Effective business performance measurement from Access

A recent survey by Coda Financials in the UK showed 98% of corporates still use spreadsheets for analysis.

"This survey is shocking," commented Paul Marketos, MD of ASYST International SA. "With spreadsheets being updated on average only once a month, important business decisions are being taken on data that is weeks out-of-date.

"The Executive Desktop system from Access Accounts, with its full Key Performance Indicators (KPI) functionality, offers what decision-makers really need: real-time financial analysis. It will help put a stop to the process of manual spreadsheet preparation that is not only time-consuming but also prone to errors."

Used in conjunction with Access Accounts, Executive Desktop already provides SMEs with instant access to high quality financial information (including reports, graphs, trends and statistics). With the KPI enhancement, it can now be used to drive company-wide productivity, through the setting, monitoring and reporting of performance targets. It can be used to monitor any activity, regardless of whether or not there is a cost implication.

Since Executive Desktop can be deployed directly onto the Windows desktop of every authorised member of staff (even if they don`t have Access Accounts installed on their computer), it provides an ideal platform for an integrated, company-wide KPI system. For instance, personal KPIs could include productivity targets for each area of responsibility, outbound telephone calls and even annual sick leave. Financial KPIs could range from Sales and Average Debtor Days targets, to Stock-Turnover ratios and Current Ratios. Management KPIs could include staff retention rates, departmental budgets and the full utilisation of fixed assets. The range of practical applications for Executive Desktop KPI is limited only by the user`s imagination.

KPI reports can be `open` - seen by everybody who contributes to them - and summarise targets at any administrative level, from individuals through to managers and directors. They also allow senior decision-makers to view the performance of each and every area, from the shop floor to the boardroom, using a single, consistent format.

With Executive Desktop KPIs, information on company activity can now be viewed and analysed in precisely the same way as financial data. To move from a top-level summary of one director`s responsibilities, through to an in-depth analysis of the performance of just one of their subordinates, you simply drill-down through the layers of information... just as you would to move from a top level profit and loss summary to an individual nominal code.

"Large corporates have been using performance measurement tools for years but historically this type of tool has been out of reach of the smaller organisation," added Paul Marketos. "Executive Desktop now brings business intelligence into the realm of all organisations, allowing managers at any level to make informed decisions based on real-time data."