Cougar Mountain Software ‘ Fund Accounting for Windows

MODULES/SCALABILITY – 4 Stars

Fund Accounting is available in
various module combinations to
meet entry-level to advanced needs.
The basic ‘FUND’ product
includes FUND GL and Bank Reconciliation.
‘FUND Suite’ adds
AP, Purchase Order, Payroll, Data
Exchange, and Report Writer. ‘FUND
Revenue Center’ is an optional
add-on that includes Order Entry,
AR and Inventory. Other companion
products and modules include Point
of Sale, eCommerce, GL Report
Generator, On-Line Credit Card
Authorization, Barcode Generator,
Utility Billing and Donor Tracking.

Several other companion products
address special needs of nonprofit
organizations. The Point of Sale
module addresses retail operations.
The On-Line Credit Card Authorization
module provides instant verification
and authorization of any credit
card and debit card transactions
by using a modem. The Multi-Location
Inventory module allows an organization
to maintain a centralized inventory
system for multiple sites. All
modules integrate with the core
accounting package.

Cougar Mountain modules use CodeBase
database files, which is a solid,
tried-and-true, but lightweight
data access engine. The program
can be installed in single-user
or network configurations, making
it appropriate for very small
installations, but also able to
handle multiple users for the
average mid-size business accounting
staff. The file/server architecture
will limit the total number of
users to a relatively small number,
probably around 10 concurrent
users. This is not a hard-and-fast
limit, but performance will suffer
with a larger number of concurrent
users. The data file structure
is relatively simple, making this
program easy to administer and
maintain.

FEATURES/FUNCTIONALITY – 5 Stars
The GL module uses a segmented
account structure with up to 45
alphanumeric characters, six segments
and a 36-period calendar. Each
fund or department can have its
own fiscal calendar, separate
from the organization’s
fiscal calendar. A three-year
budget allows for current year
plus two additional years for
forecasting. The module is able
to track encumbrances and automatically
generate interfund due-to/due-from
entries. Allocation tables can
be defined to distribute transactions
by percentage or dollars across
multiple funds, departments or
accounts.

REPORTING – 5 Stars

Cougar Mountain Fund Accounting
gives you several options for
reporting. First, there are several
built-in reports for each module,
each with a variety of filtering,
sorting and report type options.
These reports can be previewed,
printed or exported. They are
professionally formatted and easy
to read. The GL module has three
built-in FASB reports: Statement
of Activities, Statement of Financial
Position and Statement of Cash
Flows. The add-on GL Report Generator
lets you create your own customized
financial reports using predefined
report commands. You can schedule
to print reports or multiple reports
at specified times. Another option
(included with FUND Suite) is
the R&R Report Writer from
LiveWare, which is what the built-in
reports are created with. This
report writer allows you to create
customized forms (invoices, statements,
checks, purchase order, etc.)
as well as reports. Finally, the
Data Exchange module can export
selected data for customized reporting
or data mining.

SUPPORT/HELP – 5 Stars
The company provides a variety
of training options that can be
classroom-based at the company’s
‘Cougar U Campus’
in Boise, Idaho, or customized
for onsite training at your place
of business or online via telephone.
Support contracts can be arranged
in two-, four-, eight- or 20-hour
toll-free support increments.
Live phone support is provided
between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
for all U.S. time zones.

The online help system is a bit
dated technologically, but still
provides valuable and informative
context-sensitive assistance for
all modules. The full user guide
is available in *.PDF format for
quick access and detailed searching
options.

RELATIVE VALUE – 5 Stars

The basic FUND product costs $999;
FUND Suite costs $2,999; and the
FUND Revenue Center costs $1,099.
This package is a great example
of practical, intuitive design
and operation. The company offers
several annual technical support
contract options as well as video-based
and live training seminars. A
steady stream of upgrades and
enhancements protect your training
and software investment. A demo
package is available, and the
company offers a 30-day money-back
guarantee on its software products.

2004 OVERALL RATING: 5 Stars

To provide consistency, each review
takes into consideration six specific
areas that we believe are important
when considering an accounting package
for your nonprofit or governmental
organization. Most of the criteria
are self-explanatory. Ease of Use/Flexibility looks at the overall user

experience, and any special features that contribute
to a quick learning curve, modern
user interface and other setup features.
Modules/Scalability is generally a checklist of the modules that the

company offers, as well as a short summary of the underlying database technology, which

affects scalability or ability to serve a broad range of users.

Features/Functionality provides additional detail about the standard,

special or unusual capabilities offered by the package. The Reporting

section discusses the product’s built-in reporting capabilities, as well as any special

report writing tools available. Support/Help looks at the online help and

printed or electronic manuals available, as well as a summary of the company’s live

telephone support options. Relative Value is a category that takes all the

preceding categories and considers the overall pricing of the product relative to the

features it provides and audience it serves.

A number of the vendors offer very
informative materials to guide you
in your selection of an appropriate
not-for-profit accounting and reporting
solution. Take the time to look
carefully at the product’s
features, as well as request a demo
or even a reference for another
organization that may be similar
to yours.