Keeping Records

[Voltimax]

Hi guys

I'm trying to get my filing system in order. I like to use spreadsheets alot, but because I use different templates for different jobs, I'm starting to lose track of them. In other words I'm rubbish at filing things

Got me wondering how others file their customer correspondence, estimates, quotes etc.
Do you all use computers? Do some of you prefer pen and paper?

I'm thinking that I should have one folder and in that folders that are labeled with the customers name and job number. In those I can have letters, spreadsheets etc related to that job. Only problem I can see with that is I won't be able to see my estimate reference numbers easily. Having to go into folders to find such information.

How do you guys file?

 

[Festerfly]

im in a similar situation to be honest. I also have a penchant for Spreadsheets and breaking everything down showing profit/costs etc. problem being that i end up with a HUGE amount of extra work and i am trying to streamline things to make my evenings freer..

Ive been looking into some sort of contractors system so that i can manage all aspects of my business but there will always be an amount of paperwork due to job sheets/invoices etc.

I will keep an eye on this thread also me thinks!

 

[Amp David]

I use Word or Excel for all my stuff and its all filed on my PC with multiple backups.

 

[Voltimax]

I use Word or Excel for all my stuff and its all filed on my PC with multiple backups.

As do we, but my question is 'how' do you file it?
In other words what order/system. Do you have a file for job estimates and letters and then one for job sheets, or do you lump it all in one folder?

 

[Amp David]

Ok i see what you mean Voltimax.

Have 1 main folder. Within this I have seperate folders for my estimates, quotes, invoices, letter etc.

I also have a folder for all my certs, done in Easycert, then saved out as PDFs. All the PDFs for the certs are just in 1 folder, each one is referanced with the invoice number.

 

[Octopus]

Not an easy subject to get right given we all have different ideas about the dreaded filing, computers and alike.

I use a spreadsheet, with a page per job/estimate - this allows me to copy and paste when I'm doing a similar job and easily update the parts I require and the latest buy prices.

I use EasyCert (a recent decision now its free) to produce the certificates - and I use the numbers from my invoicing system and number the certs the same as the invoices.

I use Quickbooks Pro (2008) to manage my suppliers, estimates, invoices, aged debt etc and more crutially this also allows me to produce a report on job profitability!

All works for me!

 

[accordfire]

It is a big issue.

Like many of you guys, we have a mixture of computer generated and paper based stuff.

So much so.....this is how we do it:

Paper correspondence is ALL scanned, and filenamed in the format

DATE - REFERENCE - SUBJECT - PRIORITY into a folder in the form PAPER CORRESPONDENCE/CONTACT NAME

So, assume we have a letter from CEF arrive today, reminding us to pay a bill - we'd scan that as a mid res PDF and name it:

310111 - CEF A/C - Dec10 Payment Reminder - A - and save it to our folder /Paper Correspondence/CEF/

We then tag the filename and folder into a srpeadsheet in which we can manipulate the list to see what's urgent and what isn't, what's dealt with and what isn't. We can also audit trail all paper correspondence this way.

We also scan all job sheets this way too, by report number, and track those. We put them in a Job Sheet folder, by Job Sheet/Complete Invoiced, Complete NOT Invoiced or /Incomplete PARTS or Incomplete/OTHER - they get moved as each bit is completed.

Computer generated paperwork is all PDF'd too. We have an original Word or Excel page, which we save to PDF also (often for sending to customer)....which we file in a QUOTE folder structure by month/pending/successful/unsuccessful and build up sheets which we store by ongoing number in one folder /Buildup.

We are looking at using something like SAGE ACT now too, which can provide a front end onto all computer correspondence by CUSTOMER/SUPPLIER.

It's worthwhile, but means you need to generate all paperwork through Act I think.

 

[SirKit Breaker]

I use Word or Excel for all my stuff and its all filed on my PC with multiple backups.

Here as well.
Regular customers have their own folder for everything to do with them. EIC's, quotes, invoices the lot. These are then copied into the relevant folder with everyone else's paperwork. So i end up with an EIC folder, MWC folder etc etc. I can either look up the EIC number in the EIC folder, or I can go straight to the customers folder and find the same info. I hope you get my drift. It is all backed up on a memory stick and the laptop. At the end of the year the whole lot goes onto a CD.

Cheers.........Howard

 

[Voltimax]

Hell, you guy's seem to have got it sussed a lot better than me.
Just the other day I made an estimate template for small jobs. A page per estimate. I numbered them in relation to the bigger spreadsheets. That was my mistake to have estimates in separate folders, because two new separate estimates (one large, one small) just went out within a day of each other and they have the same estimate number.....arrggghh!!!

Back to the drawing board..........

 

[Voltimax]

I use EasyCert (a recent decision now its free)

Eh?
Come again
Free you say?
Are you sure? or do you mean castline formfill?

 

[Octopus]

Eh?
Come again
Free you say?
Are you sure? or do you mean castline formfill?

Yes, Castline formfill!

 

[Amp David]

The month trail is free, but after that its costs

Tysoft - EasyCert Purchase

 

[SirKit Breaker]

Hell, you guy's seem to have got it sussed a lot better than me.
Just the other day I made an estimate template for small jobs. A page per estimate. I numbered them in relation to the bigger spreadsheets. That was my mistake to have estimates in separate folders, because two new separate estimates (one large, one small) just went out within a day of each other and they have the same estimate number.....arrggghh!!!

Back to the drawing board..........

It wasnt always sussed, took a good while to get it right, and several visits back to the drawing board.