Customer Reviews

Peachtree(R) Accounting 2002

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In the quest to find a decent accounting solution for my sole-proprietorship (start-up), I tried and evaluated several trial versions of accounting software. Of the commercial accounting packages I evaluated, Peachtree accounting 2002 is most inexpensive, given the features. Unlike QuickBooks, it uses heavy-duty double-entry accounting.

Unfortunately it is not always the most intuitive accounting package to use. I would go so far as to say there is a degree of difficulty in using this package. Luckily, Peachtree includes a tutorial and several help files. I found myself referring to them often in the beginning, then less frequently as time progressed.

Using the included setup wizard, I was able to setup the books in about 30 minutes. Unfortunately, my business doesn't neatly fit into the example companies, so I had to do some customization. In any event, I was soon able to generate purchase orders, with a minimum of effort. Like QuickBooks, it can print out deposit slips.

Peachtree Accounting 2002 is a full-featured accounting package, with better inventory management than QuickBooks. It has good scalability and can grow with your company, but be warned, time will have to be invested in order to conquer the learning curve before you can become productive.

But don't take my word for it. You can download a trial version from (...) to try it out yourself. I would recommend spending a day putting in the numbers and seeing if it is right for you.

The peachtree accounting program is rich with features, but it also lacks some very basic features as well. You vitrually cannot use the payroll feature without spending 150.00 more per year for a "optional" tax service.

The program severely restricts your ability to create tax tables on a global basis and it is time consuming to do this be each company set up.

I see this "flawed" marketing approach as the largest weakness. No this is not software for a Fortune 500 company. But it will do the routine bookkeeping functions of a good size company.

But when you add the cost of the "annual" tax service. There are better programs in the 300 to 500 price range that will give you more felxability.

So for the price its a good value if you dont have a large payroll.

PeachTree Accounting has been a disappointment on a number of fronts.

To start, it has bugs. The program has made GJ entries on its own. The entries are locked in some way. I can not open them to view, edit, or delete them. As a result, my numbers are not accurate.

Secondly, the documentation is atrocious. For example, there is a button labeled "prepayment" on the receipts window. There is no explanation anywhere, in PeachTree documentation or otherwise, describing how this button works. In fact the button is very counter-intuitive and seems to have nothing to do with prepayments/deposits. I have yet to figure it out. Unfortunately, the program doesn't let me reverse entries that have been made using this button. Again, my books are not accurate.

Thirdly, the search function does not allow seaching by Payee. It only allows searches by Vendor, which is a separate field. Therefore, if you write a check to Pep Boys, but do not enter PB as a vendor, it is not easily possible to find the transaction.

Fourth, the program forces you to close all windows and change accounting periods every time an entry for a month outside of the current period must be recorded.

Lastly, it is obvious that this company is trying to make its living selling support contracts. Every time you call while under warranty, they push the extended support is pushed hard. The lack of documentation and general opaqueness of the product make it hard to use without the support contract. There must be a better product out there.

Sincerely,

Gary Kulp

I first encountered Peachtree Accounting (then called PAW) in 1995 when I started off a company. Being NOT an accounting major, I found it pretty handy and was pleased that it provided us with good info about the company (so were other shareholders). I pulled out from the company shortly, and my partner, an engineer by training, picked up the accounting work with my several hours' tutoring and several sheets of additional manual. He survived and got not much problems with auditors.

This year I started my own company distributing appliances. I chose Peachtree Accouting 2002. With 2 weeks' dedicated working (to back tracked two months+ of transactions), I finally set up the system, putting all company activities, including inventory movements, into the system. It went very well. Now that I felt truly comfortable, knowing I can get timely and meaningful insights of the company. Truly a worthy-of-praise software. If they are talking about ERP, I think that's it. We tried to use some ERP software in my former company, we bumped onto difficulty just trying to work with one module.

Like any good software, Peachtree Accounting is great. What causes failure is the implementation. In my last company, I asked the financial controller to use Peachtree with a newly established subsidiary. She and her accounting manager tried to persuaded me to wait for a soon-to-come heaven-sent ERP system. I stood firm, nominating an accounts supervisor to champion the project. She ended up giving us the year end financial report two working days after closing. So don't let your kingdom-builder accountant talked you out. How good it is you can get timely information from the system, without having to ask your accountant who could store his/her precious numbers down in scattered Excel files? Ask them,"If they can make it, why can't you?"

Lession learnt: if possible, always go for Peachtree Complete. It allows multi-user access. You could have someone input customers' info, then another staff line up servicing schedule from another workstation. The best is the value pack which allows unlimited users' access. You've got to planned for growth and division of labor - with you overlooking the big picture using such an integrated software. I gave it a 4-star because it didn't support Chinese characters input in my area. Otherwise, 5-star is truly beyond doubt.