Wayne N. Kawamoto
Managing Editor, www.smallbusinesscomputing.com
Intuit Inc. introduced the first in a set of business management solutions designed for businesses with 20 to 250 employees. The new product, QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions Business Management Software, promises greater capacity, improved performance, enhanced reporting and the ability to support up to 10 simultaneous users. It also includes a new business management tool, the QuickBooks Employee Organizer, which should help businesses manage employee information and comply with state and federal employee regulations.
According to the company, QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions Business Management Software addresses the key needs of larger businesses, from accounting to employee management, and was designed with guidance from hundreds of larger QuickBooks customers and a dedicated 17-member steering committee made up of QuickBooks customers and accountants.
The system is designed to include the following features:
Greater Capacity & Improved Performance
Larger QuickBooks businesses, with 20 to 250 employees, typically perform more transactions, manage more data and have more employees using QuickBooks simultaneously than businesses with less than 20 employees. To address their increased needs, the software allows up to 10 simultaneous users, records twice as many inventory items, customers and vendors than any other QuickBooks product, and enables users to generate faster standard balance sheet reports. The software also enables more than one person to work without waiting while others run reports or search for transactions, resulting in faster simultaneous user performance.
Advanced Reporting & Back Orders
The software offers several enhanced reporting features. One new feature enables customers with multiple company files to more easily consolidate reports, saving them time and simplifying the process. In addition, the software has the ability to track back orders on out-of-stock inventory items, a top requested feature by customers who keep inventory.
Employee Management
As businesses and their staffs grow, managing employees can become more complicated and time consuming. The QuickBooks Employee Organizer helps businesses manage employee information by integrating data such as job responsibilities, salary history and emergency contacts. Guided processes help employers capture complete and accurate information when hiring, promoting and terminating employees. Employment reports enable users to access data. The service includes information on state and federal employment regulations and forms, sample business letters and employment policies.
Data Integration with Other Applications
More than 70 percent of larger QuickBooks businesses use additional business and industry-specific applications. Data integration between these applications and QuickBooks helps save time and reduce errors that are the result of re-keying data from one application to another. The QuickBooks Software Development Kit (SDK) is compatible with the QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions Business Management Software. Today, there are more than 80 industry-specific and specialized business applications available to purchase and download at the QuickBooks Solutions Marketplace
Paying Employees, Checking Customer Credit and More Services
QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions Business Management Software features a variety of business-related services integrated into QuickBooks. Services include QuickBooks Basic or Deluxe Payroll Service; the QuickBooks Credit Check Services, powered by D&B; QuickBooks Merchant Account Service, powered by Chase Merchant Services LLC and Wells Fargo Merchant Services, which allows businesses to accept credit card payments; and the QuickBooks Online Billing Service. These services are optional and may require application approval and additional service fees.
Availability and Pricing
The QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions Business Management Software and service package is available for $3,500. This bundle includes a 10-user software license, and a service package consisting of one year of product upgrades, a one-year technical support plan, and one year of password and data recovery support. The 10-user software license, without the service package, is available for $2,500.
In addition, Intuit is extending several trial offers for a limited time. These include a six month waiver of the monthly service fee of QuickBooks Deluxe Payroll Service (per-transaction and option fees still apply), a four month free trial of QuickBooks Credit Check Service (Gold level), and a one year free trial of compliance updates for the QuickBooks Employee Organizer.
Customers who upgrade from QuickBooks Pro 2002 or QuickBooks Premier 2002 will receive a discount up to the list upgrade price of the 2002 software; this is a value of up to $1,350. Intuit also will offer a special single-user license of the software to accountants through Intuit’s QuickBooks ProAdvisor program at a reduced price.
Optional services are subject to change. Internet access is required for QuickBooks Online Billing and other optional services. Application approval required for certain QuickBooks Online Billing services. Terms, conditions, features, service options and pricing are subject to change.
Intuit will begin accepting orders in May 2002 and is expected to begin shipping the product in June 2002. For more information, please visit www.quickbooks.com.
