Maxwell Systems ‘ The American Contractor

Learning Curve – 4 Stars
The American Contractor is written in Visual Fox Pro. My experience in navigating Fox Pro has always been awkward, and The American Contractor is no exception. System setup can be somewhat intimidating, with extensive setup required in order to begin using the system. A drop-down menu bar at the top of the screen provides easy navigation, but finding exactly what you are looking for requires some practice. Luckily, The American Contractor provides new users with a demo company for exactly that reason. They also include a series of training lessons that takes you through a typical construction company day. System setup is accomplished by clicking on Program | Utilities. This is where you enter your chart of accounts information, profit and loss, and transaction entry options for AP, AR and cash postings. You can enter up to three AP types: Trade, Subcon and Retention. You can also choose multiple distributions per invoice. The American Contractor’s batch entry system allows you to enter large quantities of transactions at one sitting. You can also set up recurring invoices for automatic payment, and when ready to pay, use the Enter Payments on Account option. Job tracking codes can be chosen by using the pre-defined list, which includes Electrical, HVAC, Paving Contractor, Plumbing Contractor and General.

Import/Export/Integration – 4 Stars
You can easily import files from QuickBooks Pro and Microsoft Excel (version 5.0 or prior). Other formats that can be imported include Tab *.DBF, Delimited Text, Paradox and Lotus. Customer, Vendor, and Employee files can also be imported. All reports that display an Export button can be exported to Word, as well.

Support & Training – 4 Stars
The American Contractor provides new users with a certified trainer to guide you through the installation and setup process. You are also provided with a specific number of training hours. As mentioned above, a series of training lessons is also included with your software, as is an extensive F1 Help system.

Security – 4 Stars
System security is multi-level, with all users assigned access to specific areas. Level access is also assigned. Once this is completed, users are then assigned to a security group.

Customization & Productivity – 4.5 Stars
The American Contractor has excellent customization capabilities. By utilizing the System Tailoring option, you can customize the program levels to best suit your specifications. The Productivity feature lets you enter labor figures for items that use formula units per hour. The Labor factor calculates how many hours are required to install an item. And the Estimating module will assist you with estimation of job and work order costs. The Project Manager Command Center, a new feature, gives you a summary of Jobs Information, a Jobs Summary, and AP and AR totals. These areas also provide links to more detailed information, as well as fast access to a variety of system functions. The Catalog of Resources maintains an active list of items such as inventory items, purchase order and work order items, estimating, and time & materials. The Estimating module also lets you create two levels of proposals: Select and Complete.

You can define up to five custom cost types to reflect costs necessary for your company. Those costs can then be applied to the appropriate work or job order.

Reporting – 4 Stars
A wide variety of financial reports is available. Reports specific to contractors include a variety of job cost, work order, equipment, sub-contractor and purchase order reports. Reports can be customized to show the information you need.

Relative Value – 4 Stars
The American Contractor is not inexpensive, and you will need to invest more than a little time into setting up this program. While the cost may be prohibitive for smaller companies, medium-sized to larger companies may find it money well spent.

2004 OVERALL RATING:

The areas of evaluation were chosen
based on feedback from software
vendors, the editorial staff of
the magazine, and this reviewer.
They are as follows:

1. Modules ‘ It’s important to know what modules are included or available.
2. Learning Curve ‘ Is the program easy to navigate? Is it user friendly?
3. Integration/Import/Export ‘ Do all of the modules work together? Can you import information from third-party software or export to spreadsheet programs, etc.?
4. Support & Training ‘ Good support and effective training are necessities.
5. Security ‘ Is it multi-level? Module-based? Menu-based?
6. Customization & Productivity ‘ Are there user-defined fields? Can you get the information you need? Will this product make your life easier?
7. Reports ‘ What standard reports are included? Does the program offer integration with Crystal Reports, etc.? Does it have customization capability?
8. Relative Value ‘ This is subjective, but is the program worth the cost?
   It’s important to remember
   that each of these programs stands
   on its own. We are not trying
   to compare them side-by-side,
   but rather point out their core
   strengths and let you, the reader,
   decide what you need, what you
   want and what you cannot live
   without.

The products reviewed here range
from basic financial systems with
a job cost module, to sophisticated
programs with upwards of 20 modules
and add-ons. They are all good programs,
varying widely in both size and
cost. But they all contain at least
basic job costing capability, and
many contain much, much more.