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Cougar Mountain Software Professional Accounting

800-388-3038 www.cougarmtn.com

From the April/May 2008 Review
of Contractor/Construction Accounting Systems

Version 12.1 of Cougar Mountain Professional Accounting is the latest release
of this popular accounting software product that features a variety of add-on
modules including a Job Costing module. An excellent accounting product, Cougar
Mountain Professional does not include a whole menu of construction-specific
features, but the job cost module does an admirable job of effectively tracking
costs for all jobs entered into the system. Cougar Mountain Professional Accounting
with Job Costing would be a good fit for smaller construction companies.

Learning Curve/ Ease of Use — 5 Stars
The job cost module in Cougar Mountain is efficient, tracking overhead, labor
and materials for every job entered in the system. Job codes can utilize up
to 20 characters that can be alphanumeric if desired. The main screen contains
a standard drop-down menu bar for system navigation. Directly below the menu
bar is a series of module icons that provides access to all installed modules.
Cougar Mountain Professional makes extensive use of wizards and templates for
easy company setup. Users can choose a default chart of accounts, modify an
existing chart of accounts, or create their own. Navigating through the program
is easy, with uncluttered data-entry screens and lookup options available in
all of the necessary fields. Utilizing the numerous user-defined fields will
make it easier to track the desired data. Phases, cost codes and jobs can be
added on the fly. Integrated modules such as Purchase Order and Inventory increase
the functionality of Cougar Mountain Software with Job Costing.

Modules & Functionality — 4.5 Stars
Cougar Mountain Professional Accounting contains complete integrated accounting
functionality with GL, AP, AR and Order Entry modules. Numerous add-on modules
are available, including the aforementioned Job Cost module, along with Advanced
Bill of Materials, Bank Reconciliation, Fixed Assets, GL Report Generator, Multi-Location
Inventory, Purchase Order and Payroll modules as well as a Tax Update utility.
Also worth mentioning is the CRM Bridge to ACT!, as well as PDF-eXPLODE – e
Doc Generator, which will be discussed in the next section.

Productivity Tools — 4.5 Stars
The PDF-eXPLODE – e-Doc Generator helps users keep better track of documents
by turning documents such as invoices, purchase orders or statements into PDF
files, thereby allowing users to e-mail them directly to customers. PDF e-XPLODE
– e Doc Generator will also allow for the creation of company financial
statements to e-mail directly to clients and investors, as well as the ability
to convert system files to PDF and store them on the user’s computer rather
than in a file cabinet. As of this review date, PDF-eXPLODE e-Doc Generator
will not work with the Windows Vista operating system. The CRM Bridge to ACT!
allows for integration of Cougar Mountain Software Professional with ACT!, the
popular customer relationship management software. This integration eliminates
the need for duplicate data entry, and will allow better tracking of vital customer
information.

Import/Export/ Integration — 4.5 Stars
Cougar Mountain Software Professional is a completely integrated system, with
all modules available bundled for a complete financial solution. Add-on modules
integrate with the core product, and Cougar Mountain Software offers various
third-party applications that are designed to integrate with the core product,
as well. The Data Exchange module allows easy import and export of data utilizing
a variety of file formats including Excel, Access, ASCII, Lotus 123 and Paradox.

Reporting — 4.5 Stars
The Business Condition Snapshot Reports function maintains and produces a three-year
snapshot of the state of your business. The Snapshot Reporting feature provides
the ‘Business Condition’ for GL AR, AP, Sales and Inventory modules.
Snapshot Reports contains user-defined information, and criteria will be saved
for the next time the feature is accessed, or different information can be displayed
each time. Cougar Mountain Software Professional also contains good reporting
capabilities, with plenty of standard reports available. The R & R Report
Writer can be used for more custom reporting options. The GL Report Generator
(add-on) offers data-mining capabilities for more detailed reporting. Reports
can also be exported to spreadsheet software applications such as Excel and
Lotus 123.

Support & Training — 5 Stars
Cougar Mountain Software offers its Software Assurance Plan in two levels: Standard
and Premier. Both levels offer maintenance releases and service packs, software
upgrades, and discounts on support and training. The Premier version also includes
Premium level e-Learning and 20 hours of online or telephone support. Separate
phone support plans are available as well and start at $400 (basic) per year;
Priority phone support starts at $800 per year. Both plan costs are dependent
upon the number of support hours chosen. Cougar Mountain Software offers some
of the best training options available anywhere, including the Cougar Training
Center, which is located at the vendor’s corporate headquarters. On-site
learning, e-Learning and online learning options are available, as well.

Relative Value — 4.5 Stars
Cougar Mountain Professional Accounting is currently priced at $1,918 for a
single user, which includes the Software Assurance plan. The Job Cost module
is an additional $799 for a single user, or $999 for multiple users. The company
also charges $249 for installation services to ensure that the product is set
up correctly before a customer starts to use it. While Cougar Mountain Software
Professional is not specifically designed for the construction industry, it
will be a good fit for smaller construction and contracting companies that are
looking for an excellent financial management software product with job costing
capabilities.

2008 Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars