1. Separate preference from requirement
Ask which tasks genuinely depend on the accountant's preferred platform: journals, period close, tax filing, workpapers, payroll or client-portfolio access.
2. Define roles
Document who raises invoices, reconciles banks, approves bills, posts journals, locks periods and files returns. Test least-privilege access for each role.
3. Run a shared close
Complete one representative month together. Record missing data, duplicate entry, waiting time and every spreadsheet used outside the platform.
4. Verify portability
Export the chart of accounts, journal, contacts, invoices, attachments and reports. Confirm what can be re-imported elsewhere and what must be retained as an archive.
5. Make the decision explicit
Document why the selected product fits the entity, accountant, integrations and next two years. Revisit the decision when jurisdiction, ownership or operational complexity changes.