Cloud computing and hosted software have amplified the user experiences in many ways. Accessibility beyond geographical boundaries and no instant infrastructure cost are some of the major benefits of hosted solutions.
QuickBooks, a leader in a small and mid-size business accounting software segment, offers a tremendous boost for accountants in their capabilities with cloud-based hosting.
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But all this goodness comes by following some right practices. In case you go wrong with them, there are chances that you might not be able to benefit much from QuickBooks hosting.
Following are some of the practices that can restrict users from making the best out of QuickBooks Hosting. Make sure that you are NOT following these practices:
1. Wrong QuickBooks Version
When QuickBooks is on the desktop, most accounting professionals consider it well before choosing the QuickBooks version. Various QuickBooks versions, such as Pro, Premier, Enterprise, etc., have their own merits and features to serve the needs of the user.
When it comes to hosting, there is a tendency among the users to ignore the version specifications that can meet their business. At times, they may pick the wrong version, and hence, the user experience will take a beating.
QuickBooks Hosting offers the desktop version over the cloud, which enables a number of new advantages. However, the basic features of QuickBooks, like – built-in forms, tracking manager, sales forecast, etc. are available with certain versions only. So, it is important to choose the correct version of the QuickBooks software for hosting.
2. Substandard Hosting Service Provider
Even with the perfect version of the software, error in choosing the hosting provider has the chance of spoiling your accounting. The hosting service provider has a lot to offer with QuickBooks in the form of customer support, scalability with the plans, uptime guarantee, privacy & backup assurance, data center maintenance methods, etc.
Recommended Reading: 6 Things To Ask A QuickBooks Hosting Provider
Along with that, specialization with QuickBooks is another crucial skill necessary for more effective results. If you opt for a service provider that fails on these checks, then the struggle with accounting is on the cards.
The best way to avoid such issues is by going with an Intuit authorized QuickBooks host. The backing of Intuit, the maker of QuickBooks, gives a reliable conviction that the hosting provider practices the authentic and customer-centric methods. Additionally, while choosing the hosting service provider, SLA must be carefully read.
3. Letting the Users Too Loose
The greatest advantage of QuickBooks hosting is allowing multiple users to work on the same files at the same time, even when they are located distantly. This advantage can turn into a drawback pretty easily if you are not managing the user permissions correctly. Apart from the permissions allowed, the end-user’s fault can also cause security failure.
As the admin of hosted QuickBooks, you can easily add and remove the users. Along with that, admin is allowed to control the user permissions to view or edit the different QB files. New users on the hosted QuickBooks must be instructed on the basic security practices for using cloud computing.
Enlighten them with the requisite access allowed, password & device security methods, the role of different users, etc.
4. Improper Resource Allocation
Cloud is your virtual hardware constructed of virtual CPU, RAM, storage, etc. All these resources sum up the overall performance of your hosted application. For efficient results, it is important to have sufficient system resources in actions. However, some users neglect this fact, and they end up either with more than required resources or with lesser than fitting needs.
Not being able to meet the needs will affect the performance and, at times, may disrupt the overall processes. While using more resources than required will cause bites on the pockets as you will be paying more amounts. So, give in serious efforts while calculating the required resources for your QuickBooks hosting purposes.
5. Not Picking the Right Add-on
QuickBooks is a generalized accounting software that can solve a number of issues with accounting. When it comes to meeting certain business peculiarities, such as – shipping, inventory, data security, etc., accounting challenges grow further. Add-ons for QuickBooks are used to serve those specific needs.
Other utilities that QuickBooks may offer are enhancing the security, QB File storage, etc. So, QuickBooks add-on may not be a necessity for the accounting process, but it can simplify many things.
On the side of the story, if the add-on is not setup aptly, then it may hamper the operations, depending on the purpose that your add-on is serving. So, be cautious with the add-on integration and do not shy away from seeking expert support, if there is any need.
6. Ignoring the Security Standards
The lack of understanding of cloud security can hamper with the confidentiality of data. While hosting QuickBooks on the cloud, it is crucial to look out for the security measures implemented on virtual as well as physical level.
The cloud hosting provider must execute some significant measures to safeguard the information, which includes:
- End-to-end encryption
- Multiple firewalls
- Multi-level authentication
- Anti-virus and anti-malware system
- Intrusion Detection and Prevention System (IDPS)
- On-site 24/7 CCTV surveillance
Moreover, also check backup policy of the service provider so that you can retrieve your QuickBooks data easily in case of any disaster or accident.
Conclusion
QuickBooks Hosting is a one-stop solution for every business. However, every bad decision can hamper your work. It is crucial to understand the practices you must take for the best possible experience.
Looking for a reliable QuickBooks Hosting Provider? Call a Solutions Consultant at 855-665-8910 to know more.
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Comments (9)
User’s own skills with the technology have a big role to play here. They are biggest spoilers as per my experience. Train then with cloud before you let them work on the files with you.
Your suggestion of asking the support agent for the resources calculation doesn’t sound smart. More resources will buy them more money, they will always suggest more than required.
Talking about issues with QB hosting? QuickBooks already has a number of issues. Intuit is just working on QBO and takes months and years to resolve issues with the desktop.
I have experienced slowness in QB hosting, which is really frustrating. A colleague suggested it might be because of internet connection. So that’s a ruining agent as well.
Yes, slow internet connection can be the reason. In fact, we recently published an article on slowness of QuickBooks hosting.
When it comes to add-on no one needs many of them with QuickBooks. I mean depending the business maybe 2 or 3 add-ons should more than sufficient. That will not trouble the operations of QuickBooks much.
You could be right with the business perspective. Though some complex businesses might need more than just 2 or 3 add-ons. But in case of CPA firms that are serving large number of businesses (of various types), a number of add-ons is often required. Such firms usually choose the dedicated servers which keep the performance on good scale but integration setup and permission allowance is not always flawless, which affects the performance.
Cross-device usage by same user can be troubling. The slight change is interface affects my performance especially when the screen size of the device changes considerably.
The issues with performance on QB are completely different from QB hosting.