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February 17, 2020
Spectrum was purchased by our organization in 2013. It was purchased to alleviate the cumbersome nature of a green screen legacy system. It was also purchased as a means to eliminate double entry as we have a service department and larger commercial division. It helped us do everything all in one system where everyone could access it. Mainly the biggest win for us is the double-entry.
- Job Costing - It has various reports that break down the jobs in many ways.
- Document Imaging - It has the ability to store documents for every module.
- Service Tech - Our techs get very frustrated using this module. It doesn't work a lot of the time or is slow. Could use some major updating.
- User Interface - The user interface has not been updated in 6 years. There are a lot of clicks to get where you need to be. It would be nice if it was more user-friendly and intuitive.
April 28, 2020
We use this ERP across all departments as the mainstay of our company's software. Accounting, Purchasing and Service all use it as well as our field management team.
- Very versatile, you can use it for many aspects of business.
- Easy to learn, with a little education you can begin using the software day 1.
- Support is hard to schedule time with for bugs found after each patch.
- Not all things are available from all screens, sometimes you have to drill down to find the button you need to go to your next step.
Viewpoint Spectrum is used by our accounting and finance departments to manage inventory, calculate sales/taxes, and create financials.
- Allows for electronic document storage
- Display screens consistent between modules
- Payroll taxes
- Easier customized reporting
Viewpoint Spectrum is used across our whole organization. It is the primary software for all of our business needs. We make sure that whatever software we are examining to use will be compatible with Viewpoint Spectrum. Viewpoint Spectrum solves our project managing, job costing, accounting, dispatching, and field support. We have been using Spectrum for over 25 years and it continues to support our needs.
- Job Costing - Viewpoint Spectrum handles job costing per project, per work order, per site, and gives us an up to date analysis of the project.
- HR - helps to keep all of the training certifications and HR incidents in a consistent and manageable order for all Managers to use.
- Work Order could use a vamping of functionality. It could be more field oriented and easier to master.
- Cash Management is difficult to understand and master also. The adjustments seem to be the most complicated to understand and teach.
We are using Spectrum for job set-ups, job costing, accounting, equipment maintenance, inventory management, and payroll. It allows our organization's data to flow to the appropriate modules so our information is accurate.
- Invoice Approval process - managers do not have to rely on paper copies for approval; approvals can be handled electronically.
- Job Costing - Data from Accounts Payable, Equipment Revenue and Inventory transactions flow into job costs.
- Customer Help - Reps are helpful and knowledgeable, but it's not unusual to have to leave a message or remain on hold for a period of time in order to get assistance. While there is the opportunity to leave a message, if you are trying to resolve an issue, it can tie up one or more employee's time while waiting.
It is our ERP primarily used for accounting. We are highly satisfied with accounting, WIP and job costing functionalities. Project managers use it at a minimum level and yearn for more and better features. Procore is their desire. HR is adequate but not their strongest area either.
- WIP job costing.
- Change orders.
- Project management.
- Job communication.
January 23, 2020
We use Viewpoint for our accounting—A/P, A/R, Financial Reporting. Our field uses Procore for financial reports (budgets).
- Job cost detail reports are great and can be filtered by specified dates
- Aging A/P reports are easy to read.
- It is impossible to "delete" items; reversal is the only option and is forever on GL reports; it looks messy.
- A/R schedule of values cannot be altered once billed upon (adding additional items that are not a change order).
December 31, 2019
We utilize Spectrum in all of our departments. It is used for our accounting and for cost tracking of the jobs we work on, as well as standard accounting and payroll. It does allow the importing of data, which we can integrate our different production systems into Spectrum to bring in data on production and inventory. Features of getting invoice approval out to the field for Supervisors has been a great help, as it expedites the process as opposed to email and phone call. Since it is an ERP system, it covers many areas that are needed to run a construction company in the accounting area, but lacked good production management tools. We continue to evolve and integrate Spectrum into our business and have pretty much integrated AP, AR & Payroll. We utilize the production data in our weekly meetings to determine the jobs' profitability, though we have had to create customized reports to fully utilize the data we are collecting. Overall, it will work in your construction environment.
- AP: you can integrate your paper into their Document System and send these out for approval which will save a lot of time (assuming your supervisors do look at their dashboard and open the items to approve/reject, I don't think any system has come up with that solution).
- AR: with the integration of documents and the flow of AR, it is a system that will allow your departments to find out where you are in your finances.
- Overall, there are too many clicks to get items done in all areas. We would like to see a better flow when entering data into the system and allow some intuitive decisions so you do not have to click multiple times to get something done.
- Inventory - some of our items are mix types of raw or purchased goods. As we produce Asphalt the price of oil determines our Standard Cost in our Asphalt mixes. If you change the Standard Cost of an item that is a component to many mix items, you have to manually change the Standard Cost of all the items. Not fun when you have 150 mixes that need to be updated.
Spectrum is more suited for horizontal construction, and less suited for horizontal construction (which we use). The other pro/con is that the modules are priced separately, so you can only get what you need or you pay for what you need depending on how you look at it. If you are looking for an accounting package that does track your production to a point, it is an overall decent package.
Support has degraded since they were bought by Trimble(?). We Purchased when it was Dexter Chaney, then Viewpoint and not Trimble. We spend a lot of time on hold. If they cannot answer your question when you get to them on the phone or chat, you can wait up to weeks to get an answer, which is not acceptable. Plus they have "Know Issues" which are not published, so you only find out when you need the feature. Not many of the support team knows the whole picture, so many times you are stuck with the support person, who is waiting for the person who is knowledgeable in that area to get back to them, to get back to you, instead of transferring the trouble ticket to that person. We also do a lot of Crystal Reports, and their support and documentation (and knowing the table and fields in any given screen, are terrible). The Implementation team you get sets the mode, and not everyone is up to speed on your industry, and you get the luck of the draw, which can dramatically impact your time to get all the features up and running, as well as the initial training (which was lax).
December 05, 2019
We are currently using Viewpoint Spectrum for all reporting and job costing functions. It is very handy for change order logs and the document imaging function. We've needed a lot less paper around the office.
- Job costing
- WIP report
- Pulling in data to Excel
- Certified payroll reporting
- Quarterly Reporting
- Emailing direct deposits
November 26, 2019
We use Spectrum as our accounting software company-wide. We have three separate entities that we run so having Spectrum be the common denominator for all our accounting needs makes it easy for our management and staff to have info at their fingertips.
- AP - we can run reports to show outstanding balances by the vendor or by the project. This helps our PM's know exactly where their budgets are by line item.
- Job Cost - real-time information can be provided by our accounting staff for project cost reviews.
- HR - being able to track certifications and training by an employee is very helpful, especially when we hire new employees who bring their documents with them.
- HR - although we can track the training and certifications, the available 'canned' reports don't give us a lot of useful information.
Spectrum is being used across our entire construction company, both in-house and out in the field. Every department from Accounting, to HR, to Job Cost and Setup are utilizing Spectrums functions. Since switching over from Timberline, we've been very happy with what Spectrum has to offer. The transition has been easier than originally anticipated.
- The help button is very helpful, and even gives examples for those who need more visual assistance.
- You get a live person when calling support.
- The document scanning is great.
- It’s easy to work with and navigate through.
- Dashboards allow you to customize your desktop to your liking.
- It's a great program if you’re looking to go paperless.
- Timecard data entry is easy.
- Ever since updating, I find the program to be slower, and it has some glitches.
- The features in the HR module need work, as it’s lacking.
- It won’t let you reprint payroll reports once a new cycle is started.
January 31, 2020
We all use Viewpoint Spectrum--from the guy in the field to the CEO.
- Accurate
- Fast
- I would like to see more keyboard shortcuts as I hate using the mouse.
- I would like to have access to report writing.
January 22, 2020
Well Viewpoint Spectrum started as Dexter-Chaney, where service was the #1 priority. We have had a few bumps with this software--addressed many of these bumps in 2003. We had Dexter-Chaney send one of their accountants out and in a couple days had the system working much better. The training is a key. We use the Viewpoint Spectrum system to track our job costs, payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and to scan all invoices, time cards, and information that is needed to be saved without filing cabinets. There are still a few things we'd like it to do that we are doing by hand in spreadsheets.
- Job costs--one entry
- Scanning module saves from having to have a room full of files.
- Listening to our needs: If it isn't an advantage to Viewpoint Spectrum then it is ignored.
- Annual pricing: We paid a high price to get the system, then to pay for the annual update, which is high.
January 22, 2020
We use Viewpoint Spectrum for our accounting, job cost, and inventory!
- It provides us with factual figures and percentages as to profit and job costing.
- Support which is exceptional, but seems increasingly wrong to obtain quickly.
- The ability to reuse dormant G.L. numbers.
September 10, 2019
We are currently using Viewpoint Spectrum mostly for accounting and payroll. We have started using part of the Project Management module but have not completely incorporated its full capabilities.
- Ability to import job cost transactions. We have a second company that runs payroll for field staff so we can import those cost directly into Job Cost.
- Ability to import job setups since we are not using an estimating module that will interface.
- Reporting export capabilities into various formats assists in providing simple to detailed reports.
- Availability to file payroll reports through Spectrum and have the option to pay the taxes.
- Non-customer receipt information is very limited and doesn't show up on the detailed general ledger so it makes extra work to track what those funds might be.
- A better way to add Subcontractor change orders prior to having the Owner change orders already written.
The software is primarily used for accounting purposes, payroll, customer contracts, receivables, payables and job costing. On a more limited basis, also used for materials management and equipment.
- Good reporting features with the ability to customize using Crystal reports.
- Integrates well with other programs, i.e., can download from estimating software to set up jobs.
- It's sometimes hard to control the document imaging window. It doesn't stop when you release the cursor. Have to go to top of screen and click in one of the bars to lock it in place.
- In AP invoice entry, you have to slow down when entering job and phase number. Doesn't keep up with the speed of the person entering.
January 31, 2020
Viewpoint Spectrum is used to record and
report the financial activities of several companies. Functionalities used are by us are:
- Accounts Receivable - For simple A/R
invoicing, contract progress billing, and the invoicing for individual asphalt
and ICC tickets that were entered into the material management module. - Accounts Payable - To process
invoices entered directly into the A/P module and for invoices that are built
by pulling in individual material and rental tickets that were first entered
into the material management module. - The payroll module - To track employees
and to pay for all direct and non-direct labor. Both the payroll and the
accounts payable module also link to job and equipment cost. - The equipment module - To cost
expenses to individual pieces of machinery and to charge jobs for their usage. - The job cost module - To track the
estimated, projected and actual cost for individual (unit priced) jobs to
generate a Work in Progress report. - Cash management - To reconcile AP and
PR checking accounts. - Monthly financial reports are
produced with the general ledger module. - We do utilize document imaging
throughout the system.
- Allows for a hard-close of periods.
- Allows us to drill deeper into a record via links.
- The fact that creating custom reports requires to either have somebody in-house that knows the Crystal Reporting software needed to access the overly complicated database, or to pay a large sum of money to Viewpoint Spectrum for their services is definitely a downside.
- The Help menu is overly simplistic/not detailed enough to solve problems, and it also has limited search capabilities.
January 30, 2020
Spectrum is used across the entire organization as a complete solution.
- Complete integrate across all modules.
- Construction job cost accumulation -- both actuals and budgets.
- Memorializing job to date information at month end periods.
- Work order does not allow subcontracts, invoice approval, and others offered in the job module.
It's suited for construction jobs cost analysis, as well as full integration across all modules. The product is exceptional.
Support has been great for our company. I have heard others have frustration on the length of time it takes to return calls.
January 24, 2020
The accounting department is the heaviest user, and Project Managers use invoice approval. It addresses our accounting needs most, but we are working towards Spectrum supporting the project managers. Our goal is for the project manager to rely on Spectrum as much as the accounting staff does. I would like to see the PM's move away from the excel spreadsheets.
- WA State Sales Tax tracking abilities
- Credit Card tracking and reconciliation
- Customer Support has declined tremendously
- A report that prints out PTO, Vacation and or Sick balances
We use it across all departments so things are seamlessly integrated. It gives a one-stop, all-encompassing environment to manage jobs and the company. We can move a project through its life cycle integrating the various modules. They are all still linked to a spiderweb-like view of the project that can be seen and managed.
- Very customizable.
- The support system is very helpful.
- Some reporting is too limited. Having to go to crystal reports to get common information.
- In the payroll module, there is no way to generate a report of only vacation/sick time allotted and used. You have to download all the time card history, then sort out what you are looking for.
January 21, 2020
Viewpoint Spectrum is being used across our office to manage AP, AR, and project management. We use Spectrum to analyze project budgets to make certain we stay on track and we are warming on custom reporting for historical data analysis. We are also using Spectrum to monitor subcontractor safety and insurance compliance.
- Spectrum has excellent customer support and actively engages in seeking and implementing consumer feedback.
- There are many options to assist in customizing your data analysis tools to fit your needs.
- There is very little flexibility when dealing with data entry errors. Several steps are typically needed to make corrections.
- The conversion out of our old system into Spectrum could have been much smoother.
January 21, 2020
All departments/divisions use Viewpoint. The integration between accounting, purchase orders, job costing, equipment and G/L is seamless and much needed.
- Import of vendor invoices
- Scanning of documentation to invoices, POs, etc
- Have an icon that shows whether or not there is an image attached to an invoice or PO without opening the document imaging screen.
- Reject invoices back to originator automatically rather than having to reject multiple times if there is more than one invoice approver.
Viewpoint Spectrum is used in our company for our accounting/project management system. It is being used across our whole organization and it addresses our issue of having up-to-date costs in the system at any given time for anyone to view. We used to have duel systems that updated each night and didn't have true up-to-date costs in it. So, Spectrum has been a great asset to us for that reason (not for that reason alone but that is one of them).
- It is very quick, our previous systems took a long time to get us the detailed info Spectrum gets us in less than minutes.
- Spectrum gives us tons of information and in many different ways. There are multiple reports that you can pull in multiple different ways depending on your preference. Everyone here loves it.
- Spectrum has room for improvement on the AR side of things. The fact that COs don't pull onto draws unless you start the draw save it and then pull the CO's over is not very useful to us. Especially when a PM pulls their draw billing worksheet and it isn't there for them to work up a billing against.
- Spectrum could also work on letting you hide certain add-ons and deducts that are inactive on an employee, it gets a little overwhelming when you are looking at an employee with many deducts or add-ons on an employee but some are inactive, it is just hard on your eyes to know which ones are real and which ones are not.
December 03, 2019
Viewpoint Spectrum is being used throughout our organization for Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, HR, Payroll, and for all SDB's projects. The business problems addressed are those where we need to find out certain information for a particular project such as costs. The reporting function solves a lot of our issues. Also, we process our own payroll so Viewpoint Spectrum helps us out immensely with this.
- Editing a purchase order in the system is simple.
- Pulling job costs reports is simple and you can break them down in detail or in summary by a particular job, vendor, etc.
- Processing payments to vendors is simple and easy with guided step by step buttons.
- When approving invoices, there is no way to see if a job is holding retention or not. There is no column for that.
- When rejecting invoices, there is no way to see when or what was previously rejecting without having to resubmit the invoice.
May 16, 2019
Spectrum is mainly being used by our Accounting and Project Management departments to track all costs related to our jobs. We use a number of modules including Payroll, Accounts Payable/Receivable and Inventory. The Job Cost module does a great job of centralizing all this data into one place to see how our jobs are performing.
- Great software for analyzing data and trends while still being pretty easy to use.
- The ability to create a custom info link reports enable you to create virtually any report using the data you have in Spectrum that will auto-refresh with just one click of a button.
- They have a fantastic support network and I the few times I have had to contact support, I was directed to someone very knowledgeable that was able to find a solution.
- I wish there was a way to sort the canned Spectrum reports a bit easier. I am quite comfortable using info link, so it is easy for me to create a quick variation of the Spectrum reports, formatted the way I want it to look. But unless you have knowledge of info link, there is no way to easily rearrange Spectrum reports to show the data in the way you want it.
- The Job Requisition screen needs a lot of work. It's very slow if inventory is entered using the wrong job number, the entire thing has to be deleted and re-entered using the correct job number. If an item is entered using the wrong item code, you have to delete the line and re-enter it.
- I wish we had the ability to create new payment types. Something as simple as paying out jury duty is made more difficult than it needs to be because there is no "button" for it. Instead, we enter it as Sick and use a separate spreadsheet for tracking the actual sick time employees have remaining.
Viewpoint Spectrum Scorecard Summary
Feature Scorecard Summary
What is Viewpoint Spectrum?
Viewpoint Spectrum is a cloud-based construction ERP suite with project management, accounting, materials and equipment management, and reporting and analytics capabilities. Some key features include workflow automation and collaboration tools, document imaging and sharing, cost estimating tools, and RFI and submittal management tools. The vendor offers a free demo of the product and provides pricing information upon request.
Categories: Construction
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Western Allied Mechanical Talks About Using Spectrum by Viewpoint
Viewpoint Spectrum Technical Details
| Operating Systems: | Unspecified |
|---|---|
| Mobile Application: | No |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Viewpoint Spectrum?
Viewpoint Spectrum is a cloud-based construction ERP suite with project management, accounting, resource management, and reporting and analytics. Key features include workflow automation and collaboration tools, document imaging and sharing, cost estimating tools, and RFI management tools.
What are Viewpoint Spectrum's top competitors?
Vista by Viewpoint, QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise, and Acumatica are common alternatives for Viewpoint Spectrum.
What is Viewpoint Spectrum's best feature?
Reviewers rate Job costing highest, with a score of 7.8.
Who uses Viewpoint Spectrum?
The most common users of Viewpoint Spectrum are from Mid-size Companies and the Construction industry.