Not my Department - D-Tools Forum

JordanC · 05-11-2006, 08:34 PM

I am the D-Tool's user he at the company. When I create the contracts and payment schedules, I give them to sales. Sales get the docs. signed and returns to me to save/copy/backup whateverm and when I am finished with them, I deliver them to Accounting. I am unaware of what method they are using, but I am constantly being asked to lookup who, how much, and when do clients owe us money according to the payment schedule. What is everyone else using to track payment dates, perhaps with notices of money owed? QB feature that us applied to the job?

**Kevin Mikelonis** · 05-11-2006, 09:37 PM

Billing a percentage as a progress payment is common, but it is not wise to link it to the 'percentage complete' on the job. Payment schedules should follow the pahses of the project, and the amounts should be in sync with the cost incurred for each phase plus the company's gross margin percentage for the overall project.

Due to the fact that many company's are using many different accounting packages and methods, the answer is to make payment verification part of the process. Payment needs to be received for the stated phases of a project before additional materials and resources are moved onto a project's next phase. Who tracks this? The project manager!

If the project manager has notifed accounting that a phase has been completed on a given project, the billing goes out automatically!

If the project manager orders materials and labor for the next phase (all our D-Tools product data is phased in a meaningful way that is consistent with our contract phases nomenclature right?!) and the payment has not been received by accounting, then the brakes come on.

Lack of payment almost always means there is a problem on the job! Someone is not happy. Sales and the project manager should discuss and contact the client to uncover the issue.

My goodness it all so inter-related isn't it!

Check out the documented process flow in the attachment at the end of this thread. Each phase commencement asks the question, 'Payment Received?'

This content is an excerpt from our Process Map which you can read about at the following forum link:

http://www.integrationpros.com/forum...ead.php?t=1647

BlakeV · 05-11-2006, 10:37 PM

Great info Kevin!

05-12-2006, 02:45 AM

Originally Posted by JordanC

I am the D-Tool's user he at the company. When I create the contracts and payment schedules, I give them to sales. Sales get the docs. signed and returns to me to save/copy/backup whateverm and when I am finished with them, I deliver them to Accounting. I am unaware of what method they are using, but I am constantly being asked to lookup who, how much, and when do clients owe us money according to the payment schedule. What is everyone else using to track payment dates, perhaps with notices of money owed? QB feature that us applied to the job?

Interesting.....nothing has changed since I left.....

They have a payment schedule
They should know when to bill
They should know when they get paid

Sounds like you do not have a controller yet.

JordanC · 05-12-2006, 05:12 PM

Yikes, maybe I worded my question wrong. I was just wondering if there was any piece of software that would provide prompting for upcoming bills due. Like a Calendar that Outlook provides.

05-12-2006, 07:52 PM

Originally Posted by JordanC

Yikes, maybe I worded my question wrong. I was just wondering if there was any piece of software that would provide prompting for upcoming bills due. Like a Calendar that Outlook provides.

Ok, OK...

when you submit a payment schedule to the they in them they should record it. If you are still using qb then I suggest that you use contact manager for quickbooks. It integrates to qb and all this sensitive money-type information should not be in outlook for prying eyes. I would install it on the computer of the person that does the billing. This makes them the responsible party. That way the information flows to them and they can carry the ball. It is a very easy process. I suspect that the only thing not allowing this is just bad habits. Good Luck

05-12-2006, 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by JordanC

Yikes, maybe I worded my question wrong. I was just wondering if there was any piece of software that would provide prompting for upcoming bills due. Like a Calendar that Outlook provides.

Tasks in Outlook?

Milestones in Basecamp (www.basecamphq.com)