While Xerocon has been going on this week in Atlanta, that's not the only conference Insightful Accountant has been covering. Our 'QBO Contributing Author' Liz Scott has been attending the IRCE at Chicago's McCormick Place West. You ask, what is the IRCE? Well that stands for the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition. It's the conference and exhibition related to e-retail with more than 130+ sessions on everything from a Recruitment Bootcamp to E-commerce Technology. (Gosh I hope that Liz doesn't get recruited by someone else...). As for the conference, more than 10,000 were expected to attend this year. The Exhibition part of IRCE has more than 600 solution providers including Mailchimp, Oracle NetSuite and hundreds more. So here is a little article Liz Wrote on her first day at the conference...
It’s totally true it’s a wide world and all you need to explore it is a phone. Since the internet limitless possibilities have been created and you can experience and explore just about anything previously not even imagined. The Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition (IRCE) located in downtown Chicago has taken all these opportunities for small/medium sized and given them a chance to explore the software application available.
The technology applications on display at the conference include; E-commerce, payment processing, shipping, customer service and even a few data extractors for syncing solutions. By selecting one or more applications a mom and pop shop can be transformed into a Global business practically overnight.
Barbara Corcoran, Shark Investor speaks at the IRCE. Photo courtesy of: IRCE and 2018 Emerald Expositions, LLC.
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As an accountant or bookkeeper why do we care about the IRCE? Data Integrity for one. More and more small/medium size companies are asking for help to compete with the big guys but without the resources to create a custom designed software they are dead in the water. But by choosing one or more of the many internet solutions they can achieve their dream.
Courtesy of: IRCE and 2018 Emerald Expositions, LLC.
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This is the point where we advisors should step in because we care about the integrity of the accounting software and if not properly setup and managed these solutions can become unmanageable. By taking an active role in the application solution selection we can have a robust conversation and provide insights our clients may not have considered.
The IRCE is the perfect opportunity to absorb as much knowledge as possible with the goal of helping others to better serve in the selection of finding the best application solution for each situation. Just like with any other apps we use in our lives - there are often more than one good fit but after careful considerations we find a clear winner.
While I am at the IRCE these are the areas I will be focusing during my exploration:
- E-commerce Shopping Carts
- Multi Sales Channels
- Sales Tax Calculations
- Shipping Integrations
- Inventory Management
- Accounting Integrations
Courtesy of: IRCE and 2018 Emerald Expositions, LLC.
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When it comes to accounting integrations, QuickBooks Online will be my primary focus for integrations. Understanding how each internet retail solution is designed to work and the provided accounting data flow and sync options and/or limitations will help in the decision of finding the best fit. The better we understand the application and the needs, operations and workflow of the business the more we can predict the results which reduces the number of surprises.
As an application solution advisor there are several steps we can take to aid in the process of application discovery. By listening, understanding, troubleshooting and exploring each situation we can better ensure a successful integration. With both good client communication and comprehension of what the application is designed to do a successful implementation of an E-commerce application(s) can be transforming experience.
Liz will be posting details about her week at IRCE in the days and weeks to come. You won't want to miss her reviews of each of her 'exploration' areas.
Insightful Accountant would like to extend our thanks to the IRCE and 2018 Emerald Expositions, LLC for extending Liz a warm welcome and press credentials to cover this year's conference & exposition.