3 December 2015

Depot 101

Between first contact on a new project and the closing invoice there can be a significant amount of information that needs tracked; often over several months. At other times, a job might be requested, completed and invoiced within 30 minutes.

As the information structure for Depot was considered, it was obvious that flexibility would be important. But if the flexibility was to benefit anyone, clarity and simplicity were vital.

The necessity for a clear flow of data and communication created a structure of four interlocking strands: Connect, Execute, Finance and Analyse 

Connect

Contact details, notes, estimates, proposals and quotations are all filed and ordered here for easy search and grouping with custom tags to track important leads.

Every Connection (and project) contains a journal to record communication, including inbound messages from other email accounts and comments from your team.

Execute

Once a deal has been closed, proposals can be seamlessly converted into live projects for execution by the appointed team.

Detailed project briefs and overviews, along with task lists, keep everyone up to speed and on schedule; while the timesheets keep billable (and un–billable) hours squarely on record.

Finance

Invoices, recurring invoices, reminders, payments, credit notes and statements are all controlled in Finance.

Once completed (or at key stages) a project can be used to raise an invoice. Final bills can be tailored, based on data carried forward from the proposal or the actual recorded time. 

Analyse

Key data from the other areas is visualised on the Stats dashboard for an instant overview. But the Reports panel allows you to drill down and create the detailed management reports you need.

So whether your work involves delicate negotiations, revisions, approvals and multiple changes or it’s a no nonsense flat fee invoiced in advance, Depot is ready to assist and keep your data in check.