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KASPARS GRINVALDS - STOCK.ADOBE.COMH
aving a dedicated accounting and
project management software
platform is vital to help interior
design firms stay organized.
From creating proposals to handling product
purchase transactions, these programs can
do it all.
“I’d advise any firm to implement some
sort of project management software,” says
Michael Wegman, Principal and Co-owner
of Devon Grace Interiors. “It’s vital to any
business [that] wants to provide a professional
experience for their clients. It’s very chal-
lenging to appear organized without it.”
Wegman uses Ivy at his firm, and he finds
the detailed invoice creation, profit and
markup tracking, billable time tracking, sales
tax reporting and direct client payment portal
to be the program’s most useful features.
Many of the programs on the market today do
all of these things, but there are still items to
consider when selecting a platform.IN THE CLOUD
Today, most project management programs
are cloud-based, which offers ample benefits
over physical software. It’s a more reliable
means of data management than physical
storage, and it streamlines collaboration.
“We want all our software to run in the cloud
and be easily accessible online,” Wegman says.
“Ease of use and quick ramp up were also
extremely important as we’re growing very
quickly. Those features remain very important.
Cloud software is here to stay.”DATA TRANSPARENCY & SECURITY
These programs are collaborative, with
multiple parties involved in a project able
to contribute. However, this level of collab-
oration can be a concern when company
financial information is easily accessible by
collaborators.
Angelo Adamo, Partner and Creative
Director of Design Elemental, uses Design
Manager, which allows for multiple user
profiles with different permissions settings.
“Typically the office manager gets the access
to the accounting system, whereas the assistant
is entitled just to add SKU numbers, lead times,images, descriptions and
general notes, but they
aren’t entitled to get into
the nitty gritty of the
financial side.”CLIENT
EXPERIENCE
While firms use
these programs
to manage
projects on their
end, clients also
typically interact
with them. Ivy’s Room
Boards feature allows
designers to compile
products by room to
present a complete design
vision. Clients can view these
boards, approve or decline
products, and — after the designer
creates an invoice — pay for them.
Studio Designer allows clients to link Pinterest
boards to their project.
All of these platforms have client portals for
clients to view their proposals, view and pay
for products, and make payments. They allow
for easier communication between design
firms and clients.SALES TAX
Sales tax calculation is one problem many of
these software programs have yet to solve.
Sales tax varies by state, often by county, and
by goods and services. With so many variables
involved, it can quickly become confusing.
“Sales tax is quite open-ended. There’s
nothing easy about sales tax,” Adamo says.
“It would be beneficial if there was a smarter
product. For example, I’m in Michigan, so it
would understand the Michigan sales tax law,
and it would help me provide understanding of
if it’s labor, what type of labor, or if it’s freight,
what type of freight. It would give me direction
toward where I need to pay sales tax. Whereas
now you have to know everything beforehand
and then add in that information.” FLDBy Amy McIntoshPROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLBOX
Platforms at a Glance
IVY- $599-$1,499 per year
- Unlimited plan allows for unlimited users and
projects - Room Board feature allows designers to present
products by room for clients to approve and
purchase
http://www.ivy.co
DESIGN MANAGER- $39.99-$54.99 per user per month
- iPhone app offers time tracking and swipe-
through product presentations - Product Clipper tool allows users to source
products from a web browser
http://www.designmanager.com
STUDIO DESIGNER- $35-$45 per user per month
- Studio Capture feature adds product images and
descriptions from vendor websites to projects - Clients can link Pinterest boards to their projects
http://www.studiodesigner.com