Feedback Form
Home Features Mastermind Forums About Advertise Blog Network Contact Be An Author

QuickBooks Enterprise 9.0 - 5 Star Rating? I Don't Think So

QuickBooks Enterprise 9.0 - 5 Star Rating? I Don't Think So

A recent review of QuickBooks Enterprise 9.0/2009 at the CPA Technology Advisor web site awarded the software a 5 star rating. I have to disagree with them on that call - I would rate it a solid 4 stars, but there is no way it rates a 5.

(Full disclosure: I am a Certified QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions advisor and a charter member of the Intuit Solutions Provider/Reseller program)

Reasons why I agree with their assessment:

  • QuickBooks Enterprise 9.0 is a very economical choice for businesses that are either outgrowing QuickBooks Pro or Premier, or those that are on the lower end of the mid-market. Compared to other mid-market packages, QuickBooks Enterprise is very budget-friendly. The list price on a 5 user version is $3,000, which is typically thousands less than competing products.
  • QuickBooks software (all versions, including Enterprise) has a very intuitive interface and doesn't require weeks of training time to figure it out. Contrary to some of the marketing done in support of the QuickBooks product line that says accounting knowledge isn't needed to use it, it is still essential that someone in the organization have a rock-solid understanding of accounting to ensure that the software is used correctly.
  • QuickBooks Enterprise 9.0 owners are not forced into a renewal of the support and maintenance agreement once the initial 12 month support agreement expires like other competitive packages. It may make good sense for a business to renew the agreement, but it is their choice to do so. For example, the renewal price for maintenance and support for a 5 user license of QuickBooks Enterprise is $750 per year. This entitles the business to receive a complete upgrade to the newest version of QuickBooks Enterprise (i.e. QuickBooks Enterprise 10.0/2010).
  • The online data backup storage vault is an excellent benefit that is included. Purchasers of Enterprise 9.0 also receive a free 12 month subscription to the QuickBooks Online Backup service. They can use that service to automate their backup of QuickBooks and other critical business data to an offsite location. Up to 10 gigabytes of data can be stored in the vault. Many small businesses suffer from erratic or non-existent backup strategies, and this tool can definitely help them streamline that business necessity.
  • The Messenger utility built into Enterprise 9.0 is a great addition that really helps administrators see what is going on with the users and also allows them to log users off without having to visit their computer to do so.
  • The always-on audit trail helps businesses get some x-ray vision into what exactly is happening with their financial data and the users of that data. This is critical insight that every business using QuickBooks needs to know.
  • There are a number of excellent add-on products that have been developed that enhance the core value of QuickBooks as an accounting platform while the add-on software fills another specific need (i.e. advanced inventory control, document management, etc.)

Reasons why I disagree with their assessment:

  • Additional licenses must be purchased in 5 user bundles. The reality is that businesses don't increase their users in even increments like this. Businesses need to have the ability to add less than 5 licenses at a time. Why not offer a 2 user and a 5 user increment? It shouldn't cost Intuit any more to offer more flexibility. In fact, it may help Intuit's revenue stream by bringing on businesses that have chosen NOT to increase their license count by 5 and are limping by and asking users to exit when others need to log on.
  • The reporting tools within the software are very tired and need an update. This is an enterprise level software, yet it uses the same report tool found in the Pro and Premier versions. Intuit would counter that you can use the Intuit Statement Writer that comes standard in Enterprise for advanced reporting needs. That's nice and all, but that tool only covers basic reports like the Profit and Loss and Balance Sheet. If I want to make some enhancements to customer or sales reports, I'm out of luck. Intuit would also counter that any report can be exported to Excel for further analysis. I would like to see them either revamp the reporting tools inside the Enterprise edition or bake in something like Crystal Reports.
  • Enterprise 9.0 doesn't offer a significant number of reasons to upgrade. Unless a business has the need for reporting in multi-currency or to increase their number of users beyond 20 (you can have up to 30 in the new version), the rest of the enhancements were relatively minor and caused many businesses to say "I'll pass" on this version.
  • The online banking enhancements in Enterprise 9.0 were not well-received at all. Do a quick Google search on "problems with QuickBooks online banking 2009" - you'll see the story. Intuit has made some valiant attempts to take care of these issues since the software was released, but the damage has been done.
  • The client data review tool in Enterprise 9.0 is a terrific new feature for accountants to use with their clients. But just how many of the 57,000+ users of QuickBooks Enterprise are accountants? Probably less than 5% would be my guess. My point here is that precious product development time could be spent on new features that have a broader impact on the installed Enterprise client base.
  • The customer relationship interface in QuickBooks is tired too - last time I looked, I can track 2 contact names, 2 phone numbers and 2 e-mail addresses inside the core customer module. Huh? This is supposed to be an enterprise level package. I shouldn't have to purchase a QuickBooks CRM add-on just to deal with the multitude of contact information associated with a customer. While some nice features were added in 2006 to the customer area, the core customer screen has been the same since at least 2003. Time for a facelift guys.
  • My vendor accounts can't contain a remit to and a physical address. Why not? This is basic functionality that should have been written into the software years ago.
  • There are no credit management tools of any significance. Other than a field for a customer credit limit and a warning during order processing that the limit has been exceeded, Enterprise has no ability to put orders on credit hold or get approval from the credit department prior to shipment.
  • There needs to be more improvement to reduce the "multi-user"/"single user" mode hassles. While Enterprise 9.0 now allows a business to create a backup copy of their data while others are still working in it, you still can't resort a list, change a sales tax rate or do other common tasks in multi-user mode. Imagine telling 29 other users they have to exit QuickBooks so you can resort a list that has gotten out of whack.
  • No external tools exist to help repair problems with the company data file. Enterprise has the ability to verify and rebuild data files, BUT, you have to be able to open the data file first in order to use these tools. In some cases, the file becomes corrupted and can't be accessed via normal methods. The only option at that time is to turn to the QuickBooks data team for help. There need to be some external tools made available in case this emergency arises.

Even with the issues that have been raised, QuickBooks Enterprise 9.0 is very budget-friendly, easy to use and powerful accounting software package. It could be so much more though with some enhancements to the core package and without having to rely on the myriad add-ons to solve some basic accounting and reporting problems. It just doesn't rate 5 stars in my opinion.

Let's see what QuickBooks has in store for the release of QuickBooks Enterprise 10.0/2010 this fall. Maybe that will be a 5 start version!





QuickBooks Enterprise 90 5 Star Rating I Dont Think So - To learn more about this author, visit Scott Gregory's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends

Article Feedback
 Article Feedback No article feedback found.
  Leave Your Feedback
article feedback

Article Feedback
Dave Kurlan
Dave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website


To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us.

About The Author


Scott Gregory
(Visit Scott's Website) Scott provides a wide variety of QuickBooks solutions and profit improvement techniques to his clients in a relaxed yet very informative manner. No “accountant-speak” here - just a desire to help you create extremely efficient accounting systems and get the most out of your QuickBooks investment! He is a: > Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor > Certified QuickBooks Enterprise ProAdvisor > He has taught hundreds of students a variety of QuickBooks courses for over five years in the Community Learning Division of Lakeland Community College. > Certified in Integrated Resource Management (CIRM) from APICS. Prior to forming Bottom Line Accounting Solutions, Scott served as the chief financial officer (CFO) for a $15 million manufacturing firm. In that position, he was in charge of the accounting, banking, IT, purchasing, inventory control and human resource departments. Scott was recently recognized as the Distinguished Business Leader/CEO of the Year for 2009 by The Willoughby Area Chamber of Commerce. Download a free copy of Scott's menu of services to learn more about improving the accounting within YOUR business - http://www.betterbottomline.com/doc s/BLASProducts.pdf

Scott Gregory is a Gold author on EvanCarmichael.com
About The Author

View Author Blog
View Author Blog

View Author Video
View Author Video

Free Downloads


Scott Gregory's

Complete
List Of
Accounting
Articles

Name
Email
Author's Free Downloads
QuickBooks Self Quiz Icon QuickBooks Self Quiz
Tips for QuickBooks Backup Icon Tips for QuickBooks Backup
4 QuickBooks Blunders Icon 4 QuickBooks Blunders
Different QuickBooks Versions Icon Different QuickBooks Versions

More Scott Gregory
QuickBooks 2010 Will I Lose My Data if I Upgrade
Duplicate Customers or Vendors in QuickBooks Merge Them
3 Important Questions to Ask Your Bookkeeper Today
Why It is Critical to Verify Your Data in QuickBooks
Streamline Your Accounting Remote Deposit Capture
How Many Customers and Inventory Items Can I Have in QuickBooks
The One QuickBooks Tip That Will Save Your Business Thousands
QuickBooks Registration More Hassle Than it Should Be
5 QuickBooks Myths The Real Story
Can I Move from QuickBooks Pro to Premier or into QuickBooks Enterprise
Free Downloads


 
 
 


Evan Elite Authors
Cheryl Matthynssens  
Dave Kurlan  
Staging Diva  
Evan Elite Authors

Become An Author
Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details.
Become An Author

Evan's Latest Video
Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media
Evan's Latest Video

Business Opportunities
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"

How to Start An Online Business

Click Here To Learn More
Business Opportunities



Evan's Newsletter
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Name:
Email:
Evan`s Newsletter

Free Downloads
Super Productivity Icon Super Productivity
Powerful Living Icon Powerful Living
Host Beneficiary Icon Host Beneficiary
Recession Proof Icon Recession Proof
Ethos Mentor's Services Icon Ethos Mentor's Services
Free Downloads - Complete List

Entrepreneur Tools and Guides
Fortune Hunters - CBC Entrepreneur TV
Fortune Hunters
CBC Entrepreneur TV
 
Write The Press Release
Write The PR
Press Release Builder
 
Entrepreneur Tools and Guides

SEO For Africa
SEO For Africa
Agbéi Gbele Adidogomé, Togo,
Agbéi Gbele
Adidogomé, Togo
SEO For Africa

If I Were A Startup...
Geoff Whitlock, $53k to $507k in 3 years
Geoff Whitlock
$53k to $507k in 3 years
John Zarei and Shaan Parekh , $516k to $1.5 Mil in 2 years
John Zarei and Shaan Parekh
$516k to $1.5 Mil in 2 years
If I Were A Startup... - Complete List

Famous Entrepreneurs
Simon Fuller, 19 Entertainment
Simon Fuller
19 Entertainment
Mary Kay Ash, Mary Kay Cosmetics
Mary Kay Ash
Mary Kay Cosmetics
Famous Entrepreneurs - Complete List

Entrepreneur Advice
Keith Ferrazzi, Never Eat Alone
Keith Ferrazzi
Never Eat Alone
Donald J. Trump, Trump University
Donald J. Trump
Trump University
Entrepreneur Advice - Complete List

Popular Articles
(Premium Authors)

     Are You Careful or Careless
By Eva Gregory
     Allowing the Objects of Perfection
By Eva Gregory
     Are you Being
By Eva Gregory

Have A Suggestion?
Toronto Salsa Classes / Toronto Salsa Lessons Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
Have A Suggestion?

More Evan Carmichael
More Information