QuickBooks moves up a notch with latest release of business management software
By Staff -- Manufacturing Business Technology, 12/1/2005 12:00:00 AM
How does a small manufacturer know it has become a midsize manufacturer? It's not a matter of revenue, or how many employees there are, says Bill Lucchini, general manager, QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions, a unit of Intuit.
"It's based on the complexity of the business," he states, asking, "Has it split into departments? Is decision-making now distributed? Is there a need for defined workflows? Are there multiple fixed locations, or increasing amounts of telecommuting?"
Lucchini says the release of QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions 6.0—a business management solution—will be disruptive to its entrenched competitors in the midsize business management space because of its lightning-fast performance, a 50-percent increase in scalability, and robust inventory features. This is not to mention that its cost is much less than for anything labeled "ERP."
QuickBooks Enterprise, first released in June 2002, filled a void in the market for entry-level, multi-user, enterprisewide software for accounting, purchasing, sales management, inventory, and financial reporting.
With the release of version 6, QuickBooks Enterprise will be more attractive for midsize manufacturers since it supports up to 15 concurrent users and has enhanced inventory capabilities, including available-to-promise.
Advanced Semiconductor—a $15-million maker of radio-frequency transistors and microwave diodes based in North Hollywood, Calif.—chose QuickBooks Enterprise when it moved off a custom solution—and after evaluating a half-dozen systems. It paid less than $10,000 (its second choice cost $80,000).
Pricing is $3,000 for a five-seat license; $4,500 for a 10-seat license; and $6,000 for a 15-seat license, including a 12-month full-service plan.
