Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I choose People Driven Software (PDS) over other church software products that are available? ANSWER
We will need to use People Driven Software on several computers in our church office as well as on the pastor’s home computer. Is PDS multi-user capable – that is, can multiple networked computers run PDS and share a common database simultaneously? And, are there additional fees for multi-user use of the product? ANSWER
Do you provide free technical support with the purchase of PDS? ANSWER
If we do not purchase an Upgrade and Support Subscription what will happen if we run into problems and need to contact PDS? ANSWER
What are the minimum and recommended hardware/software requirements to run PDS? ANSWER
How much does PDS cost? ANSWER
If I purchase PDS, can I receive a refund if it does not meet my expectations? ANSWER
We would like to order PDS. What is the next step? ANSWER
What forms of payment do you accept? ANSWER
Do I need Microsoft Access to use PDS? ANSWER
We have been using another church management software program. Can our data be transferred into PDS without having to re-enter all this data? ANSWER
Are there limitations on the number of records I can store in PDS? ANSWER
What is your upgrade policy? ANSWER
Do you provide any training seminars for People Driven Software? ANSWER
Many church software programs are sold in modules at additional cost. Are there more modules to buy with PDS? ANSWER
Is People Driven Software focused on church management software – or is this one of several areas of involvement for PDS? ANSWER
Does PDS track payroll, accounts payable/receivable and provide fund accounting? ANSWER

Question: Why should I choose People Driven Software over other church software products that are available?

Answer: See our answer to this at www.peopledrivensoftware.com/whypds.htm

Question: We will need to use People Driven Software on several computers in our church office as well as on the pastor’s home computer. Is PDS multi-user capable – that is, can multiple networked computers run PDS and share a common database simultaneously? And, what are the additional fees for multi-user use of the product?

Answer: PDS is fully network capable AND replicateable at no additional charge! You can install PDS on as many computers as you want in your church. We recommend that you install it on all the computers in your church office and share one central data file on your file server (or shared folder if you have a peer-to-peer network). Thus, you can have many users simultaneously viewing and changing data on one central location.

You can also install it on several other mobile computers or computers off-site with their own copy of the database. These mobile or off-site computers can then synchronize their copy with the office and everyone gets everyone else's adds, deletes, and edits to the data! This feature gives all your staff and appropriate volunteers full access to your data from anywhere at anytime!

Question: Do you provide free technical support with the purchase of PDS?

Answer: We provide 90 days of free upgrades and support with the purchase of the PDS. With 3 months of free support you are covered for any installation/startup problems or questions you may have. If you didn't pay for upgrades and support when you purchased PDS, we will invoice you via e-mail (or by postal mail if we do not have an e-mail address for your account) for the annual support fee. Click here to see our Upgrade and Support Policy.

Question: If we do not purchase an Upgrade and Support Subscription what will happen if we run into problems and need to contact PDS?

Answer: The first time you contact us after the free 90 days of support, we will ask you to pay the full annual subscription rate. We will show you grace and give you immediate help the first time you call, but we'll trust that you will send in your support fee as soon as possible. YOU ARE GETTING MORE THAN JUST SUPPORT FOR YOUR FEE. You are also getting the latest upgrades and features to PDS. Your subscription assures that you have the latest and greatest innovations from PDS.

Question: What are the minimum and recommended hardware/software requirements to run PDS?

Answer:

The minimum requirements are as follows:

IBM compatible PC running Windows 2000 or newer (including 2000/XP/2003)
256MB RAM
Pentium 300MHz
XVGA monitor running 16bit colors at 1024x768 resolution
70MB disk space for initial installation. Additional storage space should be allocated for your data files at the rate of approximately 5MB per year.
Mouse or equivalent pointing device.

The recommended improvements to the above are as follows:

Pentium 500MHz or better running WindowsXP Pro (not Home)
512MB RAM or more
Microsoft Office 2003
Fast Connection to the Internet (DSL/Cable/T1) for sending mass email using the full version of Outlook (not Express)

Question: How much does People Driven Software cost?

Answer: Click here for current PDS pricing.

Question: If I purchase PDS, can I receive a refund if it does not meet my expectations?

Answer: Yes. PDS comes with a 30-day money back guarantee. If, within 30-days of your purchase, you find that the product does not meet your needs for any reason, you may return it for a full refund of the purchase price. Keep in mind that you can fully evaluate the PDS product even before you purchase - and there is no limitation on this evaluation period, you are only limited to adding 50 people to the database in the demo version

Question: We would like to order People Driven Software. What is the next step?

Answer:

ORDERING BY PHONE: To place your order by phone, please call our toll-free sales line at 866-PDS-WARE.

ORDERING THROUGH THE INTERNET: Our website provides a secure online ordering system. You can order online at: www.peopledrivensoftware.com/order

ORDERING BY POSTAL MAIL: If you prefer to order by postal mail, you can use our order form.

Question: What forms of payment do you accept?

Answer: We offer several payment options. These are as follows:

CREDIT CARD: We currently accept MasterCard, VISA, Discover, and American Express. You can purchase by credit card through our website’s secure online ordering system (www.peopledrivensoftware.com/order) or through our toll-free sales line (866-PDS-WARE).

CHECK: We currently accept payment by check as long as the funds are in U.S. dollars. To pay by check, please complete a PDS Order Invoice and then deliver it to us with your check by postal mail.

If your church requires an invoice be issued from us before payment can be made, please contact us (866-PDS-WARE or sales@peopledrivensoftware.com). OR you can download an invoice and mail it into us.

Question: Do I need Microsoft Access to use PDS?

Answer: No. Although PDS is based on the Microsoft Access® database program, it is not necessary for you to have any form of Access® loaded onto your computer. For computers that are running MS Access, the installation of PDS will not affect or alter your MS Access installation.

Question: We have been using another church management software program. Can our data be transferred into PDS without having to re-enter all this data?

Answer: Whether your current system is another commercial church management software product, or your own "home grown" product, it is very likely that your existing data can be transferred over into PDS. Please contact us to discuss your needs.

Question: Are there limitations on the number of records I can store in PDS?

Answer: There is no practical limit to the number of records you can store. You can plan on approximately 5MB per 1,000 people entered in your database. Technically speaking you are limited to a data file size of 1GB. That means you can enter 200,000 people in your database. If you get to this limit, please call us asap. We'd love to talk about your church and offer other solutions!

We have clients with up to 50,000 names in their database. So you can be sure that People Driven Software can handle your church's needs for growth and scalability.

Question: What is your upgrade policy?

Answer: As long as you are current on the annual Upgrade and Support Fee you can download the latest version online in our special customers-only section of the website for free. If you'd like us to mail it on a CD just ask and we'll mail it to you for a small fee of $9.95 to cover shipping and handling. Those clients not current with their support fee can pay their support fee and receive the latest version.

Question: Do you provide any training seminars for PDS?

Answer: Yes, we provide both Regional and On-site Training Seminars. Contact us for a schedule of our regional training events. If you'd like us to come to your church, there is a per day cost plus travel expenses. See our pricing page for more info. Please contact us for more information.

Question: Many church software programs are sold in modules at additional cost. Are there more modules to buy with PDS?

Answer: No. PDS does not break up features into separate modules. You get everything in one package at one price! Everything we advertise that the software will do is included. Many church packages have separate modules for members and non-members/visitors. With PDS you can enter records for people no matter what their relationship to your church.

For example, you can enter records on individuals/organizations that contribute financially to the church, but do not attend your church or for people that live out of town but want to be on a mailing list. You can track anything PDS tracks for anyone no matter whether they attend your church (small groups, ministries, mailing lists, contributions, etc.)

Question: Is PDS focused on church management software – or is this one of several products for PDS?

Answer: At PDS, church management software is our ONLY business. We are passionate about helping churches take advantage of appropriate technology to advance the kingdom of God. Specifically, we love to see churches develop disciples--both reaching out to their community to reach the lost and maturing those within the church. We believe great software like PDS, can provide enormous assistance with this task.

Question: Does PDS track payroll, accounts payable/receivable and provide fund accounting?

Answer: No. We believe there are other accounting solutions out there that are much better at these functions than most church software. We'd rather pour our energy into developing great MINISTRY software (which very few companies do) and not re-invent the accounting wheel that huge companies with billions of dollars have already developed. Please see our recommendations for accounting software.