List input is much more natural and satisfying than repetition of form after form. This is no small benefit: we do not get lost when writing a list – if we get distracted and wonder if we had already listed, say, cheese all we have to do is look up our list to check.
With on-screen data forms, we are forced to run a report to seek cheese.
Lists show us how much we have achieved and reveal patterns while we work. We can see:
- how many transactions we have entered
- the total value of those transactions
- with whom we have transacted the most
There is no need to go and separately run reports or analyse the data: we are looking at it.
This is a big deal, because nobody runs reports or analyses daily input in accounts software. Nobody is regularly looking at individual transactions once they’re in the system. This lack of familiarity with figures denies an organisation important early indicators, or warnings, about its financial affairs.
Dynamic Ledgers are collaborative (shared, subject to permissions) which means others can also see the list – and also save themselves the trouble of asking for reports.
These are important gains in transparency.