Software for accounting manages numerous areas of accounting. Without the software the task could be completed but most likely it would be done inefficiently and it would cost a company a lot of money.

Payroll may be the most single important aspect of keeping a business running smoothly. When problems with payroll arise more than just a payroll department may be affected. A company's employees can be negatively affected when the payroll accounting is in disarray. Disgruntled employees not properly receiving paychecks due to payroll accounting issues can be avoided by using quality payroll software. Many companies desire payroll software which includes features such as electronic direct deposit, check generation, along with online data merging capabilities. The ease and cost of updating the tax tables and new laws on an annual basis is also an important consideration.

Building a financial statement and keeping a general ledger are important to a small business trying to achieve growth. Not only does the data show the owner where the company financially stands but the information is required to be provided to financial institutions when a business applies for financial assistance or small business loans. The segment of accounting software creating balance sheets and profit and loss statements are often easy to learn and do not require advanced accounting knowledge to maintain. Once the financial information is input to the general ledger portion of the software the business owner can run reports and print financial statements.

Keeping track of inventory is a daunting task unless accounting software is used. Inventory tracking software can help a business know exactly what merchandise they have in inventory and where it is located among other things. Some accounting software includes inventory tracking while other brands require this feature as an add-on. Using software to track inventory can save a business a lot of money instead of the company purchasing merchandise they may already have as well as saving the manpower used to locate merchandise that has not been touched in a while.

Invoicing and accounts receivable is how a business brings in their capital. Without accounting software to assist with this important task, revenue could be overlooked and lost. Software that allows the business to keep the master record of all their customers and the orders that have been placed along with the dollar amounts of the orders makes this area of accounting simple. For each transaction, a record needs to be input describing items purchased, charges and receipt of payment.