Estimate and Accounting Software

[thatcariboosigngirl]

The owner of our sign shop took over a couple of years ago and we just adopted the software that the previous owners used: Estimate Desktop Software and Quick Books Desktop.

Putting our feelers out to see if there is something better that we could be using, or if we are in the right ball park!

 

[White Haus]

Hello from Winnipeg!

I don't have any experience with EstiMate but have been using Quickbooks Desktop Pro since the beginning of time. Do the two programs communicate?

We've evaluated a bunch of different options over the years and it always comes down to them not communicating well with QB Desktop, which is a huge issue for us.

QB Desktop is great for creating estimates, converting to invoices and all your day-to-day bookkeeping and reports - and most accountants are familiar with it.

 

[Gino]

Been using QB since very early 90's. I think it's great for just about everything. Any and all programs are only good if you keep up with them and continue to grow with it. I've customized it to a point I can get it to do just about anything for the business.

 

[Stacey K]

Everyone likes Quickbooks. As for the estimating, I use ShopTracker - I have used Estimate in the past but I LOVE ShopTracker!!! There's a lot of flexibility and there's a great calendar option, task options - much more than just estimating. You can upload a spreadsheet with all your pricing which is super nice. I'm a one person shop but juggle about 30-50 jobs at a time so the drop and drag calendar option works great for me!

 

[ColorCrest]

Putting our feelers out to see if there is something better that we could be using, or if we are in the right ball park!

How many people work for the shop and how many will actually need to use the software to enter data? Do you hope to have a Job Board type of overview of work in progress?

 

[thatcariboosigngirl]

How many people work for the shop and how many will actually need to use the software to enter data? Do you hope to have a Job Board type of overview of work in progress?

We have six user computers that need to use the software - a job board isn't necessary, but it could be a feature we start to use. We employ a physical dry-erase board in the shop so that the production workers can also see the current progress of jobs, but it doesn't get updated as often as it should.

 

[gnubler]

EstiMate came with the business I purchased. I loved it at first and it really helped me in the early stages. The version I had was outdated and I came to dislike a lot of the interface.
I don't think I've even touched it in over a year. Like others have mentioned, I use a spreadsheet to keep tabs on my sales and expenses. I've figured out sq foot pricing on most common items and just do the math on paper.

I use Square for invoicing and to accept credit cards. Accounting is for my accountant, I'm a one person shop and can only do so much.

 

[ColorCrest]

We have six user computers that need to use the software - a job board isn't necessary, but it could be a feature we start to use. We employ a physical dry-erase board in the shop so that the production workers can also see the current progress of jobs, but it doesn't get updated as often as it should.

Know that most industry specific solutions should connect with whatever bookkeeping solution is used. Accounts almost never accept financial data outside of their norm.

I think Stacey K means to say "SignTracker" as her sign solution and I think it would be a good start for you. Besides the everyday usability of any package, you always want to know the chances of you migrating the data from old to new. Some vendors actually hold that data as hostage, so I'm told, but it's not the end of the world. More important is the financial data which is with your bookkeeper and accountant through the year.

Small business solutions can be very much the same except shops that make custom, made-to-order goods rely upon a particular data set such as components. Components are costed, priced and accounted for separately from finished products. Be sure any solution you plan to stay with has this "table" of data, sometimes called parts, resources, components, etc.

Good luck.

 

[SightLine]

We still use the old version of EstiMate (multi user licensed). Still works under Windows 10 x64 just fine. Stopped upgrading once they went to the rent it forever monthly system like so many other programs have done.... It does indeed look quite outdated and has its quirks but it still does what I need it to.

For a job board we use Trello which is free and works great.

 

[Stacey K]

I used to do clip boards then a white board...now I use the board in SignTracker and I'll never go back to anything else. I have one large monitor dedicated just to the schedule. I get great satisfaction from dropping and dragging to the "close out" column LOL

 

[ColorCrest]

I use the board in SignTracker

The KanBan style board shows "Quotes (20)." What is their status, exactly?

 

[gnubler]

This thread veered off topic pretty quick, the OP was asking about estimating & accounting.
For a job board I use the kanban method, but with handwritten magnets on the side of a tall file cabinet beside my desk. I just move them around based on where the job is in my workflow.
I have enough screen time in my life and don't want more, so this simple method works for me (being a one person shop).

 

[Stacey K]

The KanBan style board shows "Quotes (20)." What is their status, exactly?

This is just a screen shot from the company website. You can have any columns you want. I usually move them up and down. Once I do an estimate and send it out then I move it to the first column that I have labeled as "opportunity"

 

[ColorCrest]

This is just a screen shot from the company website.

Understood along with dummy data and I'm disregarding the fact that the dates for the quotes are expired by many months. Two of the four are "blocked." What is the purpose of the entire column? The quotes have been created. Are they awaiting approval? If they are waiting, should the cards be moved to the Pending Approval column?

Once I do an estimate and send it out then I move it to the first column that I have labeled as "opportunity"

I would have expected the Quote card be moved to Pending Approval.

 

[Stacey K]

Understood along with dummy data and I'm disregarding the fact that the dates for the quotes are expired by many months. Two of the four are "blocked." What is the purpose of the entire column? The quotes have been created. Are they awaiting approval? If they are waiting, should the cards be moved to the Pending Approval column?


I would have expected the Quote card be moved to Pending Approval.

Personally, I use the Quote column as soon as the job comes in if it's something that requires me to calculate and get back to the customer. It means "Stacey - you need to send the customer this quote". Once I send it I slide it to "Opportunity" because you don't get all the quotes you send. I use the "Pending Approval" column for after I create the artwork and send it to the customer - the job is "pending approval".

These are my columns:
Opportunity - jobs on hold, waiting for approval from a quote
Design - these need to be designed
To be Ordered (this means I have to order vinyl, apparel, etc.) - sometimes I set up a secondary block if it's still going through artwork, etc. so I don't forget to order items
Quote - Stacey, send the quote!
Pending Approval - waiting for approval on artwork, materials, etc.
Waiting for Materials - sits here while I wait for matierals to arrive
Production - ready for production, all art is approved, all materials are in
SubContract - jobs that I ordered online or from my embroidery lady
Invoice - job is done and ready for me to invoice
Install/Delivery - job is ready to deliver or install
Close Out - job is done, invoiced, delivered but I like to make sure I have all my costs accounted for so I put the job in here to go through and make sure it's all correct, follow up with job photos, etc.
Archive - completely done!!

 

[ColorCrest]

Too many KanBan lanes and that's only half of them...


...there is an more lean approach.



PreP – KanBan code and / or color signals. See below. This column may hold leads, opportunities, design, prepress, pending, etc for this stage.
Production – KanBan code and / or color signals; job Opened and working on it, Approved, Holding for some reason, or X completed for this stage.
Ship / Install – KanBan code and / or color signals; job Opened and working on it, Approved, Holding for some reason, or X completed for this stage.
Materials – Using a checkbox, a simple marker verifies if all materials are available for the job or not.

Production staff members are looking for “completed” signals previous to their stage so they may open the status and start on their stage.
Sales staff members are generally looking for any and all signals to see how their jobs are progressing.

Everybody knows the colors of a traffic signal in their world. This method adds the additional cool color of blue meaning the task is complete. When all stages of a row are blue, the job or item is complete and bookkeeping omits the job from the list. In many shops, only two staff members have software permissions to omit jobs from the list.

As mentioned, design what is believed to be the best but surely consider what others will want to work with as well. It is often true that "less is more."

EDITED six hours after initial post: KanBan code letters are now more clearly explained. A sage helped me with those details.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

I use a stack of papers on my desk to manage work flow. Whatever is on the top gets done, anything under it is for another day. If the stack gets too tall, it gets moved to the table where my wife finds it and yells at me.

 

[GAC05]

I use a stack of papers on my desk to manage work flow. Whatever is on the top gets done, anything under it is for another day. If the stack gets too tall, it gets moved to the table where my wife finds it and yells at me.

I guess my application to patent this process did not go through.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

I guess my application to patent this process did not go through.

you snooze you lose

 

[Stacey K]

Too many KanBan lanes and that's only half of them...
View attachment 166484

...there is an more lean approach.

View attachment 166485

PreP – KanBan code and / or color signals. See below. This column may hold leads, opportunities, design, prepress, pending, etc for this stage.
Production – KanBan code and / or color signals; job Opened and working on it, Approved, Holding for some reason, or X completed for this stage.
Ship / Install – KanBan code and / or color signals; job Opened and working on it, Approved, Holding for some reason, or X completed for this stage.
Materials – Using a checkbox, a simple marker verifies if all materials are available for the job or not.

Production staff members are looking for “completed” signals previous to their stage so they may open the status and start on their stage.
Sales staff members are generally looking for any and all signals to see how their jobs are progressing.

Everybody knows the colors of a traffic signal in their world. This method adds the additional cool color of blue meaning the task is complete. When all stages of a row are blue, the job or item is complete and bookkeeping omits the job from the list. In many shops, only two staff members have software permissions to omit jobs from the list.

As mentioned, design what is believed to be the best but surely consider what others will want to work with as well. It is often true that "less is more."

EDITED six hours after initial post: KanBan code letters are now more clearly explained. A sage helped me with those details.

Since it's only me here looking at stuff I don't really have to worry much. They do have several list options. There is also a space on each job where you can assign certain tasks to a specific person and then print their task list out. When I get very busy I usually print the list out and start at the top and cross them off as I work down. I don't really use the task option much since I'm the one doing all the tasks LOL I really like the drag and drop option because a lot of my jobs are smaller and in 15 minutes I can drag and drop lots of boxes to several columns. My dad breaks down into columns. I'll start at the left and work right and repeat throughout the day as needed.