Best Software -- CPA Software Visual Client Write-Up

Formerly known as Visual Client Write-Up, this client write-up accounting program has been re-branded following sale of its owner, CPASoftware, to Best Software. We all know Best as purveyor of Peachtree, BusinessWorks, MAS 90, MAS 200, MAS 500, ABRA HR Payroll, ACT!, FAS, and MIP Fund Accounting, to name a few. Through its purchase of the former Visual suite of programs, Best has served notice that it plans to be a force in the professional accountant’s software marketplace.

CPAClient Write-Up consists of a
general ledger, after-the-fact payroll,
financial reporting, trial balance
and bank reconciliation. The program
offers a unique approach to entry
of once-a-year client-supplied trial
balances from business clients that
is intuitive, faster and more efficient
than anything I have experienced.
This is a profitable tool.

CPAClient Write-Up is full featured,
and it works, which is exciting
news for the Windows desktop where
we have had few real players. Ready
for prime time, we put CPAClient
Write-Up support to the test. We
took our observations and questions
the extra nine yards during a recent
CPASoftware product walkthrough.
My “class” was in a
web-enabled, state-of-the-art classroom.
And friendly, knowledgeable, enabled
“I can” responses were
all I got.

The new purchase price is $1,285
and includes federal and state reporting
(after-the-fact payroll). It can
be fully networked and is for an
unlimited user license, which means
the cost is the same for a five-user
system. Support is $775 a year,
and a three-hour web training class
is $295.

LEARNING CURVE & EASE OF USE – 5 Stars
CPAClient Write-Up offers comprehensive
and flexible client setup. Conversion
of data files from many products
are available – too many to
list, in fact. Data entry is intuitive,
smart & definitely “heads
down.” The learning curve
is fast, which I did not expect.
The interface is pleasant, easy
on the eyes, and logical with a
familiar feel. My hands-on experience
begged the question, “Haven’t
we met before?” The fact is,
I had never seen Visual Client Write-Up
or CPAClient Write-Up before. D?j?
vu. Perhaps it was in a prior life.

REPORTING & FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – 4.5
Stars

The flexible financial report writer
puts the user in control. An adequate
supply of “canned” financial
templates accompanies the system.
Custom financial reports are created
utilizing a “row-and-column”
methodology that is almost first-nature.
Custom statements are available
for sharing between clients. Support
for consolidations, departmental
and budgetary reporting is included.
Drill-down support to source entry
is also available. Pretty cool!

INTEGRATION, IMPORT/EXPORT & PRODUCTION PROCESSING – 4 Stars
This program integrates with CPAPayroll,
CPAAccounts Payable, CPADepreciation,
CPADocument Manager, and CPAPractice
Manager. It imports data from CPAClient
Checkbook, Peachtree, QuickBooks,
Quicken, MAS90, FAS, an ASCII file
specification import and ATB. It
exports tax data to Lacerte, ProSystem
fx Tax, and ProSeries. CPAClient
offers no support for batch printing
of multiple clients.

SCALABILITY & PORTABILITY – 4.5 Stars

CPAClient is programmed to take
advantage of advanced Microsoft
Windows operating system features.
Network support requires Windows
2000 or higher. One workstation
must be running Access 2000 or Windows
XP to support the client database.

SUPPORT, TRAINING & HELP SYSTEM – 4 Stars
Comprehensive context-sensitive
help is available throughout CPAClient
Write-Up. Product demos are available
on CD and online through Runaware.
Support is free for the first six
months of program ownership; priority
support is offered to new users
for the first 60 days of program
ownership. Hands-on training is offered in
physical or virtual (web) classrooms,
and traditional (toll-free) telephone
support is available.

INTERVIEWS – WHAT USERS HAD TO SAY

A new user who’s been using
the program for about one and half
years told us that “installation
was very easy, and so was the learning
curve. Overall, our 10 partners
are very happy.”

Other users told us the following:
Overall, we’re very satisfied
with program; it’s excellent.
Their tax product is going away.
Clients in the field (with companion
products) are very satisfied. Support
is good but needs to have longer
hours for west coast users. It has
a very short learning curve. We
had to be trained for the financial
statements; they were cumbersome.

2004 OVERALL RATING: 4.5

The choice of a write-up program should be based in large part on identifiable attributes of the write-up program that best fits the sum of the individual needs of the practice. In no particular order, factors that lead to the sum include setup & learning curve; training & support; program pricing & cost of updates; data conversion, maintenance & storage; efficiency & flexibility; and integration with a practitioner’s other programs (tax, payroll, analysis, word processing, etc.). Finally, throw in a wild card ‘ the practitioner’s overall dedication to technology.

Technology