A review of new software products that can make a big difference to your business

Dynacom’s subtle popularity

By Michael Burns

Although little known outside Quebec, Dynacom is one of the province’s leading suppliers of accounting systems, with a reported 75,000 customers. The Laval-based company has also done very well outside Canada, with 250,000 customers worldwide — mostly in the US.

Dynacom started operations 15 years ago and now has 40 people working from its head office. The system, which comes in English and French versions, is sold in retail stores throughout the US and directly or through partners elsewhere. Although initially designed for small businesses, it is now aimed at mid-sized companies as well.

Dynacom uses the Access database, which works well for up to five users, but can be extended to 20 people through Terminal Services or Citrix. These services speed up remote access for non-Web-based applications by having the application/ business logic run on a central server rather than each workstation. The company just released its Microsoft SQL Server version, which theoretically allows clients to have 100 users.

Microsoft SQL Server has other advantages. It is faster and more stable than Access, which can cause data integrity problems with heavy use or power outages. Microsoft SQL Server and other relational databases were built to ensure data integrity and include features such as transaction rollback (i.e., if an update is not completed, the system rolls back the transaction updates to the beginning of the process). Moreover, Dynacom customers don’t need to replace their system when they reach the maximum number of users; they can simply upgrade. And for up to 10 users, they can use MSDE, which is a runtime version of Microsoft SQL Server.

The price for the most basic Dynacom system (general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, inventory, job/project costing, Canadian payroll and purchasing) is $149 for a single user. The high-end system (which includes the basic system plus more advanced features such as time and billing, customer relationship management, budget forecast, multiple warehouses, direct payroll deposit and electronic data interchange) costs $4,495 for the first user and $895 for each additional user.

Dynacom has a number of third-party developers who build add-ons using the company’s development tools. The idea is to create a community of Dynacom developers who will continue to “feed” the system. On the company’s website you can see what is available and purchase, download and install these programs. Right now Dynacom has only five add-ons available online, but will be encouraging other developers to join by offering them unlimited telephone support and a quick way to sell their programs via the Web. Dynacom is also launching a new service whereby customers can post a suggestion for new features and allow the developers to respond.

Dynacom’s customization features (user-defined fields, menu favourites, form design and screen design) give it an advantage over other small business systems. Another advantage lies in the number of features you get for one low price. The company offers online help and training through the Internet for $95 an hour.

The Dynacom system covers the basics but is not meant for more complex companies that require multiple budgets, intercompany processing or allocations. The inventory system includes pricing levels, kits and an assemble process that could work for light manufacturing. The contact management system is basic but does allow you to track remaining time on a service contract.

If you’re looking for a low-cost solution with broad functionality, you might want to consider Dynacom — wherever you live in Canada.

Michael Burns, MBA, CA, is president of 180 Systems (http://www.180systems.com/), which provides independent consulting service, including business process review, business case development and system selection. Michael can be reached at 416-485-2200 or mburns@180systems.com.