posted
Just wondering how everyone else tracks their jobs, and keeps track of what they are doing for whom? Dry erase board, special sheets, pornographic memory or what. Did I say pornographic? I meant photographic. Sorry.... Anyhow, just wondering. My wife wants to start a new system so I quit asking her what I have to do next. I have CRS (can't remember $#!+) and have one heck of a time keeping it all straight. Thanks!
-------------------- Dave Utter D-utterguy on chat Sign Designs Beardstown, Il. signdesigns@casscomm.com Posts: 777 | From: beardstown, illinois, usa | Registered: Mar 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Ya know Dave I can't remember where my keys are but I can't forget when my next job is. I have never missed an appointment in all my years of mobile service.
-------------------- HotLines Joey Madden - pinstriping since 1952 'Perfection, its what I look for and what I live for'
We use a dry erase board with different slots for client, job, and date.
Works real well with us.
-------------------- Bruce Bowers
DrCAS Custom Lettering and Design Saint Cloud, Minnesota
"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter Posts: 6464 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
In Pagemaker I have my daily planner. Easy to change, easy to add, easy to keep it in order. As the jobs get completed, I add a DONE at the end of that particular line.
Plenty of room for notes and changes and sometimes effective as a sales tool. A busy calender looks good to a potential customer.
A lot of times when a customer (especially a nervous new business owner) comes in looking for something quick, I just show them the calendar, tell them about a rush fee, and explain how waiting might be less costly. Many times it helps knock the job up a tier. If the customer is willing to pay a rush fee, sometimes they are willing to wait an extra week and put the $ towards a better sign.
Rapid
-------------------- Ray Rheaume Rapidfire Design 543 Brushwood Road North Haverhill, NH 03774 rapidfiredesign@hotmail.com 603-787-6803
I like my paint shaken, not stirred. Posts: 5648 | From: North Haverhill, New Hampshire | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
haha ray..i've always called that the a$$hole fee..it's one thing if someone's sign or vehicle got damaged...then that's different...but when someone has know for a month they were opening a business and the sign is the last thing they do...well...that's where that fee fits.
i organize myself with the trusty palm pilot...i take notes on location and it stores all my contacts...it's great!
-------------------- Karyn Bush Simply Not Ordinary, LLC Bartlett, NH 603-383-9955 www.snosigns.com info@snosigns.com Posts: 3516 | From: Bartlett, NH USA | Registered: Jan 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
I use Microsoft Outlook. I lay out a week's work as if I'm setting up appointments in the calendar section. It has another section for tasks, where I track cost of mat'ls, labor, and other notes. It also has reminders (that pop up ALL DAY LONG!!!) but you can zip thru them and see what's next and kinda evaluate what's the most important. There's a section for phone numbers and addresses. Plus it was free!! It came with every computer I've ever bought with any kind of Windows.
posted
I print up invoices and drop them into a plastic organizer dealio. When the invoices are paid, I handwrite "PAID" with a date on them and move 'em to the front of the organizer, in the order they were paid.
I can look at the first invoice waiting there and I know that's the next job to be done. I pull the invoice and keep it with the job while I'm working on it, then when I pack the job up for shipping (most of my stuff is shipped out) I can use the invoice as the packing slip/shipping label as it has the address information printed on it.
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
Dave & Kay, I'm sending you a package with photos and forms and a disk with some of our forms on it. Hope all is well with you guys! Miss hearing from you and I'm so glad we got to work with you on the LetterRip! KEEP IN TOUCH! Jane
-------------------- Bill Diaz Diaz Sign Art Pontiac IL www.diazsignart.com Posts: 2111 | From: Pontiac, IL | Registered: Dec 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
We have a triplicate work order that doubles as an invoice (so there is no transcribing for billing) write it once and it tracks itself.
After the w.o. is written ...the three self carboning pages are seperated.
The "hard" (back copy) goes on the floor as a work order to work from.
The pink (center copy)goes on a hook in the "manager box" and remains there till 100 are accumulated in numeric order, then morgue filed (we have every invoice since 1986 in numeric order).
The "white" Top original goes on a hook marked (work in progress)and remains there til the "hard" copy comes off the floor.
When the work is complete the "hard" copy is matched up with the "white" copy and put on the next hook marked "finished not billed". When these two show up together it is a signal to send or present the invoice to the client (white copy) and the "hard" copy moves to the next hook marked(billed) and remains there til the check is in hand ...then it is removed and processed with the customers check number and date recorded it's then morgue filed for future reference (it has all diminsions ,colors,materials,quantities and general detail information for future repeat work).
This really is not as complicated as it sounds here and is completly "self tending" (as long as you remember to write the work order in the first place)
If you're interested drop me an e-mail and I'll send you a copy of my w.o. / invoice system. and a drawing of how it routes and tracks.
"Werks fer me it'll werk fer you"
[ July 22, 2003, 12:36 AM: Message edited by: Monte Jumper ]
-------------------- "Werks fer me...it'll werk fer you"
posted
Everyting gets written up on a work invoice. Every job gets a file folder. Quotes in progress don't. when you walk into my design room there are two columns of plastic file holders on the wall. Row one is "NEEDS QUOTE". The holder directly next to it is "WAITING FOR QUOTE APPROVAL". Next row: "NEEDS ARTWORK". HOlder next to it: WAITING FOR ARTWORK APPROVAL". Next row: "NEEDS MATERIALS ORDERED" next to it is "WAITING FOR MATERIALS". Then I have one for "NEEDS PRINTING". Then as you walk from the computer room to the production room I have three more holders on the wall. Top one is for those jobs that I have to go look at. The second one down is "IN PRODUCTION" and below that is "WAITING FOR SUBCONTRACTOR". If there is a hot job, then it gets written on the eraseable board in the production room, if not, everything gets taken in order of when it comes in. Its important to write the intake date on the tab on the folder. If not, I find tha twe get in the habit of taking the easy ones first which usually are the cheap, low paying jobs. My designer keeps his own list which I sometimes turn to just to keep my own senses. I can handle all the facts on up to 25-30 jobs in my head. Anything more than that and I start feeling overwhelmed. Just this week I was feeling that way and I turned to my esigner's list and counted the jobs. A jobs is anything from quoting and something being produced and out the door. I counted over 45 jobs on his lists. Whew!!! No wonder I was feeling what I was.
-------------------- Laura Butler Vision Graphics & Sign 4479 Welch Rd Attica, Mi 48412 Posts: 2855 | From: Attica, Mi, USA | Registered: Nov 2000
| IP: Logged |
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
Thanks!
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic