You're going to find a lot to like in the new version of
LiteningFast Estimating
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If you do several jobs for the same customer you're going to
find a customer list that will allow you to enter the customer once and then
each estimate becomes a job for that customer. This will simplify your life
and you job cost in QuickBooks.
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If you're like a lot of our clients and have a lap top you
take out to the field as well as a desktop computer you use in the office
you're going to find that keeping the databases in sync just got a whole lot
easier and less prone to losing data. All you have to do is plug your
laptop into your office network, open LiteningFast and click the Synchronize
Databases and in a few moments you're done. Everything is updated. That means
the everything you've done on the laptop is updated to the desktop and
everything you've done on the desktop is update to the laptop.
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If you've been a client for any length of time, you know
that we regularly have updates to the program that you can download for free.
You're going to find that this process just got a whole lot simpler. When you
start LiteningFast it automatically goes out to the Internet to see if there's
an update available. If there is you will asked if you want do download the
update. If you answer Yes the update will be downloaded and installed on your
computer. It doesn't get much simpler than that.
NOTE: We're going to a new update model with Version 7. Any updates for
program bugs will always be free. After the first year we're going to an
annual subscription model for updates. What this means is that Version 7 will
probably be the last "Major Version". We will continue to add features, just
as we have for Version 6, on a continuing basis. For example, we added the
interface to Microsoft Word in Version 6. We will have at least 5, and
probably more, program enhancements each year. So, you'll see little changes
over time rather that one big set of changes every few years.
We've had a lot of good suggestions for additions already some of which will
be added over the next year.
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The update to QuickBooks has been changed so that you can
create sub jobs when you're using phases. This means that your jobs in
QuickBooks will be a lot cleaner and making your job costing a lot
easier to understand.
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Another thing you're going to love is the ability to create
backups of your database easily and if you need to restore the database you
can select which of the backups you want to restore. Very simple and very
easy.
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Long Item Descriptions - you have the option of using long
descriptions. Before the descriptions were limited to 120 characters.
Sometimes that just wasn't enough. Now you can make your options as long as
you need. You'll get tired of typing before you run out of room.
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Notes are part of the Add Estimate Line and Edit Estimate Line
so that you can add notes as you're doing the takeoff rather than as a
separate step. This will speed up your job, saving you time.
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Browse n' Build just got a whole lot simpler as well. Now you
can search the index for specific terms and it will search anywhere in the
index for whatever you typed in. For example, if you type in "conc" the first
item that appears is "Concrete Snap Ties". If you touch F3 (search again) the
next thing that comes up is "Continuous concrete footing...". Touch F3 again
and it goes to "Add for channel steel support concrete slump block". And so
on. This means it's easy for you to find the items you need in the Browse n'
Build catalog.
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The Estimate List just got simpler. It normally displays only
"Active" estimates which means you have a smaller list of estimates to look
through. You can flag an estimate as inactive and still keep it in the system
for future reference without it being in your list all the time.
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You can identify some of your estimates as "Templates", like a
kitchen remodel or bath remodel. They won't show in your normal Estimate List,
but only when you're starting a new estimate. Also, when you start a new
estimate and you want to use a template the list can be set to only display
templates, simplifying what you have to look at and speeding up the process.
This saves you time and makes your job easier.
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Another option you'll find is that you can select more than
one template, or estimate, when you start a new estimate. You can have,
for example, different parts of, say a kitchen remodel, and select the pieces
that are appropriate for the job you're currently estimating. This gives your
more flexibility in the estimating process, making your job easier and faster.
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Our Canadian friends will find that we've added PST
calculations to the update. This means that you can correctly break out the
PST from the GST.
When you install LiteningFast Version 7 you will be notified
that you can import your old data or use the new sample data to get used to the
system. After you've gone through the tutorials you can then import your data
into the system.
Everything you've entered before will be there. You haven't lost
a thing.
