A Review of
Solomon IV
By J. Carlton Collins, CPA and Geni Whitehouse, CPA

What Makes Solomon IV 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 some of the key characteristics that set Solomon IV apart from its competitors:    

Backed by Large  Software Company - Solomon IV is backed by one of the largest  software publishers in the world - Microsoft Corporation. 

Project Accounting -  Solomon IV offers one of the best project accounting solutions on the market.  With the addition of a Microsoft Project integration to be released in the 4th quarter of this year (to be called Microsoft Business Solutions Professional Services Automation), this product will be the clear leader for companies needing integrated project scheduling, costing, billing and time keeping capabilities.

Solomon Desktop - This tool provides web access to all of the features of Solomon.  It can be customized to provide a personalized view of information  for each web user. In addition, standard templates include different views based on the different roles in a company.  

Customization Capabilities - The Customization Manager module allows users to modify screens ranging from simple changes that the system administrator or user can make, to complex customizations that are best performed by a programmer and/or consultant with experience in Visual Basic Programming and SQL syntax. Capabilities of the Customization Manager module include:

• Implementing customizations that apply to a single user or globally to all users.
• Hiding fields.
• Arranging data entry screens to resemble source document formats.
• Moving fields to make room for new fields or to provide a layout that better fits source documents, improving data entry efficiency.
• Adding new data items to screens. These items can be from anywhere in the SQL database, including new records and fields added to the database. In addition to new fields, you can add standard object types such as text boxes, combo boxes, labels, push buttons, frames, panels, tabs, and forms.
• Setting or changing default values for any field in the system.
• Creating or modifying edit masks for such items as telephone numbers, social security numbers, etc.
• Restricting system customization operations to only those who have the appropriate security rights.

  Solomon IV maintains the custom code in such a way that the code is upwardly compatible with future Solomon IV version releases, even if you customize the code for your own use.

Customization Manager includes an embedded Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)-compatible Basic Script Language (BSL) that you can use for even more sophisticated customization capabilities. Customizations can be temporary (applied only until you exit the customized screen), or they can be saved as a permanent change. You can enter them for a specific user ID or apply them to all users (a global change). You can also use changes for an individual to override global changes.

Weaknesses - Solomon IV is certainly not without problems – as with any top product, Solomon IV contains weaknesses, missing features, missing modules and shortcomings. Solomon IV 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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