Job database software

[hikeandgolf]

I am in the process of starting my own company (structural). I will be a one-man firm for the near future. My question is regarding what other companies are using for a job database software. I will be doing mostly residential work, so there will be a lot of jobs (average probably one per day starting off, hopefully more eventually). Does anybody have recommendations as to what to use for a job tracking database? A previous company used MS Access, which seemed to work well. The most recent company had a web-based interface that they created themselves. I'm leaning toward Access, but was curious if anyone had any suggestions. One thing I would like the possibility of doing is trying out a web-based scheduling application that clients could get on and see where there job status is at...instead of me having to answer several "Where's my work at?" emails per day.

 

[IRstuff]

I would think that a net based approach would cause even more work, since you would have to update the status of each and every job every day, and do it to the level of detail needed to keep your worst-case customer from nagging you for more information, since you don't know, apriori, which customers require spoon feeding. This would be contrasted with being bugged by perhaps 20% of your clientele, of which 20% are the truly annoying ones that have to be spoon fed.

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[Pmatherne]

You can look at some online software like Asana or Basecamp
Here is a sample project from basecamp

https://basecamp.com/tour

Future PE Engineer
Pet project I am working on to help other engineers, not much yet hoping to get it grow as I learn more

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[SteelPE]

I prefer the "wheres my work at approach". I find that if I am proactive with these things the "wheres my work at" changes to "thanks for the work, but we decided to make a few changes, here you go". And then you avoid the "why is my bill so much?". Especially with residential clients who already think you should be paid $15/hour.

 

[strucguy]

$15/hour?? And, here I am cribbing over my current salary. Don't tell me they require you to have insurance as well.

 

[SteelPE]

I'm not saying that's what I charge the clients, I'm saying that's what they think they should pay you. I've had some clients come to me with a problems and when the subject of fees come up they say "I've allowed for $50.00 of engineering fees" to which I laugh and then give them my hourly rate (which is very reasonable). Needless to say, I don't hear back from many of them.

 

[SLTA]

I do pretty much exactly what you're describing and use an excel spreadsheet to track jobs. And honestly - you're going to get people calling anyway, so a "what's up with my project" webpage won't necessarily save you any time - if anything, it would just cause more headaches.

Do you actually live in an area with so much work and so few other engineers, that you'll get a project a day? Is that realistic?

 

[brandonbw]

dotproject seemed easy enough to use for a web based project management system. If you have a website with cpanel and softaculous its really easy to install.

I ended up not using anything as it just adds more stuff to do. Our storage does a good enough job. Current jobs go in the main folder. When a project is done that goes into the filed folder. Proposals folder. Cancelled folder has all the projects that probably aren't happening. I can just look at the submittal folder and see the date it was submitted. Billing shows up with a date the invoice or proposal was made.

I use thunderbird for email. For projects with a lot of emails, say 10 a day for months on end, I make a specific email folder (job no. - name of project) to put important emails in. I am positive that some of our clients think their job is our only job. I guess that's what happens when you are on top of things.

I would suggest keeping it very simple at first. I doubt anyone will actually look at your job scheduling before calling/emailing you.

And about that $15/hr thing. I have seen commercial projects that also want that cheap cheap cheap thing. I quickly did some math and noticed I would make more working minimum wage with no stress or liability. The best engineering advice I have ever had, was from an owner at my first job, you will make more money turning work away.

B+W Engineering and Design
Los Angeles Civil Engineer and Structural Engineer

http://bwengr.com