Cougar Mountain Software Review: A Closer Look at Denali Accounting

Finding the right accounting software can be a frustrating process for small businesses. With so many options and features to consider, it's tough to know where to start.

But Cougar Mountain Software's Denali Accounting aims to simplify things. As a cloud-based solution designed specifically for small business needs, it packs a lot of punch while keeping things user-friendly.

In this review, we'll take a closer look at Denali's core accounting capabilities, cloud technology, implementation process, pricing plans, and more. You'll get a clear picture of who this software is for, as well as actionable advice on whether it's the right fit for your small business accounting needs.

Introduction to Cougar Mountain Software's Denali Accounting

Overview of Cougar Mountain Software

Cougar Mountain Software is an accounting software company founded in 1993 that offers a range of solutions tailored for small and mid-sized businesses. Their products aim to provide the core financial tools and insights needed for business growth and success.

Introducing Denali Accounting

Denali Accounting is Cougar Mountain's flagship cloud-based accounting platform designed for usability, integration, and scalability. It provides essential accounting features like accounts receivable, accounts payable, inventory management, and robust reporting in an intuitive interface.

Denali is ideal for U.S.-based small businesses looking to efficiently manage their financial data and streamline workflows in a single, accessible solution. It can readily scale with business growth.

Key Capabilities and Benefits

Key features and advantages of Denali Accounting include:

• Core accounting - Denali provides AR, AP, GL, invoicing, bank reconciliation, and other accounting essentials.
• Inventory - Advanced inventory, warehouse management, and manufacturing features.
• Reporting and analytics - Customizable reporting and dashboards for data insights.
• Integration - Seamless integration with other business systems.
• Accessibility - Cloud delivery provides anytime, anywhere access.
• Scalability - Flexibly scales from 1 to hundreds of users.
• Support - Exceptional customer support and resources.

Ideal Customer Profile

Denali Accounting is ideally suited for U.S.-based small businesses in ecommerce, retail, distribution, manufacturing, professional services, and other industries that need an integrated accounting and financial management solution that's intuitive and scalable over time.

It's a fit for businesses that want robust accounting capabilities without the complexity and cost of enterprise-level systems. Denali provides exceptional value for growing small businesses aiming to streamline financial operations.

Core Accounting Features and Modules

Denali Accounting provides a robust set of core accounting modules to manage key financial workflows out-of-the-box. These include:

Accounts Receivable

Manage the entire accounts receivable process within Denali. Key features include:

• Customer management: Add and edit customer records, payment terms, credit limits, and contact info
• Invoicing: Flexible invoice creation with custom templates and automated recurring billing
• Payments: Apply customer payments and record cash receipts with ease
• Collections: Use built-in tools to manage collections and view real-time AR aging reports
• Credit memos: Issue credit memos to customers when needed

Accounts Payable

Streamline AP workflows using Denali's accounts payable functionality:

• Bill entry: Enter and track bills from vendors and contractors
• Payments: Process and print check payments to pay vendor bills
• 1099 Reporting: Automatically generate 1099 forms for independent contractors
• Expense allocation: Allocate bills across departments using custom rules

General Ledger

As an accounting system, Denali includes robust general ledger capabilities:

• Chart of accounts: Customize your CoA and account segments
• Journal entries: Create adjusting entries and record period-end accruals
• Reporting: Built-in reports like balance sheets, income statements, trial balances
• Budgeting: Set budgets by account and compare to actuals

Inventory Management

For product-based businesses, Denali provides:

• Multiple warehouses: Manage inventory in multiple locations
• Kits and bundles: Define and sell assembled inventory items
• Inventory valuation: Use FIFO, LIFO, Average, and Standard costing
• Barcode scanning: Support for mobile-based barcode scanning

Order Management

The order management module handles key workflows:

• Quotes and estimates: Create detailed quotes with approval workflows
• Sales orders: Convert quotes to orders and track against inventory
• Shipping integration: Connect with carriers like UPS, FedEx, USPS
• Backorders: Automatically create backorders during order fulfillment

Platform Capabilities and Technology

Cloud-based Delivery

Denali Accounting is offered as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, enabling anytime, anywhere access to its financial management capabilities. As a cloud-based solution, Denali streamlines deployment by eliminating the need for on-premises infrastructure or complex setup. Users can simply log in to the online platform to access real-time data and collaborate across locations.

Key benefits of Denali's cloud delivery model include:

• Rapid implementation: Get up and running quickly without lengthy installations or version upgrades. New features are continuously added and made available through the cloud.

• Accessibility: Securely access Denali on any device from anywhere with an internet connection. Cloud delivery enables mobility and flexibility.

• Scalability: Effortlessly scale your usage up or down as business needs change. Avoid overbuying software licenses or hardware. Pay only for what you use.

• Data security: Sensitive financial data is protected through AWS security measures like encryption, backups, and physical data center controls.

By leveraging the cloud, Denali provides an accessible, flexible, and continuously improving accounting platform to users anytime, anywhere.

3rd Party Integrations

To streamline workflows, Denali integrates with a range of certified 3rd party systems including:

• POS platforms: QuickBooks Point of Sale, Shopify POS, Vend POS
• Ecommerce: Shopify, Amazon, eBay
• Payment processing: PayPal, Stripe, Square
• Productivity apps: Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Dropbox

These integrations allow Denali to connect bi-directionally with other business systems to sync key data. For example, online sales data from an ecommerce store can automatically flow into Denali in real-time. Or, invoice details in Denali can push out to QuickBooks POS at the point of sale.

Integrations eliminate manual duplication of data across systems, reducing errors and improving efficiency. Denali's open API also allows custom connections to be built as needed.

Infrastructure and Security

As a cloud-based SaaS platform, Denali leverages Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure to deliver maximum uptime and performance. Key elements include:

• Global data centers: Provides responsive access across regions
• Automated failover: Minimizes downtime risks
• Load balancing: Enables traffic spikes to be handled smoothly
• Regular backups: Protects against data loss

For security, Denali offers robust controls such as:

• Encryption: Sensitive financial data is encrypted in transit and at rest
• Access controls: Granular user permissions and role-based access
• Audit logs: Provides visibility into system access and changes
• SSO integration: Enables seamless and secure login

By leveraging AWS and applying security best practices, Denali keeps financial data protected and accessible.

Customization and Scalability

Denali enables businesses to adapt the platform to their unique needs through:

User-defined fields

• Add custom fields to capture specialized data
• Tailor screen layouts and workflows
• Map data between integrated systems

Custom reports

• Build reports with specific charts, filters and visualizations
• Schedule reports to run automatically
• Export custom reports into Excel, CSV etc.

Scalable subscription plans

• Flexible plans allow optimal value for money
• Additional users can be added instantly
• Scale up or down as business needs change

With robust customization and scalability, Denali can grow and evolve along with your organization.

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Implementation and Ongoing Support

Onboarding and Training

Dedicated customer success managers guide you through initial software setup, configuration, and data migration. They provide comprehensive training for your accounting team on using Denali, tailoring the platform to your workflows. Training is available both live and through an extensive library of on-demand videos and tutorials.

Ongoing Support

Enjoy unlimited email and phone support from Denali's US-based team during regular business hours. The support team responds quickly to inquiries with solutions tailored to your specific needs. An online knowledge base with hundreds of help articles allows you to easily search for answers 24/7. You can also connect with other users in Denali's community forums to discuss best practices.

Professional Services

For more advanced requirements, Cougar Mountain works directly with a global network of accounting, technology, and industry partners. These partners can provide services like:

• Complex data migration from legacy systems
• Integration with proprietary software
• Industry-specific custom reporting
• Automation consulting and development

Leveraging Cougar Mountain's partners helps ensure smooth implementation and ongoing optimization of Denali Accounting. Their expertise and specialization complements Denali's out-of-the-box capabilities.

Pricing and Plans

Subscription Pricing

Denali Accounting offers subscription pricing starting at $99 per month per organization when signing an annual contract paid upfront. Volume discounts are available for larger organizations.

Plan Options

Denali Accounting has three core plan options catered to businesses at different stages:

• Starter Plan: Best for small businesses just getting started with 1-2 users, 5 bank accounts, and up to 2,500 transactions per year.
• Growing Plan: Supports growing businesses with 3-5 users, 10 bank accounts, and up to 20,000 transactions per year.
• Established Plan: For established businesses with unlimited users, unlimited bank accounts, and over 20,000 transactions per year.

The plans differ in the number of supported users, transactions, integrations, and accounting modules accessible based on business needs and complexity.

Cost Factors

Several key factors influence the total subscription cost:

• Number of user licenses: More user licenses increase cost.
• Accounting modules: Enabling more modules like inventory, payroll, or fixed assets adds cost.
• Third-party integrations: Additional integrations with other software come with fees.
• Transaction volume: Higher monthly transaction volume raises cost.
• Professional services: Custom onboarding, migration, or training services are added costs.

Pricing scales up or down based on these variables, providing flexibility for diverse business needs. Those with complex requirements can expect added fees driven by users, capabilities, integrations, transaction volume, and services.

Summary and Recommendations

Key Strengths

Denali Accounting stands out for its intuitive and easy-to-use interface that allows users to get up and running quickly. It offers a comprehensive range of accounting capabilities including AR, AP, GL, inventory management, fixed assets, and more. Denali is also certified to integrate seamlessly with over 40 popular software solutions.

Other key advantages are scalability to support business growth, flexible deployment options (cloud or on-premises), and excellent customer support resources like live chat, knowledge base, and user community forums.

Best Fit Scenarios

Denali Accounting is ideally suited for U.S.-based small businesses looking for a full-featured accounting platform without extensive customization needs. Those seeking advanced analytics or industry-specific capabilities may need an enterprise-level system.

It's a great choice for product-based companies managing inventory and manufacturing workflows. Service firms can also benefit from project accounting and time tracking features.

Implementation Advice

Take advantage of Denali's thorough onboarding resources like setup wizards, user guides, live training webinars, and demo data. Start slowly, focusing on change management before expanding to more advanced features. Leverage support channels for advice tailored to your business. Consider consulting services for complex requirements.

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