Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Short Overview

In human resources consulting, the management of customer and candidate contacts is a key factor. This is true for the quality of the interaction between the consultant and his contact partner, but also for the logistics used in the administration process. sqlFinance originally was designed in this context and migrated in several steps from the first UNIX based database over to a process oriented client server application.

Starting from basic features like Customer Relationship management and batch processing, sqlFinance has been further enhanced to a comprehensive software system for the management of business data. The object-oriented interface allows the simultaneous access of separate local and server databases. Several mandates can be defined in one database, with different accounting charts but shared customer data. Decentralised server installations may exchange their data through replication tools.

Through its innovative approach sqlFinance organises the general ledger accounting according to processes. Similar bookings, grouped into batches, get related to processes. This leads to considerable rationalisation effects, not only at the moment of data entry, but also on the reporting and auditing level.

For the data entry, similar booking patterns can be easily copied and reused. With use of drag and drop new batches and bookings can be generated from older ones and the adjusted according to user needs. Reports based on these processes give an efficient overview of the entered booking patterns and can be used to verify the consistency of the data and identify any errors.

Similarly, the auditor will be able to check the accounting process by process. Each process is a collection of similar batches and must result in a consistent balance and profit/loss statement. In the "process" data structure, it is also possible to register accounting rules and directions for the bookkeeping. The auditor then will be able to check process by process the bookings against the established rules.

Furthermore, sqlFinance structures booking data according to contract partners, business fields and organisational units ("contract", "business", "organisation"). All possible business relations can be managed as "contracts": e.g. clients, suppliers, employees, but also bank accounts, rental agreements, insurance policies, etc. The "business" field rather represents the business activity, e.g. major projects, market segments for distribution, supply areas. While the "business" is related to the external activity, the organisational unit is related to the internal structures, like profit or cost centers.

Based on the general ledger data, an efficient controlling can be created. According to your needs you can emphasize your analysis more on the control of the contract relationships, the performance of business fields or the productivity of the organisational units.

sqlFinance includes reports for open and already closed periods, according to the needs of the user. At the level of booking entry foreign currencies, rounding, charges and commissions, but also TVA tax can be entered. A module for the payroll support recurring payments to employees, as well as automatic generation of bookings for the calculation of social benefit expenses. Finally, the time management module will allow you to allocate labour expenditure to business fields and organisational units.

In the sales and purchase modules, products can be managed, with quantities, and integrated into bills of material. The billing of the sales module allows you to use different tax rates in the same bill. Different addresses can be used for billing and shipping. In the server version, inventory positions and the tracking of stock movements is also possible.

Language management has been considered a key feature from the beginning. All language is driven from databases. The "Language Manager" tool makes language management efficient and allows a rapid adaptation to any other language.

An easy start is offered with the free download of the general ledger module. This version includes an IFRS chart of accounts. Foreign currency support is included, as well as organisation (cost centre) and contract partner definition at booking level. The free download version is limited to one simultaneous user.

sqlFinance has been used for companies audited by

in Switzerland. Revisions also have been effected by Social Security and official Tax Auditors. The software has met – without exception – all requirements of these audits.

In a recent review by the Winterthur School of Management the application and software design found unconditional approval and were considered as an innovative and interesting approach.

The data model with batches and bookings and the use of one- and double-sided bookings has been reviewed with Prof. Dr. Paul Weilenmann, emeritus lecturer of economics at the University of Zurich who found many of his theoretical concepts realised in the sqlFinance application.

UP to now sqlFinance has met without exception all requirements and examinations of experts, auditors and regulatory authorities.

At this occasion we'd like to express our special thanks to Prof. Weilenmann. His contribution in theoretical aspects clarified many key issues and confirmed us to follow the chosen path and get the product ready for the market.

Special thanks go to my wife, Silvie Halbherr-Zehnder, as well. Over the long period of research and development she motivated me many times to continue my innovative orientation and get the project to completion.

For the support in application design I'd like to thank my IT-partner Urs Bretscher, as well as Dario Scheuber who brought in his valuable "line" experience as chief financial officer in financial and industrial companies.

I'd like to thank equally all clients and fellow employees of IPAG Inter Personal AG, my consulting company, who have made possible this "diversification". Furthermore I got valuable support from Saskia Wolf in the edition of the manuals and the final application testing, as well as from Thomas Ruckstuhl in the solution of many system problems regarding the use of Microsoft SQL Server and ODBC.

Furthermore I'd like to mention here the valuable contribution of my numerous interview partners from the IT and audit sector. In many cases they were open for an exchange of theory and practical experiences and gave me valuable hints for the design and usability of the application.

sqlFinance represents an innovative concept of accounting. My intention however was not only to develop the theory, but to prove the practicability with a ready to use product. This offers you the possibility to use first our sample data and get familiar with the application functionality and the many reporting features. Then the door is open for the productive use in your company and a newly to discover enjoyment about the efficiency and explanatory power of accounting.

  Dr. Peter Halbherr, Bern, May 2009