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BQE Software eLetter
May 2004 

In This Issue

1. New Features in BillQuick 2004  
2. Increasing Accuracy With Project Control
3. BillQuick<-->QuickBooks - "Open Error" Message
4. Slide Down the Learning Curve

New Features in BillQuick 2004

Whoa, Nelly!  

New features never stop coming. Just when you thought all the rah-rah was over, there’s still more to talk about.

Like . . . Automatic submittal of time and expenses for approval.

After turning on the Approval options on the Time/Exp tab in System Settings (separate options are available to time entries and expense entries), all you need to do is check Security to ensure responsible managers have permission to approve entries.

BillQuick doesn’t stop there. Responsible managers receive reminders on the Navigator (and on the Reminder screen)

that submitted time and expenses await approval. It even tells you how many entries await approval. Nice kick in the workflow automation.

Another new feature - really, it’s much more - is the improved BillQuick user interface. When working in a new area of the program or one that you don’t use much, BillQuick provides special Help items called How Do I’s. Just click on the text and a special help item displays.

For example, say you want to use the new selection grid in the Filter tab on the Project screen. Click the “How do I select multiple items?” below the grid and . . . Blimey, there be the explanation! On the Billing Review screen, you’ll find “How can I create a Joint Invoice?”, and in the Rate tab of the Employee screen, “How does BillQuick know which rate to use?” These new help items are part of the overall expansion and improvement of the BillQuick Help system.

Not a bad start, especially for new users, but BillQuick’s not done yet. Virtually all screens now support Right-Click Menus. Without moving the mouse, you can bring up a menu that not only offers options like the action buttons at the bottom of the screen, but other items too. For example, you can export a time entry grid to Excel with a click of the mouse. Or you can copy and change entries. Or you can search for a record using the powerful Search function. Or clone a project. Or . . . you get the point.

The Right-Click option you should really try is Print. It’s not like your Momma’s Print button, no siree! Now this action displays a list of In-Context Reports. Rather than maneuver through menus or the More Reports screen, select from a list of reports directly related to the task you’re doing.

On the Time Entry screen? You’ve got 9 time reports to choose from. From the Billing Review screen you can summon detailed and summary in-context Billing Review reports for one or as many billing records as you want. Examining a project? Well, you can print project time and expense lists, projects list, and a project manager billing analysis. Power at your fingertips.

Whew! BillQuick listens and delivers.



Increasing Accuracy with Project Control

The problem?

We hurry. Okay, let’s be honest, sometimes we just don’t pay attention. We already taste the cool brew and see Sequoia players breaking down the court . . . He shoots . . . Nothing But Net!

Uh-oh, clicked the wrong item in the drop-down list. Project B404 just got 4.25 hours that should have been recorded to Project B402 which you’re not even working on.

Then it happens. The mistake is found . . . by the client. Your relationship is dinged (or worse). Write-off. Lower project profit. Unhappiness.

How do you get the right employees to record the right activities and expenses to the right projects?

By restricting the contents of drop-down lists on the time and expense entry screens using BillQuick’s Project Control. With this powerful function, you can assign employees, activities and expenses to a project. Only the employees selected can record time and expenses to the project.

Setup is easy. Choose to assign employees, activities or expenses, then select the items you want to assign from the Available list. If desired, you can filter the list to a range of items or an employee, activity or expense group. When selecting employees, you can also include Vendors (subcontractors) in the Available list.

Once assigned, only the items selected display in drop-down lists in the Time Entry and Expense Log screens. Shorter lists mean less chance of error. No mistakes mean client relationships are not at risk.

Happiness reins supreme!



BillQuick<-->QuickBooks . . .
"Open QuickBooks" Error

When establishing a connection between BillQuick and QuickBooks, some users receive an error message asking them to make sure that QuickBooks is open when both BillQuick and QuickBooks are running.

Bummer. Confusion.

This flummoxed situation arises from BillQuick’s installation. During this process, the QBFC3 (QuickBooks Foundation Classes) and QBXML components were not installed. Most often, this occurs because QuickBooks or one of its components was running when BillQuick was installed.

The solution is easy.

1. Download the QBFC3.zip file (click here) from the BillQuick web site and save it on your computer. 
    

2. Extract the contents of the zip file (2 files) on your Desktop.
   
   

3. Check that BillQuick and QuickBooks are closed.
   
   

4. Install the 2 files on the computer giving you the error. Double-click QBFC3_0Installer.exe, then when it closes, run QBXMLRP2Installer.exe. 

Slide Down the Learning Curve

Everything “new” demands an investment in time in order to assimilate information, build new habits, and so on. Time is money, which in this case may be out-of-sight, out-of-mind behind that dastardly moniker: Lower Productivity. The bottom line is lower productivity reduces the number of potential billable hours, thus lowering revenues and profits. Potentially, it could mean less satisfied clients.

While inevitable with a lot of software, BillQuick is not one of them.

BillQuick’s exceptional online help, intuitive interface, thorough User Guide, and other elements all help to lower the software learning curve. Yet, the fact remains that to build strong skills as quickly as possible in order to minimize dips in productivity that lower billable hours and profits, training is the best investment.

That’s why there’s BillQuick Training.

Among our standard and custom courses, the two very popular are BillQuick 2004 Introduction and BillQuick<-->QuickBooks Integration Basics. In fact, so many users take both that we created a new training course that combines the content of both while eliminating duplication of content. The result is a more focused, highly productive training course for new BillQuick users who also have QuickBooks – BillQuick 2004 + BillQuick<-->QuickBooks Integration.

Other courses are available, including BillQuick 2004 Intermediate and BillQuick 2004 Advanced 1-on-1. 

Our Certified Trainers can also handle special training needs. For example, if you want to get all staff up to speed at the same time, BillQuick Trainers can do it for you. Or if you want your training customized to unique situation, again, our experts can do it. 

Be sure to check out BillQuick Training Programs on our website, or call us at (888) 245-5669.



Need a new PC?

Order your BillQuick 2004 Ready PC from our authorized Hardware affiliate Great Lakes Electronic Distributing Inc.

Thanks from the 
BQE Software Marketing Team

May Success Follow You . . . Always