Visual Bookkeeper Preferred Edition is A-Systems’ new product targeted at the mid-range business wanting a practical, bundled product that is easy to learn and use. After many years of offering its JobView product to the construction industry, the company is offering the core accounting functionality and features in a generalized suite, competing with the likes of QuickBooks Enterprise edition.
MODULES AVAILABLE/SCALABILITY – 4 Stars
Visual Bookkeeper is offered in two editions: Small Business Advantage and Preferred. The Preferred edition (reviewed here) offers an extended feature set that is comparable to other offerings in the mid-range category. Visual Bookkeeper is sold as a bundle with GL, PR, AP, AR, Management Overview Screens, Sales Order Entry and the Contact Manager included. Optional modules include Inventory, Purchase Orders, Electronic Importing and Custom Reporting. The entire system is designed so that a novice user can use the basic functionality and then take advantage of additional features as they become more experienced and have a need for the more advanced features.
One of the more interesting and powerful features is the Management Overview Screens. There are five overviews: Company, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Financial and Accounting. Each of these overview screens presents summarized data from the applicable accounting modules in a single screen. Hotspots on each screen let you drill down to the detail behind each number. For example, if you click on the ‘A/R Balance’ hotspot, a list of customer accounts opens that shows each customer’s balance and aging detail. For each major category, a graph hotspot displays a graph of relevant percentages.
Visual Bookkeeper utilizes a proprietary file/server database platform. ‘File/server’ means that all database processing, such as queries and reporting, takes place at the workstation level, rather than being processed by the server. This architecture generally will provide administrative simplicity, but comes at the cost of slower performance and also limits the number of concurrent users that can access the database. Since most mid-range packages are aimed at firms with 10 to 15 users, this should not pose a major limitation, but is something to keep in mind if the company is planning to grow substantially beyond that in a short period of time. This architecture also generally limits usage to a single site, rather than the ability to centralize data for multiple remote locations.
EASE OF USE/ TRANSACTION ENTRY – 5 Stars
Throughout the program, emphasis has been made on simplicity and ease of use. According to company literature, ‘Visual Bookkeeper is so easy to run, you don’t need a manual.’ I found this to be more than just a slogan. The main interface is clean and organized. The drop-down menu system and icon toolbar are intuitively organized by module. Each menu selection and toolbar icon opens a subset of functions and reports.
Data entry is batch- oriented. This provides a robust multi-user environment where data-entry activities are segregated from live posted transactions. To enter data, such as invoices, you begin by selecting a batch from a list, then add individual transactions to the batch. If a particular transaction has line item details, those details are added by selecting the Insert button on the data-entry screen.
CUSTOMIZATION/SECURITY – 4 Stars
In order to keep the program simple, Visual Bookkeeper limits most customization options to reporting, which is covered later. However, each module has some limited number of options that let you define system parameters. The GL allows up to three segments in the account number. The length of each segment is user-definable from zero to 10 digits. Other options include invoice format, statement format, check format and inventory method.
Security is provided at the user level. Each authorized user is assigned a three-character login name and password. Individual menu items for each module can then be permitted or restricted per user. Access levels can be copied from one user to another for quick setup.
INTEGRATION/IMPORT/EXPORT – 4 Stars
Numerous imports are available for key items such as invoices, GL transactions, purchase orders and timesheets. Import files can be comma-delimited, tab-delimited or fixed position ASCII format. Data to be imported is validated, and a list of any errors can be reviewed before the actual import process takes place. The program also provides a predefined import for QuickBooks data such as customer, vendor, employee and inventory records.
Exports can be done using a supplied ODBC driver or the DataView module. The ODBC driver is a system tool that is used by programmers for automated data extraction or analysis. The accounting data files can be read directly by a customized third-party program. With the DataView module, you can set up detailed query parameters and then view the results of the query in a list on the screen. The records in the query can then be exported to an ASCII file.
REPORTING – 4 Stars
The accounting modules offer over 40 built-in report templates, each of which may be formatted into a long list of unique reports and saved for later use. As well, numerous additional DataView reports have been defined for some of the more popular queries, such as chart of accounts listing, trial balance, vendor listing, customer listing, invoice listing, sales order listing, and so forth. With the optional Custom Reporting module, you are free to use the WYSIWYG designer to define reports any way you like or modify the built-in report templates.
SUPPORT/TRAINING/ HELP SYSTEM – 5 Stars
Support, training and help are areas of special emphasis for A-Systems products. An annual support contract can be purchased that provides access to live technical support. The company says that over 95 percent of all incoming technical calls are answered immediately by a support technician. I verified this when I had a minor question regarding program installation; my call was answered on the first attempt by a knowledgeable and helpful support rep.
Several multimedia tutorials are supplied on the CD, which could translate into thousands of dollars of value for a company that needs to train new users. The tutorials are high-quality and straight- forward. The context-sensitive online help screens are also well-organized and informative. Screenshots and ‘how to’ guides are available for all modules. The program also includes a general accounting tutorial for entry-level users.
COMPANY HISTORY – 5 Stars
A-Systems is based in Midvale, Utah. The company has a long history in the construction accounting market with its JobView product. Even though Visual Bookkeeping is a new offering, it is built on the core functionality of JobView, which gives it a mature well-tested foundation. The company has produced a steady stream of enhancements for the JobView product, which should be paralleled with the Visual Bookkeeping product.
RELATIVE VALUE – 4 Stars
Visual Bookkeeper is an attractive product for the small to mid-sized business that wants a simple, solid environment at an economical price. It is easy to install and use, and offers superior support and training. Starting at $1,245 for the single-user version with our set of typical base modules, or $1,645 for five users, this is a good value that can serve a wide range of businesses well. Additional modules are available for $250 each. Over 40 sessions of multimedia training are provided on the CD at no additional charge, but phone-based tutorial training is available for $250. Annual renewal and maintenance cost are approximately $250 per year.
2005 OVERALL RATING: 4.5
Review sections for the mid-range accounting products include the following:
Modules Available/Scalability. Within this section, we look at the general breadth of modules available from the company. Although our prototype pricing only includes a base set of modules, there are many occasions where a company has special needs. The availability of ancillary modules provides for expansion of the integrated module set to meet new business requirements. Scalability is the capability of the product to grow with the business. Many successful mid-range businesses start with only one or two employees and grow to hundreds of employees within a short period of time. If the accounting package you start with supports a maximum of five users, you’ll be looking for a completely new package when your business outgrows it, which could be potentially expensive in terms of data conversion and retraining.
Ease of Use/Transaction Entry. This section is fairly self-explanatory and simply evaluates the overall user experience in using the software, from the main menu to the data-entry screens. As a general rule, all the products reviewed here are very modern and pose no specific problems in this area. I found them all easy to use and navigate, although some are more mature and refined than others.
Customization/Security. Most vendors in the mid-range market have made a deliberate attempt to keep their products simple. The ability to customize the product is generally focused on the reporting area. However, several vendors do provide the ability to customize for layouts and terminology to match specific industry needs. One other thing that should be highlighted is the ultimate customization tool: source code. A number of products do provide program source code either as part of the purchase price or as a separately purchased feature. Security is very similar across these products, with most having a menu-level system that restricts users to specific menu items and tasks.
Integration/Import/Export. Many mid-range products rely on third-party add-ons for functionality that might be built-in or integrated in a high-end product. For instance, point-of-sale, e-commerce and EDI are functions that may be provided by the vendor as an integrated module, or may be provided by third-party add-ons. If third-party add-ons are supported, it is important to have a relatively simple way to move data into and out of the program using import and export capabilities.
Reporting. Generally, all of these products provide high quality reports. Several provide built-in custom report writers that let you create reports based on your own formats and needs. My preference is the products that have standardized with Crystal Reports as their report engine. This implies two things: First, the database is an ‘open’ database structure that allows direct access to the data files for reports and queries; second, you can purchase the Crystal Reports professional designer and create your own custom reports using an industry-standard format. Many third-party developers specialize in Crystal Reports design and can provide assistance to meet nearly any need.
Support/Training/Help System. This section is also fairly self-explanatory. It is an evaluation of the program’s online help system, as well as the availability of product support, whether through live telephone support, e-mail support or an online knowledgebase. Of course, the best products provide a combination of all these methods. Classroom or web-based training should be available for budget-conscious new users at times and locations that are convenient.
Company History. When purchasing most accounting packages, you are certainly buying a tangible, installable CD, which will be used by people in your company to do their work. However, you are also establishing a business relationship with a company that is expected to provide updates, enhancements, bug fixes, training and support. How long has the company been in business? How many times has ownership of the company changed hands? Is the company based in the United States, Canada or overseas? All of these factors will change the nature of your relationship with the vendor you choose.
Relative Value. Basically, this is the ‘bang for your buck.’ Generally, the more sophisticated products that offer more modules will have a higher cost. This is to be expected. However, this category attempts to consider the big picture. With the feature set and cost considered, does the vendor offer a competitive product at a competitive price?
We hope you find these reviews informative and helpful in your accounting software search. Each product reviewed here is a high-quality product that is worthy of consideration. As I have always encouraged, you should get a demo package from the vendor, install it on your system and try it out! Ask questions, evaluate your needs, compare it with your existing system, and pick a product that fits your budget.
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