2012 Review of A-Systems Corporation – A-Systems JobView

As reviewed by CPA Practice Advisor in March 2012

A-Systems Corporation – A-Systems JobView

From the March 2012 Review of Construction & Contractor Accounting Systems.

Best Fit: JobView offers excellent scalability, offering small to mid-sized construction related businesses a solid financial and job costing product while providing assurance that the software can transition and grow with them.

Strengths:

• Scalable: available in three versions
• Excellent full-featured payroll designed for the construction industry
• Latest version contains system wide enhancements
• Excellent reporting capability

Potential Limitations

• There is not an available service/dispatch module
• The product currently lacks integrated remote access

A-Systems Corporation is entering its 34^th year of providing software designed specifically for construction companies. Currently offered in three versions, A-Systems JobView can easily work for construction companies of all sizes, from a small startup construction company to a large thriving enterprise.

Basic System Functions - 4.75 Stars

A-Systems JobView offers users an easy to use interface that was designed for simplicity. A drop down menu provides easy system access to all program modules. A series of icons are located to the left of the user screen which can be used to select functions. Data entry wizards are available, and hot keys allow users direct access to most options. Journal entry screens are well designed and compact and contain user tabs that provide instant access to additional functions in each module. A New Company Startup Wizard guides new users through various options and selections and simplifies the setup process.

JobView includes Management Overview screens (dashboards) that offer excellent drill down capability. Users can choose the Graph View, which provides summary financial information in a graphical format. The viewer system allows users to review up-to-date information about every job in the system. Each view screen is password protected for greater security. Separate views are also available for both the project manager and the job supervisor, reporting data relevant each job. JobView is designed on a Windows platform and supports with the latest Microsoft operating systems, including Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Core Accounting Capabilities - 5 Stars

Each edition of JobView contains solid accounting/financial functionality and includes modules for GL, AP, AR and Payroll. The GL allows users to setup and maintain multiple companies and can easily provide management with separate or combined financial statements as needed.

JobView provides users with a default chart of accounts option for quick setup, but users can also choose to either customize the default chart of accounts or create their own. Both job numbers and account numbers can be up to 10 characters in length. JobView uses a batch system for posting transactions, and recurring journal entries can be automatically recorded and reversed.

Users can choose when to close the month or delay year-end closings as needed, with an unlimited number of fiscal periods able to be open in the system at one time. The AP module allows users to easily expense an invoice against multiple jobs and cost codes, and users can search the system for possible duplicate invoices prior to entering data. Users can also post invoices into prior accounting periods.

The AP module easily handles subcontract payments including retentions. JobView's AR module is excellent, and includes industry specific functions such as time and billing, AIA draws, progress billings, along with the ability to produce customized invoices and recurring bills as needed.

The payroll module is construction specific and easily handles multi-state payroll processing and also handles multiple deduction types. Certified payroll is also available in JobView, and the payroll module supports direct deposit capability. Users can also import payroll information from field employees directly into JobView, and all workers compensation and tax rates are updated constantly by A-Systems. Additional modules available for JobView include Inventory Warehousing, Equipment Costing, Purchase Orders, Fixed Asset Management, and Sales Quote/Sales Order.