Desktop Standard Extends to Accounting and Project Management Software
Overview
Over the past five years, Microsoft Windows has become the de facto standard for American business. No industry exemplifies this trend more than construction, where IBM-compatible PCs have dominated estimating, project scheduling, and office automation for years.
Different contractors are at different stages in adopting Windows as their company's "standard" operating environment. Some companies are stubbornly holding onto their DOS applications; others have a mix of newer Windows-based systems and older DOS systems (perhaps trying to spread the expense of buying new computers). Still others have bitten the bullet and switched everyone over to Windows.
Ironically, accounting and project management software one of the first areas in the construction industry to be automated - has only recently started to become available in Windows. This is expected to change dramatically in the next year or two. Many industry observers expect accounting and project management software to follow the lead of other software and become Windows-based.
With this in mind, one legitimate question is, "When it comes to accounting and project management software, what will Windows do for me?" Followed by the related question, "What factors should I consider when evaluating Windows-based accounting software?"
Kinder, Gentler Software
Software manufacturers have been working for years to make their software easier to learn and use. Windows offers two major benefits in this area. First, it is a more intuitive approach, with lots of visual feedback and multiple ways to accomplish the same task. Second, and perhaps more importantly, Windows forces software made by different vendors to have a similar "look and feel" and to operate in similar ways.
Many users - particularly those who started using computers more than five years ago - are understandably resistant to change and don't care for Windows, at least at first. Learning one's first Windows application may be just as difficult as learning an older program. However, the benefits of standardization come into play when you learn your second and third Windows applications. Before you begin using your second Windows program, you already know how to start up the application, how to close it, how to use the pull-down menus, how to resize or minimize it, and how to access the on-line help. This makes the learning curve a lot shorter and makes it much less intimidating to "dive into" a new program.
Looking at it another way, imagine if every car manufacturer arranged the controls differently (e.g., gas pedal on the left and brake on the right.) This would make learning to drive a new car quite an adventure! This is, of course, the type of situation the software industry has been in since the beginning. Fortunately, pressing the wrong button doesn't usually cause serious injury! Windows has created a standard which all vendors can follow to make life easier for users.
More Accessible
One of the trends in construction is to give project managers and company management direct access to the accounting and project management system. In the past, project managers were lucky to get a weekly or monthly report showing the status of their jobs. Today, project managers are checking their jobs on-line with up-to-the-minute information. In some cases, however, project managers and owners are reluctant to invest the time needed to learn the accounting systems sufficiently. Windows eliminates this initial learning "wall" and gives new users the confidence they need to explore a new application.
Sharing Information
One question that business managers have asked since the onset of the computer revolution is, "Why can't the information in one program be shared with another program?" Windows provides software vendors with a practical way to accomplish this data sharing. By establishing a standard database language, Windows allows one program (such as a spreadsheet program) to access data created by another program (such as an accounting and project management program) in a simple, intuitive way.
Say, for example, that the company President wants to be able to look at a spreadsheet that summarizes the current cost and billing status of all active jobs each morning. A spreadsheet can be set up that will be updated automatically with the latest available accounting information, literally with the click of a button. This allows users unprecedented opportunity to work with data using familiar tools, without hiring an army of programmers.
On-Line Help
Another major benefit of working with Windows software is the on-line help. Information is available on screen, with the ability to search on key words to find exactly what you need quickly. Again, there is no problem with the learning curve, since the programs for all Windows' help systems work exactly the same way. This encourages vendors to improve their documentation, since they know that the users will actually be able to find the information they need (without thumbing through hundreds of pages of manuals).
Three Roads to Windows
Now that we've explored some of the major benefits of moving to a Windows-based accounting and project management system, let's discuss some issues to be aware of when evaluating software packages.
There are three basic ways for a software vendor to develop a Windows-based package. One method is to rewrite the software from scratch, using a Windows-based language. Another is to put a Windows-type front end on the software to give it a Windows look and feel. The third method is to use a fourth-generation programming language (4GL) that allows your software to be moved to Windows without rewriting. There are advantages and disadvantages to each of these methods, and it is important to understand which method a vendor has used.
The First Road
The first method (rewriting the software from scratch) is the easiest to understand. The benefit of this method is that the software can be designed from the ground up to take advantage of the various Windows features. For many software vendors, this may be the only method available, since their old programs may have been written in programming languages which cannot be upgraded to Windows.
There are several disadvantages to using software rewritten from scratch. Despite some improvements in software engineering methods over the years, it still takes time to get the bugs out of a new software program. This process often takes months or even years. Also, it takes time to develop new software, and the vendor will probably roll out modules gradually over time. During the transition, the new Windows-based system may be incomplete and lack the integrated modules that you need.
Finally, if you are using an earlier non-Windows version of a package, the change to a new program (even though it's from the same vendor) will be significant. It may be completely different from the old system, and you may need to be completely retrained.
The Next Street
The second method involves putting a Windows-like "front-end" on a non-Windows program. This approach produces a program that looks somewhat like a Windows program, but usually lacks true Windows functionality. For example, the mouse typically cannot be used to move from field to field in a data entry screen, but perhaps can be used to select a menu choice.
Opinions vary on this approach. Some people believe that it can make a non-Windows program appear more familiar and user-friendly. Others see it as a stopgap to use until a more complete Windows program can be developed. It has the advantage of not requiring the software to be rewritten. On the other hand, many of the benefits of moving to Windows may not be realized.
Important questions to ask the software vendor in this situation are, "Do you see this as a permanent solution or as a temporary measure?" If the latter, "What are you planning to do as the next step?"
The Road Less Traveled
A third method is available to software developers who originally used a programming language (usually a 4GL) to develop their software and whose 4GL vendor has developed a Windows-based version. In this situation, the 4GL vendor does the majority of the work required to move the application to Windows. Once the Windows version of the 4GL language is ready to go, the software developer moves the existing application to the new version of the 4GL - without rewriting the actual programming - and their application is now a Windows program (possibly with some additional work to take advantage of the new features for Windows).
The biggest advantage of this method is that the application does not have to be rewritten from scratch. The "debugging" period should not be as long as that required for a new application, and the vendor can have a complete set of modules available within a much shorter time frame. Also, since the underlying software has the same functionality as the non-Windows version, there won't be a long learning curve for the existing users who upgrade to Windows.
How well this method will work depends on how good a job the 4GL vendor does in implementing the language in Windows. Obviously, if the 4GL does not support most of the Windows standards (e.g., pull-down menus, using the mouse within screens, resizing windows, etc.), then the Windows implementation of the application will be limited.
Another good question to ask is, "How well does the application integrate with Windows?" (For example, does it use the Windows print manager to print reports and does it integrate with the Windows help system?)
Finally, you should look carefully at the way the 4GL stores the data files. You should be able to access the data files from popular Windows spreadsheet, database, and report writing programs.
Functionality
Although Windows is a very important business tool for the contractor, a word of caution is in order: functionality comes first. In other words: be certain that the Windows software package that you choose helps you do your day-today job (i.e., detailed job costing that handles unit cost, time and material jobs, subcontractor control, equipment control, etc.). If it doesn't, then no amount of user-friendliness will compensate.
Another area that should be investigated when evaluating a Windows-based accounting package is speed, both in data entry and in processing. Take the mouse, for example. Many people who started using computers recently could not imagine one without a mouse. However, if your job is to enter a large pile of transactions every day, you might see the mouse as a hindrance. If you are a speed typist, you certainly don't want to take your hands off of the keyboard to move a mouse around. A well-designed Windows program should allow you to do all data entry functions while keeping your hands on the keyboard - the mouse should be an optional tool for those who wish to use it. not a requirement.
Another area of possible concern is processing speed. Some Windows-based accounting systems are much slower doing updates of payroll calculations or the posting of accounts payable invoices than their non-Windows counterparts. In other systems, the processing under Windows can be as fast or even faster than it was before. Ask the vendor for specific information about each function - for example, using the recommended hardware, how long will it take to calculate a payroll of a certain size or how long will it take to update a batch of 100 accounts payable invoices? These are also excellent questions to ask current users of the software.
Examples
When it all comes down to it, the point of using Windows is to increase your company's productivity by enhancing your staff's use of the computer. Following are two examples, based on my own experience, that make that point.
Unused PC
The owner of a construction company had a PC on his desk, but literally never used it because it didn't have user-friendly software. Instead, whenever he needed information about the business or how individual jobs were progressing, it was his habit to ask accounting and project staffs to drop everything and provide the answers. That, of course. was a waste of his and his employees' time.
The company's controller had a smart idea. He installed Windows on the owner's PC and, before long, the owner was using it for word processing. Shortly thereafter, the controller added Windows spreadsheet software and - presto - the owner immediately began using that, too.
Customer-Friendly
Contractors who perform work for the State of Nebraska swear by the state's computer bulletin board that has contract bid items, quantities, and prices that can be downloaded directly into the contractor's Excel spreadsheet program. That helps ensure the accuracy of information shared between the contractor, his customer (the State of Nebraska), and subcontractors.
After the job is awarded, the contractor can directly access the information in order to set up the job - if he or she is also using a Windows-based accounting and project management system. The accounting staff can also use the information to set up monthly billing quantities for the contractor's payment schedule. The entire process is simple for everyone involved, and it does not require any custom programming by the contractor's software vendor.
Effective Tool
An old marketing axiom says, "No one buys a drill because they want a drill; instead, they buy a drill because they want a hole."' If you're in the construction business, you do the best job you can, as efficiently and effectively as possible. Your computer system is there to help further these goals not because you love computers.
It's easy for those of us in the software business toe get caught up in the technology, such as operating systems and processors. But we need to keep in mind that these are just features of the "drill."' We need to stay focused on the "hole" - that is, the benefits to construction companies of using computers. For example, the computer system should help your people do their jobs better and should provide meaningful project management information.
The final measure of Windows-based accounting and project management software will be whether it helps construction companies work smarter and better. Judging from the results of other areas of the software industry, this will almost certainly be the case. [BP]
Back to Headline News