Contents of CPA Practice Advisor - MAR 2012

Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.

Page 19 of 38

CONSTRUCTION/CONTRACTOR ACCOUNTING Reviews For Your Clients
Sage Timberline Offi ce 2012 OVERALL RATING
BEST FIT Sage Timberline Offi ce is best-suited for mid-sized to large contractors and real estate management businesses looking for a scalable solution for resi- dential, commercial, industrial, government and specialty construction enterprises, including heavy construction as well as real estate developers.
STRENGTHS • Totally customizable user interface • Broad user-defi ned data fi elds for more com- prehensive data tracking
• Powerful estimating module • New Personal Assistant and Excel-based reporting tools
• Integrates with Sage CRM • Comprehensive reporting and document management
• Remote time entry for fi eld personnel • Integrated Project Management
POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS • No SaaS/web-based option (will be debuted in Spring 2012)
• Initial installation and training support is recommended Sage offers several programs designed for businesses in the construction and real estate development fi elds, most notably Sage Timber- line (available in Enterprise and the Offi ce ver- sion reviewed here), and Sage Master Builder. Additional programs include Sage Timberline Estimating, which can be integrated into the previously mentioned programs, providing advanced estimating functions.
BASIC SYSTEM FUNCTIONS Sage Timberline Offi ce is geared toward giving mid-sized and large construction and real estate managers and developers a comprehensive solution for managing the fi nancial and production sides of their entities. The system opens into a very at ractive and easy-to-use interface that provides extensive user customization options. T e system is available with a variety of modules based on the type of construction entity, with the core accounting desktop displaying a vertical menu for accessing the other modules, reporting, inquiries and online resources. Users can tailor the interface to their needs and can also customize screens to include links to functions and external websites. T e drag and drop customization options are very user friendly and further aid in user productivity. A detailed and expandable tasks menu off ers
a folder-based view that lets users jump to modules and specifi c functions, while dashboard views of key business data are available for each of the core areas of the business, such as receivables, bud- geting, job cost, project management, property management, service management and more than 800-628-6583
a dozen other areas. Sage Timberline Offi ce can be used as a stand-alone
program or networked across all users within a fi rm. It is built on the Microsoſt .NET platform and off ers multi-location support, as well as off ering remote access tools and mobile apps.
CORE ACCOUNTING CAPABILITIES T e core accounting module in Sage Timberline Office includes full GL, AR, AP, job costing, equipment costing, billing and payroll, as well as off ering remote time and data entry, allowing users to enter information from the work site. T e GL off ers 25-character fi elds for account IDs, and enables the management and tracking of multiple, separate or interconnected companies, with divisions, departments and other sub-entities. Other account tracking functions include tracking debit activity, up to 250 user-defi ned data fi elds for additional information, tracking of joint venture ownership percentages and restriction of GL accounts to specifi c modules. T e program's accounts receivable module
off ers detailed customer tracking, including credit limits, ratings and histories, default billing information, tax exemption status and certifi cates, customer contact information, correspondence logs that track memos, let ers and other interac- tion, and the ability to link such correspondence to customers, contracts, contract items, change orders, invoices, jobs, cost codes, cash receipts or other items. T e AR also has extensive aging management tools. Payables functions also off er the same extensive tracking of vendors and sub- contractors as the AR module does for customers. Other optional accounting-focused modules include job costing, billing, equipment costing (including depreciation), full payroll and remote time entry, which can be used to enter time and distribute it to multiple jobs, cost codes, catego- ries, pay IDs or other factors. A timesheet approval system can also be used, allowing managers and accounting to monitor, change and approve entries as necessary. A built-in, full-time audit trail and task-specifi c security functions at the user level help ensure data integrity and access only to authorized users.
CONSTRUCTION/CONTRACTOR- SPECIFIC FEATURES T e construction and property management modules available with Sage Timberline Offi ce depend upon the nature of the construction business. T e program can be set up to manage firms in commercial/ industrial, residential and electrical/mechanical contracting and construction, or specialty and service contractors, real estate developers and managers, corporate or government property owners, and heavy highway construction fi rms. For residential builders,
20 March 2012 • www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
the key construction modules include estimating, production management, document management and property management. Recently added features include a new personal
assistant tool, which can monitors critical project and property information and delivers automatic alerts about profi t, compliance, and a broad range of key activities, and the Sage Timberline Offi ce Connector, a business intelligence tool that lets users query, report and move data back and forth between Excel and Timberline Offi ce. Sage Timberline Estimating off ers tools for
automating many processes. The estimating spreadsheet system off ers a customizable interface that shows all related factors, including easily sortable columnar data for takeoff quantity, labor productivity, labor quantity, and prices, material costs, and other information, with the spreadsheets linked to several extensive databases. Users can do quick takeoff s, adding items to estimates individu- ally, or use assembly/group-based takeoffs or model takeoff s to start an entire project based on templates. More detailed information on Timber- line Estimating is at www.sagetimberlineestimating. com/Solutions. T e program's Desktop and Job Central console
offers a centralized location for job setup and management, including estimates and billing, with the ability to drill down to job components, materials, parts, labor and related documents. T e change management functions give users tools for tracking contract changes, and also includes cus- tomer and in-house approval routing processes. T e payroll module in Sage Timberline Offi ce
supports all states, multi-state employees, and allows unlimited deductions, including garnish- ments, insurance and retirement programs, and other third party pay. T e module includes utilities for managing union payrolls, tax reciprocity, certi- fi ed payrolls and workers' compensation, with the ability to run payrolls on any frequency. Customer, vendor, employee and subcontractor management screens off er extensive detail and drilldown to histories and credit limits, as applicable, as well as reporting functions. T e inventory module tracks items in a shared
database with purchasing, helping to consolidate the functions and streamline inventory reordering. It supports LIFO, FIFO, last cost, standard and average cost methods. For scheduling and dispatch functions, the program can be used to manage up to 50 technicians, each of whom can remotely access customer and project billing and service histories, and can receive work orders wirelessly while in the fi eld. Equipment cost and service management functions help track asset and vehicle usage, as well as rental information, license and insurance expiration dates, warrantees and user- defi ned information.
REPORTING & MANAGEMENT TOOLS Sage Timberline Offi ce has a library of more than
500 customizable reports covering both business accounting information and project management, and the system includes a fi nancial statement designer that can be used to create standard and custom sets of fi nancials. T e program also off ers integration with Crystal Reports. Job costing reports include commit ed cost
details, completion trends, the change order log, WIPS and other AIA-compliant output. Templates are available based on business type and industry language, and are also available for customer communications. Document management func- tions include the ability to store all project-related items with the job, keeping various documents, correspondence, invoices, blueprints, images and specs organized. T e program off ers a remote time entry feature for employees in the fi eld to enter time and job data, as well as a remote dispatch scheduling utility. T e company recently debuted two new reporting and management tools, Sage Timberline Offi ce Connector, a business intelligence tool that lets users search and report, and move data back and forth, between Excel and Timberline, and Sage Timberline MyAssistant which proactively moni- tors data and delivers automatic alerts about business critical information requiring action. T e Sage Desktop off ers dashboarding management and reporting capabilitieswith the ability to drill down to job components, materials, parts, labor and related documents.
INTEGRATION/IMPORT/EXPORT Each of the standard and optional modules in Sage Timberline Offi ce integrates seamlessly, and the program also integrates with Sage CRM and can import data from Excel. Integration with Crystal Reports is also off ered.
HELP/SUPPORT T e program's built-in support and help features include context and task-specifi c help, how-tos and tips, along with links to online sources. T e Sage support site is based on customized user portals that give access to product downloads and documenta- tion, knowledgebases, contact information, a user community and training options. Premium support services are available via subscription pricing, as well as through Sage's network of consultants and the Sage Accountants Network. All support staff for U.S. users are based in the U.S.
SUMMARY & PRICING Sage Timberline Offi ce is one of the premier construc- tion management systems on the market, providing an exceptional user interface and customization capabilities, with powerful database-driven estimating features, powerful job costing, exceptional reporting and very strong business management and accounting tools. Program pricing varies based on the specifi c module set and user base for each fi rm, with invest- ments starting around $10,000 on average.
www.sagetimberlineoffi ce.com