2012 Review of CCH ProSystem fx Practice Management

The ProSystem fx Practice Management invoice system is designed to produce multiple bills at one time, but still allows each individual invoice to be modified as necessary. Each invoice may be customized within the library of templates available. Firms can modify these templates further with the built-in editor. Invoices may also be set to immediately post to accounts receivable or be forwarded to another person for final review and processing. Final invoices may be viewed within the system and access to the underlying time is accessible through double clicking the respective line items on the invoice. Accounts receivable is straightforward and payments, credits and prepayments may be applied at any time. ProSystem fx Practice Management also will generate deposit slips based on current payments received and print out a deposit slip with the appropriate MICR encoding.

MANAGEMENT FEATURES - 5 Stars

ProSystem fx Practice Management includes several dashboard views for managers and partners. Several additional dashboards are currently in development and will be included in future releases. The manager and partner level dashboards allow quick access to client accounts receivable data. Alerts may also be set to notify partners or other staff of upcoming due dates, any time budget issues or WIP hours and cost levels exceeding predetermined thresholds.

All staff may be assigned user rights and are limited in viewing data within the system as appropriate. Each staff member has a dashboard that can be customized based on user rights and shows all projects currently assigned. Staff members also have access to an In/Out board to determine current staff availability.

ProSystem fx Practice Management has strong reporting capabilities and allows for fully custom reports based on firm needs. The included report writer can create and modify virtually any report and all generated reports may be exported to Microsoft Excel or PDF formats. Reports may be grouped together and report cues can be set to automatically generate reports and forward to staff and clients via email.

INTEGRATION & DATA MANAGEMENT - 4.25 Stars

ProSystem fx Practice Management integrates directly with ProSystem fx Tax. Upon selecting a tax return project, ProSystem fx Tax is launched and the appropriate client file is opened. A timer may also be set to automatically start upon launching ProSystem fx Tax. Any changes made to client contact and address information is automatically synched between ProSystem fx Practice Management and ProSystem fx Tax.

Native third-party integration is also built into ProSystem fx Practice Management. Push integration is provided to Microsoft Outlook to ensure uniform client contact information. Integration is also provided with Sage Abra Payroll and Sage Mas 90/200/500 General Ledger. Other third-party software may be integrated, but is dependent on creating a custom interface to bridge the data.

HELP/SUPPORT - 4.75 Stars

CCH provides a variety of help and support options for ProSystem fx Practice Management. Traditional help is available from the drop-down menu. Direct links are also available for web, chat and email support. Telephone support is also offered. A searchable online knowledgebase and downloadable program updates are provided through the ProSystem fx Suite website hosted by CCH. All mentioned support options are included with the annual license cost of ProSystem fx Practice Management. Supplemental training is available for additional fees and includes on-demand web training, onsite training, virtual online assistance and other specialized training options.

SUMMARY & PRICING

ProSystem fx Practice Management provides an effective platform for managing time, expense and project management within accounting firms. Built on top of a sturdy database, ProSystem fx Practice Management can handle needs of firms of all sizes and client focus. The Office Edition is priced around $3,500 for a 5 user license. Additional users may be added at $220 for each user. The Basic Edition is priced at $770 for 2 users. Annual renewals are priced at 35% of original purchase price and include all support options.

2012 Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars