FAQs

Interested in Jonas Software? Here are a few Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that may help you decide if Jonas is the right choice for your business.

Q. How does pricing work? 
Pricing is based on the amount of concurrent users you will have running on the system as well as the modules you require for your business.

Q. How much does Jonas cost? 
Each business is different and pricing vary depending on your requirements. Please contact a sales representative for a proper quote.

Q. How do you sell your software? 
There are 3 main packages. 
1. Accounting & Job Cost
2. Accounting & Service Management
3. Accounting, Job Cost & Service Management

Q. Do you have demo CD or trial? 
We do not offer a ‘canned demo’ due to the nature of our business. We work with so many different types of contractors with diverse requirements that we prefer to show you a demo online. This way we are able to interact with you, learning about your business and any special scenarios you may deal with, while showing you how Jonas would be configured to meet your requirements.

Q. What types of contractors is Jonas Software designed for? 
Jonas Software is suitable for the following types of Contractors:
General Contractors, Interior Contractors, Renovations, Painting, Drywall, HVACR, Mechanical & Electrical, Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, Sheet Metal, Sprinklers, Insulation, Millwork, Civil & Bridges, Road Builders, Asphalt & Paving, Shoring, Sewer & Water main, Concrete curbs and sidewalks, Excavating, Utility Contractors, Concrete Restoration, Concrete Floors, Flooring, Waterproofing, Masonry, Forming, Roofing, Tile & Terrazzo, Landscaping, Windows, Demolition, Environmental, Developers, Service contractors, Gas Station Maintenance, Roofing, Steel, Aggregate Producers, Etc.

Q. Why is Jonas Software more suitable for contractors than a generic accounting package? 
Jonas software was designed from the ground up specifically with the contractor in mind. With fully integrated modules including: Payroll, Job Cost, Sub contract, Purchase Order, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Progress Billing, Equipment control, the software significantly cuts down on the time your company requires to process information and results in increased productivity and profits! Not to mention the fact that our software keeps on improving based on your peer group. Our clients are contractors and push us to keep them on the leading edge. This will mean that you are – by default – always using the newest technologies to better service your customers and manage your business.

 Q. Do I have to use Jonas Accounting or can I use my own accounting software, like QuickBooks? 
Jonas has its own accounting system and does not integrate with any others. Between Jonas Construction and Jonas Club there are approximately 4000 users of Jonas accounting. We would replace your generic accounting system (like Quickbooks), or any other accounting system that you currently use.

Q. How do I decide if my company is large enough to justify the expense of a construction software package? 
•  Is there information that you are unable to get in a timely manner that would assist you in making better business decisions?
•  Instead of doing things efficiently, are staff entering information into several systems and processing manually?
•  Do you plan to expand or grow and will your current system keep up with the increased workload?

If the answer to any of the above is "yes", it might be worth the expense now rather than later.

Q. What are some of the features I should be looking for in a construction package? 
The answer to this loaded question depends on the type and size of contractor. Some general points to keep in mind include the following: 

• The software package should be industry specific, that is, designed for the construction industry. Main features should be flexible enough to allow your own coding structure. The system should allow the entry of estimates, change orders, and projected costs.
• The job cost application should be integrated to all accounting modules enabling single entry processing from all the other posting modules.
•  For all unionized employers the system should accommodate all union reporting, deductions and burdens.
•  Sub contract control should be integrated to the Accounts Payable, Purchase Order and Job Cost functions.
•  Progress Billing and AIA reporting should be integrated to the Job Cost and Accounts Receivable functions.
• Ability to easily design your own reports without programmer intervention. A report writer should be available to access pertinent information such as labour hours & dollars, material costs and quantities, and subcontract costs. All data should be accessible for weekly, monthly, year to date, and total to date periods.
• The system should conform to Canadian tax laws for GST/HST, provincial Sales Tax and Payroll Taxes.
•  If United States it should keep track of the Year to Date Maximum for FUTA, Social Security, SUI and SDI. Year end W2s printed, or on diskette and Quarterly Tax Reports can print any one of the following reports: The 941 Tax Report, The WR-30 Tax Report, and The State UI Tax Report.
• If required, you may want the system to handle multi-users and multi-companies on a network.
•  If required, the system should integrate to other standard software packages such as Excel™, Lotus™, Crystal Report writer pro™, MS Access™, and ODBC™. This would be helpful for producing some other required reporting
• Your software provider should be actively improving the product based on industry standards and pressures, keeping you ahead of the competition, some examples of these features are – Mobile, eService, eRouting, eTimesheets, Document Management, etc.
 

Q. What are some other important issues that should be taken into consideration before investing in a software package? 

• Check the software companies’ references to see if they have other customers that are similar to your business.
• Budget for employees’ time for training, learning and implementation of the new software system while running your current system.
• Select a company that offers unlimited software support. Make sure the company provides improvements and tax changes to the programs, as well as any new government regulations, on a timely basis. You should make sure that the company responds quickly to your problems. Remember that your company is relying on their service when you have a problem.
• Select a company that provides consultants/trainers that have extensive experience installing systems for your industry.
•  Make sure the software vendor you are pairing with is healthy, and has the resources to keep it working for you and investing in it’s product and team. You want to know your software vendor will be around for years to support you and enhance its product.

Q. Does your system handle multi tasking in the same session? 
You can access different modules or perform multiple tasks at the same time on your screen.
 

Q. Does your system include a security system? 
The security system includes username and password login. It is structured by User, Company, Module and the sections you would like access to. The security features are as deep as required (go as far as field level security), and easy to use with a visual tool that allows you to structure user parameters quickly and effectively.

Q. How many concurrent users can run on your software? 
You can operate from a single user to as many concurrent users as required. However, because of Jonas’ incredible functionality, Jonas may likely be more than a single user company requires.

Q. What happens if my Company grows and I need to add additional users on the system? 
Jonas software system is setup by the number of Concurrent users logged on at the same time. You can add additional users to your system in any increments, and at any time. This is an easy process. Jonas prides itself in assisting in your company’s growth, so hopefully adding users is something you do often!

Q. What happens if I need to add remote users on to the system?
You can use PC Anywhere or we recommend Cytrx™ or Windows Terminal server from Microsoft™. As well, with our additional modules like eTimesheets, Mobile, and Silent Partner, there are many solutions to enable you to access necessary data in a timely and cost-effective way.

Q. What happens if my company grows and we require a large number of general ledger accounts, job accounts, Customers, suppliers, and purchase orders? 
The Jonas system is designed with user defined chart of accounts for the general ledger up to a maximum of 14 digits for both general ledger account and profit center. The Job cost code length is also user defined with a maximum of 15 digits for job #, cost item code, and cost type. The flexibility in our software will allow for any size of company. (Our clients range from 2 million in annual revenue to almost 1 billion dollars!) 

Q. What happens if I need some custom programming?
We have a team of programmers on staff that are available for any custom programming. 
 
Q. Is your Company experienced in the construction industry?
Our employees are Industry specialists with backgrounds in both construction and accounting. Most of our employees have approximately 15 years experience in the computer software business for contractors.

Q. How long does it take to implement your software?
Varies depending on the size of your company, the number of users, the experience and knowledge of your staff.

Q. What platform does the Jonas Software run on? 
The Jonas Software runs on Windows 95/98, NT4, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003, Windows 7.

Q. What Networks does the software run on? 
Windows 95/98, NT4 Workstation/Server, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows Server 2003, and Novell 3.x/ 4.x/5.x

Q. What kind of computer hardware is required to run your system on? 
For detailed information on hardware requirements, click here. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)