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Complete Accounting System in FileMaker with Source Code


transpower

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I looked all around FMForums and the Internet for a complete accounting system written in FileMaker with the source code available.  I haven't found anything, except for one at FileMaker.com's Web site--except it doesn't have payroll and general ledger.  I thought that there would be a number of these available. 

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There probably several accounting systems available, but not unlocked. A system like this requires a huge amount of work and developers have to eat too. I suspect if you look around to purchase such a package you might have better luck, although I doubt you'll be able to access the "source code".

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Years ago I did a complete accounting system in filePro and was able to customize it for quite a few different clients.  Of course now I'm using FileMaker and would like to have a complete accounting system to customize it for new clients.  Quickbooks is not appropriate for every situation; I did purchase a FileMaker solution which can work with Quickbooks but it's really not very convenient.  I would expect that a complete FileMaker accounting package with source code would cost a few thousand bucks.

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+1 for Genesis.

And what Rick said: programming an accounting system is a ton of work because of the rules involved.  You're never going to find one that is open source.  Those rules also always change so it is a continuous task.

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I have also been researching the same accounting requirement, and like you have come up with nothing suitable - although Genesis is the closest for bolting on other FM solutions.

 

Obviously there's a gap in the market?

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Some years ago I went looking for a product that would handle my very specialized business and couldn't find one. So I wrote one. Especially as I was learning as I went, it took an untold number of hours. Hundreds for sure, more likely thousands. However, this solution now SAVES ME an untold number of hours and a lot of drudgery. If you don't pay for a product with dollars pay for it with your time if you can spare some.

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Just to clarify, I'm not looking for a "free system."  As stated above, I (or more precisely my clients) would expect to pay a few thousand dollars for a comprehensive FileMaker Accounting System with source code (i.e., unlocked).  Then it's a matter of customizing the program to the specific requirements of each client, for which I would charge my regular consulting fee.  The whole point of this is to avoid starting from scratch.

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The Genesis program doesn't have Payroll.  Besides, it cannot be customized....

 

It does not do Payroll, but there are several payroll applications it can interface with.  Payroll is not accounting so it has a million different variances unlike accounting that adheres to strict standards.

 

The core of Genesis can not be customized, because it follows those accounting standards.  There is nothing to customize.  However it does allow for a front end to be hooked up to it which is how it does customization.

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The success of integrating a "bolt on" accounting system with an existing system is dependent upon the level of customization that is needed to implement the business logic that represents your specific industry.   

 

We attempted to integrate Genesis with our (very mature) solution.   We liked the idea that Genesis was developed and maintained consistent with accounting standards.   New Millennium (NMCI) did a good job creating a system which is consistent with standard practices.

 

Unfortunately, we found that we were unable to completely obtain the functionality that we wanted.   Partly for the same reason that Wim mentions, "Those rules also always change so it is a continuous task.", and partly because expensive licensing and lack of source accessibility did not afford us the flexibility in usage that we needed (our reports change, I provide web service, etc.).

 

In the end, we just put the "bolt-on" system away, stopped paying annual maintenance on an add-on that we didn't own and built our own custom, completley self maintained General Ledger/POS/stock leveling/Work Order and Change Order system.   Payroll for our labor force is managed through our solution.   I have considered possibly adding the ability to use Freshbooks for invoicing if we expand our business into other areas where we may bill hourly.   Flexability!

 

If you have the resources or know-how, I recommend a DIY solution.   The next best, if your bookkeeping department isn't too big, is to use commercial off the shelf software such as Quickbooks via a plugin such as the FMBooks Connector (http://www.productivecomputing.com/fm-books).   With the plugin, you still have ALOT of control but will have to put in some time on the interface between the two to manage the business logic.

 

Those are my thoughts on the topic.  :-)

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I have written complete accounting systems in the past, but at this point it's not a good use of my time.  And yes I do have the FMBooks Connector but I found that it was rather clunky to use.  Quickbooks does work for many of my clients, but the others need a lot of customization which Quickbooks does not allow (other than addition of a few fields).

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  • 10 months later...

Years ago I did a complete accounting system in filePro and was able to customize it for quite a few different clients.  Of course now I'm using FileMaker and would like to have a complete accounting system to customize it for new clients.  Quickbooks is not appropriate for every situation; I did purchase a FileMaker solution which can work with Quickbooks but it's really not very convenient.  I would expect that a complete FileMaker accounting package with source code would cost a few thousand bucks.

 

I thought I was the only FileMaker developer that used to develop in filePro. I have one client left on filePro and has 1 of the 3 companies he owns moved off filePro and about to have the remaining 2 moved to FileMaker within a month. His old SCO Unix (OpenServer) machine is just barely moving along.

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This topic is 3719 days old. Please don't post here. Open a new topic instead.

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