Bradford accountants Auker Rhodes have re-organised their business to meet the challenges facing firms in the financial services sector.

The firm has been developing since Auker Horsfield and Rhodes & Co merged in April, 1996.

The two companies now use the former Rhodes & Co offices in Manningham Lane as their headquarters.

The firm is responding to a report from the Institute of Chartered Accountants called Added-value professionals: Chartered Accountants in 2005 which says that the profession must change and adapt in order to survive.

The report says accountants must offer a full range of services aimed at making their clients' businesses more profitable.

Auker Rhodes say they are one of the first practices in Bradford to accept this challenge and are offering a full range of services which will add value to local businesses.

The firm has set up Auker Rhodes Consulting which provides IT design, implementation, system integration and training services.

A key skill of Auker Rhodes Consulting Limited is the ability to integrate Sage, the UK's leading software package for small to medium sized businesses, with Microsoft's range of products.

One firm which was recently helped by Auker Rhodes Consulting was Online Computer Supplies.

Online Computer Supplies supply computer hardware, software and consumables to Blue Chip companies throughout the UK, using a Tele-sales team based in Bradford.

They faced the kind of problem that many businesses would like to have. Business was doubling each year but systems were beginning to show the strain.

The solution was to introduce a sales and prospect database which allowed the telesales staff to give up-to-date information and to maximise the service provided. Online already had Sage Line 50 and wanted a system that would integrate with the Sage system.

This was provided by a bespoke system that allowed the sales team to monitor their contacts, plan their work efficiently, schedule their follow up calls, quote from an up to the minute catalogue of price and stock information and allow them to raise sales orders accurately.

Keith Butler, Auker Rhodes IT director, said: "We worked in close co-operation with the team at Online to develop a solution by modifying prototypes. The end result is a system that the team find easy to use and it provides them with the tools they need."

Kathy Rose, managing director of Online Computer Supplies, said "We deal with many of the UK's Blue Chip companies. They expect the highest quality service and with the new system we are in an even better position to deliver. Auker Rhodes Consulting met all the deadlines and delivered a system that worked from day one"

Keith Butler added: "We think that many small to medium sized businesses will have left it until 1999 before making a start on the problem. Many people would say that it is cutting it rather fine so our hope is that we give local businesses a flying start by sharing our experience with them"

For more information on Auker Rhodes Consulting Limited contact Keith Butler on 01274 367906.

Figuring out wider picture for accountants

Over the past decade there has been a significant change in the emphasis of the role of the accountant in industry and commerce.

There has been a shift towards them becoming a user and analyser of financial information rather than producing the information, writes David Colgrave

Accountants are being encouraged to be forward-looking, rather than recorders of historical data.

As a result, finance has been at the forefront of many of the latest developments in improved efficiency and overall performance within business.

This improved efficiency is occurring in many areas of operation within organisations, including the development of cost control measures, such as activity based management, activity based costing, just-in-time manufacturing and rapid advancements in financial systems.

Accountants now provide information on the performance of an organisation and its long-term potential through more accurate and forward-looking budgeting, forecasting and planning and detailed analysis of current profitability.

They now work closely with sales, marketing and production departments in order to accurately reflect the current performance of a company and provide information on which to base the future direction of the business.

Senior accountants are often involved in the strategic development and direction of the organisations in which they work, as well as continuing to provide the day-to-day control and stewardship which historically has been their role.

Nowadays, a finance department cannot be perceived as purely an overhead within a business, the function must be seen as an internally customer-facing provider of information that adds value to the business and ultimately the bottom line.

As a result of these changes, accountants are now no longer seen as merely a commodity but the ability to pass a set of exams does not confer a right to the better roles within industry.

The majority of finance professionals have realised these changes are occurring and have sought to move forward with the new demands placed upon them.

David Colgrave is director of Accountability which is planning a new recruitment consultancy office in Bradford.

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