Framing software

Allain Gallery

Grumbler in Training
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Sep 30, 2002
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Our framing software has gone belly up! I need to order a new software system ASAP. Please provide the pros and cons of the framing software packages currently in the marketplace. I would like a framing package that also includes point of sale capabilities. Please help!! All comments are appreciated!!!
 
If you search the archived posts (older than the default 10 days) you'll find a multitude of posts on the various programs and opinions thereof.

Jason.
 
What do you mean "belly up"? It absolutely can't be fixed?

If so, do you mind saying why or what the problem is with it?

It will take several weeks if you do a proper job of evaluating the various packages before determining which one best fills your needs. Then figure at least a couple more to get it installed, set up, and learned. You may be better off, if at all possible, to get the existing one "fixed".
 
Belly up as in system failure or as in the support company went under?

Two of the ones I see as leaders are:

www.specialtysoft.com
www.lifesaversoft.com

We use Lifesaver. It has some financial quirks but generally has the best looking/least confusing screens and reports IMO. Specialtysoft's product is very nice too and has some nice features I wish Lifesaver had. If only these two companies would merge


Mike
 
Allain,

As Jason has suggested, there is indeed a number of threads on this subject buried in the archives, including, POS Software

The Top Ten reasons we went with Specialty Soft at The Frame Workshop are</font>
  • The software is a full POS program in addition to being a custom framing pricing program!</font>
  • They provide more reports than anyone else.</font>
  • Weekly E-mail reminders of vendor updates - easy website downloads.</font>
  • Price flexibility including the ability to incorporate real overhead costs, configurator to price odd ball stuff like glass sizes, etc.</font>
  • Great support - and just really nice people from North Carolina!
    </font>
  • Interface with most all CMC's inlcuding our Fletcher-Terry F-6100.</font>
  • Real electronic ordering capabilities.</font>
  • Interface and connect with other software like Dymo label maker, QuickBooks.</font>
  • Integrity</font>
Regards,
John
 
Can anyone talk about QuickBooks integration? I do not have a POS yet, and I do not wish to enter receivables twice.
 
Less,

Most of the POS packages advertise that they interface with Quickbooks. That is a technically correct statement, but my experience has been that the data transferred using the interface is minimal at best. And the transferred data, though in a QB register, does not appear in QB generated reports. In defense of the POS vendors, I think that much of the problem with building a workable interface is that Intuit will not release the code that is necessary to build a fully functional interface.

I'd be willing to bet that you'll be manually entering receivables into QB. If there is a vendor whose interface is more robust, I'll take my foot out of my mouth and correct my statement.
 
I am the president of SEE-It Corporation developer of Custom Framer software www.artframer.com On the issue of integrating with other software packages the problem is not that they will not provide the code to do it. The problem is two fold, it is a moving target, developers are constantly making changes to their packages and there is a huge cost. You have to pay an annual fee of $1,000.00 to get access to the code (which is often getting old) then you have to pay your own programmers to continually update your code and you have to update the files of your user base. But your users are using many different versions of your program and many versions of the program that you want to interface with and they are using different operating systems. Add that complexity to the reality that the framing industry is relatively small and not as rich as many other industries.

You are better off keeping certain tasks seperate.
 
I have been using Fullcalc almost from the beginning. It does everything I want it to do, and lots more. From that standpoint it is good. BUT!!! The technical support is horrible, unless you just happen to luck out and get one guy in particular. The attitudes are just short of "why are you bothering us with this?" They are also not good at following through with promises. The updates are untimely, and I understand they still charge the vendors to update their lists. The yearly fee is getting outrageous. I am shopping for a new system, because of the above. I know they could care less about having my business, so maybe I can find someone who does.

Now, I feel better.
 
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