Don't Waste Another Second...System Selection, Part 2

After planning our system selection for new time reporting software (see the previous post), we began investigating our options. We quickly ruled out about half the candidates based on price and feature information from their websites. A couple had such poor websites and limited information that we were concerned about the company's long-term support and stability.

Our finalists required an in-depth review. One product had detailed online demos on their website, and the others provided access to live and prerecorded demos when we called for more information.

After testing several different products, we settled on Web Timesheet, by Replicon. It met the requirements we set up front, and had some extra features we really liked, like project budgets, expense reporting and time-off requests.

The install itself went smoothly, but we went overboard during setup, creating a long list of timecodes that overcomplicated the process. After a few months of correcting errors, we looked at the most common problems and simplified our codes accordingly. Accuracy improved dramatically!

We also had to modify our setup a little bit to work smoothly with QuickBooks--any time you need to integrate systems, you have to make sure the data matches up perfectly, and we missed a couple of things in our initial setup.

Our big lesson learned? Be patient! We picked the right product but rushed the setup process. At this point, we've got a good system, set up intelligently for our business, but it took time and attention to get it running smoothly.

Don't Waste a Single Second...Time Reporting System Selection

As a service business, our inventory is our time. We multi-task like maniacs and can work on over a dozen client requests in a single day. Each.

After trying a number of different timekeeping tools, from QuickBooks' Timer to email, spreadsheets, and paper, we quickly grew frustrated with inadequate, overcomplicated, unmanageable solutions. We couldn't keep up. It was time for a system selection.

To ensure we picked the right system, we set an overall goal: quick, accurate time reporting that feeds into our billing system.

Next, we identified several key decision points:

• Ease of use, to minimize the administrative hassle
• Remote access, to allow time entry from outside the office
• Workflow, to notify users of outstanding timesheets, approvals, etc.
• Reporting, so we can monitor timesheet status
• Integration with QuickBooks, to streamline our billing process and reduce/eliminate redundant data entry
• Reasonable cost, to keep expenses down as we grow.

We decided that a reasonable selection process would include 6-10 products, with a detailed review of 2-4 programs. QuickBooks helpfully lists all compatible products in their marketplace, so we were able to get a good list in just a few hours of online research.

How'd we do? Check back for our next post...

Why Tech by Example?

My company, CIO Services, is a technology consulting company in Saint Louis, Missouri. We act as an on-demand IT department for our clients, providing a wide range of services from network support to website development to strategic technology planning.

As a tech company, I feel that we should be setting an example for our clients--in other words, we should practice what we preach!

As a result, we're constantly trying new technologies in house. I'm an E-Myth enthusiast and love business process improvements, which often require the support of technology upgrades. We also enjoy trying out cutting edge technologies--great fun!--which allows us to speak to our clients from experience.

Keeping up with all this is a challenge, and technology has lots of "gotchas." In this blog, I'll share our experiences, good and bad. Please let me know if you find technology ideas that make a difference in your own business.

Wendy