American Computer Software ' MANAGEMENT Plus

MANAGEMENT Plus, from American Computer Software is a property management software system designed for small, mid-sized and large companies who specialize in residential management or subsidized housing.

EASE OF USE – 5 Stars
MANAGEMENT Plus is an easily navigated system. Colorful function icons below the drop-down menu bar provide one-click access to frequently used functions such as security deposit processing, renewal processing, move-out processing and a variety of system lists. Data-entry screens are uncluttered with add, edit and delete options at the bottom of each entry screen, along with print and help options. System setup is completed painlessly thanks to the series of Setup Interviews that are included in the program. Setup Interviews are available for system preferences, subsidized housing, contracts, property and units. MANAGEMENT Plus uses batches for processing cash receipts and system transactions. And the Daily Tasks feature lists items that should be processed daily, including daily activity and maintenance reports. One click will run the selected items for you, using any tenant, unit or building range you wish.

FEATURES – 5 Stars
The newest version of MANAGEMENT Plus contains many new features, including QuickBooks 2004 integration, a setup interview function that assists new users with system setup, and several new system reports.

The core property management module includes transaction processing, posting of cash receipts, lease renewals and move-outs. An Information menu item provides access to lease/tenant, unit and building information. The maintenance feature in MANAGEMENT Plus is excellent, providing comprehensive work order lists that can be sorted using a variety of methods including priority, location and scheduled date. A technician/vendor list shows you exactly who works on each unit, and the item list lets you enter item descriptions and serial numbers, along with appliance condition. You can also maintain a preventive maintenance schedule. Other fully integrated modules included with MANAGEMENT Plus include Subsidized/TRACS for HUD Housing, a Demographics module for targeted marketing, and Service Plus, which allows management personnel to send maintenance requests to field personnel using hand-held electronic devices.

INTEGRATION – 5 Stars
MANAGEMENT Plus integrates with a variety of popular accounting software products, including QuickBooks, Microsoft Small Business Manager, Great Plains and BusinessWorks Gold. Easy system import and export capabilities allows you to transmit data to or from onsite computers to the corporate office. Work orders can be sent to maintenance personnel via hand-held devices. And all MANAGEMENT Plus add-on modules integrate with the core property management module. The Lockbox application will import deposit and cash receipt information, batches the information, and posts it to the correct tenant account. And MANAGEMENT Plus easily converts data from popular Subsidized Housing software such as HUD Manager, Rent Roll 2000 and MicroHUD/ Rent.

REPORTING – 4.5 Stars
MANAGEMENT Plus provides users with a decent amount of standard reports, including financial, occupancy, periodic, mailings and lists. Reports can be run utilizing a variety of user preferences. At this time, MANAGEMENT Plus does not offer a third-party report writer, but the variety of reports should be sufficient for smaller companies.

HISTORY & SUPPORT – 4 Stars
Founded in 1982, American Computer Software boasts that more than one million units have been computerized using MANAGEMENT Plus Software. MANAGEMENT Plus remains one of the few systems on the market today that does not include an integrated GL function. Instead, MANAGEMENT Plus is designed to integrate with a number of third-party accounting software products, including QuickBooks Pro and QuickBooks Enterprise, Microsoft Small Business Manager, Microsoft Great Plains and BusinessWorks Gold.

Support options available from MANAGEMENT Plus include varying levels of support such as single-issue calls charged by call, and four different levels of support ranging from product updates and enhancements only to full support. Purchasing a support package also provides you access to the knowledgebase, which provides answers to frequently asked questions. Training workshops are also available, as is one-on-one training utilizing WebEx technology.

RELATIVE VALUE – 5 Stars
MANAGEMENT Plus is ideal for small to mid-sized companies that wish to purchase a product that can be up and running in a very short period of time. ACS pricing is scalable, allowing the software to grow as your company grows. Software pricing is based on the number of units and users needed. For example, a 100-unit package for a multi-family property that includes the most popular add-on applications will cost approximately $1,100, including the first year of updates, upgrades, fax, e-mail and unlimited non-800 telephone support. The same software package can be scaled up to 3,000 units and 40 users for $45,000 or 10,000 units and 150 users for $130,000. Easy navigation, an in-depth help module and excellent, affordable training options make this a good option.

2005 OVERALL RATING: 5

This review will hopefully answer some of your questions or at least point you in the right direction. We chose six areas to focus on for this review: Ease of Use, Features, Integration, Reporting, History & Support, and Relative Value.

Ease of Use is important, particularly for new users. How quickly can the system be set up? Is it easy to install? System Features gives readers information about the modules included with the system, whether there is an integrated accounting function, and whether or not there is an applicant module or a work order/maintenance module. Integration is also an important issue, particularly for large management companies running multiple software products. Reporting covers report processing ease, a summary of available report types, and whether customization or third-party reporting is an option. History & Support is another area to consider when making a software purchase. How long has the company been in business? What kind of customer support options are available? Is support included in the price of the software? Relative Value assesses whether the features that are included in the product are worth the cost?

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