2010 Review of Cougar Mountain Software — CMS Professional 2010 Accounting

From the April/May 2010 Review of Contractor & Construction Accounting Programs.

In 2007, Cougar Mountain Software celebrated its 25th anniversary and has continued its committed goal to offer an excellent software product geared toward small to mid-sized businesses. The CMS Professional products were first introduced to the market in 1997, and were the company’s first Windows-based product. CMS Professional 2010 product packages include an accounting package, point-of-sale package for retailers, and a FUND accounting package for nonprofits and government organizations.

BASIC SYSTEM FUNCTIONS:
While I reviewed CMS Professional 2010 online, the product typically offers a routine installation. CMS Professional products have always offered users an easily navigated user interface. System functions such as file, company, security, snapshot reports and options are listed in a drop-down menu at the top of the screen with all installed modules listed directly below. Data-entry screens are logically sequenced with lookup options available in all the necessary fields. Modules can be opened simultaneously, so users can click back and forth between. CMS Professional 2010 also makes excellent use of tabs throughout the data-entry screens, making it easier to enter and maintain information from one central location. Setup wizards are also available for quick company setup.

CMS offers templates in the add-on Job Cost module, including a Job template and a Phase Template. The Sales entry screen, for both the point-of-sale and order entry modules, allows users to set up a customized sales entry screen to suit their particular business type. Users can also choose an industry-specific chart of accounts during company setup. The Point-of-Sale module enables the processing of retail sales, allowing users to enter sales and post transactions, accept multiple tenders, and process returns.

CORE ACCOUNTING CAPABILITIES:
The General Ledger module in the CMS Professional 2010 accounting package allows users to maintain up to 36 months of data using a standard chart of accounts that can be geared toward any industry. Users can maintain multiple companies and create both monthly and yearly budgets.

The Accounts Payable module allows for paying multiple vendors and adjusting balances from one screen. Companies can easily track vendor history and print a cash requirements report prior to processing AP. CMS Professional 2010 AP can also handle an unlimited number of customers and transactions, and can apply a single payment to multiple invoices, while applying special discounts and pricing to individual customers.

The POS module allows users to enter tax code functionality, with options for specific sales tax codes, descriptions and percentage rates. The Sales Tax report provides the option to choose a transaction type, date range and tax codes to include in the report. All CMS Professional 2010 products have an Audit Trail report, which provides users with a detailed report of every transaction entered into the system, as well as user ID, date posted, and application from which the transaction was posted. CMS can easily support multiple locations utilizing the add-on SinglePoint Application Server, which lets authorized users dial into the system using Applianz Technologies in order to access the necessary system information. The program does not currently offer multi-currency capability.

DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS:
The order entry module provides users with the ability to enter orders and choose a shipping address and payment method for each customer. Using the POS module previously mentioned, users can easily manage a retail environment, entering real-time sales information. Also available is another add-on application CMShip, which offers a complete shipping interface with both FedEx and UPS. CMS Professional 2010 allows users to track customer detail, including billing and shipping information, along with transaction history, notes and e-commerce information. Vendor information includes total purchases, returns and payments, credit lines, if applicable, and user-defined fields. The optional CMS Professional 2010 Payroll module tracks all employee data including leave, notes and seniority/termination information.