posted
I'm looking to upgrade or replace our accounting software. I'm looking for something (networkable) that will handle & track everything fully integrated from estimates and quotations, work orders, scheduling, work in progress, packing slips, invoicing and receivables, purchasing and payables. I looked at ACTIVITY POS a few years back, but at the time that would have cost over 15,000 for the licences alone for the modules I wanted for 4 stations. I'm hoping to find something under 4,000 cdn.
-------------------- Mike O'Neill
It has yet to be proven that intelligence has any survival value. - Arthur C. Clarke
posted
We use "Seat of your pants 5.8" , no seriously, Quickbooks Pro is what I use. They have a five station license version that really works great for what I do. Might be worth checking into. Very reasonably priced also, I might add.
-------------------- Frisby Signs, Inc. El Dorado, Arkansas Posts: 902 | From: El Dorado, Arkansas, USA | Registered: Apr 1999
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except for the yearly update the tax tables FEE of over 100 bux,, sheesh. Thing is the sate im in has not changed the tax tables in 4 yaers..
-------------------- Leaper of Tall buildings.. If you find my posts divisive or otherwise snarky please ignore them. If you do not know how then PM me about it and I will demonstrate. Posts: 5274 | From: Im a nowhere man | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
I'm presently using AccPac Simply Accounting v9.5 with 3 site licences, it's equivalent to quickbooks from what I can see,... I'm looking for something to take me a step closer to a POS system, giving me better integrated tools for estimating custom work, maintaining a large cataloque of 'stock' items, as well as better detailed tracking of job scheduling and work flow. I'll keep Simply for it's payroll, G/l, and acc payable. Whatever I get will have to have the ability to export sales data to Simply. I could upgrade to Accpac Advantage, however they have no modules custom tailored to our Industry, and I would have to spend an enormous amount of time configuring work tables & forms in order for it to perform the tasks I require. I had a lead yesterday to a product for Shop Management Software from a company called Cyrious, and I had a fine chat with one of their sales reps. I d/l their demo and this program seems to be along the lines of what I want, however, with the features & licences I require the price is well outside of the 4k cdn budget that I can allow for this tool.
... still shopping
-------------------- Mike O'Neill
It has yet to be proven that intelligence has any survival value. - Arthur C. Clarke
posted
Mike, I'm on exactly the same quest. I've been researching programs for about a month now, and it's very depressing.
I was really excited when I found one that integrated with Simply Accounting. It's by COSS Systems out of Mississauga, ON, and is called Simply Accounting. The Base system is $3500 with additional licenses being $1350. I believe if some of the workstations are not doing anything administrative - like on the shop floor - there is no charge to have them operating.
Now, here's the catch: Installation and training was quoted to me as 5 days for $6,250 PLUS travel, accommodation and meals. Since I'm pretty computer-savvy, I thought this was excessive. We got it down to 2 days training in Toronto. We've got relatives there anyway, so if I'm paying for anyone's flight it's going to be my own.
I'm still thinking about it.
You can contact them and they'll do a web-demo for you. I really like having a downloadable demo that I can play with, but they'll do the web-demo more than once for you while you're researching.
Others I've looked at are ProjectPak, ProfitFab, & Shoptech.
Good luck on your search and let me know if you find anything good.
posted
We have been using Cyrious software for about six months now, and though it's not perfect, it does what I want it to do: quotations, invoicing, W.I.P., basic scheduling, payables, receivables, etc... We continue to use MYOB for our main software (we could do everything with Cyrious but choose not to), and use Cyrious for the everyday stuff. We used to use FastTrack for scheduling, MSAcess for tracking, MSWord for quotations, Excel for invoicing.... da. Now we input information once. Cyrious works with MYOB, so our bookkeeper simply imports the data once a week. We like cyrious because of its ability to analyse data in it's marketing section. On a down note, I don't like how the invoices look, and they're not very flexible, but I'm working with the company to design something that 'I like'. It's worth looking at.
posted
Nancy, According to the information I got from Cyrious sales, it's reports were created using Seagate Crystal Reports, so modifying the invoice or any other report shouldn't be that big a deal.
The biggest stumbling block I see (so far) is that the software can't account for orders that are partially filled, it has no mechanism for dealing with or tracking backorders, it cannot create a packing slip other than for fully completed orders. According to sales, no work is being done on this, and it will not be included in any planned future update as the software is based on invoice tracking and not individual line tracking. .. a pretty severe limitation I think.
Victor, you're absolutely right (as usual) about Activity POS, it is now under new ownership, and is a fraction of it's former price. They don't have a d/lable demo, but I've got a c/d on it's way...
posted
We've used the LDE system for years. Its very effective and assures that you won't make mistakes in any one area more than once.
Lyn's Darning Egg is the long term.
heh.....................
k31
-------------------- Pierre St.Marie Stmariegraphics Kalispell,Mt www.stmariegraphics.com ------------------ Plan on knowing everything before I die and time's running out! Posts: 4223 | From: Kalispell,Mt 59903 | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
Yup. 7 months out of the year doesn't leave much choice.
k31
-------------------- Pierre St.Marie Stmariegraphics Kalispell,Mt www.stmariegraphics.com ------------------ Plan on knowing everything before I die and time's running out! Posts: 4223 | From: Kalispell,Mt 59903 | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
I had a quick look at the Cyrius demo. Biggest problem for me is that it lists a customers ORDERS rather than the ITEMS the customer buys. Ours is mostly industrial work, so when CompanyX asks for a current price on 25 pieces of their Part No. 0223459A, I want to be able to find that part number quickly, click on it an get the complete quote/order history for that individual item.
I was thinking I may be able to enter customer's individual part numbers as "Products", but the demo version didn't let me edit the Products database.
If anyone who uses Cyrius can tell me how to handle this, I'd appreciate it.
posted
I worked for the St.Cyr family (developers of Cyrious software) for 2 years as a graphic designer in Steve St.Cyr's Signs Now. We used the software from the very beginnings of it's developement.
From a production employee's perspective, Cyrious software made it dificult or at least discouraged the order taker from putting some important info on the work order. It seemed like too much was being left up to the software and I was constantly leaving my station to get additional information about the job. Pilot error could have had alot to do with it I suppose.
I remember that the manager was really happy about being able to pull up all kinds of marketing and sales info in different graphs & such.
Steve and his brother are really smart and good people. I'm sure they have improved the product alot since then. I would imagine it is really good for a high output, retail type of sign company.
-------------------- Glenn S. Harris
....back in the sign trade full time. Posts: 293 | From: Baton Rouge, LA, USA | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
Thanks for that info Glenn, I'm sure the product has evolved a long way...
Diane, you can edit the product info in demo mode, just hit the 'edit' button located on the right of the screen when you are in the product>product>view/edit products mode. You're right, the program has no real way of 'searching' through product database, however if you store the 'ITEM' as an estimate, with the customer product number in the 'overall description' field, you could pull it up that way. There is a report called 'sales by product' however you can't limit the report to a specific item, it's going to print everything.
-------------------- Mike O'Neill
It has yet to be proven that intelligence has any survival value. - Arthur C. Clarke
posted
I have bought the latest Cyrious product -- "Control" -- which is different from the old SMS ("Shop Management Software"). The new one has the Crystal Reports feature, on the old one you could not change report output. Because of the Crystal Reports ability you should be able to create a report to find out just about anything...if you have the time to spend designing reports.
This new program is in its infancy and has its issues, but overall its pretty good, and tech support is very good. You still have to export data to an accounting software like Quickbooks, etc.
we are using Quickbooks Pro and Estimate. you are able to input your estimates into quickbooks and that is were you are able to track payment, lableing ect.Estimate is geared towards the sign industry, many reports avalible.you can get a 30day free trial. the support has been awesome.the benifits of both combined in my opion, are valueable tool for our buiness.
chris
-------------------- "We have been making house calls since 1992"
Chris Lovelady Vital Signs
NOW WITH 2 LOCATIONS! Tallahassee, Florida Thomasville, Ga.
posted
Invoices & Estimates Pro... $39.95 at Staples...
Love it...
Buuuut... we have always had our own price book that I spent a LOT of time making in corel... so you just look up the price and type her in... but I am every day amazed at some of the reports this thing will do for me... and it lets us do statements easily now...
Anyway, that's the way I went... It does handle inventory items and automatically reduces them, but it does not handle any sort of your cost, retail cost comparing.
posted
Chris, you're right about EstiMate - great program, supurb support, but Mike and I have similar operations which demand a bit more than what is offered through sign-based packages. Along with sign work, we do a lot of industrial nameplates, panels, decals, etc.
For instance we have 8000+ customer items, a lot of which are reordered on a regular basis. I need a database whereby I can look at a customer's record and see all the parts they have ordered; then I can click on one of the parts and see the quote/order history for that particular part. I know that you can jury-rig systems into kinda giving you that information, but we're getting too busy for multi-product solutions. Right now I'm using EstiMate, an in-house database, and Simply Accounting. Since they're not integrated, there's some duplication of entering information, and a lot more time spent looking for things than we can afford right now.
There are lots of job shop software solutions out there, but so far, they all fall short in some way.
posted
You won't find one software package that handles everything, this is why corporations like McDonald's spend millions developing their own software tailored to their needs.
You could spend your whole waking life looking for that "perfect" solution, and it will never happen!
**Edit**
Oops forgot to add this..
I found this package, job shop software than integrates with Quickbooks and Peachtree Accounting..
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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