Signs of the Times - July 2013 - (Page 36)

TECHNOLOGY REVIEW By Chris and Kathi Morrison Chris and Kathi Morrison own and operate The Image Specialists, a full-service graphics company based in Clements, CA. Chris is also a Microsoft-certified systems engineer. TradeSoft, Inc.’s ProjectPAK and ShopPAK Software This business software streamlines your shop’s daily activities. Today,big-company trends and small-business operators follow strive to manage a leaner, more profitable shop, but many owners and managers don’t have time to analyze their shop’s secondary operations. Tradesoft’s shop-automation software, in single use or networked form, helps you control and analyze your entire operation. Further, it’s easily customized to fit your shop needs – you can add or change features as you go along. The software package comprises two components – ProjectPAK, for pre-production side, and ShopPAK, which handles the work-management, production side. ProjectPAK ProjectPAK is a malleable system designed to handle one-off or multiple projects. Its adaptable architecture eases your estimating processes, because, in addition to processing new data, it allows you to access a data library that’s continuously and ever-expandingly developed from your present and previous entries. The database comprises customers, vendors, sub-contractors, contacts, product specifications, notes, reminders, labor, materials and more. When networked, you can Key Information TradeSoft, Inc. 3225 Shallowford Rd., Ste. 330 Marietta, GA 30062 (800) 289-6326, www.tradesoftinc.com Contact: Russ Wheelock, president, (770) 579-9096, sales@tradesoftinc.com share data with other stations. ProjectPAK makes it easy to bid, and later manage, change orders. It will produce breakout reports, so you can analyze your costs by material, labor, library-item usage and vendor assignments. ShopPAK Once a contract is signed, the ShopPAK software, on your command, converts the bid information into a work order that’s then accompanied by material-requirement lists and other relevant information. At that point, also, the system reserves in-shop material or generates material purchase orders for your signature. System Requirements Tradesoft’s ProjectPAK and ShopPAK Software In-shop, data-collection workstation Microsoft Windows 8, 7, Vista, Server 2008, Server 2003, XP, 2000 (32 or 64 bit) Microsoft Windows 8, 7, Vista, Server 2008, XP, 2000 (32 or 64 bit) Processor 2.0 Ghz processor (3.0 Ghz or higher recommended) 500 Mhz processor or higher RAM 2 GB of random-access memory (4 GB or higher recommended) 512 MB of random-access memory (1 GB or higher is recommended) 2 GB of free disk space 100 MB of free disk space Operating System Hard Drive 36 SIGNS OF THE TIMES / JULY 2013 / www.signweb.com The system also job synchronizes work-order transactions, which provide costing and tracking data at each job level. You can see which jobs are on budget and which are in trouble. At your fingertips, also, is automatically updated work-process information, shop scheduling, material, labor/margin pricing, job-specification sheets, material usage, job status, completion percentage and other collected and generated job data. As often happens, there is too much for us to list. Our shop is like any other. We’re always seeking better systems and higher profits. We’ve learned that quick and accurate bid presentations put you first in line, and that shop knowledge, inventory controls and costing allow you to bank more cash. By providing quicker, keener and more accurate information, we believe TradeSoft’s automation software will improve a shop’s competitive position. Other than the single-user ProjectPAK system, the software requires a client-based server system. The system’s requirements may expand on a per-station basis, because, as shop requirements vary, so will the requirements. In normal use, the dual system requires a ProjectPAK/ShopPAK net-client database server that, essentially, is a combined peerto-peer, dedicated server with specifications that, at least, match the system requirements. http://www.tradesoftinc.com http://www.tradesoftinc.com http://www.signweb.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - July 2013

Signs of the Times - July 2013
Contents
ST Update
Technology Update
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Commercial
Lighting Techniques
The Moving Message
Technology Review
Technology Review
Design Matters
New Products
Vehicle Graphics Contest Entry Form
Public Displays of Affection
Electric-Sign Company 1 on 1’s
Screenprinting for Signmakers
A Century of Going Places
Industry News
Advertising index
Editorially speaking

Signs of the Times - July 2013