Accounting Software

[cromertech]

Wasn't sure where to put this so if any mods think of a more suitable place feel free to move.

Our finance and accounts system is very outdated and I have been put on task to find a replacement. We currently use a program called FINAX but this has been out of production for years and the finance officer has been told the new program that the company that made it have produced is not backwards compatible.
I can see three options at the moment but would like some feedback from other foundation schools as to their solutions:

1: We purchase a sage solution (most expensive option) and I struggle to get the current data imported. Actually this is the case for any other software.

2: We go with the existing company's "upgrade" product knowing they won't support the export/import process.

3: We go for a free option provided by the county however finance officer thinks that there will be problems at year ends. Don't know what the problems might be but i trust her judgement.

Does anyone out there know of any other software/have any suggestions to make my choice a little easier

[dhicks]

Does anyone out there know of any other software/have any suggestions to make my choice a little easier

We use QuickBooks, but we're a private school and have to collect fees and so on so we might have different requirements to yourself. We decided against FMS, the package that integrates with SIMS. I want to get it running over Terminal Services, as that would seem to be the most sensible option - if someone nicks a laptop then your school's accounts aren't all on it.

--
David Hicks

[FN-GM]

You could give this a go, its free....

Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2007 Free Download, Reviews and Comparisons » My Digital Life

[elsiegee40]

We have used Sage for the last 2 years... an upgrade from Victorian style ledgers on the insistence of the then new bursar!... I have to say their telephone support, based in the UK, is EXCELLENT. I cannot fault it.

Sage is almost a small business standard... so recruiting people to drive it should be easier in theory.

I really have very little to do with it, it just works. I installed it, ensuring the data went to the appropriate drive so it would be backed up (permissions on the local PC were a bit of a fiddle, but quickly sorted after a phone call) From time-to-time there are updates that require admin rights (twice a year probably) and I do those from my Admin logon with the Bursar sat next to me as she has the passwords. from me for Sage... the Bursar likes it too.

[laserblazer]

Our new Bursar has introduced Private Funds Manager.

[contink]

I doubt this is much use as it's primarily for small businesses, but I'm using kashflow now and it's actually quite well spec'd..

Like I said, I doubt it's much use in a school scenario though.

[cromertech]

Thank you for some really useful suggestions. I'll just take them all as a big list to the finance officer and let her deal with it lol.

I'm sure I can get a short-list from here and the sims integration sounds like a good way to go and will be maybe a little more secure.

Thanks again to everyone for your help. The Edugeek community has proved to be most valuable once more

[Drummer_Boy]

I don't work for a school (software house) and we recently moved from QuickBooks to Microsoft Dynamics SL (don't ask we're US owned).

All I can say is 'for the love of God' do not do this.

We had Quickbooks for years and it worked well and did the job. SL is exactly the Opposite. Even our Finance Director (UK chartered accountant) has been reduced to tears by this large heap of Poo!!

[dhicks]

the sims integration sounds like a good way to go and will be maybe a little more secure.

Sorry, my previous post wasn't meant as any sort of recomendation for FMS - we did initially switch to it but switched away again.

--
David Hicks

[MatthewL]

I recommend Sage here, many of our surgeries use it and I cannot fault the support or the use of the program, its very simple. Oh and it can be installed in a network environment.