Tabs3

The fact that this suite of programs interact with each other is wonderful. Everyone in the office can work in the programs simultaneously and have access to all information about any one of the clients. If one staff member enters information, notes, scans documents, enters time or costs for a client, every person will have access to that same information. This solves a lot of explaining to clients "I will ask her when she comes in if that document is ready" because the document is right there attached to their client information for all to see. Of course, you can limit by group which staff members can access what information depending on security of certain financial rights.

If you have more than one person writing checks, you must wait for the other person to finish before you can print your checks. There isn't a "stacking" policy in the payables program.

This software is very comprehensive. We use the billing, trust accounting, accounts payable and general ledger modules of this software. They are very good about updating the software on a regular basis and listen to the users comments and requests for upgrades. I like that it integrates well with all of the modules of software. The trust accounting module is excellent and makes it really easy to comply with the bar associations regulations on lawyers' trust accounts. It prints a three way reconciliation that balances not only with the bank statement, but with the trust accounts as well.

In some ways, this software is so comprehensive and has so many features that it can be hard to understand all of the capabilities of the software or to find certain features. But if you think it can do something, it probably can. The Software Technology technical support people are incredible. They will stay on the phone with you for as long as it takes to learn a feature or figure out how to do something.

All STI products are integrated. They are user-friendly.

Report Writer: Unless you have a computer programmer on staff or know someone who is intimately familiar with Report Writer, Report Writer is not worth the trouble because you'll never figure it out.
Quirky things that cause problems:
A. You can't give discounts on bills unless your current fees billed supports that amount of discount. Discounts are given on an overall basis, not just on the current fees billed.
B. AP module leaves you hanging in TABS3 cost entry; it doesn't cycle back to AP so you can write more checks.
C. Refunds where no money is involved can go over to GL as if money was involved - need to be on your toes to delete that immediately.