BQE Software Inc. — BillQuick 2007

From the Nov. 2007 Review of Time
& Billing Systems

BillQuick 2007 provides small businesses with highly customizable and flexible
time and expense tracking, project management and complex billing capabilities.
Industry-specific versions are available for accountants and CPAs, architects
and engineers, computer and IT consultants, and attorneys. The program also
offers direct integration with QuickBooks, Microsoft Office Accounting, Peachtree
by Sage and MYOB. The program can be used on stand-alone PCs or across networks,
with support for mobile devices included. BillQuick was recently selected by
The Sleeter Group as one of its 2008 Awesome Add-ons for QuickBooks (for the
third year in a row). BillQuick Basic 2007 costs $495 for a two-user license;
additional user licenses cost $100 each. BillQuick Pro 2007 costs $895 for a
five-user license, with additional licenses available for $85. BQE also offers
a web-based version of the program, BillQuick Web Suite, which enables remote
access and use by satellite offices.

Ease of Use/Navigation Features — 5 Stars
BillQuick simplifies invoicing, billing, posting of receipts and time tracking,
with interfaces that can be customized to user roles and preferences. Various
wizards are included, such as the BillQuick Interview, which helps guide users
during the setup of companies, staff, customers, employees and projects, and
rates. The program also offers wizards for virtually every function area, helping
users with specific tasks, including invoicing and reporting. The newly designed
interface is exceptionally intuitive and looks and feels great, providing quick
access to primary feature areas via a vertical menu that houses links to Company,
Management, Time & Expenses, Billing, Clients, and Projects. Each of these
system areas opens into a Navigator screen that provides flowchart design for
accessing specific functions, as well as quick-links to reporting options and
frequently used tasks. It also provides graphical displays of key business indicators
such as cash flow, AR, billable hours and other options.

Selection screens for clients, employees, projects and other items are easily
accessible and include sorting and search options, with data entry and presentation
on intuitive tabbed windows that enable drilldown to detail information, account
data, invoicing and histories. Time and expense data-entry functions are also
very simple to use, with multiple entry methods that allow time to be recorded
in as little as two keystrokes. Entry methods include the ability to transfer
time data from the system’s calendaring function, the use of time clocks,
or the use of timesheets that allow fast entry of multiple tasks across multiple
clients. Multiple timers can be run simultaneously. Timesheets can also be created
from Outlook Calendar entries.

Management Functions — 5 Stars
BillQuick can manage any number of clients, staff and employees, and it supports
trust and retainer-based billing. The program’s various versions provide
managerial features designed for different types of businesses, including accounting-centric
capabilities for tracking engagement phases such as write-up, planning, trial
balance, audit, tax and others. Other features include joint invoicing, budget
versus actual comparisons, and billing for subcontracted services such as legal
or financial planning consultants. BillQuick can bill flat rate or hourly, with
the ability to create fee schedules that vary by task and allow for different
rates per client and specific project or engagement. In addition to having multiple
rates for each employee, the program can apply overtime billing rates for staff.
BillQuick’s project management functions also enable projects to be grouped
or merged, while its time tracking options support management of employee vacation,
sick and holiday time.

Review processes allow for submitted time and expense sheets to be routed
to appropriate managers for approval, mark-downs or other functions, depending
upon the access level of each user in the process. Clients can be set up with
minimum billable hours and spending caps that alert managers and prevent posting
of work when allowable amounts are met. Managerial reporting features allow
analysis of employee, task and client profitability and productivity. BillQuick
now utilizes a .NET data engine that has increased speed dramatically. Other
new features include a greater control over project hours, quick access to client
and project histories, and the Project Journal, which allows management to track
progress by keeping a chronological list of steps taken during an engagement
or project.

Billing & Reporting — 5 Stars
BillQuick’s invoicing and reporting tools are easy to use, with wizards
available to help users if desired and more than 95 invoice templates and 350
report templates, including managerial output such as WIPs, staff performance,
work-in-hand, budget comparisons, gross margins, aging, retainer summaries and
even taxes by client state. Great customization capabilities enable personalization
of client deliverables, while invoices and reports can be exported to Excel,
Word, PDF, HTML, XML and most other common formats. Invoices can be sent to
clients electronically, if desired, and the new option for acceptance of all
major credit cards can be accessed via a link on an invoice, hopefully prompting
clients to pay quickly.

Integration — 5 Stars
BillQuick offers tight integration with QuickBooks, Microsoft Office Accounting,
Peachtree by Sage and MYOB. It also offers payroll functions through Intuit’s
Complete Payroll. The program can export to Excel, Word, PDF, HTML, XML, interfaces
with Outlook for mail and calendar-to-timesheet data entry, and can import data
from pretty much any system that can produce common file types. Support for
most smartphones and a web-based option offer mobile access to the system.

User Support & Help — 5 Stars
BillQuick provides countless wizards, templates and other assistance tools in
addition to right-click menu options, content-sensitive help and customizable
menus. BQE’s online support center offers program documentation, integration
guides, newsletters, a knowledgebase, tutorials, demos, software updates, and
access to consulting, training courses and customization services.

2007 Overall Rating: 5 Stars