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Higher view of how to use Studiometry

Jules Gravinese

October 25, 2016 18:00

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I've been using Studiometry ever since iBiz closed their doors. One thing I never got the handle on is how to use any such program. I understand all of the tools, and how to use the program - but I'm missing a higher level... protocol I suppose. Lets use a hypothetical scenario.

Prospect client ABC asks me for a new website proposal. I send an email with attached docx that has the work details, payment schedule, and terms. They accept and have to get a deposit from them. I do work, show progress, get a second payment. At the end, I get the final payment.

At some point I create the Client and Project in Studiometry. In the Project I add all the Tasks for the project. I also mirror the tasks as unbillable hourly tasks - so I know how long things will take in the future.

Every time I send an invoice (deposit, interim, final) I create a new project and send an invoice for it. Then I create a new Payment in the original Project.
Once all Tasks are balanced by Payments I mark the Project complete.

I think it's too much work and I'm not doing it correctly.

• Using separate projects to invoice for Deposit, Interim, Final payments
• Duplicate Tasks for tracking timed effort vs billing as task items

I've watched videos, read docs, and read forum posts. But haven't caught what I need. Any help is appreciated!

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7 comments

• 0
  
  Gerard October 28, 2016 13:45

  Indeed you do to much work. I hope this helps you to manage to do the same with less effort.
  
  You can add the project right from the first contact you make with your prospect. This way you can keep track of all you communication.
  
  Make a Client with the category 'Potential Client'.Then add Contact.
  Right clicking the contact gives you the option to Add Logs.

  Next create a Project with this Potential Client
  Set this to the Status 'On Hold'

  (The next can be done in different way's, this is just my experience)
  Now go to the Work & Expenses tab.
  Add the Work you propose and set the billing mode to Estimated.
  The Work and Expenses lines will appear in yellow.
  
  You can now choose to type the same work and expenses again in Word, but I would use the Studiometry Reports. There you can make a report and save it as a PDF of just email it.
  
  When the client approves (Automated in the Cloud version) the report, you can track time as you're used to, or right click the yellow Work and Expenses and choose Bill for Estimate Items. You can pick the lot you want to bill. And you can have multiple Invoices on the same project. (So no need to start a project per Invoice)
  
  On the Summery tab you will now see exactly how much was quoted, worked and billed.
  
  There are tons more features you might like to use, but I think this would be a good start.
  
  Have fun,
  
  Gerard
  
  
  
  

• 0
  
  Jules Gravinese October 28, 2016 15:53

  That is indeed a great start - thank you!

  Any idea about billing for the deposit, interim, and final payment?
  Also tracking effort vs billing as Expenses?

• 1
  
  Oranged Support October 30, 2016 15:12

  Hi Jules,

  Here's some info about billing for a deposit:

  Request a Deposit for a Project

  Regarding splitting up your invoices to a percentage,

  I might recommend simply using entered amounts on your invoices instead of invoicing for the exact items. You can create an invoice for an amount you'd like by choosing Total From: Entered Amount when editing the invoice. After that, you can simply enter the amount you'd like. If you still need to include a description of the work done or more information, you can create a secondary report to send over with details of the work.

  It's hard because if you want to be showing all of the work on an invoice, it will then be totaling all of it. 

  One other possible option is that on invoice templates you have the ability to a percentage of a value. To do this, go to the Preferences Window > Templates section, then select a variable (such as InvoiceTotalDue). On the right, under Item Information, you can check Display Percentage of Amount, and change that to 33, for example. You can then save the template and every time you use that template, it will show a total due of 33% of whatever the actual total due is.

  I think the best solution, though, is just to use the entered amount invoices, and then if you need to send over details of all of the work every time, just send over a copy of the report that has the work on it.

  Hope this helps and let us know if you need anything else.

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  Jules Gravinese November 01, 2016 03:46

  
  Reports was the missing key. Thank you! This makes complete sense now. I'm going to paraphrase/recap in case it helps any one else... and I'll probable come back to it myself some day.

  But first - how does the 'Payments Item Row Area' work? I can't get it to display anything in Invoices or Reports. I clicked Edit and added items, even shapes, and saved, - but nothing shows up anywhere.

• 0
  
  Oranged Support November 01, 2016 15:04

  The Payments Item Row Area will show all payments associated with the Invoice. On a Report, this will show all payments associated with the project. You can add variables to the data row when you're editing it (the ones under Payment Related will be shown for each payment on the invoice/report). Just make sure to click Done when you're done there and then save the main template.

  Also, these rows will only appear if there are actual payments associated with the invoice/report.

• 0
  
  Jules Gravinese November 01, 2016 15:35

  The 'Payments Item Row Area' does not show up in Invoices and Reports. I have payment posted to the Project. I even have shapes/objects in the Area, and it won't show. Should I file a bug with screen shots?

• 0
  
  Jules Gravinese February 18, 2017 06:08

  
  Finishing my thought from October 31....
  
  First create a Project for a Client. Add items either as Estimate (timed items) and/or Billable (set price items). Generate a Report where...

  • the title is 'Project Deposit'
  • under the total is a line that reads 'A 1/3 deposit is required to start the project'
  • show deposit with 'Display Percentage of Amount' = 33%

  When I get the deposit I add that to the Project. When it's time for the second payment I generate another report where...

  • title is 'Project Report'
  • under the total is 'Payments Received' with the variable 'ProjectReceivedTotalToDate', with 'Display Percentage of Amount' =  -100%
  • under that is 'Project Balance' with the variable 'ProjectBalance'
  • under that is a line that reads 'Another 1/3 payment is due.' with 'ProjectBalance' and 'Display Percentage of Amount' = 50%

  When I get the second payment I add that to the Project as well. Then finally the third and final payment request: Generate an Invoice where...

  • under the total is 'Payments' with the variable 'ProjectReceivedTotalToDate', with 'Display Percentage of Amount' =  -100%
  • under that is 'Project Balance' with the variable 'ProjectBalance'

  To tie everything together you have to add those first two Payments to this  invoice, before saving and or sending. Otherwise Studiometry will save this Project/Invoice as only being 1/3 paid when the final payment is recorded.
  
  Note: You cannot add the payments as line items in the project. This is because Studiometry will report the project as being less than it's real value.