COA Solutions – Business Accounting Software

All eyes will be on the Chancellor as he delivers his budget on 24th March. His economic forecasts will be of particular interest. Although we’re now out of recession, everyone wants to know how long it will be until we can give a collective sigh of relief. Grant Thornton predicts economic growth to be around 2 ½ % for 2011 – lower than the Chancellor’s forecast of 3 ¼ to 3 ¾ % and so there is still someway to go.

Guest blogger Phil Hawthorn continues his look at Time Management and highlights the key points that were covered at the recent COA Solutions eFinancials Annual National User Conference and offers a selection of practical time management tips

Guest blogger Phil Hawthorn returns to the COA Solutions blog to discuss Time Management ahead of the upcoming eFinancials Annual National User Conference. Phil has run One Step Ahead since 1996 – a training company specialising in team and enabling skills. After 13 years, help with time management is still the most common requested workshop, so he will be passing on his experience and tips for a more efficient future.

Guest blogger Phil Hawthorn has run One Step Ahead since 1996 – a training company specialising in team and enabling skills. After 13 years, help with time management is still the most common requested workshop, so he will be passing on his experience and tips for a more efficient future.

It is the way of the world, now. Even before the phrase sub-prime morphed into world financial crisis, and finally the dreaded “R” word – recession – entered our everyday lexicon, every organisation I have ever worked with wants to improve efficiency and effectiveness….

Its been a big week for the COA Solutions HCM team this week. Firstly, they brought together all HCM customers for the first time at one venue for the COA Solutions HCM User Group.

Like many companies, at COA Solutions we have scaled down our internal recruitment as we tough out the worst of the economic downturn. Our acquisitions strategy has always made us mindful of the importance of running efficient processes to eradicate duplication of effort and job roles. By undertaking a common sense approach to our workforce we have avoided the brutal pruning seen at many other software organisations.

On 20th May 2009 over 80 Finance Directors came together at the London Chamber of Commerce to meet and discuss practical actions that could help their organisations prosper in a downturn. Interestingly of those surveyed, 41% felt the upturn would come as soon as 2010.

COA Solutions Guest Blogger Rick Emslie is principal of Emslie Analytics, a business that helps organisations measure their people contribution. He is also deputy chairman of AdviserPlus, a fast growing business which offers a unique HR advisory service; and one of three ‘old hands’ who run Oxen Park, a European network of HR leaders and business partners.

Guest Blogger, Richard Donkin (author of Blood Sweat and Tears, The Evolution of Work and Financial Times columnist on work and careers) returns to the COA Solutions blog for a third time to discuss how to manage in the current downturn.

Just as some employees are safer than others in a downturn, the same rule applies to corporate departments. Sales staff are usually secure, since without sales the whole company will fall.

COA Solutions is part of the Prince’s Trust Technology Leadership Group that last year raised over £5million for the charity through a variety of staff based and corporate programmes.