I am looking to set up a bookkeping sytem with a client who has a print and design business
Ideally, the software package will include a job costing module to include; timesheets to capture hours spent on design work, raw materials to capture purchase of paper / ink / card etc and then a nominal ledger etc to flow into management and financial accounts
Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated
Many thanks
Ian Cooper
Ian Cooper
Replies (11)
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Start with the basics but don't try and re-invent the wheel.
It's easy to make any accounting system do the book-keeping.
The most important thing is to get the a proper business process operation in place.
The client needs to ensure that he has proper methods in place to calculate his selling price based on his costs.
You are therefore correct in looking at a job costing and estimating system. Get this bit right and the book-keeping bit is easy.
Most of the major accounting systems have a job costing module, including ours!
http://www.diamond-discovery.com
Regards
Roger Neale
Business Systems Consultant
Diamond Discovery Software Ltd
Tel : 07791 983567
Depends on budget
Hi
If you are careful then I have printers using Quickbooks and with around 3 staff they seem to do ok.
Others use Sybiz which is a little more money but handles hours/costs and deliveries in a much fuller manner
Viv Burrows
Start with the Estimating side?
I once went through this exercise with a printer. Half way through he found an estimating package that allowed him to quote for jobs - he fell in love with it and all my accounting-based research was wasted.
So think of the Estimating side at the same time as Job Costing. If you find an Estimating package he likes, just take the accounts package that goes with it.
[Hi Viv, haven't you got anything better to do than be on AWEB at 9pm on Saturday night?]
Online software
Hi Ian
One package that we have started using a bit now is called e-conomic.
It is an online package that has extra modules that can be added such as project accounting which would allow you to record hours and expenses to recharge clients.
As David Carter said though, consider the estimation side as a printer's world can revolve a little around estimations. How is your client currently handling these?
David Toohey
The Accountants Circle
Late Hours!
Morning David
4 Years ago I thought I could design Jewellery accounting software better than the other boys doing it and 4 years later on we are still working our behinds off developing it.
So as a break from beta testing the new version till 1 am Friday and Saturday night - our programmer is in the US so I get an extended day - I like to have a quick browse around aweb.
Back to the Printers requirements.
For the estimating side we've got an excel sheet because we found it was simpler than the other versions out there, users then use their choice of system for the job bag management
Viv Burrows
Access Accounts
Hi Ian
Access Accounts has powerful functionality in the area of job costing and we can also offer you fully integrated web-based time sheet management.
We would be more than happy to discuss this with you, and to show you how it could benefit your clients' business.
Feel free to call us on 01582 465100 or visit www.armstrong-consultants.com
Kind regards
Claire Jones
Marketing Manager
Armstrong Consultants
[email protected]
Timemaster
We are a professional architects practice and use Timemaster from Orica Software to manage time recording and job costing. It is a robust system with good technical support and I would recommend it to others.
Estimating first
Coming from a family of printers, I can confirm David Carter's comment that you MUST get the estimating package first. Any accounting package that you can connect to will handle the rest.
(PS I have first hand knowledge of staff quitting rather than cope with an unsuitable estimating package.)
Estimating
The excel estimating that I wrote about earlier isn't just a sheet but includes in depth costing depending on % coverage, sides, folds, stitching etc and takes into account paper costs.It took a year to perfect and is easy to use. Viv Burrows