ABSTRACT
Is it possible that images of bookkeepers processing sales transactions on desktops, printing out invoices and attaching them to delivery notes and quotations are becoming clichéd? Accounting software has been quick to take advantage of advances in cloud computing and the proliferation of smartphones and tablets. Sage Evolution Mobile is one example of technology that allows for a completely mobile sales force. Employees have live access to secure client, inventory and business information allowing for ‘in the moment’ quoting, negotiation of discounts and generation of invoices. Rather than print the invoice, the customer simply signs the tablet or smartphone, triggering the automatic emailing of the invoice to the customer and updating of the sales system. Managers – irrespective of their location – can monitor the activities of their sales consultants, making use of real-time ‘dashboards’ to keep track of sales volumes, inventory levels, most popular products and accounts receivable balances.
