Martus is happy to announce that churches who use ACS and Shelby accounting software can now enjoy all of the benefits of MartusTools. Previously, organizations who used server-based accounting systems or even cloud-based systems that do not have API’s had no path to take advantage of the powerful budgeting and reporting capabilities of MartusTools.
 
This new release enables ACS & Shelby users to engage their leadership in the budgeting process without the use of cumbersome spreadsheets while also making timely decision-support information available that allows these same users to monitor their financial results against budget. They can even drilldown to the GL transaction level to answer their own questions.
 
How does this work? Basically, Martus works with clients to create a mapping of their chart of accounts to various dimensions (e.g. Funds, Locations, Departments, etc.). Once that is complete, MartusTools can be updated on demand by simply uploading transaction files directly out of the accounting system. There is even a Designated Funds Report that tracks activity in each fund. User roles and permissions allow you to control what users can see.
 
There is much, much more to tell. To learn more, you can call or email us to arrange a demo.

​​The word “dashboard” was originally associated with an automobile and included various gauges and indicators that told you how fast you were going, how much fuel you had, your oil and fluid temperatures, etc. This valuable information would help a driver make critical decisions about the direction and health of the vehicle. Imagine having to use a stopwatch and an odometer to determine your speed rather than a single glance at a speedometer!

In recent years, software developers have adapted the same concept of dashboards to provide information that is timely, understandable and meaningful. Meaningful like a flashing yellow light saying that is easily recognized as a caution signal! These dashboards take large volumes of data, analyze them and present a picture of the current state and trends.

Churches can have many moving parts, ministries and sub-ministries. Many church leaders recognize that producing quality ministry includes the full participation of their departmental leaders in planning and monitoring performance. Dashboards can provide almost immediate feedback on how a ministry (e.g. children) is performing financially to their budget. Decisions can be made quickly at the ministry level rather than wait until months have passed and it is either too late of very difficult to make adjustments. Trends in attendance, spending and income can be quickly spotted.