Making the switch from a home-grown bookkeeping system to a more commercial job cost accounting software is a common dilemma that many small- to medium-sized construction firms have to eventually tackle. When facing this type of situation, it never hurts to garner some outside opinions from people who have already made the plunge.

In a recent thread found on the Journal of Light Construction's website, one user reached out to the online community for some advice on this very topic. To save you a little time, here's a quick rundown of some of the questions you should consider:

• How much does it cost?
• How is the technical support?
• Is this job cost accounting software designed for the construction industry, or is it a generic bookkeeping program?
• What is the learning curve?
• How well does it integrate into your current applications?
• Does it fulfill all your job cost accounting needs without providing too many useless features?
• Are there demos or tutorials to browse before you have to make any commitments?

At the end of the day, any decision of this magnitude should be carefully pondered. Two of our posts -- the ABCs of Construction Job Costing Software and our Construction Job Cost Accounting Software Buyers Guide -- can give you some more ideas about what to look for. [b5]

Every construction firm has different needs; therefore, finding the right job cost accounting software can be a challenge. However, if you're stuck in a rut, you can always take a look at our job cost accounting software directory.