September 2010

7519 With the end of the year approaching, many accountants and clients are starting to consider other options for payroll calculation and preparation for 2011, as well as how they will retool their practice in 2011 to deal with the stagnant economic conditions in the housing sector. My column this month focuses on two topics […]

3359 If at one time you offered payroll services and stopped because you found it to be less than profitable, it may be time to re-evaluate. Back in the day, we didn’t have the advanced technology required to process payroll and make a decent profit. But oh, how things have changed. Powerful payroll software and […]

6611 www.infotouch.com 800-678-8682 Store Keeper POS from InfoTouch Corporation is a POS system designed for single-store retailers. For retailers with more than one location, InfoTouch offers Store Manager ES, a more robust version that easily handles multiple locations. Both versions offer pre-defined templates for specialty retail markets. BASIC SYSTEM FUNCTIONS Store Keeper POS was designed […]

6895 800-735-6860 www.gopositive.com POSitive Retail Manager from POSitive Software Company is a sophisticated POS product designed for larger retailers that manage multiple sites. POSitive Retail Manager SE is also available from the vendor, and is designed for smaller retailers. Both versions allow basic data export into QuickBooks. BASIC SYSTEM FUNCTIONS The POSitive Retail Manager interface […]

5084 Fran Distributing Company caught the continuous “Self-Improvement” bug when some tools they were introduced to for monitoring inventory added efficiency and more profit to their operation (see my August column at www.CPATechViews.com/go/2916). The results were impressive: dramatic reductions of expired inventory, a drop in shipping expenses by reducing the need for rush items and […]

5086 888-882-1530 www.smartwerksusa.com SmartwerksUSA is POS/accounting product designed for retailers with single or multiple users and locations. Hosted on the Web, Smartwerks offers retailers a flexible product that can work in a multitude of environments. BASIC SYSTEM FUNCTION The program’s main screen contains a list of all system modules in a drop-down menu at the […]

781-810-9000 www.MPay.com MPAY Inc. offers a variety of employer, human resources, benefits management and payroll programs for small, mid-sized and enterprise-level organizations, with options for web-based and on-premise solutions. The company’s two primary payroll offerings, Payentry.com and Millennium, are designed to provide automated processing and compliance as a service and, therefore, fit into our “Outsourced/Referral” […]

6119 866-547-9277 www.waspbarcode.com Wasp QuickStore POS is a scalable point-of-sale product available in three versions: Standard, Pro and Multi-Store. Each product builds on the features contained in the others, making it easy to scale up to the next level. Wasp QuickStore is designed for specialty retail stores, and is not designed for use in restaurants, […]

6303 866-379-6636 www.quickbooks.com Like all QuickBooks products, QuickBooks POS provides small business owners a solid product for a reasonable price. QuickBooks POS offers many of the features found in more sophisticated programs, along with solid reporting. Currently, there are four versions of the retail/point-of-sale product available: Cash Register Plus, Basic, Pro and Pro Multi-Store. Each […]

4370 The cash register, a staple in the retail industry for years, has increasingly disappeared from the counters of stores nationwide. In its place, you’ll frequently find a variety of tools that resemble a cash register but offer a much wider array of features, such as a touch-screen terminal, product scanners for quick product processing, […]

6667 800-852-5852 www.counterpointpos.com CounterPoint SQL from Radiant Systems is a comprehensive retail management system designed for businesses of all sizes. Best suited for the small to mid-sized , multi-location retailer, this system is built on SQL technology and is conveniently available in a smaller Express version for single-location retailers. BASIC SYSTEM FUNCTIONS CounterPoint offers a […]

6142 800-648-6258 www.addsuminc.com Advanced Accounting offers a complete accounting suite along with an inclusive POS module. Built to be scalable, Advanced Accounting is suitable for single-user boutiques as well as stores with hundreds of users. The system is not designed for high-volume transaction processing, making it ideal for small to mid-sized retailers. BASIC SYSTEM FUNCTIONS […]

7126 800-388-3038 www.CougarMtn.com Cougar Mountain Software (CMS) offers several programs for business and nonprofit accounting and point-of-sale, including the CMS Professional 2011 Payroll system, a comprehensive live payroll and compliance management program designed for in-house use by small and mid-sized businesses and organizations. The program is designed to work as a fully integrated application between […]

5559 800-292-2962 www.cyma.com The CYMA payroll solution is an on-premise installed, full-featured payroll solution. It is not intended to manage general HR functions. For this year’s payroll review, CYMA fits our “Full-Service” payroll model, and can also fit within our “Direct Client/Business Use” group. As a full-service solution, it allows professionals to manage all of […]

5430 800-732-9464 www.redwingsoftware.com CenterPoint Payroll is a client/server installed payroll system. The CenterPoint program is a full payroll solution that performs necessary live payroll functions such as direct deposit and tax form preparation and is not intended to manage general HR functions. For this payroll review, CenterPoint fits our “Full Service” model of payroll systems, […]

800-968-8900 cs.thomsonreuters.com In addition to the CS Suite of professional accounting, payroll, tax and practice management applications, Thomson Reuters offers myPay Solutions, a service bureau-style outsourced payroll option for accounting firms who wish to play a role in their client payroll activities without managing the actual processes. For the purposes of this review, myPay Solutions […]

800-968-8900 CS.ThomsonReuters.com Thomson Reuters Accounting CS Payroll if a full-featured payroll processing solution that can be installed on a local network or be hosted by Thomson Reuters (web-based). This system is built for firms that provide payroll processing services to their clients and is not intended to be used by in-house HR departments. For the […]

5754 877-868-8012 www.SurePayroll.com SurePayroll is a full-featured web-based payroll solution focused on providing payroll services to multi-employers and single employers. Either a practitioner or a single employer may purchase this web-based service. For the purposes of this review, SurePayroll fits our “Referral/Outsourced” payroll model if used directly by a client, or the “Partially Assisted” model […]

5552 800-755-7846 www.ChequeMate.com Cheque-Mate International is the software arm of a payroll service bureau that developed its own payroll management more than 30 years ago. Since then, the Insta-Pay system has been used by hundreds of accounting firms and other payroll professionals, providing support for all states, direct deposit, benefits tracking, and electronic and paper-based […]

8245 888-400-1613 www.ParamountSofware.com With its Crest Payroll solution, Paramount Software offers a comprehensive system for professional accounting firms managing the payrolls for multiple client businesses, providing support for any number of entities and employees, with a web-based system that includes unlimited payroll runs, direct deposit, and online client and employee portals branded with the professional […]

7820 888-999-1366 www.AccountantsWorld.com Payroll Relief is the professional web-based payroll system from AccountantsWorld, providing an accountant-centric model for payroll processing that includes client portal and data-entry access, support for any number of clients and employees, direct deposit, electronic payment, and reporting. The program is available in per-payroll and per-paycheck options, as well as an all-inclusive […]

  Intuit, Inc. – QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll for Accountants800-365-9618www.accountant.intuit.com/payroll From the Sept. 2010 Review of Professional Payroll Systems Intuit offers several payroll processing systems and services, with some designed for direct use by small businesses and others designed with the accountant in mind. With QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll for Accountants, the vendor provides professional firms that […]

6966 800-536-1099 www.1099-etc.com The 1099-Etc program and After-the-Fact/Live Payroll module from Advanced Micro Solutions (AMS) is, as its name implies, an after-the-fact payroll processing system designed for either professional accountants or business entities. The system also includes live payroll processing capabilities with direct deposit, but is generally geared toward managing in-house payrolls, multiple-payrolls for smaller […]

7348 800-424-9392 www.SageAbra.com Sage Software is well-known for its accounting and business management systems, with products ranging from the Peachtree small business bookkeeping system to applications and ERP systems for large enterprises. The Sage Abra Suite is the software vendor’s premier payroll and human resources management system, providing extensive payroll processing and management capabilities for […]

6926 888-736-7638 www.PenSoft.com PenSoft offers several payroll processing and employee management systems geared toward use directly by small and mid-sized businesses as well as a version tailored to the needs of professionals managing the payrolls of several employers. The Accounting Edition includes all of the features found in the vendor’s comprehensive payroll systems, including benefits […]

7588 800-365-9618 www.OnlinePayroll.Intuit.com The Intuit Online Payroll offering, formerly known as PayCycle, is one of several payroll products and services offered by Intuit. The completely web-based system includes versions for small businesses and for accounting professionals managing payroll activities and compliance for multiple employers, with automated compliance reporting, payments and due date alerts. The system […]

7297 866-345-4171 www.cchsfs.com CCH Small Firm Services is the technology company behind the ATX and TaxWise professional tax compliance suites, which are popular with small and mid-sized practices. Under each of these brands, the vendor also offers collections of professional accounting and client service applications, including trial balance, write-up, asset management, client bookkeeping, and separate […]

  CompuPay – Xpress Payroll for Accountants877-729-6299 www.CompuPay.com From the Sept. 2010 Review of Professional Payroll Systems CompuPay has a variety of payroll systems designed primarily for direct use by small businesses that offer varying degrees of automated processing, reporting and compliance. The company also offers an Accountant Solutions division, which offers guidance to professionals […]

6156 www.CheckMark.com 800-444-9922 CheckMark Software offers its self-named CheckMark Payroll, a traditionally installed live payroll system designed for use by accountants or small businesses as a multi-employer payroll management system. The program can be run on Windows or Mac computers, providing support for all federal and state reporting requirements, and offering Direct Deposit and basic […]

6363 Over the past two decades, payroll processing has had an ebb and flow relationship with many professional practices. Small and mid-sized business owners or management either try to manage payroll themselves without assistance, or they instinctively turn to their public accountant. In the first case, most will inevitably face penalties for missing due dates […]

9208 Accountants are a special breed of people with above average intelligence, a genuine interest in helping people, and often a lot going on in their lives both professionally and personally. No, I’m not trying to butter you up; it’s simply an observation that we are busy people who can learn to use tools fairly […]

7364 718-605-7733 www.celerant.com Celerant Command Retail from Celerant Technology is a fully integrated retail management system. Designed for small to mid-size retailers with multiple locations, this system offers a series of integrated modules designed to help retail stores run more efficiently. BASIC SYSTEM FUNCTIONS Command Retail’s main user interface is logically arranged, with all system […]

6481 800-322-3279 www.daceasy.com DacEasy by Sage is a completely integrated accounting product with a solid POS module. Designed to be used either as a stand-alone product or as a completely integrated front/back office solution, the system is best suited for small to mid-sized retailers. It comes in single-user and network editions, the latter of which […]

6738 If you’ve been thinking about adding client payroll services to your firm, or if your clients could benefit from anytime/anywhere payroll processing, I recommend taking a close look at Intuit Online Payroll (formerly PayCycle). This impressive online payroll solution includes everything you need to manage client payroll from anywhere at any time. From paychecks […]

6654 800-726-3282 www.camcommerce.com Retail STAR from CAM Commerce is a solid all-in-one POS product designed for single- or multi-location retail businesses with a strong web presence. Modular in design, the system allows retailers to choose the modules they need now and add the rest when necessary. BASIC SYSTEM FUNCTIONS The user interface is easily navigated […]

6321 800-359-3458 www.keystrokepos.com Keystroke Advanced POS is an advanced version of the popular Keystroke POS product used in stores nationwide. Designed for businesses with specific automation needs, Keystroke Advanced POS works well with retail/wholesale distributors and multi-location chain stores. Keystroke POS, a less robust version is a good fit for the smaller retailer with less […]

6703 800-211-1172 www.ecrsoft.com Catapult from ECR Software Corp. is a customized point-of-sale product that offers a series of specialized solutions geared toward specific retail business entities. Several add-on options are also available, the system a good fit for high-volume transaction processing businesses such as convenience stores, gas stations and grocery stores. BASIC SYSTEM FUNCTIONS The […]

Column: My Perspective

Column: The Sage Peachtree Perspective

Growing Profits with Payroll: Which Model is Right for Your Firm?

Column: Tricks and Tips

From the September 2010 Issue The cash register, a staple in the retail industry for years, has increasingly disappeared from the counters of stores nationwide. In its place, you’ll frequently find a variety of tools that resemble a cash register but offer a much wider array of features, such as a touch-screen terminal, product scanners […]

Column: From the Trenches