Dear Jtees,
Sorry for the delay in responding, I've been out of town.
First, you are one of many who are looking for an alternative to
QuickBooks. As you can tell by the responses you have received, some
people do not accept that there is such a thing as an alternative to
QuickBooks. In fact, there is. In truth, you can do payroll yourself
and save money--if you have the right software. While you're at it, why
not consider a total accounting and payroll solution, replacing
QuickBooks entirely?
Please weigh these options for your construction company:
1) Job Cost Accounting is the specific accounting process used in
construction. True Job Costing actually uses the "estimate" generated
when you bid the job. That Estimate is used as the "budget" for that
job. As bills are paid and payrolls are met, job costing tracks
"actual" versus "budgeted" expenses, calculating and pinpointing
variances, giving you a constant status check on every phase of every
job. This is how job costs are monitored and controlled. This is how
some builders discover that a Change Order was overlooked, a revelation
that can make a huge difference in profitability. Monitoring costs is
what Job Costing is all about.
2) With all due respect, general accounting programs (with a Job Costing
function added as an afterthought) typically do not have the same depth
of functionality (and ease of use) as accounting software that was
written with job costing as the "center" of the accounting process. Why
not use the right tool for the job?
3) Why not have accounting software where payroll tax tables can be
updated for FREE instead of having your payroll function become
dysfunctional just because the tax tables change? Why pay for tax table
updates? Do you want to purchase your payroll software or "rent it" by
the year?
4) Why not have accounting software that is filled with Job Cost reports
designed to meet the unique needs of contractors? JobView even includes
"Bonding Reports" literally designed by Surety Bonding companies and
accepted by them as valid, reports that are created as a byproduct of
your accounting transactions. You don't need to create a spreadsheet
and comb through piles of reports to compile a bonding report any longer.
5) Why not have a job costing software that can grow with your company,
starting with a version priced for a small company, but having the
capacity to grow to handle revenue in the hundreds of millions,
employees in the hundreds, and a network, not just for a single person,
but for a whole accounting department? Why buy a software that you can
outgrow? Why not buy one that will grow with you, adding the functions
you need, as you need them, one at a time if necessary?
6) Why not have accounting software that is rated 5-Stars out of 5 by
The CPA Technology Advisor," specialists in their area?
Here is the solution I propose. A-Systems JobView is the answer to
those questions. You can actually download a Free-Trial version on the
internet at:
http://www.a-systems.net/freetrial.htm OR you can request
that free trial copy be sent directly to you on CD. The CD will also
include comprehensive multimedia training and tools to help you get started.
The Free-Trial is just that. You can actually use the built in "wizard"
to import certain data from QuickBooks and then complete the setup of
your company on JobView. You can set up jobs, pay bills, do payroll,
all for FREE. It takes a lot of confidence in our software to provide a
complete accounting program for free in advance of any form of payment,
but we've done it for years. A few companies offer a money back
guarantee with a list of restrictions and exceptions. A-Systems will
give you a "Risk-Free Trial, no payment in advance, try it and buy it if
you like it, but don't lay out a cent until you are ready" offer. The
question is whether JobView "fits" you and the way you do business.
Some people are content with handling a web of spreadsheets. Others
can't be bothered with job costing, either their jobs are too small or
they are reluctant to change a system that "works." Good for them.
Just who is A-Systems? A-Systems has been providing job costing to the
construction industry since 1978. A-Systems was the FIRST company to
develop job costing software for the PC. No other company can ever say
that. A-Systems is an independent company, not owned by any
conglomerate or international business. We are an American company that
has all of our offices, including our technical support department, in
the United States of America, where technicians answer questions instead
of read answers from scripts. A-Systems holds national user conferences
twice a year where we solicit ideas for enhancements. We just completed
a conference in San Diego where we held another suggestion contest. In
the four days since that conference, we have already added around 20 new
enhancements. They're small things, time saving processes mostly, but
it is that kind of responsiveness to our clientele that brings calls to
our sales department saying, "I heard about you from a friend that uses
your software. They love it because..."
The Free-Trial includes three versions of A-Systems JobView. Based on
the information you gave, the Small Builder Advantage edition will
probably meet your needs nicely. It is available at the give-away cost
of $79.95, including the wizard to get you started, and all of the
multimedia training sessions. The CD also has an course that will
introduce you to the processes and terminology of accounting. It's
called "Bean Counting 101." That's not a slam at accountants. We
firmly believe that accountants are worth their weight in gold because
accounting is the "language of business" and they speak that language best.
Back to Jobview. When you log into the Free-Trial, you have the choice
of the Small Builder Advantage, the Standard Edition, or the Preferred
Edition. (You can grow into the Standard Edition or the Preferred
Edition later.) Small and startup companies are well served with the
SBA edition. Why did we call it the SBA edition? The United States
Small Business Administration (the SBA) liked our software so much they
purchased a copy for EVERY SBA OFFICE in the nation! They wanted
everyone to have access to it. What more can we say than that?
If you are open to paying less for job costing and getting more, look
into A-Systems JobView. Obviously, this is my opinion, someone who
sells job costing to construction companies every day. I am "tooting my
own horn", but the first call I answered this morning was from a company
that was looking for an alternative to QuickBooks for their construction
company. I told them about the Small Builder Advantage Edition of
JobView, pretty much saying what I wrote here and they bought JobView on
the spot!!!
That says it all. I hope you have the information you were seeking.
Arnold
