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  • 1.  Accounting/Project Management Software for Small Firm

    Posted 07-07-2011 01:35 AM
    This message has been cross posted to the following Discussion Forums: Practice Management Member Conversations and Small Project Practitioners .
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    Any financial management/project management software suitable for a ten person firm that you've had success with?  Ajera by Axium, ArchiOffice with Quickbooks, InFocus by Clearview, other programs?

    We are on Deltek Vision after we were forced to upgrade from their Advantage product we used for many years - we felt there'd be an advantage in terms of porting our financial data over easily and in training staff.  After only six months with the program, and after spending tens of thousands of dollars on software, set-up on the cloud, transferring of historic data, and training staff, I am looking for appropriate alternatives.  Besides being extremely expensive for a small firm, it is a rather cumbersome and non-intuitive program.  We utilize a cloud based service in order to avoid purchasing a separate server for it.  Tasks that were one step in Advantage are now 3 steps.  The timesheet is poorly designed graphically and functionally.  Then the straw that broke the camel's back is when we needed to accommodate an 11th person on payroll, we would need to spend an additional $4,300 and 18% service fee per year to purchase a 10 person module.  Basically it is a way too sophisticated, expensive, and poorly designed product for our usage.  Deltek's answer is for us to spend an additional $7k for further staff training (the same staff that used their prior product for years without a problem). 

    What's your experience been with these programs?  We've gotten feedback that the newly redesigned ArchiOffice has the potential to become a very good product but is still very buggy and integration with Quickbooks can be difficult....  Ajera looks good so far based on discussions with a few firms.  Don't know anything about InFocus.

    Any other programs you would recommend?

    Any feedback from your experiences would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks.


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    David Gast AIA
    Principal
    Gast Architects
    San Francisco CA
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  • 2.  RE:Accounting/Project Management Software for Small Firm

    Posted 07-08-2011 08:06 AM
    We're using an older version of Deltek, which is becoming unsupported this year, and have been researching options, too.  We have narrowed it down to Ajera and InFocus.  If you haven't already, take a look at InFocus.  We particularly liked their upcoming upgrade with improved contact management ability, and its cost was very competitive with Ajera.  

    John
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    John Cluver AIA
    Partner
    Voith & Mactavish Architects
    Philadelphia PA
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  • 3.  RE:Accounting/Project Management Software for Small Firm

    Posted 07-08-2011 09:52 AM
    We have been using Ajera for several years and are very happy with it. It is user friendly and flexible. We are a nine person BIM/EDAC firm in the midwest. 

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    Douglas Elting AIA
    Visions in Architecture
    Lincoln NE
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  • 4.  RE:Accounting/Project Management Software for Small Firm

    Posted 09-28-2011 11:51 AM
    We are a 15 person firm looking for a Project Management Software to replace our self-created (manual) Excel control system.  We use Quickbooks Pro for accounting so for us is very important the export/import integration with that software.
    We've thoroughly evaluated Ajera, but still aren't sure about its integration with Quickbooks.  Anyone has experience with that?
    We're also considering Archioffice, though haven't looked too deep into its functionality and/or integration with Quicbooks.    Has anyone done a comparison between the two?  Any recommendations on which to choose?
    Any suggestion of other software to consider?
    Obviously, cost is always an issue!!  :-o
    Thanks in advance.

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    Rafael Selman Intl. Assoc. AIA
    Principal
    Selman & Asociados - Arquitectura
    Santo Domingo

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  • 5.  RE:Accounting/Project Management Software for Small Firm

    Posted 09-29-2011 10:40 AM
    As to Architectural accounting --- We have used the Ajera by Axium the past 3 plus years and it is very good and set up for A/E firms.  The best as to work flow, help desk and training to get up and going.   It has only gotten better the past three years with up grades, added features, etc. 

    The front end costs and the yearly is good as to value. The payroll module that syncs with Quickbooks has worked with no problems.  We still do our actual paying / taxes in QB but the time entry and management of the hours is all done in Ajera.   The set up projects and invoicing back to clients is also very good.  Ajera does what it promises in my opinion.   

    We are a 15 person firm with two offices and it works!! 

    Thanks 

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    Jack Seefeldt AIA
    Senior Principal
    JSA Architects, Inc.
    Kerrville TX
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