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Work Order Express is a registered product of McCarthy Enterprises, LLC
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Work Order Express is a registered product of McCarthy Enterprises, LLC
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Work Order Express is a registered product of McCarthy Enterprises, LLC
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Work Order Express is a registered product of McCarthy Enterprises, LLC
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Work Order Express is a registered product of McCarthy Enterprises, LLC
Work Order Express1 has been around for several years, it was reviewed by Intuit’s Marketplace ProAdvisors n 2009. Since its inception it has been a simple way for small shops and manufacturers to implement a work order and scheduling process without the expense of more comprehensive manufacturing/inventory solutions. Work Order express relies on your existing QuickBooks data and then enables an otherwise ‘manual’ level of control over the administration of jobs in progress. This economical software package is a seamless extension of your QuickBooks (desktop) product.
Begin from a QuickBooks Estimate
If you already produce estimates in QuickBooks for jobs in order to seek the approval of your customer, you can immediately take that estimate and turn it into a ‘work order’. When importing the estimate into Work Order Express you select a due data, can add the customer’s PO number, and capture other details you need to get the job moving toward completion.
Work Orders from Scratch
If you prefer you can create work orders directly in Work Order Express, selecting customer information and QuickBooks items from drop-down lists. As part of this process you begin the scheduling by selecting the due date.
Scheduling Tool
If you are in the production or manufacturing business and you have been using ‘just’ QuickBooks you know that scheduling is impossible within the interface Intuit offers. You may be using a yellow pad, your MS Outlook, a wall calendar or some form of a spreadsheet or timeline program. Work Order Express gives you scheduling with a tool designed for a flexible production environment.
When work orders are created you assign the duration (in days) for every line item within the order. This duration equals your estimated length of time it will take to complete each item. Work Order Express then creates a graphical schedule designed to identify the production process and reveal conflicts. Scheduling changes are easily performed and schedules can be printed or distributed as PDF documents. When work orders are finalized and exported to QuickBooks, the order’s schedule is closed for that order.
Export Work Orders to QuickBooks as Invoices
Not only does Work Order Express make use of QuickBooks Customers and Items, but once a work order is complete, it can be exported back to QuickBooks as a pending invoice. All the information from the work order flows directly to the invoice. You can then review, modify as appropriate, and then send your invoice to your customer using any of the standard QuickBooks methods.
Multi-user Capability
A few months ago, when I reviewed this product, the developers, McCarthy Enterprises, LLC., specifically told me that “Work Order Express is multi-user capable, and you can install the copy you purchase on as many computers as you'd like with no additional cost as long as they are all networked and have access to QuickBooks and the same QuickBooks company file. One of the computers will have to act as the 'server' computer where all of the work order information is stored. A large percentage of our customers take advantage of the multi-user capabilities of this application.”
What this means is that for $249.00 you not only get a work order and scheduling software solution that integrates with QuickBooks, but you can use it on as many computers as you need too. You can’t say that for many products on the market.
Conclusion
I found this product work exactly as described; sure it isn’t as fancy as some of those $15,000+ manufacturing systems, but for small shops using QuickBooks, with fairly straight forward scheduling needs, Work Order Express may be just what you need.
1 - Work Order Express is a registered product of McCarthy Enterprises, LLC