aACE notable features

Many business management systems do a good job producing invoices, tracking inventory, managing contacts, keeping your books, and so on. But there are also many aspects to a software solution that are harder to quantify in a feature list. Indeed, not all buttons are created equal. Below are just a few of the things that make aACE different:

	Professional Software Interface Design Workflow Automation & Sharing Data Powerful, Contextual Reporting & Exporting	Integrated Document Management Security & User Management Software Preferences

Professional Software Interface Design Software interface design is one of the most important components of user acceptance. Every screen in aACE is designed to be consistent with the rest of the system, elegant and efficient.
		Consistency allows users to more quickly familiarize themselves with the system and reduces training requirements. Every module in the aACE system is built using the same set of conventions, so moving from one module to another is easy.
		Colorization of modules and groups of modules increases the users&rsquo sense of orientation and makes the system more friendly feeling, which is a key component to user acceptance.
		Efficiency should be the primary goal of any data management system. Every interface is designed to require the minumum amount of data entry possible. Objects, tab orders, and button integration is designed around workflow.

Workflow Automation & Sharing Data

aACE features a powerful workflow automation system intended to “drive” many common business processes. Notices are created when pre-defined events occur. A Notice can be sent to a specific individual or group of individuals, send an email, or even trigger a customizable URL for integration with external systems and processes. The potential for streamlining your business processes is unlimited.

Users can also create Notices regarding specific records. The message appears on the recipient(s) dashboard and linking back to the record requires only a single click. Sharing data has never been easier.

Common examples of Notices:

The “IT” group needs to be notified when a new person is hired or terminated.

The “Financial Oversight” group needs to be notified when a Purchase exceeds the authorized Purchase Order.

“Mary Thompson” needs to be notified when she has expenses to approve submitted by her subordinates.

“John Smith” needs to be notified when he has overdue timesheets.

“Tim Sales” needs to be notified when he has a sales lead requiring action.

Powerful, Contextual Reporting & Exporting Most of aACE’s 200+ reports are contextual. Users can easily select from relevant reports and view, print, save-to-pdf, or email the information they are currently working with. Reports can even be titled with a custom note.
aACE also features robust export options that allow users to export to a variety of formats. Users do not have to define relationships and column names use real, English-language words rather than sometimes obscure coding conventions. Reporting updates are released on a monthly basis and are free-of-charge for aACE Maintenance subscribers. aACE also supports custom reports that are specific to your business and/or corporate branding.

Logging

aACE includes logging designed to offer the right balance between too little and too much information. Too little logging leaves users wondering why, when, and by whom a transaction was processed. Too much logging can often obscure the relevant information. aACE logs record key events so that users can extract the relevant information, at a glance, in a rush.

Integrated Document Management

Documents can be attached to companies, contacts, projects, orders, sales leads, and purchases. aACE’s document management module also includes simple version management and public/private access for sensitive materials.

aACE’s document management module gives users the ability to view documents from any of the related records. A document attached to a sales lead, for example, is also linked to the resulting project/order and client. Similarly, a document attached to a purchase is accessible from both the purchase and the vendor. It is perfect for managing financial and specification-related files.

Security & User Management

aACE currently features nearly 40 different access privileges and 4 different data-access groups. Over 5,000 different combinations are possible, though in practice an organization is likely to have only 3-10 user groups. The system also features hash encryption for user passwords and encryption for web communications.

The same infrastructure used for managing security is also used for managing the user experience. Each user group has its own menu, so the system can feel as broad or narrow as each group’s role prescribes.

Software Preferences

aACE features a handful of preferences that allow us to quickly configure the system for different companies and regions.

Bias preference allows us to designate whether the system is biased towards orders or biased towards projects. This preference changes to the sales-to-fulfillment workflow.

Inventory integration preference allows us to hide inventory entirely. Companies that do not require inventory management never see it.

Regional preference allows us to tailor the system to Amercian, British, or European tastes. A client’s “State” might also be “County” or “Province”, for example.