Best Software ‘ Timeslips

MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS – 4.5 Stars
Timeslips’ AR module provides
fairly comprehensive handling of
payments and other transactions,
including write-offs, credits, refunds
and funds transfers. The program
gives authorized users (management)
the ability to define aging periods
for AR balances and allows interest
rates to vary per client. It also
offers customization of additional
AR rules such as allocation of payments
and discount rules. The program
can also perform funds accounting
for retainer-based clients.

Timeslips includes a variety of
analysis tools, including the ability
to analyze by slip or period, and
several reports based on expense
and time billing. Up to 20 billing
rates are supported per client,
staff member or task, with the program
tracking overhead costs to allow
monitoring of productivity. Management
review of time entry sheets is eased
by the Slip List, which shows a
sortable and filterable list of
work performed on one screen with
summaries and totals. The screen
can be filtered by staff, clients
and date range. The system’s
integration with Outlook enables
users to send e-mails from within
Timeslips and to quickly create
timesheets from e-mails, tasks,
meetings and appointments. An optional
module allows the use of PDAs through
synching, as well as web-based access
that allows remote entry of time
and expenses by staff.

BILLING & REPORTING FEATURES – 5 Stars
Timeslips includes a very good selection
of customizable invoice and management
reports that can be printed from
any screen and can focus on time
and expense entries, timekeepers,
tasks and transactions. It includes
more than 120 reports, including
a new backdated report that lists
the AR balance of any client at
any period in time. Reports are
easily accessible from the Basic
Navigator screen or from the icon
toolbar, and the system also includes
graphical reporting with pie, line
and bar chart formats. Best Software
has added a redesigned bill tool
in Timeslips 2005 that lets users
access the invoice design tools
from the bill preview screen, which
lets the user see the in-progress
client bill and provides drag-and-drop
customization of its components.
The reporting functions also make
use of a spellchecker for proofing
reports, invoices and client letters.

INTEGRATION – 5 Stars
For 2005, Timeslips has added full,
two-way integration with Outlook,
which lets users create time entries
from Outlook tasks, meetings, appointments
and e-mail messages. It also allows
users to create those items from
within Timeslips, which then automatically
fills the pertinent information
from Timeslips into Outlook’s
fields. At the same time, this two-way
functionality keeps contact information
between the two programs in synch.
Additionally, Timeslips links with
more than 20 accounting packages,
enabling it to transfer needed data.
The program can save reports in
*.RTF format for editing in Microsoft
Word.

SUPPORT/HELP – 4.5 Stars
The system includes an outstanding
set of assistance features, including
a library of ‘how-to’
videos and tutorials. Right-click
menus provide additional shortcuts
and assistance, and an online user’s
guide and several other web-based
support pages are available through
the help menu. Program updates can
be downloaded through the system.
Best only includes 30 days of technical
support with software purchases;
additional support is available
via Billing Assurance Plans.

RELATIVE VALUE – 4 Stars
Timeslips 2005 continues to be one
of the strongest programs on the
market and continues to lead as
the most-used time and billing program.
This is because, in addition to
providing profession-specific templates,
terminology and tasking, the program
is easy-to-use and provides excellent
reporting features, while maintaining
a moderate price, although support
plans add to this cost.

2004 OVERALL RATING: 4.5 Stars

The programs reviewed here all provide
basic time management functions,
allow for tracking of expenses,
and offer invoicing and a variety
of managerial reporting. They differ
in their approaches to these functions
and some offer additional tools
such as contact management, scheduling
applications and communications
tools. After consulting with professional
accountants and vendors, we scored
the software in this review in each
of the following areas:

Ease of Use ‘ The most challenging part of implementing a time and billing

regimen is ensuring that staff members use the system
properly, whether by operating in-progress
timers or entering time after-the-fact.
If the system isn’t easy to
use, with intuitive navigation,
staff won’t be as reliable
in their use of the program, and
time or expenses may get lost.

Management Features ‘ This section identifies how the program handles time

and flat-rate billing, the number of clients and timekeepers supported, multi-currency

capabilities, calendaring tools, contact management functions and whether the program allows

remote entry of time, client, and expense data by PDA or web-based interface.

Billing & Reporting Features ‘ The billing capabilities of these programs

obviously affect their overall value to a
firm. This section looks at AR functions,
as well as aging, rates and code
structures, split/partial/interim
billing, markups on expenses and
invoice options. As well, the reporting
functions of the programs are examined,
specifically with regard to standard
reports, productivity analysis reports,
customization options and final
output.

Integration ‘ This section looks at the ability of a program to share data

with GL, payroll or other accounting programs, as well as with office productivity

applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel.

Support/Help ‘ Here we assess a program’s built-in help utilities, online
support options, availability of
training and whether support options
are included or available for an
added cost.

Relative Value ‘ This section provides the reviewer’s subjective opinion of

what the user gets for the price. There is some variance in the pricing of the programs in

this review, but it is not very wide. Value, of course, is not exclusively related to cost.

However, sometimes the best deal is not the cheapest, and sometimes the most expensive

option does not provide the best function.