PENTA Fanatic

Pros

PENTA for Windows is specifically written for construction, specialty trades, and service. The integration of Project Management and Accounting provides a real time picture of where we are on a project at any given moment. The Project Administration function is an excellent paperless environment and has been a winner with our clients.

The Accounting module is, of course, my favorite. In the product we used prior to PENTA, we never had a balanced Trial Balance at the end of the month. We had to do hours of reconciliation to bring it back into balance. The Trial Balance in PENTA has never been out of balance. We can trust the information we get from the system without fail.

We have the ability to modify the financial reports to fit our needs for each entity, and this is common throughout PENTA. It is very user-friendly.

PENTA Technologies provides a level of support rarely found in companies today. We have been with PENTA since 1998 and have not looked back.

The product is user-friendly and industry-specific. It provides an open database which allows us to pull information from PENTA in formats to fit the needs of the end user.

PENTA Technologies is a professional organization with the best talent in the field of construction software. While everyone is professional in their interaction with clients, they also make you feel like a family member. I loved my past visits to PENTA and hope to have many more.

Cons

I can't think of anything I don't like. The things I do not like are on our plate, not PENTA's. We are not utilizing the program to its full capacity but hope to have that remedied by the end of the year.

PENTA Driving Technology

Pros

What I like best about this product is that it is pretty intuitive to use. I do not get confused with new setup tools, and that PENTA is consistent from product to product on how they label and identify items. PENTA has always been willing to work with us to develop new products and make upgrade to our system as we need them which is great.

Cons

The only issues I have had is that PENTA has not always been ready to implement there products with new technology, for instance service management on tablets. I know this version is coming out on the next upgrade, which will help us out greatly.

A must have software in a fast-paced, construction industry

Pros

We are a company with multiple entities in various types of construction industries. PENTA offers the versatility to adapt to different types of construction industries such as telecommunication, outside plant, private network and electrical contracting industries. The flexibility within PENTA allows us to use the job costing and service management software in various ways to meet our accounting and job costing needs in each of our organizations.

Cons

In the past, getting information out of PENTA electronically was difficult. However, PENTA listened to their customers and has created a new product enhancement that is currently available that allows users to get information out of the software and in a downloadable format into Excel.

You get what you put into it!

Overall, PENTA does what we need it to do. It isn't sleek and sexy like other software, but their support staff is always available if we have any concerns.

Pros

PENTA is a true ERP. The functionality of the software met our needs for project management, accounting, as well as payroll. Our IT department is able to create reports very easily based on what our needs are.

Cons

I wish there was a more in depth HRIS system to utilize. It is important to know that what you put into the system is what you will get out so if you are not utilizing all aspects then you will be missing pertinent information to analyze. I also wish there was a way for the user to create their own reports outside of the workbench so I did not have to rely so heavily on our IT department.

Well-Designed Construction ERP System

Pros

PENTA has a solid product that is well-engineered. Their staff is very experienced and knows the industry.

Cons

The current UI is somewhat dated. It is usable, but it needs to be updated, made consistent, and made to work on both PC and mobile platforms.

Penta Software

I have been using Penta for almost 7 years. I have found it to be an exceptional product from an Accounting perspective. Our auditors have noticed a marked improvement in the quality of our data as well as the speed in which we answer their questions. The document management module is integrated seamlessly with the accounting modules, which allows users to drill down to source documents rapidly. The area which I feel is still behind where I would like them to be is Operations integration. Our goal when we purchased the software was to replace Expedition which our Operations folks were using. Although we have transitioned away from Expedition for some things, we still rely on it for approximately 80% of what we had hoped to replace. We are still entering some data in both systems which is somewhat frustrating. We are just now testing the mobile applications that Penta has released which will allow remote users access to Penta through their iPads. I feel this holds a lot of promise, but has not yet been tested fully on our system. Overall, I think Penta is an excellent company with great people, and hopefully we will see more progress on the integration of Operation functions soon.

PENTA has been a lifesaver!

Pros

We have developed a very good relationship with PENTA and feel like they are always working on new enhancements to the software that will help us be more successful. They have done a great job helping us use the software better.

Cons

I have not run into anything that I do not like about PENTA. They are quick to address any concerns I may have.

Project leader for software selection and implementation

Pros

The PENTA solution fully addresses the key tangible needs of a specialty contractor like ourselves. The foundation of job cost, extensive payroll, billings/receivables, purchasing/payables, and other niche software, such as service management, provides our growing companies a solid platform that meets our needs across a wide spectrum of businesses/companies.

Cons

I would like to see the establishment of an active user group to better facilitate the sharing of information across the entire user base.

Review of PENTA

Pros

I like the speciality subcontractor features. It's the total package. It's able to capture everything with one software product. It has great payroll processing features and great customer service, with a true understanding of construction accounting.

Cons

This is improving, but I would have to say user manual/documentation could be more descriptive or user-friendly. It could use more direct contact with the customer as functionality is added to make them aware of the increased functionality and encourage usage.

PENTA Technologies Review

Pros

It's an integrated system. It's user-friendly. It handles multiple companies. There is always someone available in Customer Support to handle any system issues as they arise. The system can be customized for your needs. They are always upgrading the system with new features. They take an interest in their clients and ask for recommendations for changes that may be on our Wish List to be put in place in the new upgrades. The initial training that you get before you put the product in place is thorough.

Cons

It would be nice to copy/paste entries from Excel directly into PENTA.

Using PENTA from an Accounting Perspective

Pros

PENTA's accounting package is fully integrated with all modules: job cost, payroll, fixed assets, accounts receivable, accounts payable, etc.

Cons

You can't export reports to Excel. Although there are a lot of good add-on modules, the additional cost of those modules and the increased annual maintenance cost make obtaining the modules cost prohibitive. There are not enough financial statement formats available to create reports with.

Payroll Supervisor-8 year user

Pros

The thing I like the best is the ease of use in producing rapid checks. We have a large number of union employees that have to be paid on demand. Another good thing is the number of options of reports that are available.

Cons

We need to work on certified payroll reports. I like the options of only using the last four digits of the social security number or printing it with no addresses. I have problems when a union employee works in another area and the result is a confusing report.

Todd & Sargent, Inc. & PENTA, a strong partnership with a solid future

Pros

The accounting and job cost system is rock solid. We have diverse needs in payroll, and PENTA has always provided the flexibility to handle each circumstance. We have a great relationship with the PENTA staff, and they always meet our needs.

Cons

PENTA's custom reporting capabilities did not always meet our needs. But that issue should be solved with the Dashboard capabilities they've added to the software.

Use extensively every day

Pros

Easy to use, good reports and easy to modify. Most reports download into Excel easily. Good inquiry function. Their customer service is very responsive to our needs.

Cons

I really do not have any complaints about PENTA. It works well for us.

Glad that we selected PENTA as our ERP system.

Pros

The vendor was extremely helpful when we transitioned from our old system to our PENTA one. They are professional and easy to work with. The product has been extremely helpful to the business.

Cons

The dates are inconsistent, which is frustrating to the users.

Penta Technologies

Penta integrates almost all facets of Project Management (with the exception of scheduling functions) with the Accounting program. This is extremely important to us because it provides an immediate picture of job cost and profitability of the project. We are upgrading to version 19.5 so I don't feel I can give a fully accurate review until we have completed the testing process and hit the "Go Live" milestone. It would be nice to give a review of the new dashboard features from a Project Manager's point of view.

PENTA is a geat accounting software.

Pros

PENTA is very user-friendly and most errors can be corrected easily. Also, the customer service is excellent.

Cons

Things are often hard to locate in the PENTA menu. If there are things you don't use often enough to add to your hotlist sometimes it can be quite time consuming to try and locate them.

Penta Construction ERP Software Review

Pros

I like the software's ability to do Project Accounting and Labor Distribution. I like the fact that the vendor is smaller, so you get more personalized service (your not just a number to them).

Cons

At the present time they don't offer a lot within their Human Resources module.

Chief Information Officer

Pros

The integrated applications that specifically address the construction industry and its support of union payroll and reporting.

Cons

Ability to easily facilitate workflows within the application and between other external applications.

Still learning.

Pros

That is is very detailed for both a service and contract company in one package.

Cons

While the product is good for the field transactions, it has some limitations on the actual accounting side.