ATX - Total Command Accounting - CPA Practice Advisor

ATX has entered the small business accounting market with two primary products: Cash Command and Total Command Accounting. Cash Command is geared for smaller concerns, providing a basic application for organizing and managing daily receipts, transactions, bank accounts, invoicing, check printing and vendor/client relationships, with a focus on basic usability. Total Command is geared for businesses moving beyond entry-level, off-the-shelf
products and offers increased functionality with its suite of small business accounting products that is based around core financial components including GL, AR, AP, Payroll and Cash Management. It includes modules for time tracking and billing, CRM, analytics and document management as well as a variety of options available as add-ons to the software that enable tailoring the program to the needs of specific types of concerns, such as retail, wholesale, manufacturing and professional services. The program was developed through a partnership with AccTrak21, and Total Command is essentially a rebranding of that company’s accounting suite, but geared toward smaller and mid-sized businesses. The system integrates with Total Accounting Office, ATX’s professional accounting package, which includes write-up, trial balance and other capabilities needed by public accountants. This review focuses on Total Command. Cash Command costs approximately $200 for a single-user version; $300 for a site license. The base Total Command system costs about $2,000 for a package that supports up to three users.

Ease of Use/Basic Functionality – 5 Stars

Total Command opens to
a well-designed Home screen that provides a vertical menu on the left that offers access to the primary components of the system, including Customers, Vendors, Cash Management, Reports, Quick Entries and Payroll. When selected, each of these categories opens to a list of functions related
to that category. The primary workspace shows the Biz-Assistant, a multi-function to-do list and reminders tool that displays information for the logged-in user. This Home screen also offers links to Regular Activities, making it easy to jump to tasks frequently performed by that user. Security functions within the program can be used to limit users’ access to specific functions and report views.

Total Command includes wizards that assist with tasks, and data-entry screens are easily navigable and include smart entry lists that allow the user to select a customer, vendor, address, account and other information from a pull-down list. Additionally, the system allows users to set the system’s style settings to either Business Style or Professional Style, with the Professional Style providing traditional accounting terminology and greater flexibility with regard to transactions. Total Command can be modified in a number of additional ways, as well.

Available Modules/Customization for Vertical Industries – 4.5 Stars

Although ATX calls them modules, Total Command Accounting comes with GL, AR, AP, Cash Management, CRM and Payroll, as well as
a system/security manager,
an e-Bridge import utility,
e-Document Viewer, Remote Access Kit, Group Consolidation function and BusinessSmarts. The AP and AR functions assist in management of vendor and client relationships, keeping details of vendor and client transactions, and allowing grouping of vendors and clients into categories by status or type, thereby aiding in analysis and management of liabilities. The AR function allows analysis of receivables and collections by period, geographical area, client
category, client status and salesperson, and can be customized to look at almost any other information. The system’s Online Inquiry feature enables quick resolution of billing and payment disputes.

Total Command’s BusinessSmarts utility provides a very good built-in data mining and analysis tool using a Seagate processing system. In addition to this tool, the
system’s audit trail provides tracking of all transactions and provides drill-down access to individual transactions, identifying user, date and action. ATX also offers add-on modules and customizations for specific industries, providing chart of accounts templates for retail, service and manufacturing businesses. All of these templates comply with GAAP standards. Add-on modules include Practice Management, International Business (with multi-currency), Online Banking, B2B E-Commerce, Mobile Commerce, Inventory Control, Sales Order Processing and Purchase Order Processing. An add-on Health of My Enterprise (HOME) utility offers additional business analytics, including monitoring key performance indicators and automated alerts to business and financial management staff.

Expandability – 4 Stars

The Total Command product line is designed to allow users to move up into progressively more powerful capabilities as the business needs such functions. For very small businesses with a basic need to monitor cash flow, receipts and expenses, Cash Command offers a very simplified and inexpensive option. As a company determines it needs more functionality such as increased customer and vendor support, true AP and AR functions, and analytical tools for planning future growth, it can move all of the financial and customer data directly into Total Command, which can also be expanded through specialty add-on modules as needed.

Total Command’s optional Multi-Company Database Expansion module offers additional support for multiple companies, users, currencies and graphical printing, as well as support for larger group accounting and group consolidation.

Reporting & Management Functions – 5 Stars

In addition to the built-in BusinessSmarts function, the optional Health of My Enterprise (HOME) module augments the system’s managerial functions by providing additional reporting and business intelligence features, including providing tracking mechanisms for performance indicators. HOME allows users to set up financial formulas to be computed by the system using data designated by the user. As well, HOME provides graphical performance sets that can also be produced in *.PDF format.

Audit Trail, Integrity & Accountant Control Tools – 4.5 Stars

Total Command’s audit trail functions track all historical transactions, including all documents entered, edited or deleted, resulting in an Audit Trail Listing Report. The system’s security measures include password protection of clients, features, reports and specific activities, including access to the audit trail. Profile-level controls can also be used to allow users to access specific groups of companies, features and programs, including their ability to edit, print and customize items to which they have been granted access.

Help & Support Options – 5 Stars

In addition to a well-designed built-in help system that includes extensive right-click assistance menus including context-specific help, ATX offers an Online Knowledgebase and support community at www.atxers.com, as well as toll-free and e-mail support. The company’s WebInteractive support team can also
be used to pinpoint support issues. ATX offers basic online training and program implementation assistance at no charge as well as online one-on-one classes for an additional fee.

2005 Overall Rating – 4.5 Stars