ACCPAC Modules question?

[dbant2003]

We are looking at adding additional modules to our current ACCPAC environment. We are using ACCPAC Advantage and modules are version 5.2A and use MSSQL. We are looking for comments on as too whether there are any companys using it and their experience, any issues with these modules, and would they recommend using them. Any comment positive or negative would be appreciated.

The modules we are looking at are:

1. G/L Consolidations
2. InterCompany transactions
3. Project and Job Costing

 

[jayconverse]

I have dozens of clients using all 3 of these modules (not necessarily at the same time), with no issues.

Jay Converse
IT Director
Systemlink, Inc.

 

[dbant2003]

It has also been asked of to find out about another product for ACCPAC. It is ACCPAC Insight and the question posed to me was if it can do consilidations, budgeting, forecasting is GL Consolidations necessary? Which would be better to use?

 

[jayconverse]

If you have Insights, then you don't need GL consolidations.

Jay Converse
IT Director
Systemlink, Inc.

 

[dbant2003]

We have come to the conclusion that Insights is what we are going to purchase and install. My supervisor asked to see if anybody can say whether Insights works as well as our software provider is saying. Does anyone have anything to add stating what their experience has been using this product. We would appreciate any kind of feedback both positive and negative. Thank you in advance

 

[ettienne]

Insights is an amazing product, but you must invest in some training to get the full benefit.

 

[dbant2003]

I am then assuming that you would highly recommend the purchase and use of Insights. Is there or do you know of any thing that we should watch for when we install and start using this module?

 

[Relloc]

Insight is Perfect for GL but for most other modules it is a Nightmare

 

[dbant2003]

This is to Relloc could you give some more elaboration as to what the nightmare was. We don't want to start using something and not know what we are getting into. Thank you in advance.

 

[Relloc]

Elaborate?

In Short

To quote
ettienne (TechnicalUser)
13 Mar 06 14:24
Insights is an amazing product, but you must invest in some training to get the full benefit.


It depend on your organizations IT background

1. You are running SQL sever and that means that you already can use Analysis server and SQL reporting services.


2. If you go with SQL analysis services as a BI solution
• It cheaper than Insight
• Shorter learning curve
• More widely used
• Many recourses available (Just do a search on Amazon)
• You can use Data Habitat to get started (

http://www.datahabitat.com)

3. Reasons to use Insight (Timeline)
• You can setup complex GL reports relatively easy
• Good alternative to Company consolidations
• Existing Accpac Support
• Accpac Branded Product
• Ability to create and maintain budgets on miscellaneous levels



4. Reasons not to use Insight (Timeline)
• Relatively expensive
• Cannot connect to MS Analysis server
• Have to create macros for almost everything (Review the Insight samples )
• The lack of a complex multi dimensional calculated fields (MDX)
• Data stored in ROLAP
• Slow with big datasets compared to MOLAP
• Not as user friendly and versatile as MS SQL 2005
• Expensive web server vs. SQL reporting services
• Excel not always the answer to everything in day to day enterprise reporting
• Budgets although available cumbersome to setup
• Skill shortage in programming Insight on a more complex level
• Look and feel old and dated compared to MS and Proclarity BI offerings
• Accpac’s data structures are relatively clean and does not require a genius to create a basic data warehouse
• Navision used Timeline but never really took off
(

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/2-19-98/418707&EDATE=)

In short decide how you are going to use it and as always be skeptic about anything where Sage Accpac claims “It allows you to quickly capture and integrate information into meaningful reports and securely distribute them across your entire enterprise on demand” (

http://sageaccpac.com/products/BusinessIntelligenceAndReporting/)