Being able to use the information within InterAcct’s Client/Prospect database to quickly create a personalised letter to one (or more) of those names is often more efficient than using a separate Word Processor.

InterAcct’s Letter Writer can be used to –

• selectively send one of your standard form letters to a Contact Name
• send to a selected group of businesses, and contact names within those companies
• Create (covering) letters in relation to a job to any job related Party including Variation to Contract letters
• Minimal keystrokes required
• The system will also update the Contact History register to keep a log of who got what letter, on what date
• No need to address labels as letters are formatted to fit into window faced envelopes

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• Construction Building Industry
• Contracting Industry
• Joinery Industry
• Engineering

It allows you create a list of standard tasks to be performed in relation to a job, and in the correct timing sequence.

View the full software profile.

Watch the video demonstration.

It is a system that allows:

• Product samples requested by customers (foregone sales $)
• Print a Samples Request Approval form
• Picking Slip and/or Despatch Docket printed
• Delivery schedule updated
• History of samples given, by customer, by product
• Analysis of the sales revenue resulting from samples given
• Follow Up Diary for sales people on samples given
• General Ledger automatic posting to Samples Expense Account

ERP    Enterprise Resource Planning (fully integrated business software packages – like InterAcct Software)
SME    Small to Medium Sized Businesses

For the fourth year in a row, Aberdeen turns its eye towards the tangible performance enhancements that SME’s are achieving through ERP systems deployment.

It was discovered that 77% of companies had already implemented an ERP solution in the USA.

The Best in Class Performances resulted in –

• Average of just 2.69 days to close a month (including Financial Statements)
• Average of 33.11 days sales outstanding (Debtors aging)
• 96% complete and on-time delivery of products and services
• 21% growth in operating profits over the last two years

The survey results showed that the Best in Class firms shared several common characteristics –

• 96% more likely than all others to provide Decision Makers with automatic alerts when certain defined conditions occur
• 2.61 times as likely to provide a fully integrated view of all customer information to sales and marketing employees

Essentially, input of the “User-Code” and “Password” controls two things –

1. Security Access rights for that InterAcct User, and
2. Which Main Menu screen for InterAcct will be shown.

The ‘normal’ Sign-On screen display shows the InterAcct logo, however this can now be easily changed in order to show your own Corporate Logo.  See example below.

In addition, you can also change the Menu Button icons with different graphic images and colours to suit your own purposes.

This slightly untidy look can now be replaced with a single InterAcct icon.  When you click on that, a list of different companies (systems) using InterAcct appears.  This might only show two – being your “Live” and “Training” versions of InterAcct.

If you have several companies, you can further identify them with their Corporate Logos.

There is also a simple system maintenance option to add/remove new companies to the selection listing, as well as update annual software licence details.

It is very easy to search and locate the correct General Ledger account when entering an accounting transaction.

There is also a video demonstration available on this topic that shows/describes –

With InterAcct you can create your own General Ledger Chart of Accounts – structured for Departments, Branches (if required), in either a Alpha, Numeric, or Alpha/Numeric format.  InterAcct normally recommends the alpha format for GL Account Codes as they are quicker to locate, and reduce errors.

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Most InterAcct customers seek a fully integrated accounting and stock control system.

However, sometimes there is a need for a Stock Control only system, with minimal accounting.  This new option comes standard with the base InterAcct package, so software costs are kept at a minimum.

The concept is simply to effectively have only one screen, being one transaction file, that handles all movements in/out of stock:

You can decide whether you only want to just focus on stock quantities, or to have $ values as well. From that simple transaction, the stock database and all other (non accounting) files are updated.

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“I founded the company that is now called InterAcct Software way back in 1981.  However, back in the early 1970’s, as part of my B.Com degree, I had exposure to Fortran programming using punch cards on a mainframe computer.

What changes there have been since then !  This week I saw advertised on the TV a $120 two Terabyte external hard disk drive.  That is 2,000,000,000,000 characters.

I remember back in 1980, when I was selling mini computers, that we used to sell a whopping 20MB (0.001% on the size of the 2 TB disk) removable hard disk cartridge for $22,650  - a lot of money back then.”

InterAcct is developed in the ClearView relational database, which is a Fourth Generation Programming Language (4GL).  Both are proudly developed in Australia.

“I might be described as a Database Design Expert now.  Luckily my sons, who manage the InterAcct Software business these days, have those extra technical skills needed in today’s market.  A lot has happened since 1983 when Personal Computers were just launched with Bill Gate’s MS-DOS Operating system.  So many companies have come and gone in the IT Industry, but we remain.”

“InterAcct relies on no other company as both the integrated business/accounting system and the ClearView database are developed In-House.  It is amazing that we continue to be at the leading edge of software development.  Being essentially a business person who happens to develop business software has given us the edge in terms of having a system that is practical and easy to use.”

InterAcct Software today is still essentially a small family run ‘boutique style’ Software House.  They personalise their standard InterAcct package each time to the requirements of each customer.  InterAcct is designed to be changed easily, without the normal high cost and problems normally associated with modifications.

“Winning the Australian Small Business Award is still one of my highlights.  It recognised that what we were doing was very special in the marketplace.”

How is InterAcct different?

1. Australian – designed and owned
2. Flexible – you can even make your own database design changes
3. No Limits – based on a relational database – no practical limits
4. Personal – InterAcct only does around 30 installation projects a year
5. Search – fast, easy and flexible method to access to information stored
6. Simple – on-screen help automatically displayed – plus videos, manuals
7. Reporting – numerous existing reports, plus Report Configurators and Generators
8. Reliable – a thoroughly tested system  – a very complete system design
9. Responsible – a “One Stop Shop” for expert design, training, and ongoing support
10. Interface – can selectively export and import data from/to InterAcct

The InterAcct Software package has a number of Document Registers.

These ‘documents’ could be associated with:

A (so called) document could be a link to a file contained on your Computer Network:

The InterAcct Main Menu has a search function on the centralised Document Register.

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• Sales Orders
• Products
• Suppliers
• Clients/Prospects

In each case, you can either create these sets of Questions under the respective database files (eg. Linked to a Product Masterfile record), or under the “Getting Started” Menu.

The idea behind this to have these questions copy across to a Sales Order (Quotation) in order that you can then input the relevant answers to those questions.

When you enter an answer, you will also be asked for a –

• Follow Up Date, and
• Employee (lookup) responsible.

The system will then update a central Follow Up Dairy of these “events”, with a menu link back into the source Sales Order/Quotation (or, Client, Product, Supplier, or Job).

Other Questions and Answers

Example: Client related question Setup

Clive, and his son Paul (InterAcct’s Software Design Manager), plan on starting their walk on Friday 8^th April from Manly Beach to Port Stephens (some 188 km away).  They say it should take them about a week to get there.

The walk is a charity event in aid of Bear Cottage. To date, over $3,150 has been raised by Clive and Paul.

As you may know, Bear Cottage is the only children’s hospice in NSW that provides support, respite and end of life care for terminally ill children and their families. Located on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Bear Cottage is a medically supported home away from home.

Bear Cottage is there for every child, parent, or family who needs them. It currently costs more than $2.3 million a year to keep their doors open and this is raised entirely through the generosity of people in the community (like you).

To donate, go to : http://www.everydayhero.com.au/manly2nelsonsbaywalk2011

To contact Clive, call 0412 578 622

InterAcct have just announced yet another export order for their integrated business and accounting package (InterAcct).

The new installation is in Beijing, China with an Australian Public Listed Company involved in Oil Exploration and Production as a Joint Venture with a Chinese Corporation.

InterAcct software modules selected include:

One special requirement was to have the ability to print some reports (eg. Purchase Orders) using the Chinese character set.

The implementation and training process is expected to be completed within a three month period.

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Information (Questions & Answers) like:

• a customer’s specifications
• site details
• measurements
• financial details

and after the sale more questions & answers may be needed in regard to:

• the Contract,
• Construction,
• Installation, etc…

InterAcct refers to these sets of questions & answers as “Forms”, and the form can be linked to a Job Type, and Industry Classification (or any other basis).  In other words, the questions & answers may be specific only to one type of:

• work you do,
• customer industry group
• building construction
• job site location, etc

In turn, each Form can be linked to any number of Question & Answer (Q&A) “Items”.  In fact, each Q&A item can be made up of 4 different questions and answers.  You can define the format type for each one of the four questions for a Q&A Item as being:

• Date
• A defined set of Allowed Values
• Numeric
• Text – alphanumeric
• Yes/No ?
• Or, Not Required

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Previously, only the standard InterAcct package offered the numerous optional Software Modules – including Payroll.

Pricing is as per the InterAcct Lite Pricing Schedule (see separate note).

Rental: from $20 a month.  Outright purchase $900, plus Annual Support @ 20%.  Training allowance: 5 hours @ $140 per hour.  All figures + GST.

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The outright purchase price includes –

• InterAcct Lite Software (3 User Network version),
• Annual Software Support Licence (first year)
• Implementation & Training Services (first 20 hours expended time)

This reduction is to be made retrospective for all previous InterAcct Lite customers.

The monthly subscription payment has been reduced by $50 a month ($600 per annum).  This represents a 25% saving !!

In other words, the total cost for the (3 User) InterAcct Lite version is –

1. Initial Startup Payment        $ 1,990 (also covers training & support)
2. Monthly Subscription          $   150 per month (was $ 199)

Please Note : All costs are plus GST (+ 10% in Australia).

The InterAcct Lite version includes CRM, Accounting, Job Costing, Estimating, and Quoting.  For further details, please refer the InterAcct-Lite Software Profile.

Previously, this requirement was achieved through individual customer software personalisation, so having a standard module will now mean –

• Less software costs
• Quicker implementation time
• Free Support as a standard software module.

This module offers –

• Links the Branch Debtor to Head Office (HO), and vice versa
• HO Debtor’s Ledger – plus an enquiry file showing Branch only Invoice balances
• HO Statement – sorted by HO Regions and Branch
• Products Purchase History by Branch
• Both HO and Branch Monthly Sales/Profit Analysis

This new customer has purchased the Bill of Materials Manufacturing and Production Scheduling system.  Also included is the Sales Kitting software module which allows them to sell a bundle of products as a single item.

Some database and report personalisation work is being carried out to meet this customer’s specific software requirements.  This includes –

• The ability to duplicate automatically a customer’s prior sales order (to save on data entry time).
• A similar feature allows a customer’s quotation to be copied for use by another customer.  Again another labour saving efficiency measure.
• The new Parent/Child Debtors reporting system was developed for this client (and is now a standard InterAcct Software Module) which allows both Head Office and Branch Debtor’s reporting and sales/profit analysis.
• The InterAcct Document Register has been extended to allow documents to be linked to a Sales Order.  There is also a Document Register for Stock Items too.
• Print a Sales Quotation, Delivery Docket, Invoice reports to a default printer, plus at the same time is automatically emailed to the customer.
• Customer rebates (volume discounts) are accounted for at the time of Cash Receipting, rather than at the point of sale (as in the standard system).
• Special software is also being developed for this client to automatically handle the accounting for stock transfers between multiple legal entities.

Later, this same customer plans to extend their use of InterAcct into their Retail Lighting stores – using InterAcct’s I-POS (Retail Point of Sale software).

It can certainly can be a case of the pain before the gain if you don’t go about it the right way.

InterAcct has just produced an updated version of their long standing Implementation Process note.

One could argue that this document is probably not perfect – so we may need to modify it for your InterAcct installation.

View the Implementation for Standard InterAcct
View the Implementation for InterAcct Lite