Posted by Renee Schmidt

 

 

Concur is a cloud based technology for receipts scanning and organizaing that makes life a bit more simple!

In technology, a lot of the time, success will be based on an individual’s or a company’s ability to recognize the wide applicability of a very basic overarching concept. The less complex and complicated the idea, the more probability there is that it can be executed exquisitely.  More often than not, this simplistic approach will find itself harnessing existent pieces of software, programming code and technology but the key is in using these gifts in order to come up with something creative and moreover; useful.

By first identifying some sort of lack, gap, inefficiency or opportunity for improvement in the surrounding society; the “cure”, so to speak, for this deficiency will come to fruition much more naturally and wholesomely.

Concur

Concur is the archetype of this business model.

As part of NY Internet Week in June, I had the privilege of sharing the 12 Hours of Tech event with the brilliant Steve Jarvis from Concur. Steve actually went on and spoke about his company, right before I went on with Rackspace CEO John Engates, to explain Cloud Computing.

Cloud Computing

Because a little understanding of Cloud Technology is necessary for understanding what Concur and its super helpful Concur mobile app does, allow me to very briefly explain Cloud Computing.

After various attempts to give a quick but thorough definition of Cloud Computing, this is what I finally came up with:

“Cloud Computing describes the accessing of data and applications using the Internet.”

Now although there’s more to it, essentially this means that Cloud Computing allows you to save all different types of information, via the Internet, in an intangible and therefore secure “cloud”.

What Concur has done is exactly what I described above. They noticed that it was (and really is), extremely inefficient and time consuming to save and scan receipts (even if you have one of those cool pocket scanners; it still sucks!) and to fill out expense reports. So Concur has decided to take the entire process both paperless and mobile by making “it easy to do all your expense reporting straight from your smartphone.

What does this mean for You?

Well what it means for both small businesses, with the help of Concur Breeze and even large companies with Concur Premier, is really a joy filled and headache less way to handle expenses:

“No more paper receipts. No more mistakes.”

My personal favorite feature of the entire Concur suite of solutions and products is the extended abilities the free mobile app lends to your company. Make your operation more fluid and flexible, by just snapping a picture of each business related receipt, as you get it, and then do the unthinkable: Throw it out!!

Now you’re probably thinking “Wait…what?!” so allow me to elaborate.

Because Concur is a cloud-based solution (it harnesses Cloud Computing to your benefit), every time you take a picture of a receipt with your mobile device all you have to do to ensure that your expenses are accounted for, organized and safe is “attach the IRS compliant images to an expense type from your iPhone, iPad, Android phone or BlackBerry all without any fancy receipt scanners or special receipt scanning software.”

As you mull that over, and begin to wonder what Concur can do for your business, watch the hilarious clip below (which was the first thing I thought of when I first heard of Concur), from “Catch Me If You Can”:

And now ask yourself, “Do You Concur?”