Outgrowing Your Current Accounting System, Consider QuickBooks Enterprise
July 26, 2016
Outgrowing Your Current Accounting System, Consider QuickBooks Enterprise
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions
QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions is being used as an enterprise ERP solution for some of my clients. Due to its more substantial and richer functionality than the lower end ERP products (QuickBooks Desktop as well as similar competing products from other software companies), it is able to handle more complex and larger businesses such as those engaged in manufacturing products and needing distribution/inventory tracking capabilities.
- Inventory tracking: Lower end accounting products are much weaker in this regard and QuickBooks Enterprise is built with this functionality.
- Reports: Much more robust reporting functionality than lower end accounting systems. Ability to mine data for better business decision making.
- Number of users: QuickBooks Enterprise is designed for more concurrent users in an accounting department with simultaneous processes going on.
- Not Cloud Based: In order to use QuickBooks Enterprise as a cloud based type product one needs to pay for hosting and have the product/data hosted which will run into extra expense. Additionally, this workaround is not a true cloud solution.
- Operating System Compatibility: When upgrading operating systems on user workstations, more problems are prone to occur. There is sometimes a disconnect between Microsoft and Intuit in compatibility.
- Expensive Upgrades: This is not the type of accounting product that you can easily use for years without upgrading. Thus, one needs to build this into their operating budget.
- Ability to track inventory/location: This is absolutely critical in a manufacturing/distribution type business. Beyond any ROI calculation, this is a strategic necessity.
- Productivity/Efficiency: Accounting personnel and other employees (such as order entry clerks) are much more efficient in performing their jobs, thus adding essentially an "unquantifiable" high measure of ROI.
- Ability to use data/reporting: The significant reporting functionality and ability to mine data allows for more complex analysis of the business. This dovetails into the productivity point above as well, as there is less of a need to engineer labor intensive customized spreadsheets for reporting/analysis.
- Microsoft Dynamics AX and Sage 50
QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions stacks up strongly against the competition. Beyond many of the features/advantages identified previously, the parent company of QuickBooks Enterprise (Intuit) is a very innovative company and has a very clear strategy for the future. A significant point to be considered going forward is the fact that Intuit is strongly embracing the cloud. Although Enterprise and the other "non cloud" desktop products will be around for several more years, the cloud line of products (QuickBooks Online) will be the future of the company. Currently the QuickBooks Online products are getting closer and closer to Enterprise with respect to functionality although they are not fully there yet. If one is considering Enterprise for a business that has "outgrown" the basic lower level accounting products, it is very worthwhile to compare QuickBooks Enterprise to the QuickBooks Online products (most likely QuickBooks Plus) and see where it stands. Going down the cloud path with Intuit as the company develops better and more improved cloud products could result in a better ERP medium/long term plan on a strategic level.