Certificate Software. What do you use?

[Voltimax]

Anyone that buys Hollycroft software is paying well over the odds.
It amazes me that they call it software, because it isn't stand alone, if you don't have word and excel, you're pretty much stuffed. For the money they ask I'd expect stand alone software. All it is is a collection of templates some of which are pretty lame, especially as has already been pointed out the estimating section.

 

[TPES]

Maybe a daft question but these prices for software are "One off prices" right?

Theres no annual subscription or any other fee's?

anyone help me out on which software to go for for all emergency lights and fire alarm certs aswell as BS7671 certs?

 

[telectrix]

ebay. all certs on a cdrom for a few quid, inc. fire and em lighting. some, though require open office to run, but that's free anyway. the one's i use are called national certs.

 

[telectrix]

ELECTRICAL TEST CERTIFICATES 17th EDITION SOFTWARE DISC on eBay (end time 17-Mar-11 09:57:00 GMT)

 

[TPES]

got to be worth it at that price, even if find out its no good...

I can see it doing the job though.. Seems very much the same as hollycroft software..

I really like the look of Home - PIRform for elecsa certs... But £75 every year for basic version...??

are all the rest yearly subscriptions.. (excluding ebay certs)

 

[IQ Electrical]

This all depends on what your requirements are, if you do many PIR's, EIC's a week then a good software package is far more professional and can save you and your chaps many hours with multi users and master databases etc.

If on the other hand, you knock out a handful a month then it would be pointless.

 

[telectrix]

the link i've posted is the ones i use. you can't run from the disc, you have to download into your pc. runs with open office. takes a bit of playing with to get used to it, but i find it excellent. does different clours for nic, napit, elecsa as well.

 

[DurhamSparky]

check NATIONAL CERTS ebay feedback!! i left him some and its his only neg one!! his certs are crap!!

 

[TPES]

So if you run a buisness with a handfull of blokes working for you you would recommend buying a decent software package? amtech.. easycert etc...

and if your a one man band then the ebay certs are a good choice?

I dont mind paying a one off fee for the software and an unlimted licence key that never expires.... but im not prepared to pay £££ subscription fee's

 

[telectrix]

check NATIONAL CERTS ebay feedback!! i left him some and its his only neg one!! his certs are crap!!

what don't you like about them. i find them OK

 

[TPES]

He has 100% positive feedback.... there is no neg?

So what didnt you like about the certificates? I'd be interested in seeing a printed out finished cert for myself

 

[DurhamSparky]

i am a one man band (actually 2 man band if you count Patrick who does work for me)

i use easy cert as its professional and yes i have to renew the customer care package once a year but its £60 and if i ever have problems or suggestions on the software they get looked into.!! i would not use any thing other from now on as its a brilliant system that logs all your certs in a safe place as well on a internet server should your pc crash!!

plus that £60 quid is a tax write off so im not fussed!

 

[DurhamSparky]

thats only for last 12 months!! mine must have just dropped out as it was 13-14m ago

 

[TPES]

So you have to buy the customer care package each year otherwise the software is unusable?

What version of easycert do you have..? you have all fire and eme forms?

 

[DurhamSparky]

i found them to be misaligned and a put together very poor. some fonts were different and in general they were nasty!

i used a trial version of easy cert at same time and i found that a much better system.!

eBay Feedback profile for nationalcerts

2nd off top!! i was tempted to go around and smash his face in with his comments he made via email when i asked for a refund!