimidated by the perception of accounting being complex. It’s a way to have more access to your accounts without having to organise them yourself. The remote aspect of cloud-based software makes it highly convenient, and ideal if you’re always out and about looking after various aspects of your business.
Another benefit of using accounting software is that it stores your and your customers’ information securely, with easy access to it. If you use a service like Piesync to sync the various apps you use for your business such as marketing, accounting and email apps you can access useful information from them all and use it for accounting purposes, such as customer contact details.
Relevancy
By using software to help you with your business operations, you benefit from the most up to date industry information as it is updated all the time. Constant improvements are also made to the software itself via automatic updates, and you can communicate with a network of other business owners to discuss and help each other with the various challenges you’re facing.
Using cloud accounting software is a great idea for businesses for a number of reasons. Firstly, it uses time far more efficiently thanks to its automatic processes, in comparison to you attempting to handle your finances manually or hiring an accountant. It also carries out a better-quality service. It is designed to be easy to use and is remote so you can use it anywhere. Furthermore, you can sync your apps to be able to access information like contact details easily, and you benefit from industry updates and a community of like-minded users. Take a look at imafish.co.uk for more business tips such as small business accounting principles.
Car parking management system is what makes parking a seamless effort to both the garage owner and clients. As an investor, you must look for a modern car parking system and choose the best from the many available in the market.
Get a system that will offer the best service by answering to the needs of your car park. While looking for an ideal system, there is a need to identify ways of improving the range of services available in your car park. Picking the right model means it has some of the best features in the market and is capable of positive responses to specific features that must work for you.
The Guide
- User-Friendly System
Ensure that the system is easy to manipulate irrespective of the type of client using it. The parking lot managers should see no problem with its display and features accepting payments and issuance of tickets. A user-friendly system offers simplicity, and it is tough and maintains its integrity.
- Ease of Implementation
Putting the system to use should be easy to install, support and maintain. For instance, planning to change from a manual to an automatic system may not be that simple. Your potential system should be ready to use the moment it leaves the test site.
A reliable car park system should be the one that needs minimal support during installation and maintenance. During its implementation, the installer can access the prompts and support mechanisms. The car parking management system should have the capacity to resolve emerging issues.
- Location
Your service location highly depends on what to expect from a car park management system. Installing the system in a busy area means looking for features that can group customers in different categories. The system should be flexible enough to allow the customisation of different parking fee rates.
Car parking management systems must be easy to customise and offer convenient services.
- Powerful Features
Get a parking management system with the best features with enough room for future updates. Scalability is a feature every software should have, which allows it to grow with new features. Support for different languages and modes of payment prove to be desirable.
- Mode of Revenue Collection
If your car park facility needs a parking system with no human intervention, then a cashless option is fine. Make sure the optics on the new system are clear, have secure vaults, and can dispense change.
Your option should support different modes of payment to ease the stress on the client when parking. The idea is to spur confidence to those who use the system.
- Single or Multiple Location Controls
The integration of technologies in different sectors of the economy is being used to manage one or several parking lots. Each location is capable of handling ticket issuance, fee payment, controlling access and using barriers to curb parking space misuse.
Using the same car park management system that controls access, using barriers, intercom communication, tracking car park occupancy, optimisation of revenue using different park fee rates, and management of subscription fees.
The freedom to choose your preference for a car parking management system depends on the reputation of the manufacturer. Confirm your selection by comparing available options that have the system access control solutions. Practice caution before making the final investment plan.
Anytime you purchase a car park management system, ensure that the third party complies with the accredited operator scheme (AOS). With that in mind, getting a system that has gone through accreditation gives you access to the vehicles database for easier tracking of information leading to the pursuant of an outstanding ticket.
Managing a healthcare facility is not that easy. As a hospital manager, you must ensure that everything runs swiftly and that each worker is at the right place at the right time. Ensuring that everything works seamlessly and efficiently can be a bit challenging if the hospital lacks a proper workforce scheduling system.
You are likely to record low labour utilization without proper hospital scheduling software in place. In this post, we let you know the significance of having a reliable workforce scheduling system for your hospital.
Why every hospital should have a workforce scheduling system
Staffing in a hospital is a big problem because sometimes it is not easy to predict how much time the doctor will take attending to a patient. An operation may last longer than you expect, thereby affecting other appointments in line for a doctor.
In short, it is necessary that managers in every healthcare facility to use scheduling software to assign their workers tasks so that they can make adjustments if any may emerge during their workers’ service delivery.
Automated scheduling is faster
With a computerized workforce scheduling software, staff scheduling only takes minutes with just a click of a button. Workers do not have to call human resources to know their shifts and working hours.
The software sends push-notification on the employee’s phone immediately. Once the employee completes a shift, the application can notify them of available patients they should attend to. It makes it faster for employees to cover more shifts.
Reduced worker absenteeism
The demand for healthcare services is unpredictable. That means a hospital should always have enough workers anytime. When staff members show up at the right time, there is an increase in patient satisfaction.
With reliable workforce schedule software, workers can easily request day-offs, and the scheduling department will assign other workers overtime to replace them. The process is automatic and ensures the hospital has the required staff number to for any patient emergencies.
Easy retrieval of employee information
Workforce scheduling software makes it easier for the work scheduling department in the hospital to retrieve employee information. For instance, when there is an emergency, and the hospital needs workers off duty to report to work, the scheduling software can send messages to all employees faster. Calling every employee will take a lot of time.
Reduced labour cost
A hospital is likely to spend a lot of money to set up a reliable work scheduling system. However, the benefits of having the system in place outweigh the cost. The system quickly forecasts the demand for hospital staffing through real-time analytics.
It automates everything and gives the hospital manager more time to concentrate on other essential duties. The hospital gains a competitive advantage with more time allocated to creating a better patient experience and improving worker’s productivity.
Need for compliance
With reliable work scheduling software, the hospital can easily adjust to all the changing labour regulations. It is easy for the scheduling department to meet all the compliances for working hours and overtime. The hospital saves on the cost of hiring a compliance manager.
Final thought
Scheduling software is a must-have for any healthcare facility because of the complex nature of their services. Staffing a hospital takes time that every manager should look forward to saving to improve patient satisfaction. With a convenient workforce scheduling system in place, the hospital can ensure it is more flexible to the unpredictable healthcare service demand.
The traditional pen and paper scheduling cannot cope with the complexities of hospital worker scheduling. Therefore, every hospital should look forward to having a superior hospital scheduling software to ensure their patients quality healthcare.
Portable classrooms are also called demountable or prefabricated classrooms because they can be erected and collapsed with ease. These temporary structures are becoming more popular by the day in modern schools since they have numerous benefits. Even schools that have been established for many years prefer to use this option when expanding their structures. The popularity started in the UK and then spread to other parts of the continent and the globe at large.
If you are planning to start a school today, consider using portable classrooms especially if there is a probability of expanding or relocating the school. To understand this option better, let us explore the main pros and cons of portable classrooms in schools.
Pros of Portable Classrooms
Portable classrooms have more pros than cons. Generally, this is an option that will not only reduce costs for the school but also give it a high degree of flexibility.
- Save time – prefabricated panels and frames are quick to assemble, making them useful in times of urgent school expansion. These classrooms can be constructed within a few days after making an order.
- Affordable – compared to permanent structures, temporary structures are affordable. According to experts who construct prefabricated structures for schools, there is a possibility of saving up to 30% off the total costs. If you are interested, you can check temporary school halls here if you want to compare the cost of these temporary structures.
- Flexible – temporary structures that are demountable are very flexible. If a classroom or a sports hall is not in use, it can be used somewhere else or collapsed and stored for future use. Schools can use them for other purposes such as admission halls, research centers and examination rooms to mention a few examples.
Cons of Portable School Structures
Whether they are classrooms, offices or sports halls, these temporary structures have a few drawbacks. However, this can be reduced if you have the right information. Anyway, here are the major cons that you should know.
- Affected by the weather – if low-quality materials are used or the buildings are not erected properly, they can be affected by harsh weather conditions. Wind and rain are the major challenges. Intense sunlight might have an adverse impact with exposure over time. The best way to tackle this challenge is by using high-quality materials and erecting them professionally.
- The need for frequent repairs – as temporary classrooms and other portable structures for schools become older, they require regular repairs. This can be costly in the long run especially if low-quality materials are used. But if you focus on the best materials, it will take a longer time before any repair is necessary.
- Lack of proper government regulations – although these structures only have small negative effects on the environment, there are no proper regulations by the government in some countries. This leaves customers exposed to various hazards unless they use reputable construction experts.
Conclusion
As you can see, temporary structures for schools have many pros that warrant their use over other structures. The main cons can be avoided when there is a good plan and careful approach to such a project.
There is no doubt that the DBA has numerous benefits to professionals in the business world. However, you have to get to the end of your course and do so effectively for you to enjoy the benefits. The coursework, research, and assignment can be tough and overwhelming, and thus if you don’t plan well you could miss out on the big benefits. Since it’s an advanced degree, the demands will be more, and you will be expected to work harder and smarter. Not to scare you though; if you play your cards right, you will learn a lot and graduate on time. Consider the following tips for DBA success:
Find the Right Business School
If you are not already enrolled in a college, the first step is to find a good one. You can look online or ask for recommendations from DBA graduates you know. For business schools you locate online, ensure you do extensive research to confirm they are legit. Never give out your details or pay money before you check the legitimacy. Ensure you check these three key details:
- The school background and faculty member profiles
- Accreditation and rankings
- Online reviews
In addition to the profile information listed on the website, you can go ahead and search the faculty members on sites such as LinkedIn. When searching for online reviews, use the name of the business school accompanied by terms such as DBA reviews or student testimonials.
Choose Your Path Wisely
One of the key decisions you will make as a DBA student is choosing a topic for your research project. You have to choose a topic that falls within the subject areas covered by the business school and submit a proposal. If you don’t choose your topic wisely, you may end up giving up along the way or gaining information and skills that won’t be of much help to your future goals. Thus, when choosing your path, consider the following two factors:
- One, your career goals, both short and long term. If you don’t have goals yet, set them before joining business school.
- Two, how working on the selected topic can benefit your career now and in the future.
Some business areas have serious skills gaps, which can be filled with specific qualifications. For more information on this topic, visit Aston University Online and read their article on how DBAs can fill global skills gaps, and how this will benefit businesses.
Work, Study, Life Balance
Going back to school adds more responsibilities to your already busy schedule. Therefore, before you sign up for a course, think about how you will balance the three so that you don’t end up ruining relationships in your life, getting sick or stressed out and failing in school. Consider the following tips:
- Be realistic when signing up. Don’t commit yourself yet until you are sure you will have enough time to dedicate to your studies and the other important things in your life.
- Identify things you can cut off to create more time for your studies. You may have to give up some leisure activities and maintain just one or two hobbies until you complete your studies. Cutting off or reducing screen time can also help. This will give you time to study without affecting the time dedicated to other priorities. For instance, if you are a parent with two free hours after work, instead of watching TV for one hour and studying for one hour, you could use the time spent watching TV to study and leave the other hour for your family.
- Have a schedule and stick to it. You have to go to work, assignments need to be done on time, your child expects you to show up for their football matches on the weekend, how do you balance all this? Have a schedule and stick to it. Avoid saying you will do something when you have the time. You already have the time; your job is to plan how you will spend each minute of it. And having that plan will allow you to balance the three aspects of your life without giving too much time to one and neglecting another.
- Eat right and stay healthy: What happens when you don’t feed your body well? You can increase your risk of contracting diseases, not have the energy you need to work, and you may affect your vital organs such as the brain negatively. And the long term effect is ruined productivity and efficiency, poor health and a less zealous life. Therefore, eat healthy balanced meals, drink lots of water and stay active.
- Sleep for 7 to 8 hours each day. These are the recommended hours by sleep experts for optimal health and well-being.
Have a Designated Study Area
You can do some flashcards during lunch breaks or while making dinner and this is super helpful. However, you need some time, when you will sit down and get serious for 30 minutes to two hours depending on how much time you have to study each day. After making a schedule, the next step is to find that space where you will retreat to when your schedule states you should be studying. It could be your bedroom, the garage, a space in the office, the coffee shop or the library. Ensure that your study space is free from distractions.
Be Organised
Being organised in your work and study life has three key benefits. One, you will be more productive when you are an organised person. Two, you will avoid wasting time. And three, you will avoid stress and confusion. For your study life, consider these three things:
- One, gather your study materials in advance and ensure they are well arranged. For books and other stationery, you could get a desk with drawers for storage, some shelves, and folders.
- Have a plan on how and when you will handle each task. Prioritise based on complexity and urgency.
- Keep your study environment tidy. When the environment is clean and tidy, your concentration will be much better. In addition to being a distraction, clutter and dirt can also cause you to feel stressed.
Think about Your Writing
Poor referencing, grammatical errors and poor flow are some of the mistakes that should be avoided when submitting your proposal and other assignments. To avoid these:
- Take time to familiarise yourself with the writing styles you are expected to adhere to when submitting your work.
- Work with a writer or editor when writing your final documents. However, note that you should do your work; others should only help with the fine-tuning and checking for errors.
- Read papers done by others. This will help in sharpening your writing skills.
Have a Financial Plan
A DBA is an advanced degree and thus it costs money. And, considering you will be in school for three to six years, it’s wise to plan financially in advance. When making a financial plan:
- Check how much business school will cost for all the years
- Make an estimate for all your expenses
- Identify your key sources of income.
- Check whether your sources of income will be able to cover your expenses and business school tuition.
- Find other ways to pay for business school. Some key ones include applying for student loans, getting a scholarship, and checking if your employer offers any support to further your education. If you choose a student loan, ensure you have a viable payment plan.
- Set up an emergency fund.
Network and Learn from Others
Your own research is good and it can teach you a lot. However, it’s super important to connect with others and see life from their perspective. Below are some of the people you can network with as a DBA student:
- Your course instructors: Learn from their experiences, ask them questions and maybe you could ask one to be your mentor
- Other DBA students: Share your experiences, discuss issues, ask for their help and help them when they need you.
- DBA graduates: Learn from them and maybe seek a mentor
- Professionals who are in the same field as you: Consult with them when making key decisions
Be a Smart Student
Since the degree directly affects your career success, ensure that you get as much from it as possible. Don’t just aim to graduate and get a title, but focus on learning things that will grow you as a professional. Some of the key things that smart students do include:
- Studying throughout the semester and taking time to digest the concepts. Studying every day, or a few days per week, is better than accumulating all the work and doing it in a hurry when deadlines are approaching. Cover your coursework earlier.
- Don’t have a negative attitude when you get feedback from the instructors and advisors. A smart student will take criticism as an opportunity to learn and be better.
- Ask a lot of questions where you don’t understand.
- Don’t miss lectures, workshops, or any other event. If you miss an appointment with your teacher due to something unavoidable, let them know and get them to reschedule.
Above are some of the key tips that can be helpful for DBA success. Know that much is expected from you, plan wisely and after you make plans ensure you follow through.