April 16, 2009

MYOB — Acclivity Premier Accounting 2009

800-322-6962www.myob-us.com

From the April 2009 Review of SMB Accounting Programs

In November 2008, Acclivity purchased MYOB’s U.S. development company. Formerly the distributor of MYOB products in the United States, Acclivity has recently released the 2009 version of Premier Accounting, its small business management software for Windows. Premier Accounting 2009 costs a reasonable $299; a five-pack of licenses costs $499. Premier Accounting offers GL, AP, AR, PR, Inventory, Sales, Time Billing, Purchases and Banking modules. Various add-on modules are available, as well.

EASE OF USE/BASIC FUNCTIONALITY – 4.5 Stars
The Easy Setup Assistant is available to all new users. The easy-to-use interface allows you to choose the area you’re setting up including accounts, purchases, sales, payroll and an option to customize your system. When you click on the option you wish to set up, a new window opens with a list of available options. As you click through the options, they’re checked off on a list that appears to the left of the window.

Each installed module features its own control center that can be accessed from the drop-down menu at the top of the screen. Each command center contains a flowchart styled menu that allows you to choose from the various functions available within that particular module. At the bottom of the control center are tabs to system options such as a To-Do List, Find Transactions, Reports and Analysis.

Data-entry screens are easily navigated, with lookup fields located throughout the program. Various function buttons are located at the bottom of each screen, with numerous print and preview options, the ability to send documents via email or fax, and journal or register viewing. You can also access Lists from the menu bar, which offers various types of lists ranging from accounts and activities, to custom lists and custom list field names.

CORE ACCOUNTING/SECURITY FUNCTIONS – 5 Stars
Premier Accounting 2009 contains several enhancements and upgrades including more flexible invoice statements, improved reporting filters and enhanced transaction editing. Premier Accounting contains 100 custom business templates that allow you to choose your business type during company setup. In addition to the strong GL, AP and AR modules, Premier Accounting 2009 offers the following modules: The Inventory module supports multiple warehouses, multiple pricing levels, kit building, and negative inventory. The Process Payroll Assistant makes it easy to set up your payroll, with payroll stubs deliverable by email if desired.

The Time Billing option allows you to easily track your time or your employees’ time using multiple billing rates and tracking billing in hours or units, depending on your company’s need. The Time Billing feature also integrates with the Payroll module, making it easy to send all tracked time directly to payroll for quick, easy processing.

The Contacts option under the Card File command center allows for the management of customers, employees and vendors, including tracking important selling details and employee information. This information can also be synced with Microsoft Outlook. Premier Accounting 2009 includes enhanced security functionality, which includes displaying only the last four digits of a credit card in the customer information area. You can also restrict employee access to both customer and employee confidential data. The Company Data Auditor provides a review of all company files, account reconciliation, transaction review and a tax exception review.

REPORTING & MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS – 4.5 Stars
Premier Accounting 2009 contains more than 200 standard system reports that can be easily accessed and printed. The ‘Index to Reports’ function displays all available system reports by module. Clicking on the appropriate module will display the reports available within that module. Reports can be displayed on-screen or sent to a variety of formats including Excel, PDF, HTML, email, fax, or exported as a text file. Previewed reports can also be custom formatted, offering the ability to change fonts and type size if desired.

IMPORT/EXPORT & INTEGRATION – 4.5 Stars
Premier Accounting’s modules work together seamlessly. Add-on modules such as the Full Service Payroll, Credit Card Acceptance, Direct Deposit and W2 eFile also integrate with Premier Accounting to offer a complete small business financial solution. As well, Premier Accounting 2009 integrates with CaseWare and can import data from QuickBooks. Reports can also be exported to Microsoft Word and Excel, with contacts exported to Outlook.

HELP & SUPPORT OPTIONS – 4.5 Stars
Premier Accounting 2009 offers wizards and assistants throughout, making it easy to setup and navigate. A strong Help file is easily accessible from any module and can answer a majority of the questions you may have. Manuals are included with Premier Accounting and include a Getting Started guide, a User Guide and Accounting 101, an excellent reference guide for new users without an accounting background. Premier Accounting 2009 also offers varying levels of support plans including Intro & Upgrade support, which is free for 30 days after product purchase and registration. Most support levels offer toll-free telephone support. Training seminars are also available, as is custom training.

RELATIVE VALUE – 4.5 Stars
Premier Accounting 2009 offers users strong core accounting features along with solid Inventory, Payroll and Contact Management, something not normally found in small business accounting software. Add the excellent reporting functions and solid add-on modules such as credit card processing, and you have a product that offers small businesses a high level of functionality at an entry-level price.

2009 OVERALL RATING:

 

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