SkyStem FAQs
Contact your system administrator for your ART login URL.
Whether you’re new to web-hosted software, or a long time veteran in this space, it’s important to know that your critical business data is stored as securely as possible. Our customers are often heavily regulated and frequently audited, so data security is an utmost priority at SkyStem.
We go beyond the minimal requirements to ensure that data is safe at the physical level, network level, host level and application level. Unique username and password requirements, mandatory password expiration and strict privacy policy safeguards access to our sign-in portal. Visibility of data is governed through role-based access, which is controlled by the customer organization. Similarly, all user roles and passwords are managed by the customer.
Our customers’ data is hosted in world-class data centers (SOC 2 Compliant) and transmitted through encryption. The data centers are protected with proximity card readers, biometric scanning, fire detection and suppression systems and central alarms. Incremental and full back-ups are conducted regularly and stored offsite. Adequate measures are taken to ensure proper disaster recovery, data security and intrusion prevention and detection safeguards at all times, so that you get peace of mind. With SkyStem, plan on a secure and solid, faster financial close. Click here to schedule your demo today and experience a secure, crystal clear, faster financial close.
ART is ERP agnostic and compatible with virtually any accounting system. Some of our most commonly used among our customers include Fiserv, Microsoft, Jack Henry and Oracle. Data is extracted from your accounting system and uploaded into ART. The upload process is quick and simple. If desired, we can also build you a custom link that will allow ART to automatically extract your accounting data.
Yes – Click here to register for a recorded short demo at your convenience. Private demos are also available where we can better answer your personal and specific questions to help you evaluate the benefits of ART. Click on Schedule a Demo at the top of the page where you can select a date and time that is convenient for you.
A typical demo is about 1 hour. If you need a 30 minute demo we can quickly cover the key points to see if there is a fit and if we should schedule another in-depth demo. We are happy to replicate a sample of your reconciliations in our demo portal to enable you to see how your reconciliations would look in ART.
Absolutely. While ART is flexible and does not require you to submit sub ledger data, we recommend incorporating data from your sub ledger systems to take full advantage of ART’s system reconciliation capabilities.
ART is designed to house your trial balance, and places no limit on the number of accounts that can be set up.
ART places no limit on the number of dormant and active registered users.
Each user has a password-protected log-in credential that manages access and visibility to the financial data. Lost passwords must be reset by the user via email. In addition to advanced security measures such as data encryption and the Extended Validation SSL certificate, your organization’s data is mirrored and backed up daily. All data in ART is securely housed in a SOC1 and SOC2 compliant hosted environment.
ART retains all prior period data and activity history which is available just by a few clicks.
Upload all of your supporting documentation securely in ART. Your documents will be organized and stored in a way that’s easy to find and quick to access, and instantly archived. Easily access this documentation from previous financial close periods in the archive.
Absolutely. As soon as data is available each period, ART system reconciles a portion of the balance sheet for your team so that some accounts are completely reconciled before accountants begin their work. ART can relieve up to 35% of your reconciliation volume.
With ART you can easily generate reports covering both the big picture and the details behind it. You can export reports in a variety of formats that cover aging of reconciling items, unusual balances, account balances, reconciliation status, preparer report cards and much more.
ART offers two ways to certify the balance sheet. In addition to approving individual account reconciliation, your Accounting team can also choose to certify all accounts at the balance sheet level. ART’s dual certification capability ensures that the balance sheet is properly managed at both the micro and macro level.
Smaller companies are the most impacted by limited resources. ART automates administrative tasks within the monthly close and account reconciliation process, so that your people can focus on higher priority, value added activities.
Implementation timeline and commitment will vary. At the core, we are committed to delivering ART to you in days, and have tailored both our product and our operations to reflect this.
Our web-based (SaaS) service delivery model eliminates the need to procure hardware and install software. We deploy ART to you via the web, which makes it super easy for you to capitalize on each version’s new features.
ART is designed with accountants in mind. It’s easy to learn and intuitive to use via drop-down menus and button choices. In addition, we offer in-depth user training to ALL users to ensure they optimize ART from the get go.
Our dedicated implementation experts have auditing and accounting backgrounds so they understand your environment.
In addition to the decision maker, we also recommend including at least one general accounting manager, one staff accountant, as well as a representative from the internal audit group on the demo. That way we can talk about specific issues that apply to each role.
We value your time and attention. Our live demos are focused on solving your pain points to improve your work, and not on drowning you with feature after feature. Typically, we will reach out to learn more about your issues in preparation for the demo. The more we know about you, the more customized your demo will be. We’re not shy about asking questions, and you shouldn’t be either!
Your month-end close and account reconciliation process becomes more efficient when ART takes over time-consuming activities:
- Your low-risk accounts will be system reconciled by ART, so that your people don’t have to reconcile them manually.
- ART manages the coordination between people and tasks so you’ll always know who’s on point to do what.
- ART converts manual internal controls into system controls, saving time and reducing administration, thereby improving your account reconciliation efficiency.
- ART gives your team the right tools to quickly and easily do what needs to be done – from preparing reconciliations to tracking progress and managing others.
Spreadsheets and emails may not be enough, as today’s Finance and Accounting professionals are asked to produce faster results and more transparency in everything they do. ART is designed to be your account reconciliation command center by providing a comprehensive system that automates the reconciliation process, coordinates your people, upholds internal controls and communicates insightful data on demand. That means you can spend less time managing the logistics of the reconciliation process, and more time focusing on the results.
We help you maintain the quality of the account reconciliation process in several ways:
- Standardization. ART’s reconciliation templates ensure all users complete their reconciliations in a consistent manner.
- No more unintended account roll forwards or misplaced supporting documentation.
- Policies and Procedures. ART brings them to life. In ART your policies are readily available, and your procedures are incorporated into account profiles.
- Quality. ART automatically evaluates each account reconciliation against a set of quality standards and alerts management of anomalies.
- Insight. ART’s dashboards provide the data you need to manage open items, write offs and delinquent accounts.
- Control. Centralize review of account reconciliations with ART.
