I also see this as a concern. However, a password or PIN is no more secure than a link you email to a customer. All of these measures require physical or electronic security at the customerâs site to protect the access credentials, whatever form they take. Common sense tells us they will have to be recorded somewhere. And someone must have access to whatever is recorded. That means the record of link/password/PIN is inherently subject to compromise.
Whether access by unauthorized customer personnel to a portion of your accounting records is of concern to you depends on many factors. Likewise, unauthorized access may be of concern to your customerâs management, possibly for different reasons.
The option to introduce customer portals will seem like a step into the future (or out of the stone age) to some. But I urge caution. This is not a step to be taken lightly, and certainly not without careful consideration of the security, marketing, business intelligence, and customer relationship ramifications. I do not believe there is any question that well-designed communication options between customers and suppliers can be beneficial, saving a great deal of time and effort. I have used them successfully in both roles. But they have never involved direct accessâeven if only in a viewing modeâto an accounting system. Instead, they have involved specialized presentation of carefully curated information through customized systems developed at considerable expense.
My personal viewpoint is that we so far have inadequate information to answer important questions. How, for example, can a customer see their transactions if I am using the desktop edition and have not launched the program? Data must be stored somewhere, but where? And what control do I have over it? What happens to that data if I disable the portal for that customer? What if I only want a customer to see unpaid invoices? Right now, I cannot limit them to those.
Discussion on this topic, both in this thread and earlier ones, suggests there will be demand for customers to be able to accept quotes, upload purchase orders directly, and make other interventions. That may be fine in a dedicated supply chain management system. But it is questionable practice when the functionality is merged with your accounting system.
We have become used to integrated online activities, where we search for restaurant reviews, get directions to the establishment in a map application, and book a reservation, all on our smartphones. But none of those actions involve the restaurant owner allowing us into the accounting system. Even if we order a takeout meal and pay for it online, we have only dealt with order-taking and receipt management software, not the accounts of the business we are patronizing.
Customer portals in Manager might look like an answer to your dreams. For some, they will be. The capability is now there. But step carefully.