Softrak Systems, Inc. ' Adagio Accounting

Adagio is an entry-level suite of accounting modules that is targeted at businesses with over $1 million in sales/revenue that have previously used ACCPAC Plus, a popular DOS accounting program, or any firm that has outgrown small business software such as QuickBooks or Peachtree. Although the program is a 32-bit Windows program, it provides for keyboard-only data entry and a zero-conversion data migration from ACCPAC Plus.

MODULES AVAILABLE/SCALABILITY – 4 Stars
The financial suite includes GL, AR, Invoices, AP and the Financial Reporter. Operational suite modules include Inventory, Order Entry and Sales Analysis. For professional services firms, the Time & Billing module provides management of time and disbursement accounting, WIP management and transaction billing. Another module, GridView, offers read-only access to Adagio accounting data for management reporting and analysis.

The Adagio modules are appropriate for up to 50 users. As mentioned above, the program can use the actual unmodified data files used by ACCPAC Plus, or create the data files with its proprietary multi-user database. The licensing scheme utilizes ‘LanPaks’ that are used to manage multi-user access to each module. It is only necessary to purchase additional LanPak licenses if multiple people will be accessing the same module at the same time or if an operator will be using the same module on multiple datasets simultaneously. If you have an accounting staff where one person manages AR, one manages AP, and so forth, multi-user licensing is not even necessary.

EASE OF USE/ TRANSACTION ENTRY – 4 Stars
The program uses a fairly simple design that relies on the use of batches for data entry and processing. Each module is installed and launched independently and maintains its own data for each company. The module data is then ultimately imported into the GL module for posting and financial reporting purposes. The system supports a six-character account number and optional six-character department designations, with a 12- or 13-period fiscal year.

Data-entry screens are user-friendly and well designed. A tiered drill-down system is used for editing and adding transaction data. For instance, in the AR module, you begin data entry by opening the Invoice Batches window. At this point, you can create, edit, delete or post batches, which are listed in a grid format. By double-clicking on a batch, another window opens that displays the records in that batch, which again can be added, copied, edited or deleted. A double-click on the desired record opens the actual record editing window. Lookups are provided for the primary fields, as well as the ability to access related information such as customer and payment history on the fly.

CUSTOMIZATION/SECURITY – 4 Stars
Since this product is designed to address the smaller business with a limited need for customization, Adagio provides a fairly constrained data-entry environment. Softrak has attempted to limit the product’s complexity and provided customization features primarily to the area of documents and reporting. Within each module, the specification designer lets you customize the documents that are applicable to that module. For example, checks, invoices, orders, picking slips and statements can be fully customized using a WYSIWYG formatting editor. This provides a great deal of flexibility for the core built-in document types.

Security is provided at the module level. For each module, you first set up user groups that define what parts of the program the users are allowed to access. Then, you define which menu items users in each group are allowed to access.

INTEGRATION/IMPORT/EXPORT – 4 Stars
All modules are integrated through a process of importing batch information. Transactions that are created through modules such as AR, AP, and so forth are ultimately imported and processed for posting and reporting through the ledger module.
For data export and analysis, Adagio offers a read-only OLEDB interface that can be used to access virtually any data within the accounting modules for export to popular formats such as ASCII or Excel using programming languages such as Visual Basic. The Financial Reporter module displays grids in all modules and provides a built-in one-click export process to Microsoft Excel.

REPORTING – 4 Stars
Adagio provides numerous customization features to meet many unique business requirements, from custom reports to specialized forms. The Financial Reporter module lets you define report specifications in a spreadsheet-style interface that is very flexible and includes numerous formulas for retrieving account balances and creating report totals much as you might create a report in Microsoft Excel. However, there are several tools to help automate the report creation process, such as the ability to drag and drop account group descriptions and balances directly onto the report layout area.
Softrak also recently introduced a special version of Crystal Reports that provides additional customized reporting capabilities such as the ability to insert graphics and logos, graphs, report drill-down, and report distribution via fax or e-mail. The PrintTool is a free utility that lets users print reports without having to actually run Crystal Reports.

SUPPORT/TRAINING/ HELP SYSTEM – 4 Stars
All modules come with professional printed manuals that are easy to understand. The manuals also contain quick-start sections and short tutorials to get the first-time user up and running quickly. The online help system is also thorough and contains links to related topics. Live support and e-mail support are available, as well as a number of custom programming services to address unique needs. A technical discussion forum can be accessed on the company web site.

COMPANY HISTORY – 4 Stars
Softrak is a Canadian software company with over 20 years in the business. They started out as a developer/ partner for the ACCPAC series of products, then ventured into a niche area in 1999 to address customers seeking to move easily from a DOS to a Windows environment without the expense of data conversion and retraining required for former ACCPAC Plus customers. The company is now focused on providing accounting software value to firms with a $5,000-$10,000 accounting software budget.

RELATIVE VALUE – 4 Stars
Adagio makes no claim of being everything to everybody. They strive to provide a high-value easy-to-use package that runs comfortably on any machine that can run Windows 98 or higher. The modest hardware requirements alone may be attractive to nonprofit organizations or companies moving from earlier ACCPAC DOS-based products. The single-user price for a base set of modules would be about $5,850, or $7,350 for a similar five-user package. Additional modules are available for $850 each, and updates are $170 per year for most modules. Training is $295 per day for live classroom training through the company’s ‘Adagio Academy,’ which is available at various locations and dates.

2005 OVERALL RATING: 4

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.