ATX Document Manager - $305

[L.S.]

Has anyone used this? Comments? Our office is considering using this. Can we get a demo on this?

Thanks

[Jake]

I do not know if you can get a demo of the program or not. Last year it came withe the TTO package. We have used the program and for the most part we are really pleased with it. It seems to intergrate well with the tax software. We did spend two days on the phone with support trying to get the network version of the program working on all of the work stations. This is the first year that we did not print any tax returns for our files nor did we make any copies of W-2's 1099's etc.

[joelgilb]

Tried it and found it very low level.

Not sure I remember all the issues, but I know it did not have OCR (may not be an issue for you), and I thought the search function was useless. Also, if I remember correctly (but I may be wrong here), it made me move my files under its folder structure, totally changing the way I save my client data (most of which is already in PDF format).

[kcjenkins]

I am sure you can get a demo, whether it is for you will depend on what you are doing now, and how well if fits your particular way of 'filing' your client files. If you have no system, or just a hit and miss system, it would probably be a good thing. If you already have a smooth running system, then it probably will not add much. Either way, expect it to take a while to set up and to get used to, but after that, like most new programs, you will wonder why you did not get it sooner. There is a reason, after all, why all the best software includes some kind of document management program.

This electronic filing is the way we are all going, and like any other change, we all tend to resist it at the beginning, then wonder why we did not demand it sooner, once we get used to it. I'm one of the oldies, so I have been slow to want to make changes. But the more we store files electronically, the more we need SOME SYSTEM of sorting, storing, and accessing quickly, our client files. Getting rid of a lot of file cabinets is only the start of the benefits. So I'd advise you to check it out, at least. Before you buy it as a standalone, tho, consider that it is part of TTO, so look at the cost of moving up, considering that it's included. Might be a better deal, if it costs the same, to move up and get all the things TTO offers.

[joelgilb]

I am sure you can get a demo, whether it is for you will depend on what you are doing now, and how well if fits your particular way of 'filing' your client files. If you have no system, or just a hit and miss system, it would probably be a good thing. If you already have a smooth running system, then it probably will not add much. Either way, expect it to take a while to set up and to get used to, but after that, like most new programs, you will wonder why you did not get it sooner. There is a reason, after all, why all the best software includes some kind of document management program.

It might be interesting if others on this board shared their thoughts as to various document management software. I have been looking for a good solution for sometime now.

Have tried ATX's, Drakes and a few others and all but the very high end ones costing thousands have left a lot to be desired.

Many of them force you into there file structure, move your files to a different place on your hard drives and some even make you convert the file into their proprietary formats. Not sure if it was Drake or ATX, but one of them required a clients social security number to setup the folder. At least in my case i do not always have this, as not all my work is tax related. So, what happens to all the other files we are trying to organize in that case?

OCR within document management seems almost an essential feature. CCH's higher end product has this, but I have not tested nor do I know the cost of this product. Creative Solutions is supposed to be adding this to theirs or already has. If I remember correctly it was not unreasonably priced. I don't remember the features or front end though

Another issue with both Drake and ATX, is the limited search functions. I have a better chance of finding my files with a desktop search engine and saving PDF files in client named folders. I personally like Copernic as it seems the fastest and least intrusive to my system, but it is really only a temporay fix for not having Document Management Software. Also, tried the Windows Desktop Search and found it was more integrated with Outlook and did a better job there, but it was constantly searching my hard drives and updating them, and therefore drastically slowed down my system.

Finally, I have found that the programmers of document management software from tax and accounting software companies have blinders on and don't consider the other files we need to deal with. This may be OK for some on this board, but for those of us that do other things, you will end up will files the document manager doesn't deal with well, or possibly at all.

[Lila Godel]

It might be interesting if others on this board shared their thoughts as to various document management software. I have been looking for a good solution for sometime now.

Have tried ATX's, Drakes and a few others and all but the very high end ones costing thousands have left a lot to be desired.

Many of them force you into there file structure, move your files to a different place on your hard drives and some even make you convert the file into their proprietary formats. Not sure if it was Drake or ATX, but one of them required a clients social security number to setup the folder. At least in my case i do not always have this, as not all my work is tax related. So, what happens to all the other files we are trying to organize in that case?

Check out Office Tools Pro at www.officetoolspro.com. With its system you save all scans to a specialy created folder on the hard drive (C:\ Drop File on our workstations) that the software is programed to look for. When a scan is saved there or a file placed there OTP brings up a document add screen.

After you specify a contact name, year (optional), project (optional), note (optional), staff and delivery (optional) the documement is added to the document file structure defined in the company setups and becomes visible in the doucments tab when the contact is looked up. Each doucment's file name is displayed in the File Name column of the documents tab as a hyperlink that when clicked instructs Windows to open the file with the application associated with its file extension.

We use Fujitsu ScanSnap scanners. With the proper settings you load the papers in the feeder and press the scan button. After the scanning is complete you are presented with a file save as dialog box for your OTP drop folder. Then you just enter a file name, click OK and fill out the OTP document information screen.

The only caveat is that in a networked environment you must have OTP set to a drop folder path that is valid on all workstions, but set to a folder in C:\. If the path has a mapped drive letter than each time a user saves a file to the drop folder that user and all others will receive the document information screen.

[joelgilb]

Check out Office Tools Pro at www.officetoolspro.com. With its system you save all scans to a specialy created folder on the hard drive (C:\ Drop File on our workstations) that the software is programed to lock for. When a scan is saved there or a file placed there OTP brings up a document add screen.

I have not demo'ed or reveiwed this software yet, but had bookmarked the link this tax season. Just tried to get there using your link, my link and a Google search and get "Server not found". So either they are out of business or their site is down. I'll try again later and let everyone know what I find.

[chadw]

I have not demo'ed or reveiwed this software yet, but had bookmarked the link this tax season. Just tried to get there using your link, my link and a Google search and get "Server not found". So either they are out of business or their site is down. I'll try again later and let everyone know what I find.

I just used the link above and it got to the website just fine. It may have been down while you tried.

[joelgilb]

I just used the link above and it got to the website just fine. It may have been down while you tried.

Working now, thx I will check it out.