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What are some great payroll accounting software systems?
I’m looking for a single software that will (accurately) handle our accounting and payroll. I’ve used Peachtree in the past (before it was a part of Sage), and am considering giving them a 2nd shot. Also considering Intuit. Are there any other payroll & accounting software that will compete with those two? How do you handle your payroll and accounting?
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9 Answers
You should consider Microsoft Dynamics GP (Great Plains) with payroll. We have seen clients save thousands of dollars by bringing payroll in house, with their accounting system, instead of outsourcing it to companies like ADP or Paychex. If you choose to do inhouse payroll or outsource, you still need to sit in front of a computer screen and enter employee records. Just depends on if you are entering into your accounting system or ADP screen. But if you do it in house the extra step you have is to calculate checks, bill checks and print checks. These 3 functions typically take no more than 1 to 2 hours.
A company like ADP will file your taxes. But if you purchase a one time add on to Dynamics GP called Greenshades, then the taxes are done for you in house also. All you have to do is mail out the check to the IRS. (admittedly, an important step!) On average a company that pays 300-400 employees running payroll in house will spend approx. 3-4 hours extra per week vs. paying ADP to do this for you. We have one client, a staffing co in NYC, that processes 800 payroll checks weekly. They paid $205,000 each year to ADP. They purchased the payroll module and the Greenshades product with Dynamics GP for a total of approx. $100,000. A one time purchase.
Also, if you would like to compare Dynamics GP with Peachtree there are some great white papers here at: www.calszone.com/peachtree
You can get a budget price quote for Dynamics GP at www.calszone.com/quick-quote or you can download a white paper educating you on “30 Questions Every CFO Needs To Ask About the Cost of Accounting Software” at www.calszone.com/30questions . The principles in the white paper apply to all small and midmarket accounting software packages.
Best of luck in your search!
By Anya Ciecierski, CAL Business Solutions, Connecticut Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner
www.calszone.com
Brook,
Here is a press release that might be of interest in evaluating outsoucing vs. in-house as well as companies to consider:
Desert Mountain Realizes Six Figure Savings with APS Payroll's Solution for Payroll Processing, Human Resources and Time and Attendance -
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/2/prweb9164126.htm
The multitude of options can be reduced by identifying best practices and established technology trends, two of which are presented below:
1) Cloud-Based Solution Delivered as Software as a Service (SaaS) -
Since its emergence, cloud based computing has become a recommended platform for some of the largest enterprise level companies. A recent study conducted by CDW and O’Keeffe & Company found that large businesses lead in cloud adoption*. Small to mid-size companies are quickly adopting this trend in their growing businesses as well.
2) Unified, Single System Design -
Modern systems use a unified solution that delivers payroll processing, HR and time & attendance in a single system. This unified approach produces major efficiencies, opens up new opportunities (distributing responsibilities while maintaining management controls) and is much easy to implement. A truly unified system will have a single database and does not require data to be pushed among multiple systems or databases.
Cordially,
Christian
Infor's ERP / accounting systems offer great HR/Payroll modules. Infor's ERP / accounting systems allow you to do your payroll in-house or outsource it and have it integrated. We typically work with manufacturers so we recommend Infor Syteline due to it's great breadth of functionality.
When it comes to making the decision to bring Payroll in-house or outsource it, we generally recommend to our clients to outsource it. Essentially, the more complex your payroll is, the better idea it is to have it outsourced to people who are experts in the field. If you only have a handful of employees and only have to manage a single states payroll taxes, then it may make sense to manage it in-house. Although I will say, even then it may not be worth the effort.
Thanks,
Laurence
www.discretemanufacturingerp.com
www.tlcgroupinc.com
Hi there! I am with Red Wing Software, and we have CenterPoint Accounting and Payroll Software that could handle your needs nicely. It can also handle more advanced things like filing your taxes electronically, direct deposit and multiple states. If that sounds of interest you can join a free online demonstration where you'll learn how the whole system works and ask any questions you like. There is no obligation! Click on this link to sign up for a free live payroll demo: http://www.redwingsoftware.com/rwssn/?page=305, and this link for the accounting one: http://www.redwingsoftware.com/rwssn/?page=390. Good luck with your search either way!
If you have more than 7 or 8 employees, I believe you should outsource your payroll. Actually, I believe you should always outsource it regardless of the number of employees if simply to avoid all the legal and compliance issues concomitant with salary/wage.
It costs more until you send out an incorrect check to a less-than-ecstatic employee who is aware of how many ways there are to get even with you. Or a check that is 25 hours late. Or a 401(k) contribution that is incorrect. Then the cost will seem miniscule compared to the legal costs of defense and reparation.
I would, however, avoid using the major providers. All three of the public companies in payroll have issues with service and/or software such that a person who does refer payroll companies, like me, cannot in good conscience currently recommend them.
If you do choose a small local company, make absolutely sure (in contractual form) that they are equipped to assume all legal liabilities for any future mistakes.
We use a combination of WorkingPoint (www.workignpoint.com) which integrates with Business Online Payroll really seamlessly. It's much cheaper and easier to use the other software options out there, plus it has all kinds of great features like remote access (our HR person works from home frequently), baning integration, reporting and much more. WorkingPoint has a discount deal set up with the payroll service as well!
www.workingpoint.com
Either MS Dynamics GP or Redwing Centerpoint are excellent choices for payroll. Do you need the payroll module to interface with projects and/or other subledgers? Do you departmentalize your payroll. How about interfacing to HR? Direct Deposit?These are just a few of the questions that need to be asked when thinking about implementing a payroll solution.
Our firm is using hosted Peachtree along with Sage Peachtree Payroll Solution. We are fully satisfied with the products and the hosting service provider. Peachtree provides easy-to-use tools to help manage expanding business needs. Based on real, double-entry accounting principles, it includes features such as inventory management, business analytics, payroll, customizable reports, and much more. Many Peachtree add-on software programs are available which help in increasing Peachtree’s functionalities. There are many benefits of getting your Peachtree hosted. Peachtree hosting is a perfect solution for your bookkeeping and accounting needs. With Peachtree hosting, you save on both time and money. Peachtree hosting services makes the access to Peachtree both browser and network independent. With Peachtree hosting solution, you can work anytime and from any place via Internet. Peachtree hosting greatly reduces in-house IT costs. Hosting allows multiple users to access Peachtree simultaneously.
For more information visit-- http://www.myrealdata.com/peachtree-software-hosting.html
My answer will probably not help Brook since she asked her question back in June 2010 but for all the newcomers it may help.
I agree with Tom Markham up to a point. Unless you need to allocate payroll to jobs (job costing) then my recommendation is to use a payroll provider. There is a reason that companies only do payroll - if you do it yourself eventually you'll get it wrong and it will turn into a nightmare.
Where I disagree with Tom is that you should choose a national provider. If you are a small company Paychex is the best. Great customer service and a great value for the money. If you are over 250 employees I would recommend ADP as they made their bones on very large companies.
If you do decide to do it yourself take the time to get it setup properly and go through any tutorials and training. Both Sage Peachtree and QuickBooks have good solutions.
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