Sage Peachtree Premium Accounting 2011

During the new company setup, users can choose the business type that best
fits the company’s needs, such as construction, distribution, manufacturing,
retail or service. The installed chart of accounts will reflect the business
type chosen. Peachtree’s user interface is customizable so only the information
that users want displayed will show on-screen. The Business Status page displays
various statistics, with up to eight different displays available. Company navigation
centers offer quick drill-down for easy information entry. All financial functions
such as customers and sales, vendors and purchases, inventory and services,
employees and payroll, and banking are displayed on the left side of the screen.
Data-entry screens are nicely arranged, with numerous options on the toolbar
above that can be performed in conjunction with the transaction being processed.
Peachtree Complete and higher (including Premium) has job, phase and cost code
costing capabilities, and Peachtree Quantum features a new job management center.
Other industry-specific features can be found in the various industry-specific
versions of the product line.

CORE ACCOUNTING CAPABILITIES:
Peachtree allows users to pre-select the GL account that fits their needs, with
the option to add, edit or delete accounts as necessary. Analysis tools such
as the cash flow manager and collection manager display up-to-the-minute activity
and account status. The Internal Accounting review is a terrific feature that
scans all system transactions, flagging possible accounting errors. The AP functions
allow users to process purchase orders, submit and bill for time and expense
tickets, handle credits and returns, pay bills and void checks. The AR function
enables users to process quotes and proposals, track job costing, process sales
orders, produce invoices, and manage finance charges.
Sales tax functionality is found in the customers and sales center and can be
easily set up by simply entering the appropriate tax rate and the individual
rates that encompass that rate. In order to track tax data, users will need
to enter the tax agency information and account number for posting.

Peachtree has an excellent audit trail that tracks date, time, user name,
action, transaction ID and reference number, and the amount of each transaction.
The audit trail report will display this information in an easy-to-read format.
Peachtree Premium does not offer multi-currency options or multi-location capability
at this time, but Peachtree Quantum Manufacturing Edition does support multiple
locations.

DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS:
Peachtree easily processes customer quotes, which are then easily converted
to sales orders. Invoices can be created and then printed directly from the
converted sales order, and payments are easily applied on accounts. Also available
is the option to “broadcast” a sales invoice, which processes multiple
invoices that incur the same charge. Cash sales can be entered as well as prepayments
and credit memos. Credit card payments can be processed manually or with a swipe
machine. Point-of-sale functionality is not available in this version of Peachtree,
but is available via third-party integrated solutions, and it also integrates
with UPS.

The customer management screen allows users to display sales invoices, receipts,
credit memos and totals in a fully customizable display. Customer information
is easily tracked, with standard contact information available, as well as purchase
history, sales information, and payment and credit history. Vendor information
can also be managed, and includes a detailed purchase screen that contains vendor
history, purchase representative information, and terms and credits. Employee
history, pay history, withholding details, sick and vacation time, and employee
deduction information can all be tracked.

Inventory is easily maintained. Peachtree Premium Accounting users can utilize
up to 10 different pricing levels per product. Custom fields for tracking product
details can be easily added, and a detailed history of product sales is available
for review. Inventory items can be set up for assemblies, and an excellent selection
of inventory reports and a new dashboard assists with product performance tracking.
Users can email invoices or statements directly from Peachtree Premium Accounting.
Remote access is available by using Peachtree Remote Access. The program can
be set to synch with Outlook, and vendor e-payments can be made using the Peachtree
Online Bill Pay feature.

MANAGEMENT FEATURES:
The Business Status screens display a series of dashboard reports that are chosen
by users, with eight different views available, including account balance, aged
payables and revenue YTD. Users can opt to display any number of these eight
views. The reports option displays a list of report categories and all the reports
found within that category. Reports can be run individually or in groups. All
reports contain numerous setup options and various filters. Crystal Reports
for Peachtree is included with Peachtree Premium Accounting and provides custom
report creation with a wizard for easy setup and customization. All reports
can be emailed to recipients or exported to Excel or PDF.
User security is better than ever with the following access levels: entire product,
select access or no access. Select access allows administrators to assign access
rights and tasks within each module with varying degrees of access (full, view
only, add, edit, none).

INTEGRATION/IMPORT/EXPORT:
Peachtree offers ODBC/OLEDB access, which strengthens the products import/export
capabilities. The import/export filter allows users to select specific fields
that need to be imported or exported. Files must be in comma-separated ASCII
(CSV) format. Also available is the ability to convert QuickBooks data into
Peachtree. A long list of third-party add-on products, as well as some of the
vendor’s own add-ons, integrate with the core financial product. Peachtree
offers three levels of payroll products.

A company can set up its accountant as a Peachtree user and utilize the remote
access feature to grant access to files. However, Peachtree will soon announce
the availability of a new SaaS application that will make file sharing between
accountants and clients easier and safer than ever before.

HELP/SUPPORT:
Peachtree Premium Accounting contains a solid Help function, as well as a “What’s
New in Peachtree” guide. A setup guide provides a handy reference to all
areas that need set up. A User’s Guide is also available. The vendor provides
brief tutorials on frequently used function, and links to customer support and
service, as well as the Peachtree website, are also included. All service releases
are listed on Peachtree’s website and can be easily downloaded at any
time. The company also provides 30 days of free access to the Sage University
and Peachtree Community. Payroll tax tables can also be downloaded from the
Payroll navigation center.

The Peachtree Knowledgebase contains a long list of FAQs with detailed answers,
and it can be searched by keyword, product line, answer ID or phrase. The customer
service chat option is also free. Three levels of support plans are available:
Monthly Support, Freedom Support and Peachtree Business Care. All offer phone
and email support, live chat and website support access.

SUMMARY & PRICING
Peachtree Premium Accounting 2011 is $499.99 for a single-user system and $1,199.99
for a five-user version, and includes functionality for our core module set
of GL, AP, AR and Payroll. Peachtree by Sage offers small business users a wide
array of products suitable for the very small one-person office to the multi-user
environment. Peachtree Premium 2011 is loaded with new features and enhancements,
and will be a good fit for those looking for a product that offers ease of use
without sacrificing solid accounting and reporting functionality.

2010 OVERALL RATING: