Maintaining Account Information IV - Simply

Tutorial Simply Accounting, setup Inventory and Service Items
(Available in Home Window)

Use the Inventory and Services window to keep track of the goods and services you sell, and their associated accounts.
Entering your inventory items and services into Simply Accounting offers many advantages. Primarily, it saves time when buying or selling. Instead of typing the details of each item, you can select the item from a list so that Simply Accounting enters the related information automatically.
A well-organized list of inventory and services also makes it easy to keep track of the things you're buying and selling and to focus on areas that may need your attention. Although you can manage without a list, you'll find that you have more useful information and better control if you let Simply Accounting keep track of your inventory for you.

What would you like to do?

Add or change an inventory or service item

1. In the Home window, open Inventory and Services.
2. If you want to add a new item, choose Create from the toolbar or File menu. Otherwise, select the item from the list.
3. Select Inventory or Service as the Type. If you are using Simply Accounting Pro or Premium, you can check the Activity (Time & Billing) option to allow you to use this service on time slips.
4. Fill in the item number (of up to 14 numbers and letters) and a description of the item.
5. Click each tab on the window and fill in the necessary details:
   • Quantities (inventory items only)
     Show Quantities In If you have entered more than one unit of measure on the Unit tab for this item, you can select which one to use to display the quantities in this section.
     Minimum Level Simply Accounting warns you when the amount you have on hand falls below the number you type in this field.
     
   • Units
     Enter the unit of measure for the item. If you are entering an inventory item, you can specify different units of measure for stocking, buying, and selling.
     Note: If you have checked this item as a service activity, the unit of measure is set on the Time & Billing tab.
   • Pricing
     Enter the regular and preferred price for the item.
     Enter a Web price if this item will be sold on your Web store.
     Note: If you have set up a foreign currency, and turned on the option to use a separate price for foreign customers, you can enter foreign prices for the item.
     
   • Linked
     Select the accounts which are associated with this item. The accounts that you must link depend on whether you are adding an inventory item or a service:
     
     • Asset
       Use this account to keep track of the cost of this inventory item when you buy or sell it.
     • Revenue
       Use this account for amounts you receive when you sell this item or service.
       
     • Expense
       Use this account for the amounts you pay when you buy this service.
       Cost of Goods Sold (C.O.G.S.) Use this account to record the cost of the inventory item when originally purchased.
       Variance Use this account for the difference between the average cost and the actual cost of this inventory item when its inventory level drops below zero.
       
   • Build (inventory items only in Simply Accounting Pro and Premium)
     Use this tab to create a Bill of Materials for the item.
     
     • Build ... The number of items you will produce based on the components you will select for the bill of materials.
     • Item No. Select the items used to create the final product you want to build. You can click the magnifying glass to see a list of items.
     • Quantity For each item you select, type the number required to build the final product.

     Additional Costs These costs can include items like labour and setup. You must also select the account into which these additional costs will be tracked. This is usually an expense account.

   • Time & Billing (service activity items only)
     • Unit's Relationship to Time
       Type or select the unit of measure; you can select minute, hour, or other unit. If you choose other unit, type a unit name in the other unit field.
       Then choose whether this item is related to time. For example, if you type "Job" as the unit of measure, and specify that it is related to time, you must also specify how many hours or minutes equal one job.
       If you specify an activity that is repeated many times in one minute or hour (such as wheel revolutions or temperature readings), you could also specify how many revolutions or readings are performed in one minute or one hour.
     • Billing Options
     • The Service Activity Is Choose one of the three billing statuses. If you choose Non-billable or No Charge, you can choose whether you sometimes charge for this item.
     • Charges Are Based On If this activity is billable, you can choose whether you charge according to time or a flat fee. The flat fee is based on the price on the Pricing tab multiplied by the number of units of measure you type in the Flat Fee box. Be sure you have entered a price on the Pricing tab, and that the number in the Flat Fee field multiplied by the price will calculate the flat amount you want to use.
       
   • Statistics
     If you are entering a new item, you can enter the total amount of past transactions that use this item to ensure that your reports are accurate.
   • Taxes
     
     • Sales Taxes Select whether this item is exempt from any sales taxes that you charge. If you make an item tax exempt, all purchases and sales of this item will be tax exempt.
     • Import Duty If you have set up import duties, fill in the duty rate charged on this item.
   • Additional Information
     You can add up to five fields of additional information on this tab. To change the name of the fields, you can click the Set Field Names toolbar button .
   • Detailed/Web Desc.
     Long Description Enter a detailed description of the item. You can choose to print the long description when you print the Inventory and Services List.
   • Picture You can store a picture that you want to associate with this item. The picture must be a bitmap (.BMP) file and should be 120x100. Click the Browse button and select a file.
   • Thumbnail You can store a smaller version of the picture that you associated with this item.
     Note: The information on this tab appears in the Price List With Pictures report, one of the custom reports supplied with Simply Accounting, and if you have set up a Web store, on an item's detail page.
   • Web Store
     If you use Simply Webstore, check the Allow This Item In The Web Store box to add this item to your online store:
     • Web Item Description This description appears on the web site.
     • Item Weight The weight you enter is used to calculate shipping costs.
     • Quantity Decimals The number of decimal places displayed on an online order.
     • Web Price In Home Currency and Foreign Currencies You can enter a price for each foreign currency that you accept. You cannot, however, set the price to change based on the current exchange rate. The number of decimal places displayed on an online order.
       
6. If you no longer buy or sell this item, check the box at the bottom of the window to make it inactive.
7. If this item is a service that you track internally, you can check the box at the bottom of the window.
8. Choose Save from the toolbar of File menu.

Maintaining Account Information III - Simply

Tutorial Simply Accounting, Setup Customers
Available in the
While you can sell goods and services without adding customers to Simply Accounting, we highly recommend that you add them. Adding customers to Simply Accounting saves time, as you don't have to enter contact information every time you make a sale. You select the customer from a list when entering the transaction.
Customer records also allow you to track sales and customer orders easily. For example, Simply Accounting can remind you when customers' payments are overdue. You can also print reports on your sales to help analyze them.
In some cases, you must use customer records, such as when you wish to sell something and receive payment for it later or enter a sales order or quote.

What would you like to do?( Same as Vendor setup)

• Add or change Customer
• Add customer "on the Fly"
• Delete Customer
• Display and print list of customer.

Maintaining Account Information II - Simply

Tutorial Simply Accounting, Setup VENDOR : (available in Home Window)

Vendors are the businesses from which you buy goods and services. While you can make purchases without adding vendors to Simply Accounting, we highly recommend that you add them. Adding vendors to Simply Accounting saves time, as you don't have to enter contact information every time you make a purchase. You select the vendor from a list when entering the transaction.
Vendor records also allow you to track purchases and orders easily. For example, Simply Accounting can remind you when a bill becomes overdue. You can also print reports on your purchases to help analyze them.

What would you like to do?

• Add or change Vendor
  1. In the Home window, choose the Vendors icon.
  2. To add a new vendor, choose Create from the toolbar or File menu. To edit an existing vendor, select the vendor from the list.
  3. Click each tab on the window and fill in the necessary details:
     Address
     Option
     Taxes
     Statistics
     Export/Import(only available to local vendor)
     Additional Info
  4. If you no longer do business with this vendor, check the box at the bottom of the window to make this vendor inactive.
  5. From the File menu, choose Save.
  6. You can also add a vendor record "on the fly" in the Purchases, Orders, and Quotes window or in the Payments window (when entering an "other payment"), if the record does not yet exist when you need to record a transaction.

• Adding a Vendor "On the Fly",
  To Add Vendor "on the Fly" :
  1. In the Purchases, Orders, and Quotes window in the Purchased From field or in the Payments field in the To The Order Of field, type the name of the new vendor, and then press Tab to leave the field.
  2. The program asks you to choose Quick Add, to add just the vendor's name to the record; or Full Add, to complete the vendor's record at this time.
• Deleting a Vendor
  To Delete Vendor:
  Before your can delete a vendor record, it must have a zero balance, all its transactions must be cleared (using the Clear Paid Vendor Invoices under Clear Data on the Maintenance menu), and there must be no outstanding purchase orders or quotes for this vendor.
  1. In the Home window, open Vendors.
  2. Open the record you wish to remove.
  3. Choose Remove from the File menu or toolbar.
• Display and Print a Vendor List.
1. From the Reports menu, choose Lists, and then Vendors.
2. Select the fields that you want to appear on the list.
3. Check the box to include Inactive vendors.
4. Click OK.
5. If you wish to print the list of vendors, choose Print from the File menu.

OK Continue next (Cusomer)....

Review Dac Easy Accounting

Given how many different versions of Peachtree Accounting are available, it would be easy for Best Software to just throw in the towel on DacEasy. After all, it’s sold by the same division, and competes somewhat directly with Peachtree.

There’s a considerable difference, though, between Peachtree’s user base and that of DacEasy. One big difference is that Peachtree’s applications are sold pretty much at retail, while you’ll have to go to an authorized DacEasy reseller or purchase the DacEasy product directly from the vendor.

The most probable customer for DacEasy Version 13 is a client who is already using a prior version of the software. That doesn’t mean that you should not consider DacEasy for those of your clients who are looking to implement their initial entry-level system, or to move from a product that is not meeting their needs.

The basic accounting system consists of general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, inventory, purchasing, sales, billing, fixed assets and a custom report writer. Missing from this collection are payroll, order entry and point of sale. Another extra-cost option is Crystal Reports for DacEasy. None of these add-ons comes cheap. Order entry and POS each cost $399 in single-user format, or $699 in network form. Crystal Reports will add another $149 to the tab. The price for payroll was not available at press time, but that adds to the overall system price, as well.

On the other hand, DacEasy does offer some capabilities that are exceptionally good for this type of application. Inventory is especially robust, with multiple warehouse capabilities and the ability to cost inventory using standard, average or LIFO.

The “other” Best Software entry-level products (i.e., Peachtree) have a My Business screen that provides an essential summary of the client’s business at a glance. DacEasy added this feature in the last release as well, calling it the Business Center. It’s easy to see why this type of feature is showing up in most of the accounting products currently being rolled out. Being able to see the important data points of a business at a glance is valuable.

As with the last version, many of the features that Best is touting as new in v. 13 are really just minor upgrades, such as the ability to customize the Toolbar and schedule back-ups. The most important thing about these is that they are usually requested by customers, and demonstrate that Best Software continues to listen and respond to their users.

Setting Rekening, currency di MYOB

Pada postingan kali ini kita akan membahas, bagaiman menyeting (menghapus/mengedit) account kita membuat customize untuk multi currency.

Customize Easy Setup Assistant

Setelah kita membuka program accounting dan memilih Open Your Company, kita harus memilih file yang sudah kita simpan sebelumnya yang berextensi .myo, dan setelah kita memilih biasanya kita disuruh mengisi username dan password, ketika sebelumnya kita belum menyeting password kita, kita langsung aja pilih ok(password biarkan kosong) dan pilih mode single user, selanjutnya kita akan masuk ke home window(menu utama).

Dari menu utama ini kita pilih menu setup dari toolbar trus pilih Easy Setup Assistant ( gambar1)

gambar1.

Selanjutanya kita akan masuk ke halaman Easy setup assistant, klik pada tombol customize, kita akan disambut dengan "Welcome to the customize easy setup assistant" lanjutakan dengan klik next, centang ketiga pilihan dan klik next kita kita dihadapkan kembali pada tiga pilihan, centang bila diperlukan, kita gunakan Account name atau account number secara default account number dst, klik next dan centang "I deal in Multiple Currency" jika perusahaan kita akan menggunakan banyak mata uang dan kita akan mendapatkan lembaran konfirmasi, klik ok kembali kita klik next, centang jika ada yang diperlukan dan klik next sekarang kita membuat aging periode, anda bebas mengisinya sesuai kebijakan perusahaan, 15 30 40 atau 30 60 90 atau mungkin lain, klik next MYOB menyediakan form To Do List yang akan muncul ketika kita memulai MYOB, centang jika diperlukan klik next kita mendapati ucapan selamat dan selesai klik close dan kita kembali ke Easy setup assistant.

Account Easy Setup Assistant

Sekarangan kita akan menseting account/rekening kita, disini kita bisa menambah(New) merubah(edit) atau menghapus (delete) rekening yang tidak kita gunakan atau bahkan kita bisa mengimport file dari exel saratnya formatnya harus sama. Disini kita juga bisa memasukan account balance (khusus untuk account piutang dan hutang, account balancenya harus sesuai dengan balance pada vendor/customer masing2) . Untuk membuat account baru klik di tab new maka akan muncul jendala seperti gambar2.

gambar2.

Pilih header atau detail untuk account yang akan kita buat, trus pilih account type pada combo box tersedia beberapa pilihan, misal kita memilih Bank untuk account yang berhubungan dengan pembayaran perbangkan, account receivable untuk account piutang usaha dll. Isikan pada kolom account number(pilih nomor yang belum dipakai) setelah itu enter akan muncul kolom account name isikan sesuai chart of account perusahaan anda, kemudian isikan isikan opening balancenya. Jika di customizenya kita telah memilih multiple currency, sebelum kita mengisi opening balancenya kita harus membuat beberapa mata uang dan menentukan salah satunya sebagai lokal/home currency. Caranya dari menu utama/home window klik pada menu list dan akan muncul pilihan menu kemudian klik currencies (ada dibagian paling bawah) dan akan mucul jendela list of currencies, secara default MYOB menentukan US$ sebagai home/lokal currency, ubahlah jika ingin menggunakan Rupiah sebagai lokal currency, caranya klik dibagian list(usd) akan masuk ke jendela currency information, rubahlah informasi yang ada didalamnya menjadi mata uang rupiah, kemudian tambahkan beberapa mata uang misal usd, caranya dari jendela list currency pilih New kemudian buatlah kode untuk mata uang dimaksud, nama mata uangnya dan exchange ratenya terhadap local currency, kemudian klik OK.
Satu tambahan lagi ketika kita mengisi account yang memakai mata uang selain lokal curreny MYOB secara otomatis akan membuat satu account exchange dan mengisinya secara otomatis ketika kita klik tombol calculate. Kita juga harus membuat beberapa account dalam mata uang asing untuk Piutang Usaha dan Hutang Usaha yang secara otomatis dibuatkan Exchange accountnya oleh MYOB.

Sales Easy Setup Assistant
Setelah kita menyeting account dan mengisi account balancenya. Sekarang kita akan menyeting Sales / seting untuk transaksi penjualannya, seperti layout invoice dan account default untuk menampung penjualan, pajak VAT/PPN

Continue next deh... cape aku

Create New Company - MYOB

Sama seperti Software Accounting Lainnya, sebelum kita mulai menggunakan software ini untuk melakukan transaksi, terlebih dahulu kita harus membuat settingan untuk perusahaan kita, mulai dari nama perusahaan, fiskal year, chart of account dsb.

Create New Company

Sekarang kita akan membahas bagaimana membuat Perusahaan Baru pada MYOB Premier, dari start menu, pilih MYOB=>+MYOB Premier V? atau doble klik dari shortcut yang ada di desktop, akan keluar tampilan seperti gambar 1.

gambar1

Klik Create New Company File, kita akan disambut dengan ucapan selamat datang dari MYOB "Welcome to the MYOB New Ccompany file assistant" kemudian klik next, kita disuruh untuk mengisi serial number, nama perusahaan(wajib hukumnya), NPWP, alamat dll, jika sudah diisi klik next, kembali kita disodori satu pertanyaan "Tell us about your accounting year", pilih tahun dimana kita akan melakukan transaksi, secara default MYOB menyediakan tahun sesuai setting tanggal pada komputer kita, pada kolom last month of financial year pilih bulan dimana kita akan mengakhiri tahun fiskal biasanya desember, pada kolom conversion month pilih bulan dimana kita akan memulai transaksi, kebanyakan perusahaan menggunakan 12periode untuk tujuan pelaporan, akan tetapi MYOB juga menyediakan 13 bln yaitu satu bulan untuk penyesuaian/adjustment laporan keuangan. Klik next kita akan mendapati lembaran konfirmasi atas apa yang telah kita isi didepan, jika sudah benar klik next kemudian akan ditampilkan tiga pilihan/opsi untuk membangun list account/chart of account :

• I would like to start with one of the list provided by MYOB Premier, pilih option button ini jika kita ingin memilih chart of account yang disediakan oleh MYOB.
• I would like to import a list of account provided by my accountant after I'm done creating my new company file, pilih option ini jika kita akan mengimport chart of account yang telah disediakan oleh kita atau akuntan kita.
• I would like to build my own accounts list once I begin using MYOB Premier, pilih option ini jika kita akan membuat account secara manual.

Jika didepan pilihan kita adalah option yang pertama, maka halaman berikutnya kita dihapapkan pada pilihan jenis usaha dari perusahaan kita untuk menentuka chart of account yang akan kita gunakan, gambar 2.

gambar2.

Klik next ketika kita sudah menentukan chart of account yang akan kita gunakan dan kemudian akan muncul halaman dimana kita akan menempatkan file/database yang baru saja dibuat, secara default MYOB akan menentukan foldernya dengan C:\\Premier\nama_perusahan.myo kita bisa menggantinya dengan klik di tombol change. Kemudian klik next kembali, kita akan diberi ucapan selamat oleh MYOB "Congratulation, thank you for becoming MYOB customer" sampai disini kita telah berhasil membuat File Perusahaan Baru, tampilannya seperti gambar3.

gambar3.

OK, pada postingan berikutnya kita akan mencoba menguraikan settingan account, merubah, membuat account baru, setting currency dll. See u next..

Review MYOB Premier Accounting

By Kathy Yakal

The MYOB line of accounting products for small business goes back to the early 1990s, has always competed well with QuickBooks, and, because of its Mac origins, has always matched that product in usability—yet many people still don't know about it. The latest package, MYOB Premier Accounting Small Business Suite 2007, omits online banking, regrettably, but still comes on strong, with direct deposit, credit card processing, and electronic vendor payments.

The big news in this version includes integration with Microsoft Outlook (2000 through 2003 only), payroll import and preview, error correction in bank reconciliations, and easy migration from sales orders and quotes to purchase orders. The developers have also made a passel of smaller, useful changes. It looks great, too: I've yet to find a screen in the latest MYOB interface I wouldn't consider cleanly designed, easy to understand, and detailed.
The setup tool walks you through creating the program's building blocks, helping you set preferences that shape such facets of your finances as the default pricing type (normal or discount, say), payroll categories—base salary and overtime, for example—and whether to accept multiple currencies and log contacts. The program builds in a conversion process for Quicken/QuickBooks data and will also let you import business data in text files.

If, however, you choose the formidable task of entering data from scratch, MYOB simplifies the chore with a terrific help system and a support plan (which includes free upgrades for a year). Contact records for customers, vendors, and employees provide enough fields to build comprehensive profiles. Transaction forms, such as invoices and purchase orders, offer plenty of detail and flexibility, and, with over 200 reports, you have more than enough for exhaustive management overviews. Exporting of reports works well with Microsoft Office 2007, as does mail merge. The product also competes well with its most formidable peers, such as PeachtreePremium Accounting and QuickBooksPremier, in its ability to track time-billing, jobs, and inventory.
Using an ODBC tool, you can manually share some MYOB data with the suite's other applications, but the components don't automatically synchronize their information. The Staff Files HR application works well but duplicates much of the existing MYOB data. Staff Files does offer some extras, though; you can use it to keep employee evaluation information and documents such as resumés. Ultimate Financial Forecaster does more financial analysis and projection than MYOB but would be more effective if it could import from MYOB. The Logo Creator provides useful templates and editing tools for creating corporate insignia. But the Customer Appointment Manager, a scheduling product, has an interface that harkens back to 1997 (and the app wouldn't do mail merge with Microsoft Word 2007).
The suite applications other than MYOB Premier add some value, but I'd like to have the option of purchasing just MYOB Premier. You can't (though you can upgrade to it), but no matter. MYOB Premier Accounting Small Business Suite 2007 still comes at a reasonable price, and it gives you a commendable product that falls somewhere between the Pro and Premier versions of QuickBooks, but closer to Premier. This is a very good product; it's a shame more people don't know about it.

Setup Account, Vendor, Customer, Inventory

Pada postingan terdahulu saya dah jabarkan, bagaimana membuat setup untuk perusahaan baru, kali ini kita akan membahas bagaimana mensetup account/rekening, Vendor, Customer, Inventory, dan Project.

Setup Account.

Sebelum kita mensetup account/rekening di simply, sebaiknya kita membuat chart of account yang akan kita gunakan di Exel, sehingga kita akan lebih mudah menuangkannya ke dalam program simply. Secara default simply telah menyediakan tamplate accountnya sesuai dengan jenis usaha yang kita pilih pada saat setup New Company. Ketika chart of account simply tidak sesuai dengan perusahaan kita, kita tinggal mengedit saja, hal2 yang diperbolehkan dalam mengedit account adalah:

• Merubah setting account : Hapuskan rekening yang tidak dipakai, alokasi project, online banking, penggunaan anggaran/budget pada rekening ini(dpt digunakan pada rekening rugi/laba saja).
• Merubah nama account : Kita bisa merubah nama account sesuai dengan chart of account yang ada pada perusahaan kita.
• Merubah Type/class account : Jika kita menambah atau mengedit account/rekening secara manual ada lima pilihan kategori/type rekening yang bisa kita pilih
  
  • (H) Group Heading
  • (A) Subgoup
  • (G) Group
  • (S) Subgroup Total
  • (T) Total

Berikut ini adalah gambar setting account, gbr.1 adalah jendela dari chart of account, double klik account yang mau kita edit, akan masuk ke gbr.2

dari sini kita bisa merubah nama account, dan settingannya.

To be continue.....

Tutorial Simply Accounting Pro versi Indonesia

Pertama sekali Menggunakan Simply

Setelah proses instalasi Simply Accounting selesai, kita sudah bisa memulai menggunakan software ini. Ketika pertama sekali menjalankan Simply (dari start menu=>all program=>simply accounting / atau klik shortcut menu yang ada di desktop komputer) kita dihadapkan sama Setup untuk perusahaan kita, kita bisa memilih express atau custom setup.

Klik tombol next, selanjutnya kita dihadapkan pada beberapa pilihan, kita bisa memilih template account yang disediakan simply, atau mengimpor dari MYOB, QuickBooks. Kemudian klik next, kita dihadapkan lagi pada pilihan lokasi usaha kita, jika kita di Indonesia pilih Asia. Klik Next, jika didepan tadi kita memilih template yang disediakan oleh simply, sekarang kita disuruh memilih jenis usaha kita, ada banyak jenis usaha yang ditawarkan, ketika kita sudah memilih klik next, kita disuruh untuk mengisi nama, alamat dll, yang berhubungan dengan perusahaan kita. Selanjutnya kita harus menamai database dan memilih mau ditaruh dimana database kita, misal c:\bla...\my document\. Klik next, kita diharuskan mengisi fiskal date, dari sini kita sudah bisa mengakhiri setup kita atau kita akan melanjutkan customisasi, jika kita ingin mengakhiri klik finish, tapi ada satu hal penting lagi yang harus dicustomisasi, yaitu penggunaan curreny sebagai home atau base currency, karena simply adalah multi currency.

Kita sekarang telah sukses mensetup, tampilan di monitor akan masuk ke Home Window(tentang home window sudah dijelaskan dalam postingan bahasa inggris)

To be continue....

Simply Accounting Pro 2004 Review

Reviewed by: Jeff Bertolucci

Simply Accounting 2004 Pro proves that inexpensive isn't synonymous with cheap. This nifty $99 accounting package from ACCPAC International has one of the best user interfaces we've seen, matching those of QuickBooks Pro 2004 and MYOB Plus 2004. Its user interface is much improved from that of Simply Accounting 2003 Pro, thanks to a feature sure to please first-time users: an optional second-layer view that devotes the entire screen to one accounting module. Another plus is the upgraded Employee Direct Deposit feature for paychecks, which is now integrated into the program (it was previously an add-on module). Simply Accounting Pro's credit card processing and electronic payment tools aren't as seamlessly integrated, however, and its technical-support personnel could improve. That said, Simply Accounting 2004 is a first-rate package for small businesses that have basic accounting needs and tight budgets. But if your business has more-complex needs, QuickBooks is the way to go.

Installation and interface of Simply Accounting 2004 Pro

Simply Accounting 2004 Pro's setup program is a model citizen. It seeks your permission before dropping icons onto your desktop--a classy approach seldom seen in consumer software. It wisely assumes you're no accounting whiz, either. For instance, when setting up a company file, the program asks whether you'd like to use accrual-basis (most common) or cash-basis accounting, and it defines each approach in plain English. Similarly, you can select an interface that shuns accounting jargon such as ledger and accounts payable for more-common terms such as vendors and purchases. Simply Accounting Pro can import comma-separated-values (CSV), text (TXT), and QuickBooks and MYOB data but not Intuit Quicken or Microsoft Money files--a significant issue for anyone upgrading to SMB accounting for the first time. Also, the program can import Microsoft Excel and Access files only after they've been converted to CSV format.

The new second-layer interface devotes the entire screen
to a specific accounting module such as customers & Sales.

Simply Accounting's interface is top-notch. Its main screen retains the blue tabs and the clickable boxes of Simply Accounting 2003 Pro, providing easy access to all accounting modules. A new second-layer view, accessible by clicking the blue tab atop each module, dedicates the whole screen to one module (Payroll, for instance) and provides multiple links to all the module's tools: Modify Employee, Remove Employee, and so on. The handy How Do I column provides a list of common help topics specific to that module. One gripe: Novices may have trouble finding this second-level user interface, which isn't mentioned on the main screen.

Simply Accounting also deserves praise for limiting sales pitches for its premium services, including Direct Deposit. Its main screen, for instance, doesn't advertise any fee-based offerings at all. QuickBooks, on the other hand, is a veritable billboard for the program's add-ons.

Features of Simply Accounting 2004 Pro

One of Simply Accounting 2004 Pro's biggest enhancements is its revamped Direct Deposit Payment service, which is now tightly integrated with the software, as is the case with competing services from QuickBooks and MYOB Plus. While Simply Accounting 2003 Pro offered direct deposit, the feature required a free but cumbersome add-on module to process online transactions. With Simply Accounting 2004 Pro, you can, for example, enter employee bank account information in the Payroll module, then click a button to upload the data and complete the funds transfer. It's sleek and seamless, as online banking should be, but it's not free. Direct Deposit Payment costs $79 (a one-time setup fee) plus $1.50 per transaction.

Unfortunately, Simply Accounting's other online transaction tools aren't as well integrated into the program and fall somewhat short of the competition's offerings. In both QuickBooks and MYOB Plus, for instance, you can save time by processing credit card transactions and electronic vendor payments from within the program itself. But Simply Accounting requires a free add-on utility for vendor payments, and credit card processing is done via the Web browser. It would be better if these functions were integrated into the core program, as they are in QuickBooks and MYOB Plus.

Simply Accounting 2004 Pro's updated Direct Deposit feature

is now seamlessly integrated into the program.

We like Simply Accounting's updated reporting and information features, specifically the ability to drop financial statements into Microsoft Excel sheets and have them retain their formulas and calculations. This feature worked well in our tests. Simply Accounting 2003 Pro, by contrast, transferred only a snapshot of the statement, sans formulas. And while Simply Accounting can't match the sophisticated forecasting and cash-flow analysis tools of QuickBooks Premier, it offers plenty of practical, everyday tools for small businesses, including more than 100 accounting templates (sales orders, quotes, receipts, and more) for a variety of industries, such as medical/dental, real estate/property management, and retail firms.

Service and support of Simply Accounting 2004 Pro
When it comes to business accounting software, technical support is never free. Simply Accounting offers several plans, but they each come at a price. The SimplyCare plan for Simply Accounting 2004 Pro costs $149 a year. You can purchase the SimplyCare package online or by phone. It includes one year of payroll-tax and program upgrades, but for phone or online chat support, you'll have to go the per-incident route at $3 per minute, with a $45 minimum or $150 for 10 incidents. The SimplyCare Plus plan costs $200 and adds 100 minutes or one year (whichever occurs first) of phone or online chat support. Technical support is available Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT. The good news is that Simply Accounting users get 30 days of free assistance for installation issues. Plus, there is a free online knowledge base and a user-community forum where you can exchange ideas and ask questions of other Simply Accounting users.

Simply Accounting 2004 Pro's help page is nicely designed,

but the company's phone support could be better.

We tried phone support, and service could be better. When we inquired about the new second-level interface, the bewildered Simply Accounting tech rep said our only interface option was to change color schemes. We also had issues with the program's help feature, which needs some fine-tuning. When we searched for the word interface, for instance, the search engine returned no hits.

Maintaining Accounts Information

Accounts
Accounts are used to track and categorize specific types of transactions. Simply Accounting's Setup wizard adds most of the accounts that you will need for your accounting, but you may need to add some new accounts, change or rename others, or remove the ones you don't need. You can add accounts at any time, and can usually change or remove them unless the program prevents it.

1. Setup: Settings and Options

• Chart of Accounts :
  Account Settings
  You may set the following setting for individual accounts from the Chart of Account Records window:
  
• Omit this account from financial statements if balance is zero (on the Account tab).
• Allow project allocations (on the Account tab).
• Allow online banking for a bank or credit card account (on the Class Options tab).
• Assign a budget to this account (in revenue and expense accounts only).
• Save transactions for Account Reconciliation (on the Account Reconciliation tab).
• Set an account to inactive.
  
• Linked Accounts
  Linked Account Settings
  You can set your linked accounts by using either:
  • the Linked Accounts Wizard (Home Window, Setup Menu, Wizards, Linked Account Wizard).
  • Linked Account Windows for different groups: general, vendors and purchases, customers and sales, inventory items (Home window, Setup Menu, System Settings, Linked Accounts).


• Departments


• Account Reconciliation


• Currencies


• Online Banking

Continue

Setting Up New Company (Simply)

This checklist lists the steps you must take to set up a new company from scratch. If you are upgrading from MYOB, QuickBooks, or an older version of Simply Accounting, you can convert your existing data. You do not need to complete the following steps.

• If you already have an existing business, gather your records and make sure that your accounts are all up-to-date
• Create your company : Choose New Company from the File menu in the Home window to create a new set of data files for a new company.
• Add and change the accounts set up by the Simply Accounting Setup Wizard
• If you have changed any accounts, change the linked accounts
• Enter your existing vendors and any balances from your records (also known as historical information)
• Enter your existing customers and any balances from your records (also known as historical information)
• Enter the inventory and services that you usually sell and any balances from your records (also known as historical information)
• Enter your projects and any balances from your records

Note: Once you have finished entering historical information, you should choose Finish Entering History from the History menu. You must use this option before the end of your first fiscal year.

Continue

Getting Started Simply Accounting

Home Window
The Home window is the first window that you see when you open your company. Each column of icons, called a module, represents a different aspect of your business.

Working with Modules
You can click the title for a module to see a related set of icons and help topics.

Opening Windows
The icons allow you to open a module's record window and transaction windows. When you create a new company or use the sample data, you click an icon once to open the window. You can switch between single-click and double-click, depending upon your preference.

To select an icon, click it.

Toolbars

The buttons on the toolbar perform various actions, such as displaying help and advice, printing reports, and changing options.
Windows with Restricted Access
If you set up users with passwords in Simply Accounting, you can limit access to certain modules. The Home window offers the following visual aids to tell users which areas they can access:
Icons with a "no entry" symbol next to them cannot be used.
If an icon has an "X" over a pencil beside it, you can only view information in the window, not change it.

Continue.... next

Simply Accounting Software Part I

Simply Accounting is Canada’s best selling small business accounting software, used by more than 400,000 Canadian businesses. Developed in Sage Software’s global research and development centre in Richmond, B.C., the fully bilingual Simply Accounting is known for its easy to learn, easy to use approach to accounting while providing the most comprehensive features that small businesses require – from start-up through to maturity. Simply Accounting is supported by a highly trained team of customer service specialists in our Richmond, B.C centre, and by 6,500 consultant partners located in communities across Canada who help thousands of companies daily to manage their business more effectively with Simply Accounting.

For more than 20 years, Simply Accounting has lived up to its name by providing simple to use award winning features for Canadian small office/home office users, coupled with world class customer support and training to help them better manage their day-to-day operations.
Whether it’s selling products or services, Simply Accounting automates everything from making purchases to making sales and everything in between. It's even flexible enough to meet the most demanding payroll requirements.
Simply Accounting is developed by Sage Software Canada, which is a part of Sage Software, the North American subsidiary of The Sage Group, plc. Sage Software began not as one company, but as the efforts of many entrepreneurs who built their successful products and businesses with a sincere focus on their customers. Today, our company represents the culmination of that combined entrepreneurial spirit, drive, and vision.

Accounting

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Accountancy (profession) or accounting (methodology) is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information primarily used by managers, investors, tax authorities and other decision makers to make resource allocation decisions within companies, organizations, and public agencies. The terms derive from the use of financial accounts. Accounting is also widely referred to as the "language of business".
Financial accounting is one branch of accounting and historically has involved processes by which financial information about a business is recorded, classified, summarized, interpreted, and communicated; for public companies, this information is generally publicly-accessible. By contrast management accounting information is used within an organization and is usually confidential and accessible only to a small group, mostly decision-makers. Tax Accounting is the accounting needed to comply with jurisdictional tax regulations.
Practitioners of accountancy are known as accountants. There are many professional bodies for accountants throughout the world. Many allow their members to use titles indicating their membership or qualification level. Examples are Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA or FCCA), Chartered Accountant (FCA, CA or ACA), Management Accountant (ACMA, FCMA or AICWA), Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified General Accountant (CGA).
Auditing is a related but separate discipline, with two sub-disciplines: internal auditing and external auditing. External auditing is the process whereby an independent auditor examines an organization's financial statements and accounting records in order to express an opinion as to the truth and fairness of the statements and the accountant's adherence to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), or International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), in all material respects. Internal auditing aims at providing information for management usage, and is typically carried out by auditors employed by the company, and sometimes by external service providers.
Accounting/accountancy attempts to create accurate financial reports that are useful to managers, regulators, and other stakeholders such as shareholders, creditors, or owners. The day-to-day record-keeping involved in this process is known as bookkeeping.
Accounting scholarship is the academic discipline which studies accounting/accountancy.