Bright

Pros

Brings all the functionality of the browser portal into a mobile app. It's much easier to use the app for quick access than to get on a computer to see and use the portal.

Cons

I have very few issues as an end-user employee. I do have some frustrations over how easily I can change my details, but I understand the importance of have this administrated by senior leadership.

Pros

very helpful clear instructions in a friendly way

Cons

N/A nothing to complain about product and service always outstanding

Pros

The software is easy to set up and is user friendly.
You can save all your deadlines, references and customer information in one place.
Keep track of all outstanding tasks.
Send mass emails easily.

Cons

There are many areas that need developing eg adding budgeted hours against a client, mass documents to be attached when sending an email, uploaded documents to be saved all together, folders to be created to structure uploaded documents, exporting outstanding tasks, customised drop down boxes for short description on time log.

Pros

It is online and linked to other software and HMRC

Cons

Pricing per user, it would be better to have pricing per number of clients. Also the invoicing is not linked properly with QuickBooks.

Pros

I have tried and tested quite a few software before I came across Accountancy manager. One had a client database but required extensive work to set up tasks, especially those that are requiring, preset specific templates, another had some features that were required in Practice (i.e. Letters of engagement), but not others, so in fact, my practice and tasks were managed across 3-4 CMR's and client management software, that in combination served my practice management needs. AM was revolutionary, for it had all of the features I wanted and needed in one software.

Cons

I find filters bit cumbersome. Guess it's a very low price to pay.

Pros

I signed up to a trial with Accountancy Manager after a failed attempt to get another practice management software sorted for my practice. I had a 1on1 meeting to go through the software and for me to ask questions. They send you weekly tasks with short videos to complete. There are software setups and short videos in the actual software that you can rewatch if not sure and their amazing support team and my account manager have been brilliant helping me with any questions. It has saved me so much time, I am able to apply for authorisation from HMRC from within the software, I can get documents signed, clients can send me documents through a more secure means than just emails. Being able to email multiple clients at a time with news or information is a time saver. Tracking if the client has seen an email is a great addition too.

Cons

The worse bit for me was setting up the templates or adjusting them. As i am with ICB, there are certain paragraphs that I needed in there and i had to do it manually and check each template which took its time.

Pros

I love how straightforward it was to set up and get up and running. I really like the task management functions, how I can see what deadlines are coming up and what staff are working on. The proposal emails and e-signing of LOEs and T&Cs has been so helpful and the ability to perform AML ID checks from within the software has been brilliant.

Cons

I like the task template breakdowns but the fact they don't copy over when a new task is created can be frustrating, however, I'm hoping the new workflow functionality will sort this out.

Pros

I love that the software is user friendly and intuitive, with a pleasant looking interface. The customer support has also been fantastic.

Cons

I would love it to be cloud based (which is in the pipeline), and also more batch processing features.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Bright

Pros

We love the the culture at AM, they are so full of personality. We feel valued and very much part of the family. We love the way AM tracks tasks and organises them in to "work to lists" giving us a clear jobs list for the day, week, month etc

Cons

Invoicing. We are looking forward to this developing.

Pros

That employees can access their own payroll portal

Cons

Hasn't yet adapted for the recent ruling relating to holiday pay

Pros

Easy to use, keeps our practice running smoothly, helps client experience to be the best that it can be

Cons

None! It is a great software and I would highly recommend it!

Pros

The timeline allows easy management and monitoring of deadlines and progress

Cons

I use taxfiler - it would be great if tax due/payments on account could integrate with the client record in AM

Pros

Ease of use - it does all the essentials straight out of the box without the need for lots of customisation

Easy to import existing clients using spreadsheets

Client client onboarding is well thought out and with the production of letters of engagement and proposal emails saves me a lot of time

Client portal works well together with esigning of documents

Email reminders are brilliant timesavers

HMRC authorisation also saves me time rather than going to the HMRC site

Excellent and speedy support

The software does what you need it to do and is not big and bloated like other packages

Cons

Could do with a lower cost for additional users or specifically part time users

Would like to be able to have more reporting flexibility on the task list

Pros

Ease of use, support, regular software upgrades, never miss a deadline, client on-boarding, proposal management, customisation

Cons

Nothing major - perhaps the only minor item is cut and paste functionality can be a bit erratic when using templates. But this is minor....

Pros

Nice modern user interface.
Easy to learn and operate.
Covers RTI and Auto Enrollment.
No need for dedicated stationery.
Excellent value for money.
Fixed yearly fee includes all legislation and feature updates and support.

Cons

Would be nice to be able to attach documents to employee records i.e. contract of employment, disciplinary letters, etc.

Pros

Easy to use and to understand interface provides feature rich control for our worker payroll accounts.
Additions and deductions for multiple departments are an extremely useful feature as well.
Where the windows for software use in OS are concerned we love the automatic resizing feature which makes our job much easier.

Cons

The list of negatives for Brightpay is admittedly low , however we must mention that given the time zone difference and some accented language
that customer service interactions can be a bit difficult but not unbearable.
Also, a new software download is required each new tax season.

Pros

Holiday/hours tracking, pay rate management, tax compliant

Cons

Integration with Bizimply was little hard in the beginning but now it’s sorted

Pros

This software makes running a payroll easy. The interface is very user-friendly and inputting pay figures is a cinch. The software takes the legwork out of running regular payrolls by rolling over figures month-to-month and providing variance indicators

Cons

Setting up employer mid-year can be a little challenging until you understand how to input all the relevant information.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Bright

Pros

I like that's it's so easy to use. You don't need to have payroll experience. Brightpay alerts you need to send through your RTI and pension contributions. It also is free for auto enrolment. My previous payroll software were charging extra for auto enrolment.

I've been using Brightpay for over 3 years. I pleased to say they have never increased their prices. It's an excellent product. The developers clearly have the end user in mind. If you get stuck their help guides are fantastic. 10/10

Cons

There's nothing I don't like about it. Brightpay keeps up to date. New features are being added all the time. I can't think of a single thing that I don't like about it.

Pros

Functionality, reliability and excellent customer service

Cons

Price could be a little bit more affordable

Pros

Very easy to use and to understand, high quality support

Cons

Customer service could have a webchat, sometimes AM becomes laggy

Pros

If you have just the slightest knowledge of payroll (used to use HMRC software), you will find BrightPay a breeze.
Its simple to use, all calculations are done for you. You can print detailed payslips, which was a first for me. I can also send information straight to our Automatic Enrolment pension provider. Has a great employee calendar to keep track of holidays, sick days and absences. As the title says, its so easy to use it is child's play.

Cons

There isn't anything negative I can say about this software, except the new cloud service that has recently appeared should be available without extra charge! It would be a useful tool to have for my employees!

Pros

Firstly, as a small company I use the free version of Bright Pay, nevertheless this is an excellent software package. As somebody who works with and designs software applications, this is an example of how modern, well written software packages can be simple and intuitive, to the extent that anybody can use them with minimal training.

Cons

To be honest, nothing. I'm really pleased with the product and the vendor - The product works well and even when I needed some help with support they were quick and prompt and sorted the issue...which was actually down to my own error. - Quick Books could learn a thing or two about software packages here...perhaps wish that Bright Pay could do the accounts also!

Pros

I've used this software over two years and while parts of it are clunky, I love the annual updates and ways they continually change the platform to make it user friendly. It really feels like they listen to customer suggestions and make changes. Our employees love the self-serve model whereby they can access all their pay information on their own without going to HR.

Cons

User customization could use some upgrades. I'd like to be able to change the formatting and most-used columns and set up my dashboard more to my liking. This doesn't mean the software is not usable, it's just a bit clunky and means I do not work as quickly as I'd like.

Pros

-free for auto enrolment
-ease of use
-yearly price that doesn't increase
-easy to use user interface
-holiday and sick day calendar for all employees
-help guides and excellent customer service
-free for small companies

Cons

-backing up and restoring data is occasionally confusing
-you do need to download a new program each year
-hard to come up with negatives!

Pros

Inexpensive and talks directly to payroll software.

Cons

Lacking on customisation and some of the more advanced features available in other software

Pros

Deadline management, client interaction through the portal and the ease of document approval is but a few of the things that make this piece of kit genuinely helpful.

Cons

Still have to use accountants and tax software to prepare accounts and tax returns etc - I can only imagine how epic this would be if they developed integrated software to do that too - literally a dream!

Pros

The amount of client information that you can enter including details of any communication that has occured is extremely useful. I really like the task list and the automatic reminders that can be sent out to clients for various pieces of missing information. I also like the time tracking features and the fact that it is GDPR compliant.

Cons

I found the initial setup quite difficult to get to grips with and trying to tailor each template that was in the system was quite labourious but has paid off in the long run. I don't like not being able to pause a task for when I have to take a telephone call.

Pros

The task list is my first “Go to” every single day!
It’s great as a diary for knowing what needs to be done by specific dates and keeps my workflow running smoothly

Cons

The extra charge for other members of staff. I think upto 3 staff users should be included in the one monthly fee originally quoted

Pros

Because there is so many areas of Practice and client manager that this software offers, it is a one stop shop.
The tasks part has eliminated 4 hours per year of spreadsheet manipulation to produce tasks list for self assessment etc. and the progress of each task can updated so i always know where i am up to.
The recording of time on client tasks, that moves easily into invoicing is brilliant.
The information that is held on the system, for each client, makes form filling in easy, and with this being a safe area to hold information on, i sleep better at night.
The automatic email system frees up so much of my time, and ensures my client are bringing in their books in earlier than they used to.
The other area i like is the way the software developers are open to new ideas, they develop and add areas to the software regally, the support is outstanding with extremely quick replies and well explained remedies.

Cons

I would like the cost of additional users to be lower

Pros

Cloud access - I can check my tasks at work/home/on my mobile.
Easy search function
Good record of deadlines
Easy to use portal
Regular improvements and updates

Cons

Sometimes it can be hard to navigate the site.

I think clients get confused with logging in to the portal from Accountancy Manager - would love an embedded log in for my own website.

Pros

The auto-enrolment functionality is a dream, making light of the entire process from identifying staging dates, right through to generating enrolment letters for staff.
The user interface is simple yet detailed and easy to navigate and customise.

Cons

I have been caught out a few times by alterations to the pay of an employee in one month/pay period which do not automatically revert to the stated basic pay the following month. It would be better if it did automatically revert or the system prompted you to choose how many periods/months should reflect that change.

Pros

AM is very simple to use and easily understood. I like the fact that all the invoices and statements can be emailed out and a copy kept for our records. The money laundering section is also very good to have on record and the HMRC authentication is handy to use and saves time.

Cons

The only thing about AM that I would love see changed is that you cannot print all statements at once as it only allows individually at the minute

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Bright

Pros

This software is fabulous, it keeps me organised, enables secure signing of documents, and looks professional. The customer service is great, any issues are dealt with promptly.

Cons

All pretty straight forward to use, I like the new tasks beta.

Pros

It is a fantastic piece of software that organises all of your client data and assists with the practice management by organising the relevant tasks to ensure you don't miss a key deadline for a client.
It is a great database making finding that key piece of information a quick exercise rather than raiding through files.
The software ensures that the practice can comply with the GDPR legislation, and the portal is a great secure area for transfer of files both from the practice to the client and vice versa.
As with everything sometimes things go wrong but the support team at Accountancy Manager as very helpful and get issues resolved very quickly

Cons

Not a lot, however it would be great if when a client left a comment, the practice was notified

Pros

Ease of use and ease of implementation.
Great customer services especially from Customer Support Team.
Our clients found it easier to use as well in terms of uploading/downloading documents and e-signing paperwork

Cons

I would love to see in future time management chart implemented whereby staff diary can be created and seen by the senior team

Pros

Easy to use. Great support. Love the way it keeps sending emails until client responds

Cons

I would like all the "how to videos" to have a spoken instruction

Pros

Our business was growing at a rate of 50% a year , we started using Accountancy Manager November 2017 as we could no longer manage with basic spreedsheets
It took us a while to get to fully understand all its features , but withink 6 months we started bringing the clients on board to it and havent looked back since
It allows us manager all our client data ( no more filling cabinets ) and ensure deadlines are meet and work is allocated out to staff at ease . The time record is brilliant and we can charge precisily and see how affective the staff are being . The customer service is fantastic

Cons

There are non , we have loved the software and all of the new faetures that keep getting added on

Pros

Good value and very easy to use software that meets all the requirements of a payroll bureau and standalone payroll

Cons

Not much that we can criticise on the package

Pros

This software is very easy to use, saves time, tracks tasks, emails clients for missing records, free document portal. Most of my administration is now automated thanks to Accountancy Manager

Cons

You can't have more than 1 email address associated with Accountancy Manager. Ie: The accountant uses Accountancy Manager so my client cannot use Accountancy Manager with me for his payroll reports as his email address is already been used.

Pros

It has come in very handy in automating the workflow. It centralizes all my account information and provides a convenient access.

Cons

Templates are not intuitive to use. It doesn't have enough functions to be able to customize the templates.

Pros

Very easy to use, much easier than Sage payroll. Had the free version before and even the support then was second to none. You write an email and in less than a day they get back to you whether you’re a paying customer or using the software for free.
You see straight away when you have to submit to HMRC which is for me the most important part as I don’t want to pay a fine. CIS is very easy to do. I’m in my third tear with BrightPay and never had a fault in the software whereas with sage it happens frequently.

Cons

There is nothing I don’t like, the least I would say that you have to download a new version with every tax year and not just an update.

Pros

The user interface is great and very intuitive, the help/support section is very good in helping you get up to speed with the software.

Cons

The way you have to download and install a new version each year - other providers keep all of your data in one place.

Pros

I enjoy the fact that it is hosted as all of my staff are remote workers.
This is a central point for the entire team to refer to.
New features are coming out regularly

Cons

I have found no Cons in using this software,

Pros

Software is very useful for our company.

Cons

There is nothing negative to report on Accountancy Manager, it is a great system to use. Every time there has been issues they have been resolved in an instant.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Bright

Pros

Too many amazing functions to mention but the integration with companies house is a godsend for us. The customer service team are exceptional and come back on all queries quickly.

Cons

The only area I would improve is the job flow could be more detailed.

Pros

The ease if use.
Automations
invoicing section is great
Very professional

Cons

emails, when you copy and paste to the email box in AM, it does not do a great job at it.
Creating tables is not as easy and clean as others.

Pros

The functionality available is excellent and it is such a useful tool in the running of the business and the management of on-boarding clients and managing workflow.

Cons

Still quite obviously in development so at times the product is updated and this can cause a few issues. Lack of ability to make enough customized changes at the moment but hopeful that things will improve as it becomes more established.

Pros

This program simplifies payroll processing. The UI is simple to use, and entering salary data is a breeze. The program automates regular payrolls by rolling over numbers month after month and generating variation indications.

Cons

Until you learn how to enter all the necessary information, setting up an employer in the middle of the year might be a bit difficult. Otherwise, it is good.

Pros

I love it all but the automated emails etc ensure I never for when returns are due.

Cons

I really like everything about the software