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Product Review –
Sage Accounts Production Advanced
At Sage we always appreciate honest feedback from our customers. We asked Barry Snashall from Trax UK Ltd to give us his opinion of Sage Accounts Production Advanced (SAPA). In his own words, Barry offers his thoughts on SAPA, and the future of accounts production.
So Barry, how easy is it to use?
I use SAPA on a daily basis to prepare statutory accounts for clients. A new client can be set up within minutes, plus the database is structured so that both financial and nonfinancial information is easy to find and update.
SAPA now has the same look and feel as other Sage products too, and integrates with other packages. The comfort of this consistency is a benefit to us and the ability to import data from Sage 50 Accounts software directly into SAPA is a huge timesaver.
What are the limitations?
As with all software, installation and training is important. The time-saving and efficiency benefits will be accelerated following appropriate implementation and, whilst this comes at a price, the return on investment will be worthwhile.
Functionality vs. Usability
The statutory framework means that SAPA has to present the user with appropriate variables and options, allowing you to personalise output to ‘your standard’ with ease. Whilst all accounts have to meet the standards, the presentation is also important and SAPA accommodates this well.
Understanding the software’s functionality is essential to benefit from its flexibility and use it to its full capacity. Once this practice standard has been achieved it’s easy to roll out to future accounts production.
Development suggestions
I’ve always found that Sage listens to their customers, and their ‘wish list’ works. Users are encouraged to make suggestions and Sage practices can become Beta testers for future releases. This makes the software a partnership between Sage, accountants and end users. Practice dashboards and links to third party applications are increasing, establishing SAPA at the forefront of software production.
iXBRL
I can’t charge any more fees for producing iXBRL accounts so from a practice perspective I want to just ‘push the button’ to generate iXBRL files – with SAPA this couldn’t be easier.
Product Review - Sage Accounts Production Advanced Contd.
Key benefits of SAPA
· Allows accountants to produce statutory accounts which meet the latest company law requirements
· Flexible – allows you to prepare accounts for limited companies, PLCs, LLPs, pension schemes, charities, farmers and doctors
· Produces final accounts in iXBRL format for submission to HMRC
· Regular software updates to deliver latest changes in accounting standards and regulatory frameworks
· Can output to Microsoft™ Word, giving greater flexibility when presenting to clients (embedding graphics and branding makes a difference when presenting to shareholders)
· Speeds up processing by removing the need to manually draft accounts
About Barry Snashall
Barry Snashall is the MD of Trax UK Ltd, an accounting and software company based in Whitstable, Kent.
As well as accountancy services, the firm offers consulting and training packages in Sage and Microsoft™ Excel to 180 UK clients and has been using Sage Accounts Production Advanced (SAPA) since 1995.
Trax UK Ltd is a ten-person practice serving 180 clients – including sole traders, SMEs and a billion-pound pension service company – across the UK. Based in Whitstable, Kent, the firm offers taxation, compliance, VAT and management accountancy services and also specialises in software development, product training and Excel services.
Sage are also re very proud to announce that one of our Accountant Partners, Barry Snashall at Trax UK Ltd has been shortlisted in the Software Satisfaction Awards 2012! Barry was nominated by Sage for the ‘Reseller of the Year’ award and on the strength of his excellent customer feedback he has made the award shortlist.
To find out more about Barry Snashall’s practice, watch our Case Study video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjsSVQL3aTU&feature=youtu.be
Extract from Sage Exchange Magazine July 2012 |
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