We've grown to 4 auditors here in Richmond and my Excel spreadsheet system is falling apart. Need something to track cases, assign work, monitor deadlines, and generate reports. Looking at some CRM options but wondering if anyone has found software specifically good for utility audit practices. Dominion Energy cases are getting more complex and I need better visibility into what everyone is working on.
Software recommendations for managing multiple auditors?
Bill, we use Monday.com for project management and it works pretty well. Idaho Power keeps us busy and I needed something to track multiple auditors across different client sites. It's not utility-specific but very customizable. About $25/month per user. The timeline view is great for seeing deadline conflicts.
I built a custom FileMaker database for our Alabama Power territory work. Tracks everything from initial client contact through final report delivery. Can generate invoices, track payments, store utility rate schedules. Took some time to set up but now it runs our whole operation. Happy to share the template if anyone's interested.
Albert, that FileMaker solution sounds interesting! We're using QuickBooks for accounting but need something better for case management. Wisconsin Public Service cases are piling up and I'm losing track of deadlines. How hard was it to learn FileMaker? I'm not super technical but willing to invest the time.
Karen, FileMaker has a learning curve but their templates are pretty good starting points. The key is starting simple and adding features as you need them. I'll email you the basic structure - just need to customize it for your specific workflow and utility territories.
We ended up going with Salesforce for our Cincinnati operation. Duke Energy Ohio cases require a lot of documentation and the audit trail features are excellent. More expensive than the other options but integrates well with our accounting system. The reporting capabilities are outstanding when you need to show clients your team's productivity.