What We Learnt From Sally
“One of the things I love most about software is the extensive effort that goes into designing a unique and useful experience” — Josh Alexandre, CEO
At InfoDocs, we’re working really hard to build a tool that not only saves people time and money but like all great secretaries, provides peace of mind. In the first of many user interviews, we sat down with a leading local agency to find out what it takes to manage company records for hundreds of clients.
Here’s what we learnt from Sally.
Accountants do a lot. From personal accounts to corporate tax to CIPC (“sips”) admin, these chefs handle it. As with most technology, people are fundamentally scared of the financial system, and so it is left to the technically minded to offer services of unequivocal value.
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They know all the tricks. From what’s required to who requires it to when it’s required, they know it all. They’ve hit every hurdle in the book and learnt the hard way to avoid the potholes. They know the ins and outs of government entities such as SARS, the CIPC and even the DHA.
Time is sparse. Sally and her team handle so much for their clients, they often struggle to calculate a bill. Time is their most valuable resource, and thus their most expensive. Never wanting to overcharge, they make a considerable effort to get everything done as efficiently as possible.
Clients can be a pain. You’d think people would listen to their accountants, they’re hired experts after all. But more often than not, Sally is left chasing her clients with reminders and warnings of service offerings and penalty fees, to no avail.
They’re not afraid to get their hands dirty. Whether it’s ugly old software, or structurally unstable stacks of documents in their cupboard, they’re willing to invent and implement whatever system necessary to the get the work done.
Discussing the pain points of company administration and corporate governance, we discovered simple solutions and intuitive systems that would greatly benefit time-based professionals, empowering them to offer clients more while growing their own business.
Overall, we were given an insightful look into the world of small town finance from the guardians of local business. Providing us with the understanding we need to design a unique and useful experience.
