Prophix - the good and the other
Updated January 30, 2019
Prophix - the good and the other
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Prophix
We use Prophix for budgeting and reporting budget to actual numbers, as well as some forecasting. It is used mainly by the business office, but dashboards have been created for executives and marketing. It facilitates a more granular approach to budgeting, as well as multiple perspectives on comparative analysis. It also facilitates presenting financials in multiple formats, as required by different reporting entities or foundations.
- Provides a plethora of options for analyzing data, either numerically or graphically.
- Allows the user to get as granular as you like in creating budgets, and in creating mathematical relationships between related gl accounts.
- Can be applied & used across a wide range of departments. Useful for any type of data analysis whether numerical or other.
- It would be nice if it had better integration with Quickbooks. As it currently stands, you have to use a third party program to "translate" the database from QB to SQL for Prophix to import the data. I spend more time than I like validating data, but this has more to do with the limitations and shortcomings of QB than Prophix.
- The process of updating the software is rather cumbersome and involved.
- Still evaluating the ROI. It has minimized budget errors due to erroneous formulas which sometimes occur in spreadsheets
- Enabled the budget creation to be more effectively distributed among department heads, which has created more accountability.
In most cases the data import process is great. Quickbooks uses a database structure that doesn't seem to play well with Prophix, so a third party software package is needed to "translate". This creates added complexity, which in turn creates additional failure points. Once it is setup, in generally runs well.
This flexibility was one of the selling points for Prophix. The ability to host and manage the program on site was essential for us. But, understandably, other organizations might prefer the option of cloud hosting. We prefer that most of our applications be hosted onsite, but realize the trend moving to the cloud.
There were a few other solutions, in addition to Domo, that we evaluated. Can't think of them offhand. Our main focus was in improving our budgeting process, and Prophix seemed to be the best fit for that. Other solutions had more elegant graphic reporting features, but that was a secondary concern for us.
Prophix Feature Ratings
Using Prophix
I haven't used the workflow component very extensively yet, so I haven't tried the commentary function for workflow. The line item detail function we use a fair amount. It is very helpful when additional granularity is desired for a single gl line of the budget. Cell commentary functions much like it does in excel, or any other spreadsheet program.
Automated report distribution has been very helpful for weekly reporting, or for compiling financials for board meetings. Once the templates are created and assembled into virtual binders, the process runs automatically as scheduled. I currently use the workflow feature for end of period closes, and will be implementing it for our upcoming budget cycle.
7 - The finance department is the primary user for prophix for both budget, reporting and forecasting, but the reporting end is utilized by users in marketing and on the executive team. Our IT and production departments also use it for budgeting purposes. We have an partnering educational organization that also has it installed for budgeting & reporting purposes.
2 - The main skill required for supporting Prophix is knowledge of how to use a phone. There are some minor administrative tasks that can be performed by anyone with a rudimentary level of understaning of relational databases. Occasionally we utilize our IT department to resolve some SQL issues, but those could also be handled by Prophix support.
Integrating Prophix
- Quickbooks
- Qqube
Prophix doesn't communicate directly with Quickbooks Enterprise's proprietary database structure. Qqube is a partner vendor that has a product that converts the QB database into an SQL database that then connects with Prophix. The initial integration was performed by Prophix's implementation team.
- Audience View ticketing/patron sofware
- other onsite databases
Prophix supports integrations with about any database that is based on SQL, in addition to imports via spreadsheet.
- File import/export
None that I am aware of.
Work with implementation team at the outset to create most of the integrations that you think you might want.
Using Prophix
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Like to use Relatively simple Easy to use Technical support not required Well integrated Consistent Quick to learn Convenient Feel confident using | Lots to learn |
- Creating ad hoc views of data
- workflow management
- Creating multiple versions of budgets
- Updating the self-hosted version
- Editing KPI badge views
- Importing data from QB
Prophix Reliability
Relationship with Prophix Software
Payment terms related to cost of software, implementation costs, and annual maintenance. We were able to negotiate adjustments to the initial software and implementation costs.
My biggest suggestion is to invest in the upfront training. We tried to save a few bucks by eliminating their recommended training hours, and I feel like it ended up taking us much longer to get up and rolling than it otherwise would have. Having a better conceptual understanding of how the product worked would have sped up the ROI.