MORE STUFF...
File references, using Billings too (a lightweight introduction), the Due List on the calendar, etc.

FILE REFERENCES
One of the things you wanted was to be able to keep references to files and perhaps even websites (stock photos, etc.) Daylite lets you do this with File and Web references. You can actually just drag a file to the project (in a list or in the Find window) to create a link. Handy. Files can also be linked to contacts or orgs if it's more appropriate that they be linked there and not to the project.

BILLINGS
There is a whole guide covering the basics of Billings-Daylite integration, available in the Help menu in Billings. But here's a quick idea of what you do to work these together.

Start by organizing in Daylite. Here is where you want to really handle the organizational aspects of all your project work. What you then do is, once you've set up the tasks with due dates, etc. etc. or blocked off time on your calendar to work, is send the project (or just individual tasks and appointments) to Billings. When you do so, the tasks and appointments turn into slips that you can use as normal. Time them, make them flat rate, combine them, etc.

If you want to make new tasks or changes on that level, do it in Daylite (even change the name of tasks). For instance, if you need to add a whole new series of activities, do that in Daylite. Then in Billings, use the Project > Update from Daylite menu command to update all those changes you made. Or use the shortcuts in Daylite (in the Actions menu or customize the toolbar) to send the tasks or appointments over individually.

Then, be sure that the project in Billings is linked to your client. You may have to add the client from Daylite first (just do by choosing "Add Client" as normal). You can drag the project around to re-link it to that client if appropriate, or to a different contact person if that's who you want it to go to. Then, when you send an invoice, Billings will attach the file reference to the project in Daylite, and even put a "Payment Due" event on the appropriate day on the calendar, if you've set out terms for your invoice.

Anyway that's a basic start to getting the two together for your process, I think!

DUE LIST
We have a little thing on the right hand side of the calendar in Daylite, opened by clicking the little push-pin button at the top right side of the pane. It's called the Due List. And what it does is, look at the time range you're showing on the calendar (say, today, or this week, or next month, or whatever) and find all the items (projects, tasks, opps) that are due or overdue in that time period. This is how you can stay on top of what has to be done right then and there.

From there you can click on links or "go-to" arrows to get more detail about the various projects or tasks, etc.

CUSTOMIZING YOUR VIEWS
In addition to creating lists and smart lists (lists are collections of contacts or projects, smart lists are automatically updating ones based on rules you specify), you'll want to customize your views. There are a lot of options, but keep in mind that you can make the same list more than once, with different columns showing or tabs selected in each one, to give you quick access to the right information.

ONE MORE THING...
a.k.a. Collecting custom business-related information

We have two facilities in Daylite for capturing special information that is specific to your business. One is extra fields and the other is forms.

Forms are fully customizable, and use a mixture of fields and buttons to collect information specific to your business. Extra fields are simpler text and date fields that are typically used for short codes or other specialized data.

Extra fields are good for capturing the simplest kinds of information, like a name here or there, or maybe a single serial number or something of that nature. In your case, maybe your clients have a client number that you assign them, and that's a perfect use for an extra field.

Forms on the other hand, are just like forms in real life in that they collect formatted specialized data that is more complex. For instance, if for print jobs you always ask certain questions and collect data about the job--such as dimensional requirements, paper type, separation and ink details, quantity, etc. etc.--you might want to create a custom form to capture that data. And then when you make a project, you can 'add' the form, and if you need more than one form filled out, you can add it more than once.

Anyway I hope this gets you started...

Cheers,

Thanks Andy, in fact much of this information will be coming with Daylite in future... not the specific design agency examples per se, but we're trying to incorporate as much of this information as possible.

Adam...

Great! Alot to digest here. I will be sure to work on these items over the next week and get back with any questions.

Thank you all very much!!!
Gette

Wow! I see I'll have to rethink/reorganize my DL usage somewhat.

This is really useful information and does shed a good deal of light on DL's features. The eye openers are the suggestions of usage.

Adam,
Thank you so much for this post. I bought DayLite 1.? about 2 years ago but couldn't figure out the flow between all the components. Even after watching the videos on the site and working with the sample database, it was still tough to figure out how to align it to a single user graphic design firm.

I had decided to try to switch over and struggle along with Filemaker Pro 7 instead but then I downloaded the free test of DayLite 3 about a week ago. Until I read this post in the forum I was still having problems trying to set it up for my small business (1 person graphic design business) and getting quite frustrated. This post however, has really helped explain it and I will be purchasing my upgrade from 1.9 to DayLite 3 within the week.

Thanks again. It is a beautiful application when you can understand it. It's nice to know that a lot of this info will be coming in future editions but I hope you will look into setting this type of info up in various templates as well in the future.

All in all, I'm glad I hung in there until it started to make sense (with your help). Now if I could only fully grasp the Reports section....

Tim

I totally agree with Andy. As a Daylite rookie I'm struggling my way through learning the program and setting it up as I go. The Daylite Overview and Manual tell you how to do things, but I had no idea how powerful this linking stuff is until I read this whole thread.

I also had no idea that I should plan it out from the top down. Thank God I found this information here. It's going to save me a lot of time and trouble down the road.

For the product developer it's easy to focus in on all the wonderful features of the software. But for the customer, I don't care how many cool features it has. I need to know HOW to create an overall database strategy that works for MY business.

Adam, how about writing a "Daylite For Dummies" to help us with that?

Hey Adam -

I think you should be put in charge of writing the next manual. I purchased the $40.00 manual and was amazed at how lame it was. The problem with it is the same problem that the videos have. They simply throw arbitrary features at you. Like how to do this or how to that without fully explaining why you would want to do any of these items. There's no top down description or scenarios. It's not a list of A to Z but random concepts that ends up confusing rather than helping. I think MarketCircle has to go back to the drawing board and have a person who understands broad range "real world" usage of their products. Not random ideas. Great Job in just a few postings Adam!

Here's another idea. Maybe you can do a video and upload it to Lynda.com for people to watch. It would be win/win because user could see a real life scenario and Daylite the product would be promoted to the outside world.

This is a big help to me. I'm a freelance designer (just entering the field), and I've been looking for a solid system to manage my business. I'm still learning how to implement pipelines and activity sets, but from what I can see, Daylite + Billings will get the job done (accounting is another story though...).

Hi,
That's a lot of info to absorb!!
We are in the same situation as Gette, all the info you got will help.

I have Daylite and Billings and they do a great job.
I haven't found yet how to get in 1 "page" a visual schedule of the various projects in a custom time period. This would help greatly avoiding being overloaded with work and delegating various tasks and pipelines; keeping track of progress...
Thanks

What a great post. Helped me a ton. What I find when I look at Daylite though is that the hierarchy that adam is referring to, is not really represented in the user interface. The first things I see are contacts and organizations. I therefore made the assumption that projects and opportunities have a lower rank in the hierarchy. A suggestion would be to make the user interface to reflect this hierarchy better.

Otherwise this is a great program.