Please click a topic for more information:
01 U-LAUNCH Navigation	11 Supplier, Sub Contractor and      Consultants Database
02 Modules List	12 Document Package
03 Estimating	13 Service Jobs
04 Job Cost and Project Performance	14 Milestone Scheduling
05 Debtor Management	15 Cash Book
06 Creditor Management	16 Fixed Assets Register
07 Payroll	17 General Ledger
08 Inventory/Stock	18 Code Change
09 Job Tracking	19 Security
10 Client Tracking/Database

What is U-LAUNCH?

U-LAUNCH is a revolution in data navigation developed by iPROsoft Pty Ltd.

U-LAUNCH allows iPROsoft users to define their own paths through data capture, enquiry and report programs - it opens up access to data both visually and functionally and is available throughout the suite of iPROsoft programs. Using U-LAUNCH offers massive increases in efficiency and ease of use of the software.

As part of this advanced technology, U-LAUNCH offers extensive drill downs.

How does it work?

U-LAUNCH is available for use from private menus, module explorers, data capture forms and ordinary “paper” reports sent to a screen viewer. If you are looking at data on one of these platforms, simply right click on a line of interest to access your user definable menu.

From this menu you can “launch” right into another program. U-LAUNCH ensures the correct keywords are passed to the new program saving you time and typing effort and also eliminating typing errors. Having launched the program and loaded the key fields, U-LAUNCH technology allows you to examine, add or edit data in accordance with the new program selected and your permissions.

When you have completed your examination or added your data, you can either return to the original platform or continue utilising U-LAUNCH to further the data path of your choice.

Some U-LAUNCH examples :

You can use U-LAUNCH to drill down into the highlighted job cost dissection from a job cost report to examine the budget, labour, purchase, inventory or forecast components by running more reports or enquiries.

You can go up a level from the same job cost report to obtain a job summary status or even launch a data capture program to enter more information.

You can investigate the details of a journal recorded in the General Ledger by utilising U-LAUNCH from the Chart of Accounts display taking you all the way back to the subsidiary ledger then continue to check out related information there.

One of the elements of success in the marketing process is the ability to be able to service the enquiries you generate. Contract and Project companies have to analyse significant volumes of data and often commit to large sums. It is obviously imperative that quantity survey and sensitivity analysis tools must be up to speed.

The iPROsoft Quotes and Estimates module sets out to provide increases in estimating and quantities productivity and accuracy. It leaves more time for decisions.

The estimating and quantity surveying methodology is traditional.

The module is an easy to use system, which allows Bills of Quantities information to be recorded for various cost centres (dissections). It adds cost centre totals and brings them forward to the Estimate Top Sheet where overheads and mark-ups may be applied.

Standard bills may be stored and used at will. The same is true of supplier quotes and calculated rates.

The ability to look up and copy descriptions as well as rates saves effort and increases accuracy. One can COPY a quotation to another or MERGE parts of a quotation with another. Global changes to both rates and quantities can be made. Lump sum and schedule of rates tenders can be produced. Claim / Application support bills of quantities can be created and edited.

The module attributes are summarised as follows:

• Estimating top sheet for overheads and margin application
• Dissection (cost centre) summaries with optional dissection markup
• Bill of quantities with or without makeup components & quantity calculations
• Estimate copy, merge and edit functions
• Global and selective utilities to change rates and quantities
• Selected interfaces to load pricing from disk/file
• Supplier Pricing as well as Calculated Rates look up and copy
• Bills of Quantities can be presented on order of dissection or element
• Estimate/Quotation Register

The measurement of quantities and gathering of specifications is done for unlimited reasons. It becomes inappropriate just to think in terms of estimating. This module has been used to merge colour selections, construction costs, purchase components and specifications to produce purchasable bills for housing. Many other examples exist.

The Quotes & Estimates module is a ‘stand alone’ system. It integrates directly with the iPROsoft Job Cost, Variations, PC Sums, Purchasing, Forecasting and Progress Claims. When the job is won the quote can be transferred to become the job budget or an ‘as complete’ bill can be generated to support each progress claim.

In iPROsoft a job may be divided into consolidated dissections (Cost Groups) and dissections (Cost Centres). Other modules carry forward information “on-line” to the Job Ledger. The data summarised at the job levels include; labour direct and overhead costs, committed inventory, purchases and subcontracts, client contract base, variation, PC sum and Rise & Fall sums, original budget and budget changes, progress claim values, estimate to complete and forecast final costs. Optionally projects can be joined together to report combined outcomes.

It is in the Jobs modules that one declares job or project parameters. One can define small or large projects, service jobs, houses or unit constructions, time cost and billing jobs, schedule of rates contracts and percentage fee consultancies.

Estimate to complete and forecast final costs are very important components in modeling the performance of lump sum contracts. Appropriate functions and parameters have been included to suit both short and long term projects. Forecast data input can be in the form of detail or summary to suit company policy. Job budgets, committed costs, actual costs and forecasts may be measured in terms of both financial sums and hours of labour.

Standard reports include; job quick reference, job detail, management work in progress, job budget versus committed and forecast, job budget versus actual with detail and exception options and period based project financial summaries.

Job cost journals are available to transfer or disburse job costs. These may optionally be set to be auto-reversing journals if necessary.

Job actual costs and job cost journal values are all reflected in the General Ledger.

The Job Streamlining sub-module aids the enforcement of business rules. It enables the restriction of sales accounts and sub-sets of job cost dissection codes to certain types of jobs, defined by a sort code. If required, Job Streamlining can provide for on-costs to be costed to a given job as function of its sort code and branch or division carrying out the job.

iPROsoft features a comprehensive array of job reports. They make up many of the more specialised reports in the following satellite modules of the Jobs Core.

• Project Combination and Sort Code Reporting
  Some people may require comparing the performances of different job types, developers may join jobs as phases of a complex project and others may just wish to impose rules for each job or project as a function of the job or project type. Sort Code combinations facilitate all this and more.
  
• Branch Reporting of Jobs
  For those who also have multiple branch accounting installed, this satellite comprises an array of reports providing job intelligence in branch sequence with subtotals per branch.
  
• Cost of Sale / WIP Reports
  For those who have installed the integrated posting of cost of sale proportions to the general ledger this satellite module of the jobs core module provides an array of period based job revenue, cost and profit data reports.
  
• Cash Flow
  This satellite module features a cash (cost) flow generator and a report of cash flows on a job-by-job basis. Costs include projected commitments, which are not yet expended, actual costs not yet paid, payments and forecasts yet to be committed. The Milestone Scheduling module has tools for predicting revenue flows.
  
• Job Streamlining
  This module provides the means of imposing system business rules. Jobs may be categorised and, as a function of job categories, sales accounts can be limited, as can the trade dissection accounts. One may also apply special job and regional on-costs.

Contract and Project companies tend to have relatively few clients when compared to most manufacturing organisations. This is so because the period, value and complexity of the debtor transaction is greater. The service contractor on the other hand will require the production of many service invoices with claim support accomplished easily and quickly.

Indeed many forms of contract will impose differing claim procedures on Contractors and Project Managers. For example contracts may involve:

• A simple Lump Sum against which percentages complete are invoiced
• A Do & Charge service, complete and invoiced as a single transaction
• A quoted Lump Sum against an agreed Claim Schedule
• A tendered Bill of Quantities with progress measured precisely
• A quoted Management Fee
• An ongoing Do & Charge service
• Management Percentage Fees directly related to the schedule of works complete

Completing claims and invoices to satisfy any of the above forms of contract is facilitated by the iPROsoft Debtor Management module and its specialised satellite modules.

For VARIATIONS, RISE & FALL and PC SUMS substantial descriptive data can be entered to cover contract extras along with additions and subtractions to budgets and contract value. Approval statuses and values complete are also readily entered and reported.

The PROGRESS CLAIMS screen displays cost, revenue and contracts ‘extras’ figures. The analytical tools required to easily determine and make progress claims are at your fingertips. Labour, Purchases and Inventory costs are online and brought forward from the relevant modules.

Ample claim support documentation can be readily produced.

Cash retentions, if applicable, are handled. Progress certificate documentation is automatically printed with the progress claim or invoice top sheet.

Most of the foregoing can be done from within the invoicing program. It’s all online. The idea is to make available as much as practically possible the relevant information. This will minimise having to look for it in other corners of the system or in paper files.

Debtor Management provides for credit notes, receipts, journals and statements. Abundant reporting will keep you up to date with such things as aged debtors, client trends and financial status.

GST / VAT liabilities can be generated via the invoicing process and a compliant “Tax Invoice” created. Facilities for handling Recipient Created Tax Invoices against a previously generated claim are featured.

Progress claims and invoices can be processed through the standard Debtor Management module. After that refinements to suit precise requirements can be found in Debtor satellite modules. These include:

• Lump sum progress claim schedules common to most commercial construction projects.
• Housing stage claims incorporating user pre-defined narratives for each stage.
• Bill of Quantities invoices for those with product invoices involving items and quantities, as is often required by small jobs and services.

Debtor Management integrates with the Jobs core and draws its claim support information from related modules. Gross and nett claim sums are brought forward to the Job and General Ledgers.

Contract and Project companies generally have to deal with much more complex creditor and sub-contracting issues than most other organisations. Some of these issues include: the volume of creditor transactions, sub-contracts, variations, back charges, retentions and government prescribed withheld payments. The requirements of Contractors and Project Managers are different and so the software systems must necessarily be different to meet their challenges and obligations.

Together with its satellite modules the iPROsoft Creditor Management modules may be used as a fully featured supply and sub-contract control system or as a simple Creditor Management system. The needs for either or both will depend on the contract requirements and the organisation’s capacity. In any event, these modules have been designed to facilitate and streamline the creditor management requirements of Contract and Project companies.

The Creditor Management module can capture input tax credits and is used to formulate the GST / VAT payment or refund plus produce the Business Activity Statement. Recipient Created Tax invoice processes ("self billing" in the UK) sub-contractors are included.

Full purchase order production is an option. Creditor invoices are entered against order numbers. It is not necessary to use system purchase orders and sub-contracts to manage the accounts payable of suppliers and subcontractors.

There is a rich selection of creditor financial reporting. Some examples include:

• Purchase order and sub-contract invoice details
• Creditor invoice adjustments
• Creditor payments
• Withholding (WHT / CIS) obligations and payments
• Aged Accounts at Any Period in the Current and Prior Year
• Posting and Reconciliation at Any Period in the Current and Prior Year
• Cheque printing and remittance advices
• Business Activity Statement for GST / VAT
• Creditor Inquiry

The satellite modules that add power to the Creditor Management module and also reduce duplication and increase productivity include:

• Sub-Contract Retentions and Progress Certificates
  These are commonly required for commercial builders, engineering construction companies and construction managers.
  
• Purchase Orders and Sub-Contracts
  Included are both document generation for B.O.Q. supply orders and long narrative sub-contracts. Estimate, price lists and other orders look up and copy facilities are included. A rich selection of financial / status reports accompanies this module.
  
• Purchase Order Generation
  P O Generation is typically required by house builders. Orders are generated from estimate B.O.Q’s. Defaulted suppliers and sub-contractor teams may be applied.
  
• Deliveries and Expediting
  This kind of information is typically required for Engineering and Commercial Construction contracts. The information captured can be reported partially, fully or by exception and can have additional uses in the form of quality check off and even in the production of operation & maintenance manuals. It is essential for those users who wish to measure works complete on orders and sub-contracts.
  
• EFT for Creditors
  Electronic funds transfer like that for employees is available for creditors but for one only bank account per creditor.

An extensive set of tools is available to efficiently process creditor transactions. The idea is to have the reference information required for procurement and Creditor Management at the fingertips of each participant in the supply and sub-contract processes. This way they don’t have to hunt down relevant information. Rather, they are adding to a common pool in a simple and structured way to keep fully informed.

Creditor Management and its satellite modules integrate to the Jobs core. Committed and invoiced costs as well as chargeable sums are brought forward to the Job Controls files. The same transactions directly feed the iPROsoft Claims module for service invoices and progress claims determination. Creditor invoices, adjustments, payments, retentions, WHT / CIS and GST / VAT are all reflected in the General Ledger.

Most Contract and Project companies have to place considerable effort into processing payroll. The most complex are the weekly award based pays, which are determined by a maze of rates and conditions. Other complex conditions exist to cover holidays, sick/personal leave and rostered days off.

The routine for the typical pay office involves matching timesheets to awards and deriving pay documentation. The iPROsoft Timesheets & Payroll module follows the same process but sets out to yield savings in time. Simultaneously it provides time and activity information for productivity analysis and claim support.

The personnel system closely models awards but allows a great deal of flexibility. It is ideal for construction, factory and office staff particularly where job labour hours and costs are required. The thorough time and activity reporting means the module well suits the requirements of time, cost and billing.

Hours are captured against job number and work type. A work type is a dissection (cost centre) specially nominated to receive labour costs and labour overhead costs. The hours are held against each day of the week. The distribution of ordinary and overtime can be defaulted from the employment conditions information held for each person or may be simply input from timesheet logs. Site allowances, variable allowances and loadings as well as recurring daily and weekly allowances are all catered for.

Both work types and award master files contain scales of charge. Thus, where a job is Setup as do & charge and a person has hours recorded against the job, the charge for billing purposes is brought forward to the job at the same time the job costing and pay makeup are processed. Specific client charge scales may also be applied at the time of invoice generation.

If required, timesheet capture can be daily with distribution of ordinary and overtime also daily. This option is less frequently used. When it is used it is for reason of corporate tradition or, more commonly, to rapidly capture service work so it is ready for billing. With daily timesheets programs, hours such as mandatory travel time may be posted to the job for charging purposes but not be posted to payroll.

Terminations, sick and annual leave; public holidays, redundancy, salary sacrifice and superannuation are handled, as are National Insurance sums for UK implementations.

Pays are commonly weekly, though fortnightly pays and monthly salaries are also processed through iPROsoft payroll. Pays may be by cash, cheque or direct deposit into an account.

Abundant documentation and reporting includes: pay slips, tax, various pay & hours reports, time & activity reports, leave liability, certificates, superannuation and redundancy reports, along with P11 and P32 output for the UK.

More specialist functions are resident in the satellite modules of payroll.

• Recurring Pay Make Up Capture and Processing
  This is useful when the same job hours and pay roll are processed each pay period. One simply captures the recurring parameters and values. Then they are processed for a range of personnel each pay period. Occasionally the recurring parameters and values will be revised.
  
• Deductions
  Up to ten deductions can be processed per employee per pay.
  
• Contract and Consultant Personnel
  These people are essentially creditors. iPROsoft timesheets & pays will permit the capture of labour hours and pay make up for such personnel as if they were employees, but still manage their accounts (including WHT/CIS) through Creditor Management. Job costing and charging are handled through timesheets and the pay make up can aid account reconciliation.
  
  This has great application, for example, in the contract drawing office.
  
• EFT for Employees
  EFT may be used to post payroll data electronically to one or more of your employees’ bank accounts.
• Human Resources
  Qualifications and inductions with expiry alerts plus personal issues tracking.

In summary the Timesheets & Payroll module is a ‘stand alone’ system. It integrates to the Jobs core so labour cost and chargeable sums are brought forward to the Job Ledger. The same costs and charges directly feed the iPROsoft Claims module for service invoices.

The payroll module also integrates fully into the General Ledger.

The users of iPROsoft systems are mainly drawn from the ranks of Contract and Project companies. By definition projects have a beginning and an end, and are unique events. This is more than a subtle distinction by comparison to continuous manufacturing processes. It follows that because of the uncertainty contractors tend to keep minimal stocks or none at all.

Just the same, the greater the amount of things in common between contracts the greater is the level of knowledge of the contract subject by your team. Thus certain contractors will maintain stocks. Their requirements have become more predictable. Rather than the investment in stock being a risk it becomes a means of reducing risk. The reasons are those of convenience, lead times and maintaining a competitive quality service. Rarely, however, will a contractor maintain large buffers of stock like a product manufacturer.

The iPROsoft Inventory Module has been designed for contractors who fall into categories like the following:

• Electrical, Plumbing and Air Conditioning contractors
• Engineering companies with a technical services department and a core of products they manufacture or for which they hold licences
• Special purpose vehicle or equipment builders who hold spare parts or building stocks
• Steel fabricators who maintain steel and consumables stock
• Interior fit out contractors who have their own joinery and/or glazing shops

The iPROsoft Contractor’s Inventory module is a simple yet powerful subsystem.

Each group of inventory is allocated a code and there may be many identifiable locations for each group of inventory.

Inventory may be entered via the Purchasing and Deliveries modules or entered directly as an inventory adjustment.

Items are booked to a job by requisitioning processes, probably in the same way you do now. Items may also be returned to stock if not used, regardless of whether they were requisitioned or purchased directly. When an item is booked out the stock quantities are diminished automatically. Similarly when stock is returned quantities are increased. The Weighted Average convention is used to maintain inventory cost values when the Purchasing and Deliveries modules are used.

The Inventory module is separate from other modules. It integrates directly with the Jobs core. The Purchasing and Delivery modules are complimentary to Inventory though not vital for it to function. Booked inventory costs as well as chargeable sums are brought forward to the Job Ledger and directly feed the iPROsoft Claims module for service invoices and progress claims determination. The same cost and chargeable sums are diminished upon return of stock.

The Inventory module is fully integrated to the General Ledger.

The module will enable the presentation of tasks requiring action now, as opposed to those that were earmarked for action some time in the past or future. The notes can have key fields for search and retrieval. These include key words, action by date, action by person, note date and action complete (yes or no).

There are four different Job Tracking logs for jobs: -

1. Job / Client Related Matters
2. Order / Creditor Related Matters
3. Site Related Matters
4. Head Office Related Matters

Some examples of the use of the Job Tracking module include: -

• Writing out service job tasks
• Diary noting inspection and expediting reports
• Cataloguing contract clauses for pitfalls, actions and remedies
• Cataloguing milestones with required actions
• Scheduling tasks for personnel and subcontractors
• Recording key dates for cash retentions and guarantees
• Action reporting for punch lists and quality assurance

There are many good diary systems available for computers today. They are an obvious application for computers. Correctly used, almost all of them can yield real improvements in efficiency and quality. The advantage of this one is that it directly interfaces to the balance of the iPROsoft system and it is tailored for the contract process. In the middle of the notes one can access, at the push of a button, job intelligence, purchasing, expediting and creditor transactions. This is in keeping with the philosophy of integration, i.e. sharing a common pool of information and not recapturing information every time it is required.

The iPROsoft CRM module is a simple marketing and sales aid geared for Contract and Project companies. Used correctly, it can be instrumental in keeping the sales team that ‘razor’s edge’ ahead.

The module is designed to yield client / industry analysis. With the mail merge facilities, mass mailers and client newsletters can be created by merging stored forms with listings from the database. The same is true for personalised correspondence.

The tracking component will aid in maintaining logs of daily activities and follow-ups. It will enable the presentation of tasks requiring action now, as opposed to those that were earmarked for action sometime in the past or future. Notes may just be kept for information purposes.

The module attributes are summarised as follows: -

• Client / prospect name and address listings
• Each client can have unlimited personnel contacts
• Each client can have two primary and up to six secondary classifications, e.g. industry, area, turnover pa, secondary industry activity and so on
• Each client can be rated separately from other classifications
• Reports and mailers can be output by classification, client or rating
• One off mailers are readily created
• Notes and activities can be recorded against each client. The tracking notes can have key fields for search and retrieval. These include key words, action by date, action by person, note date, and action complete (yes or no)
• Utilities are the tools to help maintain the system and these include client and classification code changes, rating changes and deletion of unwanted records.
• Enquiry register

The CRM module is a ‘stand alone’ system. It integrates directly with the iPROsoft Quotes & Estimates module and feeds the Client master file. In conjunction with the client master file and the contacts file this module also feeds the Document Package.

Quality of supply is vitally important to Contract and Project companies as it is to anyone. The Supplier, Sub-Contractor & Consultant database sets out to assist the organisation’s quality requirements by maintaining records about your supply partners.

The iPROsoft SRM module is a simple database designed to catalogue, rate, classify and maintain notes on the organisations on which you rely for your logistics. Used correctly, it can be instrumental in informing your organisation and making sound choices.

The module is designed to yield creditor / industry analysis. With the mail merge facilities, mass mailers and newsletters can be created by merging stored forms with listings from the database. The same is true for personalised correspondence.

The tracking component will aid in maintaining logs of daily activities and follow-ups. It will enable the presentation of tasks requiring action now, as opposed to those that were earmarked for action sometime in the past or future. Notes may just be kept for information purposes.

The module attributes are summarised as follows: -

• SRM name and address listings
• Each creditor can have unlimited personnel contacts
• Each creditor can have two primary and up to six secondary classifications, e.g. industry, area, turnover pa, secondary industry activity, flaws and so on
• Each creditor can be rated (eg quality) separately from other classifications
• Reports and mailers can be output by classification, creditor or rating
• One off mailers are readily created
• Notes and activities can be recorded against each creditor. The tracking notes can have key fields for search and retrieval. These include key words, action by date, action by person, note date, and action complete (yes or no)
• Utilities are the tools to help maintain the system and these include creditor and classification code changes, rating changes and deletion of unwanted records.
• Creditor and Job Inquiries are attached

The SRM is a ‘stand alone’ system. It interfaces directly with the iPROsoft Document Package. Data filters limiting creditors in Purchasing and Creditor modules support decisions and selections and aid quality standards adherence.

Why should project organisations have document control systems?

In projects there can be huge volumes of information being passed between the project participants. In early stages even the scope can take twists and turns as it evolves.

Designs are formalised into drawings and specifications. Drawings and specifications are issued for various reasons ranging from concept evolution to construction. Projects move to implementation phase. Designs beget detail drawings. Scope, work packages, standards, interfaces & procedures, technical and commercial conditions are quantified.

Throughout the life cycle of a project, disparate organisations are brought together to deliver the project within constraints of time, cost and quality. Each participant is vest with responsibility for the performance of its part and its management of the interface with other participants.

Communication during projects needs to be clear. Each action begets a reaction. As a participant in a project one interacts with others. One has to communicate instruction and detail within time limits and then be ready to follow-up in the required time to coordinate the subsequent reactions and counter-actions with project participants. It’s quite a juggling act and the responsibility is to constantly maintain the act without dropping a single ball.

Commercial life attaches cost consequences to in-efficient management of documentation. Significant savings arise from simply being alert through efficient sharing of information and from the removal of duplication. Do it well and it cost you less. Managing the process well yields a better outcome for your client. Do it well and the chances are more profitable business will come your way.

The Objective of the iPROsoft Documentation Package

The documentation package sets out to create all or at least most of the outgoing documentation and catalogue the incoming documentation. In addition to that each document can have references and cross-references covering; recipients, action & action date, job, client, contractor, supplier, consultant, order, other document linkage and archiving. So the package also sets out to enable one to retrieve information for historical purposes as well as to prompt pending actions.

By creating and / or storing documentation in the iPROsoft package one can integrate other project administration, HR and accounting processes to remove duplication as well as make available information for simpler retrieval and re-use. The objective is to increase your organisation’s efficiency and keep it on the ball.

Document Types Handled

iPROsoft has set out to handle a broad spectrum of document types. All are to be user definable within a structured framework. Some examples include the following.

• Drawing Register
• Specification Register
• Transmittals
• Out going correspondence
• Site instructions
• Minutes of meeting
• Memos
• Foreign Drawing Register
• Incoming correspondence
• Event logs
• Business process register.
• Confidential correspondance and reports - set "private" for limited access.

Document Types Defined

Authorised users can establish any document type within a defining framework.

There are two fundamental divisions in documents. There are documents, which you want the package to produce such as outgoing correspondence, transmittals, and event logs. There are documents produced out side the package that you wish to catalogue and control. Examples of these include incoming correspondence and your own drawings, which are produced on a CAD station or manually.

Setting up each documentation type becomes a process of telling the package what the document type is, advising the package whether or not it will produce (output) this document type, then selecting and naming the relevant fields from those available to create and / or catalogue and administer the document type.

Interface to MS Word for Output

Microsoft Word has for some time provided interfaces for the construction of forms using data merge processes. Therefore we can output the various document data elements captured and cross-referenced in the Project Documentation Package. The data elements are passed to MS Word. Word readies the document for output in the format already stored in MS Word.

So the data for documentation is input into the Project Documentation but you control the shape and format by designing your own form in MS Word.

Project Documentation Reports

• Document listings, which satisfy search & cross reference criteria.
• Actions complete or incomplete arising from document records.
• Lists of intended recipients who have or have not received current revisions of drawings or specifications.
• The archive locations of documents satisfying search criteria.

Document Repository and Retrieval

Documents can be stored in a repository directory. This includes outgoing documents, incoming documents and attachments.

Documents may be readily isolated and retrieved using database methods. At the enquiry screen, the user can isolate a set of documents by its cross-references, type, author, addressee, etc. and then view the document if required through the viewing software (e.g. MS Word) or view additional information about the document.

Dedicated master/detail U-LAUNCH document explorers make easy work of finding and retreiving documents. One such document explorer gathers documents by each of the following cross references:

• Job
• Purchase Order/Subcontract
• Employee
• Author
• Quote/Estimate

Additional Components Required

iPROsoft already houses substantial detail. The Payroll has employee detail. Client and supplier / sub-contractor files already exist.

A comprehensive client detail, rating, notes, classifications, contacts and actions tracking system is available in iPROsoft and is a pre-requisite module, as is the Supplier / Sub-contractor / Consultant module.

The client, supplier / sub-contractor / consultant and employee databases integrate with the Project Documentation Package.

Projects, unlike continuous manufacturing process, have a beginning and an end. They can be thought of as unique events. By virtue of location or job content service jobs like projects can also be thought of as unique. Thus the information management processes for managing service parallel those for projects. Many project organisations have technical services divisions. Many contract organisations undertake both lump sum contracts with relatively high money values as well as services jobs. The Service and Planned Maintenance module was designed for the more specialised requirements of the following;

• Air conditioning and mechanical service contractors
• Electrical and plumbing contractors
• Property maintenance contractors
• Plant commissioning and service engineers

The service module is designed to facilitate the rapid processing of data through multiple stages as is required for a service job. Unlike projects, service jobs can be generated, personnel applied, the works complete and the invoice raised in less than a day.

Much data is processed for each service job but the individual job value is relatively low. Thus for service work, data capture must be streamlined and must quickly cut across modules like creditors, debtors, timesheets, inventory and job cost as well as service records and schedules. The iPROsoft Service and Planned Maintenance module sets out to achieve this kind of efficiency and integrates directly with other iPROsoft modules to eliminate unnecessary duplication.

Service assignments can be random and spontaneous. The strength of this module is its capacity for activity and plant maintenance scheduling. Regularly occurring maintenance works can be listed. From enquiries upon these maintenance lists as well as impromptu work requests, work schedules for current jobs can be generated.

Personnel can be scheduled to perform the tasks of each regular maintenance, breakdown and impromptu service. A job specification is generated for each service job.

Provision to record works for historical and claiming purposes is available. This includes: -

• Work and travel periods with post through to timesheets
• Works complete narrative
• Works complete edit for invoicing
• Items purchased
• Items requisitioned from stock

An invoice may be made up from the information gathered. This information includes: the conditions you enter when the job is logged, the hourly labour rates and the items consumed all within a given period. One may also make up an invoice as a complete free form without reference to supporting data. It’s a question of procedure. The essential thing is that there is freedom to choose.

iPROsoft Milestone Scheduling has been designed for construction and service companies whose business processes are highly evolved. Such companies have common key milestones and activities with which management can compare and ultimately exact tighter control over their projects

A common feature in the office of a volume builder is a large board displaying a table of jobs including a schedule of key activities and milestones to be achieved. The objective of the Milestone Scheduling module is to augment or replace such a display. At the same the Milestone Scheduling module is designed to make capturing updates as simple as possible, to facilitate comparisons, to alert management to risks, to simplify progress claiming and to provide cash flow forecasts.

Activities may be linked to ordinary administration functions. These programs include declaring jobs, budgeting, service works, invoicing, receipting, ordering and paying creditors. Operators performing normal administration and accounting functions can update components of the Milestone Schedule. They may not even realise they are doing so. For example an operator may invoice for a completed project phase, which also happens to be a milestone. With the Milestone Scheduling module installed the actual date is written back to update the schedule. If the activity being updated is critical the subsequent incomplete critical activities are updated for expected date.

Once the master list of activities and common Job models have been set-up the typical strategy involves:

• Declaring the job and loading the most suitable job model.
• Updating for actual and expected dates either directly or by using linked programs.
• Informing personnel with updated tables.
• Analysing for risks and taking action.
• Comparing performance outcomes of various job models, supervisors or estimators.
• Establishing the jobs to be invoiced and for what phase.
• Forecasting revenues over a period.

The Milestone Scheduling module is precisely the kind of tool required to exert measurement and control over project or service workflow and performance in project and service organisations.

The iPROsoft Cash Book module is straightforward and simple to use.

Payments recorded in Creditor Management and receipts in Accounts Receivable are posted “on-line” to the Cash Book. Non-job transactions may be entered directly into the Cash Book. For all iPROsoft users one would expect the absolute majority of financial input to arise from other modules and not the Cash Book itself. Yet there exists requirement for cash management that can’t be satisfied in most general ledger formats. Our response has been to set the Cash Book aside from the General Ledger and make it a subsidiary ledger just like debtors and creditors.

Commonly, the Cash Book is used to:

• Record miscellaneous income and payments for which it is inappropriate to raise a debtor or creditor and for which job costing is not required.
• Record bank charges and fees.
• Transfer sums between bank accounts.
• Draw payments for pay roll and group tax.
• Flag income and payment transactions as presented at the bank.
• Reconcile bank accounts.

The Cash Book reports income and payment transactions by period and dissection; it lists presented and unpresented sums. Bank reconciliation reports can be used in concert with the General Ledger to reconcile multiple bank accounts.

Fixed Asset records are required by businesses to do the following:

• Provide information to Branches, Locations or Employees on what assets are under their control
• Provide information for decision making purposes
• Provide information for external reporting purposes
• Enable the Business to comply with statutory requirements.

This Module tracks the full life cycle of assets from purchase and registration of asset details through to the disposal or sale of an asset. The required financial transactions for are generated by the system and posted to the general ledger.

The Fixed Asset Module of iPROsoft is an extensive Fixed Assets register that is fully integrated with the General Ledger and the other modules of the system. It has design capabilities for expansion to keep track of other information such as barcodes, Maintenance agreements and payments, Insurance covers and payments and Lease/Hire/Purchase agreements and payments so as to gradually become a Fixed Asset management application. Whilst it is integrated with iPROsoft the Fixed Assets Register can function as a standalone module.

The Fixed Asset Module has the following features:

• Multiple Fixed Asset Registers
  A fixed assets register can be maintained for each branch of each company.
• Multiple methods
  Each fixed asset may be depreciated using Straight line depreciation (Prime Cost), Diminishing Cost depreciation or Immediate Write-Down.
• Multiple depreciation types (e.g. book, tax)
  For each depreciation type each item may have a different method, percentage and depreciation start value and date. As per accounting standards, the rate and method applied for each type cannot be changed for the life of the item. One of these types has to be designated as the one updating the GL. For each Depreciation type an item may have a different Depreciation start value (i.e. sports car purchase price=100,000.00, Depreciation start value for Tax type = 60,000.00, Depreciation start value for Book type = 100,000.00), a different depreciation Method & Percentage and hence a different current written down value.
• Fixed assets are grouped in Categories and then Groups
  Defaults specified at the Category level are inherited and can be modified at the group level and are finally inherited and can be modified at the asset item level. This reduces typing/remembering and makes item data entry faster and less error prone.
• Each group of assets may have different open-ended description titles
  (eg for group PCs the description titles may be: Make, Model, Serial No., Monitor Make/Model, Monitor Size, RAM, Hard Disk, CPU, OS, NIC, Sound Card, CDROM, DVD while for group Tables the description titles may be: Make, Model, Type, Material and Colour.
• Quantities
  Asset Items can be entered as groups. For example 10 conference room chairs. The total purchase value is then used for depreciation and the whole group is considered as one asset.
• Assemblies
  Fixed Assets can be “Stand-Alone” or may belong to assemblies. An assembly is made up of one main item and at least one Part item. For Example a Workstation may be made up of a computer, a printer, a desk and a chair. Assemblies are handy when fixed assets are moved between locations or for ordering new assemblies. There are some restrictions: Assemblies cannot be made up of other assemblies, they must have the same location code and assembly parts can only belong to one assembly.
• Sales and Disposals
  Items can be sold or disposed. If an asset has quantity greater than one, then part of the item can be sold or be disposed off and the system will generate the correct depreciation or sale entries. Sale and disposal records are archived for reporting.
• Revaluations
  Fixed assets that are not subject to depreciation can be Re-valued. The system tracks the revaluation history of each item.
• Depreciation History
  The system stores all the depreciation records associated with all depreciation types for reporting purposes.
• Transfers
  A transfer happens when fixed assets are moved from one branch to the other. The system generates the correct accounting entries. The Transfer history of every asset item is tracked.
• Movements
  Fixed Asset movements between Locations or Employees do not generate any accounting entries. The Movement history of every asset item is tracked for reporting purposes.
• Posting
  The monthly depreciation and other transactions generated from sales, disposals, revaluations or transfers are posted to the General Ledger.
• Reporting
  A plethora of reports makes the system easy to use. Some of them are:
  • Listing of orders and invoices associated with the purchase of Fixed Assets
  • Warranty expiry exception report.
    This report checks the warranty expiry dates and reports the items whose warranties expire within 3, 2, and one month.
  • Asset invoices report
  • Assets Details report
    Listing of all details and history of each fixed asset
  • Depreciation Schedule report
    Report the depreciation schedule of a range of fixed assets for a range of periods.
  • YTD Asset Depreciation report
    Report the depreciation schedule of a range of fixed assets for the current financial year.
    

The iPROsoft General Ledger is the final reservoir of accounts data. The General Ledger will yield various forms of year to date and last year comparisons. Standard reports include various presentations of Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet and Trial Balance as well as transaction reports. The intelligence one extracts from the general ledger reflects the state of financial health of the organisation(s) whose financial information it bares.

The General Ledger is designed to be multi branch. The branches may be just notional divisions or separate entities.

The chart of accounts is very flexible. It is possible for it to support a complex set of additions, consolidations and inter-company / division / business relationships. This kind of complexity is often required of organisations active in contracting and property development.

The chart rolls down, that is to say it sums downward, from top to bottom in order of branch code and account code in ASCII sequence.

During the chart calculation process postable accounts (those bearing transactions) are summed to their LINK or "added to" subtotal and total accounts. Within a branch link accounts may also be summed down to other link accounts.

Accounts of any branch may CONSOLIDATE. In this process accounts sums are totalled to identical accounts in another branch said to be a CONSOLIDATION BRANCH. Transactions are not entered against consolidation branches. One or more branches can consolidate into one consolidation branch. One or more consolidation branches may consolidate to another consolidation branch. Thus one can derive accounts for divisions, entities, groups and even groups of groups.

With this flexibility in design it is possible to reset the linkages and consolidation arrangements in the chart and have the chart recalculate and reconsolidate.

All the transactions of the General Ledger posted from Subsidiary Ledgers are mirrored in the Subsidiary Ledgers. The General Ledger is reconcilable to the Subsidiary Ledgers item for item. Period based transaction and balance reports in the General Ledger and Subsidiary Ledgers serve to monitor and validate system integrity.

Accounts transaction data in the General Ledger are stored for two years (this year and last year). After two years detailed General Ledger transactions are stored as sums in the General Ledger master file. Transaction data in debtor and creditor ledgers can be stored indefinitely.

iPROsoft Code Change Utilities allow one for example, to change the debtor code to a more meaningful code for a client who has undergone a name change. The code change utilities include;

• Job Number
• Dissection Code
• Consolidated Dissection Code
• Personnel Code
• Debtor Code
• Creditor Code

The Code Change Utilities are simple to use and far reaching. They must be used when other users are off-line otherwise their write privileges will be cancelled during each code change.

A full security levelling system is available to protect against unauthorised access to programs and modules within iPROsoft. It is a powerful, yet simple approach to safe guard access. You simply decide which personnel have access to which programs or modules so that rights can be set.

Each iPROsoft user is given a security status level from 1 to 9. A rating of ‘9’ denotes no restrictions of any kind. If the level of the user is less than the level of the program the user is trying to open then access is denied to the user. If the level of the user is greater than or equal to that of the program then the user may have access to the individual program within iPROsoft.

A login number and a password will also be allocated to each user to ensure that only authorised staff can gain access to iPROsoft. The user has only to input his or her ID and password once at the time of each ‘log in’ and the systems tests for rights after that. Passwords are encrypted for added security.