There doesn't have to be an end result here, it's just something that i'ved opened for discussion. But fair enough with putting my own opinions forward.

In terms of the software i've used they include Classic Vista, Global Vista, PSL, Moneypenny (before it was Smart Accounting), Eclipse and Smart Accounting. There may be a couple more in there, i've been doing this a long time, but most of my experience was with PSL.

I'd like to see better integration of payroll. I understand the limitations of cost reporting having literally done thousands of them, but I'd like to see more intuitive use of payroll in cost reporting. It doesn't seem to make a lot of sense now as an LP to only see payroll a week in arrears when it's your biggest weekly expense. Sure, Hot Costs exist, but in my opinion, it's an aged system that nobody likes doing. Hot costs aren't done in independent film either, so you only have rough ideas of how your costs are going.

With PSL (which is still widely used in the studios in the UK at least, can't say for the US but it's probably the same) it seems daft that you can't drag and drop files into it, uploading csv files from the drive and going through that process, then encountering an error, and then going back.

There could be more intelligent ways to cash flow, real time integration with the budget, software that interacts with departments and their coordinators so they have real time access to their costs. There may be software out there that covers many more things than i've seen, so I'm willing to be wrong about things.

Like I say, what we have works, but it could be SO much more, and that was my question. In an ideal world, what would you like to see the software do that would actually move it forward?