Alternatives to Digita

Alternatives to Digita

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We as a firm have used Digita for nearly three years and what we have built up is a database which is fantastic, allows me to use in particular the practice management to run this firm without issue.

However what I do find and as I have done today is the bugs and work arounds are simply becoming to much to accept!!!!!!!!!!!! THe one today goes against every part of my organisations concepts and con't continue.

I used to use IRIS but didn't have the same windows based feel. Practice management wasn't any where near what I get with Digita. But it was bullet proof!!!

Should I go back cap in hand to IRIS or is there something else out there.

Yours sicncerley

Mr Very Worried

Replies (5)

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By woolley11
20th Sep 2012 20:28

Interesting .....

I use Digita and think it is fine - yes there are the odd niggles with it, but sometimes I find it is something I have done - the helpline is OK, (not brilliant I know) - I think for the cost it is very efficient and cost effective. I was going to use Iris but they wanted £3,300 against Digitas £1,800 plus I would have to rebuild my database.

What are the particular problems you have had which go against your concepts?

Interested as I am coming up for renewal.

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Callan Group
By stephenward69
20th Sep 2012 20:56

I agree but.........

Thanks for posting.

Everything you say I completley agree with. If I felt I had a option I would never move from Digita but the niggles are sometimes just to much. Support staff I find great. Cost fantastic. THe layout all I could ask for.

My main issue today is the scenario faced with. It has come to light that you cannot have a Company Secretary as a company in accounts production. What they want propose is I setup a duplicate of the company as a individual then assign all our clients we are secretary for to the pepson. I assume when fixed we will then have to move them back but this will leave the duplicate probably unremovable.

I have not even thought of a fraction of the implications but this is ludicrous. As it takes is a junior member of staff enetring the wrong data into the wrong above and a late filing is caused that due to the user defined fields we use. I find having to complete 'workarounds' as they term them ridicolous. If something needs completed it should be accurate. Same for account prodcution and lead schedules. Same for the software used to prepare.

I have spoken to Iris today. Twice as expensive even with their incentives but I have used Iris for many many years previously and the practice management just isn't the same or as visual with ability to sort in date order on client screen.

If only they could just get the niggles out of the program it would be the market leader but is it the niggles that hold it back as it is by far the better product for me but Iris just does what Iris does best. Generate accounts with no down time and that saves mucho wages.

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By petersaxton
21st Sep 2012 08:45

Why is it so serious?

I agree that you should be able to have a limited company as a company secretary. I have taken on clients that had limited companies as a company secretary and I didn't have a problem although I think they had resigned before I started acting.

I would suggest that you don't rely on somebody making a simple typo. If you had Digita Company Secretarial it checks to confirm deadlines with Companies House and would alert you to any errors. I regularly review my data for errors because anybody can make a mistake either a senior or junior. If you sort on period end and have the deadline in the next column this would highlight likely errors.

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Replying to lionofludesch:
Callan Group
By stephenward69
21st Sep 2012 09:38

Thanks

Good morning.

I agree with everything you say. Have spoken to Digita this morning who are always very helpful and the whole program can't be faulted just these types of issues?

Well see what happens

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By petersaxton
21st Sep 2012 11:01

Digita Focus Groups and quicker updates

I find that if I have problems I only have to phone technical support and they will help and usually it turns out I don't know how to do something. Remember that the same programs are used by sole practitioners and international firms. I am impressed how the programs are designed to do simple accounts and tax returns quickly yet still have the options available to deal with bigger clients or more unusual situations. Besides technical support being very helpful for problems they are quite happy to spend half an hour introducing you to the program if you are a new user and they will show you how to use the program to deal with less used situations.

I attended the Digita Annual Conference and they announced they were going to use focus groups around the country to see what their users want. The software will now be developed in such a way to enable small changes to be made rather than waiting for yearly updates. Digita will also make more use of webinars to show how to perform certain tasks.

I know some people say that their software is so easy to use that they don't need any form of help but I would think that if software is so simple to use it must be limited in what it can achieve. 

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