NETiMAGE, a systems integrator specializing in network consulting, installation and services, was founded in 1991. Jill Whitney is the Vice President and co-founder of NETiMAGE. Whitney was looking for a solution to integrate with other business critical software, so she embarked on a month-long research project to determine the best suite of solutions to meet their needs.


The Challenge: Enterprise Software Without the Hassle

Until 2002, NETiMAGE had used SBT, a company since purchased by ACCPAC, for three years despite being what Whitney called "the lesser of evils." Originally, the key decision factor was integration with other business applications, and at the time, the only products that offered that were SBT and Great Plains. Though both systems were larger than they needed, at the time, NETiMAGE needed the ability to track serial numbers, which smaller accounting solutions did not offer as a feature.

The quoting software that NETiMAGE was so reliant upon for its business decided to change its business model, which forced NETiMAGE to consider other quoting software. This decision was the catalyst for NETiMAGE to revamp its system and integrate its quoting system, CRM, and accounting solutions.

Because NETiMAGE was investigating an entire system solution, integration was a key consideration. It was looking for the entire system that would meet specific needs. Because the number of quoting solutions available is more limited, NETiMAGE narrowed down the field to the quoting software that met their needs, and then considered accounting solutions that would integrate with that package. From that point, Whitney says, "The decision was easy." QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions, Intuit's first solution designed for growing businesses with 20-250 employees, was able to provide NETiMAGE with the functionality it needed with the integration.

"We needed some of the advanced functionality that Enterprise Solutions has, " said Whitney. "We needed to replicate the functionality that we had with SBT but also have the ability to create customized reports. Integration with our quoting system was the most important factor in our decision."

She added, "Enterprise Solutions was a pleasant surprise, because it is so easy to use and so much faster. It has so many more features than we had without paying more money with an advanced solution that was more than we needed. Enterprise Solutions didn't have the same cost and maintenance as SBT either. We really appreciate a product that has a lot of features out of the box and doesn't require a lot of customization."


The Solution: QuickBooks® Enterprise Solutions

Whitney is thrilled with the results NETiMAGE has realized with QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions. Among the benefits for NETiMAGE are:

Features and functionality of a high-priced solution for a much lower price Whitney was thrilled at how easy, fast, and comprehensive QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions was for the price. She was impressed with the amount of functionality that was already integrated into the software. "With our previous system, if we wanted a custom report, we had to buy one from our reseller. For example, the sales tax custom report is already part of Enterprise Solutions, so there is no need to pay extra to create the custom report. Even when we had the reseller create it, it consisted of a series of workarounds, and it wasn't very user friendly."

Compatibility and employee management Tools By tapping into Intuit's Solutions Marketplace, Whitney has been able to see how other growing companies are using QuickBooks and take advantage of integrated solutions that boost the power of the system. Because of Intuit's established leadership position in the accounting software market, many independent developers are able to market industry-specific solutions that meet the needs of many businesses.

This case study represents the individual experience of one customer. Intuit does not guarantee that results will apply to all customers.

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