Best Fit: Advanced Accounting, From Addsum Business Systems is a completely integrated front/back office point of sale product. Advanced Accounting is well suited to smaller retailers.
PRODUCT STRENGTHS:
- Affordably priced
- Ability to scale up and add additional users at no cost (if purchasing Unlimited User Option)
- Excellent accounting functionality and great selection of modules
- Solid inventory management capability
POTENTIAL WEAKNESSES
- No integration with shopping carts or other e-commerce solutions
- Does not offer touch screen technology
From the 2016 Reviews of Point-of-Sale Systems.
Advanced Accounting offers industry specific features, an easily navigated user interface, and the purchase of the multiple user versions allows retailers to add additional users at any time without incurring any additional cost. While the product has not changed much over the years, it continues to offer solid front/back office point of sale functionality.
BASIC SYSTEM FUNCTIONS: 4.5 Stars
Advanced Accounting contains a drop-down menu at the top of the user interface screen that provides access to all system functions. The product interface offers users three ways to access data and navigate the system; via the drop down menu at the top of the screen, through each individual module, or by clicking on one of the colorful buttons at the bottom of the screen. Users can easily customize the user interface to suit their needs, and for those wishing more extensive customization, product source code is available, as well. Advanced Accounting is also extremely scalable, with users able to purchase a one-user system and expand per user, or opt to purchase the multiple user version which can accommodate hundreds of system users.
Advanced Accounting includes 12 modules, including GL, AP, AR, Sales Order, Quotes/Contracts, Point of Sale, Inventory Control, Job Cost, Bill of Materials, Payroll, System Maintenance, and Utilities. The product also offers additional add on modules including credit card processing, UPS/FedEx shipping interface, and Bill of Lading. System setup is generally quick, with users able to easily import chart of accounts from other applications if needed. When processing sales, users can quickly display a list of all products that are being sold. Simply click on the correct product, enter a quantity, and hit enter.
This will display the final sales total. Each user interface can be customized to suit the needs of the user, and system access levels are set up to reflect individual roles, so managers can choose whether a cashier can have access to changing sales, refunds, or layaways. Lookup options are available throughout the product, in all modules, and point of sales users can quickly look up product information, including inventory and pricing levels. Tabs at the bottom of the screen provide quick access to related functions when processing a sale, including the ability to change quantities, update pricing, adding a discount, or even creating a special message for the customer.
The Reconcile Register process provides a quick way to balance out registers at the end of a shift. Advanced Accounting can easily handle multiple stores, and offer multi-location inventory management as well. The Inventory Control module allows users to define product discounts, markup percentages, and assign flat rate discount levels as well. Multiple transactions such as sales, refunds, quotes, layaways, discounts, and even changing product descriptions and pricing can be handled from the point of sales interface.
Warehouse management options are available using Bill of Materials, Bill of Lading, and Job Cost modules, and users can easily manage and track multiple store inventory levels using the multi-location inventory option.
SPECIALIZED FEATURES/SERVICES: 3.5 Stars
Users can opt to use a regular PC to enter sales, or quickly scan sales items. Advanced Accounting easily accepts multiple tender types including cash, checks, credit card sales, layaway, and in-house charge accounts. Custom customer data can be tracked and managed in Advanced Accounting, including the ability to assign credit limits to customers, set customer discounts, and assign customers different groups. Users can easily handle layaways, create orders, and the product is well suited for niche industries. At this time, there is no web application or shopping cart that integrates with Advanced Accounting’s POS module.
TRACKING/REPORTING: 4.25 Stars
The POS option provides access to other related functions including POS reports, post POS transactions, layaway transactions and the Reconcile Register report details all transactions for a particular shift.
Along with point of sale reports, Advanced Accounting offers decent reporting options for other modules as well, with a variety of general accounting available to print. While the standard reports offer little customization capability beyond basic filtering options, the product also integrates with third party report writing applications such as Crystal Reports. Reports are produced in real time, and users can easily track vital data such as inventory movement and product performance from multiple locations.
System reports can be exported to a variety of formats including HTML, PDF, RTF, and Excel. While there is no real customer demographic tracking available, users can track some customer information such as credit limitations and year-to-date sales totals. Audit trail functionality cannot be turned off, and provides a detailed history of any system transactions or changes entered into the system, with the ability to print a detailed report as needed.
INTEGRATION/IMPORT/EXPORT: 4.75 Stars
Advanced Accounting is a completely integrated system, with all modules and add-ons designed to work together. An integrated UPS/FedEx shipping module is also available for purchase. Users can easily import data from third party software applications such as QuickBooks and Sage 50, and the special GL export option allows users to export GL transactions in other formats including Excel, tab delimited, CSV, or QuickBooks formats. Advanced Accounting integrates with all common hardware peripherals including cash drawers: both serial (and USB that emulates serial) and parallel drawer, bar code scanners, receipt printers, bar code printers, and magnetic card readers.
HELP/SUPPORT: 4.5 Stars
A comprehensive manual is available for download for all new system users, or they can choose to purchase the printed manual if desired. Help options are found throughout the system in all modules, and provide solid detail. A sample database is available from downloading a demo product, so users can experiment with the system prior to going live. All new users are entitled to six support questions that occur within 90 days of the initial product purchase. Upgrade users are entitled to three support questions within 60 days of purchase. Additional support options can be purchased in hourly increments, and support is available via live chat, via telephone during extended business hours, or by email.
RELATIVE VALUE:
Advanced Accounting is an excellent solution for smaller retailers who desire a complete front office/back office accounting/point of sale functionality. Affordably priced, Advanced Accounting is $299.00 for a single user, and $799.00 for unlimited users.
Overall Rating: 4.25 Stars
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Tags: Accounting, Small Business, Technology
