15 replies to this topic

[gary cannon]

I searched and could not find much.  Is Softplan ever going to update their elapsed time tracker? I have a couple part time employees who work from home and would love for Softplan to be able to track how much time each key has worked on a particular project. Sometimes three of us work on the same project at different times so the current elapsed timer doesn't do much for me.  I'd like to know since they are working at home that they are getting the hours they say they are and not going to pick up the kids from school and counting that time or whatever with softplan opened up on their computer at home. I'm sure the softplan developers are smart enough to do something but don't ever seem to care about improving the tracker. Does anyone use any other software programs for this type of thing?

thanks, Greg

[Gary Wicklund]

Looks like you have trust issues, if that’s the case switch to a different compensation model.

 

Pay by sq ft, flat rate or get them back in the office?.

 

 

 

my 2cents LOL

[Don Gibbons]

I made a spreadsheet for each project in Google Sheets to use for time tracking. I have it in a folder on Google drive shared out with all my employees and they update it each time they work on a project. They put their time in under their name, add a date and put a few notes in about what they did.

[gary cannon]

One of them has been with me a long time and I do trust him to get his work done. The other one I'm pretty sure isn't as productive at home.

thanks for the info on google sheets, i might give that a try.

thanks

[Don Gibbons]

One of them has been with me a long time and I do trust him to get his work done. The other one I'm pretty sure isn't as productive at home.

thanks for the info on google sheets, i might give that a try.

thanks

Gary, I can send it to you if you want.

[gary cannon]

Gary, I can send it to you if you want.

 

I would love to check that out. Thanks!

Gary@HighDesertPlans.com

[JOHN PATTERSON]

I use the time tracker all the time for me and the projects that I work on. I wish the time tracker would be more dynamic and editable.

[Tom McConnell]

Just did a test.

I started a new project.

When I left the room it had 1 minute and 22 second on timer.

I was gone for almost two hours with the drawing open.

When I got back, it had 10 minutes and 20 second on timer.

 

Drawing Created:

11:35:36 AM

Current Time

1:42:20 PM

 

Inactivity may have something to do with it; however who really knows how it works (it's a secret).

I can not trust it for billing purposes.

[Christian Stoltzfus]

I use the time tracker all the time for me and the projects that I work on. I wish the time tracker would be more dynamic and editable.

Same here. I find it to be accurate as long as the project is open and I am actively working.

 

I agree with you, Tom. I am not sure if anyone can tell when it stops tracking time due to inactivity. The other question I would have is, does the time keep adding up when I have another project open and I am browsing it for relevant notes and details or reading an email on another time sensitive project? 

[Tom McConnell]

SP Tech Support - System Options

 

File > System Options > System Options > Setup Options > "Track Activity for Elapsed Time" will pause the time when the system does not sense any mouse movement.

 

This may cure my issues.

[Bill Wimberley]

If you use Quickbooks for your accounting there is a good timer application available for keeping track of your time and invoicing.
https://www.youtube....h?v=jtA0FWfKHuU

[David Zawadzki]

Here's a software that might work for you.

 

Legal Billing by chaos software.

 

chaossoftware.com

 

BTW, I stopped billing by the hour a long time ago when I found myself spending a lot of my time justifying the time spent on a project to the client.

[Mark Petri]

 

 

BTW, I stopped billing by the hour a long time ago when I found myself spending a lot of my time justifying the time spent on a project to the client.

 

David,

 

How do you charge? SF or lump sum? Lots of people do it differently. I just had someone question my design budgets because they were trying to do a SF comparison. The concept is a log outdoor deck roof cover over a garage with a steel, panning and double pour concrete floor system. I explained that is a bit more than a typical house would require so it may take more design time. I also showed how all the SF would actually calculate out to the numbers he was comparing to. But, that gets into the nitty gritty. I said I felt budgets were appropriate and that's where it was left. I am not looking for extra work, so no big deal if they don't come around. But always curious what people do in other markets.

[David Zawadzki]

David,

 

How do you charge? SF or lump sum? Lots of people do it differently. I just had someone question my design budgets because they were trying to do a SF comparison. The concept is a log outdoor deck roof cover over a garage with a steel, panning and double pour concrete floor system. I explained that is a bit more than a typical house would require so it may take more design time. I also showed how all the SF would actually calculate out to the numbers he was comparing to. But, that gets into the nitty gritty. I said I felt budgets were appropriate and that's where it was left. I am not looking for extra work, so no big deal if they don't come around. But always curious what people do in other markets.

 

The big problem with telling someone you work by the hour and next thing you know they get the impression that you work for them, so you get into the challenge of having to explain every little thing you do because they have watched HGTV for a week and are now a homebuilding expert and they want to tell you how to design houses.

 

Another things is lot of small business owners think they can do what they see others doing, not realizing most others are not calculating all of their costs when giving bids to prospects.

 

Here is a great tool everyone in business should have in their business toolbox.  This applies to designing houses just as much as building houses.

 

http://www.chsonthew...dMarginCalc.a5w

 

Be sure and watch her video tutorial...

 

https://youtu.be/TJz...UzMjrsdtvOxBBvr

 

I hope this helps some of you.  Enjoy!  And let me know if it helps you.

[Mark Petri]

Thanks David. I will check it out more in the coming days.

[Fred Dickson]

Feels strange posting this, but these are my rates:  

Commercial, multifamily, etc are usually done by the hour.  

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