Accounting Best Practices, Fifth Edition

Summary

This chapter discussed a variety of best practices for the general ledger function. Though many of them will reduce the workload of the general ledger accountant by streamlining the workflow and reducing the number of errors that can enter into the process, a few can be both difficult and expensive to implement. Some, such as using the general ledger to support activity-based costing, will make the general ledger accountant’s job more difficult, rather than less. Accordingly, for most general ledger best practices, it is necessary to ensure that there will be sufficient payback in exchange for installing a new best practice. The payback is not just greater accounting efficiency, but in a few cases the provision of better information to the rest of the company.