Valuable software for billing at a law firm

Bill quick is a perfect solution to create invoices and be able to bill many different attorneys on different projects.

Pros

The ability to customize many of its features is great. You can setup and keep track of time associated with various cases, clients, projects. There are so many reports that you can run to keep track of your spending. Able to export invoices to LEDES format. Able to import time from excel spreadsheet.

Cons

It takes some time to learn the software, the tech support team was great in getting me up and running. If you want additional reports they have a custom report group but their cost is a bit high to modify reports. It looks a bit complicated but actually it is easy to use.

Core has been an integral in helping us to understand and grow our business

Overall experience has been great as we use Core for our integrated accounting, time/expenses, and invoices, and it has been integral in helping us to understand and grow our business in the first year.

Pros

A little over one year back as we started up our new business I was researching for the best accounting, time and expense tracking and billing software. I selected BQE Core because it had an intuitive interface, easy reporting and it was on cloud. For any startup business the cost is always a big factor, the fact that BQE Core was a fraction of other similar software packages was an added bonus! We use BQE for our integrated accounting, time/expenses, and invoices, and it has been integral in helping us to understand and grow our business in the first year. At every moment, I have the info available to understand my cash flow, liabilities and A/R all in one interface, which never would have been possible if I used other accounting software.

Cons

In a separate excel doc I track our projected income and expenses for each two-week period so I can plan cash expenditure. If BQE had a feature to track overhead and projections in relation to billable work, that would really integrate all functionality in one software. Other than that, I don't have any suggestions for improvement.

Core has been a gamechanger

We use the Time, Billing and Project Management modules; with this, I've been able to reduce time spent on billing (and have much better analysis tools) even as our company has grown.

Pros

Logical organization of procedures, ability to customize reports, outstanding live help service. Having staff manage time entries (rather than having to manually input from timesheets) has been a gamechanger. The reports are also hugely useful and help project managers keep track of budgets in real time. We're still learning and finding new ones that are useful to us.

Cons

Sometimes loading of project lists is a little slow/temperamental, but nothing major.

BillQuick - A look at one year post conversion

Pros

BillQuick is a powerful tool in tracking project time and expenses for professional services. We converted from 7 years of Quick Books data. Although the conversion and integration was not a seemless process, and the learning curve was much longer than originally anticipated, we are now tracking project profitability at a much higher level than we ever have before. BillQuick Tech Support is fantastic. They are patient and knowledgeable, and we have received a lot of added value by having the Gold Care Tech Support package added onto our services. Additionally, we have invested quite a bit of extra money on having Bill Quick Customization Department write customized reports. Although the standard reports section is extensive, we were unable to find reports that gave us exactly the data we wanted to see. It's nice that this additional service is offered, but it would be nice for them to give us a handful of customized reports as part of the conversion process and then charge extra from there on out.

Cons

The software is not as user-friendly as it could be. Some things are overly complicated and require detailed use before you understand the functionality of the software. It could not be more different that QuickBooks, and the transition for us was difficult. Personally, I highly underestimated the learning curve. In the beginning, we were only using BQ for time and expense logging and we maintained our Quick Books file for all other general accounting, which I would strongly discourage. Although the SYNC feature does work to sync data between programs, it is not a clean sync and much of it needed cleanup on either side of the sync. This was very frustrating. We just recently converted all of our general accounting in QB over to the Accounting portal in BillQuick. This has helped to have all of our financial records in one software system and our data is much more consistent. However, the "Accounting" portal is not perfect and there are a number of features that are lacking where QB has it all dialed in. Examples: 1) in looking at a vendor bill, there is no indication or PAID FLAT to see it has been PAID or not. To see if it is paid, I have to look at the previous checks. 2) In a report that lists all AP checks written for a particular time frame, there is no TOTAL at the end of the report. 3) BQ allows duplicate check numbers. (This is not a complete list, but the top 3 things that drive me insane.) These seem like basic accounting features and for them to not be included in an accounting software is frustrating. DISCLAIMER: we have not yet upgraded to BQ2015 and remain on BQ2014 for a while longer. My understanding is that BQ2015 has updated a number of accounting features, so I look forward to seeing if any of those issues are remedied.

it’s truly changed how we operate as a business

We have only been using the software since September 1st. Previously we were using Excel for project management, timesheets, and AR invoicing. In addition, we were using Word and Excel to generate manual invoices (then converting to PDF). Not only has the billing process been improved, but we have been able to implement Internal Financial Controls. We purchased the HR and Accounting modules a couple of months ago and are in the process of implementing our own HR templates. We are looking forward to automating the HR process. It’s truly changed how we operate as a business and made us ten times more efficient in so many different ways.

Pros

The call-in support is always available. The billing module & templates. It is easy to generate invoices. The batch update feature. Uploading documents in various modules. View of information projects are restricted to authorized personnel. Ability to sort and filter various screens. How CORE will remember where you left off if you leave a screen or log-out (same filters, etc.).

Cons

Core can use these improvements: 3. What improvements would you like to see in Core • An Accounts Payable Widget that shows open invoices that are due within a customized time frame. • A tracking method for professional continuing education requirements. • Enabling dependency between phases (not just within phase). • Download GANNT chart into Excel that looks like the chart (not just a list). • Being able to modify draft invoices without having to delete and start over. • Vendors – tracking COI’s w/60-day advance reminders. • AP checks to include invoice number (not the bill number). • In the project structure, a separate tool to move a phase up or down (rather than the grab and drop). • The AR invoices to automatically sort to open status only (not all invoices). • The ability to hide or delete built-in accounts in the Chart of Accounts. • Custom HR forms that can be sent to employees and electronically signed. • In billing, projects that are in complete or cancelled status, it will not show up in the drop-down menu when creating batch invoice.

We are particularly impressed with CORE’s user-friendly, “all in one” design

Our small but rapidly-growing architectural firm was looking for a project management and billing solution. We were particularly impressed with CORE’s user-friendly, “all in one” design.

Pros

It provides us with a single source to record employee time, manage project tasks, budget, invoice and track project performance. We took advantage of the various training packages and technical assistance BQE offers to help us get up-to-speed with CORE in a matter of months. BQE also worked with us to develop a custom invoice that provides our clients with current and past billing information in a clean and easy-to-read format. With the mobile app, our partners access CORE data anytime, anywhere, and can record travel expenses directly from their smartphones. BQE has demonstrated to us that they listen and responds to suggestions on how to make CORE an even better program for its users by providing regular updates and enhancements that incorporate our suggestions. We are very pleased with CORE and BQE.”

Cons

Everything is working for us and if it does not then that is what support is for. Like any other new software implementation there is a learning curve. We took advantage of the various training packages.

BQE provides strong support for customizations

Overall experience has been nothing short of great. The strong support BQE offers for customization has resulted in effective time billing management but also leaves us with satisfied clients seeing their contracts clearly on a custom invoice based on their requirements.

Pros

Our company transitioned many years ago to BQE from a different software which was not as detail oriented as we needed for project budgets as well as client satisfaction on invoicing. Offering services to many different types of agencies - from federal to local government agencies to the private sector, each client requires a different level of detail on invoicing. In the past, we have found it very difficult to track time and transition those hours into a contract based invoice.

Cons

Would like to see more streamlined and simplified process of client credits. Right now the only way is to have it has a retainer.

Robust Software Program

Tech support is the best I've ever experienced. Very knowledgeable and helpful. Just wish I didn't have to call them so much.

Pros

There were a lot of interfaces to this software. It did everything we needed, but not everybody was on board with the difficult of use.

Cons

It was probably way more than a company of our size needed. We are switching to Squava after just a year and a half. We felt like a beta tester of this software. Our project managers thought it was hard to use, and didn't feel our data was always accurately depicted.

Nice Thought But.....

1. Overall experience has been unsatisfactory to satisfactory. 2. Training of user is lacking and at times, when support was called, I felt I knew more than the support desk person. 3. The training they think is great is the Youtube videos and the on-line help. Again, you have know exactly how to search what you are looking for. I don't find this the best kind of training. Saves money yes, but I am sure Core does more than I know it does. 4. This is an accounting software and I had an issue with cloud feeds, the staff at Core had no idea what the difference was between debits/credits. 5. When questions were e-mail to support at their support e-mail, most of the time, it appears they did not read the e-mail entirely to understand the question or issue. I can't tell you how much I have wasted.

Pros

Is trying to provide a lot of capabilities

Cons

1. Since Core is new, updates are made weekly. Good to have updates, but a majority of the time it "messes" something else up. 2. The "HELP" search provided is also good in theory but you have to know exactly how to state it in the search to actually find your answer. 3. Core changes System Invoice templates without truly notifying the users -- this means you could have used the same system invoice template for months and then all the sudden it looks different.

This has been released before it should have been. But has potential

As close to nothing as you can get. Do not use it!

Pros

Intuitive design, easy to set up and easy to enter timesheets. In some cases there are some good instant data available

Cons

This is still in the Beta. When we originally got it there were Gannt charts. These have since been removed with no explanation. Various functions are still unavailable such as the ability to divide report into departments and offices. Most of the functions don't work. The live cost tracking does not work. There is inconstant use of terminology. Functions such a contract cost tracking on the structure does not work. The formulas for Spent are incorrect in some functions but correct in others. Customer service is the worst. When you call up generally you get told there is nothing they can do for a few months. Even had a customer service rep yell down the phone at me telling that Spent, represents hours invoiced, and Invoiced represents what was invoiced. When I pointed out it made no sense I was yelled at. However later I pointed out that the Project Status widget has SPent calculated at WIP+Invoiced which makes sense, I was told he has no more time and will look into it. Consistently I am promised calls back and don't get them. THis product has potential but I would advise right now not to use it.

I am happy to say that I took a leap of faith in upgrading my office to BQE

Prior to using BQE software I used Wind-2 and SEMA4 which are costly programs. I was not a newbie to using project management software when implementing BQE. My greatest frustration in using those legacy programs was that they did not have any flexibility in them that allowed me to update or “correct” erroneous entries into the system database without having the data reprogrammed in some way by the vendor. Support for BQE can assist making changes on the fly if need be and hopefully will continue to support the services industry in the future. I have witnessed the mission of BQE to continue to improve the software and support for its users. I am happy to say that I took a leap of faith in upgrading my office to BQE and have not been disappointed.

Pros

SIMPLICITY – it is an easy transition from paper time sheets in a format that employees can easily understand. Employee time entries can add memos that are invaluable to explain charges to clients or counsel employees on their activities. FLEXIBILITY – Some projects require slightly different reporting/invoicing formats to fit the client’s needs. BQE support assists with accomplishing just that at a reasonable cost. SUPPORT – Over these years, issues in understanding inputs or reporting have been addressed in real-time, on-line, to help maintain operation schedules for billing and reporting. REPORTS – Both summary and detailed reports are available that can include memos to help clarify time and expenses. One can look at a project from different facets based on a manager’s needs.

Cons

Some of the labor reporting modules need to be reviewed that use an integer formatted numbers that round off and be updated to use an accounting formatted number with 2 decimal places. My accounting department uses two report for payroll that use incorrect time (rounding up) instead of an exact job time/cost figure. I have to review and have them update to the corrected time values each time.

This new year marks one whole year we've been using Core

Core has an amazing catalog of built-in reports. One thing we find ourselves often wishing for was a kind of “Quick List” report that would output a list of something, one item per line, single-spaced and nothing else but a clear statement of the search and filtering criteria at the top. Examples include a list of invoices overdue x days, list of current projects, list of deposits, payments, checks, every transaction ever related to a certain project, etc. These lists are handy when reviewing Core data, or bringing a quick list into a meeting, where the entries can be highlighted, color coded, and/or checked off as you go.

Pros

I have to say it has succeeded with flying colors after being bombarded with all kinds of unusual circumstances with hundreds of our architecture projects! Well done! I'm constantly amazed how well thought-out the original approach was in Core's basic design allowing it to handle all of our client's weird situations, and we're just one of the zillions of other companies using Core who do things so differently than we do. I say this with a little authority, as well, because I wrote my first program at age 15 in 1968 and I have seen (and suffered) *everything* in all the eras of computing since. Core is badass. Every system has issues, but it's important we all stop and appreciate the unimaginable amount of work that went into making Core really effective. No one paid me to say this and I'm not getting any brownie points. I'm saying this because I know intimately what the developers have gone through to make today's Core possible. Whew!

Cons

While Core has one of the best time sheet entry forms around. It would be great to have a more graphical time entry interface such as the kind iOS and Android users are familiar with when using, say, a calendar app, in which they can use a mouse or finger to draw time blocks graphically, then double-click/tap them to set the info for that block.

Existing User

We've had our ups and downs. After a couple of days on the phone with customer support, things have been clarified and settled. I understand some of my problems now and how to fix them. It is really the first time I have felt comfortable with my choice in software. As I learn new things, play with it more and talk with customer support things that I thought might be deal burners, are really not. We all need to accept change, and for me as a former development programmer, I am used to it. I was not that into our existing software that we are replacing as I only had to deal with it for a year as I am kind of the new employee. Yes, I looked at several different software options. Yes, some had more features than others, some less. It is going to be pretty difficult to find a replacement software that is exactly like the one you are replacing. My original review stated there were a lot of bugs. I'm not so sure about that statement any longer. For me, it works better through Crome than Edge. I did have quite a few issues when running in Edge. This may be a problem that has since been fixed, but I'm okay in chrome.

Pros

I have had more time with the software since my last review. As I slowly convert the firms old data to this new software, things are falling into place quickly. I'm becoming attuned to the software. Learning little things I didn't know where there, both by playing around and talking with customer support. This software is easy to learn. Not a real big learning curve, assuming you are familiar with project management, accounting, project setup or you have people familiar with those areas. I do it all, and basically maintain everything for everyone else.

Cons

I don't have many, but if I had to pick... they are not really cons, as I hope they will expand to these later on. API with Office 365/Outlook would be a nice added bonus. For me, especially Outlook. Also API with Quickbooks desktop version. This isn't a big issue, as I hope to also phase out QB and only use that software for payroll. Which I will then have an API if I go with QB Online/payroll. I will always use QB for payroll, so I am use to doing journal entries into systems to reflect the payroll numbers. This is not a hardship for me.

Great Time keeping and Billing software for Architects and Engineers

We discovered BillQuick on line after struggling with a user friendly way to record, retrieve, report and correct errors in time entries for our Clients. Filling in time sheets accurately is a critical part of our business and billing process. Unintentional errors on time sheets, with time entries logged under incorrect work phases or project scopes are inevitable and our previous billing software only allowed time entries to be moved one at a time, which was done when the WIP was being reviewed. The result was a painful and time consuming process at the end of each moth for our accountant which resulted in delays in getting our invoicing out in a timely manner. With BillQuick, time sheet errors can be moved quickly and easily across data sets in batches. Changing time keeping software can be a stressful decision, often met with resistance from staff. However after carefully researching BillQuick and completing the training session, and seeing the ease and intuitive nature of the time keeping options, I was confident that I would be able to coach staff through the process with ease. The ease of time entries means that fewer staff are delinquent on keeping time sheets up to date. This has numerous benefits, the primary one being being able to bill on time. There are other time allowance features such as limiting time assigned to a team member for a project, and notifying team members in real time when the Fee for a work stage has been exceeds (time entry presents in red). I was a bit skeptical about the claims of vastly reducing invoicing time, but from experience can confirm this is true. This software has enabled us to consistently get billing out within the first 10 days of the month, with invoicing taking a fraction of the time it used to. This enables us to close out each month efficiently, properly monitor quarterly and annual targets, and focus on fixing problems quickly. Ease of monitoring Fee Expenditure also means it is easier to stay out of trouble and address problems as soon as they arise. There are many linked features such as monitoring staff and project profitability which provide solid back up data when assessing bonuses etc.

Pros

It is very easy to learn to use for both staff entering time and new accounts staff. The ease of time entries means that fewer staff are delinquent on keeping timesheets up to date. Projects can be broken down into phases - this is KEY for tracking fees within an Architectural Full scope of services. You create your own Activity Codes which you can align with your preferred Contract It REALLY does speed up invoicing tremendously It offers a WIDE range of invoice templates and reports to analyse project Fee expenditure and report to Clients It allows for various levels of security access so that Senior Staff are not beholden to the Accounts Department when they need to report to a Client or check the Fee against the Contract All staff can monitor Fee in real time (assuming time sheets are up to date) Senior Staff can easily monitor and give feedback to staff on performance and productivity, based on various time periods, for example on Billable vs non billable hours, contracted hours performance etc The technical support is excellent Integrated with Quick Books very well

Cons

I can't think of anything really....If I had to be critical I would say: - there are so many reports that you are unlikely to use them all and can get lost in the Report Centre. However there are tabs for your favourites and memorised reports. - Expenses are very very to enter but not as easy to unwind/change as Time entries

We Are All Surprised I Am Writing This Review!

I purchased my first licenses of Billquick reluctantly, as an overpriced timesheet management system for my very small business and quickly began fighting to make it meet my partners needs for invoicing our clients. It was not pretty and there were times when we had serious discussions about whether this was the right fit for me. but the BQ team didn't give up and I am glad I did not. One advantage of a rough start was the opportunity to get to know and really appreciate the exceptional quality, skill, and patience of the support team assembled for BQ clients. Over the years, we have struggled and grown and improved our skills and processes together, and that is one of the exceptional things about this software and this company. They really do listen to their users and try to incorporate our priorities and needs into the upgrade process. The program is feature rich, and most companies won't need to use every feature that is available, but there are convenient and graceful ways to make each person's interface efficient, streamlined and comfortable. When the same program is usable for an intern on his first day and our power user when she is invoicing you know it is easy to use. I used to wish Quickbooks would get a better time management and invoicing capability so I could stop buying Billquick, but now I am trying to get rid of Quickbooks! The network versions work well, I can access the program over a VPN, and I have gone months without calls to the Support Team lately. Having grown from 5 to 30 employees since becoming a customer, I have to say, Billquick has been part of our path to success.

Pros

Great ability to customize individual user views, strong client and project tracking functions. Efficient invoicing capabilities with interface with Quickbooks. Consistent updates and improvements to the program. Very strong customer support and help desk.

Cons

I do wish there was a different pricing model that allowed different segmentation of the features, I would like to see stronger payroll/benefits/hr functionality and accounting completed so we can ditch Quickbooks, and my project managers would like additional flexibility in building gantt charts.

My BQE Experience

Pros

I like that BQE is user friendly and makes it possible for the entire company to enter their own time and expenses anywhere, anytime. I like that when there are updates to the system, users are informed. I really like that everything entered through the mobile app sinks right away into BQE. The technical support customer services is great. Even when someone is not sure of the answer, they research and get back to you. The support group is dedicated, knowledgeable and professional. Lenny is the best.

Cons

I do not like that all reports are Word documents. With data, it is impossible to sort and filter when looking for information. It would also be easy if questions/answers could be given directly in BQE prior to invoicing instead of having to print each pre-bill and send to managers for approval and then enter their answer back in BQE. The system allows write up/down of billable hours but you cannot run an accurate report of the amounts that were written up/down (I think in BQE it includes non billable hours). I keep track of mine on an Excel spreadsheet and it would be nice if I did not need to have an additional spreadsheet. It would make more sense if each field that is populated in all categories could be use for reporting purposes. For example, if running a list of client, it would be good if we could choose what fields we want to see on the report for each client (like contact person, email address, industry...). Sometimes, I have to run three reports to get the information that I compile in one Excel spreadsheet. Maybe I do not have this information, but the only way to access report customization is via email. It would be nice to have a support line for easy questions regarding a new report.

BQE Core Review

Since the minute we began to research and consider switching our project management software to BQE Core, we have felt that the team at BQE has been nothing but helpful through the process. The sales team were there to answer questions, suggest videos/webinars to get familiar with Core and to let us know about sales promotions we may be interested in. When we finally made the choice to move to Core, they were excellent at getting us set up with the software and following up on any questions we had. Since implementing Core, we have found that we have much better control over how our projects are managed, we are seeing much better performance data and are very happy with the product.

Pros

We like that there is a lot of control over how we set up our projects and the integration options available through Core. We recently made the switch to this software and find that we are able to track project time, expenses and profitability much easier than with our previous software.

Cons

Because there are so many options and settings it can take a bit of time to get used to finding what you are looking for. Things are taking us a bit longer to manage in this software - however, with more time using it and the training/support options available, we recognize this will only be a temporary issue to using Core.

CORE has given our principals and project managers more access to real time data

As we continue to get more proficient navigating CORE, it has given our principals and project managers more access to real time data reducing the potential for errors in reporting and data transfer in multiple areas to better service our valued clients.

Pros

Project management and accounting real time data metrics anytime and almost anywhere through cloud based hosted subscriptions allowing quick response time to our valued clients. CORE has eliminated need for complicated spreadsheets and various other methods of housing project data. Coming from QuickBooks desktop accounting which we have used for almost 19 years, CORE accounting subscription has given us access to company financial data anywhere. We are utilizing Core for time tracking, expense reports, billing, project management and accounting.

Cons

The display as feature needs to be expanded and made specific to invoices and time cards. Core has ePayments for credit card and we are waiting for ACH feature which is going to be there somewhere in August.

Great tool for the Architect's office

Overall, this is a good office management tool for the architect. We have used it for the past 10 years and find it invaluable in all we do in managing projects and running the business.

Pros

The product is great for the management of a project from time and expense reports to document management. It also manages the office contacts and calendar of events for all the employees. It will give you in real time if you are making or losing money on a project. It tracks and creates invoicing for all project clients. If you use QuickBooks, it is integrated directly with that software for complete accounting management. It is a great tool for Architects in that it is formatted for what we do (tasks and phasing of projects). If you have internet connection, you can get access to this program while on the road,

Cons

When opening up project file, it takes 2 or 3 clicks to open up a file, such as Word, PDF and AutoCAD. Very, Very frustrating. Many of my employees do not use is function and simply use Window file manager to open and move files. We should not have to do this. It uses Java in the background for some of its operations, and I am not a fan of Java... it is always updating. Updating of the software is somewhat difficult for the person not a computer nerd.

As architects, we get set in our own way of doing things and never want to change. In ArchiOffice 2013 we found a product that pretty much adapts to how we do things. Sure we changed our methods a little, but for the most part it does what we want it to. We began looking for an office management software in 2007. We realized that the old method of using a spreadsheet was making us miss lots of opportunity for reimbursements that we could have been charging clients until too late. Just recapturing these lost revenues has paid for ArchiOffice. After 6 years, the program is so comprehensive, there are modules for everything you need in an architects office. The main points are easy; project lists, contact lists, time records, billings, and a shared calendar. But dig deeper and you get time tracking per job, project phases or tasks; time records, that at entry, keep everyone informed as to project progress; intelligent records, filling in more than you really want to know about project time expenditure; RFI logging, shop drawing logging; billings, showing cash flow and work in progress; phone call records and a shared calendar; not to mention dozens of reports, and more. For example - when a project Architect is out, and an electrical shop drawing comes in, the office manager can look up the engineer in project info/contacts, and forward the submittal on the same day. Then, they can place a task on the architects to-do list, 7 days out, noting that it should be returned; and then also they can set another task for 10 days out, reminding them again that it should have been returned. We use it for document management; scanning and storing the shop drawing when it is returned. Remote access from anywhere with an Internet connection makes it easy to reach information in the field. The superintendant, without his copy of a spec or shop drawing, can remotely access it thru Archioffice. 6 years of use, and we love it. All that glowing review, and yes, it does have a few flaws. The biggest is that Syncing with Outlook is nearly a waste of time. It can be done, but it requires that you run old Java, then run parallel Outlook files. We just don't even bother. When we do have a problem, the tech support is awesome. In 2010, after a major upgrade, I think I wore out tech support for 3 months. But currently, I think I have emailed two questions in the last 3 months. Always fast and complete responses. AO2013 is mature enough of a product that problems are few and far between. I will admit, as Architect/IT guy/Managing Partner, I use every aspect of this program - not just a few areas like most of my employees. I still look at competing programs, and haven't found one that adapts to my ways as well, or is as comprehensive.

I highly recommend bqe - Core!

I value honesty, and I value those that take ownership. I recommend bqe-CORE. I just designed a ‘custom report’ for our company utilizing the CORE ‘Custom Report’ section. They were great to work with. We are now using ‘my’ Company report starting January 2020. This ‘custom report’ pulls in all our client ‘project data’ real time. It shows what’s important to us…. our project team. We have many concurrent project-phases (hourly or not to exceed contract phases) under the parent project, that start one year and end the next. This custom report is a great tool for us… color coded – RED, showing when over budget (time or ‘not to exceed’ contract fee).

Pros

We transferred 12 years of ‘Project History’ to bqe – CORE effective January 1, 2019. I am the Business Manager and I report directly to the owner of the Company. I keep current the clients we work with…..and all project-phase information for the company , billing – invoicing, using the CORE operating system. As a former Marine Corps officer…. then commercial banker (15 years) I believe that ‘People make the difference’….. not machines. The people at bqe – CORE, particularly the HELP DESK, are all professionals – they know what they are talking about and they care. I highly recommend bqe – CORE!

Cons

I wish there were more built-in invoice/report customization options

Great product! Practical, customizable, and good value for the money.

This product saves me time and keeps all my cases organized so I never miss important deadlines or follow-up tasks. Well worth the money.

Pros

1) It has a nice look and it's easy to use because it is organized in an intuitive manner. 2) It is also incredibly customizable. There are so many ways to filter reports and adjust who sees which reports and when, it kind of blows my mind. I have done so many things to customize this software to my firm's needs and I still feel like I've just scratched the surface. This also means it will continue to be useful as my firm grows, which is incredibly valuable. 3) It's a cloud-based software, which means I never have to worry about installing the latest updates. It's also an extra bonus layer of data security because the data is not housed on my local in-office server. 4) Tracking time is easy, and once hours have been billed to the client they are marked in the system (this may seem like a pretty basic feature, but it was surprisingly difficult to find in a case management software). 5) It talks to QuickBooks online, and it's easy to transfer data. It saves a lot of time to transfer invoice and other data from the project management software directly into my accounting system. 6) The customer service and follow-up support is great. I was walked through the initial implementation, which got me up and running almost immediately - very little work time invested in the implementation. After using the software for a few weeks, I scheduled a one-on-one training session with a BQE trainer to get all my firm-specific questions answered which was great.

Cons

My only (minor) complaint is that it does not yet also function as a CRM. I hope they add this feature because I'm looking forward to incorporating that data and function into the same system as my case management.

The logic/use process seems to flow very well

The logic/use process seems to flow very well. The QuickBooks integration is very stable and makes sense once you understand it. The user interface looks nice, is operationally smooth and is very responsive both in design and speed.

Pros

Overall, very good. There was a learning curve, as with all software, but it makes sense once you figure it out. There are lots of connectors/features so knowing what you need is a big part of this. Support has been very good. They methodically think through processes and help with issues, configuration settings, or bugs (which I recently filed and it will already be fixed by the weekend). The software appears to do what I need it do (Project/Time/Expense Management) and may also be our replacement for QuickBooks once we get the processes figured out. The cost seems to be fair and it’s Tiered Usage based on user needs was great and something competitors didn’t offer very well. We look forward to continue to use the product

Cons

Its big and complicated. I would spend time investing in documentation on what things really do for the back-end. For example: The QuickBooks integration is great, but finding out what actually happens is confusing. I had to set up small tests to figure out that “activities” really mean “services” in QuickBooks and you can have select what records have to sync… documentation (very technical) is very good for people like me!

ArchiOffice has definitely been useful for our firm

Pros

ArchiOffice has definitely been useful for our firm over the past six years! We don't use all of the features that are available but the time tracking, budgeting and invoicing have been incredibly helpful for us. I used to spend a lot of time with spreadsheet updating to get accurate information on where we were in each client's budget and with ArchiOffice this is done for me and it is information I use daily. I especially like how we can see the hours to date as they are entered and how many hours we have exceeded our estimate. This information becomes valuable when we create new proposals. We have a much better handle on exactly what it is taking for us to complete each project so we can forecast with more accuracy. Also helpful has been the Performance report which gives us a real look at how each project performs financially. I would not go back to doing this all in spreadsheets! ArchiOffice has made my job much easier over the years. Another thing I appreciate is the project list which saves me from tracking that in another program.

Cons

The only thing that would help us out would be to run ArchiOffice on a Mac platform.

We are an environmental consulting firm operating in Canada. We were using Caseware Time before purchasing BillQuick about 3 years ago. Our previous system was inadequate because it didn't have a strong reporting capability. Caseware also did not roll over projects from previous years - a problem for us because we sometimes have long running projects. We are currently using BillQuick 2011, and we automatically receive current updates with our priority support package. The implementation was not a smooth transition to say the least. Caseware and BillQuick were not at all compatible, and we feel we are still trying to rid ourselves of some of the demons. As a result, we are still trying to work out the kinks after all this time. For the most part, we have had very good help from the folks at BillQuick, especially Irfan and Mario. We are still on a learning curve, and hope to have the kinks resolved before the year's end. BillQuick's pros definitely outweigh the cons, and I think that we eventually will have the system running to our satisfaction. We have not yet done a lot of employee/manager training, since we feel we need to get the system running more smoothly before we unleash them on it! For the most part, the ease of invoicing for straightforward invoices is great. We previously compiled and sent out invoices manually. That being said, we do seem to run into most of our problems with BillQuick in the invoicing and reporting area. We do a fair amount of pre-billing in our business, and BillQuick does not really allow us to properly utilize the reporting required for this type of invoicing, in terms of WIP and over/under contract amounts. For example, when we pre-bill, we would like to see a negative amount reflected in the WIP and then, as time is added, have that WIP eventually even out and possibly go into the positive. We have tried in the past to work with negative WIP, and it has not gone well with the reporting functionality, especially in terms of WIP reconciliation. The other issue we seem to have arises when we use the "Mark as Billed" feature. What good is this feature if you cannot associate a bill with an invoice number? As a result of this shortcoming, our "mark as billed" invoices do not get picked up in the reporting process. When we do a manual invoice versus an hourly invoice, does the software track the non-billable time that may be in the project as well as the billable? All in all, we feel BillQuick is a good program and has the potential to be great. We realize that we need more personalized training, and that some of our difficulties are due to our unique business needs. Thanks for all the help and support.

Great Customer Service and Support

I just want to witness to the fact that everything that Engineering Office says about their wonderful support is true. A lot of companies over embellish and when you have a problem it is like pulling teeth to get some help. Not at Engineering office. They respond to phone calls and emails very quickly. The employees that they have in training and support should be the jewels in their crown. I have had the pleasure of working through frustrating problems with customer support, only to find it is some small thing and getting it fixed or training me to fix it goes quickly. Customer support representatives are FABULOUS and they have great patience and compassion for their customers. They realize that customers can't fix everything and that sometimes it is just beyond us. I learned this software quickly and came to a company that had not set it up correctly and nothing Sync'd together right. Customer support representatives held my hand and walked me through knowing that I was under a deadline. That is what is wonderful about this support team. They are human and they realize that you are human too and that things happen and they are there to guide the way, educate, and even fix the big problems. Anyone who chooses this software should realize that the Maintenance and Support fee that you pay is well worth it. Keep up the good work. It is very appreciated by your Customers.

Pros

It is very easy to use and you can learn it quite quickly with help of online webinars, the help pages, and just fishing around in the menus. Very clear and concise.

Cons

I wish that the SYNC process was done with a macro and I didn't have to do anything more than schedule it to go.

Invoices have been easier to process compared to previous software

Overall experience is great. As mentioned we experiencing error free time tracking, billing and the presentation of invoices is far better.

Pros

We use the time, billing and accounting functions frequently and it has made my job a lot easier and smoother compared to tracking down expenses and time for the team members. Processing reports are simple as well. Less error of tracking time/expenses as compared to our previous software. Invoices are more accurate. Invoices look professional and clean.

Cons

Cannot think of anything at this time. We are really enjoying the software

Like the flexibility

I have used BQE product for many years. The product is stable and pretty straight forward to use and today after a long time I needed customer support. The response as always was excellent and the problem I was experiencing was resolved.

Pros

I like the flexibility and design of the software once I gone through the learning curve. The reports are straight forward and give me all the insightful data without customizing.

Cons

I find the billing process steps a bit awkward but I am used to them now. It is annoying to have to look for the most recent invoice under Invoice Review once the invoice is processed as final.

Our experience with BQE Core has been incredibly great!

Overall our experience with the product and people supporting it has been incredibly great. All along our journey of selection process and then on-boarding and finally day to day support we need has been a wonderful experience. The easy setup of projects using templates and option to assign bill rates by projects using fee schedules has finally reduced the steps and workload.

Pros

We were struggling with using many software applications to run our business. With Core we everything is in one software from tracking time, expense reporting, billing and project tracking. Our project managers have real-time project progress on a wide variety of reports and the best part is they can customize dashboards to fit their needs. Rest of the management team has easy access to the information using the scheduled reports without even logging into Core. We really love the automation.

Cons

Early on we had a difficult time understanding the vendor bill workflow.

I feel liberated with Core

As alluded earlier my experience with Core exceeds expectation. Most hiccups are sorted instantly with the knowledgeable support team. And with constant feedback, customization and updates, Core has met our firms needs and has delivered on every aspect of CRM and Project Management.

Pros

In my capacity as an Accounts Manager, I feel liberated to access critical client data in real time. Ability to update the Core database remotely from multiple devices has increased efficiency and productivity for the Finance & Accounting Dept. Seamless integration across one interface has been a game changer for project management. Collaboration, time and expense entries and accessing overall health of projects is readily available. Key performance indicators and customizable dashboards offers the foodies who eat with their eyes an appetizing experience using Core.

Cons

Change is the only constant. Offering end user of Core inclusivity and engaging in product improvement will enhance significant updates. Select a Core group of users, incentivize and march to the finish line fielding their hands on user experience , constraints and limitations. Polishing and adding new features are the key to user satisfaction.

Core has been a huge time saving for us..

It is such a user-friendly software program and the customer service is definitely great.

Pros

Core has been a huge time savings for us. The ease of creating invoices, making and customizing reports, and entering time has improved our ability to get more done overall. We have been very pleased with all aspects of customer service, the integration team, custom reports team, trainers, and call center for the one off type questions and issues. We would recommend Core to anyone on the fence about the service. It is such a user-friendly software program

Cons

There was a bit of a learning curve in the beginning and training coordination was somewhat challenging but nothing extraordinary.

So far we have had positive experiences in Core

Core has greatly solved our resource allocation, project management and Time & Expense tracking.

Pros

We are getting more and more use out of Core. So far we are just diving in, but it has helped our time tracking and expenses and keep our documents in one place. Allocation and forecasting, project management and time and expense setup are all helpful. We are using our custom report for allocations and it is working well for us.

Cons

Any changes, we pass through ideas and so hopefully they are updated as new features - we would like to know the status of our requests just so we can discuss in our meetings.

It is easy to invoice projects and for time entry

We no longer have to rely on our IT to maintain the software and our servers or worry about the backups. Love the dashboards and overall beautiful looking interface of Core.

Pros

We have been with BQE for 17 years and 3 years back we made a decision to switch to all cloud BQE Core and we love it. This was the best decision! All our employees were onboard without any difficulty as it is very easy to navigate in Core and everything is consistent, with the result there is no learning curve between the screens. We are also experiencing that it is easy to do invoicing and track time in Core. We are taking advantage of some of the advanced features of Core like 'Report Scheduler' that has helped us automate the reporting process. Our clients electronically receive statements and accounts receivable reports resulting in less human involvement in maintaining the cash flow.

Cons

Very early on we were not pleased with updates stepping on our settings but since then it has been rectified.

Slowly getting there

Pros

What we like the most about Core is the way everything is integrated in one application instead of using standalone apps that do not talk to each other. The ease of pulling up the needed date is definitely helpful. I have liked how some of my suggestions to Core ideas have been implemented. If more of these could be fixed and added to the software, the use of the software would be more efficient and effective.

Cons

Although, BQE is working on a payroll module and i have to use a a separate payroll software to process payroll. On projects when you assign a group it doesn't let you assign to all phases and this feature addition would be great.

BillQuick Time Bill, Project Management & Accounting

BillQuick is a sophisticated time and expense billing software. It can be customized to individual needs. I use it for my accounting practice, but don't need many of the features available with the product. It will integrate with QuickBooks, however, I prefer to use it simply to track time and expense; then use QuickBooks directly for my invoicing. The BillQuick software will produce very detailed invoices if you choose to use the program to prepare client invoices. You can customize the appearance of the invoice to give the client as much or little information you want.

Pros

Compared to other time and billing software, BillQuick is a bargain. The program allows you to set up multiple engagements for each client so you can track time and expense separately for each engagement if you so choose. Once you have everything set up, the program works very smoothly. Customer support has been very good. I like the layout of the screens and the icons that take you the various program applications. They make it very easy to move from one application to another regardless of the particular application you are in.

Cons

I am not a technical person and there is a bit of a learning curve with the product. Because it is designed to be very customizable to a wide variety of industries, there are many features you may not need. This is not a bad thing.

Using Core has helped us analyze our data better

Pros

This software has lot of features and the best part is you can pick and choose the features that best fit your business. Although, Core is feature rich it is amazing how intuitive this software is. Support is great but most of the times we are able to figure out or answer our own questions if we get stuck that how simple and user friendly Core is. After switching to Core our management team is able to analyze the real time data to figure out the areas of improvement.

Cons

No real changes to suggest as of yet. There is already a lot to absorb. Anytime we need help or improvement in the software we send the feedback to BQE

This is the best software I have ever used over 38 years!

Pros

I could never pick one particular item about this product and vendor that I like the best. The complete software package is so versatile, user friendly, and accurate. The vendor service provided is due is beyond compare with any other company I have worked with. Their expertise, promptness and patience any time I've needed assistance directly relates to their mission of taking very good care of me as a customer, ensuring I meet my daily work target. I've been using BillQuick for 6+ years and needed tech support twice. Problem solved within 5 minutes and right back on track!

Cons

There is nothing I dislike at all. Product and vendor has outperformed what I was previously using for the last 30 years.

We have a pleasant experience with Core as compared to previous software

In general, we have a pleasant experience as compared to our previous software. Core works appropriately and has solved our time and expense and billing problems significantly.

Pros

Core has a easy and intuitive user interface which makes our day to day processes easier. With Core being a cloud software close to 200 employees are using it on a daily basis for time and expense tracking, billing and engagement management. Our business is not a typical accounting firm with 1 or 2 billing person, we have 75 people in our billing department that do invoice simultaneously out of Core. Prior to switching to Core it was a daunting task. All the processes are faster and better with Core. It is is our main business management software and we before it we had a local system installed on our servers.

Cons

More tools for creating reports according to our needs and more options for administrators

Switching to Core has been a big improvement

The overall experience has been good for the management and our staff. Tech support people are very knowledgeable, professional and patient.

Pros

In our previous software we were not able to run reports that are helpful to our business. After switching to BQE Core we are now able to run all kinds of reports and it has been a big improvement just in this area. We are utilizing Core for time and expense tracking and billing. All our staff use it and with everything in one place it makes data mining easier.

Cons

Some bumps in the road in the very beginning but well past that now.

Everything that is charged to a project can be seen in real-time

We have been using BQE since March 2015. Prior to then, we kept all project information in QuickBooks. The staff were not able to see where they were on projects since they did not have access to QuickBooks. Currently everything that is charged to a project can be seen in real-time.

Pros

The ability for each employee to input their time/expenses is one of the features that I like the most. I also appreciate that staff members can check time and expenses for their projects to see where they are on projects with a budget. Invoicing is now streamlined because the information for the project manager's review is on one page. Budget information is on the draft invoice which makes it easy to see when a project is over/under budget, and who has coded time to the project.

Cons

I wish there was a better way of archiving old vendor bills.

BQE Core

Overall I would say this has been a positive experience and I really enjoy using this software. I felt that BQE Core values us as a customer. As with any big change like implementing a new software for project management, client management, accounting, etc. - and Core can do it all - you need to have patience and realize that it isn't going to be smooth sailing every day, but just hang in there because it is worth it.

Pros

BQE Core has many features, some of which we are still learning about and how they can benefit our team. The customer service is outstanding, as are the webinars in a variety of topics.

Cons

I went through a change of software with a previous company so I had experience with this, but I was surprised when we were implementing BQE Core that we were not assigned a point of contact for any problems we were having who could guide us through the upheaval. The customer service is great, but nothing beats having one person who knows you and the struggles you may be having.

The automation with the cloud feed is great for accounting

I just love it. Your support, training, sales people are all really helpful.

Pros

All of it - we came from a paper, Excel, Filemaker Pro, Timeslips, Quickbooks mess. The automation with the cloud feed is great for accounting. The ePayment option is something I just set up for our company and am looking forward to having clients take advantage of, the project management module helps us track our time and expenses in the project in ways that we could not before. For the first time in our 45 year company history we have a company budget for this year. While I am still learning and looking at how our company can best utilize CORE in all areas, we are definitely benefitting from using it. It has made tracking unpaid invoices much easier, thus making it easier to follow up with clients who we need to receive payment from. We now have a payables system to use, instead of a paper file. I could go on..

Cons

For a small business, where many approval steps aren't really as necessary, some of these steps become a bit cumbersome. That being said, it does force me to look at the data people are entering and perhaps correct it before things get out of hand too far down the line.

Core comes with powerful features

Here are some of the features that we like the most in Core and these features have made us a better firm: We definitely like; Reports, especially project analysis and performances. The ability to activate / deactivate phases on a project. We have been invoicing out of Core and recently I am appreciating ePayments and stripe integration and project management dashboard.

Pros

After testing many other products in the market when we were deciding to make a switch, I can confidently say Core by far was right at the top of the list. The features and power are so vast that I believe BQE should offer certification courses for Core. We still are in early stages of exploiting all the amazing features of Core, but there is no question as a firm we have become more disciplined in managing client expectation on budget and project performance as a whole. Customer service is great and your ongoing feature videos are the best learning tools.

Cons

We would like to see improvements in Gantt chart area.

Entering time is now much easier

Pros

Moving to Core has definitely helped us eliminate the manual data entry process. Prior to using Core the time entry process was not that easy and we had to enter time manually for all the employees in our old software. Another area that so far, we like in Core is the powerful invoicing. Easy time entry and invoicing feature are the best so far that we enjoy in Core. We also appreciate the excellent customer service support team. They always go above and beyond to help out.

Cons

Needs to be more user friendly. At time we did experience glitches which were rectified in a timely manner.

Consulting Structural Engineering Firm

Pros

We previously developed our own billing software using excell spreadsheets. Switching to BillQuick allowed us to automate our billing. We set up our projects (hourly, fixed and fixed not to exceed and phased projects) and our employees directly input their time into the software. Billing is reviewed on screen by the department supervisor and then by the project managers. Invoices are then created and either emailed or mailed to clients based on their preference. The software has allowed us to track project progress and accounts receivable. Statements are very easy to create using the standard reports. We rarely receive complaints or even questions from clients concerning our invoices.

Cons

It would be nice to have reports that we can adjust, however, BillQuick has done an excellent job of preparing our customized reports. We paid to have customized reports for hourly, fixed price and phased invoices which covers 99.9% of our invoices.

Our small business has been using Core for about a year now

Pros

Our small business has been using Core for about a year now. At this point it is difficult to imagine how our business timesheets, expenses, and invoices operated without Core. We enjoy the flexibility it allows us to utilize the functionality we need without being forced to use or pay for features that don’t apply to our unique business. We continue to expand the ways Core helps our business through learning new features, creating custom reports, and exporting helpful information. As our business has grow BQE has worked with us to help stay on top of our growing needs

Cons

Improvement in Scroll & update issue – when doing batch edits to approve time, update bill rates, etc. the only items actually edited are those that load. We only have 15 employees, but a month worth of time can take a very long time to scroll through. There should be an override to load all or apply to all rather than having to scroll through hundreds of entries, loading more every 3-4 seconds.

User friendly, excellent customer service

We are loving the crisp user interface and customizable dashboards are definitely plus

Pros

After using BillQuick for more than 10 years we switched over to Core. The transition was extremely smooth. Core is an excellent product which my staff transitioned to with ease. The online tutorials were so good that staff just dove right in to working with Core with almost no support needed. Any questions that I have as I was setting things up were quickly answered but staff who are always quick to respond, extremely knowledgeable and always friendly. I would definitely recommend Core to anyone!

Cons

Cannot say 'least' but definitely would like to see incomplete time card notification feature that we used to enjoy. I was told it is on the road-map.

BQE keeps all project management and keeping track of accounting records all in one place.

BQE support is genius. After explaining a situation for a project our firm will be performing in the next month, he was able to assist me with not only the setup but had some suggestions with regard to report filtering to reduce time spent on what I think would have been a monumental and time consuming task. Support team is an asset to your organization.

Pros

All aspects of project management and keeping track of accounting records all in one place. When I began working at RBM, invoices were being generated through excel and snail mailed which took almost a week to complete especially when having to retrieve weekly timesheets. With BQE, this process takes less than 1 day to complete.

Cons

I've encountered issues in the past that have affected prior year's data and researching is extremely time consuming. However, I haven't encountered these issues in the past 2 years - yeah!

We enjoy easy time and expense tracking and billing

We looked at many software before picking Core for our office. Overall we are very satisfied with BQE Core. The feature set it offers for the price is definitely a plus. A lot of room for the expansion in using Core.

Pros

It was important for us to get a software for time and expense tracking and invoicing which was simple to use and to the point. With Core we have successfully achieved that which means our staff no longer have to use Excel to keep track of time and expense on the cases. It has saved us time, it keeps the record of our data accurately and we enjoy the insightful reports. Now that our time and expense tracking worries are behind, the billing process to generate invoices is simpler and has resulted in better cash flow.

Cons

There needs to be an improvement in rolling scrolls. Sometime this process slows down.

We like invoicing in Core

Time is good and so is billing

Pros

I like using the invoicing and payments process, quick and easy to follow through with CEO and clients. Reports are also great, just trying to figure out the best reports to use takes time and experience. We also use the Retainer aspect which is helpful for our clients, much better than trying to keep track of in manually in excel or quickbooks. My monthly financial meetings with the CEO and Principal have become extremely efficient when using the AR Aging report with retainage by easily showing what is outstanding including the retainage portion is important for them to understand. The Account Transactions report have been helpful when reconciling with clients or even project managers the balances owing by phase.

Cons

Most times I have to hit enter twice for CORE to respond...not sure if I am keying too fast? Being Canadian I would like to see the verbiage of "Retainage" changed to Holdback. Having Retainer and Retainage on the same report can cause confusion here up North! LOL! We don't use the work retainage; we just call it holdback.