Hudman Central ERP Software

Pros

Advanced are a very responsive and helpful company to work with, most of our requests for amendments to the system were done the same day. The software is extremely powerful for the price.

Cons

Some parts not as intuitive as they could be, but with a bit of training and "playing around" it's not too hard to figure out.

Quick and easy to get started and now developing some useful additional features. Responsive and personal support is a bonus.

Overall this product is easy to use with features covering all of our core processes within manufacturing. The customer service they provide is exceptional. I would highly recommend this product to anyone in looking for an ERP system for there manufacturing business.

I looked for over 6 months for ERP software for my manufacturing company. We spoke to over 30 different companies and we eventually settled on Advanced. We have quite a complex requirement for MRP and almost every other company we spoke to couldn't handle it. When I spoke to Advanced they told me that they would be able to adapt their software to suit me, and to be honest my first thought was "I've heard this all before".

But when they came to demo, they had made some small changes to their system which meant that I could get a much better idea of my forecast stock. At this stage they hadn't even spoken about pricing and I assumed they would charge me a fortune. However, they offered me a fixed pay-monthly price which was a LOT less than the other providers I'd been speaking to.

I can't recommend them highly enough. Their support is simply excellent. They are more than happy to customise the system for me as my business grows and I've never been charged for any customisation at all, they just include everything in the monthly cost.

The system does take some time to set up, but they helped me with this so it wasn't an issue for me.

Pros

The features I get for the money is impressive. The MRP has completely changed the way I control my stock levels.

Cons

The system did take some time to get used to but they helped me with this.

Advice to Others

It's very different to most bookkeeping software because the accounts structure is more like the larger systems. Our accounts team were sceptical at first but once we'd had the training we can really see how the hierarchical structure is better than the separate ledgers most other systems use.

We have been using the Advanced system since October 2015 and found it has made enormous difference to our accounting process, saving time and being able to report accurately at a touch of a button. It is a user friendly, logical and all-encompassing accounting package which has many functions including Payroll.

When deciding which accounts package to choose for our business, it was a huge benefit to us knowing there was no need to purchase an 'off the shelf' accounting package plus a secondary bolt package to go with it, therefore we only required training on one system and avoided potential conflicts between two different software packages. The Advanced system is safe and secure and allows full remote flexibility to the user.

Advanced has been tailored to suit our individual business needs within the Construction Industry from placing orders to our suppliers to running end of month VAT Returns. The benefit of regular contact with the support team means we are able to make changes and amendments where we feel they are needed. Automatic system updates are made on a regular basis, ensuring we are always compliant with HMRC regulations.

The support and training we receive from the Advanced Team is second to none.

When introducing a new software system to a growing business, costs of any software can be quite prohibitive but we were pleasantly surprised by Advanced's nominal development charge followed by reasonable monthly invoices which is dependent on the amount of users.

I would have no hesitation in recommending this system to other businesses.

As a small business, Central Accounting has enabled me to monitor our business's financial activity quickly and easily with the press of a few buttons which in turn has helped to facilitate some of the decision making throughout the financial year.

While the nature of the business has not required us to use the extensive functionality of the Central Accounting software, it is easy to see the potential power of the system to handle many aspects of a more complex business such as a manufacturing operation, e.g monitor and rotate stock, production planning etc.

The customer support provided has been excellent right from the start, with videos to watch to support the guidance given on how to set up accounts and enter data etc., and the fact that it is a web based system means that you can receive direct responses to specific questions that you may pose.

Pros

The ability to get a quick overview of the companies situation

Advanced offer more than just software, they have become a huge part of our business with ongoing support advice and customisation of our systems.

Pros

Ongoing customisation is included for most requests. The support team are superb at delivering changes quickly. For the price we pay, we are always amazed at how they can offer the service and functionality that they do.

Cons

The system can be complicated to begin with and needs to be configured carefully.

Advice to Others

The system can be used for a wife range of industries which means that you need to set it up properly from the beginning. It does take some time and we had to ask for help to do this.

Overall we have been happy with the software in the knowledge that we will always receive the back up we need when we are struggling with something. Compared to other software we've used in the past (quickbooks) it isn't as easy for staff who aren't account savvy to use but we appreciate that from an accountancy point of view it is preferable and it has forced us into some better habits in our book keeping.

Pros

Cloud based is great. The fact that we dovetail this system with our business accountancy service feels very streamlined and 'energy' effective. As I've said, it has forced us into better book keeping habits. It it fairly intuitive to use.

Cons

For a small business with good but not specialist accounting staff it can be unforgiving when errors are made and a bit more complex than some packages.

Advice to Others

I think we would have benefited from a training day when we first had the package. This might have been offered and was turned down, I don't know. We've followed our noses and got things working but I feel there are lots of potential benefits that we're not tapping at the moment.

Good system, a few things such as invoice payments and receipts could be easier to access via input of invoice number only.

Pros

Easy to use, excellent customer service.

Cons

access to allocate payments and receipts could be made easier.

Advice to Others

Easy to read, good customer service.