Abila MIP Fund Accounting Software

Pros

Loved how easy it was to learn the Accounts Payable part. I learned it in one day. Love how it keeps track

Cons

I don't like how if you make a mistake you have to erase the whole entry and start all over. Very annoying

Overall, I like using this system.

Pros

I really like that you can't go in and make changes to items once you post them. It's more stable than QuickBooks was regarding this matter.

Cons

Because you can't make any changes, if you make a typo it is there for ever. Would be nice if there were an edit feature just for the description.

Pros

Amazing! I literally did not read the instructions on how to get started. This is my type of setup. Now, I cant say this goes for everyone, but if you have a little experience then you will be fine

Cons

Like I mentioned before. The software is just too too easy to get familiar with. I dont see why you would skip pss this

Pros

The speed was very quick and I would love to use this product at my job but we'll changing to Sage Live

Cons

Not very user friendly and could be a little more directed but that my option no one else. Everyone has a difference.

Pros

I had the opportunity to work with this software a couple months ago and I really liked the easiness and simplicity it offers.

Cons

Although I really like the software I’d have to say it was a little overpriced and just for that, I would not purchase it for myself.

Pros

the product was nice it was easy to use and very interactive. I like the fact that the dashboard is very comprehensive.

Cons

There is definitely more room for improvement,and at time could be little bit frustrating to use the product.

Don't purchase any Abila product without factoring in the cost of training. Our organization did a self install & configuration and to be frank made a mess of things. Learned a costly lesson; the cost of training is well worth it.

Pros

Bolt on modules are very robust; have exceeded our expectations. Nice integration from FR50 to MIP. Easy to install in modules so you can spread the learning curve over time.

Cons

No switch to do Cash Accounting Basis-built to use Accrual Basis only. No cash forecast model built in s/w.

Pros

easy to navigate from General Ledger to Accounts Payable or Accounts Receivable, cash receipt and reporting.

Cons

budgeting in the system is not so easy. can't setup to match my format but the ability to upload helps

Pros

This software allowed us to make better financial decisions because we had clear data. Our church finance team loved it!

Cons

Our organization decided that it would be a good idea to switch to their own ground up software. We have missed several key features that they weren't able to reproduce from Abila...

Pros

Very robust and advanced. You will be able to track a lot of expenses and produce a host of reports.

Cons

Without proper training, it could be very challenging for an entry level employee. It requires an extra attention to detail

I'm still learning, but the more often I use Abila, and the more familiar I become I am enjoying the software more and more! It's very well designed.

Pros

There are a lot of features, and it's easy to get overwhelmed if you are new to accounting, however, if you are a quick learner and explore the features at length you can quickly figure things out until your transactions become intuitive.

Cons

It does assume a certain level of accounting proficiency on the part of the user. Those starting out will probably require some support in navigating. The "Help" search feature is very technical.

The system is available as an on-premise solution or hosted on the Abila private cloud which is great having either option.

Pros

The ability to access the system from anywhere on your mobile device. There is a tough competition of modules available.

Cons

The amount of money spent can be expensive depending on the type of modules needed and how many users needed.

I would recommend this to any non-profit to account for financials in any industry.

Pros

MIP has one of the best non-profit accounting solutions out there, with its robust reporting, multiple segmentation of accounts, and ease of reviewing history in the database.

Cons

The built in custom reporting could be a little better - but there are certainly third party softwares out there that fix this problem - for a cost.

Pros

Loads of options, Layout is nice, Support, job costing, all the report options, and vendor and customer lists

Cons

Not user friendly
Small fonts and tabs. US version looks better
Uses not give you cash accounting option

Most nonprofits are seeking funding to exist...this software package is a well-established organization. I say this because of the dependency on the online/cloud storage features. There is a monthly service fee to use this product.

Pros

I say this; however, it's a package that is worth having. I generally work with startup and kid/new nonprofits. I recommend this product as they grow and hire a Staff Accountant.

Cons

Simply the fee associated with the product itself and for training, or additional insight.

Advice to Others

If your organization is considering this package, please get the group university training.

The system itself has been around for a good while. For that reason, they have built a strong product if you are in the non-profit sector looking for some flexibility. Be warned that it is not an inexpensive system although the ongoing cost of maintenance and support is not too bad. Implementation and initial licensing are where they get you. Most use the product out of the box and even then require a good amount of training since it had too many features. I would try to stay away from customizations that touch the database directly because support will have a much more difficult time supporting you. Support is ok, however during an audit and UDS season you should expect to be on the phone on hold for 30+ min.

Pros

Once set up, you will enjoy the power of flexibility and customization.

Cons

Too many options that can easily use you. You need to be trained. Support wait times can be high. High initial implements ton cost.

Advice to Others

If you are a non-profit under 50 employees I would stay away and use Quickbooks for Nonprofit unless you need serious customizations.

Our accounting department uses this product and finds it very user-friendly and works well with the needs of our complex funds and accounts.

Pros

Ease of use.

Cons

No cons. It works well for our needs.

Most accounting systems have always been to me glorified excel spreadsheets. What I've come to loath is having to sheet and sheet of different formulas because the system isn't intuitive enough to recognize an upload of statistic analysis. Imagine having the ability to handle all of your financial needs with one simple solution? That's where my company has it's greatest strength is that it is currently pushing for one solution and this solution is it.

Pros

Ease of usage

Cons

It can be a bit expensive

Advice to Others

Do yourself a favor and go this route

The product is very comprehensive and meets all of our needs. A bit pricey but worth the money.

When I used this product, I did not work in the accounting department, I worked in the Warranty/Repairs Department of a construction company. However, we used this software to make notes, bill for repairs, find out when a warranty should be issued upon customer being paid in full, and communicate with the accounting department as they were in another building than our department. The invoicing feature was very straight forward and easy to use. Checking if a customer was paid in full was also easy. Making notes was also easy but the categorization of the notes could have been better. It was just a long list with no differentiation or date categorization. You just had to scroll through a giant list of notes to hopefully find what you needed to know, and hopefully someone put a name and a date by the note so you could ask them additional questions if they did not list enough detail. Switching from different screens was a little time consuming. When I used this software, there was no ability to set an action request. I'm sure by now they have changed this and made it possible to set actions or reminders for yourself or others.

Pros

Multiple users can be on the program at one time. It is relatively user friendly as long as you have basic computer knowledge.

Cons

The time it took to go from one feature to another was frustrating when you are on the phone with a customer and needed to get to several different places quickly, however, that could have been due to the number of users we had on our server at a given time. If an older person, who has limited computer knowledge were to try and use this program, they may need a training course to become comfortable using it.

Advice to Others

Before purchasing this program, ask lots of questions and make sure you research what features you need as a business. When I used this software it was missing a few of the key features we needed which made it difficult for us to seamlessly move from one customer stage to another.