PS Financials

[Natalie_20006]

Hi,

 

I was wondering if anyone could let me have your opinion on PS Financials? Also I am interested on how the ordering system works at a multi academy trust? Can you have the same or separate?

 

Any answers appreciated.

[synaesthesia]

Some seem to get on quite well with it - it's alright if you like working like it's 1998 and have an affinity with spreadsheets.

[Theblacksheep]

The support is dire, the support costs are expensive and stupid, the software inst great and it wont be what you talked to the salesmen about ordering.

 

It works for multiple schools.

[bossman]

It now comes as a "Cloud" based app which they manage offsite: PSF CLOUD - Cloud Accounting Software by PS Financials

 

We used the software for the past 6 years and it just worked.

 

Personally I would move to the cloud services

[birchanger]

After a very unhappy experience with Sage the school I'm at went for PS Financials a couple or years ago, and they're happy. We're an academy with 1350 students.

 

From a support point of view, my single and very minor gripe is that the SQL Server Reporting service sometimes needs to be started manually after a server restart. I can live with that and it's probably Microsoft's fault.

[JRowley]

You'll probably find that the system does substantially more than you actually need, so from a cost point of view you can probably do better. Other than the software is ok, though some aspects of it are badly thought out or just bad design.

 

It gets the job done though.

[Dom_]

Just to echo some of the above, support is dire (on average 1 week response for urgent calls, nobody from service ever answers when you ring up), school were told they'd be able to access remotely, but sold a local install version :-|.

[FragglePete]

We use it here, and the support is indeed dire (and expensive).

 

Installing the Client is a right PITA !

 

Pete

[elsiegee40]

From a technical piint of view, I understand it to be difficult. From the point of view of managing the finances of multiple schools, such as in a multi academy trust (MAT), it is recommended. If you are ina multiple school situation FMS just cannot do what you need. The Finance Director of the MAT of which I am a governor/director recommends it. She was quite thorough in her appraisal of other systems before choosing it. The financial reporting is much improved since the school switched to PS Financials

[TheScarfedOne]

I would strongly recommend the hosted version; I used to manage a local version - and from install to support, it was a bit of a pain. All sorts of quirks! The apparent savings of going local disappear when you take support into it...