CASE STUDY #1:
Retailer Replaces ADP Payroll Software with
Sage Payroll Software and Unitime Time and
Attendance, Reduces System Costs by Half

CASE STUDY #2:
ACG Satisfies Complex Payroll
Requirements for Cincinnati Bengals,
using Abra Payroll

CASE STUDY #3:
Abra Payroll and ACG Support Allow
Manager at Prominent Foodservice Firm
to Handle HR and Accounting Without Staff

CASE STUDY #4:
ACG Accounting and IT Solution Allows
Importer to Aggressively Grow Sales –
with Minimal Added Labor

CASE STUDY #5:
Retirement Community Eliminates Errors and
Inflexibility with ACG Abra / Unitime Solution.

CASE STUDY #6:
Automotive Tier 1 Reduces Costs, Gains Flexibility
with Abra Suite, Unitime, Sage FAS.

CASE STUDY #7:
Social Service Agency Simplifies Management of
Client and Worker Populations with Tools and ACG.

CASE STUDY #2:
ACG Satisfies Complex Payroll
Requirements for Cincinnati Bengals,
using Abra Payroll

A suite of products provided and implemented by ACG delivers the
exceptional flexibility needed to manage payroll – and accounting –
for the Bengals organization.

The suite of products implemented by ACG includes Sage MAS 90,
Abra Payroll and Crystal Reports. 

Johanna Kappner joined the Bengals organization in 1997, coming from
an extensive background in public accounting and tax management.  
The organization had recently purchased Sage MAS 90 and Abra. 
“Mas 90 was partially implemented when I arrived,” recalls Kappner,
“and I was fortunate to have a solid base of experience with other
accounting software to build on.

“Accounting is really the simpler part of the mission,” she explains. 
“We don’t have elaborate requirements, and MAS 90 is a solid product
that works very well.  Our planned purchase of a MAS 90 module that’s
customizable will enable us to create reports on important tax issues
that we have to manage.”  

The greater challenge for Kappner is payroll.  “It’s unique with a pro sports
team,” she explains, “because there’s no regular pay cycle.   Players are
paid over a 17-week season.  And, they are taxed in every jurisdiction in
which they play.

“Our opening day,” she explains, “is September 10 in Kansas City. 
Pay is based on ‘duty days’ – time spent in KC vs. time in Cincinnati.  
So, in that 7-day work week, there will be involvement with tax jurisdictions
in Missouri, and Ohio, Cincinnati, and Kansas City.  There’s a meeting in
the morning in Cincinnati and a meeting in KC in the evening, and both
entities want to claim a duty day – so there’s that variable as well. 

“There are various types of pay, too – some are bonuses and some
seasonal; there’s off-season pay, and various taxes are withheld differently.  
As with any professional sports team, there’s also the need to handle an
uncommonly high number of digits, so that players don’t just get little
stars on their checks.   

“Finally, there’s a massive array of deductions- union dues, tickets and
other benefits, special taxes on other benefits. 

“Coaches and front office personnel, on the other hand, are paid year-round,”
she continues.  ‘Game day’ employees are paid monthly during the season. 

“The bottom line is that a payroll system must accommodate
hundreds of variables.   Abra Payroll is clearly the most
accommodating option we’ve found, and ACG clearly the
most accommodating service provider.

“Abra has been easy to learn – and teach others to use.  In our organization,”
says Kappner, “cross-training is crucial: vacations or not, our 80+ front office
people, team members, and seasonal employees - who can easily number
several hundred – must be paid correctly.   And that’s what we’re able to do
with the Sage Abra product. 

A couple of years ago, Abra changed its custom reporting alliance to
Crystal Reports in order to provide greater functionality.  “It’s more powerful,
and more universal than the report product we had previously,” says Kappner,
“and is compatible with MAS 90 as well.”   

Upgrades - even major ones – have been trouble-free.  “We converted to
version 4.05 – a major conversion because of the way data files are
structured.  But our conversion was smooth and uneventful.” 

Kappner has used Abra custom panels for tracking 401K contributions for
players and front office personnel.  “It’s a good solution for us,” she observes,
“again because of the greater flexibility.  Deductions are not taken from every
type of every pay, the front office is different in terms of investment elections,
players have a narrower time period for deductions.  More variables!  More
reason to have a proven payroll tool – and excellent support behind it.”

NEXT CASE STUDY >> HOME >>