ECOUNT ERP Product Review: Better Value for Smaller Companies
ECOUNT ERP is a full-featured cloud-hosted enterprise resource planning solution that aims for the small- and mid-scale business sector. Instead of investing in more complex solutions that are not only pricey but downright complicated, ECOUNT aims to integrate a wide range of essential functions in one platform for the businesses that find traditional enterprise-level ERP systems overpriced and impractical. Businesses that currently have separate system environments for inventory, accounting, and operations will find that ECOUNT has plenty of worthwhile features.
One area where ECOUNT is fully equipped is managing inventories. Changes made in inventories as a result of business processes such as sales, purchases, or manufacturing are all automatically synchronized in ECOUNT. With ECOUNT, since it is an entirely web-based inventory management system, users have the ability to view their current inventories anytime, anywhere, whether it is from their office or even from home. ECOUNT also allows users to manage their inventories using barcodes, either by registering their available product barcodes or even creating their own barcodes inside the system.
Another notable feature of ECOUNT is its accounting system that is very beneficial for companies that lack accounting personnel. It uses a double-entry accounting system that is specifically designed for the business situations that small to mid-sized companies encounter on a daily basis. It is easy to operate even for people who are not accounting professionals. It shows accounting entries in real-time management reports. There is no requirement for distinct processes that would handle accounts receivable and accounts payable. It is also capable of handling transparent spending procedures that range from budget approval to actual spending.
For manufacturers, ECOUNT provides a robust set of tools to manage production. With the use of Bills of Materials (BOM), the application can track raw material, components, and finished products. Its Master Production Scheduling (MPS) module can aid manufacturers in organizing product plans following the projected demand for products and the present stock. The application also provides an automated computation of product costs, which takes into consideration raw material, components, and service costs. Defective products created during the course of manufacturing can be tracked as well.
ECOUNT also provides efficient human resources management capabilities, eliminating paper-based work processes. Pay calculation formulas can be customized according to company regulations, and calculations can be performed automatically. Working hour calculation formulas can also be customized in accordance with company regulations, while employee information, personnel changes, and organizational chart management can be carried out entirely online. In growing businesses, this would ensure greater precision in terms of HR data management.
The sales and purchase modules are what hold the entire workflow together by providing the automation of issuing invoices according to sales and purchases. Coupled with the production and accounting modules, the software provides an end-to-end process with ease—from the point of purchasing and production to delivery and invoicing, as well as accounting. The profit margins are also calculated, as the software compares the cost of production against the sales value.
In addition to the conventional functionality of ERP, ECOUNT has groupware functionality and other collaborative features built into the system. Electronic approval process systems make the approval of tasks more efficient and eliminate the delays associated with sending approval requests via email or paper mail. Storage of files in the cloud enables the organization to have centralized control of important documents.
Based on a comparison with other competitive ERP platforms like Odoo, Zoho, QuickBooks, and Xero, the primary strengths of ECOUNT lie in ease of use, cost-effectivity, and full coverage of the most essential ERP modules. Users should be aware that some of the advanced functions offered by other complex platforms in areas like CRM and SCM will not be available through ECOUNT. Additionally, third-party SaaS integration is not as widely available through ECOUNT as it is through other platforms. As far as platforms are concerned, ECOUNT can be run using popular browsers such as Chrome, Edge, and Safari without any need for installation. ECOUNT is also compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS operating platforms.
ECOUNT’s pricing plans are also worth mentioning. The basic ERP package can be acquired for a low cost of only USD 55 per month with no limits on users, and groupware services can be used for free for up to 10 users. If you need to add more groupware users, you can do so at a low cost of just USD $10 per month for every additional five users. To make matters better, a free trial period of seven days will allow users to test the full package of ECOUNT ERP in real-life situations.
Overall, ECOUNT ERP can be one of the best and cost-effective options available for businesses looking for an ERP solution that integrates multiple functions without adding extra costs to access the more complex, but less essential features used by larger companies.
