What is the best tech support software designed for computer services businesses?
- Thread starter slgarza
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Excel
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Martyn
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Excel
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I agree. I've been trying out a few others but Excel is just so easy to use if you just want basic. I think of something else I want to add/track and just add another tab.
NeutronTech
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I got tired of not find a downloadable one too. I've been looking since I've started. Budget is kind of tight so that does limit me. All I keep finding are web based CRMs. Last night I started an Access database to handle all my work orders and keep track of what I do on each computer that comes in. After I enter the customer data I can then print out a work order with all my terms and signature lines. I finished it up today and it works quite well. I use Quickbooks online for my invoicing and accounting. I don't know enough about accounting to even begin to write a DB for it.
The only problem is that I didn't realize that Access databases didn't work on Linux. At least not the forms and reports I created. My office computer is Ubuntu. I have Virtual Box OSE running XP because Linux doesn't support QBO either. The problem is that I can't get my local network to work on my VM, so no printer ability. Until I figure it out I've been saving my invoices to my dropbox account then printing them off of the host OS. I don't know what I'm gonna do with my Access DB though. I thought about making a new one with OOo, but I don't much feel like it. I rather run it on my VM and try and get my printer working.
The only problem is that I didn't realize that Access databases didn't work on Linux. At least not the forms and reports I created. My office computer is Ubuntu. I have Virtual Box OSE running XP because Linux doesn't support QBO either. The problem is that I can't get my local network to work on my VM, so no printer ability. Until I figure it out I've been saving my invoices to my dropbox account then printing them off of the host OS. I don't know what I'm gonna do with my Access DB though. I thought about making a new one with OOo, but I don't much feel like it. I rather run it on my VM and try and get my printer working.
NeutronTech
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Is that what you print invoices with too? If so, do you have to make a new sheet for each customer?Excel
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ATTech
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MySQL, HTML/CSS, PHP, Apache
NeutronTech
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MySQL, HTML/CSS, PHP, Apache
Sadly I don't know enough about those to be of any use. I had considered taking my access database and making a web front end for it with an ODBC connection, but if I'm going to go through all that trouble I'm just going to rebuild teh database from scratch in Linux.
Learning experience I guess. Just kind of disheartening that I spent all that time on the Access dbase and now I'm going to have to build a completely new one.
4ycr
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If you want to download it to your machine try Vtiger or SugarCRM both will have more than you need and are free
Larry Sabo
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OOo Base will use Access databases and you can use whatever reports you created in Access if you change the field references, which is very easy to do. Not sure about QuickBooks but Quicken runs under Wine. I know it's not the online QB, but it may provide a migration path and you can usually pick up QB on eBay for a reasonable price.
ATTech
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There should be ways to essentially upload an access database to MySQL.. I haven't done it, but I'm fairly certain it's possible.
NeutronTech
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I know I can transfer the tables over to base, but the forms and reports do not transfer. Unless there is some way that I don't know of.
K007
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Access is what used to be called DBGo.
Microsoft bought it and added to it a Integrated Development Environment so you can design forms.
They have also integrated a compiler to compile the whole lot to .mdb
I doubt there is something that will reverse engineer the mdb and port it to another language like C++, C#, etc.
The database structure, yes, that can be done, but the forms, that's a tough one.
Edit:
and maybe the new Mircosoft Visual Studio, may do that from mdb to VB or C#, but you will have to look into it, 'cause I don't know for sure.
2nd edit.
OO is written in Java, so transferring the tables will mean to port the code to Java code.
You'll be better off doing it from scratch with OO
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NeutronTech
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I was able to export the tables to a CSV file than import that into Calc, then import that into base. But yea, the rest I'm doing from scratch. However, Access is a lot nicer in terms of form design. And adding input masks is difficult in base involving coding whereas in Access you just click and you got it.
MobileTechie
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quickbooks. nuff said
So how are you using QB for CRM?: tracking jobs and so on? I have it and it doesn't appear to do much at all in that way, say compared to Commit, TSMan or MHelpdesk
MobileTechie
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So could you describe how you go about that in the course of a job coming in and you noting it, then doing the job? Are you for instance using Estimates to enter the job or something?
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