In the time I’ve been working as a trainer at Beroni, I’ve visited hundreds of clients; some had been using our software for quite some time, while others had recently purchased it.

In both cases, although for different reasons, one thing remains consistent: most users have a good grasp of the basic functions of the software, but are unaware of the majority of advanced features that can streamline processes, improve workflow management, and, as a result, make our day-to-day work more efficient.

In the case of agencies that have been using our software for a long time, I find that it was implemented so long ago that employees were trained on a much older version than the one they’re currently using, and that they’re either unaware of or don’t use many of the improvements made since they started working with it, because their day-to-day work hasn’t given them the chance to discover them. Or users who learned from other users, who in turn learned from someone else who attended Beroni’s training—the first person passed on what they knew to the second, and the second passed on what they knew to the third, who is the one currently using the program.

For agencies that haven’t been using the software for very long, our system is easy to use but difficult to master, and it’s perfectly normal for both the trainer and the users to focus their efforts during the implementation process on mastering the basic processes—to build a foundation of knowledge and get back to daily work as soon as possible— without letting tasks pile up, without worrying too much about whether we’re working as efficiently as possible, and with the more advanced features temporarily taking a back seat. If you’ve attended an initial training session with me, you’ve probably heard me say: “It’s like in school—first I’ll teach you how to add and subtract, and then I’ll teach you how to use a calculator.”

And although every agency is different, I’d like to delve a little deeper into the topic and list the features or improvements that I’ve found many users are unaware of or don’t feel confident using. I’ll focus on the three most widely used programs in our system.

Front Office

• Data from the services is not being captured, or it is not being captured for all the providers supported by the program.
• Tools designed to improve management—such as requests for prepayments, ICs, or document management—are either unknown or not used.
• The way data is retrieved isn't the most efficient.
• There are no known shortcuts to speed up certain steps.

Retailer

• Neither quick validation nor automatic validation is used.
• The various accounting reconciliations are not used.
• Bank control is unknown or not used.
• Limited familiarity with the reports included in the program, particularly management and corporate reports.
• The way data is retrieved isn't the most efficient.
• There are no known shortcuts to speed up certain steps.

Beconta

• Automatic entries are not used or are unknown.
• The way data is retrieved isn't the most efficient.
• There are no known shortcuts to speed up certain steps.

In addition to this overview, which broadly covers the features I most commonly find that users are unaware of, each update to the program includes specific improvements that, depending on the type of agency, may be just as interesting—or even more so—than the ones I’ve listed.

In conclusion, whether you’ve been using our software for a long time or are a relatively new user, I strongly recommend that you take a refresher course to expand your knowledge of the software and, as a result, become more efficient in your work.