May 1-21, 2000

Client Navigator, from BalaBoss Software, has features that make it look more like a practice management package than a simple time and billing application, but it is as attractively priced as the other T&B products.

While Client Navigator straddles the line between T&B and PM, it's definitely worth considering, especially by firms that need more than basic time and billing capabilities. Version 5.02, which was tested in this review, is scheduled to begin shipping this month. Tests were done with the beta code, and no problems surfaced.

Client Navigator's T&B features are very robust. As you navigate through the system, you are presented with attractive switchboard control panels, which offer the relevant operations for that section of the software. It's difficult to become lost, as the sub-menus are arranged very logically by tasks.

If your time keeping and invoicing needs are somewhat complex, you'll appreciate Client Navigator's capabilities. It's easy to key time and expense items, with many items being automatically recognized as you type. Time and expenses can be posted to work in process, and there's a lot of flexibility in formatting invoices and statements.

Client navigator also features an automatic timer that starts as you bring up a client, and stops when you switch over to another client or function, thereby creating an entry that can be imported and then edited and annotated.

This is a handy feature, which can also be troublesome, because if you answer a call from another client while you're working, you have to remember to switch clients on the screen to correctly capture the time. A separate timer utility is a much more concise way of capturing time, as is simply keeping the timesheet screen open, but minimized, and entering time as you spend it on client work.

The program's Launch pad is noteworthy. This is one of the main screens that is displayed when you start Client Navigator, and contains buttons that take you to the system's various functions.

One side of this display consists of buttons to other applications that you've installed on a PC or network, such as tax prep, write-up, word processing and spreadsheets. You can decide which programs you would like to launch and access from Client Navigator, and you can easily assign these applications to the buttons in the Launch Pad.

Except for lacking a separate timer utility, Client Navigator is a terrific T&B package. It goes way beyond basic functionality with features like the Launch Pad and very robust contact management, project management and due-date tracking functionality. If you want something a bit more than just T&B, Client Navigator is definitely worth a look.