SBO is an affordable, user friendly, cloud based business tool:

• Use as a job management system or just select the functions you need (e.g. costing, quoting, invoicing, timesheets, forms).
• Pay for what you use.
• Access SBO anywhere you have a reasonable internet connection (we are working on a version for SmartPhones and Tablets that will work even if disconnected from the internet).
• Efficient and easy-to-use, with an intuitive interface designed for touch screens.

SBO Mobile suits businesses that dispatch jobs to field staff equipped with Android smartphones and/or tablets. Field staff can add data even when disconnected from the internet. Functions include fetching jobs and customers from the office, adding a new job, timesheets and a timer.

SBO Online for iOS devices (iPhones and iPads) is being developed.

SBO costs no more than SmartTrade Essential (currently $55 per user per month) and possibly less. Billing is calendar monthly and transaction based (pay for what you use):

• Maximum monthly charge per active user ($55 or about $2.75 per working day).
• Minimum monthly charge per active user ($8 or about 40c per working day).

These maximum and minimum charges may change from time-to-time, for example when the assets module is released later this year.

This pricing plan ensures that each customer is charged in proportion to usage, but with a cap so that costs can’t get out of control. Other advantages are:

• You pay in arrears (14th of the month following), rather than in advance.
• If your transaction volumes are low during a month, say because of annual holidays, then the cost per user is likely to be than the $55 cap.
• You can add or remove users without having to request a change in the number of licences.
• If you stop using SBO, the billing simply ceases from the end of that month – no need to give notice of termination.

One possible disadvantage for some users, those preferring a fixed monthly charge, is that the bill could vary month by month.

A good broadband connection! We regularly hear about businesses that have moved to cloud applications and found that the performance is disappointing. This is usually due to poor broadband connections.

For devices, we recommend either a laptop, or Android or Apple (iOS) tablets with a screen size of at least 9 inches and minimum resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels.

SBO will work on smaller tablets and SmartPhones with a high screen resolution, but this isn’t recommended. We are developing a version optimised for smaller devices.

The internet browser must be Chrome. SBO may work on other browsers such as Firefox, but we recommend not using a browser until we have tested SBO on it from end-to-end.

For the most part using SBO is intuitive, and SBO has DIY help functions, including a help centre and page contextual help (currently with limited pages, but being enhanced).

However, there are some areas where training will help users to learn SBO more quickly. We suggest starting with 2 x one-hour sessions, and add on more if required.

Training is charged at our normal support rates and is done remotely; by on-line internet sessions, phone or email. On-site training can be arranged, but involves additional expense.

SBO support is free. Users can contact us via a quick messaging service, including snapping and attaching screen shots, by email or by phone.

Support is done remotely; by on-line internet sessions, phone or email.

Current functions include:

• Schedule/calendar
• Jobs
• Timesheets
• Costing
• Quoting, including designating required and recommended items and on-line acceptance
• Invoicing, including allowing customers to pay on-line from the emailed invoice (requires a POLI account)
• Ordering
• E-messaging with invoices, orders, quotes etc.
• Google Maps integration
• Xero integration
• MYOB Live integration
• Photo capture
• Signature capture
• Document attachment
• Quick access to frequently used information via icons and accordion headers.
• Easy searches for information, with quick filters such as My Jobs.
• Event notifications, advising of specific events such a customer accepting a quote on-line.
• Forms – can be used as a standalone function or with jobs. Includes a library of standard forms or we can develop forms to your specification.
• User definable fields, including different types (e.g. date, number, text ...) and can be set as mandatory.

Functions being developed include:

• SBO Mobile for iOS, a 'lite' version of SBO for iPhones and iPads.
• Assets, including bar-coding and/or NFC (Near Field Communication). The Assets module will be released in stages over the next year.

Features planned for the future (but no promises on delivery dates!) include:

• Inventory
• Price requests
• Sub-jobs (in part already provided by “joblets”)
• Floating schedule (display the schedule on a 2nd screen)
• Consolidated invoices
• Kit-sets (in part replaced by SBO costings)
• Teletrac Navman vehicle tracking integration
• QuickBooks integration
• Internet job logging - customers logging and viewing jobs via the internet
• Email templates (can edit message before sending an email)

Start by logging into our shared trial database, and try out SBO. You can do this multiple times, by returning to this website page each time. Try out SBO

If you decide that SBO may be suitable for your business, contact us. We will answer any questions you may have, and if you wish, give you an on-line demo of SBO.

If you then wish to proceed to a 30 day free trial, we will set up a dedicated database for you, which only takes a minute or two. This database can be configured for your business.

If you decide that you don't want to become a paying SBO subscriber, simply don't log into SBO once the 30 day free trial has expired.

To become a paying SBO subscriber, continue to use SBO once the 30 day free trial has expired.