Modifiable Source Code

The top 10 reasons to purchase a source code-based solution.

Your accounting system may seem to you like a black box, you make entries and things come out on reports. A modifiable source code-based accounting system is programming language that was used to create or compile those programs that tell the system how to behave. Source code is the key to understanding the inside of the black box and that’s why we think it’s important to you.

The boss. A year from now, when your business requirements change and the boss ask you to meet a new requirement, will you be able to? Or did you just swap out a system that didn’t fit your needs for another system that can’t fit your needs in the future?
Modifications beyond the superficial. Sure, lots of folk claim that you can make changes to their systems. And you can. But what about that business logic change you have to do deep in the system? They can change the hubcaps, we can put in a new ignition system.
Data Import. They’ve got a data import routine but does it match the format you have to link to? With source you can determine how the import needs to be modified to fit your data, not fit the data to their routine.
Integration. Next year you might want to integrate to the newest, latest, greatest automated pack and ship warehouse. Or push data out to field technicians in real time over wireless data links. With a non source system will real time integration be an option? Or will batch export be the only way to go? Source system can be modified to PUSH their data to external system in REAL time. The other guys are pushing batches if they remember to post.
Safety. Ever want to dig deep into a program and see what is really causing that problem? With source you can dig as deep as you want. You can find the problem and if it’s in our code, fix it. Compatibility issue with other programs or the operating systems can be pinned down to a single line of code. This benefits you and the software vendor because when a problem comes up in the field, we can tell him exactly where it is and we can work together to fix it.
Report data. What if you need another piece of data for that report? A piece of calculated data that isn’t even there yet? With source you can write routines to create this data and have it available everywhere.
Cost. How much downtime can you afford? How much lost productivity with workarounds. Source reduces these cost.
Traceability. Ever have a program do strange things and wonder what was up? Source code availability lets you run a trace on the program and see exactly how it executes. Error trapping with source allows you to go to the exact line number in the exact program where the error occurred and see what the program was doing. A company dedicated to source programs has to write better code and document it better because everyone can see what they’ve done.
Survivability. No one wants to think about their software vendor or reseller disappearing or getting absorbed into a larger company that discontinues support. If you have source you have independent survivability. If the source is in a common language, like Microsoft Visual Studio, you are not restricted to that reseller. You can change it yourself or hire others to change it. If a software vendor has source available, but they won’t provide it to YOU at a reasonable cost, what good does that do you?
Third party support. Everyone has great third party programs. How tightly can a third party product be integrated when you can only write to the API where they give you permission to? To have really tight integration you must have source code. The availability of source is the single greatest factor encouraging the development of third party products that extend your system capabilities.

In July of 2000, SBT Accounting Systems became the source code product division of ACCPAC international. In December 2003 ACCPAC International was purchased by Sage International.

Sage, with it’s Sage Pro ERP and Vision Point products, is the world’s leading supplier of modifiable multi-user source code based database accounting software, serving more than 300,000 users in 60 countries.