Office Management

[JohnASB]

Anybody try this one out yet?

http://www.archioffice.com/

[PeterJ]

It looks like a runtime based on Filemaker Pro. There is no API so if you are one of the people bemoaning the lack of such a thing in Revit you'll be disappointed with this too.

My experience is that these things wont do everything the office wants them to so you end up with cludgy work-arounds or costly bespoke work as has been the case for some friends of mine. I also suggest you check that it works with any PIM that your staff use as this can be a major limitation with some systems in terms of duplication of contact information and lack of email integration.

P

[StephenVB]

Personally, after just looking at this, it looks like it lacks a few things that I would require. I didn't see any area for creating estimates (that could be used to generate an invoice) or anything that would help me with general accounting issues. I guess if you have other software for these functions this might be a nice complement. I use QuickBooks Pro which has all these features in one program.

[bclarch]

Anybody try this one out yet?

http://www.archioffice.com/
I guess that I must have my cynic's hat on today but this sounds a lot like the "Has anyone tried RevitCity?" post where they were just trying to generate some traffic to their site.

[J-G]

If anyone is seriously looking for programs (although it does seem like an advertisement from archioffice), I would recoment BigTime. It syncs with Quickbooks, and collects all the time project info. I don't see a need for contacts, calenders, and schedules becasue those tasks are taken care of by Outlook.

[gregcashen]

My thoughts exactly. Anytime a first-time poster starts off with "Have you seen..." I get suspicious. Not to say they don't have a good product.

Speaking of RevitCity, 436 users and only 56 posts in 19 threads. Big scam.

Thanks to Zoog for creating a comfortable, enjoyable place to hang out online, learn, and contribute to the Revit community...all without a single popup, banner ad or spam email!

[bclarch]

My thoughts exactly. Anytime a first-time poster starts off with "Have you seen..." I get suspicious. Not to say they don't have a good product.

Speaking of RevitCity, 436 users and only 56 posts in 19 threads. Big scam.

Thanks to Zoog for creating a comfortable, enjoyable place to hang out online, learn, and contribute to the Revit community...all without a single popup, banner ad or spam email!

Couldn't agree more.

[shaugh1784]

This topic hopefully will get some mileage, if not in this thread then in another. This is my first post on zoog's forum.. I came by because I know that Revit users are among the most progressive firms... I'm using ADT, and I'm neither promoting it nor bemoaning it. It's what my boss has placed in front of me, so I make do.

I've been trying to find a "poor man's" buzzsaw pro/constructware/Prolog solution. I want desperately to be able to warehouse all my transmittals, emails, faxes, both incoming & outgoing - in a searchable database. This as well as drawings, specs, etc. And it must be accessible via the web.

Constructware is the model, IMHO - but too damn costly (just like the others listed above). Their white papers make for some good reading though. http://www.constructware.com

Archioffice is one app that I've stumbled into. I'm not sure if it's any good or not. I know that since it's built on filemaker pro, it's easily customized to suit - and doesn't require a rocket scientist level programmer by any stretch of the imagination.

I'm running late right now, and I gotta cut this short - but I hope this topic stays on the radar screen. Some other solutions I've been looking into are:
PDM Architect @ http://www.solutionmakers.com/p_architect.html
Integratis @ http://www.integratisinc.com/
in addition to archioffice...

All seem similar.... all promising. I wouldn't dismiss 'em. Hope we can get some testimonials!

[PeterJ]

You should be a little aware of Filemaker Pro. I am reasonably familiar with it and, yes, it offers great functionality with simple related datatables and scripted control. Much easier to tame than say Access, but not as extendable. However, you can't always plug into your database and extract stuff from it. If the manufacturers have shipped it as a compiled database you wont be able to make custom queries and possibly if they have locked parts of the database.

[Martin P]

[quote:d1b33f5a83="JohnASB"]Anybody try this one out yet?

http://www.archioffice.com/
I guess that I must have my cynic's hat on today but this sounds a lot like the "Has anyone tried RevitCity?" post where they were just trying to generate some traffic to their site.[/quote:d1b33f5a83]

Just went back there for another look around, funnily enough the guy has only added Zoog and RUGI in his links page, which would seems to be the sites that have better families to download and discussions? strange thing to do I thought, kinda feel a bit sorry for the guy he must be a Revit fan to set up the site, but has just missed the boat a bit with the website.

[JohnASB]

Glad to generate some discussion on this. I'm not in any way affiliated with ArchiOffice. Just a Revit user (just finished my first DD set) Had been looking at ArchiOffice and wanted to see what others might think. Seems hard to beat for the money.

What I know: It doesn't sync with other PIMs except for some PDA sync of contacts and calendar; Exports to Quickbooks; limited budgeting by phase (needs to add budgeting by "checklist" line items); wouldn't expect databse to be open for customising -this seems to be oriented to the small office; not web enabled or hostable (attended an online demo and they expressed that that wasn't in the near future);

Other suggestions for the 'poor man's' office:

Quickbooks
-BigTime looks like a great addition (thanks Jon) for scheduling, billing, timesheets
and/or
-ArchiOffice for document managment, billing , limited scheduling/budgeting, timesheets

Sharepoint Team Services on a hosted server for project web sites, i.e. making documents and project information available by access rights. (To be included in MS Office 2003) I set up a site for a 20 person architecture firm I used to work for and it worked great for this.

MS Messenger for application sharing/design collaboration, etc. (if you can get through the firewalls) -Anybody doing this?

-Martin P: Don't know what web site your refering to; I haven't one.

-sphaugh: Thanks for the input. Please keep us posted on your decision process and progress. The programs you mention look interesting but seem to be much more expensive options.

[bclarch]

-Martin P: Don't know what web site your refering to; I haven't one.

I think Martin was refering to the Revitcity website.

[Yman]

Sorry this is long, but it is something I have been dealing with for a while

I developed, within Access, a way to have a multitude of different Architectectural and Construction requirements all rolled up in one application. I sent it to Zman I think about a year ago for them to explore what they may do in their office. The office I used to work for was a design/ build Arch. firm and did 80% of our projects thhis way. So, I developed it to work in many ways.

Now that I went out on my own and only want to do Architecture and don't need to do grunt work for a boss anymore I sicked my Dad, a programmer, on my database (which works, but is clunky, I'm an architect not a progammer) and he is making it into an actual program.

Not that I'm trying to sell anything here, but interested in what kind of demand there would be for it:

This is what I had in the database that is being programmed:

1. Contacts (Customers, clients) w/ fax, transmitttals, labels, etc. associated to it.
2. Time cards w/ project budgets and anaylsis studies.
3. Estimating - square foot and/or by individual selections.
4. Project logs for site visits, meetings, etc.
5. Punchlist data that will be incorporated with a palm or w/ pocket pc that you go to site, input info and then come back to office, sync and then print it out. Done.
6. Build part of firm if a design/ build firm, a Contruction management data part, that relate back to your estimate information, transfer it to a construction budget (like a bid form), enter invoices, track invoices from subs, track project cost, etc. Print forms similar to AIA forms for continuation sheets we get from contractors, etc.

And I'm sure this could be done to incorporate a web based format also.

All of this is set up to think like Architects. By Division (CSI standards) to easily find and relate things back to your projects.

These are some of the things we are doing with the program and was thinking about the market of how interested people would be for something like this.

Please let me know. Feedback please. This has been something I have been thinking about for a couple of years.

Y

[shaugh1784]

is your Juno email acct dead? I replied off forum about 3 weeks back, interested if you got the email.

[ariasdelcid]

ZMAN: That will be great. Let me know more about it.

[Yman]

If you mean Yman, I'm working on it. I'll try to get something (beta) out by the same time as Revit 6.0 (whenever that is??) Hopefully in a couple of months. This programming stuff takes a while.

Y

[christopher.zoog51272]

If you mean Yman, I'm working on it. I'll try to get something (beta) out by the same time as Revit 6.0 (whenever that is??) Hopefully in a couple of months. This programming stuff takes a while.

Y

Niceeee!! Can't wait to see it :D

[PeterJ]

Ditto

[ariasdelcid]

Excellent!!!! ( YMAN...)

[JohnASB]

Yman,

Likewise -looking forward to checking this out.

[Yman]

We're still working on it. This stuff takes A LOT longer than you think. Now I know why it takes a while for releases of revit to come out and they are doing a lot more than we are programming speaking.

All I know is it will take longer than I ever thought and don't know when it will be complete enough for beta's.

That's why I haven't posted here much lately. Too busy trying to do other things.

Thanks for the interest.

Y

[John K.]

Just a quick post to see if this thread and associated aspirations are still 'active.' We are a small design-build firm and are looking for a best of breed "Gantt Chart" scheduling [spelling?] program. There is one in our Construction/Accounting package but it's 'not quite there' -- Ie. User-hostile.

Anyone looking for or found something along these lines?

jk

[Dimitri Harvalias]

Really inexpensive product that goes a long way to solving most Gannt scheduling needs is Turbo Project. Cheap and easy to learn and can export/import MS Project format.
http://www.imsisoft.com/all_products.asp

[John K.]

Really inexpensive product that goes a long way to solving most Gannt scheduling needs is Turbo Project. Cheap and easy to learn and can export/import MS Project format.
http://www.imsisoft.com/all_products.asp

HCSL, if that is, in fact, your name... ;-)

That one looks very promising. Can you tell me, in your estimation, which of the following I need? It will primarily used by:

1. Our field/project manager(s).
2. Our chief from line 1 above is very pc literate -- in a word processing, spreadsheet, and email kind of way.
3. Our chief from line 1 above is reasonably web saavy but doesn't like lots of on-line documentation to pour over.
4. I mentioned in a prev. post that we're happy with our construction accounting software -- this will ONLY be for producing nice Gantt charts and schedule relationships.

Knowing the above, should I spring for the full Monty [ca. $350 USD]? or the next step down [$99 USD]?

Thanks and best,

jk

PS. Pardon the info. overload as I'm sending you this in a PM as well.

PPS. links to the different packages & associated options:
http://www.imsisoft.com/prodinfo.asp?t=1&mcid=110
http://www.imsisoft.com/prodinfo.asp?t=1&mcid=111

[Dimitri Harvalias]

John,
You probably don't need to go for the full meal deal. If this is strictly for internal use and don't need to exchange information with a client in Project, the standard package will do the trick nicely.
You can print to PDF (or probably DWF, for that matter) as well as HTML for distribution.
I use it for very quick timelines for clients (sometimes they actually believe that it takes that much time and effort to do the things we do) and it can easily handle lead time for deliveries etc. As for documentation, the version I use has a small bound manual but it's not 'current'. The on-line tuttorials are pretty good and, if memory serves, are video based so it's not too painful.
For basic stuff it shouldn't take long to get up to speed.
Hope that helps

Dimitri

[John K.]

John,
--snip--
Hope that helps

Dimitri

A huge help: that's exactly what I needed to hear. Many thanks!

jk

<<edited ca. 1740 gmt>>

Dang! TurboProject™ won't run on WinXP!!! :evil: According to one of their sales guys, they may very will let it whither [wither?] and not do a new release... Oh, well.

[Yman]

OK everybody, finally getting very near to being complete. Our target date for the software release will be the end of July. First version.

I am currently doing beta testing and it is going very well. I will try to post a pdf file of some of the things that will be in the software this week. Very busy week though.

Sorry if I didn't stay in touch here about the program very much.

I hope we still have many curious people out there with the prospect of using the program.

We are still evaluating what price we are going to set for the program. It will be able to serve small and large firms. So maybe a site license?

What does everyone think?

Y

[PeterJ]

Need to see it to comment on pricing, Chris.

[Yman]

I'm trying. Will get to the highlights of the program.

Y

[christopher.zoog51272]

Awesome news Chris! Your timing is perfect, we ready to overhaul how we orginize and manage our office stuff. We just got a new office manager and she is keen to find "a better way"

What kind of a database does it use? SQL?

I can't wait to hear more!!!:smile:

-Z

[Yman]

It is a self-contained program. The program itself doesn't need any other 3rd party platform software. It will be able to run by itself.

It was based off of our original access database, but I wanted the program to run free of access or any other database programs.

We also developed a timer software that will be included, for free, that relates back to projects, time card reports, project tracking, and invoicing. Or you can export to Quickbooks also.

It's pretty nice and a lot better than when I had it in MS access.

I will get something posted here about it very soon.

Thanks for the interest.

Y

[christopher.zoog51272]

It is a self-contained program. The program itself doesn't need any other 3rd party platform software. It will be able to run by itself.

It was based off of our original access database, but I wanted the program to run free of access or any other database programs.

We also developed a timer software that will be included, for free, that relates back to projects, time card reports, project tracking, and invoicing. Or you can export to Quickbooks also.

It's pretty nice and a lot better than when I had it in MS access.

I will get something posted here about it very soon.

Thanks for the interest.

Y
sounds awesome, cain't wait to see more. Any info on pricing Chris?

-Z

[Yman]

We are still deciding on that part of it. We have an idea, but I want to show you highlights of the project first and then let you know how much. You know that marketing/ cost thing is a fine balance to figure out.

Still working on the promo highlights of the software and am trying to finalize a couple of sensitive things. Lawyers, you know.

Y.

[Yman]

IT'S FINALLY HERE!!

See this post for the download.

http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?p=33125#post33125

It should be the one with the "ARCOMANS brochure.pdf" download file.

Thanks,

Y