Financial software or financial system software is special
application software
Application software is any computer program that is intended for end-user use not operating, administering or programming the computer. An application (app, application program, software application) is any program that can be categorized as ...
that records all the financial activity within a business organization. Basic features of this system not only includes all the download of
accounting software
Accounting software is a computer program that maintains accounting, account books on computers, including recording Financial transaction, transactions and Balance (accounting), account balances. It may depend on virtual thinking. Depending on ...
like accounts payable, accounts receivable, ledger, reporting modules and payroll but also to explore alternative investment choices and calculate statistical relationships. Features of the system may vary depending on what type of business it is being used for. Primarily, the goal of the financial software is to record, categorize, analyze, compile, interpret and then present an accurate and updated financial dates for every transaction of the business.
Features of financial software
Pipeline tracking
Pipeline tracking is one of the key features of an accounting system and software for
asset management
Asset management is a systematic approach to the governance and realization of all value for which a group or entity is responsible. It may apply both to tangible assets (physical objects such as complex process or manufacturing plants, infrastr ...
. This provides summarized information on all the details pertaining to the potential investments that are being monitored. The system and software will organize the pipeline and record the source, execution status, approval status, feasible
investment capital and the targeted purchase price. It provides an efficient analysis of the best deals, timing and price for the utilization of the investment team. Pipeline tracking provides tracking of the source, history and status. It also provides customized classifications and categories. The system can easily execute a
cash flow
Cash flow, in general, refers to payments made into or out of a business, project, or financial product. It can also refer more specifically to a real or virtual movement of money.
*Cash flow, in its narrow sense, is a payment (in a currency), es ...
model and create return assumptions.
Asset management
Asset management is a systematic approach to the governance and realization of all value for which a group or entity is responsible. It may apply both to tangible assets (physical objects such as complex process or manufacturing plants, infrastr ...
is another important feature of a financial software. It uses the updated status of the investment to provide the necessary tools in creating every possible outcome, such as future payments that are distressed, conversions for debt to equity and maturity of loans. It also provides an efficient tracking of payment dates and rates. Updated
financial statements
Financial statements (or financial reports) are formal records of the financial activities and position of a business, person, or other entity.
Relevant financial information is presented in a structured manner and in a form which is easy to un ...
are readily available, which makes it very easy to determine credit standing and as a result make proper adjustments on the projections. Asset management can modify dates of payment, conversion of floating to fixed rates, deferred payments,
interest rates
An interest rate is the amount of interest due per period, as a proportion of the amount lent, deposited, or borrowed (called the principal sum). The total interest on an amount lent or borrowed depends on the principal sum, the interest rate, ...
, maturity extensions and change schedules for repayment. It also uses various assumptions to store and run multiple cases such as downside, base and upside.
Fund management
A feature often included is
fund management.
Modules here
[Method and system for providing financial functions , Grant – Filed 12 June 2008 – Issued 14 June 2011 – Alejandro M. Pilato – TradeRisks, Inc]
provide an accurate
projection of all the investments, as well as the borrowing and operating cost of the fund, in order to create a view of the
cash levels in the future, with corresponding
investment returns, or losses,
and their probabilities.
This system thereby aids in
the evaluation and structuring, including the (ongoing)
portfolio optimization
Portfolio optimization is the process of selecting an optimal portfolio (asset distribution), out of a set of considered portfolios, according to some objective. The objective typically maximizes factors such as expected return, and minimizes c ...
, of any fund.
Here, it provides a combination of the
projections of the cash flow on all investments in order to create a monthly summary, along with anticipated
income statement
An income statement or profit and loss accountProfessional English in Use - Finance, Cambridge University Press, p. 10 (also referred to as a ''profit and loss statement'' (P&L), ''statement of profit or loss'', ''revenue statement'', ''statement o ...
s and
balance sheet
In financial accounting, a balance sheet (also known as statement of financial position or statement of financial condition) is a summary of the financial balances of an individual or organization, whether it be a sole proprietorship, a business ...
s; it also creates an analysis of the leverage and call of the capital.
It also typically allows for customized assumptions on the leverage cost, interest income, taxes and expenses, and creates several scenarios concerning the cash allocation such as reinvestments, distribution of investors and fresh investments.
Data warehousing
Another feature of the financial software, is the
data warehousing
In computing, a data warehouse (DW or DWH), also known as an enterprise data warehouse (EDW), is a system used for Business intelligence, reporting and data analysis and is a core component of business intelligence. Data warehouses are central Re ...
. This feature syncs the accounting system and retrieves investment transactions. It also uses a customizable category or name. This key feature allows an effortless re-categorization of the investments. The calculation of investment statistics will depend on the
computation
A computation is any type of arithmetic or non-arithmetic calculation that is well-defined. Common examples of computation are mathematical equation solving and the execution of computer algorithms.
Mechanical or electronic devices (or, hist ...
of the user at any given moment. Customized reports on the performance of the investment can be created using any of the calculations programmed in the
database
In computing, a database is an organized collection of data or a type of data store based on the use of a database management system (DBMS), the software that interacts with end users, applications, and the database itself to capture and a ...
of the system. There are approximately more than 100 various calculations programmed in the system. If there is a need for more calculations, then it can easily be provided for the user. Several investments can be categorized into subgroups or groups and they will be used for the creation of totals. It identifies the total price of the fixed income in comparison to the equity investments.
Uses of financial software
Use in pipeline tracking
Pipeline tracking has multiple benefits and one of them is that it provides a standard layout for possible deals. It also detects the deals that have been approved but are still awaiting execution. It provides an accurate comparison of the cost of investment with the expected returns. The system can easily provide a recycle plan for investment opportunities. It also creates a manifold portfolio with potential returns by utilizing information on the target industries or regions. Pipeline tracking speeds up the decision-making of the committee for
financial investment
Investment is traditionally defined as the "commitment of resources into something expected to gain value over time". If an investment involves money, then it can be defined as a "commitment of money to receive more money later". From a broade ...
.
Use in fund management
There are many benefits of the fund management feature of the financial software. Fund management can determine which specific investments are creating returns. It also pinpoints the availability or shortage of cash. It provides an evaluation of the leverage options as well as determines the effect on the returns. The system also creates a central and systematic modelling, management and analysis of the funds.
Use in asset management
The benefits of asset management include the creation of a platform for maintaining the projection of cash flow on investments. Excel models also eliminate the possibility of manual errors. Asset management increases the scale and adds investments without the loss of analytic perspective. Through this software managers of portfolios have a better grasp on the performance level of the investment. It also provides accurate information on whether the prediction of the analysts was close to the actual performance of the investment.
See also
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Accounting software
Accounting software is a computer program that maintains accounting, account books on computers, including recording Financial transaction, transactions and Balance (accounting), account balances. It may depend on virtual thinking. Depending on ...
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Application software
Application software is any computer program that is intended for end-user use not operating, administering or programming the computer. An application (app, application program, software application) is any program that can be categorized as ...
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List of free and open-source financial software
This is a list of free and open-source software (FOSS) packages, computer software licensed under free software licenses and open-source licenses. Software that fits the Free Software Definition may be more appropriately called free software; th ...
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Financial risk modeling
Financial risk modeling is the use of formal mathematical and econometric techniques to measure, monitor and control the market risk, credit risk, and operational risk on a firm's balance sheet, on a bank's accounting ledger of tradeable financial ...
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Portfolio optimization
Portfolio optimization is the process of selecting an optimal portfolio (asset distribution), out of a set of considered portfolios, according to some objective. The objective typically maximizes factors such as expected return, and minimizes c ...
References
{{Commons category, Financial software