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Firm Management

2013 Review of BillQuick

Oct. 30, 2013

47-star-rating_11147929

Overview

BillQuick is a popular time and billing application which offers customizations to meet the needs of many types of professional services businesses, including Architecture, Engineering, IT Consulting, Accounting, Bookkeeping, and Legal Services. BQE Software reports that 11% of its 300,000 end users are accounting, bookkeeping, and tax preparation firms. The software is published in four basic versions:

  • BillQuick Basic, which is designed for firms with one to four timekeepers, and runs on a MS Access database.
  • BillQuick Pro, designed for companies with five to fifteen users, and runs on either a Microsoft Access database or Microsoft SQL Express.
  • BillQuick Enterprise (the version reviewed here), which is customized for organizations with five or more people. The Enterprise version can run on a Microsoft Access database, Microsoft SQL Express, or full Microsoft SQL Server.
  • BillQuick Web Suite, a web-based version of the core BillQuick application which can be hosted by BQE or on an organization’s own computer servers.

BQE also offers many additional products and services, including mobile applications for Apple iOS and Google Android, BillQuick HR (HR management tool), and an add-in for Microsoft Outlook. A SaaS version of the application with no up front costs and monthly subscription pricing is available at www.billquickonline.com. Commercial hosting is available from numerous hosting companies, including Cloud9 Real Time, Right Networks, and InSynq.

Product Functionality

Time can be tracked and entered by using the automatic timers built into the system, using the Android and iOS mobile applications, or by converting Outlook calendar items into time entries with an optional Outlook add-in. Time data can also be keyed into BillQuick by employees, or imported from time clocks and Excel spreadsheets. The product includes workflows for approving or rejecting time entered by staff, as well as inserting notes to accompany each time entry. Non-billable time such as paid time off and sick time can be tracked and managed by the product. Hourly rates can be set by employee, with separate fee schedules at the client and project level.

Expense transactions paid from supported accounting packages can be imported into BillQuick, and can be rebilled to clients. Direct deposit of employee expense payments via ACH is not currently supported. Files with supporting documents can be digitally filed as attachments to expense entries within the application. A new product (BillQuick Plus Accounting) can be used to manage both receivables and payables as well as disburse funds for expenses via printed checks.

Jobs in progress can be managed using budgets, WIP reports, and can be linked to a number of different exception alerts. Invoicing can be done on paper or electronically via e-mail (portals are not natively supported at this time). Firms can also offer their clients the option of paying via PayPal or credit card. Invoices can be prepared using over 150 templates or customized. The invoices themselves can be prepared in batches, as a global invoice for multiple projects, or automatically. Once prepared, invoices can be e-mailed with accompanying documents to clients from within the application.

Dashboard views are available for the applications, and a wide variety of reports are available, including realization rate, realization percentage by employee, client, and project, and many others. Users can also create custom reports and functions using industry standard tools like Crystal Reports or the products tools for developers (API). Over 40 pre-defined exception conditions can be used with alerts, or users can customize their own alerts within the application. The 2013 edition of BillQuick added capabilities for revenue and workload forecasting to the already robust features of the product.

The software has a very granular user interface which can be used to create custom security groups (roles) and user access profiles as needed.

The company reports that the BillQuick support site (http://kb.bqe.com) includes both a knowledgebase and a user forum, and the application’s help documentation is over 1,200 pages. User training is available from BQE and is recommended for this versatile application. Support is available via e-mail or telephone (7A-3P PT, M-F), and can be purchased on a “per incident” or as an annual subscription.

Summary and Pricing

BillQuick is a powerful, mature time and billing solution which is designed to meet the needs of businesses in a wide range of professional service businesses. The solution is based on a platform which can support thousands of timekeepers, clients, and projects. This product is probably best for firms of five or more who need sophisticated job tracking and reporting, as the flexibility of the application may be too much for some small firms.

BillQuick 2013 is available in a number of editions, is priced starting at $595. The product is also available in a SaaS model for a monthly per timekeeper charge.

Best Firm Fit: The Enterprise edition of BillQuick is best suited for small to mid-sized professional service businesses of five or more who need to budget, track, and bill third parties for time spent on projects.

Strengths

  • Integrates with popular small business accounting systems, including QuickBooks, Sage 50 (US Edition), and MYOB (Australia). Custom integrations to other applications are also available.
  • Configurations are available to meet the needs of professionals in a wide range of industries, including Architecture/Engineering, IT Consulting, Accounting/Bookkeeping, and Legal Services.
  • A BillQuick Mobile application is available for iOS and Android devices.

Potential Limitations

  • User training and some assistance with initial configuration may be needed to take full advantage of this flexible, full-featured application.
  • There is not a built-in calendar application, but the optional Outlook add-in allows users to create time entries from Outlook calendar items.

Category Ratings:

Basic System Functions: 5 Stars
Time Mgmt Capabilities: 5 Stars
Invoicing Functions: 5 Stars
Management Features: 5 Stars
Integration/Import: 4 Stars
Help/Support:5 Stars

2013 Overall Rating: 4.75 Stars