Denali Business Reviews

I am currently using the Denali software, having transitioned over from Cougar Mt Pro

I am 66 years old, and do not possess all the technical skills of todays youth. Having said that, I learned Cougar Mt Software 25+ years ago. (when DOS based was the norm)! Cougar Mt Pro was easy to learn and work with. The Program writers did a great job with the transitioning into Denali. The Software is easy to access, understand and maneuver though..The Modules were well thought out and set up. It gives me what I need for our Accountant and more so. I'm an extremely cautious person that doesn't go outside the box of what is comfortable for me. For that reason, I "always" purchase and rely on the Support Contract package offered. Its worth every penny! From the girls that take your Support Request, to the Installers of new Updates, the specialist dealing with customized report needs and I can not forget or say enough good about the Technical personnel! With 25 years of working with Cougar Mt., I can honestly say the Customer Service Representatives are outstanding! Everyone is courteous, knowledgeable and focused. In the fast pace world we are in and everyone needing help "now", the turn around time from call to help is minimal. Everyone at Cougar Mt is so dedicated to helping you solve your issue! I am ever so grateful for their support team!

Not as good as CMS Pro but heading in excellent direction

Pros

For the money, the features are excellent and I challenge you to find a better product in the price range. We have been using CMS since 1992. In fact, I still have one business doing in same revenue still using the DOS version. We also use Pro for some businesses and one business is now on Denali. The product is excellent. We didn't want to change from CMS PRO but had to. Denali is strong. Not yet better than PRO but most users won't know the difference. Bottom line: solid accounting foundation, well organized, more than capable for wholesale distributor. We are heavily customized which was not possible with Denali. Thankfully, they have partners that are very capable. I have always considered CMS one of the best business decisions I ever made.

Cons

Somewhat slower to use. Screens are not colored well so can be hard to use/ see what you're doing. I wish they would at least acknowledge the strengths of CMS Pro and work harder to identify and incorporate them into Denali. Oh, the new software programming doesn't allow you to easily move the data and run it from another location. That was a huge advantage when hard drives failed or we needed to move systems. It will be much harder now. These are not big issues but they are cons from my perspective. I'd still buy the product any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Many features not right. My CPA hates the software.

Anything that is wrong with the software, they make you feel it's your fault, or they designed it that way. Customer service feels like it's run by a your worst nightmare of a Cable Company.

Pros

History. I love history for my customer's past purchase. Multi Level Pricing for inventory. 2 Must haves for my business.

Cons

Software is more suited for a simple Cash drawer. Forget a mixed environment, card swipe and online terminals for Credit card processing. Even Cougar Mountain does not use integrated Card Processing themselves. Credit Cards processed though Sales do not show in Bank Reconciliation, yet Card Payments in AR do show in Bank Reconciliation. Ask why, Because you might not make the deposit from the Sale. Just a example of odd answers from Management. Many things just don't work the way they should. Warnings that an invoice is not printed before posting also include any on hold order not printed. Ship To address files have crossed variables. A Ship To Company Name is NOT used anywhere but in the UI for entering. Contact name becomes the Ship to Company name. This was "designed" this way. eDelivery for Invoices/Statements still limited to 75 pages per run after software has been around for a year. Their solution, just select less than 75. eDelivery Software then tosses out system level errors. Solution, Reboot your computer as Windows 10 Pro is at fault. Even a computer from Cougar, setup just for their software.

We learn something new everyday, their customer service is exceptional

Pros

The integration of all of the packages and the easy customization to your needs. I like that you can get as much detail or as little detail as you require on your reports. The financial statements, trial balances, and audit trails work to assist you in finding any posting errors.

Cons

The payroll package. I do not like the payroll reports. I am used to easier payroll reports for my payroll taxes and I do not like that I have to use an outside Payroll company to be able to easily see what I owe. Yes I can figure it out but without the use of the outside Payroll company but with it, it is 1000 times faster. But for the extra cost of the outside company, I doubt my employer would even consider it. The customer service of Cougar Mountain is exceptional. No complaints here.

Best value in accounting software I have ever seen.

Pros

It can be tailored to fit nearly any need. With CMS I can get the Custom Modifications I need for some of my special needs. Right out of the box it has so many customizable options you can not imagine what all it can do. If you can not fid a way, just call CMS. They can and will find a way to fit everything you need.

Cons

It is not a pop-the-top and pour software. It can be a little complex for the beginner. But with time and use you can usually make it perform however you need.

Great for small to mid-size buisenes

Pros

Modular based product that allows businesses to choose from the suite not forcing businesses to purchase modules that are not needed. The modular base allowed us to purchased what we needed when we were ready.

Cons

The interface is a bit out dated and could use some revamping. The functionality is great just could used an update to the UI.

Great for the price, Mostly got it right...

Pros

From an audit standpoint, batch processing, locked transactions and audit trail, easy G/L, full module integration. From an ease of use, straight forward accounting product.

Cons

From an ease of use, graphics and click area make for some clunky functionality. Payroll reporting should provide more detail to make sure quarterly reports can be completed in case Aatrix is unavailable.

Denali is a great product

Pros

Security (audit trails), customization abilities, training videos, knowledgeable and timely answers to questions/problems.

Cons

Time zones. They are in MST and we're in EST. Even though they do have CSR available by 9 am our time to solve most of our problems, they are not usually fully staffed until later in the morning.

Being a user of this software for more than twenty years over all I it

Pros

It is a very stable platform and the service we get from computer team is first class

Cons

they use a genuis credit card capturing device and we feel that the device should capture the signature of our customers that have an open account. we have to have the customer sign twice or copy the A/R invoice!

DENALI is a disappointing followup to CMS

Pros

I've been with Cougar since 1990 and have always felt their product gives way more value and flexibility than any other out there on the market. They had a good product in CMS ACT. They also have US-based customer service.

Cons

DENALI is not ready for roll out. It seems like Cougar forgot all the lessons they learned through their DOS and CMS products. The reports are terrible and less informative than those in CMS. I'm having to do manual calculations to determine taxable wages. They don't include sick time, vacation time, or PTO in their history reports, and frankly I haven't figured out where I can get an accurate reporting of total gross wages or taxable wages. Their sort fields work only intermittently (page break on employee = page break on every check!). Denali feels like it was cobbled together and rolled out before it had even measured up to the standards of ACT; it's definitely not an "upgrade"! I'm so disappointed in Denali that I am considering evaluating other software moving forward, as Denali is not meeting my needs or providing the data I need for our reconciliation and internal accounting processes. In all fairness, I haven't updated to Denali 4.1 SP1 yet, and some of these issues may have been resolved.

20+ Years Of Use, Sorely Disappointed

Pros

The only good thing I can say about it is the searches and reports using crystal reports versus report writer is lightning fast.

Cons

Our company purchased our first Cougar software in the early 90’s, and have updated to every new version along the way. In July 2015 we bought the Denali version, and it has been terrible. Don’t touch it with a ten foot pole. Hardly a day goes by that we don’t find new errors in the software. Spent a lot of dollars to get everything converted and our rep, while trying to be helpful, gets the run around from support. When I talk to support they tell me our support dollars have been used and they can’t report the problem to fix, even though it’s obviously a program error. We can’t generate purchase orders, because the system ignores items on back order. We can’t do a general ledger month to month comparison. I pointed out this problem in July and they said it may be fixed by year end. Many of our month end statements have to be changed because of wrong amounts, and the payroll has bugs. I feel that we are a Beta test sight and paying them to learn of all the errors.

Very good solution if you can afford it.

Cougar Mountain Denali is a user-friendly system that offers a wide variety of modules and options. While a little generic in terms of capabilities it should meet the needs of many Small/Medium businesses that don't require advanced capabilities.

Pros

Available as a one time purchase or per-month payments. Can be directly purchased. Easy navigation. Two of the three bundles include Crystal Reports.

Cons

Has an overall high cost. Crystal Reports costs extra, even for the basic bundle. Data entry options and Report filters are not particularly intuitive. Not much graphic illustrations within most modules.

FAYETTE COUNTY HEAD START

Pros

The Support Staff is outstanding. Every time I have needed them they have solved the problem or answered my question successfully.

Cons

Some of the reports need improvement. The payroll reports should be keyed more to the information needed for quarterly reporting. They need to allow for more than one accounting year to be open at at time.

Denali is full of Bugs, report information is inaccurate. Information cannot be trusted

Examples 1.Purchase Order generated an incorrect back order PO- the quantity on the PO was not what was in the Inventory Master Record. 2.The General Ledger impact report in Edit does not show accurate balances. 3. Interface with UPS Worldship does not work. 4. The daily backup only goes to a Local C Drive on a desktop. 5. Customer Statements have incorrect due dates. 6. Cannot print a Zero Dollar Invoice, but it does process through posting. 7. The percentages over Min and Max do not always work in PO. 8. Cannot modify existing reports as the data fields available are very restricted. Plus- Crystal reporting tool works very well and can be used to generate stand alone reports directly from underlying files. System speed is very good. Report output allows for export to excel files. Easy to publish adjusted standard reports. Reprint a posting in GL very helpful.

Amazing

Cougar Mountain has excellent customer service and support. They are incredibly responsive and always ready to help and answer any questions. They follow up with you to ensure you are satisfied and don't have any questions. They go above and beyond to ensure customer satisfaction. Their software is also incredibly straightforward and easy to use. I work for a non-profit so I purchase Denali with GL, Payroll, AP, Bank Rec and Donor Express management. The different modules correlate incredibly well together allowing the accounting to be super efficient. It was easy to learn and just makes sense. My sales representative went above and beyond to ensure I had everything I needed and was progressing with my installations and training appointments. He checked in with me regularly and truly cared that this software was meeting my needs. The installation techs were very friendly and ensured the software was up and running quickly. My trainer was incredibly helpful and walked me through how to use the program and different modules. He was thorough, responsive and very friendly. I highly recommend Cougar Mountain!

easy customization

The integration of all of the packages and the easy customization to your needs. I like that you can get as much detail or as little detail as you require on your reports. The financial statements, trial balances, and audit trails work to assist you in finding any posting errors. Security (audit trails), customization abilities, training videos, knowledgeable and timely answers to questions/problems. I like the integration of the modules (ie.e purchase order, to inventory, to accounts payable, to general ledger). This speeds up all data entry. We really like being able to archive reports rather than printing reams. Overall, this software is great!

Pros

I like the inventory control the best. I also like the fact that Cougar Mountain has regular updates and that they are always striving to improve their product.

Cons

I'd like to be able to better customize what and how a screen looks and acts.

I have used Cougar Mountain Denali for 3 years.

Pros

This product is very easy to use. It is user friendly. The support team is excellent. I receive return calls the same day.

Cons

Wish I had more options on the reports. The programing you can do yourself for custom reports hasn't been easy.

software

its slow at times and gets very expensive

Pros

the customer service is very friendly and helpful

Cons

its complicating at times and is very slow

Interstate Battery of Sioux City - Bonnie

Pros

We have been using CMS since at least since 1987 and have had no problems, easy to work with

Cons

Support is awesome but we don't have to call very often at all, the whole group is great to work with

Non-Profit, Multi country, Multi currency, multi user installtions

Pros

Multi user and multi currency. the customer support is great. they do quickly respond to us. they have great remote desktop software to control your machine and quickly help with problems.

Cons

poor code requiring constant updates/fixes.., which most time is Full 3gb .iso install. since we are spread across the globe most of these I have to get very large iso across very slow, high latency, frequent dropped VSAT connections. frequent code generated end of year imbalances which requires yet another upgrade... hardcoded SA access for database queries.. published SA password so one code easily hack any competitors databases. until the last round of Installations very careful, undocumented tricks for installation.

Excellent Payroll System For Our Non Profit!

Pros

We were really excited to get started with growing our non profit but quickly became weary of the accounting requirements when paying individuals. It's been an amazing growth step in our organization.

Cons

It took some time to transition into this platform from our regular payroll system. However, with their support this was a quick and easy transition.

Phenomenal

Pros

I love that the product is so functional. There are so many ways to use the system to meet the very specific needs of our company. The customer service is beyond awesome. Not only are they extremely knowledgeable, they are eager to help learn the product and use it to its full capabilities for your application. I could not recommend them more highly!

Cons

There is literally nothing I don't LOVE about Denali and Cougar Mountain Software. They have exceeded my hopes and expectations in all ways.

Long-term Customer

I began using the software from Cougar Mountain in the early 1990's. I had previously used software from two other companies with the first being too skimpy on reports and the second developed a major glitch. The initial set-up of the information was easy, and once the system was up and running, I was thrilled with the results and the detailed reports. I have used and upgraded the software various times, and to this day I'm still extremely happy and quite content with Cougar Mountain. Due to the detailed reports which it is able to produce, we have been able to substantially keep our CPA fees to a minimum. We also use corresponding checks from Cougar Mountain for our Accounts Payable and Payroll transactions due to the ease of ordering, consistency, and fast shipping.

I would never reccommend Cougar Mountain

I am very unhappy with Cougar Mtn. and the software...things do not balance and know one can tell us why. They have messed up our Customer notes and can not fix so now we really have a mess. When I ask a question, I am told they can not answer that and they don't know why the reports look the way they do??? One report won't even print out with the correct customer address and days have been spent trying to fix it and it wasn't fixed....customer order sheets have the incorrect address or no address

I've had a pretty great experience so far with Denali,

Pros

The system is user friendly and pretty easy to navigate. I like that I can add modules at anytime. The customer service is fantastic!

Cons

I would like to be able to customize my own reports. But it may be that I'm not familiar enough yet with the reporting to realize there is a report out there that is what I'm looking for. I'm still new finding my way around.