Alpha for Invoicing or other program

[Jill Bery]

We are using Alpha four unfortunately the billing for our company needs to fall into 5 different categories. A database programmer as well as a local Alpha 5 programmer has recommended using a off the shelf program (such as Quickbooks) to generate all of our invoices. They said that the basic templates available in such a off the shelf program would addresss our needs. Does any one have any input regarding this or any knowledge on the ease or difficulty involved in exporting information from Alpha to another program for invoicing?

Thanks in advance for your time.
Jill

[Howard Elkes]

RE: Alpha for Invoicing or other program

Jill:

Alpha Four can export to many different formts. To see what they are, at the main menu of any database, select Utilities, Export Data. You'll be presented with the Data Export Menu screen listing the formats that Alpha Four can create. If one of the formats is what is required for your proposed program, you've got it made.

Exporting is a very simple process.

Howard R. Elkes

[Mike Konoff]

RE: Alpha for Invoicing or other program

I don't understand what you mean by "5 different categories".

That might be why I don't understand why Alpha Four won't work for you. I used Alpha Four to do the billing for my business. Works fine.

Can you provide more detail to explain "why" it's won't work for you?

Mike

[Jill Bery]

RE: Alpha for Invoicing or other program

Thank you very much for this information.

I'll check it out.
Jill

[Jill Bery]

RE: Alpha for Invoicing or other program

Mike,

Very good question! We provide service for Real Estate Agents. Examples of our different billing categories:

First category "Agent bi-monthly". Agents receive a invoice bi-monthly for new and for unpaid previous services, these invoices are generated by agents name and the alphabet is spread out to repeat twice a month, i.e. on July 5th invoice A-B, 6th invoice C-E, 10th invoice F-I, 11th invoice J, 12th invoice K-M, 13th N-R, 17th invoice S-Z. This would repeat on the last half of the month as well.

Second category "Agent 30 day". I create these in the middle of the month (after I complete the bi-monthly the first time thru alphabet and before the second time thru the alphabet). Create one invoice per agent for the previous months service.

Third category "Office". The second business day of the month we create one invoice for every agent in that office for services provided the previous month.


Fourth category "Company" On the first business day of the month we create 1 invoice for the entire company which includes; every agent of every office, for services in the prior month. This invoice must be separated by agent name, office and give grand total, prints out details as well as exports information to be e-mailed to Company.

Fifth category "Credit Card Monthly" On the third business day of the month invoices are created for agents that want the past months services to be charged to their credit card. When setting up this billing for the agent they have the option of us billing their credit card with no receipt, or bill their credit card and send/fax details of charges.

There's actually a 6th category but I'm sure this gives you an idea that our clients fall into many different categories for billing. Currently our programmer has set up our Alpha 4 to address the different categories, but falls short on tracking over payments, allows no changes to be made once invoice is created i.e. agent should of been billed $25 not $35, after creating and printing new invoices for a specific category I than select past due for the same category and those are printed out on a separate sheet which are than sorted and stapled together. We can not create invoices that fall into different categories on the same day i.e. if I created bi-monthly agent invoices for agents A-B, I could not create credit card monthly invoices on the same day.

I was told that a separate billing software package would allow me more flexibility in the short falls listed above.

ANY INPUT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED

Jill

[tcampb]

RE: Alpha for Invoicing or other program

In your original post you say that you are already using alpha4. What are you using it for if not invoicing?

It seems to me it would be not difficult for an alpha4 hot shot to write what you want. Not difficult but not cheap either. So, if you can get bt with a $200 off the shelf package, as opposed to spending 10 or 20k to have a custom package written...

BTW, you don't work for LJS do you?

[Jill Bery]

RE: Alpha for Invoicing or other program

Tom,

You are correct, we do use Alpha 4 and currently it is used to track all the agents orders, generate reports, schedules, payroll and invoicing.

Regarding your inquiry if you are referring to LJS Sign Company I do not work for them.

Thank you very much for your response.

Jill