QuickBooks Desktop Pro

Industry standard for easy of use accounting software; easy to implement; many useful and essential features

Inexperienced users without proper training can Quick(ly screw up your)Books

I love the in depth reports, the ease of tracking, and the simplification of our annual tax process.

I don't like the learning curve for the software, the variation between desktop and online versions, or the incompatibility with non-profit organizations, especially those working internationally.

This software is so easy to use! We are able to invoice our customers and keep a running balance of our A/P and A/R so we can track our monthly income. Easy referencing for customers by their name, account number, address and any other identifying information to easily access the account you are looking for. We have also linked QB to our CRM and each invoice created and payment links to both programs so the sales team can track their accounts, without needing access to QB. We love this program!

The only issue I have had, is when we do link payments to our CRM program, sometimes there is 5-10 minute delay before it registers. I can't say if this is an issue on AL or QB, either way, if we need access to the updated invoice immediately, it is available in QB.

This is just a very good all purpose accounting software application. It has all the features you will need to run a small business. The desktop interface is easy in part because Inuit has leveraged familiar tactile forms in the user interface. (Entering a cheque, looks like a cheque). Lots of time saving features such as “Quick Add”, “Memorized Transactions”, etc. make repetitive tasks easy. A variety of valuable business rules are incorporated into the functions of the software based on configurable Preferences.

I think the biggest detraction from the software is Intuit’s support. I have used Quickbooks for over 18 years and I have learned how avoid most issues, but if I encounter an error, I know it’s the start of a painful process. It can be a hit or miss experience as I have reached some good support staff. But in general, Intuit makes it very difficult (by design) to communicate with support. There are very few defects that remain (example: recording a PST commission has never worked correctly), but again, over time I have found work arounds. Some of the features such as banking integration were good concepts, but have not been refined to make them useful for the average user. Maybe there is a way to configure this functionality to work as desired, but again the lack of access to good support staff has caused me to give up on this feature.