eCMS

Vorteile

For me the best feature about the software is the Reporting. Every construction ERP that we reviewed did not have a powerful Biz Intelligence reporting writing tool. Most had in-house developed report writing software. If you needed a customized report you would have to request one from the vendor. With both Cognos and Web/Biz Intelligence were not dependent on the vendor to develop the report. We have written 100's of reports in-house successfully.

Another great feature is the ability to use the ODBC functionality in ecms. We have created several in-house databases that read the tables inside ecms. This reduces data redundancy and provides data validation. Use of the ODBC functionality allowed us to use IBM Planning & Workspace Analytics (formerly known as TM1) for financial reporting on the web. With the ODBC connection, users can access any of the views created in TM1 with a web browser and do not need any connection to eCMS. IBM Planning & Workspace Analytics (formerly known as TM1) allows users to export, pivot the data, manipulate the data and use "sandboxes" for what-if functionality. It would not be possible without the ODBC connection.

Nachteile

Would like more work done on the existing programs. For example, many of the screens still need updating. Also, would like done to some existing screens. For example, the Job Cost inquiry screen is wonderful but it is basically the same screen as it was 10 years ago. Add more information to the screen

Vorteile

Cloud based Construction ERP system integrates all of my operations. All modules share the same data eliminating duplicate entries. New Interactive Data Inquiry tools make it easier to access data for all users, where they can create or modify reports and export data to spreadsheets if they wish.
New Dashboards allow users to setup interactive Tiles of summarized data that can refreshed and drilled down deeper into the detail. Excellent for Project Managers and Department heads!!

Nachteile

I would say the software has come a long way and progressively more user friendly over the past 23 years. Computer browser restrictions has limited some functionality over the years but is soon going away in the new anticipated release.

In Betracht gezogene Alternativen

Warum eCMS gewählt wurde

Gründe für den Wechsel zu eCMS

Vorteile

Easy to navigate. Has many options for reporting and customizing reports and functions.

Nachteile

The program is extremely slow and frustrating. EspeciallyReports are not running properly. Program is extremely slow and not efficient. Some of the reports do not work properly. Wish there was a way we could view the invoices in Invoice query rather than imaging. around 3:00

Vorteile

The user interface is easy to navigate and set up some favorite items for easy accessibility. The reports are also pretty straightforward with what information you can pull. There are a lot of different reports and features, so narrowing this down to just the ones you use most often is a nice touch.

Nachteile

There are so many menu choices it can be a little overwhelming trying to find the exact report or information you are looking for. Sometimes you have to run a few reports before you find the right one.

Vorteile

User Friendly. Content Management. Adding backup after initial entry.

Nachteile

Invoices getting hung up in a batch and having to release.

Vorteile

Each module within eCMS is very seamless and intuitive to use. Menus are organized and laid out logically. 2 of the stronger aspects of the software, that I personally like, are the data import suite and a newer re-imagined Content Management module that has been instrumental in helping achieve our goal of becoming as paperless as possible.

Nachteile

I have been using eCMS for over a decade now. I will say that back in the day, when it was time to apply a patch, fix-pack, version update, or similar - something else always seem to "break" as a result of those types of loads. However, in the last several years, I believe Computer Guidance has put a heavy emphasis on quality assurance, they these types of incidents rarely happen anymore.

Vorteile

Being from the accounting side of the business I'm going to highlight an accounting function. Payroll is the most impact-full from my viewpoint. We are a union contractor and eCMS can handle processing of multiple unions along with the weekly/monthly reporting requirements. It definitely makes our job easier.

Nachteile

At times the product may not be the most intuitive, but the support staff at CGC are able to walk me through the most complex problems and provide me with the best solutions.

Vorteile

We are very happy with the integration of the accounting and project management sides of the software. Integration is key for our efficiency.

Nachteile

At times I wish it were easier to make small modifications to things instead of having to start from scratch with reporting.

In Betracht gezogene Alternativen

Warum eCMS gewählt wurde

Gründe für den Wechsel zu eCMS

Vorteile

eCMS is updating the software constantly to provide the customer with the best product. The menu options are very organized, giving you the ability to navigate quickly and efficiently. Navigating through Job Cost and Accounting is always seamless process, with the help of the imaging software.
Having the ability to customize reports and letters, as well as track data and due dates, is so beneficial. The CGC staff is certainly worth commenting on. They are very knowledgeable, always on top of every issue that may arise, and quick to find a solution.

Nachteile

There are no downsides to this software.

Vorteile

Full integration between operations and change management to accounting/financial reporting. Value compared to competition that required substantial money and customization just to get going. Robust functionality across Operations, Human Resources, Payroll, Accounting right out the box. Custom Form editing logical and easy. Custom report writing through IBM Cognos is valuable and logical way to analyze data across the ERP. Support for critical items is addressed with the appropriate level of urgency. Ownership at JDM has exhibited a commitment to innovation and development as they bring in features from their other AEC vertical products. we have seen features come online in the few years that they have owned the company which addressed our desire for updates and improvements.

Nachteile

Customization/Support at times can have lengthy lead times when not critical to daily operations. Based on IBM iSeries so IT staff used to a Windows only environment have some training to do. (we have gone to their cloud based SAAS model to alleviate these concerns)

Vorteile

Integration feature works very well for us, from uploading payroll to journal entries. Handles large payroll uploads as well as huge job cost journals for WIP entries by job. Easy to setup without the help of a programmer.
Multiple ways of extracting data for analysis or writing reports. including: IDI, CONGOS and Business Objects.
We are a union contractor and we cannot afford any downtime. eCMS is very reliable and is easily accessible to our remote job sites. Remote site can perform any function we need them to including time entry and printing checks.

Computer Guidance has worked hard over the years to get the ever changing union reporting correct. We currently have about 100 different unions setup and without this reporting package it would be a nightmare.

eCMS Time Material package is very powerful for us. It saves us a great deal of time producing the level of detail our customers require.

Nachteile

eCMS works well for us. Things that may not work the way we wanted we have developed work arounds.

Vorteile

It is a user-friendly and easy to learn. The cross over/feeding of information from one section, (i.e., Project Collaborator to Job-Cost, etc.) makes it a very efficient system. The ability to copy job set up steps helping to move through this process more efficiently.

Nachteile

I wouldn't say there are elements missing; but instead elements that we have yet to explore within the system.

Vorteile

We have had this software for over 20 years. The customer support has remained strong. CGC modules we like best are Accounts Payable, Document Imaging and Workflow routing, IBM software maintenance program, General Ledger, Data Inquiry

Nachteile

We have gone a different route with Payroll and have an industry customized AR program.

Vorteile

The Purchase order, Accounts Payable and Workflow solutions work well for our needs. Visibility and accessibility of actual Job Cost is straight forward and easy to use for project management and accounting staff.

We upgraded to eCMS4.1 in October 2018. The transition was seamless and the implementation support provided by CGC was excellent. We also switched to CGC's Hosted service which has resulted in little to no system down time and "peace of mind".

Nachteile

Would like to see a more user friendly job cost reporting / forecasting solution.

Vorteile

eCMS is an excellent out of the box solution that doesn't take a handful of programmers to develop and setup. There are multiple ways users can quickly grab their own data for data analysis using IDI and Cognos. We utilize CGC's hosted cloud option for eCMS. They manage all the hardware, backups, and upgrades allowing us time to operate our business and devote time to other areas. This also provides an easy way for all of our office locations to access eCMS seamlessly. If there is ever an issue, CGC's support staff are very knowledgeable and are there to quickly assist with any issues.

Nachteile

The Forecasting interface in Job Cost could use some improvements. It feels a little dated. Some of the built-in reports that are provided with the system need to be given an appearance upgrade.

Vorteile

I most enjoy the IDIs (interactive data inquiries) that are available. They are easy to customize and pull the data that you want to see without requiring a SQL background or working with crystal reports. This allows me to build my own views and pull in the data I want to see and filter on it and export it to an Excel file.

Nachteile

I would like to see field size increased in some areas but we are able to make it work.

Vorteile

The financial and job cost functionality in eCMS is second to none. Payroll processing and flexibility has been able to handle almost everything that we have required. New functionality added recently (IDIs, etc) has been great for users to take control of their own data.

Nachteile

AR invoicing options and flexibility is still minimal. It would be good to have more options to invoice on the AR side.

Vorteile

I love the cloud based/hosted solution. When we experienced a fire, we were able to access our information from anywhere will full support. We never missed a beat. Their customer support is amazing. So knowledgeable, helpful and kind.

Nachteile

I don't dislike anything. Amazing company.

Vorteile

It is very user friendly and well organized and helps a lot with client interaction

Nachteile

It would be better if my email was integrated with it. At this time I have to go outside to Office to send email.

Vorteile

Document Imaging, download payroll timesheets, reliable platform, automatic intercompany transactions.

Nachteile

Getting the information out of CGC can be difficult sometimes but, with the implementation of the IDIs this challenge is getting easier.

Vorteile

We have been in the construction industry for almost 70 years and a customer of CGC for over 30 years. We have been using eCMS on the cloud version for almost 10 years. The reliability and flexibility of eCMS is excellent. But their best feature is their staff. They have a broad range of knowledge to help you plan and problem solve no matter what the issue is.

Nachteile

Sometimes the software is just TOO flexible. because it can be all things to all people that makes it difficult to determine the best way to use it. Initial set up of a new function or application can be confusing for that reason. But you can certainly tailor it to your specific needs.

Vorteile

We use almost all of the ERP applications made available to us within eCMS, from our primary accounting functions such as payables, receivables, general ledger and payroll, to industry-specific functions like job costing and plant sales. CGC also offers electronic forms and content management to all of it's customers which integrate seamlessly. Being able to use a web-based product like eCMS makes upgrading and installations go quickly and smoothly.

Nachteile

I do not have anything negative to say about CGC or their products.

Vorteile

Job Cost is critical for us and reporting is great for our field teams

Nachteile

Payroll could be a little more robust but integrates well with other software if needed.

Vorteile

The ease of use was my favorite. It was self explanatory and not hard to figure out.

Nachteile

That it was a little outdated. It could have use a few more newer features to keep it competitive.

Vorteile

I like the ease of billing, check writing and reports generated through the system.

Nachteile

Sometimes it is very easy to be disconnected and only allowed so many sessions to be open.

Vorteile

Lots of good reports, and the ability to create custom reports.

Nachteile

Some reports take a while to run when you have a large quantity of jobs in the system.

Vorteile

We have used eCMS for all our payroll, HR, AP, AR, equipment, job costing, and GL accounting needs for nearly 20 years now. We have been very happy with their cloud service as well.

Nachteile

I have no complaints with Computer Guidance's eCMS product. We really like using it.

Vorteile

I mainly use the accounts payable and payroll. They are easy to use and you have different ways of getting to the same outcome. The programs can be easily customized for your specific company. I would recommend this software to anyone

Nachteile

I can not think of anything that I like least about this software

Vorteile

It checks all the boxes. Custom reports, Imaging, Integration with our other software. The "Favorites" shortcut tool is the best, it's a huge time saver for me.

Nachteile

Support is responsive, but at times it can take awhile to get answers and issues resolved.

Vorteile

Converted to eCMS initially for data imaging ability, which is well integrated with all modules but especially AP. Its ability to handle imaging smoothly and effortlessly is still what sets it apart from the competition. Second, its ability to integrate data from other sources (ie HCSS, etc.) enable us to pull timecards in from the field and streamline PR entry. Finally, two years ago we went hosted (cloud) and it was one of the best decisions we've made.

Nachteile

Because eCMS is so detailed and provides so many options to collect/enter data, setting up can be a challenge.

Vorteile

All aspects of the software are integrated. There are also many options for external software integration.

Nachteile

As with all software, users must be trained to use the system.

Vorteile

It is browser based. No need to install software on users' computers. Fully integrated accounting and project management software. Easy to navigate. Clean easy on the eye screens. Our system is a true cloud based system that is secure and scalable to grow with our business. Always on the leading edge of technology providing us as the end-users with great experiences.

Vorteile

Just about every function is very logical in the steps needed to complete a task.

Nachteile

No cons, service is excellent, very robust system

Vorteile

The detailed reports in AP, AR, Job Costing, Payroll, and General Ledger are everything we need for our company. Having all our information backed up in the cloud environment is very valuable.

Nachteile

I can't find a report to show the daily hours worked by individual jobs.

Vorteile

Available options (Payroll, HR, etc..) Can add any custom module to accomplish custom task. Secure and backup system integrated.

Nachteile

not easy to setup. The system need a custom installation and very difficult to try to understand.

Vorteile

Configurable to meet many different needs. It has the best payroll module I can imagine. It is very easy to extract data for reporting. It is specially tailored for the construction business in both accounting and job cost. It runs on an IBM iseries and thus is virus proof.

Nachteile

Inventory module is not very robust. Software updates are complex and require the vendors support to install them.

Vorteile

The software is very user friendly. We also like that it is cloud based. The support staff of CGC is very knowledgeable, patient, and quick to respond to customer issues.

Nachteile

The ever changing functionality of the software sometimes is overwhelming, but we'd have those issues with any software.

Vorteile

The product is web-based and can be accessed from any machine with an internet connection through an encrypted VPN back to our servers. The product is fully integrated and maintains a great amount of detail on transactions so we can follow everything that goes on within the system as well as the fact that it runs on a very reliable backend platform.

Nachteile

I dislike the length of time it takes to get to a complete resolution on issues that are found in the software. This has gotten better over the years, but still needs some attention.

Vorteile

The product is constantly growing with the rapid demands in the Construction technology world. This is a moving target with todays needs ECMS does a great job keeping up to date on this.

Nachteile

As all software struggle with finding a mobile solution, it would be great if ECMS could find a solution to this age old problem.

Vorteile

billing module is pretty simple to use..

Nachteile

the help information or maybe a chat center

Vorteile

It works for what we do, it is difficult, however, to run a query but I have yet to see something that was easy in this regard. I mostly use it to do cost forensics for jobs that aren't going well, great tool in this regard.

Nachteile

It is a dated program that is clunky. It also could be the way that our accounting department has things set up. They have been known to make sure we stay in the 20th century.