Best Accounting Software?

[Galant]

Hi guys,

I was wondering if any of you have any experience with accounting software (preferably with inventory/stock control)?

The retail shop I work for is looking to upgrade but I don't have much experience in this area.

We need all the usual features, but multiple user access would be a massive plus, and also the ability to have it automatically send monthly statements to customers or mass email them would also be advantageous.

In the past we've used the Australian programs MYOB (but we have an older version). I've also been look at TAS Books.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[ed^chigliak]

Switched 2 companies from MYOB to Moneyworks Gold this year.

Manual is very comprehensive which is essential IMO and the community / forum / developers have been very helpful in the transition. The software is slightly less forgiving than MYOB because you have to reverse any mistakes that get posted instead of just deleting them. Monyworks Gold is more correct in it's accounting methods.

Sage is a ripoff. TAS is owned by sage. Microsoft just keep discontinuing products randomly and more focused on home users. Mamut Books was poor and expensive by comparison and would not import MYOB records. Some other stuff that was online in the clouds only wasn't to our liking.

Monyworks Gold + Dropbox if you need up-to-date accounts from anywhere.

[Tattysnuc]

We're using Microsoft Dynamics Nav, and it does everything for our Business - might be a bit of overkill, or just out of the price range if you only want it for a couple of users.

There's a thriving development community for it, and I can certainly recommend the team of developers that we use - http://www.evo-soft.co.uk/ Nice folks, and very pragmatic.

It is an ERP as opposed to just a piece of accounting software, which is why it might be overkill...

[Stringent]

Have a look at http://www.accountz.com/ and see if it does what you need.

[masonkian]

excel works for me

[Saracen]

excel works for me

For stock and/or inventory control, and automated statement production? Wow.

[Saracen]

Hi guys,

I was wondering if any of you have any experience with accounting software (preferably with inventory/stock control)?.....

Yes, extensive .... most of it hopelessly out of date.

I've tried all sorts over the years, going back to Systematics on an Apple II and TABS on a Sirius, in the 80s. I went through Page (a sort of Sage clone), then Sage Financial Controller, then Quickbooks Pro. I settled on Quickbooks Pro, and am still on it. It's not the cheapest (though not hugely expensive either), but it's pretty comprehensive, at least for SMEs, and will suit MOST situations.

And you can pick the version that does what you need. But it all comes down to exactly that .... your exact needs.

[Galant]

Well so far - Accountz doesn't seem to do inventory. I'm looking into it. MoneyWorks looks interesting, I've emailed them. Quickbooks Pro also seems possible. I'm currently in a rather slow going live chat with a sales person.

One thing I'd like to avoid is monthly subscription. TAS Books was doing well until the price got double in order to include any updates or support whatsoever. That hardly seems like an 'optional extra'.

Being small IT retail our inventory needs are simple - incoming, outgoing, stock levels, and then maybe tracking sales.

Our accounting needs relate to that - tracking supplier pricing, processing payments to them, and then of course, along with in shop transactions, issuing our own invoices and statements to customers and following them up. Access for at least 3 users is important. Ease of POS use would be a bonus.

[Saracen]

Is POS a requirement?

If so, I'm not so sure about Quickbooks. It is, after all, an accounts package, not till software. It's operating paradigm is pretty simple for accounts software (with transaction screens often resembling real-world documents, like cheques for payments, etc), but still, it's an accounting package.

I don't use it in a POS role, and I couldn't tell you, off-hand, to what extent you can lock down functions by user. For instance, most shops wouldn't want the most junior staff member, who needs to use the till, to be able to pry into bank records, supplier accounts or create journal entries. That way lies all sorts of possibilities for abuse, even fraud.

It may be that Quickbooks lets you lock down functions by username. I don't remember, and I use it single-user at the moment. But it might not suit a POS environment. Or it might. But check that.

[Galant]

Understood. Being a small outfit we don't really have any 'juniors' here so that's not too much of a concern, although it will be if as we grow. For now we're okay.

Following my live chat with a sales person I was recommended Quickbooks Premier Retail. I'll be looking into it.

Also going to try the free trial of Moneyworks Gold 6.

UPDATE: Trying to find one program that can manage Accounts and POS is proving frustrating. That is, trying to find one that doesn't seem massively expensive. It might be time to change my expectations on performance and pricing. Any further suggestions, recommendations or input would be appreciated.

[diego.getapp]

Galant,

Have you tried Xero Accounting Software, Brightpearl or Zoho Books? They always show up like good alternatives for accounting hosted on the cloud.

I work for GetApp.com, a marketplace for Business Applications, we have a listing for accounting applications where you can discover applications and ask for a trial on them to check if they fit your needs.

I hope you find the software that best fits your needs.

[peterb]

Not withstanding the product pimping aspects, I shall let this one stand as the poster has declared his connection with the company and the tone implies a genuine offer of assistance.

[xiaogray]

Best Accounting software should be the one built just for you company or organisation since the system requirements will be different in different environment

[Saracen]

Best Accounting software should be the one built just for you company or organisation since the system requirements will be different in different environment

OH I couldn't disagree more. Unless you've got very serious and essential specific needs, for pities sake, don't go down the custom software route. The pitfalls are numerous. Firstly, anything you can get written specifically for you for the £200-£300 bracket that most generic packages are these days is going to be trivial in it's feature set, because the developers just cannot put the time in. Secondly, if you've got something custom-written, you open a whole can of worms in terms of support, how much will be available and what it costs, who owns the code and who can develop it further, and so on.

Anyone running a business ought to understand that information about their business is it's lifeblood. And if you have to change from one path to another after several years, it is at best a major under-taking, and can be a real headache, as you've very likely to lose history data.

Far better to get the decision right in the first place, and even to pay a bit over the odds for something that lets you expand into it rather than end up with it being a straight-jacket because it can't do what you now need but didn't several years ago.

No, my advice is to stick with a mainstream supplier of software that's sophisticated enough to allow it to be configured for what you need now, but reconfigured (or upgraded) when you end up needing something you didn't expect.

Examples of that would include being able to add a payroll module, or add stock control, or add parts-explosion to your existing stock control, or add bill or materials, or foreign currency handling, and so forth.

[Zak33]

OH I couldn't disagree more. Unless you've got very serious and essential specific needs, for pities sake, don't go down the custom software route. The pitfalls are numerous.

agreed. Custom build is a figure of speech meant to sound like "money for every change"

but an off the shelf, make it do 90% of the job. & so long as it exports to excel... it'll be fine for everything

[Zak33]

(ref excel)

For stock and/or inventory control, and automated statement production? Wow.

with someone who knows SQL, and an export tool,... it is possible.

but without SQL it's hopeless.. excel across a network is a recipe for long night and killing people