How do you guys keep track of your orders?

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Seems like at times my phone is blowing up with price quotes, questions and side work. On occasion I will thumb through my messages and find people I never got back to. Or very late to respond.How do you guys keep track of all your jobs, requests and such? Any specific app? Pen/paper?Torchmate 2x2 CNC with Flashcut CNC controlsHypertherm Powermax45 Esab ET220i Razorweld 195 MigRazorweld 200ac/dc TigTormach 770, Tormach xstechRazorweld, Vipercut/Vipermig, SSC Foot Pedal Dealer
Reply:I find using a tape recorder works well, just talk into it . Then I usually lose it.
Reply:I keep one of those aluminum clipboards with the hinged top closeby at all times.  A notepad on top gets job notes, inside is random stuff I use for estimating.  My phone's about as dumb as they come.  I might be old school, but I'd hate to rely on something electronic to keep track of job notes.
Reply:I do that, and also use my phones calender for reminders
Reply:Paper and pen. I had a regular pad of notebook paper, at the top would be customer, contact info, and project name. Then I would write down any/all details, and number the pages if more than one. Then I would work out a price and give a bid/estimate sheet, with a bid number on it. All that would go into a "jobs bid" file folder. If I got the job, I would make a file folder just for that job and it would get a job number. ALL corrispondance, copies of materiel receipts, and any other paperwork would go into that folder. I would also take a lot of detailed pics of every job, and burn them to a DVD disk and put it in the file also. It really helped when I was bidding future projects. I would keep a spread sheet of all bids with a brief description and bid amount. I had hard copies in the file cabinet and a computer file for everything also."Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:I just write stuff in a notebook.   I don't have very many jobs and quotes so it works just fine.   I need a better system, stick - man's is pretty organized.
Reply:I use the notes app on my iPhone and iPad. It is easy to update and I usually have one or both with me at all times.Miller Dynasty 200DXMiller 252 Miller 250xMiller Syncrowave 250Miller AEAD200 LegendMiller 375 Xtreme plasmaLincoln WeldPak 100Victor O/A
Reply:When I was in the aquarium business things quickly got out of control until I developed a system.  After that it was easy - all inquiries went on a clipboard on the desk.  Each job to be quoted had it's own clipboard and then had it's own hook about 8 feet off the ground along one wall.  All completed quotes had their own clipboard on hooks along the next wall of the office (to remind me to follow the quotes up so as to help turn them into orders).  All accepted orders had their own clipboard on the next wall which detailed where they were at - what had been ordered, what was being built etc.  All jobs that were ready to be delivered and installed went down the last wall.  So pretty much I could get a quick picture of the state of the nation just by standing in the center of my office and doing a 360 degree spin.
Reply:Names and phone numbers go in a note pad in my shirt pocket. Measurements, materials, drawings and quotes go on a note pad on a clip board in my truck. When the job is OKed then the paper for that job come off the clip board in the truck and goes to it's own clip board in the shop. When finished all drawings, quotes, prints and notes go into a folder in the file cabinet.
Reply:Looks like Stickman has(had?) a pretty complete system. Go to your local office supply. They have standard forms for most everything. If you don't already know how, learn to file in a filing cabinet. Customer and supplier contact info we keep in indexed 3" by 5" card files. 1 for suppliers and 1 for customers including phone #, fax #, contact person, address, e-mail, etc. If they have a business card it is stapled to the card. Some companies have more than 1 card because we deal with more than 1 department and some are both a supplier and a customer. Some of our purchase orders are verbal so I made up a form to put the details in and keep it in a binder with printed purchase orders. We've only been at this since 1936 ( my father before me) and the system is always changing based on new technology and new requirements. There are computer programs to organize your stuff but you have to learn to satisfy the program and I haven't seen one yet that works on its own although MinnesotaDave has a good candidate in his secretarial pool but if he ever gets her phone number I don't think he will share. It is all about a system the you will work and works for you.---Meltedmetal
Reply:Something I forgot above DATE everything.---Meltedmetal
Reply:Quickbooks.  If its just a phone call from the customer, and I can give them info without referring to pricing, etc, its stays with a phone call or text.  Often times, if I'm not around my computer, or I'm driving, I'll ask them to e-mail me, so I could put together a proper quote from them.-AaronJet 17.5" Drill Press1942 South Bend 16x84 Lathe1980s Miller 320A / BP --- 2013 Power Mig 2562012 Jet 7x12 Horizontal BandsawVictor O/A Setup
Reply:I use a free app called "evernote". it runs on PCs, Macs, smartphones, or anything that can reach the internet (e.g., it will run in a web browser as well). It synchronizes all your notes and any data you put into it to the cloud., so you can access it from anywhere. When you first run this app, it won't seem like much. But if you google some of the youtube videos on how to use this app, it will make a lot more sense. it is absolutely one of the best ways of organizing anything and everything.Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:Originally Posted by rabidchimpQuickbooks.  If its just a phone call from the customer, and I can give them info without referring to pricing, etc, its stays with a phone call or text.  Often times, if I'm not around my computer, or I'm driving, I'll ask them to e-mail me, so I could put together a proper quote from them.-Aaron
Reply:Originally Posted by Louie1961I use a free app called "evernote". it runs on PCs, Macs, smartphones, or anything that can reach the internet (e.g., it will run in a web browser as well). It synchronizes all your notes and any data you put into it to the cloud., so you can access it from anywhere. When you first run this app, it won't seem like much. But if you google some of the youtube videos on how to use this app, it will make a lot more sense. it is absolutely one of the best ways of organizing anything and everything.
Reply:Hire someone to keep track for you!!  Sent from my iPhone, while hiding from my wife!Proverbs 4:23My company welds.