Item: QuickBooks Desktop Pro
Rating: 8
Author: Ryan Husbands, MBA, CPA

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I have encountered QuickBooks in a variety of settings as, in my experience, it is a major product offering in the accounting industry. At Kakkar specifically, where I've had the opportunity to use it the most in my professional career, we would specifically use QuickBooks for a number of our clients where this specific software suite combined the best functionality with ease of use.

Pros and Cons

QuickBooks Desktop Pro interfaces with other software very well, especially Microsoft products.
It's relatively easy to learn and use, I've never encountered any bugs with it.

Quickbooks does have a "small business" connotation. I'm not a programmer, but it wouldn't be my first choice for a large scale accounting solution.
I've seen slicker user interfaces with other software, but to be honest that's not really a major factor when considering accounting software in my opinion.

Return on Investment

QuickBooks Desktop Pro is a no hassle accounting solution that ticks a lot of boxes. It almost never disappoints and organizations will usually keep using it for many years. If anything, the only time I've seen an organization migrate away from it is if they have specific accounting needs, or if the organization has grown to the point that they need a more robust accounting solution. Even then, QuickBooks can usually be maintained within another accounting software system for specific functions, like A/R & A/P for example.

Alternatives Considered

MS Dynamics has the Microsoft name behind it and everything that entails. It is a modular software system that has amazing support, and many software experts who can tailor make software solutions for any company. Yet this has a cost, and many companies don't necessarily need this kind of investment to satisfy their accounting needs. For a quick, reliable and relatively inexpensive software solution that can be bought and implemented almost immediately....QuickBooks Desktop Pro is hard to beat.

Other Software Used

Microsoft Dynamics 365 (formerly Microsoft Dynamics CRM)

Likelihood to Recommend

QuickBooks Desktop Pro is ideal for small business owners who want the option of controlling their management costs by maintaining accounting in-house with limited staff/budget. It is easy to purchase, install and use...especially for those who are not necessarily accountants by trade. I would say that above all, its simplicity is its best asset. It can perform the majority of accounting functions quickly and easily, and it counts many users...which is always an advantage in my opinion.

As a disadvantage, I would say that it does have a limit in terms of size of organization for which it be of optimal use. Its low price would be attractive to anyone when factoring accounting software costs, but the fact is that I have seen other software suites that are much more robust, and subsequently more viable for larger enterprises with more complex accounting needs....for example, multiple users, international accounting needs, etc...

Quickbooks at a glance

Overall Satisfaction with QuickBooks Desktop Pro