ACS

Vorteile

I really liked the ease of use and the features that ACS offered for church and school management. Also, ACS's customer service and development teams were incredible.

Nachteile

At times, the wait time for customer service was rather lengthy, especially around peak seasons like in February and March near tax time.

Vorteile

I love that this software has been refined and is extremely reliable and fast. Efficient data entry and keyboard functionality. Powerful reporting. Covers the basics of what a ChMS should offer with ease, speed and power.

Nachteile

This software is dated. It's "cloud" based, but lacks lots of modern communication tools such as text communication, easy email distribution and remote web-based functions like small group attendance, and volunteer management. In all honesty, ACS is so big and has so many add-on features, it can probably do all of these things, but it's hard to know all of the functionality because it's not easily explained anywhere (and I've been a user for 12 years).

Also, it's reporting process is not difficult for someone with some background in reports, but it's far too complex for an average pastor or lay-leader to use - which requires a database person to run reports.

Also, no customizable dashboards, etc.

So, it will probably do most everything you want, but you'll need a ChMS expert to figure it all out and run the reports...

Vorteile

The best aspect of ACS is that it can hold and track a massive amount of diverse data. You can track all of the things you would expect in a database like names, contact info, birthdates, etc. As a church, you can track the first time someone attended, when they got baptized, and other random bits of info you may want to keep.

Nachteile

The traditional ACS system is incredibly difficult and cumbersome to use. Its computer app interface looks like it was made 20 years ago; it is not aesthetically pleasing. It requires hours and hours of training to learn how to use (they hold training sessions at different locations throughout the year and have various online helps). Running what you would think would be simple reports is not easy (I have had to pull together updated reports that have members names and addresses to do mailings. I have had to call ACS to have them walk me through how to do such reports as doing so is in no way intuitive. Also, using the computer app program to login to ACS takes several minutes to log into, which can be frustrating if all you are trying to do is look up a phone number (they do have a webbased platform where you can log in, but its function is not as robust in what it can do as the computer-based app, which as I said is slow and cumbersome).

Vorteile

ACS Realm is a simpler version of ACS People Suite, and much more intuitive. The implementation was smooth and the transition fully backed by their wonderful customer service. I also love getting a live, knowledgeable person on the phone within a few seconds of calling.
Payroll is also very easy in ACS Financial Suite.

Nachteile

The Financial Suite is not intuitive, but mistakes have gotten easier to fix due to upgrades. The church is still waiting to switch to ACS Realm Financials, as payroll cannot be done there, despite well over a year of promises that it is happening soon. It would be helpful for Realm input of donations to flow to the Financial Suite.
Also, ACS People Suite gave options for certain reports that cannot be run in ACS Realm.

Vorteile

Reports, tracking a stewardship campaign over several years, customer service is tops.

Nachteile

Uses a software that doesn't convert excel spreadsheets into a functional spreadsheet. The columns do not keep the formulas. Therefore you have to make the formulas in a new column. Multiply steps for reports. Should have more reports that are already set up in the software.

Vorteile

There are several desirable features with this software. A primary one is the high amount of customization. However, this customization is only available to administrators and people with understanding of coding.

Nachteile

Immensely outdated and not functional. While using this software, I felt I put more work into using the software than actual results it gave. I would steer clear of this software if you're looking for a simple, user-friendly and intuitive experience.

Vorteile

Robust, lots of functions, built with churches in mind

Nachteile

Clunky, slow, old interface, can't adapt to ongoing demands of changing churches

Vorteile

#1 Pro is that ACS addresses the most important tasks a church is in need of.

Nachteile

I have found many thing that weren't intuitive. Uploading of photos ok although no way to standardize within the program (cropping sorely needed) and downloading photos isn't intuitive. The modules are limited, all the data in Access needs to transfer into the people suite for reporting purposes. Access pretty useless for reporting purposes. Using the volunteer management is not really practical to use as intended. Although you have made changes where you can transmit data to excel or word. OnDemand stings because you can't save locally in an easy manner. Many times our church has served more or less as your beta testing because we actually try to use all the features and give feedback but we get nothing in return for that. We only do that because it is lacking features or functionality.

Vorteile

We have been ACS clients since the beginning!! Currently we are using Realm for membership tracking, but still use ACS Financials for our book-keeping needs. It does everything we need, and our books are not as simple as one might think.

Nachteile

The only con I can think of is that I wish ACS Financials could integrate with Realm. We have ACS Financials down pat, and I wish we could port it over!!

Vorteile

1. The customer support!!!! If I can't figure out how to do something, there are so many ways to get help: Phone calls to a live person that walks me through things step-by-step, webinars, other ACS users in different online communities, etc.
2. The flexibility of the product and how it's grown...and continues to grow...to meet our needs.

Nachteile

The volunteer management piece isn't as directly integrated as we would like.

Vorteile

Performs general ledger and accounts payable functions well. Headmaster is used for Preschool/Kindergarten classes.

Nachteile

Headmaster is a little cumbersome to use, but you get used to it. Heavy on data entry to set up students. We looked into using Event Scheduler, but determined it was too cumbersome for our use.

Vorteile

Love the customer service! They are great about working with you on issues. It's rare that they cannot solve a problem.

Nachteile

Not as intuitive as I'd like, but still fairly easy to use once you get used to it.

Vorteile

Their accounting module is amazing. I have not found any CMS that is anywhere close to being as good as ACS ileith accounting.

Nachteile

It is hard to learn and it is very dated. Not mobile friendly. Ugly.

Vorteile

- Easy to use
- Great customer service
- Great customizability

Nachteile

Could look more modern, but certainly gets the job done

Vorteile

Organizes a lot of information for you church members and also can keep track of the contribution side of your ministry.

Nachteile

The look and some functions are a bit outdated. They are constantly doing updates and the cost is a bit expensive.

Vorteile

It does interface with our financial system and they have good accounting people to solve accounting problems

Nachteile

Set-up for reports is too complicated and graphs are difficult to arrange and filters are confusing.

Vorteile

Great accounting software package with robust reporting options.

Nachteile

Not able to easily import bills. Wish it could link better with our bank and online billing.

Vorteile

ACS had fantastic software until they created Realm Giving and Realm Accounting and decided to care more about form than function, and "dumbed" down the flexibility of the accounting module. Their outstanding reputation is based on the old versions I believe. I am currently looking to overhaul our entire system at tremendous expense because the new accounting interface does not work the way I need it - we are locked out of any contra-accounting interface due to the product management team's decision to "appeal to non-accounting people" - If you are serious about your job then that should say it all.

Nachteile

There are absolutely no drill-downs in the new system - no calculation features and it is over-engineered so that nearly every entry field has a drop down box - really, really, really slows you down if you have a large JE to process - and if you just fill in the box and don't go through all the steps, half the time it loses that entry. I also can no longer run event and other income smoothly and directly to a contra-expense. The product management people have decided that they understand accounting better than professional users.

Vorteile

Lots of functions from directory, group management, event registration, online payment for events. Every module I've used has been fairly user-friendly. Always upgrading and improving.

Nachteile

Some days we notice it's "sluggish" (may be an internet issue). We use it every day in our office, but people using it from home often have problems. Doesn't work as well on mobile devices as on computer.

Vorteile

The ability to use the membership management when entering data and the ease of creating databases as needed in the accounting system.

Nachteile

Currently there are no issues with this software

Vorteile

ACS gives you the total package in church software. It helps you efficiently mange both the "people" side of the job and the "accounting" and numbers side and will allow them to communicate with each other. There are several modules that will allow you to track different aspects of the member or prospect in the life of the church and this system does it very effectively. It has been around for a long time and they have perfected the software.

Nachteile

Because the software does so many functions and can be tailored to almost any church of any size or situation, it can be a little confusing. Therefore, training is vital. They excel in offering wonderful training through their company and through local trainers.

Vorteile

The first remark is the customer service which is very reactive and quickly solves your problem. ACS is a very useful church management software, because we won't have the problem to manage the database of our members or the registration of the children, and even all the donations received. I like the way it stores information. Of course, it is not quick to master ACS, but once you have mastered it you have everything you want to know about reports, campaign follow-ups, etc. In conclusion, ACS is a very good software to store any kind of information.

Nachteile

Despite the fast customer service, we notice that during the months of February and March the wait is rather long. The ACS software often bugs or slows down when donor files increase. The lack of functional expense reporting is lacking given the current state of the art technology. ACS is also limited on the choice of administrators on who should access this or that. The ACS software needs to be upgraded, as the speed is poor when running large reports. The look needs to be redesigned not too aesthetically pleasing, but also the API access which is almost non-existent.

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Gründe für den Wechsel zu ACS

Vorteile

The transition from Servant Keeper to ACS was smooth. The onboarding team and the customer service reps are easy to work with and try to be as helpful as possible. The Church Life app is great, and has been a blessing to our church members.

Nachteile

Working through a separate "portal" is a total pain. The software seems like it's not advancing with the times, and I would much prefer a true "cloud" based system. We are often "kicked off" the portal and have to log in again. We also have difficulty with AccessACS, because it can only be accessed by a Windows based browser (and we all use Mac computers). It's a bit of a hassle to access AccessACS through a separate browser to do the needed uploading tasks and helping our folks with their passwords and such. Finally, they really haven't updated much in the software. It's stagnant, and I see some areas where we may want to explore more modern technology.

Vorteile

This software was the solution we needed. When ACS Realm is fully launched, we will find that our questions will be answered with the product provided.

Nachteile

Sometimes the software can be clunky and not able to fully customize the solution we need but then the question is asked, "What do I really need to do?"

Vorteile

ACS offers excellent customer support. I have heard that the newer version is more advanced.

Nachteile

We use an older version of ACS Financials and need to upgrade. The older version is rigid and reporting can be burdenson.

Vorteile

This software will do most anything you want with great support especially with Megachurch support. It is built for all kinds of churches and includes all the modules you would need. ACS is one of the only church management systems that include a financial module that will manage GL accounts as well as POs.

Nachteile

Software needs to be upgraded from the backend. Speed is an issue when running large reports and I think SQL would help this. This software is feature rich so it makes it not so user friendly sometimes and it kinda has a 90s look in several areas. NO API ACCESS.

Vorteile

I love that once you understand the logic behind the software it's very user friendly.

Nachteile

If you don't take a training class on the logic behind the software it's difficult to understand the more detailed inner workings of the software.

Vorteile

We used ACS for a number of years, not understanding that there were such better alternatives. It came with reccomendations that it was the choice of some larger churches we knew.

Nachteile

It is archaic. The user interface is hard to read and looks like something from the dark ages.

Vorteile

I like how it stores a lot of information and that the customer service is always very prompt.

Nachteile

I do not like the ​interface, it is outdated and can be confusing.

Vorteile

The ease of use. The versatility. They update and upgrade every week to stay relevant. Very helpful to make sure we are happy especially during Covid.

Nachteile

The ability to get a photo attached to your profile for an older person. That our church database is everyone - not just a database for members and one for donors/visitors.

Vorteile

My title may be odd but it describes this software. This software is very powerful and its capabilities are far greater than any church I have ever worked at has taken advantage of. It is marvelous in it's simplicity but also the sky is the limit with regards to it's complexity in it's ability to create reports, schedule volunteers, and communicate with teams.

Nachteile

It is a very steep learning curve. Although the customer service is excellent, but it is important to remember that the learning curve is high if you have a transition in staff (give them time to learn and use the tutorials.)

Vorteile

The attendance module has allowed us to automate a process that used to take many man hours. It has also improved our ability to keep in touch with our members.

Nachteile

The reporting feature of the software is highly customizable which is great for it's ability to enable you pull information exactly how you need it, but it makes it's user friendliness a bit lacking.

Vorteile

Ease of use; frequent upgrades; makes my job more efficient

Nachteile

I really do like everything about it but if I had to name one thing, it would be the reports part of the program. The reports can be a little difficult to search & display the results you want.

Vorteile

ACS does everything we need in church management software! Aside from service planning it does EVERYTHING needed!

Nachteile

I would love to see ACS step into the service planning side of things too and truly become an "all in one" stop shop! Interaction with CCLI, ect...
The software does take a bit to get used to, it could be more user friendly.

Vorteile

ACS was powerful and stable. It's accounting software was also a huge perk.

Nachteile

The company started focusing on other products and this one got left in the dust. New features were non-existant. The user interface was clunky and reminiscent of Windos 95. Most of our staff were too intimidated to use it, so they made up their own solutions. This led to so many problems.

Vorteile

ACS does everything and more than what we need. Customer support is excellent. Cloud based for remote access is very helpful to work from home or office.

Nachteile

ACS is not intuitive at all. It has been around for decades and often feels like it is old software with a lot of patches to make it work with new ideas. Customer support is great, but you shouldn't need it frequently. We spent a full week training our staff on ACS and the modules we have added. It seems like we frequently get "kicked off" and have to log back in to keep using the software.

Vorteile

Ease of use--the reporting is awesome.

Nachteile

Could look more pleasing to the eye like most of the programs today. But it gets the job done. I've seen the progression over the twenty years I have used ACS.

Vorteile

As a small non-profit, we were looking for software to help streamline our data collection and reporting; one which focuses on client management and tracking. When we were introduced to ACS, they were a God-send. It was a flexible system that provided numerous options. We were able to manage our client intake much more easily than in the past. Overall, we found them to be a great fit for our organization.

Nachteile

Once you understand the main parts, the system works well, however, more integration is needed. Usually, the help-desk representative was very prompt with their answers to questions. There were so many features that we didn't get to learn them all.

Vorteile

The database was very useful and made my job much easier.

Nachteile

It was not easy to correct mistakes. Waiting for help was a lengthy process.

Vorteile

Navigation with this software is quite easy to use, I enjoy the ability to search for my contacts easily, but once again it is slow and outdated and could definitely use a face lift.

Nachteile

As stated before in my previous comments above, ACS needs to be updated to reflect more modern graphics, and accessibility. I think it would be wonderful to have an app that links to your phone.

Vorteile

Love the support team and their vast knowledge of the product. It is easy to use.

Nachteile

Needs more reporting/queerying options for accounting.

Vorteile

It manages our church membership well and the customer service is excellent

Nachteile

The software is a little clunky and out dated to a degree

Vorteile

Ease of navigation, customizable reporting, effective help menu system. Adjustable to individual user in the settings and screen layouts.

Nachteile

Occasional crashes, if it locks up, you have to re-log in, and via the log in, exit the program that just crashed, then reinitialize.

Vorteile

The biggest pro is ACS' support team. They will capably answer almost any question about how to use the database when you get stuck, and will remain friendly, patient and helpful throughout the call. A+

Nachteile

The thing I dislike most is the "look and feel" of the user experience. It just isn't pretty.

Vorteile

It does do everything you need for church accounting. The support is very good. The training materials are extensive. The trainers and very good and usually very helpful.

Nachteile

It is cumbersome, very slow to use (with many extra steps for every task), not intuitive and and very outdated. Some of the training material goes back to 2003, and looks exactly the same. There are extensive training materials, but they are most often so basic they do not answer anything besides basic questions.

Vorteile

It was a strong tool for us for quite some time.

Nachteile

The software hasn’t aged well. In an age of cloud and apps this software looks stuck in the 90’s

Vorteile

We are able to keep a complete database of members, associates, visitors and children. We are also able to keep track of tithes and offerings

Nachteile

Wish there was the ability to print pictures of people and then there name, so that if you don't know the person's name.

Vorteile

simple to use, but a lot of capability. Easy to keep track of giving and make reports for unpaid tuitions.

Nachteile

difficult to use for a school when students drop or change classes after making payments. Wish there was a way to connect to another software to automatically load registrations.

Vorteile

Can make up a Form Letters, Labels etc to send to entire congregation. Can copy someone's address to your clipboard for ease of sending letter/envelope to one person.

Nachteile

Hard to do a search for a group of people. Very complicated to get exact list of criteria to get the search results you want.

Vorteile

Able to easily track our members.

Nachteile

Freezes up and/or kicks me off the system randomly.