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    Full Member Inprogress's Avatar
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    OmniAccounts vs ...

    I don't like articles which include the word "versus". Their is never a winner, only one that ticks the most boxes for said application, and many times it mere perception.

    Who has used or is using OmniAccounts? I've been wondering about the software for a few years now, partly cause it is cheaper, and partly cause its SA developed.

    Hence the question, what are your opinions about OmniAccounts, preferably those that has used it or using it? And those that used it and went with other software, why did you move away from OmniAccounts (thats sort-off where the "versus" will come in)?

    Please, like I said, not looking for a winner here, just want to hear what people are saying about it.

    Thanks a million friends.

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    I use Pastel, Quickbooks and Omni Accounts for various companies. So below follows my humble opinion:

    Quick books: I use it the least purely because I found it last. I do however use a similar product called Quicken for my personal stuff. Both are very easy to use. The only issue I had with Quickbooks is that I could not find out how to easily process settlement discounts. This is a common transaction in my one business so was important to me. The are no obligatory annual fees and there is plenty of online support in the form of forums. Its very easy to correct mistakes made on transactions.

    Pastel: I use this the most because I found it first. I have no complaints about the actual software. It works and I find it easy to use, perhaps because I have used it fo so long. My main issue with Pastel is the company itself. They always seem to be trying to force you to pay annual fees in the form of annual licences and support. I prefer to only pay and upgrade when I see a noticeable benefit. They prefer you to pay each year and be continuously updated.

    Omni: I really like this package, but its difficult to explain why. Firstly, the one issue I do have with it is that once you make an invoice, its made. You can't change it if you made a typing error or if the customer changes his order. Instead you have to pass a credit and reinvoice. Very good for accountants, very irritating for a business manager. However, I love their business model. You can buy the basic package for very little and then you simply buy whichever extra features you want as your business grows or as you become more competent with the package. Really easy to do so too. They have plenty of features, great variety of options for reporting and I find it easy enough to use. Its also South African (as is/was Pastel), which makes me want to support them, but also means they stay current with local VAT requirements.

    If you are already used to a particular package and decide to try out a new one, you need to give it at least 6 months for a decent test. Any new package will be frustrating at first as you learn your way around the menus and how it works and what it can do.

    Don't judge a package on ease of use in this first period. Rather judge it on what it can do for you. You'll learn your way around easily within a few months with any of the above three.

    If you want me to rank certain features you're looking at in any of the above three, just post the features that are important to you.

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    AndyD (23-Sep-10), Dave A (23-Sep-10), greghsa (23-Sep-10), Inprogress (25-Sep-10), Mark Atkinson (13-Jul-11)

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    Full Member Inprogress's Avatar
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    Thanks BusFact

    My needs aren't really made up yet, as a matter of fact. My business model is pretty simple regarding income. I have a annual subscription fee per registered user. That is pretty much it. Any other income that I can forsee to be generated at a later stage will be online advertising in the form of banners....at most. That will be a monthly income per advertisment.

    Hence my needs are pretty simple really. I need to check my statements on a daily basis for deposits (I don't handle cash, everything is done either EFT's or cash deposits, I don't have a business premises either - all online). Need to do tax. Need employee payment functions like UIF and TAX. Not really sure if I can register for VAT cause I don't resell anything, I provide a service for both the customer and the consumer.

    Monthly expenses which should be pretty much fixed: Hosting fees, internet connection fees, later a business vehicle. Thats pretty much it really. There might be expenses in terms of software/html programming services.

    Thanks for the info and opinion. From the sounds of it, and probably cause I am already biased towards it (I don't like yearly fees etc), will be Omni. It is cheap to get started. It works. Its up to date with SA Taxation as you mention. And it allows room to grow easily and specifically. You mention the invoice annoyance, I am sure it will be fine for me since invoice generation isn't part of the service (meaning I don't have a customer waiting for an invoice before they can leave).

    What is your opinion regarding the which software package for my needs, based on my loosely vague info, purely cause I'm not sure yet? The best way to describe my business would be a magazine model. Yearly subscriptions as income, with potential monthly income from once off advertising. Pretty constant expenses. Employee payment functions. Overheads to programmers, both locally and international, will be dealt as once off consultations.

    Thanks and hope you enjoying the long weekend, strange feeling for me these days where long weekends aren't welcomed by me anymore...but when I was working for a boss, that is a different story.

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    Hi Inprogress

    You have very simple requirements so any of the three packages will do the job. So that doesn't really help you does it? Just note that its only VAT that these packages deal with with respect to taxation. The concept of VAT remains the same in most countries. The only advantage is that Omni and Pastel will practically fill out your SARS version of the VAT return for you.

    Note that whether you register for VAT or not depends on your annual turnover. It is not dependant on whether you sell a physical product or not.

    None of the packages deal with your payroll, but with only one or two employees, that can be done manually quite easily.

    Give Omni a go for a few months. It would be interesting to get another view point. Opinions on Quickbooks and Pastel are common ... not so with Omni.

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    We use Omni in our business and it works well for us.The nice thing about Omni is it is very easy to add options on to the package.I have added on several options to make it more specific to our operation.

    The Omni guys seem to be quite open to suggestions too.

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    BusFact (28-Sep-10), Dave A (28-Sep-10), Inprogress (29-Sep-10), Mark Atkinson (13-Jul-11)

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    @ Busfact

    Which do you think is the best of the three for stock controls? and by this I mean also purchase orders, sales orders and thus theoretical future stock balances.

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    Hi fjeewa

    I'm going to limit my comparison to just Pastel (I use Pastel Partner) and Omni as the company I use Quickbooks for doesn't have stock, so my experience is a bit limited.

    Both accounting packages allow you to produce purchase orders and sales orders. Pastel has a standard reorder report you can easily run which gives you a list of the products that need to be ordered and this includes what is outstanding in purchase orders and still to be done as sales orders. You can also run the stock quantity report which lists all the products you have in columns of current stock, stock required for sales orders, stock due from purchase orders and one for your effective stock.

    Omni has quite a nice layout when I choose the list stock items option. It lists all the products and highlights those that need to be ordered. I can't remember if the layout was default or if I tweaked (customised) it a bit, but if its tweaked, it was quite easy to do.

    So I suppose they both do it equally well, I just prefer the layout on Omni, but thats personal. You just have to be careful that the version you buy has an inventory function. In pastel this requires buying the correct version and perhaps an add on. In Omni you may have to add on the specific function if its not included in the version bundle you bought. I remain more impressed with the way Omni does this as you only by the features you want.

    So ultimately you'll be safe with both packages.

    Hope that helped.

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