Why it matters
When sales, stock and accounts sit in separate places, the same event gets typed two or three times. A sale goes into the till, then a stock sheet, then the accounts. Each retyping is a chance for an error, and the three versions drift apart.
Then simple questions become hard. What did we really make last month? Who owes us? Is this item in stock, or only on paper? One system does not solve poor habits, but it gives everyone a single record.
What the flow should look like
Whichever product you use, ask to see these flows happen with no retyping.
| Event | Sales or purchasing | Stock | Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quote accepted | Becomes a sales order | Quantity shown as committed | Nothing yet |
| Goods delivered | Delivery note issued | Stock goes down | Cost of sales recognised, depending on setup |
| Invoice issued | Tax invoice, signed through eTIMS in Kenya | No further change | Receivable, revenue and VAT posted |
| Customer pays | Receipt allocated to the invoice | No change | Cash or mobile money up, receivable down |
| Goods received | Purchase order matched | Stock goes up | Inventory and an accrual or payable posted |
| Supplier invoice | Matched to the receipt | Value adjusted if prices differ | Payable and VAT posted |
Steps to move across
- Map your documents. Write down how a sale and a purchase move through your business today, including the awkward cases such as returns and deposits.
- Agree who approves what. Decide this before you configure the system.
- Clean your lists. Remove duplicate items and customers. Agree names, units and item codes.
- Set up taxes, branches, warehouses and accounts. Your accountant should sign this off.
- Choose a cut-off date. The end of a month or a quarter is easiest.
- Bring opening balances across. Bring a trial balance, plus open customer and supplier items and counted stock. Control accounts must agree with their detail.
- Run a trial. Enter a week of real transactions, check the results, and fix your setup.
- Stop the old system for new entries. Keep it readable for reference, but do not run two live systems for long.
One system or connected tools?
Many sound businesses run connected tools. Xero, for example, says it connects with over 1,000 apps, and Zoho Inventory connects to Zoho Books, Xero and QuickBooks Online. Connected tools are a fair choice if they meet your needs.
| One system | Connected separate tools | |
|---|---|---|
| Best when | Your processes are closely linked, and you want one record and one vendor. | You have a very good tool in each area, or need depth in one area such as online selling. |
| Main benefit | No sync to maintain. One login and one set of permissions. | You choose the strongest tool for each job and can replace one at a time. |
| Main risk | One vendor, and some modules may be shallower than specialist tools. | Sync failures, duplicate records and costs that add up. |
| Good question | Which module is the weakest, and what can we not do? | What happens to a sale when the sync fails, and who fixes it? |
How Navigate approaches this
Navigate is one such system, and we publish this guide, so test our claims too. Staff follow simple steps, and the journals, tax and stock valuation are posted automatically. Payments received by M-Pesa can be matched to customers. In Kenya, invoices and credit notes can be signed through KRA eTIMS. Opening balances are brought across with a reconciliation step, so control accounts must agree with their detail before posting. Accounting is not on every plan, so check yours.
Common mistakes
- Migrating every old item, including ones you stopped selling years ago.
- Going live without counting stock first.
- Letting staff keep a private spreadsheet "just in case".
- Leaving the accountant out until the first month-end.
- Switching on every module on the first day.
Where Navigate may not fit
- Navigate does not sync with Shopify or WooCommerce out of the box. An online store needs the REST API, its own Marketplace, or a different tool.
- Live bank feeds are planned. Today, statements are entered or imported for reconciliation.
- If you need a deep specialist tool in one area, such as warehouse automation, a connected specialist may suit better.
- Data migration help is quoted separately. The self-service tools need someone who understands your trial balance.
Frequently asked questions
Can a small business really use one system?
Yes, if its volume or complexity justifies the effort. If you have a handful of sales a day and simple stock, a simpler tool may be enough for now.
Should we move everything at once?
Link the core first: sales, stock, purchasing and accounts tend to depend on each other. Payroll, fleet and projects can usually follow later.
Do we need to bring old transactions across?
Usually not. Most businesses bring opening balances and open items at the cut-off, and keep the old system or an export for history. Ask your auditor what they need.
What about customers who still owe us from before?
Bring their unpaid invoices across as open items, so they can still pay against them and appear on statements and ageing.