Increasing Sales and Profitability

There are many factors that influence sales and profitability – some of which you have control over, some you don’t.

• Competitors positions
• Market influences
• Taking advantage of special purchasing opportunities
• The ability to store and handle inventory efficiently
• Control of your expenses
• The customers perception of your company’s value to them
• A quality sales force

For the most part, competitor’s positions and market influences are pretty much out of your control. However your purchasing people, when assisted by a computer system that is rich with historical information and easy to use, will be better equipped to make better purchasing decisions with our system.

A good food distribution software package can also help control expenses and increase profitability in many ways. A fully integrated financial system along with good credit management, inventory control and purchasing tools will provide your management team with all the information they need to make the decisions that will help increase the bottom line.

With the use of well designed sales force automation tools, you can be assured that your customers’ perception of your level of service will dramatically improve along with the appropriate increase in the bottom line

Now we all agree that hiring and maintaining a quality sales force is a large part of the equation, but quality salespeople are not just born, they are a product of a lot of time in the business, understanding the customers’ needs and your product line, as well as the ever changing status of your inventory.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could help our salespeople to become more productive – in a shorter period of time?

With a well designed computer information system designed for your industry – you can…

I believe a basic principal we can agree on is:

“ There are several significant benefits to having the salesperson, the customer and the computer system interacting at the same time.”

• There are fewer errors - which cost you money and can damage customer relations
• A well designed system can easily provide the salesperson the information they need to up-sell the customer
• The salesperson can be constantly reminded of those items you have chosen to offer ‘special’ pricing
• The salesperson can be constantly reminded of those items the customer hasn’t purchased in a while, thereby giving your sales manager valuable information in a timely fashion on changing market conditions
• In the absence of their regular salesperson, a customer’s order can be taken by another salesperson – who may not be thoroughly familiar with that customer’s particular buying habits – because the system remembers what they buy and what they pay.

It was not feasible having the customer/salesperson/and computer all talking at the same time – until recently - because:

• The computer system was too slow, too cumbersome to use, or just did not have the information needed - available to the salesperson during the sales order entry process.
• Your salespeople saw no benefit to doing it this way – so they continued to write the order for later entry into the system
• You didn’t see the functionality, therefore you didn’t push your salespeople to use this approach
• The customer just wouldn’t cooperate

Now, with the right software – most of those conditions need not exist.

Current food distribution software was designed, from the ground up, with the food distribution industry’s order taking process in mind. This means the developers have included the various pieces of information to fully enable the salesperson to handle the order taking process quickly and efficiently. In addition, it can provide salespeople the tools they need to better manage the order taking process and to guide the process where possible. Now, there are some customers who just will not let you guide them – so be it. However, there are many more who, if properly led, will follow. Wherever possible, the your sales force should be directing the sales process, not following it – a skillful salesperson can do this where appropriate.

The “up-sell” technique

Automobile dealers use it

Why do you think after the deal is made with the salesman/sales manager, you are passed on the F&I person? This person is the master “up-seller”. Their job, in addition to finalizing all the details of the sale and finance information, is to tack on other high margin products and or services.

Large retail stores use it

All those little impulse items are strategically placed around the check out counters in an attempt to lure a few extra dollars of GP out of you.

Large building materials chains use it

They run ads for large window or door units with great prices. Then sell the add-ons where the real GP is (and the buyer frequently fails to check the competition’s pricing on these items).

Fast food companies use it

How many times have you gone into a McDonalds’ restaurant to order a hamburger and a drink only to have the clerk ask:

“Would you like an order of fries or an apple pie with your meal?”

How do you typically respond to the question?

Do you always reject it out of hand?

Or do you occasionally say “sure, thanks.”

If you’re like most of us, more often than not, you buy the additional item or items.

Now, what does that mean to McDonalds?

Conservative estimates for the “up-sell” will put between twelve and thirty thousand dollars in the gross profit column for each location over the course of a year.

JUST FOR ASKING A SIMPLE QUESTION OF A BUYER - -

WHEN THEY ARE MAKING THE BUYING DECISION.

Not bad.

Is there a way you can use this technique to improve your bottom line?

I know what your thinking :

Your product line is far more complicated than that of the local hamburger fast food restaurant

You do not have the same luxury of time the automobile dealer has with his customers

You don’t have customers leisurely viewing your product line as they do in the retail stores.

However, if you can get the appropriate information into the hands of the salesperson while speaking with the customer – when they are making the buying decision – I guarantee you too will benefit from this “up-selling” technique.

Remote Order Entry:

Now, here are 3 additional principals, I think we will agree on:

1. Outside salespeople earn most for your company when they are
   out of the office and in front of a customer or prospect - selling.
2. The more people whose hands an order passes thru, between the time the salesperson writes it down and the time it gets into the system, the more errors.
3. Errors cost your company money.

A food distribution software package should have available the ability to take sales orders in the field, and thru one of several methods, transmit those back to the host system – as though it were entered by hand.

In addition, this capability should include the ability to provide additional information to the salesperson like:

• Customer’s current open order status
• Customer’s current A/R status
• Weekly Specials/Spiffs
• Basic Inventory and Receiving information

So, in conclusion, if your current information handling system gives you the tools to do these functions mentioned above - read the other articles which are designed to help you evaluate where you may be able to increase profitability – Purchasing, Inventory Control or Credit management.

If after reading those additional articles you feel your current system handles your requirements and is providing you with all the opportunities outlined to increase your profitability - you have no reason to read the next series of articles I have written to help the small to medium sized food distributor, food processor or food broker analyze acquire a new information processing system.

This series will help you identify your needs and put together a plan to identify, evaluate and negotiate the purchase/lease of an information processing system designed with your issues in mind.

If your current system is lacking, then invest a small amount of your time, and just maybe these articles will help you in your decisions.

What have you got to lose?

Other related articles by this author for the food industry:

Increasing Profitability thru Purchasing Tools

Increasing Profitability thru Credit Management

Increasing Profitability thru Inventory Control

Information Systems Acquisition – a 5 part series

Robert A. Casale is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Lighthouse Systems Group, ltd. - a Rhode Island based company whose focus is on providing food distribution software and food broker software to the food industry.

Outsourcing has been maligned for political reasons. The tremendous benefits of outsourcing to all, have been lost among the debates related to its so-called damage to the nation’s economy. Outsourcing has suffered because of its close association, in today’s world of internet, to offshoring. However, outsourcing has been a normal business practice for a long-time in the U.S. and has been the major contributor to the growth of many business organizations.

Outsourcing has been used very frequently in the manufacturing industry for a long time very successfully. Manufacturers have been able to reduce their overall costs, improve manufacturing processes, improve product quality and grow their business with the help of outsourcing. Even in the service sector, outsourcing has been used quite well for many years. Even in the 1980s CPA firms would hire tax filing firms to enter data into tax software and provide tax return printouts to reduce the load on the firm staff. With the arrival of tax software that could be used by accountants in their own offices to prepare tax returns, somehow a trend of bringing back all work in house took hold. For the last few years, small and medium-sized CPA firms have developed a habit of handling all the work in-house and taking pride in it. This trend, that took hold in the last few years, and the negative publicity associated with outsourcing is to the disadvantage of the accounting industry.

Outsourcing is a fact of life in the 21st century. From our domestic lives to every aspects of our professional lives, we outsource. In this age of specialization, it is extremely crucial for the accounting industry to pay attention to the benefits of outsourcing and catch up with it as soon as possible. There are some very definite benefits in outsourcing, for CPAs.

CPAs who own and manage small or medium-sized practices spend a tremendous amount of time manage their practices, including staff management, work flow management, and handling usual problems associated with managing a small business. However, the actual strength of CPAs is in their ability to decipher tax laws and advice and help their clients optimize their tax situations. They also have a strong understanding of the issues related to efficient financial management of businesses and personal financial management. They can help with business valuation and help clients develop systems and procedures for effective management of their businesses. All of these services require CPAs to have the time to continuously develop professionally to stay current with the new developments in each of those fields. They also need to have the time to dedicate to their clients in these areas. If they are too busy managing their practices, supervising their staff’s work, entering data into tax software and compiling tax returns, then they are too busy doing the work that could be easily done by someone else, under their supervision. They get themselves too busy competing with the “other” tax preparation services, franchised or independently owned, and do not get the time to provide the much-needed high-value services to their clients.

Outsourcing their tax and regular accounting work provides a great opportunity to CPAs to release themselves to provide high-value services to their clients. Many clients get an opportunity only once in a year to interact in detail with their CPA at tax time. Many CPAs lose this opportunity as they are too busy with the “tax season” and don’t have the time to look at anything else. That is surely a lost opportunity, year after year. If CPAs organize their time, during tax season, in such a way that they get to interact with their clients and look at their matters in detail, they could grow their business significantly. Clients like CPAs who take interest in their matters and provide personal attention to them. Most clients, that are of value to your practice, do not mind paying for such premium services.

Tax season this year offers an opportunity, once again, to CPAs to consider outsourcing some of their tax return work. By doing so they could have some extra time to provide higher-value services to their clients and differentiate their practice from the other tax preparation services. It is now time for CPAs to differentiate themselves from the regular bookkeeping and tax preparation services and outsourcing provides a great opportunity for them to do so this tax season.

Amir Morani CPA CMA CFM MBA is the author of 10 Steps to A Paperless CPA Office – The Simplest Guide to Make Your Practice Paperless. Visit the blog at http://paperlessofficeforcpa.blogspot.com

Online Reservation Software can make the difference in travel agency growth or decline. Travel companies work on small margins and efficient online reservation software is the lifeblood of travel companies. While tourists have visions of up, up and away, travel agencies have their eyes on the bottom line and how online reservation software can increase profits.

Improved Productivity - Online Reservation Software
Improved productivity is the key benefit online reservation software offers travel agencies. The airlines, hotels and tour operators set prices and the agency commission is fixed. How can a travel agency earn more money? By streamlining the booking process to increase sales per agent per day with industry leading online reservation software

Enhanced Client Management - Online Reservation Software Online
Reservation software cuts operating costs by automating the travel booking process. A key feature of online reservation software is the creation of a unique passenger record that ties the passenger the travel agency. When an agent knows the client’s travel history, preferences, spending habits and more, it’s a powerful incentive for the client to book future travel with his or her agent.

Online Availability - Online Reservation Software
A sharp agent using online reservation software which offers online availability can close a client’s travel bookings in minutes. Referrals are the life blood of the travel industry. Travel agents using online reservation software offering immediate confirmation have become the standard by which all travel agents are judged. Combined with the growing travel destinations and packages, an agency’s online reservation software provides agents every possible travel service that might interest the customer at a glance.

Back Office Issues - Online Reservation Software
Do you know anyone that enjoys paper work? The client, on the other hand, is keenly interested in a convenient record of travel outlays for tax purposes. An agency’s online reservation software automates the tedious process of creating receipts, invoices, confirmations, vouchers and more. The same goes for tracking the many wholesalers, airlines, and tour operators a travel agency deals with each year.

Travel Agency Expansion - Online Reservation Software
While generating more revenue is the goal of expansion - online reservation software is the vehicle. Today, every travel agency owner asks “How can I survive today and grow in the future?” While the answer varies from agency to agency, those without fast, efficient and cost cutting online reservation software won’t have to worry for long, they will be “Up, up and Away” and out of the travel business for good.

Galor is a leading provider of online reservation software for travel companies in the highly competitive travel market. For more information about online reservation software, please visit Galor Systems & Software Development.

Accounts receivable factoring is the sale of part or all of a debt that someone owes to your company. When companies purchase a debt through accounts receivable factoring, they pay for your invoice at a discount. They then collect the debt directly from the company who owes you money.

Accounts receivable factoring is distinct from using your accounts receivable as loan collateral because you are outright selling some or all of your receivable to a factor, such as a bank or insurance company, at a discount. You don’t collect the debt owed to you from that account anymore, but you also don’t have to worry about loan repayments. Accounts receivable factoring makes up about a third of all financing secured by American companies using accounts receivable and inventory as collateral; it’s not an uncommon practice. And accounts receivable factoring can help you get large orders that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to manage.

Consider the following scenario: you have ten thousand dollars in cash on hand, most of which is currently earmarked for payroll or debt payment. As a relatively new company, you don’t have credit enough to use your accounts receivable as collateral for a loan. A large new account becomes available, and you bid on it and win. The problem is, you only have a workforce of fifteen people, and the new contract requires you to staff it with twenty people, purchase several new computers, and find space for the new staff to work out of. And you must do this immediately.

Your ten thousand dollars isn’t enough to do this, and you can’t get a loan. But you can engage in accounts receivable factoring, sell your current receivables at a small discount, and have the cash immediately on hand to hire the staff, rent the space, and purchase your necessary equipment.

Another possibility - you have a large amount owed to you as in accounts receivable, but one company is paying much too slowly, despite the penalties for late payment. You can sell your not-past-due accounts receivable to an accounts receivable factoring agent in order to maintain your cash flow, and with penalties for late payment applied to the other company, you will probably break even.

Using Accounts Receivable Factoring Wisely

When you sell part of or all of an account to an accounts receivable factoring company, try to get a personal recommendation for the company from a trusted associate: another company’s officer, a trusted friend, a bank, etc. If you can’t, at the very least ensure your accounts receivable factoring agreement states exact conditions, charges, and procedures for the purchase of your accounts receivable.

And don’t use accounts receivable factoring just as a way to get ready cash. Accounts receivable factoring can help you determine whether your payment terms are overly generous, whether the companies to whom you’re extending credit are credit worthy, and whether your collections arrangements are adequate for your business. When you speak to the agent arranging your accounts receivable factoring, be it a broker or the actual funder, ask about these things. Accounts receivable factoring companies are interested in long-term ongoing relationships with companies, and will be happy to help you ensure your procedures and information concerning accounts receivable are adequate for your needs.

You should never use accounts receivable factoring for debts you suspect won’t ever be paid. Again, you want to develop long-term relationships with accounts receivable factoring companies; they can help your company grow for a long time into the future. But if you sell them accounts they can’t collect on, you can be certain they won’t work with you again, and they may share that information with other accounts receivable factoring companies as well.

Henry Byers, Accounts Receivable Factoring advisor - focusing on Business Factoring and Factoring Receivables

Most people don’t use Photoshop to its fullest capabilities. Here are just ten uses to which you could put this highly versatile software.

1. Restoring Old Photographs. Have a look through that old family photo album - the really old one from up in Grandma’s attic. Inside there are probably a few photos from way back when that haven’t stood the test of time so well. They’ve got cracks and tears that really spoil their appearance. Scan them into Photoshop, and then set to work with the Clone Stamp, Healing Brush, and Patch tools. The Healing Brush in particular is a great tool for this purpose as it samples data from one part of the picture and blends it in with what’s already there.

2. Correcting Mistakes. We’ve all done it: Had an attack of “finger over the lens syndrome,” or got too close with the flash, so our subjects suffer from “red eye” and look like extras from a horror movie. Use the crop tool to salvage something usable from your obscured photo, and the enlarge wizard to blow it up to a reasonable size. For “red eye” and “pet eye,” use the eyedropper tool to sample color from around the iris, and a brush to paint away the red.

3. Adding Graphics to Videos. It’s a little known fact, but many domestic and professional nonlinear editing systems (especially the Mac based ones like Avid or Final Cut) enable you to import Photoshop .psd files directly into the timeline.

4. Creating Text Effects for Print and Web. There’s an almost unlimited amount of things you can do with text in Photoshop. Use the Type Mask Tools to create picture filled text, then upload the results to your web page - or print them out for a one of a kind T-shirt.

5. Turning a Photo Into a Work of Art. Everyone likes to have nice things to look at. Most of us like to have pictures on the wall, and something that looks different from what other people have on their walls is a definite plus. Unless you’re blessed with artistic talent, though, this can be very expensive - until now. Use one of Photoshop’s many Artistic or Brush Stroke filters to turn your photos into “new masters,” then print them out on quality art paper.

6. Designing Web Banners and Buttons. Photoshop comes with a predefined web banner sized canvas. Photoshop’s sister application, Image Ready, comes with several - and lots of tools for animating text and pictures. You can also create interactive buttons that enhance a web browsing experience.

7. Adding Text to Photographs. Impress your boss by putting the company name on the side of an airliner, building, or racing car. Use the Move Tool to skew the text to fit the contours of the picture, adjust the opacity a little, and hey presto! The text will look like it’s always been part of the photo.

8. Combining Pictures, Text, and Graphics to Make Covers for Books, Reports and CDs. Photoshop contains many of the image manipulation capabilities of high-end DTP applications that cost thousands. Use the “Layer via Cut” command to make your title text go behind part of the picture - just like on the cover of “Rolling Stone.”

9. Designing Web Pages. Did you know that Photoshop and Image Ready can turn your photograph or artwork into a web page? Use the slice tool to cut your work into easily downloadable pieces, then the rollover function to embed website URLs.

10. Combining Pictures to Make the Impossible Possible. Come on! You didn’t seriously think that Michael Moore and President George W. Bush really stood hand in hand on the White House lawn for the Fahrenheit 9/11 poster, did you? I don’t know for certain that they used Photoshop to fake that picture, but they certainly could have done. With Photoshop you can remove the background from one picture, take some elements from another, and combine them with the background from a third to create a picture that could never have been taken for real. Who says the camera can’t lie!

Shaun Pearce is a writer and video maker.
His latest production “Photoshop Master” shows you how to get the most from Photoshop, and can be downloaded from http://www.learnphotoshopfast.com.

For the first time in a web browser’s era, we are witnessing real action behind a browser other than Internet Explorer. The most browser history we can remember, major and widely accepted internet browser was Internet Explorer.

In late 90s, there was a time when Netscape was trying to claim superiority in that browser market share, but Internet Explorer walk away winning a lions share. However at present, for the first time Microsoft is facing tough competition. The new contender of Internet Explorer is “Firefox”, which is likely to take advantage of the security concerns that is counted as loop holes in Internet Explorer structure.

A browser from the producers of Mozilla, Firefox is drawing massive attention. Firefox is a browser that focuses on opening websites rapidly while keeping malicious pop-ups and spyware a side.

While, at final stages Firefox luckily was picked for the upcoming browser two federal agencies that recommended Internet users to select browser other than Internet Explorer for the first time, because of security concerns.

Internet users began switching over Firefox after facing numerous security issues with Internet Explorer. Users believe that Internet Explorer has not actually been upgraded since beginning of 20s. Users have to download the patch known as Service Pack 2 as well as upgrade their system up to windows XP for more secured Internet Explorer.

Internet Explorer use to hold around 95 percent of market share for web browsers but slide down to nearly 92 percent in just the few months. This might seem a few percentage points, but these few percentages depict millions of people who have switched over to Firefox from Internet Explorer.

It shows that Firefox is becoming widely accepted by millions of its fans, for its excellent features such as download speed, outstanding user interface along with its pop-up blocker.

But the biggest advantage for Internet Explorer is that most websites are still built to work best with Microsoft’s browsers. It may result that some sites may not sees right or not be accessible at all through internet browser other than IE.

So, who will win this race Internet Explorer or Firefox? If Firefox sustains getting market share as it has at current phase than future is bright for Firefox. But, if Internet Explorer comes out with the solutions for its security issues, it can hold onto its over 90 percent lions share in the browser market.

Whatever, but the fact is that both browsers have had advantages along with security problems and loop-holes. So only the time will show the right answer, just wait and watch.

Allen Brown is a freelance writer for www.1888SoftwareDownloads.com<www.1888SoftwareDownloads.com/>, the premier website to find Free Software Downloads including free anti-virus software, free spyware detection software, free toolbars, free chat software and more. He also freelances forwww.1888FreeOnlineGames.com<www.1888FreeOnlineGames.com/>.

Software development and software engineering go hand in hand when it comes to the implementation of software. Software development deals more with the creation of the software and when this is complete, software engineering takes over with the creation of software systems. Both of these disciplines are at times interchangeable and without much difference to the layman. If you just want to have one specific piece of software designed, such as database software that will keep track of your bird watching hobby, then you’ll just need software development. If, however, you want your bird watching database to be able to support multiple functions, such as delivering a report with statistics and results, then you’ll more likely need the expertise of software engineering.

Software engineers will implement and design software applications through the use of many mediums. These software applications will then be used for a variety of purposes that include business practices to entertainment purposes. It is these software applications that allow users to make their time on the computer as functional and productive as possible. Types of software applications include language applications, office applications, entertainment packages, and applications for education.

The cost of hiring a software developer will be significantly less than hiring a software engineer. Before you make your final decision about what you want the software to do you need to plan you budget, your timeline, and determine what you want the end result to be. The industry of software development continues to grow each year as more and more businesses are having their own software developed for them that is specific to what they do and what they want the software to do. Most companies will already be using some type of software application, such as Office Suite, and most likely won’t need another application developed for them. For most intents and purposes you’ll be fine hiring a software developer for you and your business needs.

James Hunt has spent 15 years as a professional writer and researcher covering stories that cover a whole spectrum of interest.
Read more at http://www.software-development-center.com

Consulting arrangements can do wonders for a business. They
can provide a boost to your business by utilizing a consultant’s
focused expertise and their years of experience in similar
venues, and they can give a business a good old-fashioned
shot-in-the-arm.

Consultants are distanced from the daily politics of your
business. They can provide you with unbiased opinions and
fresh perspectives. The thing is, they can only do this if
you allow them to do it.

I’ve done the consulting gig for years.
In the process, I observed and experienced clients using
my services well and not using my services well. I have
listened to associates’ stories of how clients work with them,
too. Sometimes the clients get great value for their money,
and sometimes they get less than that.

How to Make the Most of Your Consultant Dollar

Isn’t the most important thing about working with a consultant
that you get valuable results for your money and build a
meaningful business relationship at the same time?

In order to do this, you must go into a relationship with
your consultant with ‘collaboration’ in mind. The two of
you must work together in order for the consulting relationship
to work. As the client, you must be a willing participant in
the business relationship with your consultant.

In order to get value for your consulting dollar, you must
allow your consultant to learn and know about many aspects
of your business.

If you go to a doctor with a pain in your side, but then
refuse to let the doctor look at it and test it because
you’re too modest or afraid of what he will tell you,
the doctor won’t be able to help you.

Several years ago I consulted at a company to help them
use software to create reports they needed. They did not
want to show me their existing reports, however. How could
I help them create the new reports if they refused to show
me the existing reports? Like a patient who was afraid to
show the doctor the pain in his side, this client was afraid
to show me their reports. Two people at this client actually
clutched the reports to themselves like patients holding
their hospital robes closely.

After some explanations and coaxing from me, they finally
let me see their pain and allowed me to help them.
(Just for fun, I’ll tell you that this company is an underwear
manufacturer, and leave it at that!)

A consultant’s role is to give you business information that
you need in order to make informed decisions. They do not
have the responsibility to make your business decisions, nor
do they have the control. The responsibility and control
(which go hand-in-hand) are yours.

Before You Decide to Work with a Consultant

First of all, know what you want. Define it before the consultant
agrees to work with you. Write it down. List quantifiable and/or
tangible objectives. Write out what you think you want the consultant
to do.

• What goals do you want to accomplish?
• What is the scope of work?
• What results do you want the consultant (and your business) to achieve?
• What do you think is the timeframe?
• What is your budget for this project?

As You and the Consultant Agree to Work Together

Discuss how the consultant works. For example, what methodology
does she use to gather information, process it, draw conclusions,
and make recommendations? There is no magic answer to this question.
Most consultants, over time, will develop their own methodology to
perform their work. Just make certain they have a plan that is the
basis for their methods.

State the scope of work: what the consultant will deliver, when
they will deliver it, and how they will deliver it.

State who will do the work (if there is a team of consultants).
Also state where the consultant(s) will perform the work.

Agree on the timeframe, money, and invoicing.

List points of time at which you and the consultant will
touch base to discuss where the project is at, how it is
coming along, and if adjustments need to be made. It’s a good
idea to schedule regular meetings or conference calls so that
issues do not become surprises.

What Else to Look For?

“The worst consultants believe their companies are smarter than
their clients, instead of recognizing that they’re extensions of
their clients’ resources. Junior consultants in several well-known
firms especially show this trait; it’s part of their firms’
core cultures,” writes Peter Keen of Computerworld. He continues,
“Arrogant cultures make lousy partners and are in the rip-off
business without realizing it. Because they believe they’re so
much smarter, they make many mistakes that the more collaborative
and respectful consulting firms don’t make.”

Look for consultants who want to form a collaborative effort with
you and your business. Likewise, you must collaborate with the
consultant in order to get the most bang for your buck.

Two More Do’s and Don’t’s

Treat consultants as consultants, not as employees.

If you treat consultants as insiders rather than as outsiders,
you will not receive the benefits of having them work with you.
This is more of a mind process for you as the client. If you
think of your consultants as an extension of your employee base,
you may not be able to hear them when they tell you important
information. Remember, as outsiders they are able to skip most
of the politics and inefficiencies of your company in order to
unearth diamonds in the rough. These are the hidden diamonds
you are paying them to find. If you treat them as if they are
employees, you will hinder that creative process for which you
are paying them.

Treat consultants as adults.

Believe it or not, sometimes clients treat consultants as if
they were children. This happens most often when consultants are
told to not contact certain people for information, even though
the contact and the information is important for the consultant’s
work. I’ve also heard about consultants being scolded as if they
were children.

On the surface, the reason that consultants should not be
treated like children is obvious; no one wants to be treated
like that. It’s humiliating. The deeper reasons are the same
as for not treating consultants like employees: clients who
treat their consultants like children will not get the benefits
out of the consultant that they are paying for.

In Conclusion

Working with a consultant can be rewarding for your business.
It’s up to you to define your goals, how you want a consultant
to help achieve those goals, participate in a collaborative
relationship, and let the consultant do their work in order
to give you value for your consultant dollar.

© 2006 Borgeson Consulting, Inc.

Glory Borgeson is a business coach and consultant, and the president of
Borgeson Consulting, Inc. She works with two groups of people:
small business owners (with 500 employees or less) to help them increase
their Entrepreneurial IQ, which leads to increased profit and
decreased stress; and with executives in the
“honeymoon phase” of a new position (typically the first two years)
to coach them to success. Top athletes have a coach; why not you?

Click here for Borgeson Consulting, Inc.

This article was originally published in The Business Express, Borgeson’s
free monthly ezine. You may subscribe by clicking here:
Ezine

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is marketed for mid-size companies as well as Navision (which has very good positions in Europe and emerging markets where it can be easily localized).

Great Plains Payables Management (PM) module improves control over your payables. With easy access to comprehensive vendor information, payment scheduling and tracking, and up-to-the minute answer to your cash flow status, this module allows you to manage your expenses more effectively.

PM maximizes operational efficiency by empowering employees with advanced search capabilities that provide quick and easy access to the information they need. This module also simplifies expense allocation like deferring payments or costs over multiple periods with automatically managed calculations and journal entries customized to fit your business needs.

Features:

• Extensive Drill-Down – Cross-module drill-down capabilities give you the ability to locate the exact details you need.

• Comprehensive Vendor Information – Streamline your vendor information with vendor categories for consistent record maintenance and comprehensive data, including addresses, shipping methods, default purchase accounts, and user-defined information.

• Installment Management – Automate your vendor installment payments by creating schedules, calculating interest, amortizing amounts, and forecasting the impact of variable interest rates, payment amounts, and installment changes.

• Expenditure Control – Manage expenditures with full control over check runs and tracking of after-the-fact payments that use manual check entries, credit cards, or cash for transactions.

• Control Account Management – Manage your payables control accounts by reporting segments, such as cost center, division, department, program or fund, and display a breakdown by segment values of your central control payables account. Eliminate the need to manually reconcile reporting segments and get a true account of amounts owing by segment value.

• Automatic Posting - Automate posting for each vendor to designated General Ledger accounts for recurring transactions, or streamline distribution for vendors without specified purchase accounts.

• Complete Payables Reporting – Create a comprehensive suite of payable reports that can be sorted by calendar or fiscal year with on-screen display and search, or combine with Microsoft® Business Solutions–Great Plains® applications such as Report Writer or Crystal Reports® for greater reporting flexibility.

Good luck with implementation, customization and integration and if you have issues or concerns – we are here to help! If you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-630-961-5918 or 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com

Vincent is a Great Plains specialist in Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ) – USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, serving clients in Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Miami, New Orleans, Toronto, Montreal and having locations in multiple states and internationally

Microsoft CRM has built-in conversion tool, however you should probably first try third party conversion tool, such as Scribe. It is relatively expensive and has bunch of importing capabilities, that you might never use and need. Scribe allows you to map objects in source and target, when source is ACT! for example. If you are just realized the need to load data into CRM – please research Microsoft CRM import tool and Scribe. Here we will describe other option and possibilities

• Master records import – you can import via MS CRM integration tool. Tools->Import and select contacts or leads

• Duplication dilemma. In version 1.2 as well as in 3.0 (as far as we know) you do not have duplication check and you can import duplicate leads or contacts.

• MS CRM SDK custom data migration. If data import is critical and you have reasonable budget for the migration – you can appeal to MS CRM customization partner who specializes in the complex data import. In MS CRM SDK you can program duplication check, special rules for security settings. We have to stress here, that this is not one thousand dollars project and if you are small company, you should stick to Scribe or native MS CRM import tool

• Large Scale MS CRM implementation. For corporate business security might have top priority and migration should be programmed in MS CRM SDK.

• Some technical tips. Post-call-outs. In MS CRM 3.0 which should be released in earlier 2006 there are so-called pre-call outs (in version 1.2 we have only post-call-outs). Pre-call-out should allow to check for duplication, based on your duplication recognition criteria and cancel record if it is duplicate contact, account or lead

If you have a need in large scale data import, you can always have us help you with MS CRM SDK data conversion. Give us a call: 866.528.0577 or 1.630.961.598, help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ) - Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, Navision, Axapta MS CRM, Oracle Financials and IBM Lotus Domino Partner, serving corporate customers in the following industries: Aerospace & Defense, Medical & Healthcare, Distribution & Logistics, Hospitality, Banking & Finance, Wholesale & Retail, Chemicals, Oil & Gas, Placement & Recruiting, Advertising & Publishing, Textile, Pharmaceutical, Non-Profit, Beverages, Conglomerates, Apparels, Durables, Manufacturing and having locations in multiple states and internationally.