2012 Review of Acclivity AccountEdge Pro 2012

Best Fit: AccountEdge is a good fit for many small companies and especially those companies that require multi-location inventory, multi-currency, or need a program that is designed for a Mac. This program is easy to understand and the uncluttered screens are easy to navigate.

Strengths

• Multi Location Inventory
• Mac version and available
• iOS Integration
• Multi-Currency

Potential Limitations

• No Integration with Shipping Carriers
• No Android Integration
• No Upgrade Path
• Audit Trail can be disabled, but only by administrator-level users

Basic System Functions: 4 Stars

AccountEdge, formerly known as MYOB. is offered in a PC or Mac version only . The screen is very clean and uncluttered, it is organized by function with Command Centers (Accounts Banking, Sales, Time & Billing, Payroll, Inventory, and Card File) and selecting a command center changes the screen to related activities and reports. A sidebar lists most recent screens viewed and a favorites list. Menus are also at the bottom of the screen for To Do List, Find, Reports, Analysis, Sync, and Lists.

AccountEdge is available in a Mac version that has generally the same look and feel of the Windows version. The program is designed so that company files can run on either a PC or Mac, enabling users to pass files between the two versions for ease of use with accountants or when converting platforms.

Core Accounting Capabilities: 4.5 Stars

AccountEdge uses periods and has a 13th period to be used for yearend adjustments. Users can close periods, or keep up to 26 periods open concurrently. Once a period is closed, no further changes can be made. Five digit account numbers are requiredand the first digit is assigned a 1 -9 depending on the type of account (Asset, Liability, Equity…)

Payroll can be processed in house; a support agreement is available to insure that the payroll tax tables are current. Support agreements start at $249.00 per year for one user. Time can be entered manually or use the Time Tracker add-on to support web time entry, costs for this add-on are based on the number of users and range from $10.00 month for 1 user to $100.00 per month for up to 50 users. AccountEdge offers integration with Sure Payroll for those interested in a web-based payroll option. When using Sure Payroll, journal entries are sent to AccountEdge to record the payroll transactions.

The AccountEdge Audit Trail can be turned on or off. If the option is enabled, the resulting report is easy to read and lists the change date, User ID, and describes the change made.

Multi-Currency functionality is included in the software; exchange rate updates are performed manually by updating currency exchange rate in the list menu.

Day-To-Day Operations: 3.5 Stars

Various Sales, Point of Sale and Shipping Features are also available. In addition to processing quotes, progress billing and orders in-house, AccountEdge can also process Web Orders if linked with Enstore a web based solutions that synchronizes both order and items with AccountEdge. Point of Sale functionality is available with the Checkout POS software however this integration is only available for the Mac version.

Customer, Vendor, and Employee Management is supported by a “card” file feature within the program. There is no integration with external databases or third party vendors.

Inventory and Purchasing features included the support of multi-location inventory and committed inventory (pending orders). The Auto Build feature enables the user to create a bill of materials that can be used to “build” and item for sale. AccountEdge only supports the average weighted inventory valuation. Standard inventory reports for management purposes include an Inventory Value Reconciliation (Book to Physical report), pricing analysis, and stock alert.

E-Features allow the users to perform sync with iPhone and/or iPads with their desktop but this feature is not available for android devices. AccountEdge also supports online bill payment to facilitate ACH transfers and offers integration of merchant services with the AccountEdge processor. There are no Remote Access or hosted versions available

Management Features: 3.25 Stars

Dashboard Overview is not included; charts and graphs are available as menu options.

Reporting is available from the command center and is organized by category. Reports can be filtered, report fields can be or removed, and reports can be printed, e-mailed, saved in various formats including PDF, Excel, CSV, HTML. Reporting capabilities are further enhanced by ODBC capabilities built into the product.

Security is organized by two levels; system wide which includes locking open periods and user security that is restricted by access to specific menu options. When closing a year the user has the ability to purge data to reduce the file size.

Integration & Import/Export: 4.25 Stars

Data Transfer uses the import/export feature listed on the file menu using Tab-Delimitated or CSV files. The AccountantLink feature also allows transfer of accounting data to the outside accountant. Acclivity supplies a free copy of AccountEdge to the accountant to facilitate this transfer of information.

External Integration is not supported and there is no cloud solution or hosted solutions available.

Help/Support: 4 Stars

Built-In Support features and help menu link to the Acclivity website. Additional support includes a U.S. based call center, a YouTube channel with videos, and a blog. Users can also schedule a Concierge Call from the program’s Start Here pages, and are free to new customers. Free e-mail support is available. Service package, payroll tax tables, support, US support, upgrades, 30 days with purchase of new package free e-mail support.

Summary & Pricing

AccountEdge, formerly M.Y.O.B is a good small business accounting package for a company that needs multi-warehouse and multi-currency. This package is an especially good fit for a mac user and offers ios integration not found in other small business packages.

AccountEdge is $299.00 ($159.00 upgrade). Annual maintenance which includes tax tables and new versions are $249.00.          

2012 Overall Rating: 4 Stars