I am a developer working on an Accounting system called EIS.

Each bizz system generates financial docs that must be entered into an accounting system.

There are two methods for doing this: 1. Real Time 2. Posting method

With real time, the financial doc (e.g. invoice) gets immediately converted into journal entries for the accounting system.

EIS is based on the 'posting model'. The data only gets posted to the accounting system, when the user actually clicks on the button POST. This allows the user to create Concept documents, e.g. a Quote.

EIS can easily be turned into a real time system (flip of a switch), but each financial document will immediately go into status Posted (Final) after each save.

I had experience with systems based on the posting model, that's why I chose this model. But, what do you think?

Do most companies need real time accounting data?

[edit] The Posting method does have one drawback: You must explicitly post NOT POSTED financial documents at the end of a fiscal period. Example: VAT statements must be posted by the end of the vat period (required by law)

You don't have to think about this in a real time system.

Do most companies need real time accounting data?

In my own experience: no. Most of accounting departments are processing accounting data one or two months after the transaction has been made. But that's my perspective based on the companies I worked to.

Í think that the correct approach depends on how the company uses the accounting data. Some companies uses it as a consequence of the business transactions (POSTED approach). Other uses it as the motor engine of all the relevant financial decisions, and they want the data ready just after the business transaction has been made (Real Time).

In my experience, most companies uses accounting data for store the financial transactions in a required-by-law-way (journal, balances, etc). But that is just M.H.O.

In my own experience: no. Most of accounting departments are processing accounting data one or two months after the transaction has been made. But that's my perspective based on the companies I worked to.

Yes, I agree with that. That's why I chose the posting model at the very start of the project.

But, the posted vs real time question comes back every two months or so. It mostly comes up during a demo session.

I always demonstrate how you can create an invoice, which is easy to understand and follow. But then I show them the POST button to actually enter the invoice in the accounting system, and almost always people say: Why doesn't it do that for me automatically ?

And then I need to explain the inner workings of the posting model.

I could choose to go with the real time method, but then you cannot create concept documents. So I wonder how often people need to create concept documents. E.g. a quote is a concept invoice which has not been posted to the accounting system yet.

But do you need to create concept docs in other situations?
E.g do people create concept Purchase Orders, concept Stock Vouchers etc? and post them at a later time? (I don't think so)

I could make the posted vs realtime method a configuration option, but most users don't even read the manual so they probably aren't even going to do any configuration.

I basically want the software to work right out of the box and be intuitive, without having the user having to do any configuring, but that may be to lofty of a goal.