2017 Review of Acctivate QuickBooks Inventory

Acctivate is available as an on premise solution or in the cloud, so users can choose the deployment method they prefer.  Acctivate also offers Mobile Warehouse Management solutions, including mobile inventory management, mobile order picking, mobile receiving, and mobile sales orders.  The optional Lot & Serial Number Control offers users the ability to track and manage products that currently have a lot or serial number.  Users can also import lot and serial number data from other applications as well.

Integrating seamlessly with QuickBooks, Acctivate includes comprehensive inventory tracking and management capabilities.  Features available in Acctivate include the ability to set up both minimum and maximum inventory levels, reserve inventory for pending orders, track any inventory on order from product suppliers, assign product substitutes in the event of product unavailability, and the ability to track inventory levels in multiple warehouses in real time.  Reorder information can be added to each product, with an alert given when product levels drop. Users can easily view committed inventory levels for both customers and work orders. Users can assign multiple ID codes to each product, tracking SKUs, UPC, part numbers, or serial numbers, as mentioned earlier. The product also supports multiple units of measure as needed.

Acctivate supports bar code scanning, and the included bar code software allows users to easily create and print custom bar code labels for products.  Acctivate also supports multi-level bill of materials (BOM) for managing products that are made to stock (assemblies), made on demand (kitting) or both. This provides a high level of inventory controland and visibility on sales, margins, and availability.

Component levels are automatically adjusted as the assembly or kit is completed.  Users can easily attach photos or other related images to the product file, along with related documents such as warranties, invoices, or notes.

The product supports multiple pricing levels, with tiered pricing assigned to individual customers as desired, with an unlimited number of tiers available. Pricing levels can also be a specific amount, a discount from the list price, or a markup percentage from the cost.  Users can also assign quantity price breaks to specific customers, or across the board for sales or other special selling events.  All prices can be assigned an expiration date, and users can set permissions so that only certain personnel can override regular pricing levels.

Acctivate uses a variety of inventory valuation methods including Average Cost, Standard, LIFO, FIFO, and Actual, which is only available for products that have a lot or serial number. 

All Acctivate reports are created using Crystal Reports, which offers excellent report customization capability.  The product contains over 100 standard reports, with users able to customize any report to suit their needs.  Acctivate offers an excellent selection of inventory reports, including Inventory Analysis by Product, Inventory Variance, Stock on Hand, and  Inventory Valuation.  Business reports, Order Processing and Purchasing reports are also available.

All reports can be viewed on screen prior to printing, printed, and exported in a variety of file formats including Crystal Reports, Microsoft Word and Excel, Rich Text, XML, and CSV.  Users can also save all reports as a PDF.

Acctivate offers seamless integration with QuickBooks applications.  The product also integrates with other applications, such as those for hosting, ecommerce, and EDI.  Shipping is simplified with integration to common shipping carriers such as FedEx, UPS, and USPS, as well as ShipRush which enables a single solution for integrating with multiple carriers.  Acctivate also offers access to a variety of partner businesses that offer consulting services for implementation, training and customizations, such as shopping cart applications integration. 

Acctivate offers excellent online support from the Acctivate Help page, which offers quick access to a variety of help options, including access to a Getting Started guide that takes users through product setup and initial usage.  A Tour Guide option is available to guide users through various setup screens.  Also available are FAQs, various articles and webinars, and training videos.  Users can also access system updates and enhancements from the Acctivate Help page, and users can access product support directly from the support page as well.

Acctivate is designed for QuickBooks users that need to track inventory activity.  Well suited for small to mid-sized distributors and online retailers, Acctivate’s base system which includes inventory management, order management, purchasing, CRM & 3 user capability starts at $4,995 or $500/month.

2017 Rating – 4.75 Stars