From the April/May 2008 Review of Contractor/Construction Accounting Systems
Total Office Manager from Aptora Corporation is designed for construction and service-related industries such as electrical and appliance repair, along with HVAC service. An excellent fit for smaller companies, Total Office Manager is flexible in its licensing and allows the product to be installed on up to five separate computers.
Learning Curve/ Ease of Use -- 4.5 Stars
Installation is quick, and the wizard will easily guide setup. Users may choose
the industry type most closely related to their business (such as electric,
HVAC, HVAC and plumbing, or just plumbing). A generic option can also be selected
if none of those options fit. At the top of the main screen is a drop-down menu
bar with program options such as Company, Customer, Vendor, Employees, Banking
and Reports. Total Office Manager offers plenty of view options to include on the main screen,
including the Workflow Navigator, which updates according to the module chosen.
The Information Center displays a variety of information including Unread Messages,
Appointments Today, Work Orders Today, and Reminders Pending. The Toolbar displays
a series of icons that represent frequently used functions. Data-entry screens
are easy to navigate, with tabs and lookup options available throughout. Total Office Manager
also makes extensive use of keyboard shortcuts for those who prefer to use keyboard
functionality.
Truly designed for service contractors, Total Office Manager features a terrific Schedule Board that simplifies the scheduling of customer work orders. Icons are available to assign priority levels to each order, and job types can be color-coded, including callbacks, estimates and installation of equipment. E-mails can be sent to customers to provide service information, and all closed work orders can be sent to the appropriate employee’s timesheet to record number of hours worked. The Maps & Directions feature provides technicians with detailed directions from one job to the next, which can help eliminate appointment delays.
Modules & Functionality -- 5 Stars
Total Office Manager is an all-inclusive program with the following program features: Job Costing,
Contact Management, Equipment Tracking, Scheduling & Dispatch, Communications,
Flat Rate Pricing Import, Maps & Directions, Asset Management, Credit Card
Processing, Direct Deposit, Inventory, Sales, Sales & Use Tax, and Credit
Management. The program also provides complete accounting functionality, including
GL, AP, AR, Payroll, and Reports & Analysis. Also available as integrated
add-ons are Caller ID and Flat Rate Plus pricing software.
Productivity Tools -- 5 Stars
The addition of the Workflow Navigator improves system navigation, particularly
for those who are just learning the system. The customer and contact management
feature allows users to do just about anything from track customer activity
to printing directions to their place of business or residence. The Information
Center allows for the tracking of e-mail messages as well as for monitoring
appointments recorded in Total Office Manager. It also displays the day’s work orders and
reminders and checks system performance. And for service contractors, the work
order system is one of the best I have seen, with several layers of detail designed
to record as much information as needed, and to ensure prompt service to customers.
The Document Manager function allows for the grouping of numerous documents
with a customer job, vendor or employee. These documents are not attached to
the file, but are associated with them for future reference. Total Office Manager version 6.0
contains several notable new features including the addition of the Workflow
Navigator. Also added are new list filters, along with an improved Caller ID
menu that makes it easier than ever to record work orders, set appointments,
maintain a customer log, or even create a work estimate.
Import/Export/ Integration -- 5 Stars
Total Office Manager is a completely integrated all-inclusive system, with all features designed
to work together. Excel files can be imported directly into the program. Import
and export wizards assist with importing data into a variety of formats including
Excel, CSV, Access and text files. All list files can be exported in ASCII format
and then imported into database formats such as Access.
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