sapsford
July 27th, 2013, 10:58 PM
hi everyone
cash flow is king and if we didn't invoice out we wouldn't have a business to run.
invoicing is one of the most important things to get right in our businesses.
so with that i mind i am looking at our own processes to try and improve them.
below is our process, what i am looking for here is your ideas & solutions that your happy to share with the CommitCRM community so we all have better and more suscessful businesses.
thanks in advance!
Steve
Current Invoicing process
1) We create a ticket for a customer’s issue
2) Do the job either remotely or onsite
3) Job details go into our Outlook calendars against the ticket number
4) We sync Outlook with Commit
5) A virtual assistant processes the calendars in CommitCRM end of day and adds the charges into Commit
6) I close and print tickets each morning that are completed from day before
7) I add to the pile of completed tickets
8) I work through the pile of printed completed tickets and In CommitCRM push the ticket to QuickBooks to create the invoice
9) Print QuickBooks invoices
10) Look over invoices, make adjustments as required and email to customer
Problems with current process
1) Delays in getting invoices to customers
2) Not getting payment as job completed
3) Causes cash flow issues if invoices not going out quick enough
4) Causes issues with customers who think a job was a no charger, e.g. a quick remote job, when they finally get an invoice
Goals
1) To be able to invoice customers at time of job completed
2) Have invoices ready for customers when they pick up computers
3) Invoice customers on the spot when doing remote jobs
4) Get invoices out quicker
5) Not rely on just me to check invoices before they go out
Equipment/systems we have to help
1) We have a terminal server (with QuickBooks & CommitCRM installed on) that we can remote into to create an invoice
2) We run exchange so calendar syncing from any device is easy
3) We can VPN and RDP into our own workstations easy enough
4) With have our own custom application written that “talks” to QuickBooks, giving us a stack more functionality (price lists, ordering system, stock control, customer payment notifications)
Obstacles
1) Time. Not having time to stop and do an invoice before needing to get to next job
2) Testing. Sometimes you need to let customer use computer for a day or so before knowing if an issue is 100% solved.
3) Myself. Having to check each invoice to give it a “fair test”
4) Multiple systems. Putting everything in Outlook then syncing to Commit, then pushing invoices to QuickBooks. I like how these system all sync, and would be lost without it, but it is an obstacle nonetheless.
5) Outlook. I need staff to be putting everything in Outlook, so I can see where everyone is at all times. So getting it to CommitCRM then QuickBooks is the issue.
6) Small jobs. We do so many small and fast remote jobs. How to bill out? Let them accumulate or invoice each one.
over to you all, if we can share our knowledge i'm sure it will be a help to all of us.....
cash flow is king and if we didn't invoice out we wouldn't have a business to run.
invoicing is one of the most important things to get right in our businesses.
so with that i mind i am looking at our own processes to try and improve them.
below is our process, what i am looking for here is your ideas & solutions that your happy to share with the CommitCRM community so we all have better and more suscessful businesses.
thanks in advance!
Steve
Current Invoicing process
1) We create a ticket for a customer’s issue
2) Do the job either remotely or onsite
3) Job details go into our Outlook calendars against the ticket number
4) We sync Outlook with Commit
5) A virtual assistant processes the calendars in CommitCRM end of day and adds the charges into Commit
6) I close and print tickets each morning that are completed from day before
7) I add to the pile of completed tickets
8) I work through the pile of printed completed tickets and In CommitCRM push the ticket to QuickBooks to create the invoice
9) Print QuickBooks invoices
10) Look over invoices, make adjustments as required and email to customer
Problems with current process
1) Delays in getting invoices to customers
2) Not getting payment as job completed
3) Causes cash flow issues if invoices not going out quick enough
4) Causes issues with customers who think a job was a no charger, e.g. a quick remote job, when they finally get an invoice
Goals
1) To be able to invoice customers at time of job completed
2) Have invoices ready for customers when they pick up computers
3) Invoice customers on the spot when doing remote jobs
4) Get invoices out quicker
5) Not rely on just me to check invoices before they go out
Equipment/systems we have to help
1) We have a terminal server (with QuickBooks & CommitCRM installed on) that we can remote into to create an invoice
2) We run exchange so calendar syncing from any device is easy
3) We can VPN and RDP into our own workstations easy enough
4) With have our own custom application written that “talks” to QuickBooks, giving us a stack more functionality (price lists, ordering system, stock control, customer payment notifications)
Obstacles
1) Time. Not having time to stop and do an invoice before needing to get to next job
2) Testing. Sometimes you need to let customer use computer for a day or so before knowing if an issue is 100% solved.
3) Myself. Having to check each invoice to give it a “fair test”
4) Multiple systems. Putting everything in Outlook then syncing to Commit, then pushing invoices to QuickBooks. I like how these system all sync, and would be lost without it, but it is an obstacle nonetheless.
5) Outlook. I need staff to be putting everything in Outlook, so I can see where everyone is at all times. So getting it to CommitCRM then QuickBooks is the issue.
6) Small jobs. We do so many small and fast remote jobs. How to bill out? Let them accumulate or invoice each one.
over to you all, if we can share our knowledge i'm sure it will be a help to all of us.....