Software Solutions

ArborGold Software

Cost: $3,275; $595 for each additional user.

Training/support: Includes the company installing the software and support through remote assistance, telephone support, chat support and access to live webinar class training. 

• ArborGold Software offers database management designed specifically for tree, lawn and landscape companies to efficiently manage your customers from the initial phone call to proposals, scheduling, invoicing, receiving payments and posting to QuickBooks.
• Features include an appointment scheduler, directions map, and built-in landscape CAD designer.   
• Live web access for salespeople and crews. 

For more information: www.arborgold.com

Cabinet NG

Cost: Software purchase: $995- $1,395 per user (local server); software subscription: $50 per user per month (hosted server).

Training/support: Online training is included and on site training is available for $5,000 for two days. Fee includes expenses and travel. Tech support and software maintenance is included with subscription services and the first year of software purchase.

• Multiple workers can simultaneously review job documents and have access to all relevant documentation.
• Contracts, site plans, and other business documents can be reviewed, edited and approved without ever leaving the system.
• Search features include: structural search, keyword and document title search and full text search.

For more information: www.cabinetng.com

CLIP

Cost: The CLIPxe Partner Program is $499 up front and then $80 per month. This includes unlimited technical support, all updates and upgrades and 1 license for the CLIP2Go web mobile solution.

Training/support: Training is provided through printed manuals, electronic manuals, training videos, live online classes, live online webinars, live support, optional onsite training and the company’s annual conference.

• CLIP contains contact management software with all of your customer’s information and history of all services rendered.
• CLIPxe works with QuickBooks, cell phones and web-based technology to keep track of your crews and to update field work for rescheduling, billing and revenue tracking. 
• CLIP2Go allows you to take information from CLIPxe and take it out into the field with you.

For more information: www.clip.com

Epicor Eagle

Cost: Not disclosed

Training/support: Onsite business assessments, web-based, CD and Epicor Eagle Advice Line – specialists focus in one particular area of expertise.

• Epicor Eagle for lawn and garden management software assists independent lawn and garden businesses in managing their operations through point of sale, inventory management, gift card and loyalty programs, financials, purchasing, payroll and marketing.
• The lawn and garden management software and point of sale system is designed to streamline and facilitate company growth to meet the needs of that expanding businesses.
• The basic Eagle system encompasses the company’s point of sale and integrated inventory applications.
• Other common startup options include integrated accounting, electronic signature processing, and support for credit/debit cards.

For more information: www.epicor.com

GPS Insight

Cost: Hardware costs about $375 per vehicle and typical monthly service cost is $32.95 per vehicle. To rent, the cost is $39.95 per month per vehicle for both the hardware and service cost combined.

Training/support: GPS Insight offers 24/7 support and free unlimited training for customers.

• Using Garmin integration with the company’s GPS Insight software, supervisors are able to promptly dispatch their drivers without any hassle. Through the Garmin technology, managers can send and receive messages via the Garmin itself or through SMS text messaging.
• GPS Insight gives supervisors the capability to track start and stop times of employee shifts for the day, where they are, how many stops they made and how many jobs were completed.
• GPS Insight offers 3-year vehicle history and reporting standard, and allows you to provide your customers with the option to log-in online and locate vehicles.

For more information: www.gpsinsight.com/landscaping   

GroundsKeeper Pro

Cost: $399

Training/support: 30 days of free support with purchase then optional annual Silver support plan that costs $75.

• GroundsKeeper Pro is specialized business management software for the lawn, landscaping and snow plowing industries.
• Includes billing / invoicing with your own logo, routing, scheduling, estimating, contracts, income & expense reporting, chemical application tracking & reporting and maintaining customer accounts and balances. 
• Can apply fuel surcharge fees to customers, apply time and materials fees to customers, run an automated wizard to quickly apply all charges in schedules / routes / estimates to customers, plus charge unique hourly rates for different machinery and services.

For more information: www.adkad.com.

HindSite

Cost: $495

Training/support: HindSite requires a small startup charge to go through a training program where you work with a “Prof,” the experts on the software.  After this, there is a monthly fee based on the number of crews you will be scheduling – this starts at $99 per month. This monthly subscription also includes ongoing access to the program, unlimited training and support and all future updates made to the program. 

• Focuses on contact management, scheduling and routing technicians, paperless data management and direct integration into your accounting software. 
• Billing can be done automatically by date.
• Allows tracking of which customers received what services.

For more information: www.hindsitesoftware.com

Include Software

Cost: The base system for Asset starts at $5,000 with licensing based on concurrent use, and iCREWtek is priced at $20 per crew per month.

Training/support: Multiple training and support packages are available directly from Include and industry consultants.

• Eliminates time-consuming spreadsheets, redundant data entry..
• Asset can be combined with iCREWtek, an optional iPhone/iPad touch-based tool that provides real-time job control directly from the field.
• iCREWtek includes features such as a real-time clock in/out, GPS tracking, equipment management, English/Spanish translation and full data recording for insurance and legal documentation.

For more information:www.include.com

Real Green

Cost: Not disclosed

Training/Support: On-site training, toll-free support line, on-line support, update downloads and much more.

• Service Assistant Software is designed for any service company that needs to track customer accounts, services, billing, scheduling and much more.
• The Customer Assistant is an online application for customers to access information about their services, pay their bills online and respond more efficiently to promotional efforts.
• Measurement Assistant, Real Green’s integrated online measuring tool, allows users to instantly print or e-mail proposals with high definition property pictures.
• Route total window allows users to flag what your new stops are, what customers are past due, your “as soon as possible” customers and those who need extra care.

For more information: www.realgreen.com

ServiceTask

Cost: Free: 1 user, 10 customers, unlimited jobs; $24/month: 1 user, unlimited customers, unlimited jobs; $49/month unlimited users, customers and jobs.

Training/Support: Customers receive e-mails asking about the experience with the product and if they have any questions. Help center is open 24/7 and a live demo can be arranged. 

• Quickly view a summarized list of all jobs for the day and all recent activity in a live feed.
• Users can set a due date for every note created for a customer and can even choose a time to send an e-mail reminder.
• Quickly schedule jobs by using drag and drop, you can either change the order of jobs for a crew, or move them to another one.

For more information: www.servicetask.com/features

Xora StreetSmart

Cost: Pricing is based on a wireless carrier service model and varies based on carrier and number of users. Average cost is about $1 per user per day.

Training/Support: For customers who purchase the software for five or more employees the company offers a dedicated training person assigned to your account, a customized training program based on your objectives and individual live training.

• Xora StreetSmart consists of a suite of configurable mobile apps and a web-based management application that work together to help you manage your mobile workforce.
• The apps turn any mobile device into a productivity tool.
• The management application lets managers and office personnel analyze performance.

For more information: www.xora.com