Access Accounts Features Closest Ever Microsoft Office Integration

Access Accounts Press Release 18/11/04

Many business systems allow data to be exchanged with Microsoft Office applications. But there are normally severe restrictions and integration of this kind is generally used for routine maintenance of static (non-auditable) data.

Access now offers a much greater level of integration, making far better use of the additional facilities and functionality Microsoft Office provides. Two aspects are particularly innovative: Outlook Today and Excel Templates.

Integration with Outlook Today is completely new. It has long been possible to customise Outlook Today, to display items such as e-mail folders or calendars. Now this same screen can be used to view and interact (in real-time) with data held in the accounts. Options include:

• Authorising purchase orders for issue
• Approving invoice register items for posting
• Confirming payments to suppliers
• Processing recurring journals
• Putting customers on or off stop
• Progressing the status of sales orders

Clicking on an activity reveals details of the task, along with all the functionality needed to complete it. For example, PIR Authorisation gives the user a personalised list of their unauthorised invoices and the option of approving or rejecting them; all within a pop-up window in Outlook Today.

Access has also introduced a number of configurable Excel templates. These can be used to post new transactions into the accounts, making them ideal for companies that wish to build their own transaction forms. Templates are available for different transaction types, including timesheets and nominal journals.

This level of integration is ideal for staff who need access to accounts information and functionality but are not full-time accounts users. And most importantly, by enabling these staff to operate outside the accounts - through Microsoft Office - licensing costs are reduced significantly.

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