tonywhittier
New Member
I'm trying to put together a work order form/customer contact information form and was wondering if anyone here has some examples or some they would like to share.
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Customer workorder/contact information
- Thread starter tonywhittier
- Start date
thesignexpert
New Member
Try these out for free. You can print them, copy them or whatever you want.
Free Sign Shop Forms
You can buy the full high res editable versions in you want but it is not necessary if you just want to give them a whirl or use them as an example.
Free Sign Shop Forms
You can buy the full high res editable versions in you want but it is not necessary if you just want to give them a whirl or use them as an example.
tonywhittier
New Member
Those are nice...still wanting to see what some other people have/use
Yeah I dont do a ton of signage so i always have revision after revision after revision it gets old lol...I havent tried the folder thing yet...I got a whiteboard that gets filled out and i find it a hard time to keep up with or put on schedule lol..
James Burke
Being a grandpa is more fun than working
It took a few really hard knocks, but I finally learned my lesson:
Rule #1 EVERY job gets a job number and a completed work order sheet...EVERY job....NO EXCEPTIONS!
Rule #2 Enjoy life...because you followed rule #1 EVERY time. It's hard to invoice for something if you don't have a paper trail.
I made my work order sheet in Excel and it includes an area for the job number, the date the order was taken, the due date, quoted cost, invoice number, job completion date, ship date, purchase order number, complete customer contact information, description of the work to be done, and a spot to rubber stamp payment information. Yep...I also keep track of payment info on the work order also.
The Excel file contains an invoice and a packing list that are automatically filled out when the work order is filled out.
When the job is completed, the work order is paper clipped to the invoice and placed in an accounts receivable binder. When payment is received, the invoice and work order are noted accordingly and each is filed away in a separate binder. Every work order is traceable to an invoice, and every invoice is traceable to a work order.
At the end of the year, I have a binder full of work orders and a binder full of invoices for future reference.
All of this same information is stored on the computer as well, and is backed up for archival purposes in case of a disaster...or if a customer calls...I can have my hands on the information in about twenty seconds....even past orders and invoices.
It takes a lot of work to keep well organized, but your accountant will thank you greatly...and you'll enjoy your business a whole lot more.
On a further note, everything is color coded so when I see a stack of papers on my desk, I instantly know what's there: quotes are orange, work orders are green, purchase orders are yellow, inventory sheets are pink, expense sheets are light blue and invoices are white. Yeah...that's a lot of paper to keep on hand, but it really saves a ton of time when it comes time to track down a particular document on my desk, or in the shop.
I can't take credit for this idea, but this is what Michael Gerber (in his book "E-Myth") calls a business "system"...a pre-planned method for doing things.
PS....my first "filing" system consisted of shoving a stack of papers in a clasp envelope, scribbling a few notes on it...and stuffing it into the filing cabinet...never to be seen until tax time.
JB
Rule #1 EVERY job gets a job number and a completed work order sheet...EVERY job....NO EXCEPTIONS!
Rule #2 Enjoy life...because you followed rule #1 EVERY time. It's hard to invoice for something if you don't have a paper trail.
I made my work order sheet in Excel and it includes an area for the job number, the date the order was taken, the due date, quoted cost, invoice number, job completion date, ship date, purchase order number, complete customer contact information, description of the work to be done, and a spot to rubber stamp payment information. Yep...I also keep track of payment info on the work order also.
The Excel file contains an invoice and a packing list that are automatically filled out when the work order is filled out.
When the job is completed, the work order is paper clipped to the invoice and placed in an accounts receivable binder. When payment is received, the invoice and work order are noted accordingly and each is filed away in a separate binder. Every work order is traceable to an invoice, and every invoice is traceable to a work order.
At the end of the year, I have a binder full of work orders and a binder full of invoices for future reference.
All of this same information is stored on the computer as well, and is backed up for archival purposes in case of a disaster...or if a customer calls...I can have my hands on the information in about twenty seconds....even past orders and invoices.
It takes a lot of work to keep well organized, but your accountant will thank you greatly...and you'll enjoy your business a whole lot more.
On a further note, everything is color coded so when I see a stack of papers on my desk, I instantly know what's there: quotes are orange, work orders are green, purchase orders are yellow, inventory sheets are pink, expense sheets are light blue and invoices are white. Yeah...that's a lot of paper to keep on hand, but it really saves a ton of time when it comes time to track down a particular document on my desk, or in the shop.
I can't take credit for this idea, but this is what Michael Gerber (in his book "E-Myth") calls a business "system"...a pre-planned method for doing things.
PS....my first "filing" system consisted of shoving a stack of papers in a clasp envelope, scribbling a few notes on it...and stuffing it into the filing cabinet...never to be seen until tax time.
JB
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James Burke
Being a grandpa is more fun than working
Each sheet shown above, except for the expense report, has its own binder right next to my computer monitor...within easy reach. Due to the large quantity, the expense reports are attached to receipts and invoices and are stored in the filing cabinet.
I've found that keeping everything easily accessible makes it a whole lot easier to use and maintain on a daily basis.
JB
I've found that keeping everything easily accessible makes it a whole lot easier to use and maintain on a daily basis.
JB
James Burke
Being a grandpa is more fun than working
Whatever method you chose, it's only effective if you use it. I've struggled with just about every organizational method out there. Then one day, I started looking closely at where I was having the most trouble with paperwork and decided to create my own system that works for me. I come from a "non business" background and I consider myself a craftsman first...and a businessman secondly. In all honestly, it's taken me five years to get this point.
You need to create something that works for you...whatever that may be.
I'm still a one man show, but even if I had someone else run the office, I still want to know how it works due to the posibility of a long-term absence or employee turnover. If you've ever seen a boss try to opeate the business when his or her secretery is gone for any extended amount of time, you'll know exactly what I mean.
The main reason I am running my small shop like a bigger business is in preparation for future growth...and eventually selling the business in twenty or so years. I read somewhere that the average business owner waits far too late to get things organized when preparing their business for sale.
If for some reason I choose to dissolve the business instead, I still feel good about running a well-organized operation.
JB
James Burke
Being a grandpa is more fun than working
BTW...the five reams of colored paper only cost me $30.00...and time is worth a whole lot more. The investment has paid for itself many times over.
Good thread Tony. Ultimately the work order serves two purposes. #1) It contains instructions for the work, and your customer's information #2) It's proof that an activity has taken place in your shop or elsewhere and must be paid for by the customer.
I used to sell to a wholesale to a business that invoiced from "memory" and had poor records of what had and had not been paid...yep, they're just about belly up.
JB
Good thread Tony. Ultimately the work order serves two purposes. #1) It contains instructions for the work, and your customer's information #2) It's proof that an activity has taken place in your shop or elsewhere and must be paid for by the customer.
I used to sell to a wholesale to a business that invoiced from "memory" and had poor records of what had and had not been paid...yep, they're just about belly up.
JB
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James Burke
Being a grandpa is more fun than working
Yep...just so long as you understand your system.
Basically, at the end of the day, you need to know what you did, who you did it for, and whether or not you got paid for it.
JB