Having problems with message search?
Hi,
Thank you Matt! For starter when using an off-the-shelf solution you end up having no control over the application. A time tool, to be perfectly honest, is fairly simple to write. I would consider buying nevertheless a time tracker only if it offered me an API I would be able to integrate with my existing software. For instance if I were to write my own time tracker I would include third party tools such as Infragistics' Scheduler along with .NET Active Reports as a repoting tool to make it eaiser for me to write code... In my opinion a guy with 3-4 years solid programming skills could pull a desktop solution within 12 weeks of hard coding for a phase 1 solution. It could include the MSDE or better yet the SQL Express 2005 database for offline data manipularion.
In all fairness I do realize though that most small to medium size business don't have ressources to dedicate time in order to write their own time tracker. Honestly I would have said exactly the same thing about writing your own bug tracker but who has time for it nowadays when you have so many other tasks to complete and so many products already writing and ready to use for a few bucks. So of course in the real world you look for a solution off-the-shelf to fit your business needs. The draw back is to pick the right one though. I googled "time tracker offline" and found many great solutions you might also look into:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=time+tracker+offline
Yama
-----Original message-----
From: "Matt" xtrac222@...
Date: Sun, 03 Sep 2006 00:50:27 -0700
To: going_independent@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [going_independent] Re: What do you use to track time and bill clients?
Hi
I agree somewhat with Yama here, if you are already running Windows
Server 2003 (even SBS) then you already have the 'free' tools for the
job in Windows SharePoint Services (WSS). WSS version 2.0 is a
fantastic tool for quickly and easily building bespoke solutions for
this type of problem, coupled with the built in support for MS Office
(Excel, Word, Outlook, InfoPath) and a little bit of imagination I
have seen some pretty nice implementations (take a look at what Yama
is doing for instance).
Hang around for the free upgrade to version 3.0 (should be 1Q2007)
and you're in a whole new world of out of the box capabilities that
will enable you to create something to make most paid for
timekeeping/
a
solution that covers all the bases that Mike pointed out and more
(security, offline/disconnecte
integration) then look no further.
Disadvantages? If you haven't used it before then of course there
will be a learning curve, multiply that by a factor of several if you
go for the forthcoming version 3.0!
Good luck
--- In
wrote:
>
>
> Hi,
>
>
> For time tracking I believe there are many tools available out
> there... An example is a free tool available if you had Sharepoint
> server
>
(http://www.microsof
ault.mspx).
> You can view an example at
> http://sharepoint.
> templates written for Outlook (custom forms), OneNote 2003, etc...
>
>
>
> In order to have an offline solution you must create a separate
> database that will track any changes. Database can be as simple as
> saving a XML form, Access, or even comma-delimited files. When there
> is no connection to DB or you can't ping your server then start
using
> the offline database. Every time you reconnect to the database or
> you can ping your server then check offline database
synchronization.
> It can be assimple as checking offline database for a flag telling
you
> whether the database has been used offline if it is on then synch
> it with your production database and turn it off and if it isn't
> turned on then do nothing and begin using production database.
>
>
>
> As a consultant I always billed hourly; however, I never wrote
> descriptive activities of what I was doing hourly. Instead I
reported
> daily or weekly activies. Further I never accepted or rather refused
> to work less than 40 hours a week and a minimum of 12 weeks. My
> contract agreements reflected if I were to finish the project before
> the 12 weeks period I would get paid the difference.
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
> Yama Kamyar
>
>
>
>
> -----Original message-----
> From: "Joe Mele" joemele@...
> Date: Fri, 01 Sep 2006 07:12:39 -0700
> To: going_independent@
> Subject: Re: [going_independent] What do you use to track time and
> bill clients?
>
>
>
>
>
>
> How much is that? I have time tracking module with QB online.
> As for the disconnected mode, A QB app that saves it then "uploads"
> when possible, would not be more costly than a days programming if
> that.
>
> Joe Mele
>
>
>
>
> On 9/1/06, Mike
Gunderloy <MikeG1@...> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> We went through a fairly long evaluation process and ended up with
> Standard Time - which is far from perfect but closer than anything
> else
> we've found so far. Key issues for us:
>
> - Quickbooks interface
> - Central database
> - Must be able to handle offline mode for tracking time when people
> are
> working disconnected (we do a lot of work with people in client
> offices
> via laptops, can't always get to our servers over the net due to
> idiotic
> security restrictions)
> - Some sort of stopwatch/timer mode (people are not reliable when
they
> have to record time on their own or remember it after the fact)
> - Security at least on a user/project basis
>
> Given the number of commercial products out there, I'd love to
think
> the
> perfect system exists, but if it does, I haven't found it.
>
> Mike Gunderloy
> http://www.larkware
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Borland Technology Partner
> FileMaker Solution Allaince Associate Member
> London Number
> +44 (0)20 8090 4340.
> Toll Free US 1-(866)-387-
> www.fmplugin.
> www.melesystems.
> www.youseful.
> forums.youseful.
>
Offline 
Send Email