Buyers' guide to low-end accounting software.Selecting the best package for your needs. About a dozen years ago most accounting programs that cost less than a few thousand dollars were hardly worth the cost of the floppy disks floppy disk or diskette Magnetic storage medium used with computers. Floppy disks are made of flexible plastic coated with a magnetic material, and are enclosed in a hard plastic case. They are typically 3.5 in. (9 cm) in diameter. they came on. As a result, accountants generally ignored them, advising clients either to invest in high-priced packages or let their CPAs handle the task. In recent years, however, the situation has changed: Much more powerful accounting packages that cost a few hundred dollars or less began reaching the market and small business managers were quick to recognize their value. For accountants, however, this rush by clients to buy their own accounting software created problems. Many of the products were unsuitable for the jobs they were intended to do. And even if the product did the job, often it was a headache for the CPA (Computer Press Association, Landing, NJ) An earlier membership organization founded in 1983 that promoted excellence in computer journalism. Its annual awards honored outstanding examples in print, broadcast and electronic media. The CPA disbanded in 2000. to export the data for the yearend accounting and tax work. The current crop of low-cost, Windows-based accounting software solves most of those problems: Data-export modules generally allow easy and accurate conversion and conveyance The transfer of ownership or interest in real property from one person to another by a document, such as a deed, lease, or mortgage. conveyance n. of data to the accountants' own accounting and tax software. In fact, despite the products' low cost, most users are pleasantly surprised by their power. For example, many provide a graphical representation of the check, invoice An itemized statement or written account of goods sent to a purchaser or consignee by a vendor that indicates the quantity and price of each piece of merchandise shipped. A consular invoice is one used in foreign trade. , purchase order, paycheck or report right on the screen in WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) Pronounced "wiz-ee-wig." It refers to displaying text and graphics on screen the same as they will print on paper or display on a Web page. (what you see is what you get (jargon) What You See Is What You Get - (WYSIWYG) /wiz'ee-wig/ Describes a user interface for a document preparation system under which changes are represented by displaying a more-or-less accurate image of the way the document will finally appear, e.g. when printed. ) format. And almost all can tailor the look of the financial statement to display information in exactly the way the user wants to see it. The ability to click on a transaction in a report with a mouse and see the underlying source document (called "drilling down") is becoming a standard feature in Windows accounting packages. Thus, it's possible to view an accounts payable aging right on the screen and then double-click to see the actual vendors that make up that total. If you want to see still more, double-clicking on the vendor will bring up a detailed view of all invoices outstanding. Menu choices automate To turn a set of manual steps into an operation that goes by itself. See automation. the voiding of checks and invoices. The best Windows accounting packages feature tools called "wizards" that walk you through the difficult steps required to set up your business on the software. Less sophisticated packages have only a checklist of the necessary setup See BIOS setup and install program. steps. Once the setup is completed, the better packages have interactive "tutors" to guide you through difficult transactions. This article is a shopping guide for accountants who work for companies that are in the market for accounting software and for CPA firms that recommend accounting software to their smaller business clients. We reviewed eight products. All but one cost about $250 or less. The exception is BusinessWorks, which costs $995 and falls in the lonely niche between the low- and midprice products. MUST-HAVE FEATURES When evaluating an accounting package, insist on this core of features: * Checklists that prompt users when setting up the software or wizards that actually walk you through the procedure. * The ability to drill down to the detail level in on-screen on·screen or on-screen adj. & adv. 1. As shown on a movie, television, or display screen. 2. Within public view; in public. reports. * Customizable financial statements, forms and reports. * Payroll tax Payroll Tax Tax an employer withholds and/or pays on behalf of their employees based on the wage or salary of the employee. In most countries, including the U.S., both state and federal authorities collect some form of payroll tax. tables that can be updated by users without purchasing yearly update disks. * Support for true multiuser Two or more users. processing. Be aware that some low-cost accounting Low-cost accounts are accounts with monthly fees of no more than C$4.00, offered in Canada. Low-cost accounts came about as a result of an agreement between the Canadian federal government and the banking sector. packages lack true network support--a drawback DRAWBACK, com. law. An allowance made by the government to merchants on the reexportation of certain imported goods liable to duties, which, in some cases, consists of the whole; in others, of a part of the duties which had been paid upon the importation. if you or your client plans eventually to upgrade to a local area network (LAN (Local Area Network) A communications network that serves users within a confined geographical area. The "clients" are the user's workstations typically running Windows, although Mac and Linux clients are also used. ). Some packages claim network compatibility but will allow only one person at a time to access the software. Virtually all the low-cost accounting packages require use of their own report writers to access the underlying data files. That should change in the future--allowing easy reading of all data files by the spreadsheet or database of your choice. Job costing Job versus Process Costing Job costing (also called job order costing) is a fundamental part of managerial accounting. It differs from Process costing in that the flow of costs is traced by job instead of by process. , which is important to some businesses, is generally absent in this crop of accounting packages. Almost all offer project accounting, which is little more than a listing of the general ledger General Ledger A company's accounting records. This formal ledger contains all the financial accounts and statements of a business. Notes: The ledger uses two columns: one records debits, the other has offsetting credits. accounts expenses and revenue charged for certain jobs. Very little job budgeting is available. THE PRODUCTS Following are the reviews of the software packages in this study (for more details, see the exhibit on pages 52-53): BusinessWorks State of the Art (800) 854-3415 OVERVIEW State of the Art recently acquired BusinessWorks accounting software from Manzanita manzanita: see bearberry. Software. BusinessWorks' most recent release is version 10, which introduced many new features. For example, the ability to modify forms has been added as well as filters for reports and exporting data. The package is sold primarily through a nationwide network of authorized au·thor·ize tr.v. au·thor·ized, au·thor·iz·ing, au·thor·iz·es 1. To grant authority or power to. 2. To give permission for; sanction: resellers who offer assistance in setting up and configuring the software. While there are no wizards to assist with the setup, this is not a problem because most BusinessWorks customers can turn to the reseller An organization that sells hardware and software to the general public. Resellers purchase products from software publishers and hardware manufacturers. for help. The online help is context sensitive and sufficiently detailed. The BusinessWorks interface is menu-oriented, with most commands and options selected from a pulldown menu bar. There are none of the flowchart-like interfaces seen in other Windows packages. Large icons on the screen represent each module. Certain options, such as form and report customization, take a bit of searching since they are hidden a few levels deep in the setup options. The dialog boxes A movable window that is displayed on screen in response to the user selecting a menu option. It provides the current status and available options for a particular feature in the program. take a little getting used to, also. Exiting from them requires double-clicking in the upper left control box of the window. On some screens an "OK" must be clicked to accept your work and continue. Once you get used to this style, navigating (networking, hypertext) navigating - Finding your way around. Often used of the Internet, particularly the World-Wide Web. A browser is a tool for navigating hypertext documents. is easy. STRENGTHS BusinessWorks goes several layers deeper on job costing than any of the other packages. Within job cost, it's possible to enter estimates by job codes to provide for a more detailed breakdown of actual versus estimated costs. There are provisions for retainage and billings that other less costly packages don't provide. Performing the core functions of entering checks and sales invoices is intuitive. Voiding checks also is easy. However, it's not as easy to customize the accounts payable check format as in other packages, and that's because not all of the data fields are available when editing a form. Editing accounts receivable accounts receivable n. the amounts of money due or owed to a business or professional by customers or clients. Generally, accounts receivable refers to the total amount due and is considered in calculating the value of a business or the business' problems in paying invoices is slightly easier because more fields are available. Anyone who has ever struggled with corrupted cor·rupt adj. 1. Marked by immorality and perversion; depraved. 2. Venal; dishonest: a corrupt mayor. 3. accounting data due to a power fluctuation Fluctuation A price or interest rate change. or other problem will be glad to know that the menu offers clearly labeled data recovery choices to assist in rebuilding bad files. All payroll tax table files are completely user definable, so you don't have to buy an update from the company. The program can handle multiple users. WEAKNESSES Surprisingly, BusinessWorks' ability to drill down to the transaction level from on-screen reports is limited. New in version 10 is an account inquiry drill-down feature that will let you view the source journal and transaction accounts used to create activity Less costly programs such as QuickBooks and Peachtree have very powerful drill-down functions. The package cannot handle cash-basis accounting. CONCLUSION BusinessWorks is a good bet for most clients who need help in system setup and operation. Its strong job costing makes it an excellent choice for some. Although it costs more than other packages in this review, it may be worth it for some just to have the support from authorized consultants. DacEasy Accounting & Payroll 95 DacEasy (800) 322-3279 OVERVIEW DacEasy Accounting & Payroll 95 was one of the first accounting packages available for Window's 95. This version has added many features since its days as the darling of the DOS world. For many companies, DacEasy was the first accounting system used on a personal computer. The product is available on either floppy disks or CD-ROM CD-ROM: see compact disc. CD-ROM in full compact disc read-only memory Type of computer storage medium that is read optically (e.g., by a laser). ; the latter includes more than a dozen sample programs. Be aware, though, the CD-ROM version does not include a paper manual--the entire user guide is on the disk. However, the help system is extremely well organized and useful. DacEasy's interface conforms to Windows 95 standards. It's possible to set up various to-do lists and reminders as well as perform accounting functions in a graphical environment. DacEasy has an online installation checklist; however, unlike Peachtree's system, it doesn't automatically send you to each menu choice as you set up this software. STRENGTHS Entering invoices from vendors and making payments is a snap. The check register is similar in concept to Quicken A popular financial management program for PCs and Macs from Intuit, Inc., Mountain View, CA (www.intuit.com). It is used to write checks, organize investments and produce a variety of reports for personal finance and small business. . Voiding checks is simple, too, and the software automatically reinstates an open payable when needed. The package maintains a complete online history of vendor transactions and its graphical nature makes it simple to find information quickly. The general ledger supports budgeting, allows for quick and easy journal entries and retains all transactions in detailed format. Postings from the other sections of DacEasy are automatic and pass a journal ID and the transactions memo field A data field that holds a variable amount of text. The text may be stored in a companion file, but it is treated as if it were part of the data record. For example, in the dBASE command list name, biography to the general ledger as an audit trail. However, the general ledger cannot drill down to the transaction detail. The accounts receivable module includes a handy call tracker--a contact manager that can organize information on the date and content of calls to customers for payment. The full history for each customer's account can be viewed on screen. Most processing is done in real time. Invoicing in·voice n. 1. A detailed list of goods shipped or services rendered, with an account of all costs; an itemized bill. 2. The goods or services itemized in an invoice. tr.v. , purchase orders and payroll have paper audit trail reports that must be printed. For the remaining modules, real-time processing Noun 1. real-time processing - data processing fast enough to keep up with an outside process real-time operation data processing - (computer science) a series of operations on data by a computer in order to retrieve or transform or classify information means it's not necessary to print a lengthy paper trail (a plus for those small business owners who throw away their audit trails anyhow an·y·how adv. 1. In whatever way or manner; however: I'll cook it anyhow you like. They came anyhow they could  by boat, train, or plane. ). The package has good forms-modification capabilities. WEAKNESSES Clients looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. project tracking or job costing will not find either in DacEasy. Also missing is the ability to choose between cash- and accrual-basis accounting. Since there is no provision for importing data from the DOS version of DacEasy, users looking to upgrade will need to rekey Rekeying is the process of changing a lock's tumblers to work on a different key than the current one. Though often referred to as 'changing a lock', rekeying does not require replacement of the lock itself, but resetting the tumbler combination to fit a different key. their data. CONCLUSION DacEasy is a good choice for computer novices. However, while it walks the user through the setup process, there's no checklist for setting up accounts receivable or payables. Mind Your Own Business (MYOB "Mind your own business." See digispeak. (chat) MYOB - mind your own business. ) BEST!WARE 1800) 322-6962 OVERVIEW Originally designed for the Macintosh, MYOB was one of the first packages to offer a flowchart to guide users through transaction entry--a feature that has since been copied by numerous competitors. It comes with a video and CD-ROM tutorial An instructional book or program that takes the user through a prescribed sequence of steps in order to learn a product. Contrast with documentation, which, although instructional, tends to group features and functions by category. See tutorials in this publication. to assist new users through software setup and configuration. MYOB sets up through a graphical command center flowchart, which works like a menu. Rather than create a chart of accounts from scratch, the program offers over 100 sample charts of accounts, making it a snap for first-time users to get under way quickly MYOB has a few annoying features. For example, invoice entry is a somewhat confusing con·fuse v. con·fused, con·fus·ing, con·fus·es v.tr. 1. a. To cause to be unable to think with clarity or act with intelligence or understanding; throw off. b. process. When entering a general ledger account number, no icon offers access to your chart of accounts. The user must remember either to push the enter key while in the account number field or use the CTRL-L key combination. Most other products provide an icon for look-up help. STRENGTHS The command center simplifies processing. Users select a transaction by going to the command center and clicking on a menu item. Cash-basis accounting is accomplished by marking invoices as pending instead of posting them. Forms can be customized easily using a drag-and-drop WYSIWYG function: Click on a word or object and drag it to a location on the page; a second click drops it in place. You can see what your form will look like before sending it to the printer. MYOB's job-cost system is similar to other accounting packages in this price range. It tracks total revenues and expenses but lacks a detailed breakdown by cost items within the job. While this will be more than sufficient for most users, some businesses, such as construction clients, may find it limiting. WEAKNESSES The operation of MYOB is somewhat less intuitive than other systems in its price range. As a result, you must study to use the package effectively. Many functions, such as looking up a general ledger account number, are a little puzzling. Payroll tax tables are included with the software and may be viewed on screen but not changed. Tax table updates will require a disk from BEST!WARE. Unlike the competition in this price range, MYOB can't drill down into the report screens to view the actual detailed transactions that make up the final numbers. As compensation for this omission omission n. 1) failure to perform an act agreed to, where there is a duty to an individual or the public to act (including omitting to take care) or is required by law. Such an omission may give rise to a lawsuit in the same way as a negligent or improper act. , many reports can be viewed in detail or summary format by clicking on a button. CONCLUSION While MYOB lacks some of the extras of competing packages, it offers a simple user interface and a generous collection of sample charts of accounts. The manual and online help are good. MYOB is a good choice for a company automating its records for the first time. One-Write Plus NEBS NEBS Network Equipment Building System (Bell Telephone Labs) NEBS Network Equipment Building Standards NEBS New England Business Services NEBS New England Barbecue Society NEBS Neue Europäische Bewegung Schweiz Software (800) 388-8000 OVERVIEW A spokesperson for Peachtree, which recently acquired One-Write Plus, says it plans to maintain the product in the marketplace. One-Write Plus was the last of the major DOS accounting packages to release a Windows version, which, from a user's point of view, is a virtual carbon copy of its DOS ancestor ANCESTOR, descents. One who has preceded another in a direct line of descent; an ascendant. In the common law, the word is understood as well of the immediate parents, as, of these that are higher; as may appear by the statute 25 Ed. III. De natis ultra mare, and so in the statute of 6 R. . While this will comfort those converting from the DOS version, more sophisticated users will yearn for more power. NEBS decided to change data file formats--which means you cannot easily go back to the DOS version once you convert and enter transactions--and the general ledger detail transactions are converted only as summary amounts and not in detail. The Supertrak cards that many companies used to track customer jobs have been eliminated in the Windows version, but there are plans to reinstall To go through the installation process once again, because files have become corrupted. See reload. them in the future. The software contains only an inventory card, which does not track quantities on hand. STRENGTHS Companies using the DOS version of One-Write Plus should not need to retrain re·train tr. & intr.v. re·trained, re·train·ing, re·trains To train or undergo training again. re·train staff when going to the Windows version. So long as your business doesn't rely on the Supertrak cards, the data will convert quickly to Windows. Entering checks and cash receipts is as easy as or easier than in the DOS version. The menu screens are nearly identical. The payroll module is included with the software and retains the ability to edit the payroll tax tables without being tied into a yearly tax table support plan. WEAKNESSES The decision to drop the Supertrak feature is going to force more advanced users of the DOS product to find another Window-s accounting package. NEBS was unable to convert the data from the DOS version so that all the general ledger transaction details could be retained. Since there is now one file instead of a separate file for each program area--such as a customer master file and vendor master file--correcting data corruption Data corruption refers to errors in computer data that occur during transmission or retrieval, introducing unintended changes to the original data. Computer storage and transmission systems use a number of measures to provide data integrity, the lack of errors. is more difficult. The error reporting for One-Write Plus for Windows hasn't improved On the DOS version. In addition, you can't drill down to transaction detail. Financial statements and reports cannot be customized. And it's not possible to track inventory on-hand. CONCLUSION If you aren't using Supertrak and don't plan to use it in the future, then One-Write Plus for Windows will be an inexpensive and familiar upgrade. If you are looking to automate for the first time, One-Write Plus is a good choice only if you don't need to track inventory or job costs. Peachtree Accounting Peachtree Accounting is business management software published by Sage Software and sold primarily in the United States. There have been several generations of software sold under the Peachtree Accounting name. for Windows Peachtree Software (800) 228-0068 OVERVIEW Peachtree has been a longtime long·time adj. Having existed or persisted for a long time: a longtime friend; a longtime resident of Detroit. longtime Adjective favorite of companies looking for low-cost accounting software. It's one of the few that can be configured con·fig·ure tr.v. con·fig·ured, con·fig·ur·ing, con·fig·ures To design, arrange, set up, or shape with a view to specific applications or uses: to run on a network. Despite many early problems with network operations, the latest release has proven to be reliable. To boost performance, network users may choose between batch or online processing; the former is recommended to enhance network performance. Most users will appreciate the checklist for the initial setup and the 75 sample charts of accounts they can choose from. Many of the forms and reports can be customized. As a convenience, when modifying a report, the original is saved and the modified version is given a different name. Earlier this year Peachtree received some bad press over persistent bugs. Virtually all of those problems have since been solved. However, you may need assistance setting it up on a network. STRENGTHS The ability. to walk first-time users through the entire set-up process makes this product a standout. This feature almost eliminates the need to work with a reseller or consultant for this procedure. The user can select either cash- or accrual-basis accounting. Peachtree also makes extensive use of an action item folder In a graphical user interface (GUI), a simulated file folder that holds data, applications and other folders. Folders were introduced on the Xerox Star, then popularized on the Macintosh and later adapted to Windows and Unix. In Unix and Linux, as well as DOS and Windows 3. , which places reminders about tax filings or bills that must be paid. Navigating the Peachtree menus is simplified by a graphical flowchart. Users who would rather not deal with pulldown menus can turn the feature off when they become more familiar with the software. Many of the data files, such as customer, vendor and inventory, have space for user-defined fields, which can be used when printing or viewing reports. Peachtree maintains a strong support staff online through a CompuServe forum and a faxback document-retrieval system. Online and printed documentation are good. WEAKNESSES Unlike Peachtree for DOS, the Windows version lacks an extensive job-costing ability. It's little more than a project accounting module--but it's as good as or better than the competition. Updating the payroll tax tables is slightly more difficult than with similar products. Novice users may wish to purchase the payroll tax table update rather than worry about making changes to the mathematical computations. Peachtree's database engine is Btrieve, which continues to trigger occasional incompatibility The inability of a Husband and Wife to cohabit in a marital relationship. incompatibility n. the state of a marriage in which the spouses no longer have the mutual desire to live together and/or stay married, and is thus a ground for divorce messages. CONCLUSION Peachtree is a feature-packed program that is among the easiest to use--especially considering all that it offers. Profit Great Plains (800) 926-8962 OVERVIEW First developed by Great Plains and sold by Microsoft, Profit is once again being marketed and sold by Great Plains, primarily through its network of resellers. The product includes general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, project tracking, purchase order, inventory and payroll. Setup is accomplished with a wizard Instructional help in an application or system development environment that guides the user through a series of multiple choice questions to accomplish a task. For the most part, wizards are more effective than the help menus found in most applications, which often border on the atrocious. that walks you through each required entry. This is a real time saver because it ensures entry of all required information without the need for a costly on-site consultant for a routine setup. Wizards also can help modify the layout of checks and other forms. Profit's interface is similar to the other Windows accounting products, but its drill-down ability makes it slightly more powerful. STRENGTHS Profit's project-tracking capability is adequate for most businesses. Its project tracking provides the essentials that most businesses seek--mainly how much has been spent and billed. It's possible to drill down to the transaction level when reviewing project costs, so answers on why so much cost was incurred on a specific project are only a couple of mouse clicks away. However, since it does not allow for individual cost codes, it's not powerful enough for those organizations that need such tracking. Companies will appreciate the ability to view a check register on screen and double-click to see the entire source document. For companies looking to customize their forms and reports, the Profit forms wizard is a breeze. It walks you through all the required steps. Profit is a step ahead of the competition in this area. Graphical financial indicators called Profit Signs can all be printed and customized somewhat to give a quick overview of a company's performance. Profit offers limited customization of printed reports, which can be either summary or detailed. The report can be custom sorted and additional fields can be added. Especially welcome are the file utilities that help rebuild data files in the event of a power failure or data corruption. Many packages throw in these utilities as an afterthought af·ter·thought n. An idea, response, or explanation that occurs to one after an event or decision. afterthought Noun 1. or not at all. However, Profit's range of utilities shows it was written by people who know how to deal with the everyday reality of computing computing - computer . WEAKNESSES The setup is somewhat complicated. Entering checks in Profit is slightly more complex than in similar Windows products. When entering checks for a vendor, the system automatically defaults to paying all open invoices. It takes a command to override An arrangement whereby commissions are made by sales managers based upon the sales made by their subordinate sales representatives. A term found in an agreement between a real estate agent and a property owner whereby the agent keeps the right to receive a commission for the sale of the default. CONCLUSION Great Plains' accounting software experience is evident with the features such as wizards that help in the setup process and in customizing forms and reports. While it's geared toward more sophisticated users, Profit could also be readily used by a beginning business with the help of one of the Great Plains resellers. QuickBooks and QuickBooks Pro Intuit in·tu·it tr.v. in·tu·it·ed, in·tu·it·ing, in·tu·its Usage Problem To know intuitively. [Back-formation from intuition. (800) 624-8742 OVERVIEW If you are familiar with Intuit's popular Quicken personal finance software then you are one step away from understanding the workings of QuickBooks. Companies struggling to make Quicken function as a double-entry accounting package should consider upgrading to QuickBooks, one of the most popular small business packages. A wizard performs the setup installation. A new feature is an EasyStep interview that asks industry-specific questions and tailors the standard setup appropriately. The complexity of the true accounting world is well hidden within QuickBooks--making most operations look easy. Postings are made in real time, but it's possible to turn on audit trails if desired. The program is available in two versions: The standard version includes regular accounting functions, and QuickBooks Pro can perform time tracking, estimating and more advanced job costing. Most clients can benefit from the estimating and job costing included in the Pro version. STRENGTHS QuickBooks' strength is ease of use. You can double-click on almost any report to drill down into the underlying detail. In fact, you can double-click portions of graphs to see the underlying transaction detail. The income statement and balance sheet can be printed on either the cash or accrual basis A method of accounting that reflects expenses incurred and income earned for Income Tax purposes for any one year. Taxpayers who use the accrual method must include in their taxable income any money that they have the right to receive as payment for services, once it using an option right on the report screen. Reports are easy to customize. Job costing is more than adequate for the small business owner. The QuickBooks Pro version adds even more extensive job-costing capabilities--including drill down to the detail level to view the originating transaction. The Pro version also allows for the creation of estimates (one per job) and the integration of time tracking to the job costing. WEAKNESSES Clients who implement QuickBooks without stopping to read the manual or use the EasyStep interview feature can get themselves into trouble. For example, QuickBooks' default setup doesn't use account numbers, leading to problems when gathering yearend records. Also, the income statement and balance sheet have somewhat limited customization: It's more than adequate for in-house presentations, but may not be enough to fashion a financial statement for the bank. The software setup requires that users give advance thought to what types of reports they want from the system. Unsophisticated users may not immediately grasp the importance of such advanced planning. Also, the program won't work on a network, and its hard-coded payroll tax tables require the purchase of upgrades. CONCLUSION QuickBooks is a good choice for companies interested in tracking job costs or inventory. The ability, to print cash or accrual accrual, n continually recurring short-term liabilities. Examples are accrued wages, taxes, and interest. statements at the click of a button is useful for many--especially law' and accounting firms. The drill-down option in each of the on-screen reports will be especially useful to first-time computer users. QuickBooks Pro is even more suitable for the large number of businesses looking to integrate job costing--project tracking into their software. The software has been enhanced significantly from earlier versions. Simply Accounting 4 Home Productions (800) 773-5445 OVERVIEW Simply Accounting is offered through 4 Home Productions, a division of Computer Associates, one of the largest software companies in the world. Its interface will be familiar to users of Simply Money. Simply Accounting includes modules for general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, inventory, project management and bank reconciliation. Installation is simple, with only three disks to juggle, but there are no wizards. The documentation is good, however, and setup should not be a problem for sophisticated users. STRENGTHS The interface is almost entirely icon based. If you have a question about a particular icon, you can drag and drop A graphical user interface (GUI) capability that lets you perform operations by moving the icon of an object with the mouse into another window or onto another icon. For example, files can be copied or moved by dragging them from one folder to another. it to an advice icon that provides context-sensitive help Context-sensitive help is a kind of online help that is obtained from a specific point in the state of the software, providing help for the situation that is associated with that state. . Customization of forms and reports is more comprehensive and flexible than in other similarly priced Windows accounting products. Simply Accounting includes a copy of Computer Associates' CA-RET, which allows you to customize many of the designs of checks and reports that come with the system. A brief chapter in the user guide gives a good overview of how to customize. If you wish, you can order more details on the CA-RET reporting tool. Power users will appreciate this tool while beginners may find the added complexity slightly daunting daunt tr.v. daunt·ed, daunt·ing, daunts To abate the courage of; discourage. See Synonyms at dismay. [Middle English daunten, from Old French danter, from Latin . Simply Accounting supports either cash- or accrual-basis accounting. WEAKNESSES Like most other software in this class, Simply Accounting gives brief treatment to job costing. The approach to accumulating costs is simply to allocate an invoice to a job or project number. When setting up a project, it's not possible to record estimated revenues and expenses. Voiding a check is more difficult than in similar packages and requires careful use of the manual. Also, there is no support for finance charges in accounts receivable. While there is ample online help, some of the terminology used to describe procedures could be confusing to the beginner. CONCLUSION Once you know' where to find the information in the manual and how to use the online help, Simply Accounting is a powerful accounting system for the entry-level business owner. However, it requires that you invest time in studying the manual. [TABULAR tab·u·lar adj. 1. Having a plane surface; flat. 2. Organized as a table or list. 3. Calculated by means of a table. tabular resembling a table. DATA OMITTED] Adding More Meaning to Numbers As good as most accounting software packages are, few are sufficiently robust to perform in-depth financial analyses of their data. The more computer-savvy accountants often turn to add-on programs, such as Synex's F9, to dig deeper into a business's financials. The trouble with such programs is that the user has to manually program the formulas that produce the analyses. Microsoft has introduced a product that overcomes that shortcoming short·com·ing n. A deficiency; a flaw. shortcoming Noun a fault or weakness Noun 1. . Small Business Finance Manager is a collection of sophisticated programs (templates) that use the Excel spreadsheet as a computational Having to do with calculations. Something that is "highly computational" requires a large number of calculations. engine. It reads data from most of the popular accounting packages for small and medium-size businesses (see the box at right, for details) and performs what-if analyses and other computations on the underlying data. Unlike similar spreadsheet interface products, the user is working only with a copy of the data-- there is no direct link between the data in the accounting program and the Finance Manager. All information is imported from an accounting package and stored in its special built-in Access database. The Finance Manager is very memory dependent, requiring at least 16 megabytes of RAM to run effectively. Windows 95 and the latest version of Microsoft Excel (tool) Microsoft Excel - A spreadsheet program from Microsoft, part of their Microsoft Office suite of productivity tools for Microsoft Windows and Macintosh. Excel is probably the most widely used spreadsheet in the world. Latest version: Excel 97, as of 1997-01-14. for Windows 95, version 7, also are required. The Finance Manager produces standard financial reports such as a trial balance, balance sheet and income statement. There is a what-if wizard that automatically designs reports for break-even and profitability analyses, expenses and tax analysis, finance analysis and a buy-versus-lease wizard. The Finance Manager's suggested price is $99.95. MetaView Analyst is a more robust version of Analysis Pack for high-end accounting programs. Its suggested price is $499. Both products were developed by Timeline of Bellevue, Washington Bellevue is a rapidly growing city in King County, Washington, U.S., across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle,[1] it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. . The company can be reached at (206) 822-3140. Accounting Software Supported by Microsoft Accounting Analysis Pack * BusinessWorks for DOS and Windows * Simply Accounting for Windows * ACCPAC ACCPAC Accounts Package ACCPAC Accounting Package Plus for DOS * DacEasy Accounting for DOS * Intuit's QuickBooks * MAS90 Evolution/2 * One-Write Plus Accounting with Payroll for DOS * Peachtree Accounting for Windows * Peachtree Complete Accounting for DOS * Platinum Series for DOS and Windows |
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