A Review of
Platinum for Windows
By J. Carlton Collins, CPA

What Makes Best Software's Platinum for Windows Different?

When reviewing any accounting software solution, I think that it is important to understand how the product is different from its’ competitors. All products are developed with different tools, different philosophies, and with different objectives in mind. All products are targeted towards different sized customers, and different industries. When evaluating products, it is easy to get bogged down in the overwhelming complexity of the systems. The reality is that all accounting systems have a general ledger with account numbers and financial reports; they all have an average accounts payable module that works fine; they all have a bevy of standard features. Studying these common elements of an accounting system will get you nowhere. It is the key differences that provide keen insights that will allow you to effectively identify and select the right product for your needs. With this spirit in mind, presented below are the key characteristics that set Platinum for Windows apart from its competitors:    

Backed by Large Accounting Software Company - Platinum for Windows is backed by one of the largest accounting software publishers in the world - Sage Software / Best Software US Operations. Unlike other accounting software companies such as Computer Associates, Oracle, and Microsoft, Best Software is dedicated solely to the accounting software market. This is an important note because other larger companies may be distracted or more focused on other product divisions such as databases for example. Because Best Software's success is solely dependent on it's accounting software solutions, I think that this forces the company to keep their focus on those solutions - which makes Best Software's accounting software products a better bet over the long haul. 

Wide Breadth of Modules - Platinum for Windows offers one of the widest breath of modules in the mid-market, only a handful of product come close to matching Platinum's completeness. The latest count shows a total of  Platinum for Windows modules. You can view a complete listing of the modules by clicking here.

Customize User Screens - Platinum for Windows provides excellent customization tools which allow the end user to tailor the product to his or her particular needs. Platinum for Window's customization tools provide access to each data input screen within Platinum for Windows. The end user can insert new data fields, edit existing data fields, and build logical calculations. In my opinion, this is the most important feature in all of accounting software. To learn more about the importance of customization, click  here.

Fixed Assets - Many accounting software publishers choose not to offer a fixed asset module - it is perhaps the most frequently missing module in the industry. One of the reasons many publishers avoid writing this module is they have found it easier and better to instead link to Best Software's Fixed Assets module. In this case, both Platinum for Windows and Best Fixed Assets are owned by the same company, which virtually assures tight integration between these two products.

ACT! 2000 & Sales Logix - Best Software also owns ACT! and Sales Logix, perhaps the best value in contact management and CRM solutions on the planet today. Once again, because Platinum for Windows, ACT! 2000 and Sales Logix are owned by the same company, this virtually assures tight integration between these products.

Abra Human Resources - Best Software also owns Abra Human Resources, perhaps the best value in HR solutions in the mid-market arena. Yet again, because Platinum for Windows and Abra are owned by the same company, this virtually assures tight integration between these two products.

Business Alerts & Business Insight Modules – Platinum for Windows’s Business Alerts allows you to create event triggered reports, which are then e-mailed to the appropriate persons in the event that a preset parameter is exceeded. These automatic, user-defined e-mail notifications can inform you, your sales representatives, your customers, employees, and vendors of date and time-sensitive events. Along similar lines, Platinum for Windows's Business Intelligence module offers an executive dashboard for at-a-glance monitoring of key company information, ratios, and data.

Visual Integrator Module – Platinum for Windows’s Visual Integrator module allows you to build-in integration to other applications. To accomplish this feat, Platinum for Windows uses the Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) standard. Using ODBC, Visual Integrator allows you to schedule imports or exports of data directly to or from any ODBC-compliant application such as a custom or vertical software application. At the same time, Platinum for Windows applies business logic to maintain data integrity.

Crystal Reports, FRx, F9, & Excel – When it comes to financial reporting, there are no better tools than Crystal Reports, FRx, F9, & Excel. Platinum for Windows is well integrated with all four of these products. Crystal Reports is an industry standard report writing tool that enables the user to extract virtually any data out of the Platinum for Windows system and produce presentation-quality output. Further, all of the reports in Platinum for Windows, including check forms, invoices, packing slips, etc are written in Crystal Reports, which makes it easy to edit these reports. FRx is the industry standard when it comes to financial statement reporting – nobody does it better. With FRx, financial statements can be scheduled and e-mailed to users, or groups of users, complete with password protection both at the report level and drill down level. And of course Microsoft Excel is the ultimate power users tool. Because the ODBC drivers are automatically installed with Platinum for Windows, all Platinum for Windows systems are ready to export, import or hot-link to Excel. With F9, this process is even easier.

Custom Office - the Custom Office feature within Platinum for Windows allows you to send a personalized letter or e-mail with just one click of the mouse. This is a great productivity tool which allows users to easily communicate. For example, assume a user has toggled to the customer screen and is viewing the customer data for a particular customer. The user clicks the Custom Office button at the bottom of the screen which launches a menu of Word documents, Excel Templates, and e-mails. The user clicks on the e-mail entitled good customer discount, and immediately, an e-mail is sent to the customer notifying them that an additional .5% discount has been extended.  It is a great feature, and you should take a look at it if you get the chance. 

Weaknesses - Platinum for Windows is certainly not without problems – as with any top product, Platinum for Windows contains weaknesses, missing features, missing modules and shortcomings. Platinum for Windows is not targeted towards businesses of every size, nor is it ideally suited for every industry. We have compiled a detailed list of these weaknesses, including screen-by-screen evidence of some of the key weaknesses. You can view these weaknesses here.

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