What to Look for When Hiring a Manufacturing Bookkeeper

All business owners reach a point when they realize they shouldn’t be doing their own bookkeeping anymore.

Maybe you just hit that point. Or maybe you’ve realized that point was about two years ago (oops!).

While it’s valuable for you to understand your cash flow and make strategic decisions about the direction of your manufacturing business, you don’t have to be the one keeping your books. A professional bookkeeper can handle your books quickly and efficiently, so you can spend your valuable time working on your business.

Once you’ve decided it’s time to offload your manufacturing bookkeeping, all that’s left is finding the right person to take on the job. There are some fundamental qualities you want in a bookkeeper: someone reliable, trustworthy and meticulous. On top of those, you want to ensure the necessary hard skills: a background in accounting and bookkeeping, an up-to-date familiarity with your technology stack, and a proactive approach to reporting the state of your books.

 Most importantly for the manufacturing industry, your bookkeeper should have specific expertise in inventory and barcoding.

 Why Your Manufacturing Bookkeeper Needs Expertise in Inventory and Barcoding

Accounting and bookkeeping for manufacturing is just not like accounting in other industries. Buying inventory, transforming it into something completely different and then accounting for the output as new inventory is a radically different process. 

That means your bookkeeper needs to be well-versed in the parts of the manufacturing business that don’t look like other business types. What we look for at Certum Solutions are people who understand inventory and barcoding. It can be a challenge to find this specific skill set, but it’s the gold standard.

Understanding the difference between different types of inventory and how to categorize those items in your books is crucial. Your bookkeeper should know how to build assemblies, how to add other costs such as labor and overhead, and how those items are sold and invoiced. To ensure accuracy across the process, they should be able to easily differentiate how item types should be categorized in your accounting software – for example, an assembly versus non-inventory. 

For accurate, integrated inventory tracking, the barcodes you generate should be included in your books. Your bookkeeper should be comfortable using barcode scanners to properly track inventory barcodes across the manufacturing process. 

Beyond expertise with inventory and barcoding, it can be incredibly helpful to find a bookkeeper who has specific knowledge about your manufacturing micro industry. After all, accounting for fulfillment or consignment is different from accounting for a typical manufacturer, and that’s different still from wholesale.

If your bookkeeper is able to help you track and account for your inventory properly, you’ll be able to unlock more insights into your business performance. That means better strategy planning and decision-making for you in the long run. That’s especially crucial as your already-complex manufacturing business scales.

Software Solutions that Support Your Manufacturing Bookkeeper

The accounting and inventory management software you use can make your bookkeeper’s life much easier. Not to mention, using industry-standard solutions widens the net when you look for qualified bookkeepers who can seamlessly jump into your books.

QuickBooks – the go-to accounting software for small and growing businesses – has a product crafted specifically for the needs of manufacturing companies. QuickBooks Enterprise for Manufacturing & Wholesale automates inventory processes and integrates mobile barcode scanning. 

Though QuickBooks Online Advanced doesn’t have complex manufacturing-specific features, it’s a powerful cloud-based solution that’s more than capable of meeting needs, too. We often pair it with SOS Inventory, which was designed to give QuickBooks Online the power of inventory management.

For example, SOS Inventory includes non-nettable locations, which is great for fulfillment when you have inventory that isn’t for sale. Certum Solutions is currently running a special offer and discount on QuickBooks Online Advanced, if you decide it’s the right fit for you. 

For either QuickBooks solution or SOS Inventory, we can provide a personalized demo if you want to learn more.

Checklist for Hiring a Manufacturing Bookkeeper

Don’t let finding your manufacturing bookkeeper overwhelm you. To help with the hiring process, we’ve created a quick checklist to help you hire a qualified manufacturing bookkeeper.

Be sure to ask specific questions, such as how many years of experience the candidate has with each skill, to determine whether they’ll be a fit for you. We recommend a minimum of five years of experience with each bookkeeping skill. 

And don’t underestimate the soft skills. You need to be comfortable with your bookkeeper – showing someone else your books is vulnerable and requires trust.

Manufacturing Bookkeeper Hiring Checklist

Manufacturing-specific qualifications

🔲 Expert in inventory and barcoding, including:

       🔲 How to use barcode and inventory scanners

🔲 How to differentiate between inventory types (e.g. assemblies, parts, noninventory)

       🔲 How to handle assemblies

🔲 Knowledge of your manufacturing micro industry

🔲 Comfortable with QuickBooks Enterprise for Manufacturing & Wholesale, QuickBooks Online Advanced, or similar manufacturing-specific software

General Qualifications

Experience with:

         🔲 Data entry

         🔲 Planning

         🔲 Tax preparation

         🔲 Reporting

🔲 Certifications from software solution partners, to demonstrate expertise

🔲 A degree in accounting, business or a related field

🔲 Meticulous, organized and detail-oriented

🔲 Non-judgmental and pleasant to engage with

Start Your Manufacturing Bookkeeping with Certum Solutions

At Certum Solutions, we feel our experienced and skilled team checks all the boxes above. We pride ourselves on our friendly demeanor, continuing professional development and complete dedication to our clients’ needs.

You don’t have to take our word for it. Lorentz Meats in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, says our team was “great in assisting with the upfront planning, the implementation and assisting with questions once we were using the program.” We’re here to be your partner, providing the knowledge your manufacturing company needs to make informed decisions and feel confident that your books are done right. 

If you’d like to put Certum Solutions through the interview process, book some time with me, or reach out via email. Let us free up your time and set your business up for success.