I have created a system in Access 2000 (split db) for a
personnel company -- we now have 15 users -- the system
and company has grown over the last 6 yrs -- now I need to
add Payroll, Invoicing, Accounting processes. Currently I
have 12 tables and the system is working fine. With my
current level of expertise, I feel that I may not be
knowledgable enough (I didn't use any code in my system).
Question: are there 'canned software processes' that I
can purchase and import to my system? If not, and I go to
a consultant -- how do I know if he/she is reputable?

Thanks. --- Susan

To know a consultant is reputable: get someone recommended by a colleague
you trust, and check with the Better Business Bureau that there aren't any
unresolved complaints about the person. To find a consultant/contractor who
is competent (another matter altogether... you need to check both: some
perfectly honest people are incompetent, some perfectly competent people are
dishonest) get someone whose work is recommended by a knowledgeable
colleague you trust; get someone whose work you have seen and respected in
their posts to newsgroups, articles, or books; or get someone who has
"credentials" from a respected source (software vendor or testing
institute).

You'll find a comparison of some Access-based business systems at MVP Tony
Toews' site, http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm. Some of them have add-on
modules for some business functions; it's likely that none of those is
intended for use with anything but their own "base" system, so could take an
indeterminate amount of work to adapt to interface with your existing
system. Database Creations has revised and renamed their product which used
to be "Yes, I Can Run My Business With Access" -- I've heard some good
feedback on this one, but I'd bet you'd have to do a lot of rework to fit
their payroll function, for example, to your system.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP

"Susan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:08af01c37fd7$d4b16e80$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I have created a system in Access 2000 (split db) for a
> personnel company -- we now have 15 users -- the system
> and company has grown over the last 6 yrs -- now I need to
> add Payroll, Invoicing, Accounting processes. Currently I
> have 12 tables and the system is working fine. With my
> current level of expertise, I feel that I may not be
> knowledgable enough (I didn't use any code in my system).
> Question: are there 'canned software processes' that I
> can purchase and import to my system? If not, and I go to
> a consultant -- how do I know if he/she is reputable?
>
> Thanks. --- Susan

Susan,
There are a few other access based accounting packages with source code
available.
for instance, Cary Prague of www.databasecrations.com has one, and you might
look into buying that package. I have known of its existence for many years
but have never used it.

You should consider buying commercial accounting software for your
accounting needs, and integrating
what your current package with it. Just about every accounting package has
integration ability.
For example, on the Low end, Peachtree Accounting for Windows is a pretty
decent, though quite limited,
accounting package. PawCom from www.Multiwareinc.com is an access based
add-on that will let you
transfer data between Peachtree and your access database. I used a
predecessor, PawET, in the past
to exchange data with Peachtree and was very happy with it. Robert Walraven
of Multiware and I
developed and excellent rapport and I've always had excellent support.

About four years ago, my brother and I built a package for his travel
agency -
complete accounting, billing order entry and all, so let me tell you, it is
not an easy task.
We are both quite comptetent in accounting and Access development, yet it
took us a
long time to get it to the point where we were really happy with it.
You must have a solid understanding of accounting before you proceed down
this line.
PawCom (or PawET) was not as well developed then as it is today, and if I
were do it all
over again now, I would seriously consider using PawCom.

Quickbooks too has an SDK out for developers interested in creating add-ons.
In the mid market - Packages like Great Plains, Solomon, Mas200/500 etc
all offer extensive customization and integration ability.

Finding a good consultant is not hard. Evaluate the candidate's skills,
check references.
For this to work though, you must work closely with your consultant. Have a
clearly defined
scope of work, define deliverables, set milestones and evaluate progress
constantly.
It is not too different from hiring and managing employee.

HS


"Susan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:08af01c37fd7$d4b16e80$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I have created a system in Access 2000 (split db) for a
> personnel company -- we now have 15 users -- the system
> and company has grown over the last 6 yrs -- now I need to
> add Payroll, Invoicing, Accounting processes. Currently I
> have 12 tables and the system is working fine. With my
> current level of expertise, I feel that I may not be
> knowledgable enough (I didn't use any code in my system).
> Question: are there 'canned software processes' that I
> can purchase and import to my system? If not, and I go to
> a consultant -- how do I know if he/she is reputable?
>
> Thanks. --- Susan