Accounts 13 (1) · Section 9

Accountancy Customised software is suited for large and medium businesses and can be linked to the other information systems. The cost of installation and maintenance is relatively high because the high cost is to be paid to the vendor for customisation. The customisation includes modification and addition to the software contents, provision for the specified number of users and their authentication, etc. Secrecy of data and software can be better maintained in customised software. Since the need to train the software users is important, the training costs are therefore high. . . Tailored The accounting software is generally tailored in large business organisations with multi users and geographically scattered locations. These software requires specialised training to the users. The tailored software is designed to meet the specific requirements of the users and form an important part of the organisational MIS. The secrecy and authenticity checks are robust in such softwares and they offer high flexibility in terms of number of users. To summarise, the following table represents the comparison between the various categories of accounting software : Basis Ready to use Customised Tailored Nature of business Small, conventional Large, medium Large, typical business business business Cost of installation and Low Relatively high High maintenance Expected Level of secrecy Low Relatively high Relatively high (Software and Data) Number of users and Limited As per Unlimited their interface specifications Linkage to other Restricted yes Yes information system Adaptability High Relatively high Specific Training Low Medium High requirements . Generic Considerations before Sourcing an Accounting Software The following factors are usually taken in considerations before sourcing an accounting software. © NCERT not to be republished