TurningPoint is Red Wing’s flagship accounting product, offering core accounting modules with an easy-to-use interface and simple installation and administration.
MODULES AVAILABLE/SCALABILITY – 4 Stars
TurningPoint is sold by the module or by the suite, allowing the business to purchase only what it needs and expand into additional functionality later. Modules available include System Manager, GL, AP, AR, Order Entry, Inventory and Purchase Orders. Red Wing also offers a separate Payroll product and a few third-party integrations.
The product is configured as a file/server application using a Visual FoxPro database. As with all file/server configurations, this limits the number of concurrent users to a relatively small number, and it also limits the installation to a single network. As a general rule, this is not a major factor for the mid-range market, but it is something to consider if the business is expected to grow rapidly or expand to multiple locations.
EASE OF USE/ TRANSACTION ENTRY – 5 Stars
An expandable tree-style navigation window allows access to all modules and activities. As the module names are expanded, additional items are displayed, such as Transactions, Processes, Reports, Utilities, Custom and Setup. This design provides an easy roadmap to any installed module that is very easy to grasp. The right side of this navigator window displays applicable data-entry and processing options. A double-click opens the appropriate screen in a separate window.
Most data-entry screens start with a list of transactions, such as invoices, receipts, orders and so forth. The Add button takes you to the multi-tab data-entry screen. Screens are simple and functional, with information separated into related categories and numerous drop-down lists and lookups provided for key fields. Buttons at the bottom allow the transaction to be saved or printed immediately. Notes can be attached to many of the transactions, and the program makes heavy use of keyboard commands for ‘heads down’ data entry. You can also add or edit master records on the fly.
CUSTOMIZATION/SECURITY – 4 Stars
The administrator can customize data entry for greater efficiency by modifying the labels and behavior of data-entry fields. This is very convenient for businesses that use specific industry terminology. Specific fields can also be skipped during data entry.
A personal task list can also be set up on the main menu window, which is a user-defined list of routine procedures with shortcuts to each. The user can also customize the main menu to reflect the available menu selections or to show only those items used on a regular basis.
Security is provided at both the company, group or user level. For each company, you can grant or deny access to any user. At each level, permissions can be defined as desired. Passwords can be selected as required or optional, and the minimum number of characters for a password can be configured. Menu-level security can also be defined for each user, which will either grant or deny access to a specific menu on a global basis.
INTEGRATION/IMPORT/EXPORT – 5 Stars
The Import Migration Wizard provides a very nice interface for bringing in data from other sources. Data migration can be done directly from systems that can export in an ADO XML format. By setting up an import location and a filter, you can set up the import process as automated or manual. Optionally, you can set up a translation table to map fields in the input file to fields in the TurningPoint data file.
Exports are equally flexible and handled through the Export Wizard. The wizard allows the selection of any table and set of fields within the system, plus a user-defined filter with the ability to export to fixed width ASCII, comma-separated values, Excel spreadsheet, custom delimiter or ADO XML file types.
Red Wing provides a few integrated third-party products. TurningPoint integrations include GoldMine Contact Management Software; Acme Point of Sale; Dynamite Service System, a dispatching software system; and Applianz, which allows you to access the software from multiple sites.
REPORTING – 4 Stars
Reporting is provided through the Crystal Reports engine. Each module provides a fair number of reports and graphs for preview, print, export or e-mail. For each report, there are numerous options for filtering and sorting. The export types include Crystal Reports (*.RPT), Excel (*.XLS), *.PDF, Word (*.DOC), HTML and rich text format (*.RTF). The optional Crystal Reports writer can be used to create custom reports through ODBC file access.
SUPPORT/TRAINING/HELP SYSTEM – 5 Stars
Red Wing offers two customer Maintenance Plan options for the TurningPoint product: Silver and Gold. Both plans include unlimited toll-free access to the technical support center, version updates, service packs, training discounts, an online community forum and a guaranteed one-hour response time. The Gold plan adds premium support, with a guaranteed next available technician. Training seminars are also available, generally at the company’s facility in Red Wing, Minnesota.
The program’s online context-sensitive help system is thorough and effective. Each activity and process is fully explained, and links are provided with additional details. *.PDF manuals are also available for download from the company’s web site.
COMPANY HISTORY – 5 Stars
Red Wing Software hails from the DOS days as a pioneer in development of desktop accounting software for business, as well as targeting the agriculture industry. In addition to TurningPoint, the company offers agriculture-specific financial management packages, as well as agricultural production software, management software for cow/calf operations and a product called Perception for Municipalities to address fund accounting needs. They also have a solid, highly rated payroll product that can be used as a stand-alone package or integrated with their accounting modules.
RELATIVE VALUE – 4 Stars
TurningPoint is an attractive package for companies that require a basic multi-user accounting application. Pricing is modular and seems to be in the middle of the road for its feature set. The support and help systems are very good, which makes this package a worthy contender. A single-user system that includes the Inventory Suite of accounting modules would be $4,495, or $5,675 for a five-user system with those same modules. Individual modules are approximately $895 each. Training is available for $250 per person per day if the company is enrolled in a software maintenance plan, or $295 per person per day if the company is not. Annual maintenance plans are $899 for a single-user and $1,099 for five users.
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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