It's amazing how
much software is required to manage and run a professional services company. In
addition to being good at architecting and developing client solutions, there
is all of the other business related "stuff."
I've been a user of
37signal's Backpack for quite awhile. We've used it extensively to organize aspects of previous
projects and I continue to be amazed by its usefulness.
We've now branched
out to use BaseCamp for the project management side of things as well. Again, it's very simple but
that's part of its elegance. What I'm very excited about is the use of
Cashboard in our operations. It's not a 37signals product, but it has certainly been
developed with that paradigm in mind (plus it also integrates very well with
BaseCamp.)
Cashboard is an
excellent tool for managing timesheets, estimates, invoices, and
accounting-related information. Best of all, it's accessible anywhere and that's a very good thing for people on the move.
We deal primarily
with Microsoft tools and it's been suggested that we "eat our own dog
food" by using Microsoft tools exclusively. Luckily the ALT.NET
movement is coming along nicely and people are realizing that it's best to use
the most appropriate solutions that the community has to offer regardless of
which company built the product.
… and the community
has a lot to offer. If you want to be amazed, take a look here
at the various issue tracking systems available. Tough choices but due dilligance has its rewards .
Richard Obuhowich