Cougar Mountain Software — Denali Accounting By Cougar Mountain

Article Tools

• Print This Article
• Email This Article to a Friend
• Save This Article
• Order a Reprint

From the September 2006 Review of Mid-Range Accounting Systems

Denali is the latest 32-bit implementation of the Cougar Mountain accounting suite. So far, the modules that have been released for Denali include the Controller, GL, AR, Inventory, Order Entry, Point of Sale and Specialty Shop. Accounts Payable is planned for release on August 1. The new Denali product family is based on Microsoft .NET and SQL Server technology and is designed to accommodate a larger number of users, multiple locations, and higher transaction volumes. Cougar Mountain is not dropping support of its classic 16-bit product (Cougar Mountain Accounting), but the Denali line will soon become the “flagship” product for the company.

Ease of Use/Transaction Entry -- 4 Stars
As with the Cougar Mountain Accounting suite, Denali uses a highly modular approach. Individual module applications are launched from the Controller module, which is used to manage company setup, security and other administrative tasks. A standard Windows menu system and icon toolbar provide single-click access to the other installed modules. Each module opens into its own window, so you can use multiple modules simultaneously.
Data-entry screens within Denali are nearly identical to those of the previous suite, which will certainly provide for a painless transition for the current user base that upgrades to Denali. Screens are well planned and intuitive, giving even new users a quick learning curve. Each screen has a short narrative that describes the purpose of that screen with other pertinent information about the process of entering transactions. For example, on the Customer Maintenance screen, the caption says “Use this screen to set up, update or remove a customer account. The information entered here is used to track transaction activity for each customer and provides a quick reference of the customer’s financial status.” The lookup tables for key fields are launched by simply double-clicking on the data-entry field or by clicking the Find button. The lookup screen is a grid/list that lets you sort and filter records, add new records or view additional details.

Cougar Mountain modules use a batch data-entry process. Transactions from all modules are entered and then ultimately posted when a batch is completed. This batch posting process updates all other integrated modules as applicable. This improves data-entry speed, but means that other modules and reports are not precisely updated in “real time.”

Modules & Notable Features -- 4 Stars
Modules currently available within the Denali suite include the Controller, GL, AR, Inventory, Order Entry, Point of Sale and Specialty Shop. With the recent addition of the GL, module integration is now possible. On August 1, AP was added. The Denali architecture features full .NET programming and use of Microsoft SQL databases. This allows many new deployment options, including remote access using a WAN or VPN connection to the company’s data center. Scalability is also greatly increased, since all modules support the use of Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine (MSDE) as well as Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and SQL Express. Modules can be installed in small peer-to-peer environments or large client/server configurations.

Another interesting capability that I used for this review is called SinglePoint. It is a dedicated application server that can be used for remote application access. The applications are loaded on a server from Applianz, which is a company specializing in remote solutions for accounting applications. Authorized workstations can then access the loaded applications within the local area network, or through the Internet, without the need to load software on individual workstations. This lets the company enjoy a centralized preloaded application server for reduced system administration. The Applianz server is monitored 24/7 to ensure continuous service.

Integration/Import/Export -- 5 Stars
Instead of a separate “Universal Bridge” module found in the 16-bit package, Denali offers a “Generate from External” feature in the GL, AP, AR and Inventory modules that works the same way, and will import most of the information that customers will need, such as vendor lists, customer lists, and item lists. Since the new application suite is based on the SQL database, imports should also be possible using custom programming.