Sage North America — DacEasy by Sage 2011

DacEasy by Sage is a completely integrated accounting product with a solid POS module. Designed to be used either as a stand-alone product or as a completely integrated front/back office solution, the system is best suited for small to mid-sized retailers. It comes in single-user and network editions, the latter of which supports up to 20 concurrent users, all submitting sales to the same database, all integrated with other DacEasy modules.

BASIC SYSTEM FUNCTIONS

The DacEasy interface has been completely updated in the new 2011 version, with updated toolbars, a more intuitive interface and a less cluttered appearance. The DacEasy Business Center allows for a customized interface utilizing a variety of features such as workflow guides, administrative tools and activities. The workflow option to the left of the main screen provides access to grouped functions such as customers and sales, employees and payroll, etc. The ticket entry interface allows clerks to create a receipt number, enter or lookup customer information, choose the type of sale or tax information appropriate for the customer, enter the salesperson, and enter a customer purchase order number. Function buttons to the right of the screen allow for transaction authorization, layaway processing, jumping to specific areas, choosing a variety of options that appear when the arrow is clicked, as well as additional information. Both Help and How Do I functions assist new users with system navigation and ticket entry.

Along with the POS module, DacEasy by Sage also features Accounting, Payroll and Order Entry modules. (The company noted that a Job Cost module that interfaces with Accounting is also available, but it requires an Accounting module of the same version and is not standalone like other modules. It also does not integrated with the Business Center like other modules.) The Accounting module contains all GL functionality along with AP, AR, Banking and Inventory. All modules are fully integrated, and the new workflow area makes it even easier to navigate through the various functions.

DacEasy by Sage offers multi-level user access that can be set for system functions as well as features within those functions. Each salesperson is assigned a code that is required for system login.

The user interface is easily customized and can be set to default directly to the POS navigational screen, if desired. Various dashboards such as Bank Account Balances, Sales, Customers, Vendors and Products are available, as well. Numerous lookup fields are available at the bottom of the ticket entry screen. Products, codes, services, messages and master items can be accessed via the Item Number field. Lookup fields are also available in all of the other appropriate areas, with drop-down arrows providing access to populated lists.

Cashiers can easily multitask when entering transactions. Customers, products and vendors can be added on the fly, and layaways and refunds can be processed from the same screen.

DacEasy by Sage offers multi-location warehouse management and can easily handle mail orders through the sales order function. 4.25

SPECIALIZED FEATURES/SERVICES

Multiple tender options are available and can be added on the fly. Split tender capability is also available, with the option to split payment between two separate types of tender.

DacEasy by Sage offers a solid customer management system, with detailed customer information, in-depth account information, specific price groups, and beginning and current balances. The custom option allows for user-defined fields for text, amount and date for detailed tracking of specific data.

They system easily handles layaways and sales orders. The layaway function allows for entry of multiple items and tracks paid amounts, payment dates and number of days to hold. The Sales Order module easily handles customer orders including quotes and service-related charges. 2.5

TRACKING/REPORTING

DacEasy by Sage offers a wide variety of reports, including Sales Receipt, Daily Sales and Print Sales Analysis. Along with additional reporting options, all other modules feature solid reporting functions, as well. All reports can be viewed on-screen; printed; emailed; exported to Excel, HTML or ASCII files; or published on the user’s website.

Users can choose whether to require journal printing prior to posting items. The Inventory History report tracks product movement, while the Product History report details information about each product offered. Product movement can be tracked using the Product Activity Detail report.

The Customer Analysis report lists each current customer, net sales, cost of goods sold and net profit. This report is also available by product. The Audit Trail log will display all system transactions entered into the system. 4

INTEGRATION/IMPORT/EXPORT

The POS module integrates with all other DacEasy by Sage modules and features. As previously noted, all reports can be exported to Excel or ASCII format. The system also integrates with several other Sage products, such as Sage Exchange for credit card processing (PA-DSS compliant). Customer, vendor, product, service and GL data can be imported into DacEasy by Sage, and billing transactions can be exported. DacEasy also integrates with common POS hardware, including cash drawers, keyboard wedges, serial barcode readers, magnetic card readers and pole displays. 3.75

HELP/SUPPORT

DacEasy by Sage provides excellent Help functionality throughout. Users have module-specific Help and can easily access the vendor’s website, as well. System downloads and new releases are also available from the website, as are service releases. The DacEasy by Sage knowledgebase allows users to search for solutions by product, and provides easy access to responses. The vendor offers a variety of support options during regular business hours, including ClientCare (available in three levels) and On-Demand Support. 5

SUMMARY & PRICING

DacEasy by Sage’s POS module starts at $499 for a single user. Subsequent modules run an additional $499. This is a solid POS module that is well suited for a single-location or networked retailers. The network edition of each module (including POS) costs $899.99, with support for up to 20 concurrent users. While suitable as a stand-alone product, it can offer solid front/back office functionality when combined with the full accounting suite.

2010 Overall Rating 4