Pastel Evolution 2007

Features of the Core Module

The System Manager

The System Manager is the control centre for the entire Evolution application. It is the system's user interface. Featuring a System Tree, it controls the system environment and setup, on-line help, multi-level password security and displays all the modules included in Evolution.

With all of these features and much more, Evolution delivers enhanced efficiency, productivity and security to any business, including:

• A consistent user interface no matter which module you are currently using, i.e. Fixed Assets, Payroll, Accounting all share the same common interface and all appear as options on a single System Tree.
  
• Navigation tools such as menus, a hierarchical system tree, toolbars, and favourites.
  
• Powerful tools for maintaining, sorting, searching and grouping your lists of data.
  
• The ability to customise the interface (per user) to suit each user’s requirements.
  

Database System

Pastel Evolution takes advantage of the latest database technologies, utilising MS-SQL Server 2000 or Microsoft’s Database Engine (MSDE). And while MS-SQL provides Evolution with the ability to scale support to an unlimited number of concurrent users, data integrity is ensured through the use of SQL’s transaction roll-back feature. Pastel Evolution includes MSDE for 1 – 10 user sites. Larger sites will purchase MS-SQL Server on a per user basis.

Store Data Indefinitely

The General Ledger stores 3 years of data and requires no month or year-end procedures. Accounting periods can however be blocked, preventing transaction processing to those periods that have been closed. The Subsidiary Ledgers (Inventory, Receivables, Payables etc.) store information indefinitely.

Transaction Rollback

Data protection and integrity is significantly improved. This feature optimises data integrity by ensuring that users will never have incomplete entries or corrupt files, even if they suffer a power failure while a transaction is in process.

Supports Multiple Companies

The system can maintain multiple sets of books, each with its own chart of accounts. Access to companies and their related functions are password protected. Data can also be copied from one company to another, simplifying the company setup procedure.

Transaction Drill Downs

Drill down functionality allows you to find exactly what you’re looking for, quickly. From summarised information, to detailed transactions, right down to source documents - just by clicking your mouse.

Advanced Security

Confidential accounting data, as well as controlling access to information is vital to any business. Pastel Evolution enables you to configure multi-level, menu-driven passwords and securities per individual user.

You can also establish ‘user groups’, allowing the quick addition of new users into the system, with security access rules defined at the user group level. Once you assign a user to the group, the user takes on the access rules of that group .
Integrated with Microsoft® Office

A seamless integration with MS Office means that you can e-mail any report, in any format (HTML, XML etc.).

Data can also be exported to Word or Excel where you can perform your own complex data manipulations. This feature greatly complements Pastel’s extensive range of management reports, available at the touch of a button.

The Resolve module also integrates its e-mail management to Microsoft® Outlook.

General Ledger

The general ledger is the heart of the financial function of your company. All processing you do eventually reflects in the General Ledger. No tedious month or year-ends, the system is date-driven, allowing you to post transactions to any period at any time providing peace of mind and flexibility.

The General Ledger stores 3 years of data. Accounting periods can, however, be ‘blocked’, preventing transaction processing to those periods, which have been ‘closed’.

Segmented General Ledger

Users will be provided with multi-dimensional views of financial information. In a Segmented General Ledger, each segment becomes a reporting dimension in its own right. If an account number is segmented into different sub levels such as accounts, branch, department and project, it is possible to extend financial reporting to include combinations of these different sub levels.

Cheque Printing

Cheques can be printed from within a Cashbook Batch. The cheque layout is fully customizable to accommodate requirements from different banks. User access level has also been added for the printing of cheques. Cheque numbering can be set up for different bank accounts.

Receivables and Payables

Have instant access to customer and supplier balances, overdue totals and sales/purchases history. Enjoy quick and easy confirmation of delivery requirements, selling prices, discounts and available customer credit. Drill-down features and reports are available when you need a more detailed analysis of customer/supplier transactions. Maintain unlimited addresses for each customer/supplier record.

Multiple Debtor And Creditor Control Accounts

More than one General Ledger control account can be created for either Receivables or Payables. In other words, the Groups feature in Receivables or Payables allows you to allocate a customer or supplier control account respectively, which will be automatically updated at the time of processing your transactions. For example, customers could be grouped against local or foreign customers, and each group could have its own control account which will be updated automatically.

Inventory Control

Evolution’s powerful Inventory gives you unlimited control over your stock. The system provides both summary management reports as well as detailed operational reports, all customisable per user.

You can extend Evolutions’ power by combining the Inventory module with other related add-on modules:

• With Multi-Warehousing, you can create multiple warehouses or stores, and move items between these stores.
  
• Serial Number Tracking serialises individual inventory items and keeps track of them by their history. The system follows their purchase, internal movement in the company, sale and possible return for repair or refund.
  
• Bill of Materials allows you to manufacture or assemble items from components. The system takes the component materials out of stock and creates finished items ready for you to sell.
  
• All these add-on modules work together. For example, you can manufacture serialised items into warehouses.

Goods Received Voucher / Supplier Invoices Split

With this feature, you have the ability to receive and immediately update your stock based on a delivery note from your supplier, without having to update the supplier account until you have received the actual supplier invoice. This scenario will take place. For example, where stock might be delivered with a delivery note, and the supplier invoice will only be issued on a future date.

Import Cost Allocations

When you import goods, there are frequently additional costs that do not originate from the supplier. For example, you may be liable for shipping costs and/or import duties. This feature allows you to process these additional costs at the same time as the goods received voucher. The system will then calculate the cost of the items correctly. This feature avoids the inconvenience of having to process these additional costs later and then adjusting your costs manually.

Sales and Purchase Order Entry

Maintain and control outstanding orders, processed orders and back orders. This module is fully integrated into Evolution’s Inventory, Receivables and Payables modules.

• Print and process purchase and sales orders, and then fill these orders in part or in whole, keeping track of outstanding orders.
  
• Reserve stock quantities for customers when they place an order.
  
• Print picking slips and delivery notes.
  
• Capture purchase orders in the supplier's currency and the system converts the values into your currency at the exchange rate you specify.
  
• Create purchase orders automatically, using the re-order fields on the inventory records.
  
• Create quotes and convert into sales orders once confirmed. Powerful reports help you manage outstanding and overdue orders.
  

Project Tracking

This module allows you to ‘tag’ transactions (either income or expense) to particular projects. Reports can then be filtered showing those items specifically related to the project you are wanting to control, extending so far as to reflect a profit or loss report by project.

ResolveLite (Contact Management)

Any issue that takes place in a business, and is important enough to be tracked, is recorded as an Incident. Resolve will track these incidents to their conclusion – or until they are closed off. Evolution still stores incidents even after they have been closed, allowing you to track a history of events as they occurred, as far back as you wish.

You can track all contact with your customers and suppliers, having access to information about the history of their Incidents as well as monitoring any other pending activities within your business. Using this information, you can track all the sales and support activities associated with a customer who initiated these activities, and the agent or agent group who dealt with the customer. Resolve Lite is standard with Evolution. However, you can upgrade to more powerful functionality by installing the Resolve add-on module.

Graphs

You have the ability to view General Ledger accounts in a graphical format to compare, for example, the account movements over a period of three financial years. Additionally, graphs have been added to allow you to compare Sales vs Purchases in the Orders module.

Evolution Report Writer and Stationery Customisation

The Report Writer module allows you to customise standard reports per user as well as stationery layouts per user. It integrates into every module in the Evolution system. You can change layouts, add and remove fields, and perform additional calculations or subtotals. You can even write your own SQL script for advanced functionality. The system includes a tutorial programme that will guide you through the process of report writing.

Pastel Peace of Mind

The Pastel range of products - Pastel Xpress, Pastel Partner and Pastel Evolution – ensures that, from start-up to medium size enterprises, through to large operations, your business software will sustain and support continued growth. You can be confident in the knowledge that your business growth will never be hampered by your accounting system. Powerful and flexible, Pastel’s feature-rich applications are suitable for a broad range of industries. Furthermore, Pastel is committed to ensuring that you get the very best out of our software. That’s why we continuously invest in improving our comprehensive service and support infrastructure.

Pastel’s years of experience, in-depth knowledge of the accounting software industry and commitment to ongoing investment in Research and Development, delivers complete peace of mind. It’s for this reason that over 1 60,000 businesses around the world rely on Pastel to help them keep running efficiently.
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Annual Renewal

Pastel Evolution Accounting and all modules within the Evolution range are subject to an annual renewal fee. This business model provides customers with a number of important benefits including: updates and upgrades, first line telephonic support and e-mail support. The compulsory annual renewal is payable on the anniversary date of registration of the application and Pastel Evolution will automatically provide you with advanced notification.

The accounting system forms the financial heart of your business and, accordingly, becomes a central repository of key information that you rely on to run your business on a day-to-day basis. The mission critical role of these systems requires a comprehensive service and support infrastructure, and ongoing investment in research and development. The concept of a compulsory annual renewal fee is similar to insurance. It gives you peace of mind that you always have the back-up service, support and expertise you need.

This concept appeals to mature businesses that consider Pastel Evolution a crucial element to the efficient and competitive running of their business.