Job management for small survey firms
BackSight keeps the quote, the booking, the hours and the invoice for each job together, so nothing gets typed twice. For small Australian survey firms first, and for trade businesses that quote and invoice their own work.
Made in Brisbane by an engineering surveyor. Early access: no charge, no card.
The demo’s sample company is a trade business. Survey jobs use the same screens, and a 20-minute walkthrough shows a survey firm set up.
How a job runs, start to finish
- EnquiryLog the call or email: who it’s for, where, and what they need.
- QuotePrice it from your own rates and price book. GST is worked out for you.
- JobAn accepted quote becomes the job, with the same lines and site details.
- SchedulePut it on the week board against the people doing the work.
- TimesheetHours go against the job, so you can see what it really cost.
- PaidInvoice it in full or claim it in stages, then record the payment when it lands.
These screens show a sample survey firm’s data.
Progress claims and retention without a spreadsheet
Bigger jobs get paid in stages, and retention is held back until the end. In BackSight you set up the claim schedule against the contract value, claim each stage as the work is done, and see what’s been claimed, what’s left and what’s still held.
See how progress claims work
Who it’s for
Small land survey firms
Firms with 2 to 25 staff come first. Fee proposals, crew bookings, field and office hours and staged fees sit on one job record, from the first enquiry to the final invoice. Instrument service dates sit in the equipment register.
See how BackSight works for survey firmsTrade businesses
Electricians, plumbers, and HVAC and refrigeration technicians who quote, schedule and invoice their own work.
See every industryUsing it for your firm
Only as a pilot firm for now. Pilot firms get their own BackSight account, with jobs shared across office and phones and separate logins for up to 15 people. I set each one up myself, and public sign-up isn’t open yet. There’s no charge during early access, and the founding-firm pilot is free, with no card. The founding places are for Australian survey firms.
What’s in it
Enquiries, Quotes, Jobs, Scheduler, Timesheets, Invoices, Progress claims, Purchase orders, Inventory, Equipment, Forms and Reports.
See every featureWho’s behind it
BackSight is built by a surveyor. I’m Tim Albash, an engineering surveyor and data manager in Brisbane, and I also built SurveyMarkup.
Why I started BackSight
Free survey calculators
They run in your browser and nothing is uploaded. Check the results before you rely on them.
FAQ
What is BackSight?
BackSight is job management software for small Australian survey firms, and for trade businesses that quote, schedule and invoice their own work. It brings enquiries, quotes, jobs, scheduling, timesheets, invoicing, progress claims, purchase orders, inventory, equipment and reports into a record for each job.
Does BackSight work on phones and tablets?
Yes. BackSight runs in a web browser and its screens adapt to phones, tablets and desktops, so there’s nothing to install. In a pilot firm’s account, changes need signal. Changes made during a short drop are saved when the signal comes back. The demo stays in your browser with sample data.
Does BackSight handle GST?
Yes. Quotes, invoices and progress claims calculate GST at 10%, and your documents can show your ABN and payment terms.
Does BackSight connect to my accounting software?
Not yet. Today BackSight exports customers, timesheets and reports as CSV files that you can open in a spreadsheet or bring into other software.
The quickest way to see if it suits you is the demo. Questions go to hello@backsight.com.au, and I read every one.