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BigTime Software

BigTime Software

Overview

What is BigTime Software?

BigTime IQ is time and expense tracking software from Chicago-based BigTime Software.

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

BigTime is a versatile software that users across various industries rely on for a wide range of purposes. Canadian Solar's Asset …
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Chat Review

9 out of 10
August 18, 2023
Incentivized
I required an expense report for no reimbursable items, [...] was very helpful in creating the report and providing suggestions for the …
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Simple enough, but not perfect.

7 out of 10
April 21, 2023
Our firm uses BigTime Software to track time and invoice clients. It integrates with our accounting system; however, it is not without …
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Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Reviewer Pros & Cons

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Pricing

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Essentials

$20

Cloud
User per Month

Advanced

$35

Cloud
User per Month

Premier

$45

Cloud
User per Month

Entry-level set up fee?

  • Setup fee optional
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://www.bigtime.net/pricing

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
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Product Details

What is BigTime Software?

BigTime helps accountants, architects, engineers, IT-services firms, scientific and management consultants budget, track, and bill their time.

BigTime is a system for project budgeting and planning, time and expense tracking, and invoicing/payments backed by reporting and analytics to take the guesswork out of utilization, capacity planning, and project profitability.

Dashboards, analytics, and standard reports help leadership teams focus on real-time numbers, eliminating the need for a web of offline spreadsheets or manual tools.

BigTime Software Features

  • Supported: Time Tracking
  • Supported: Resource Allocation
  • Supported: Expense Tracking
  • Supported: Project Management
  • Supported: Billing & Invoicing
  • Supported: Reporting
  • Supported: DCAA Timekeeping
  • Supported: Cloud Integration
  • Supported: Mobile App

BigTime Software Screenshots

Screenshot of BigTime Wallet provides clients with a personalized experience to pay on time from anywhere, in one click.Screenshot of A big-picture view into operational insights to make adjustments to how resources are managed.Screenshot of Real-time, actionable insights for professional services firms.Screenshot of The platform is designed to work within existing workflows and software stack, acting as a single source of truth for data.Screenshot of BigTime's invoicing engine supports dozens of industry-standard billing scenarios and enough options to satisfy exacting customer needs.

BigTime Software Videos

BigTime: A Partner in Firm Management
PLATT Architecture | BigTime Wallet Success Story
Wacek & Associates | BigTime Customer Success Story

BigTime Software Competitors

BigTime Software Technical Details

Deployment TypesSoftware as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationApple iOS, Android, Mobile Web
Supported CountriesUnited States, Canada

Frequently Asked Questions

BigTime IQ is time and expense tracking software from Chicago-based BigTime Software.

Kantata PS Cloud, Datto Autotask PSA, and BQE CORE are common alternatives for BigTime Software.

Reviewers rate Support Rating highest, with a score of 9.

The most common users of BigTime Software are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(64)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

BigTime is a versatile software that users across various industries rely on for a wide range of purposes. Canadian Solar's Asset Management division, for example, depends on BigTime to track employees' time by client and task, enabling them to measure productivity and identify bottlenecks in workflows. According to users, BigTime provides insightful data on time spent across clients, helping them understand their gross margins by client/project. The consulting department at Canadian Solar uses BigTime to create legal invoices, manage resources, and facilitate project management within the company. As reported by customers, implementing BigTime has allowed the company to fulfill work within established deadlines, thanks to its necessary tools for quick and comfortable performance.

Another industry that benefits greatly from BigTime is education. Users explain that BigTime Software is utilized to track student attendance and billing, providing administrative personnel with access to information for clients anywhere and allowing remote communication. Additionally, BigTime finds extensive use in accounting departments where it primarily serves as a tool for tracking time. All staff members submit timesheets through the system, which enables billing time to specific projects/clients. Moreover, BigTime is also used for budgeting and integration with QuickBooks and tax software.

For professional services firms, such as legal or consulting practices, BigTime serves as a comprehensive practice management software. It tracks time accurately, manages engagements and client information efficiently, and facilitates billing processes. Users have reported that all firm-wide departments benefit from using BigTime Software for time tracking, invoicing, reporting, project management, and providing payroll information. Its integration with QuickBooks streamlines operations further and eliminates the need for a separate modular system.

Video production companies find BigTime invaluable due to its features geared towards invoicing and project management. Users praise the ability of the software to input billable hours across multiple projects easily. At the same time, it acts as an efficient project management tool throughout the organization.

Overall, customers have found that BigTime Software saves them time, prevents wasted work, improves profitability, and helps maintain budgets. Its features for time tracking, expense tracking, budgeting, and invoicing make it an indispensable tool across various industries. With seamless integration with popular software like QuickBooks, BigTime provides users with accurate and up-to-date information for efficient decision-making.

Functionality of electronic payments: Several users have appreciated the functionality of being able to make payments electronically through the tool. This feature has been mentioned by multiple reviewers as a valuable aspect, allowing them to easily and efficiently handle financial transactions.

Automatic invoicing parameter: The ability to set a parameter for automatic invoices has been highlighted by a number of reviewers as a very useful feature. This functionality streamlines the invoicing process, saving time and effort for users who need to generate invoices regularly.

Wide range of templates for customizable reports: Many users have praised the tool for its extensive collection of templates, which allows them to create customizable reports tailored to their clients' needs. The availability of these templates provides flexibility and enables users to present information in a professional and organized manner.

Difficult User Interface: Some users have mentioned that the user interface of the tool is not intuitive, requiring them to open several tabs to find the information they are looking for. This has caused frustration and inefficiency in navigating the software.

Data Transfer Issues: Several reviewers have found it difficult to transfer data from QuickBooks to the tool, resulting in inconvenience and potential loss of important data. The lack of seamless integration between the two systems has been a common pain point for users.

Lack of Certain Features: Users have expressed their desire for certain features to be implemented in the software. Some users have requested the inclusion of a bank reconciliation option, while others have suggested connecting scheduling to billing for invoicing in advance. Additionally, there is a need for more customization options, such as deleting irrelevant fields and generating a two-year comparison report. These missing features limit the flexibility and functionality of the software according to user feedback.

Users recommend the following:

  1. Get a demo and try out BigTime before implementing it. Testing the system beforehand allows users to assess its suitability for their needs.

  2. Take advantage of excellent tech support and customer service. Reliable support is available to assist with any issues or questions.

  3. Customize BigTime to fit your firm's needs. Work with the implementation specialist to tailor the system according to specific requirements and expectations.

Overall, users find BigTime to be a versatile and comprehensive solution for tracking employee productivity, project tracking, profitability, time tracking, and invoicing clients. They recommend exploring its features through a demo, making use of tech support, and customizing the system to fit individual needs.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-5 of 5)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Our Architecture firm of around 10 is currently using BigTime Software to manage project time frames and budgets, enter/submit timecards, and generate and send invoices. We are also able to receive payments using BigTime Wallet directly to the software.
The BigTime Software platform has allowed us to keep everything project related all in one place and be able to pull data/reports that can and look at project budgets, project time frames, staff utilization, estimates, remaining, and projections of hours and fees of contracted work.
Using BigTime Software has allowed staff and Project Managers alike to have a better view of hours remaining on a task and be able to manage projects more proactively, which helps with efficiency and client relationships.
We have found the BigTime Software interface to be user friendly and clean. Although the software platform is very capable of all our needs, it does not feel overwhelming or cluttered.
We are using the lower to mid-level tier of options and for our needs it has been working really well.
  • Thorough and clean setup of each project/client - they have almost everything you need at your fingertips to manage data for each project/client.
  • The Financials Tab - this is a quick overview of all the time/expense for each project and provides easy access if/when I need to move incorrectly logged time from a staffer.
  • Time Entry - simple and easy to use. My staff are able to log time on their schedule which could mean on the fly throughout the day, end of each day, end of the week, end of the pay period. It saves previously entered Project/Tasks and all you have to do is enter hours. This saves time and is a feature our owner loves.
  • BigTime Software Live Chat is a wonderful resource that I utilize regularly.
  • Overall company friendliness and willingness to help and improve. BigTime Software is excellent in this area, their company culture seems to promote involvement from all levels and all areas and is always looking for ways to improve.
  • More customization in invoice formatting (that I have control over)
  • Reports - I definitely prefer the old layout view, but they are not as easy to use as I'd like
  • The categories are not always clear to understand, what is what and/or how they are calculated can create extra work in excel post processing
  • Printing to paper w/out having to export a PDF first
  • Printing options in general (formatting, date ranges, details, etc.)
  • This area is incredibly lacking in options
I'd like to start by saying, I rarely give 10's on anything, almost always 9's, the main reason for my 10 rating is the support I've received from this team/company.
BigTime Software has been well suited for our company b/c it's giving a window into the project budget and time frames to our Project Managers to proactively manage their projects and look for areas to improve and celebrate with support staff. I would say efficiency in time management.
BigTime Software is not an accounting software and I love that about it. We were looking for a tool for staff to manage their projects and stay on budget and track time and generate invoices all in one place and we've found that with BigTime Software.
  • I have found a 40% time savings in the invoicing process since switching to BigTime Software. Allowing me to focus on the multitude of other tasks on my plate.
  • With PMs and Staff having an up-to-date view of remaining hours on a task, we've been able to reduce overages / write-offs from that aspect.
  • Being able to quickly pull up a utilization report we have conversations with staff more clearly and quickly if they are not meeting their goals.
After all the research and demos I watched, I had narrowed it down to BQE CORE & BigTime Software. We actually started w/ BQE CORE, which is an incredibly robust software with a lot of great abilities. It ended up being way more robust than we needed or wanted. We switched to BigTime Software and it was a breath of fresh air. Honestly the implementation team and support with BigTime was excellent and they worked with me to get set up and running in a fraction of the time. The interface, as I've mentioned, was clean and easy to use. It has been the right fit for our needs and company.
10
Our entire company of around 10 employees uses BigTime Software for at least their timecards and viewing task budget hours. Project Managers use BigTime Software to manage project schedules and budgets.
I use it for all of the above and data, reports, feedback, anything relating to project projections, staff utilization, etc.
2
I think this would mostly be me. I was the decision maker in purchasing BigTime Software and probably use more of the functions than anyone else in the office.
I do have a superstar Project Manager who is very involved and has been integral in how we use BigTime Software as he is the most active from that standpoint so we can brainstorm on areas to focus and improve in-house productivity as needed.
  • Ease of Use
  • Supporting project efficiency and awareness
  • Project, Timecards, Invoices all in one platform
  • Cross-referencing data between projects & staff
  • Gantt Chart Tasks "Schedule" Projections in a graphic form for client communication (no if only we could print it the way we want)
  • Phased Task Grouping and reports
  • Staff Allocation
  • Improved Project Projections
Overall we are pleased with the software and want to continue to utilize it in our daily work flow and project management and well as reporting, timecards, and invoicing.
Yes
BQE CORE was tried out before ultimately switching to BigTime Software.
We also used QuickBooks minimally for time entry and invoicing. Since that's all we were using QB for, we were able to abandon that software and replace it with just BigTime Software.
  • Ease of Use
It needed to be easy to use. Incorporating anything new into an establish company can be challenging. If the new software is not user friendly, getting employees to use it can be difficult. With BigTime Software it was fairly easy to use, had a clean and simply interface, and getting the "buy in" from staff was easy.
I would have chosen BigTime Software sooner - haha!
But in all seriousness, I think I would have liked to speak with other companies using the software I was considering. I think there is a slight disconnect between sales and implementation as to what it actually takes to get a company set up in BigTime Software in a way that is custom to them. Sales is sales and although the software "can" do what they say, it might not be the best solution for your company, so if the standard is not the best fit for you, what does it take to set it up differently or custom? I would have liked to know more about that. I want clear expectations, not best case scenario.
I touched on this briefly, in another survey section, but my implementation manager, Kevin, was exceptional.
The actual implementation process took 3 months, not 1 before I was comfortable rolling it out to staff.
We also had to wait/schedule time and coordinate for our custom xml. invoice to be generated and in a place we felt comfortable sending it out to clients.
In the end I was very satisfied, but during the first few months it was challenging.
  • Implemented in-house
  • Third-party professional services
I worked with BigTime to set up everything and train me, then I rolled it out to our company.
No
  • QuickBooks (QB) integration did not work the way it was intended and I ended up needing to update or reinput everything manually.
  • I wish I would have just done it that way to start, but it seemed less overwhelming to import, oh well.
  • Figuring out how to invoice. I required my staff to do double time entry for almost 3 months in BigTime Software and in QB so I could confirm the invoices were generating correctly in BigTime Software. They were not, so thankfully, this allowed me to figure out why and work with support on how to fix the problems.
  • Getting our custom invoice set up and working the way we needed it to. It's still not perfect, but it's fine for now. I'd like to have more ability to format myself. We are a company of architects and we care how everything looks, not being able to control this came with it's challenges.
  • Understanding and setting up User Rights - certain things were blocked completely and working with BigTime and waiting for them to make changes on the back end to allow for certain items to visible without others.
I reach out to tech support often and they are always friendly and do their best to help. Occasionally, if they are unable to help they will have to get back to me and sometimes that prolonged waiting can cause challenges with my work.
More often than not, though, they get me through the big or small questions that I reach out for. And they are so nice!
I don't think so.
Not sure I even knew that was an option.
Standard support included in our services seems to be enough most of the time.
On the rare times I have to wait for a response I typically develop a work around and can keep things moving forward until I learn if/what a better way might be.
Yes
The "bugs" I've reported are more development and back end coding things, so they are typically not resolved quickly, b/c the company needs time to assess and review them; totally understandable.
I do typically get email updates if there was something I specifically needed and was waiting on, so I could try it again and see how it's been modified.
Exceptional support would be awarded to my implementation manager Kevin, hand down the best! He was patient, knowledgeable, helpful, and kind even when I was frustrated. I would credit the success of rolling out BigTime Software in our company to him.
Since Kevin, I've had the opportunity to work with many other members of BigTime Software and I've consistently found their positivity, drive for improvement, and openness to feedback impress me.
Overall most areas of the software are easy to use.
I tend to spend a lot of time in analytics and reports. Those are not as user friendly, in my opinion, and could use some improvements.
I think it just takes time to get familiar with where items are stored in the program and what changes affect what.
  • Setting up a Project/Client and that corresponding data
  • Time / Expense Entry is easy
  • Having multiple windows of BigTime Software open at once, works fairly well to see more information all at once
  • Specific Reports
  • Working inside reports / editing data / following data back to original source (I liked in QuickBooks how all reports were interactive and I could click on data and it would automatically open the source and so and on to get to the root)
  • Workflow doesn't really work at all
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We started using BigTime Software to better track staff time against projects and keep track of WIP. The program is easy to use and the chat support is quick to respond most of the time and able to help, especially in a pinch.
  • User friendly
  • Customizable options
  • Intergration tools
  • time management
  • accounting
  • reporting
  • project billables
  • Allow more fields for customizable options
  • Submit feature should be located differently or a pop up
  • Previous screen when creating invoice templates
  • Color view still needs work
Support is friendly and helpful Great follow up and quick to respond Easily accessible
  • invoice details
  • activity codes
  • project history
  • reporting
  • timesheet tracking
  • Faster payments
  • Ease of use to track and bill out time
Ajera is not as user friendly and seems to be designed for larger corporations Does not have integrations with other software like QB
10
timesheets mostly, admin staff populate the rest of the data such as creating new jobs, activity codes, expenses, reports, invoices etc.
1
As the main use, administration full access, I would be the one to address any BT issues. My admin staff assist as well.
  • accounts payable and receivable
  • timesheet tracking
  • project tracking
  • reports
  • Billable history on jobs
  • Teams tracking not used but a goal
  • WIP tracking and reporting
  • scheduling tool
  • assigning teams
Its been a huge help in saving time and making billing more efficient. Would like to see the product grow and be able to continue to use it.
Yes
Quickbooks desktop
We replaced it b/c we need to report/track retainers and wanted to also track WIP. We also did not use QB timesheet feature so we
were lacking the ability of editable activity codes and lumping scopes together to match our client contracts. BT has helped with all of this.
  • Price
  • Product Features
  • Product Usability
  • Product Reputation
AT times the client contracts can be very involved and we needed a product that would allow us to create and alter the activity codes as we go, etc. BT helped with this as well as timesheets and WIP reporting. We also needed a product to merge with QBO and BT offers all of these features.
A significant amount of time and research was put into this decision and we are happy with the product.
  • Implemented in-house
No
Change management was minimal
Monte and Tyler have been helpful with report assistance I called on recently
They are quick to respond and helpful.
no, have not needed it
Yes
yes a few times and I must say that the most effective bugs have been resolved in a timely manner
YES, a few times. When we implemented the software we asked for help with personalizing the invoice templates. Although BT does not have a supported group for this, the trainer at the time was able to help us a little bit. From there I was able to edit and make changes as I go. This was helpful to me and I am grateful for that help.

Other times, they have escalated calls if the first agent was not able to assist in our questions. Most of the help was needed when we were still learning the product and how to use. Rarely do we reach out now, unless we notice a bug or if we want to ask of a way to fix something or ask for new features to be considered.
Staff adapted to the new timesheets immediately. The invoice platform is nice and tracking WIP is great!
Color backgrounds still need work. The new vibrant mode is OK. still trying it out.
  • entering in client data
  • activity codes
  • invoicing
  • reporting
  • posting expenses
  • lack of payroll tracking-PTO
Yes
I have not used it and I am not sure if any of the staff has tried it yet
The product is useful for faster billing and efficient timesheet logs. I do like the report features however there are many options and can be overwhelming for the user. It is most helpful to set up reports speaking to an agent to ensure the right fields are set, etc.
BigTime is available 99% of the time. At times there are bugs, but most are resolved quickly.
have not noticed a slow integration issue using QBO
Rick Wacek | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use it to track our work in process. Track time by team member. Billable time and unbillable time. Invoicing to clients. Integrates with Quickbooks.
  • Time tracking
  • Invoicing
  • Tracking accumulated unbilled time and expenses by client
  • Billable and unbillable time by team member
  • Total work in process reporting
  • Customer support
  • Limitations on custom reporting
Ease in tracking time especially when moving between clients regularly. Providing management with reports on each team member’s billable vs. unbillable time. For companies that work remotely and virtually.
  • Allows team to work remotely
  • Integration with QUickbooks
  • Accurately tracks time spent on each client
  • Identified % unbillable time by team member
  • Tracking of expenses and getting them billed to client
  • More timely invoices to clients
Cost Ease of use Provides us with info we need to operate our business
15
accounting and tax preparation
1
systems manager
  • tracking time and billing
  • billing
  • providing accounts receivable report
ease to use and accuracy
Yes
timesheets
  • Price
  • Product Features
it provides us all of the billing information that we need
It seems they did not guide us sufficiently as a new user. Charged us for customer support time.
No
Yes
did not accurately track cumulative work in progresss financial amounts
Invited our team member to their office for some individual training
we implemented with very little training needed
Yes, but I don't use it
March 21, 2022

Easy Customization

Heather Brumbaugh | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use BigTime Software to track student attendance and billing. All of the administrative personnel use it to keep it updated and correct. It allows us to have access to the information for our clients anywhere and communicate remotely. We were previously tracking everything by hand, so this has been a major upgrade!
  • Customization.
  • Accessibility.
  • Tech support.
  • Connecting the scheduling to billing for invoicing in advance of services.
  • Deletion of fields that are not relevant to our company.
  • Allowing the current credit balance to be added to a report for quick sorting.
It is made for companies with multiple rates and employees to be able to track their individual expenses. It can also be customized for companies like ours that have a generally fixed rate. The program is very flexible and includes many options that do not apply to our situation, but would be useful for many other companies. It is helpful to be able to pick and choose the features that apply to us.
  • Online accessibility
  • Customization
  • Report generation
  • It has streamlined our tracking of students.
  • It has allowed us to access all our information remotely.
  • It has made invoicing a quick and easy process.
We looked at several different options, but most of them charge a percentage of the profits to use their service. BigTime is a flat rate for access/use and that works better with our business.
The support is amazing! They are always available through the chat interface in the program. Each support person has fully answered my questions the first time. I have had a positive experience with each inquiry. It is very important to me that I am able to get instant access to help so that I can make the most of the software and all of its capabilities.
No, the support that is included has been sufficient.
Yes
It took several weeks and was not addressed until the next system update.
The onboarding process involved several training sessions where a knowledgeable technician walked us through the features of the program.
Alexa Cleek | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
All employees of our organization use BigTime Software. BigTime is the easiest tool for entering and tracking time and expenses. It's easy to breakdown time by employee, department, project, task, etc., which is great for project management purposes. It is easy to integrate into other tools as well, like QuickBooks for example.
  • Entering/tracking time and expenses.
  • Reporting capabilities.
  • Mobile app.
  • I wish there was a button to view all companies logged in your BigTime platform (instead of having to view all projects).
For general employees, it is incredibly easy to enter and track time and expenses through BigTime. From an admin side, it is also easy to add new employees, companies, projects, tasks, and more to BigTime. From a project management standpoint, the reporting and automation capabilities native to BigTime are great and easy to use.
  • Forecasting
BigTime personnel is always responsive to emails. BigTime also has an expansive online knowledge base. BigTime also offers a lot of helpful and informative live webinars and pre-recorded webinars that are available to watch anytime on demand. BigTime employees do a good job of communicating new features and opportunities to us.
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