Sage Timeslips alternatives?

[HCHTech]

I have an actuarial firm client that has been using Timeslips for about 20 years now, I'd guess. This is an expensive, buggy, poorly-supported software that unfortunately enjoys a large share of the market due to few competitors. Today, they received this email:

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Important information
Sage Timeslips Supported Versions
June 21, 2017
Audience

This notice is sent to provide information on the supported versions of Sage Timeslips.
Note: If you aren't the person who installs Sage Timeslips software, please forward this email to the appropriate person.

Supported Versions for Sage Timeslips

In an effort to continue providing high-level support of our Sage Timeslips product, we are changing our obsolescence policy. As of August 1, 2017, we will support the current and one prior year version of Sage Timeslips.

Pursuant to this policy, Sage will now offer support for Sage Timeslips Premium, 2018 and 2017 once Sage Timeslips 2018 is released in July 2017. After the 2018 version is released, we will no longer provide support for Sage Timeslips 2016 or earlier versions.

If you are currently using a version that will be unsupported, we encourage you to upgrade to one of the supported versions of the software.
Questions?
We're here to help! Call 800-285-0999 Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET for questions or more information.
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Something tells me this has less to do with [an effort to continue providing high-level support of our Sage Timeslips product] than it does with the Sage Corporation Revenue Enhancement Plan, 2017 ed.

The other major player in this space I've seen is TimeMatters, owned by LexisNexis. I have a few attorneys who use TimeMatters, and I don't think it's much better. Both of these are made for attorneys primarily, and are priced accordingly.

Does anyone have any good experience with a smaller player in this marketplace? My actuarial client has about 30 employees and uses the software solely to track employee time for billing purposes.

TIA

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Common trend with a lot of software in recent years....support only covers about one or two versions back.

Never seen TimeMatters outside of a law firm...guess cuz it's bundled under PCLaw
Where as TimeSlips has a foothold in other industries....Accounting being probably the largest group I see.

Although won't debate that it's expensive, I've never found it "buggy" or "poorly supported". Always had a good experience with support on the few times I've needed them.

 

[HCHTech]

Yeah, I suppose they're stuck - just a cost of doing business. The problems we have dealt with have never been fatal, just a continuing string of thorn-in-the-side issues. If someone is on their computer via RWW and runs Timeslips, for example, it "counts" as an additional user, so takes a license from the pool and never gives it back. We end up resetting the license count every other day or so to avoid the phone calls about not being able to log in because there isn't an available license. In this customer's case, they have 25 employees and have 30 licenses. This is a pain because to reset the license count, you have to boot everybody out of the software.

Here's another one, they have used a paradox database since forever, which bogs down when your slips database grows, promising there would be a SQL version "soon" for about 5 years now. Last year, the SQL version was finally released, and the 5-year cost was only 3X that of the paradox version. Awesome. It doesn't help that the client insists on keeping 5 years of slips in the active database. Probably 4 or 5 hundred thousand slips I'd guess.

We have a string of memorized registry keys that mysteriously get bolluxed up on random workstations and have to be reset. Support has told us this is a side effect of updating versions on the server a couple of times over the years. Their official resolution is for us to keep changing the keys when necessary until we get a new server. What. Even this resolution is suspect as there is somehow a memory of the previous server in the database because each new install has to be followed with changing yet another registry key to input the path to the new server name where the install inserted the path to the old serve. Support has been through our database and server settings 3 or 4 times without being able to resolve the issue.

So - while all of these are little problems, they contribute to the base level of frustration with the software on a weekly basis. I'm kinda glad Sage locks up support so you have to go through paid consultants - so that frustration doesn't end up getting aimed at me.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

I learned a while ago to "clean out the old" every couple of years when it's "upgrade time"....due to registry remnants. Backup database, fully uninstall old version(s), install new, setup with the database.

The "license issue" from remote desktop is due to lazy end users not closing TS before they lazily "click out" of RDP. Common enough issue with lots of software. I've had good luck showing end users how to properly log out of RDP/Terminal Server...by properly closing programs and fully logging out. Because when they do the lazy "click the X at the upper right" method..all that does is "lock workstation" to the session and leave apps running.

BUT...Sage has a utility that runs and will auto reset the license counter...it's recommended by them for terminal server setups.

Never needed Sage consultants for TimeSlips...but years ago for clients on MAS90, had a specialist I used. Back then (over 10 years ago) he was 350 bucks an hour.

 

[timeshifter]

This may not apply but I've been very happy with Tsheets for tracking my time.