Client Documentation

JoelM

JoelM

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I have searched and found a few references but they don't seem to be what we are looking for.

We are a small 2 tech IT firm. We have been using Evernote for client documentation. Due to the shaky future of Evernote we want to move away from them. We don't really want to spend $40/mo just for documentation.
I know some are using their RMM for this but we are using NinjaRMM and it doesn't have this option that we are aware of and many of our clients are still break/fix.

What helpful suggestions can you make to help us.
 
We previously used OneNote and I liked it.

We now use a custom SharePoint site but to be honest I preferred OneNote for it's simplicity. I loved being able to just hit tab and auto-create a table or take a photo with my phone and have it go directly into OneNote.

I'm slowly working on convincing everyone to switch back ;)
 
I was looking into trying OneNote. The issue I am having is I have an older MacBook Pro that will only support up to El Capitan which is Mac OS 10.11
I cannot find a download of OneNote that will work with it. When I got to the App Store the only one note that appears there tells me I must have 10.12 or later to install it.
If someone can point me to a version of OneNote I can install I would like to try it out.
 
JoelM said:
I was looking into trying OneNote. The issue I am having is I have an older MacBook Pro that will only support up to El Capitan which is Mac OS 10.11
I cannot find a download of OneNote that will work with it. When I got to the App Store the only one note that appears there tells me I must have 10.12 or later to install it.
If someone can point me to a version of OneNote I can install I would like to try it out.
Click to expand...
You could try the online version.
 
JoelM said:
I have searched and found a few references but they don't seem to be what we are looking for.

We are a small 2 tech IT firm. We have been using Evernote for client documentation. Due to the shaky future of Evernote we want to move away from them. We don't really want to spend $40/mo just for documentation.
I know some are using their RMM for this but we are using NinjaRMM and it doesn't have this option that we are aware of and many of our clients are still break/fix.

What helpful suggestions can you make to help us.
Click to expand...

I am looking into this as well. I am a one person shop but, on occasion send another local tech out if I am on vacation etc. It would be nice to be able to share notes with them if needed.

Bigger than that for me is actually organizing the notes. I have physical notebooks, which have served me well. As I continue to grow, I know I need a better solution. I like the idea of OneNote because of the cost but also see some good reviews on Evernote. What is the "shaky future" you mentioned with Evernote?

What I forsee using most:
*Notes on daily tasks for clients. I will reference this for billing purposes as well as a reference in the future. Ease of access and input are important.

*I usually think of organizing in terms of "miscellaneous" clients which include individuals and solopreneurs who I see maybe a few times per year into one shared "notebook".
***How does OneNote vs Evernote handle an entry in terms of searchability, mobility (move to another area) etc?

*Then there are business clients who I see more frequently and/or have more computers/unique setup etc. and I want to have their own separate "notebook". If someone transitions from Miscellaneous to their own "notebook", does OneNote or Evernote handle that better?

*Searching through all notes can be important as well since issues can surface in multiple environments.

*It may be nice to have an area for fixes to known issues.

*Password protection is important as some notes will include passwords.

*Ability to share one portion with someone.

*Ability to import/export data should the need arise, having to move to another option or upgrading to notes inside RMM for future growth.
 
We use MSecure - desktop + phone app. Basically, it's Evernote with encryption...so organizing the data for any particular client is ugly. We have outgrown it, but moving to another platform is a big project. We have Repairshopr, but I haven't convinced myself this is a good idea yet for client docs. We need access while in the field regardless of internet connection status. Once I get frustrated enough to look at this seriously, I'll scope out OneNote - somewhere on TN there is a sample notebook that some kind soul uploaded - it looked really nice.

Whatever the solution, it needs to be encrypted, support 2FA & etc. I'm don't think I'm ready for the expense of ITGlue yet, but that seems to be the pinnacle of this category.
 
I know some places use BookStack or wiki.js. Confluence would be fairly cheap with your user count, but Atlassian is Australian based

I would store passwords seperately
 
Confluence :) $10 flat rate for self hosted you can add draw.io for basic diagrams for cheap as well. Up to 10 users






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
So as a recap of some of the options (all with monthly pricing if provided):
  • ITGlue, sometimes considered the canonical example for client documentation. $495 activation/setup/integration/training? fee, minimum of $37/month (single Enterprise account), $74/month for 2, $95/month for up to 5 "basic" accounts with reduced features. Can integrate with a PSA, but I'm not sure what exact data it receives (tickets? system information?)
  • ITBoost, which has been cropping up on ChannelPro and possibly some other places recently. Lists integrations with a bunch of PSAs and RMMs, with more (including backups) listed as on the way. Focus is on their dashboard. Website is very finicky on my locked down Firefox, even though nothing's being blocked. $85/month for up to 5 basic plan users or $111/month for up to 3 Premium plan users. No activation fee that I see
  • IT Portal/siportal.com, lists a bunch of RMM and PSA integrations. Pricing from $20/mo (paid annually) for 1 user or $15-19/mo/user for 2+, has an on-premises option for 5+ users which is $60-90/month ($12-15-18/user).
  • Confluence or other wiki-based software, which can be inexpensive or free but I can't help but wonder how much extra cost there will be for time spent configuring and managing it. Depending on the choice, can certainly be self-hosted.
  • OneNote (or SharePoint?) - probably free for most of us because we're already paying for it as part of Office365 subscriptions of one sort or another, but may also have some of the same concerns as Confluence or a wiki. Evernote is basically the same, but would be a separate subscription and the company has seemed to be on a downward path for some time (probably coasting on long-time customers with too much inertia to move). No self-hosted options here.
 
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