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| User Stories |
Retail || Wholesale || Manufacturing || Importer
Service Provider || Project Management || Professional || Publishing |
A Retail User's Stories
IT Access is a long time user of A++. They assisted in the development of A++ to meet the requirements of retail users. They sell computer hardware, peripherals and provide a high level of service to their customers.
Computer hardware prices are very volatile. Accurate stock figures are very important to identify slow moving items. Before using A++, profits were lost due to products, with diminishing value, being held in stock. |
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The product assembly option provides a simple way of updating stock when complete systems are sold. The component parts plus staff labour and service can be quickly assembled. Some of the stock supplied to IT Access is on a Sale or return basis. The consignment option in A++ provides an ideal way to record these transactions.
The flexible invoice option in A++ allows products and services to be itemized on the same invoice. Withholding tax is automatically calculated and the VAT on the service is accrued until the payment is received.
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A Wholesale User’s Story
| Pharmaceuticals Direct is a drug wholesaler and manufacturer supplying products to Pharmacists and hospitals nationwide. After an annual stock take they found they had large quantities of products that were past their expiry date and had to be destroyed. This was the reason they first looked at A++ but were very pleased with all the other benefits that came with it. |
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They were able to use different Trading terms and Discount rates for each customer, as well as offering a Settlement discount for prompt payment. Cost centres were used to record monthly sales figures for their sales staff, so that commissions were easily calculated.
To promote new products they frequently distributed them on a Sale or return basis for which they used the Consignment option when producing delivery notes. The additional product description allowed a trade name and generic name for drugs to be used when producing documents, and for quick finding and analysis.
Many products were imported and the Goods in Transit and Importer’s options supplied accurate and up-to-date stock quantities and on-the-shelf costs. They manufactured a some of their own drugs and found the Batch production option very useful for controlling raw materials and calculating cost prices.
The comprehensive reporting features gave them important management information as well as supplying the specific reports, such as Stock movements, VAT and Withholding Tax, required by the government.
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A Manufacturing User’s Story
A++ has many manufacturing customers ranging from cosmetic producers to furniture manufacturers.
This profile is on Tropical Life Concrete, a company that sells pre-mixed concrete which is delivered to their customer’s site by ready-mix trucks.
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Before using A++ their documents were produced by hand. This resulted in delays and errors.Often they had no idea of the exact amount of raw materials they were holding, or were on order.
They now use A++ to store details of all their raw materials, including diesel for the trucks.
The six grades of concrete they produce are stored as products which are assembled from the raw materials using preset formulas. When a quantity of a particular grade of concrete is produced the operator posts a delivery note for the quantity which automatically updates the
raw material quantities.
Cost centres allow time to be recorded for the truck driver so payments, including overtime, can be easily and quickly calculated.
Some of their customers are required to pay on delivery, whilst other large customers may be invoiced at the end of the month for several deliveries. Several Delivery Notes can be included in one invoice, with a simple click selection.
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An Importer User’s Story
East Marine imports specialised marine equipment for their associated marine repairs
company as well as selling wholesale and retail.
| Before using A++ they had no proper control of their stock, which consisted of over 15,000 different products. Certain products were often out of stock and others were re-ordered when they were already in transit. Their market is very competitive, and they lost sales and profit due to not knowing the actual cost of imported items. |
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A++ allows them to calculate costs more accurately, and easily processes documents required by the Revenue yet originally handled by a shipping agent. Currency transactions are smoothly handled and the currency revaluation option provides an accurate statement of their financial position.
They also use the Job costing option to control their marine repair operation, providing them with accurate costing and profit levels. For their wholesaling and retailing business, A++ offers Point of Sale (POS), Credit Control, Delivery Notes and much more.
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A Service Provider User’s Story
ASS Security is a company providing a security guard service to a variety of companies and properties. Most of their services are provided on annual contracts, yet are invoiced monthly.
| Before using A++ their accounting functions were not efficiently handled with some data stored using Excel and other documents recorded by hand. They were spending a lot of time on accounts yet had no proper management control. They frequently had cash flow problem, and frequent fines payable to the Revenue department for incorrect reports or late payment. |
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With A++ they have set up their contracts, and have used the Recurring invoice postings option to save time and allow fewer user errors. Their VAT and Withholding Tax reports are automatically updated with each transaction posted, so can be produced correctly for the Revenue, and in plenty of time.
Several of the invoices they issue contain large descriptions and were very similar. They are able to save these as Quotations and repeat them as invoices for other clients with similar needs, where only small amendments were necessary.
The Memo and Reminders options prompt when new contracts are due.
Reports, such as Aged Balances and Customer Statements, allow them up to date credit control, with management reports updated in Real Time providing valuable information which has improved their cash flow.
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A Project Management User’s Story
Choice Properties is a property developing company
with condominium and villa estate projects in various locations. The villas are on estates but are built individually to suit the customer’s requirements, which are contained in a contract. Stage payments are a major feature of the contracts and strictly enforced. The condos are sold on a long term monthly payment scheme. |
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The company was rapidly expanding. Before using A+ they had many problems with controlling costs, profitability and general accounting functions.
With A++, they now have all the monthly invoices set up as recurring posting which make the condo payment administration simple. The Job costing option gives instant management information on Work in Progress costs and profitability on all projects, both individual properties and overall sites or locations.
Since the projects are in various locations they use the Consolidate feature to export and
import data to Head office which supplies a convenient and cost effective way of obtaining
up-to-date information. They could have used a direct internet link between the sites and Head Office to enter data directly but found that the speed and reliability of their connection made this impractical.
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A Professional User’s Story
Mr. Ian Wagstaff is a surgeon and private consulting doctor. He started to use A++ to keep efficient accounting records and soon found there were many other features
in the program which gave added benefits.
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He was able to set up many of his basic operations as Look-up products. As an example, he had operations such as an infant’s circumcision and an adult circumcision set with different basic prices. He set up Cost Centres for nursing staff, anaesthetists and hospital theatre rooms’ usage, all with default costs. This proved very useful when allocating consultations and operations to specific jobs (people), or invoicing. It also provided the records which allowed
him to easily reconcile invoices and payments to consultations or operations.
Several of the invoices he issued contained large descriptions and were very similar. He was able to save these as Quotations and repeat them as invoices for other clients with similar needs, where only small amendments were necessary. The Invoice History and Memos options provided a quick case history of the clients and their charges. The Reminders option prompted when follow-up appointments were due.
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A Publishing User’s Story
Image Asia publishes many periodicals, such as “Where to Eat” and In-flight magazines.
| Before using A++ they were producing approximately 500 invoices per month using Excel. Each one had to be amended to reflect the current period before it was printed. Once printed, there was no link between the invoice, receipt and customer. It was impossible to obtain an immediate report of monies owing to them, or the financial situation of the company. |
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Using A++, they can produce and record orders which are converted to recurring service invoices which are posted and printed when due with just a few simple clicks. The Cost Centre option provides a useful analysis of sales staff and their commissions.
The General Ledger Grouping provides an Income Statement and Management Reports for each publication. All the documents produced from A++ have been designed by the user to create the first class image that the company wishes to portray.
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