Time Tracking, Issue Tracking, Knowledge Base Software for a small teams?
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Anyone got any recommendations for reasonably priced (or free) software that can do the type of things mentioned in the subject line? Something suitable for at most 10 people if I can get the whole office using it or 4 if I can't! The kind of thing I would envisage as being useful would be a system that allows work items to be created either internally by us or externally by clients raising support requests through a web interface (e.g. message board) and that it should allow time tracking for work items along with basic reporting functionality. It should also allow us to attach internal documentation to issues and hopefully do a whole load of other useful stuff.
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Anyone got any recommendations for reasonably priced (or free) software that can do the type of things mentioned in the subject line? Something suitable for at most 10 people if I can get the whole office using it or 4 if I can't! The kind of thing I would envisage as being useful would be a system that allows work items to be created either internally by us or externally by clients raising support requests through a web interface (e.g. message board) and that it should allow time tracking for work items along with basic reporting functionality. It should also allow us to attach internal documentation to issues and hopefully do a whole load of other useful stuff.
I have been using Windows Sharepoint Services for a year and have been very happy with it. It is free and flexible. Note I mean Windows Sharepoint services not Office Sharepoint Services. Windows Sharepoint Services is free whereas Office sharepoint services is the expensive version of it. All the things you want is there in WSS. Download Link[^]
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I have been using Windows Sharepoint Services for a year and have been very happy with it. It is free and flexible. Note I mean Windows Sharepoint services not Office Sharepoint Services. Windows Sharepoint Services is free whereas Office sharepoint services is the expensive version of it. All the things you want is there in WSS. Download Link[^]
Hi Rama, I've dabbled with WSS a bit and suspect that it would require quite a lot of configuring and custom libraries/workflows to use WSS as opposed to something prebuilt written particularly with these tasks in mind - Please correct me if I'm wrong or if you have any particular site template in mind? Also I haven't looked into using WSS on an internet server yet. Mainly because I'm not sure if doing so will open up any security issues. Do you run your WSS site on the internet or just an intranet? If the former are there any issues that I should know about? Martin
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Hi Rama, I've dabbled with WSS a bit and suspect that it would require quite a lot of configuring and custom libraries/workflows to use WSS as opposed to something prebuilt written particularly with these tasks in mind - Please correct me if I'm wrong or if you have any particular site template in mind? Also I haven't looked into using WSS on an internet server yet. Mainly because I'm not sure if doing so will open up any security issues. Do you run your WSS site on the internet or just an intranet? If the former are there any issues that I should know about? Martin
For Issues Tracking, Discussion boards, Knowledge Base and Document Libraries you don't need any templates. It is all built in and takes a minute to install. There are several application template samples which is a part of a separate download. One of the sample is Time Tracking. This can be easily setup using a few command line commands. Anyway, I have never found configuration of WSS hard and I have done it many times so far. Also you don't need any custom workflows or even apps. However that feature is also super cool if you need it.:)
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Anyone got any recommendations for reasonably priced (or free) software that can do the type of things mentioned in the subject line? Something suitable for at most 10 people if I can get the whole office using it or 4 if I can't! The kind of thing I would envisage as being useful would be a system that allows work items to be created either internally by us or externally by clients raising support requests through a web interface (e.g. message board) and that it should allow time tracking for work items along with basic reporting functionality. It should also allow us to attach internal documentation to issues and hopefully do a whole load of other useful stuff.
AyaNova service management software [^] Version 5 will be released in a couple of weeks with a wiki feature for not only knowledge base purposes but embedding any type of document / file within the wiki page of every major object including customers and users themselves. It's not free but it's inexpensive in it's market with no ongoing costs of any kind and ticks all your boxes for your requirements. It also has a full developers API if you want to extend it with plugins or full blown separate interfaces. It excels at time tracking specifically and has the ability for customers to enter their own support requests. It is general purpose for any company that delivers service of any kind, it's kind of the Swiss Army Knife of service management software and can be localized and customized to meet your terminology you use as well it has fully customizable reporting, just install it and go. If you are looking at something that is only geared towards software development and supporting software we use FogBugz and it has IIRC a customer interface but I don't know if you can attach documents to issues.
"It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don't say it." -Sam Levenson
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AyaNova service management software [^] Version 5 will be released in a couple of weeks with a wiki feature for not only knowledge base purposes but embedding any type of document / file within the wiki page of every major object including customers and users themselves. It's not free but it's inexpensive in it's market with no ongoing costs of any kind and ticks all your boxes for your requirements. It also has a full developers API if you want to extend it with plugins or full blown separate interfaces. It excels at time tracking specifically and has the ability for customers to enter their own support requests. It is general purpose for any company that delivers service of any kind, it's kind of the Swiss Army Knife of service management software and can be localized and customized to meet your terminology you use as well it has fully customizable reporting, just install it and go. If you are looking at something that is only geared towards software development and supporting software we use FogBugz and it has IIRC a customer interface but I don't know if you can attach documents to issues.
"It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don't say it." -Sam Levenson
Thanks John. Both look good. If anyone has any other suggestions I'd be glad to hear of them so I have as many options as possible to explore! Martin
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Thanks John. Both look good. If anyone has any other suggestions I'd be glad to hear of them so I have as many options as possible to explore! Martin
I use Easy Time Tracking Pro and I actually find it's so useful that it has now become my organizer and task manager as well. It's pretty amazing. The simple reporting interface isn't mind-blowing but it's good enough. I've enjoyed the product a ton for the price it cannot be beat and it supports multi-user teams and such. http://www.easytimetracking.net/[^]