The app-ocalypse: an accountancy horror story

A world shrouded in shadows and bathed in blood-red moonlight.

The echoes of humanity's last stand reverberate through the desolation.

Amidst this apocalyptic landscape, a glow shines from what appears to be a dormant building – on closer inspection, an accountant remains glued to their desk, desperately trying to meet deadlines, unaware of the treacherous dance between survival and the ever-encroaching abyss which awaits them outside.

For them, the real app-ocalypse is right there at their desk – they face a horde of disconnected apps which feast on their precious time.

Should they have run and sought refuge from the nightmarish land like the rest of us? Perhaps.

But maybe the system disconnect, excessive admin, errors and wasted time are the true horror story.

Understanding the app-ocalypse

After spending hours upon hours staring at a monitor, jumping between various apps, retyping the same information and trying to get systems linking up, it’s understandable if you feel like a zombie.

This is the reality for many accountants.

All the various software innovations, once thought to be the answer, have begun to create added complexity to an already intricate profession.

Our research found that 75% of accountants are juggling up to ten different apps to manage their day-to-day workloads – something we are branding The App-ocalypse.

While we may not have fallen into the nightmarish world detailed in the introduction just yet, the reality for accountants isn’t far off (with a little creative license).

In fact, our recent research found that nearly half of accountants claim to be suffering from an app overload, and 72% of respondents stated they wished their apps would link up with each other.

Further, two-thirds of respondents acknowledge the security risks associated with using multiple apps at once; the reality of firms using 10+ apps means there’s a major risk firms have compromised data – often unbeknown to them. 

The reality of the app-ocalypse

Apart from the new fancy name, what does this app overload actually mean for accountants?

Well, accountants and their clients find themselves ensnared in a web of tools.

Having a horde of software which don’t connect forces you to jump between the various apps, retyping the same information and wasting more of your precious time.

Highlighted by Rebecca Williams, founder of Eccounting: “I don’t want to have different pieces of software for different services from different providers. It doesn’t work – with that, you have additional costs, training time, and multiple relationships to manage. So, integration is key. You want to make sure you’re being time-efficient. When I start hiring employees, I want them to be able to see what was done in previous years. I need it to be easy for them to pick up and run with.”

Also, add to this the data danger – retyping information is incredibly prone to human error (something you can’t risk with sensitive client info), and the chance of a security breach when manually transferring data also skyrockets.

The bottom line? The profession is busier than ever before, and as showcased in a recent AccountingWeb article, the very technology meant to simplify your lives has begun to do the opposite.

Surviving the app-ocalypse

Is technology truly helping accountants?

It can.

But to do so, firms need a 360-degree view of customers, an integrated automated workflow and the ability to manage their practice end-to-end, with a single source of truth.

In the midst of this digital app-ocalypse, IRIS emerges as a beacon of hope for accountants and bookkeepers.

With our accountancy solutions, errors are minimised because there’s no need to re-input data thanks to the wide array of features and seamless integration + security is watertight since you’re not updating sensitive information using spreadsheets or email.

Adam Owens FCCA, Founder of Power Accountants, Business and Tax Advisors Limited, wanted to streamline his team's software: “For me, keeping our tech stack to a minimum and having just one system to update was really important. We want to offer our clients the best service, and we use IRIS Elements to do so.”

IRIS stands with you as your guiding light, unwavering support system and key to conquering the chaos – learn more about tackling the app-ocalypse here!