Anyone for new software?

[P4dstar]

If your van has a 'standard' din type stereo you can change then for Android/Car Play with wireless connection.

I’ve spotted they do some screens now that don’t need full installation. Sort of plug and play along side the main system. Always wondered how well they would work

 

[ched999uk]

I’ve spotted they do some screens now that don’t need full installation. Sort of plug and play along side the main system. Always wondered how well they would work

I've seen some youtube vids on them and they seem OK. Some of them appear to be android devices and others can run apple car play or Android auto. Not really sure of the differences.
I bought a JVC KW-M785DBW from Halfords which does wireless Android Auto and Apple carplay. Seems to work very well. I don't need to plug my phone into a cable to connect it which is great as I have a rugged phone that has a bung covering the port (wireless charging) so I never need to compromise the water resistance.

 

[Iron Giant]

If your van has a 'standard' din type stereo you can change then for Android/Car Play with wireless connection.

Yes, mate it is, I have been tempted to buy one, but we need to upgrade security on our new van which is almost eyewatering, so money is getting ploughed into that as a priority.

 

[robmorgan]

Think it's clear who the van tech geeks are here I'll know where to come when I need help testing the Android Auto/Apple Carplay feature! Will be a fun thing to work on!

Hijacking my own thread here!

Thanks to everyone who's signed up to the Overture beta so far! Really good mix of single and multi-van on mostly CP and Squeegee but also some George and Excel, even a few pen and paper which is great!

ICYMI on the previous page of banter (who said forums are dead ) here's the link again:

https://beta.overture.app/sign-up

Early access from 1 April
Exclusive lifetime discount offer when we launch in June
Private feedback and ideas forum coming next week!

 

[Iron Giant]

I’ve sat all of my chaps through the training. Genuinely none of them have ever found it helpful. It’s a complicated app when you break down all of the different functions. If half of those functions were in sub sections only to be used by people who need them it would be much easier to talk them through the basics. Following a route, closing jobs etc. you’ve got for example “expenses, expense categories, chart of accounts, payments & reporting” all under one category. I’m not suggesting taking this away (although I do think a couple of those belong in together also), im suggesting that could be under one sub heading and thus not confuse people who never use that section.

You helped explain things to me as did another 1-2 members in the past, it was far too confusing for me and not easily navigable

 

[P4dstar]

You helped explain things to me as did another 1-2 members in the past, it was far too confusing for me and not easily navigable

Honestly I have found it much easier than CP. I tried that and it felt like software. Squeegee felt like an app... I don't know if that description makes sense or not but basically I feel like Squeegee builds around you and you build around CP. Squeegee have listened to feedback and developed to match peoples requests. The issue for some is they have developed too much which is where the thought that there is too much going on comes from maybe.

 

[Iron Giant]

Honestly I have found it much easier than CP. I tried that and it felt like software. Squeegee felt like an app... I don't know if that description makes sense or not but basically I feel like Squeegee builds around you and you build around CP. Squeegee have listened to feedback and developed to match peoples requests. The issue for some is they have developed too much which is where the thought that there is too much going on comes from maybe.

Probably back when CP came online it was what I needed and got used to, I am a bit more used to apps as we all are these days, but it has to be pretty much straight out of the box very easy to use and navigate, which I didn't feel Squeegee was and probably isn't

Maybe it was built by the likes of people the MOD have in undisclosed underground locations walking around in socks and sandals

 

[robmorgan]

That's interesting @P4dstar - do you mean CP pushed you to do things a certain way, whereas Squeegee is more open-ended?

Definitely looks a tad bloated at this point, perhaps to the detriment of usability. I'm all for carefully selected and integrated features that make your life easier, but sometimes too many features can have the opposite effect. And if you also have software (app/whatever - I do get ya ) that is very open-ended, with no intrinsic workflow to guide you, it can all end up very confusing and hard to get going with.

CP might not be perfect, but it was built from the ground up with input from window cleaners (single and multi-van), even before I started building it. Same will be the case with Overture. I get the impression (could be wrong) Squeegee was designed in a vacuum and released to the industry as a "superior app", and only then did they start listening to feedback, though more on features (good for marketing) than making the core functionality as smooth, reliable and easy to use as possible.

 

[robmorgan]

But look, both apps are pretty old at this point. CP was built in early 2014, and Squeegee's foundations were set a couple of years later. Things have moved on (or rather they should have!) Squeegee certainly has a shopping list of features on their pricing page but has the core software really moved on? In terms of how it looks, feels and works, since it launched? Doesn't much look like it to me but I could be wrong.

 

[robmorgan]

That all being said! Choice is a good thing, and I suspect (hope!) what I build will suit some people but not everyone, and that's ok. And perhaps it will be good for Squeegee to have some competition pushing them forward in the areas that matter

 

[ched999uk]

Things have moved on (or rather they should have!) Squeegee certainly has a shopping list of features on their pricing page but has the core software really moved on? In terms of how it looks, feels and works, since it launched? Doesn't much look like it to me but I could be wrong.

One of my pet hates is when apps change their user interface for no apparent reason. OK so I know sometimes they do it just to freshen things up but in doing so they make all the existing users learn to use it all over again.
I'm not saying after release you shouldn't change things if people want them but please don't change the interface too often

 

[robmorgan]

@ched999uk good point. The key phrase there is "for no apparent reason". There has to be a good reason to justify it. But probably, after 8-10 years, there will be some good reasons, if only because user interfaces, like any technology, move on. We come up with better ways of doing things, and those ways become the standard people expect from using other modern apps, and if you don't move with those standards, you become clunky and unintuitive, especially for new users.

The flip side to what you're saying is, as a developer, you sometimes know your app is getting a bit dated and clunky, but you're worried about changing it because you might lose users. So the app doesn't move forward on a fundamental usability level, you just keep piling on more features and it becomes more and more bloated and confused instead.

I was at this crossroads with CP and it factored into my decision to move on at the time. I wanted to completely reinvent it, but I knew the existing users loved it how it was, and it felt like a rebuild would be a roll of the dice. Then Squeegee came along with something fresh which sort of forced my hand.

In hindsight it was the wrong decision. I should have been brave and rebuilt it into something better. There would have been some fallout I'm sure, but ultimately it would have been better for users and the business to move forward rather than stagnate.

But I don't disagree, changing the UI (or "rebranding" ) every 5 minutes just for the heck of it = no no! Bugs me too

 

[ks789]

oh wow what a skullache, I'll stick to my pen and paper accounts as long as I can. As a one man band, roughly 300 customers, I find it a doddle. Hopefully come the future when things get really stupid I'll have finished. Dont like the tech world much. utube on tv is handy but I dont like keep having to update/change and keep having to learn new things every bloomin month. Lifes too short and all that stresses me out, I know some are like a duck to water with stuff like that but not me

 

[P4dstar]

That's interesting @P4dstar - do you mean CP pushed you to do things a certain way, whereas Squeegee is more open-ended?

Definitely looks a tad bloated at this point, perhaps to the detriment of usability. I'm all for carefully selected and integrated features that make your life easier, but sometimes too many features can have the opposite effect. And if you also have software (app/whatever - I do get ya ) that is very open-ended, with no intrinsic workflow to guide you, it can all end up very confusing and hard to get going with.

CP might not be perfect, but it was built from the ground up with input from window cleaners (single and multi-van), even before I started building it. Same will be the case with Overture. I get the impression (could be wrong) Squeegee was designed in a vacuum and released to the industry as a "superior app", and only then did they start listening to feedback, though more on features (good for marketing) than making the core functionality as smooth, reliable and easy to use as possible.

I think the best comparison is the eBay app. If I use the eBay app it is simple but limited in what it does. It’s quick and easy. The Squeegee app feels like that. If I use the eBay desktop version it’s fine when I’m at a computer but not on my phone. It’s clunky and takes longer. That’s what CP felt like. If CP had been narrowed into an easily usable app I think I would have got on with it.

 

[DJT]

@robmorgan
I'd love to see api ability for 3rd party apps such as nice job.
Wattsapp integration would be brilliant
Also able to talk to xero as discussed previously.
As daft as it sounds I'd like to be able to colour code different rounds. So pressure washing jobs were red, gutters, green, windows blue. Some people's nightmare but I'm a visual person and the ability would be good.

 

[Iron Giant]

oh wow what a skullache, I'll stick to my pen and paper accounts as long as I can. As a one man band, roughly 300 customers, I find it a doddle. Hopefully come the future when things get really stupid I'll have finished. Dont like the tech world much. utube on tv is handy but I dont like keep having to update/change and keep having to learn new things every bloomin month. Lifes too short and all that stresses me out, I know some are like a duck to water with stuff like that but not me

You seem a bit like me, I don't like change as some things can stress me right out, which is my own doing as things shouldn't bug me as much as they do,

 

[robmorgan]

I think the best comparison is the eBay app. If I use the eBay app it is simple but limited in what it does. It’s quick and easy. The Squeegee app feels like that. If I use the eBay desktop version it’s fine when I’m at a computer but not on my phone. It’s clunky and takes longer. That’s what CP felt like. If CP had been narrowed into an easily usable app I think I would have got on with it.

Yeah I get it, though I hear many say the same about Squeegee "tried it but didn't get on with it", "too confusing" etc.

Someone put it very insightfully in an email to me the other day (I'm sure he won't mind me quoting anonymously ):

"I have trialled squeegee several times and am currently doing so and it's like they have reinvented the wheel and then added loads of screens and features that really aren't needed for window cleaning, we scrub panes of glass, we're not scientists! There's also some basic features that CP has that they don't, which seems bizarre given that it's a newer system."

Different strokes/folks I guess, though as I say, both apps/software are pretty dated at this point and could use an overhaul, especially around usability. Features yes, but I think it's clear simplicity is the one thing that everyone wants.

 

[robmorgan]

@robmorgan
I'd love to see api ability for 3rd party apps such as nice job.
Wattsapp integration would be brilliant
Also able to talk to xero as discussed previously.
As daft as it sounds I'd like to be able to colour code different rounds. So pressure washing jobs were red, gutters, green, windows blue. Some people's nightmare but I'm a visual person and the ability would be good.

Right, back to features

Great suggestions @DJT And all simple and obviously useful/valuable stuff rather than features for feature's sake!

API - I resisted this back in the CP days but nowadays I think it's a MUST, as more people know what an API is (allows you to connect apps together, perhaps via Zapier to really open options up) and there are so many cool things you can do if you're inclined towards automation, e.g. link your lead gen (website quote form, or marketing service like NiceJob) directly to your CRM so the leads fly in to the planner and are automatically flagged for quoting. No need to manually enter the details into the CRM yourself.

WhatsApp integration - absolutely, needs looking into, but these days, I'd hazard a guess that 80%+ people use and prefer to message via WhatsApp. Just did a quick Google on this, and looks like we can plug in to their business API to automate it (similar to TextLocal etc). There will be a cost to do this but it looks like it will be closer to 0.5p per message, i.e. around 85% cheaper than SMS (3.6p/message on Squeegee I think? can't remember on CP).

Xero/MTD integration - has to happen. Xero (and maybe QuickBooks?) path for VAT reg'd guys with accountants, direct MTD for smaller guys who file their own self assessments.

Round colour-coding - "last but by no means least!" love this, was requested a few times for CP but I didn't get to it. I will this time as I totally agree. Just being able to eyeball your planner and gauge the workload for different services would be really useful. Quite possibly Squeegee has this to be fair? But yeah I think it's an essential for a decent visual planner. That and being able to filter your planner by service, round, user etc, and customise what details appear on it.

 

[robmorgan]

You seem a bit like me, I don't like change as some things can stress me right out, which is my own doing as things shouldn't bug me as much as they do,

Thought for the day right there @Iron Giant

 

[P4dstar]

Xero/MTD integration - has to happen. Xero (and maybe QuickBooks?) path for VAT reg'd guys with accountants, direct MTD for smaller guys who file their own self assessments.

We currently record every sale across to Quickbooks as a sales receipt. We run on cash accounting which I think most window cleaners would. Squeegee has tried to replace Quickbooks but I prefer to keep accounts on Quickbooks and the round planning on Squeegee for 2 reasons. One is that my accountant would have no interest in learning my software. It's a great idea if I'm going to present him with a report but currently he just logs in to my Quickbooks and does everything he needs to. The second is, should HMRC ever choose us for an audit they know how to navigate Quickbooks. They could make all sorts of assumptions on software they don't understand.

 

[robmorgan]

We currently record every sale across to Quickbooks as a sales receipt. We run on cash accounting which I think most window cleaners would. Squeegee has tried to replace Quickbooks but I prefer to keep accounts on Quickbooks and the round planning on Squeegee for 2 reasons. One is that my accountant would have no interest in learning my software. It's a great idea if I'm going to present him with a report but currently he just logs in to my Quickbooks and does everything he needs to. The second is, should HMRC ever choose us for an audit they know how to navigate Quickbooks. They could make all sorts of assumptions on software they don't understand.

Does Squeegee have an integration with QuickBooks or do you copy everything across manually?

I'd argue that you need both. Sales receipts in Xero/QB and a complete (all-time) nitty-gritty clean history in your round management software so you/accountant/HMRC (if ever audited ) can dig into the detail/context if they need to.

That's why I built CP to be rock-solid on the transaction/reporting front. The guys who've been on their a decade can still go back and see what the note was on a clean back in 2014 if they need to. Extreme example but you get my point.

To be fair those reports for bigger/older accounts might be getting a bit slow by now, but we'll put an end to that in Overture - speed will be the same (fast) regardless of account size/age. No excuse for slow down with modern tech.