Accounting Software

How to Choose Accounting Software

2006-07-18T14:22:00.000+01:00

Choosing accounting software can be confusing. The fact is you are looking for accounting software because accounting is a complex matter that you’d like to simplify. Choosing the right software will help simplify your finances, but choosing the wrong one will only complicate matters further. It is really important that you choose your accounting software based upon your needs and not just product reviews. This ensures that your needs will be met and you will be comfortable with using the software.

There are many different types of accounting software with many different features. Personal accounting involves bank account monitoring, loan management, investments and budgeting. It is important to focus on accounting software aimed towards personal finance rather than business finance. This will help you to narrow down your choices to ones that are most likely to work for your needs.

The first step is to check out what accounting software is on the market. Look at websites, in stores and anywhere else you can find the information. You can even ask friends or family if they know of a good software program. At this point you are trying to gather information about features available and names of certain software programs.

The next step is to make a list of all the products you found out about. You can now do some deeper research. Look for information about each product. Find out the features and anything special that may make the product stand out, like products that are made specifically for the beginner.

Now you can look over your list and eliminate any that do not impress you or look like they are lacking something you will need. You should also look at how much they cost and eliminate programs that cost too much.

Once you have the list narrowed down you can try to get an evaluation code from the manufacturer. Most companies will allow you to download a demo so you can try the software yourself. This will allow you to figure out the ease of use and if you like the general layout of the program.

After you have tested the software on your list you should easily be able to narrow down your choice to one accounting software program that meets your needs.

Article By: Stephen Kreutzer

Free Accounting Software Benefits Business

2006-07-10T16:15:00.000+01:00

Top investment banks have discovered, giving away software tools to key customers and suppliers can save both of you lots of time and money. Giving away software tools to key customers and suppliers can save both of you lots of time and money.

Imagine this real life scenario where one programer spent 20 minutes writing documentation and another few minutes slapping on an interface to some code he wrote and that he thought a supplier would find easy to use. His under-a-hundred-lines software giveaway probably saved both companies well over £250,000 in time and testing.

The following article discusses how sharing proprietary code can sometimes lead to major saving by all parties involved.

http://www.cio.com/archive/061506/schrage.html

Comparison of Accounting Software

2006-07-10T16:12:00.000+01:00

24SevenOffice
Low-End
Web-based
Accounting, invoicing, CRM, e-mail, project management

ADERANT
Profession services (law, accounting, consulting) firms
Windows
Time, billing, accounts payable & receivable, general ledger, collections, business intelligence, and numerous other modules

AME Software
Mid-market - Businesses, CPAs, Municipal authorities
Windows
Payroll, General Ledger, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Bank reconciliation, 1099 Vendor management, Direct Deposit, E-filing, MICR check printing, PDF conversion, Client Payroll Entry.

Baan
High-end

CODA
Mid-market

Compiere
Mid-market
Java, Web-based
Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, General Ledger, Purchasing, Invoicing, Inventory, Job Costing, Time and Billing, Point of Sale, User Interface and Database Customization, Support for multiple accounting schemas, languages and currencies. Fully integrated ERP, CRM, SCM, POS, e-commerce, and accounting software.

CYMA Systems
Mid-market, Non-Profit, Inventory, Government contractors
Windows
Inventory control, Job Project cost accounting, in house Payroll, general accounting (AP,AR,GL,PO,Order Entry) with unlimited accounts, customers, employees. Grant Tracking and FASB117 reporting for Non-Profit accounting.

Dynacom Accounting
Low-end, Mid-market
Windows
Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, General Ledger, Purchasing, Invoicing, Inventory, Job Costing, Time and Billing, Point of Sale, User Interface and Database Customization, Support for multiple languages (English, French) and currencies. SQL Server or Microsoft Access database.

Exact Software

FirstOffice
Small Business
Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Symbian
Cross platform, WAN, PDAs

GNU Enterprise (GNUe)
Bitmap

GnuCash
Bitmap
Personal
GNOME
Double-entry accounting, QIF/OFX/HCBI import, currency translation, support for multiple languages and currencies

Grisbi
Bitmap
Personal
Linux, Windows, Mac OS X
Cross platform, QIF/OFX/CSV import, support for multiple languages and currencies

Handisoft
Accounting Firms
Windows

HansaWorld
Mid-market
Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, OS 400, Symbian
Cross platform, support for multiple languages and currencies, WAN, PDAs

JMoney
Bitmap
Personal
Java

Lawson Software
High-end

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Microsoft Dynamics GP

Microsoft Dynamics NAV

Microsoft Dynamics SL
Mid-market
Windows and Web-based clients. Microsoft SQL Server database. Visual Basic Development language.
Fully-featured business and financials solutions optimised for Microsoft SQL Server with over 40 fully integrated modules including GL, AP, AR, Payroll, Project Accounting, Multi-Company, Multi-Currency, Customization Manager, Reporting, Microsoft Office Integration, Time and Expense Entry, Business Portal and more.

Microsoft Money
Personal

Microsoft Small Business Accounting
Low-end

Moneydance
Personal Finance Manager
Java
Online Banking, Budget Management, Transaction Scheduling, Portfolio Management, Reports and Graphs, Import/Export of Quicken and MS-Money data, International Support, Reminders

MYOB
Low-end

NetSuite
Mid-market

Oracle Applications
High-end

Peachtree Accounting
Low-end
Windows
Full featured business management software for small businesses

Pegasus Software Opera II
Mid-market
Windows
accounting, business intelligence, inventory, order processing, MRP, Payroll

phpOrganisation
Bitmap
Low-end
Web based
accounting, invoicing, PAYE and project management applications

Quasar Accounting
Bitmap
Gnu/Linux, Windows

QuickBooks
Low-end

Quicken
Personal

Sage Line 50
Low-market (for SME)
Windows only

SAP R/3
High-end

Simply Accounting

SQL Ledger
Bitmap
Mid-market
Web based, command line

Tally
Mid-market

TurboCASH
Bitmap
Low-end to mid-market
Windows
Debtors, creditors, general ledger, full stock control, VAT accounting, invoicing, bank reconciliation, trial balance, balance sheet and income statements, full reporting and analysis, as well as multi-company and multi-user capabilities.