Question: Why
should I choose SmartRoster over other church software products that are available?
Answer: Click
here to see the many benefits of choosing SmartRoster Back to Top
Question: We
will need to use SmartRoster on several computers in our church office as well
as on the pastor’s home computer. Is SmartRoster multi-user capable and are
there additional fees for multi-user use of the product? Answer:
SmartRoster does not require or use a centralised
database such as Microsoft SQL server or Access, as it stores all its information
in a single small text-based file. This format aids data backup and makes it easy
to share data with colleagues. SmartRoster also has "Auto Import" capability,
to automatically import data from a comma-separated-format
file every time you open a SmartRoster file. A single
SmartRoster file can easily be shared over a LAN environment. SmartRoster automatically
handles access so that one person does not over-write changes made by another.
WebShare also provides seamless sharing of the same file by multiple people over
the Internet. For more information see the user manual. For
additional computer installations for the same organisation, additional licenses
of SmartRoster can be purchased for a much reduced fee. You can also install and
run SmartRoster on one desktop and one laptop computer for the same license, as
long as both are not used concurrently. Back to Top
Question: Do
you provide free technical support with the purchase of SmartRoster? Answer:
We provide free email technical support for
one year after purchase (and as long as you need it for trials). After this time
you may purchase additional support from our web site. You are also entitled to
free minor updates, within the major version number you have purchased. For instance,
if you purchased version 2.0 then you can upgrade to any 2.x release. This usually
means 6 to 18 months of free updates. Please consult the comprehensive user manual
or on-line help before contacting email support. Back to Top
Question: What
are the minimum and recommended hardware/software requirements to run SmartRoster?
Answer: The minimum requirements are as follows:
- PC or Laptop running Windows XP, Windows
Vista, or Windows 7
- 256MB RAM
- Pentium 500MHz
- XVGA monitor running 256 colors at
800x600 resolution
- 15MB disk space for initial installation
(or 20MB to allow for Adobe Acrobat reader)
- Mouse or equivalent pointing device.
The
recommended improvements to the above are as follows:
- Intel Core i3 or eqivalent running
Windows XP or newer
- 1GB RAM or more
- Connection to the Internet for
sending bulk email and reminders, and
for downloading from this website new features as they are introduced to SmartRoster
Back to Top
Question: How
much does SmartRoster cost? Answer: Click here for
current SmartRoster pricing.
Back to Top
Question: If
I purchase SmartRoster, can I receive a refund if it does not meet my expectations?
Answer: Yes.
SmartRoster comes with a 30-day money back guarantee.
If, within 30-days of your purchase, you find that the product does not meet your
needs for any reason, you may return it for a full refund of the purchase price.
Keep in mind that you can fully evaluate SmartRoster even before you purchase.
In evaluation mode SmartRoster expires after 30
days, but there is
no other limitation during this evaluation period. You can enter an unlimted number
of persons, events and roles. Back to Top
Question: We
would like to order SmartRoster. What is the next step? Answer: You can order
by mail, fax or online. For all information on how to place orders please view
our orders web page at: http://www.smartroster.net/purchase.htm
Back to Top
Question: What
forms of payment do you accept? Answer:
We offer several payment options. These are
as follows: CREDIT CARD: We currently accept MasterCard, VISA, Discover,
American Express and eCheck. For all information
on how to place orders please view our orders web page at: http://www.smartroster.net/purchase.htm
CHEQUE:
We currently accept payment by cheque in the mail.
Because of the delays in processing of cheques we would normally send you a two
month temporary license so you can get going straight away, and send the permanent
license when your cheque clears in our bank. There is an additional $10 charge
for cheques. To pay by cheque, contact us at sales@smartroster.net.
An invoice will be issued
prior to payments by cheque. Back to Top
Question: Do
I need any Microsoft products to use SmartRoster? Answer: Other
than the Microsoft Windows operating system, you do not need any Microsoft products
to use SmartRoster. Back to Top
Question:
We are using a church management software program. Can our
data be transferred into SmartRoster without having to re-enter all this data?
Answer: SmartRoster
can import personnel data from comma- or tab- delimited value
text files. Most commercial products can export their data in this format. If
your package can do this then it is very likely that your existing data can be
transferred over into SmartRoster. Please see the user manual for details
on how to do this or contact us if you continue to have difficulty.. Back to Top
Question: Are
there limitations on the number of records I can store in SmartRoster?
Answer: The
only limit is to the number or person records which depends on the type of licence
you have purchased. Otherwise there is no theoretical limit to the number of persons,
events, roles or dates you can store in a single SmartRoster file. You can
plan on approximately 80KB per 1,000 people or per 1,000 scheduled dates. This
means your file will no longer fit on a single floppy disk after you have 19,000
people in a single file! Given that this application is about scheduling and not
data management as such, it is unlikely that you will ever reach a limit
that matters for the purpose of this application. Back to Top
Question: What
is your upgrade policy? Answer: You are entitled to all
updates and upgrades while your Annual Support is current. One year annual support
is included free with your initial purchase. SmartRoster provides an Automatic
Web Update facility which makes it very easy to update the program. This requires
a connection to the internet. Back to Top
Question: Do
you provide any training seminars for SmartRoster? Answer:
We are currently researching the need for Telephone-based
and/or On-site Training Seminars. Please contact us
if you would like some sort of fee-based training to register your interest. Back to Top
Question: Many
church software programs are sold in modules at additional cost. Are there
more modules to buy with SmartRoster? Answer: No.
SmartRoster does not break up features into separate modules. You get everything
in one package at one price! Everything we advertise
that the software will do is included. Other scheduling packages
have separate modules for an email feature, or the core address and contact information.
With SmartRoster all this is included. The only exception is WebShare which requires
at least two licenses to be purchased. Back to Top
Question: Is
SmartRoster focused on scheduling software – or is this one of several areas of
involvement? Answer:
At SmartRoster, scheduling software is our
ONLY business. We are passionate about helping administrators take some of
the drugery, guesswork, and rework out of scheduling. We believe great software
like SmartRoster can provide enormous assistance with this task.
Back to Top
Question: Is
SmartRoster a fully fledged Church Management Software package? Answer:
No. There are perfectly good CMS packages out there that are great for general
Church Management. We have identified the area of scheduling
as one area that is not being currently addressed by existing CMS packages (or
even stand-alone software). And we'd rather pour our energy into developing great
scheduling software (which very few companies do) and not re-invent the CMS wheel
that many other companies have already developed. | 
