Keep an eye on Cougar Mountain CMS Pro; they are in the middle of implementing some major changes. When we spoke with them recently they sent us four pages of features that will be improved or added to their 2012 version. We took a sneak peek at the list and noticed some key improvements in the employee and inventory modules, and we look forward to looking at this new release in the fall of 2011.
As for the current version of Cougar Mountain CMS Pro 2011, it still comes with a bundle of modules with the option of adding additional modules if needed. For the purpose of this review, we attempted to find all-in-one accounting software packages and CMS Pro is their bundled option; it comes with order entry, inventory, general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable and a reports writer. Additional modules include purchase order, payroll, bank reconciliation and job costing, and they range from about $425 to $800 per module.
This accounting software follows the Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP), which supports traditional and accepted accounting practices in regards to accountants and auditors. This means that the data and reports created by the software can easily be used by your accountant or to help with an audit.
Cougar Mountain CMS Pro is harder to use at first than many other products. As mentioned, it comes with a set of modules but you have to add modules to get other functions you might need such as job costing, payroll and purchase orders. Many of the other business accounting applications come with these modules preinstalled and ready to use. Though the appearance of the software interface does not directly relate to functionality, it does leave an impression on the user. CMS Pro’s interface is dated – they have added functions but the modules still look to be utilizing an older style.
Each version comes with a help section and online Cougar Mountain posts a few FAQs and other useful information. Many of the support options require that you login to access them, which means you have to be a software license owner to read user manuals, tutorials and other training material online, this type of support is free for the first year. They also offer basic and priority phone support plans that are billed by the hour. For example, two hours of basic support is $400 per year, two hours of priority phone support starts at $800 for two hours. We must add that our experiences working with the Cougar Mountain team have been positive. They answered their emails quickly and gave good, well-thought out thorough answers to our questions. We would expect that they would treat their clients just as well.
However, we found some aspects of the Cougar Mountain website frustrating. For example, to see demos or screenshots you have to submit your contact information. After we submitted our contact information, every time we wanted to view something, it would ask us to submit our contact information again; we found this unnecessary and annoying. When we attempted to view their 17-minute video about CMS Pro it asked us to install a plug-in update for Windows Media Player, but the versions they wanted us to install were only for Windows XP and Vista, nothing for Windows 7. So, it would appear that they need to update their video player.
This section is short on some important features. You can't email invoices or estimate shipping costs in Cougar Mountain Accounting. Some better things are the abilities to track shipments and customize invoices. You can also print shipping labels and it can support an unlimited number of customers and transactions. This accounting software is even capable of applying one payment to as many as 250 invoices.
Cougar Mountain has many features in their Accounts Payable Section. You can pay or print bills and manage vendor information. You can print 1099 and 1096 tax forms to report your capital gains to the IRS. In addition, this accounting software can handle complex tasks like setting up multiple aging periods and recurring payments.
You can manage your employee's records, set employee statuses, pay, and pay period. You can also print off paychecks as well as transfer them electronically, print off W-2s and 941 tax forms.
The Inventory Section is excellent because you can attach an image to each item and specify exactly where the item is found (which storeroom or warehouse). You can also create drop shipments and specify the costing method: FIFO (first in, first out inventory) or LIFO (last in, first out inventory).
Reconciling your accounts and statements with this tool is straightforward. You can also make bank deposits and print reports, checks, and deposit slips. The only tool this section is missing is the ability to deposit payments electronically.
Cougar Mountain doesn't offer this section with their software.
This section is only available as an extra download. Cougar Mountain's Job Master tools let you enter pricing information, phase of the project, needed materials, project steps, subcontractor data and miscellaneous information.
The General Ledger section is excellent. You may manage accounts, make entries in the journal, or choose from 14 different General Ledger reports.
Cougar Mountain Accounting doesn't offer this section in the software. It is a third-party add-on application that can be bought elsewhere.
Cougar Mountain can import ODBC type files that exist in Word, Excel, Access or text files. Importing from historical files created with QuickBooks is a trickier process, but it can be done.
The 2011 version of CMS Pro includes a tool called Dtails, A Sales Dashboard. This dashboard has a much newer looking interface than the main dashboard of CMS Pro and includes 17 options for graphically viewing sales data. We like this addition to the accounting product. It includes heat maps, mini-view charts, the ability to drill down and sales overviews.
We will revisit Cougar Mountain CMS Pro in the fall after their 2012 version comes out to see the progress made. If their other product, Denali, is ever released as a bundled version we would like to look at that product as well, since it has a more updated look and is the focus of their current marketing efforts. From what we have seen and experienced, CMS Pro is fairly popular with CPAs and professional accountants since it utilizes traditional accounting practices. However, DIY type small business owners may find our high-ranked, comprehensive products easier to use and more affordable.
