Spire Systems – Big ERP power without big ERP prices.
Lefkowitz Systems is a Spire Systems Partner and Certified Consultant.
Spire is a good choice for most SBT VisionPoint Users.
Here is why we recommend Spire for VisionPoint users.
What does Spire cost?
I prefer to talk about value rather than cost but prospective clients want to know costs. Here is the VisionPoint version of my “What does Spire cost?” document and here is the SBT Pro, ACCPAC Pro and Sage Pro ERP version of my “What does Spire cost?” document.
Spire is a good choice for some SBT Pro, ACCPAC Pro and Sage Pro ERP users.
Are you one of them? Click here to learn if Spire is a good upgrade for your SBT Pro, ACCPAC Pro or Sage Pro ERP system.
Spire is a great choice for all Sage BusinessVision users.
WHY SAGE BUSINESSVISION USERS ARE SWITCHING TO SPIRE
Spire converts 100% of your Sage BusinessVision data automatically. Spire contains more than 100% of the features you enjoy in Sage BusinessVision. Spire is supported by its publisher, Spire Systems. Spire uses current, 64-bit technology.
Technology is evolving at a rapid pace. Businesses expect more from their software and that means new features, greater flexibility and an enhanced user experience to simplify the complexities of managing day-to-day operations.
With Spire, you can transform your business to become more efficient, meet customer demand and drive profitable growth.
User Experience
LIST VIEWS
Data is presented in a grid format so all records for that module
can be seen at once. Columns can be moved and sorted in any
order, which makes it easy to view, update and analyze data.
FILTERS
Filters can be used to select data right on the screen and can
be saved for future reference, including the column layout and
sorting.
MULTIPLE WINDOWS
Modules can be opened in a new window so that you can view
multiple modules at the same time. Multiple screens of the
same module can be opened as well.
SEARCH
Information can be easily found based on single and multiple
word searches for each module.
COMPLETE MODULE INTEGRATION
All modules are completely integrated so that you can view
and maintain sales and purchase orders wherever they appear,
such as in the Customer, Vendor and Inventory modules.
REPORTS AND FORMS
All reports and forms are found in the related module and
can be printed or emailed without having to manually save
them as a PDF. Different reports and forms can be printed
simultaneously.
Features
REQUISITIONS
This module integrates purchasing requirements derived from Sales Orders, Inventory and Production Manager (a separate add-on module for manufacturers).
PRICE MATRIX
Customer pricing can be set based on a wide range of variables, such as specific customer/inventory combinations, customer types, inventory product codes or territories. This module supports multiple price points based on volume and date ranges, cost plus pricing and cumulative price breaks. It also has the ability to push customer specific pricing to the matrix from an order or quote.
COMMUNICATIONS
The Communications module can be used to create follow up items that can be assigned to yourself or coworkers. Pop up
alerts can be created to display a message regarding a specific
customer, vendor or inventory item whenever that information
is relevant.
EXPORT
Data can be exported easily to Excel from all module lists. All
data on screen exports in the same column and row format as
seen on the screen.
INVENTORY ADJUSTMENTS AND TRANSFERS
Inventory adjustments and transfers can be done in a batch, instead of one item at a time.
BILL OF MATERIALS
This module creates a bill of material for any manufactured or kitted item.
JOB COSTING
Integrated Job Cost module lets you track revenues and expenses by off-ledger “jobs” and, within jobs, phases and categories.
POS – POINT OF SALE
Light POS module for those who retail products and want a fast, sales counter interface.
INVENTORY LANDED COSTS
Default landed cost % can be established by item. Landed cost can be allocated to items on a PO receipt by weight, quantity or value.
SERIAL NUMBERS
Track serialized inventory from purchasing through production to sales.
LOT TRACKING
Ability to track lots from purchasing to production to sales.
CUSTOMER MAIL MERGE
Users can print or email merge documents to a selected group of customers in the Customer module.
CUSTOMER PRE-AUTHORIZED DEBIT
Customer pre-authorized debits can be exported and submitted to the bank, significantly improving the collection process.
CUSTOMER HISTORY IN SALES ORDER
A customer’s sales history can be viewed from within a sales order. The sales history is quickly filtered for the items already on the order, showing the quantity and price of prior sales.
DESIRED MARGIN VISUAL AID
Once the desired margin by product code is established, the margin will turn red on each line item that falls below that desired margin in sales orders.
BARCODE SCANNING CAPABILITY
The Fill Order tab in Sales Orders and Receive Order tab in Purchase Orders are designed to work with barcode scanners to improve order and receiving accuracy and efficiency.
EMAIL TEMPLATES
Any form or report can be emailed using a template. Email
templates are a set of user-defined standard messages that
can be edited before they are sent.
SALES HISTORY EDIT
Non-financial information on an invoice can be edited in Sales
History (ex. customer PO number, salesperson, territory, or
item description).
GROUP EDIT
A group of inventory items or customers can be edited all at
once.
HIGHLIGHTING SPECIFIC DATA
Users can assign different foreground and background colours
for specific customers, inventory and sales order types.
CODE CHANGE
Inventory, customer and vendor codes can be amended to
reflect revised part numbers, customer and vendor names.
CUMULATIVE DISCOUNTS
Discounts can be offered based on a minimum quantity of items purchased over multiple items matching a certain criteria (ex. product code).
LABELS
Labels, including barcodes, are easily created for inventory, purchase orders and sales orders.
RESTRICTIONS BY USER
Permissions can be set for sales reps to only see the sales orders and sales history for their own customers, customers within a specific territory, or salesperson code.
SALES ORDER DETAIL JOB HEADERS
Headings can be created in the Detail section of sales orders to better organize items. These can be subtotalled if desired with form/report customization.
DEPOSIT ORDERS
The sales order list displays deposits received and outstanding amounts.
USER SELECTABLE KIT COMPONENTS
Components for a kitted inventory item can be specified. When that kit is added to an order, the system will prompt to ask which items should be included in that order.
JOB COSTING MODULE – WITH INVOICE DETAIL LEVEL ASSIGNMENTS
Integrated Job Cost module lets you track job/project revenues and costs separately from the GL. Job costing can be done on a line-by-line basis on a sales or purchase order. Job reports tell you where you are on a job vs. budget.
AUTOMATED RECURRING ORDERS
Sales orders can be set to repeat at specified intervals based on location and date.
SORTABLE DETAIL LINES
If activated, a line # column in the detail section shows how many different items have been entered on an order.
PHASES
Custom built phases can track all activity for a sales, purchase
or production order.
Technology
DATA CONVERSION
Virtually all of BusinessVision data is migrated into Spire.
OPEN SOURCE, 64-BIT DEVELOPMENT TOOLS
Spire is written in open-source Python and uses open-source, 64-bit PostgreSQL as its database, a more modern and faster database than BusinessVision’s Pervasive database.
API
Spire has a comprehensive Application Program Interface (API), which allows third party developers to easily read from and write to Spire.
SCALABILITY
Users do not have to be added in groups 5 or 10, and can be added one at a time. There is no change in technology as a company grows from one user to an unlimited number
of users.
SECURITY AND BACKUP
Data in Spire is much more secure than in BusinessVision as it resides in a password-protected database. Backups are fast and can be done when users are logged in.