Software
Reporting to the MAX Accounting for Windows
The veteran accounting-software vendor introduces an integrated
collection of Windows accounting modules.
By Kathy Yakal
August 4, 1998 -- Few companies have been creating accounting
software for as long as Reporting to the MAX including Point of Sale and Non-profit Versions. The 17-year-old business recently
released its first nearly complete integrated suite of accounting modules for Windows.
Reporting to the MAX Accounting for Windows (single user, $799.50 list) comes with six
integrated modules: General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Order Entry,
Inventory, and Data Exchange (import and export). Payroll and Bank Reconciliation modules
are sold separately for $199.50 and $99.50, respectively.
The suite is well-suited to accountants and businesspeople familiar with accounting
procedures and to those who need a linked Point of Sale module ($899.50 list), given its
use of formal bookkeeping terminology and processes and dearth of novice setup and
guidance tools.
Accounting for Windows provides a setup wizard that helps you create the numerous
records and files needed for your accounting transactions. It lacks the polish and
complete guidance that competitors' wizards offer, but it points out what's required. You
can also enter much of this information on the fly, as needed.
Reporting to the MAX offers far fewer templates for charts of account than other programs,
but its boilerplate record forms are as detailed as those offered by low-end and some
midrange products. In Accounts Receivable, for example, you can enter customer information
in a five-tabbed folder. Beyond the main billing and shipping contact screens, each record
holds fields for credit and collection information, aging analysis, transaction history,
and random notes. No custom fields are available. Inventory is especially robust: You can
choose from four valuation methods, assemble kits, and keep copious records on individual
stock items--documenting details like numerous price levels, vendors and alternate
vendors, and reserved/committed/available status.
Customization options are fewer in general than in most popular accounting programs,
but one area that can be easily modified is the order-entry sales screen. You can select
which items should be visible on the form and can set up different variations for
different salespeople. The program can process invoices, quotes, holds, and work orders.
Though it lacks some Windows conventions, such as right-click help, Accounting for Windows
does offer such standard tools as lookup boxes, simplifying order entry in particular. You
can pop up an item list quickly to check on availability or other stock details.
Other accounting management functions are handled well. Most small businesses can
probably get by fine with the collection of customizable reports available on each module,
but an add-on report writer ($199.50 list) enhances reporting depth and flexibility. An
audit trail report helps maintain your data's integrity. Password security options are
good, too: You can assign rights to each user down to the function level.
In terms of ability, Reporting to the MAX Accounting for Windows falls between two broader
classes of accounting software-low-end (such as Peachtree Complete and QuickBooks Pro) and
midrange (BusinessWorks and so on). It lags behind both in usability and doesn't best even
the low-end class in some functional areas. But the suite does have an edge for businesses
that need some of the specialized add-ons that Reporting to the MAX offers, such as Online
Credit Card Authorization ($349.50 list) and Bar Code Generator ($299.50 list).
Accounting for Windows 3.5. List price: $799.50. Requires: Microsoft Windows
3.1 or higher; 8MB RAM (16MB recommended); 40MB hard disk space (60MB recommended). Reporting to the MAX including Point of Sale and Non-profit Versions, Boise, ID; 208-375-4455; www.cougarmtnsupport.com.
