One of the issues that most small business owners overlook when building starting out in business is the use of technology. Whilst computer technology may require a significant investment when starting out; Overtime, if your systems are built correctly they will in fact save you very large sums of money, in particular in the area of staff wages.
When I first started my business, One-on-One Personal Computer Training, I started out with a $3,000 Credit Card, which when you talk to any business adviser or business-coach is absolutely the worst thing you could do. One of the issues I have been most conscious of is the cost of having a large number of staff. The way I achieved a high level of efficiency in such a competitive market was to automate as many of the day-to-day tasks as I could. The best tasks for automation are those that are repetitive.
As soon as I mention the word Business Automation, most technophobes will put up a barrier and go into a minor or major fit. Business automation can be as simple as creating just a few Microsoft Word templates. Business automation doesn’t necessarily mean hiring a huge plethora of software developers and toiling day and night to build some monsterous and complex system. It can and should be simple so that you as a business owner can in fact do it yourself. Let me explain!
Microsoft for all its good and bad issues, has provided business one of the most awesome tools - Microsoft Word allows you to build templates that you can reuse as many times as you wish.
What Is A Microsoft Word Template?
Essentially, a Microsoft Word Template is like any traditional word document, the difference is that it is designed to be reused as many times as you require. Why not create a normal word document then. Well, the difference is that when you use a Microsoft Word Template, you can store the template under the New dialogue box, so that each time you want to use the document you go to that one point and it will be available.
Did you know that you can even create your own folders in the New dialog box? For our team at One-on-One Personal Computer Training, we have created our own tab called One-on-One which is where we store all of our templates for our staff to use.
What Sort Of Templates Might You Need?
This is one of the key questions I get asked the most. The most common templates I see small businesses require are items like Sick Leave Forms, Leave Applications, Order Forms, Sales Letters, Purchase Order Forms and so forth.
One of the reasons why I chose to build Microsoft Word Templates in my business was to ensure a level of continuity of contact with our customers. By building a series of Templates such as:
- A Company Letter Head
- A Company Fax Sheet
- A Company Leave Application
- A Company Thank You Letter
- A Company Weekly Timesheet
- A Company Sales Letter
- A Company Visitor Sign-in Sheet
- A Company Purchase Order Form
- A Company Order Form
By having these forms in a central place I have ensured that my staff don’t need to be recreating these styles of documents each time they have to send a letter or fax. Further to this, I know that certain sales letters used by my staff will achieve the sales outcomes that I am looking for. By using a Microsoft Word Template, they know that when they get and enquiry that they can simply fill-in the customer details and the letter is done.
In our sales letter templates we use Microsoft Word’s Fill-in field to prompt our staff for key information like the Customers Name, Address and Company Name ensuring that the information does get put into the letter. Once they have completed that they simply press the Print button and its ready to go to the customer. As a business owner, knowing that that’s all my staff have to do to achieve the sales makes me feel far more comfortable than them having to write their own customised letters each time a customer enquires about our training.
Microsoft Word templates are an incredibly useful tool in automating common documents that your staff maybe creating and I believe that this is the first process that all business owners should be using in automating their business.

Chris Le Roy is the Managing Director of One-on-One Personal Comptuer Training. He is a Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor and MCSE and has written a range of training material to help individuals become Microsoft Office Specialists. To find out more visit - http://www.1-on-1.biz or online shop at http://shop.1-on-1.biz. One-on-One Personal Computer Training also offers a Free online help forum for Microsoft Office Issues at http://help.1-on-1.biz
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As I said in the first article in this series, when you enter the world of event planning, the one thing you realize very quickly is that flexibility is a necessity. Your event planning software will need to track appointments, events, journaling or diary entries, projects, and to-do lists. In this article I will discuss the benefits of journaling.
Before we talk about the event planning software journaling feature, you need to know that journaling or diary writing is very important; however, the importance may not be readily apparent from an event planner’s perspective. Let’s look at just two benefits:
1. Your ideas can flow inhibited onto the page. Let your uninhibited thoughts lead you. Since you don’t have to proofread your writing, your real feelings come out about your day. This is where you will be able to uncover how you are feeling about the people and things of your event planning career. This will also allow you to realistically see where you need to make changes to enrich you life.
2. When you journal you end up writing what you need to know. You will discover valuable insights about yourself that will allow you become more successful as an event planner. You will be able to lean on insights about yourself to guide you into more productive work within your niche. Remember you are unique and knowing more about yourself will undoubtedly show you that you are strongest in a niche within your event planning niche.
The most important features of your event planning software in regards to journaling should be your ability to make flexible entries and your ability to view an entire month of entries in your event planner software at once. Your software should be able to provide you with a text entry area to write your journal entries. This will serve two purposes:
1. This monthly view of your journal will allow you to find certain journal entries quickly at a glance.
2. This monthly view will allow you to see from a monthly perspective how consistent you have been at making journal entries.
Event planning software in the management of journals can be a great help in this process provided you have the minimum features above. There are other great features such as multi-category journals. The 2 features above are essential to productive journal management for your event planning software.
(c) Copyright 2005 Olan Butler All Rights Reserved

Olan Butler is the Chief Architect of BHO Technologists, a computer productivity software and service provider http://www.bhotechnologists.com with headquarters in Kansas City. His works also include the Appointment Calendar Software Store and the Kansas City Computer Repair Site.
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Yes, indeed conventional fax machines are dying, and will be out of the business very soon. We are now living in a digital world - emails, cell phones, instant messenger, GPRS systems are everywhere, slipping themselves into everybody’s life. Ask yourself: When is the last time you post your mail through the postman? And, when is the last time you click on that reply or forward button to send out an email? Technology change, so does our life quality.
Faxing services are quite similar with email. When first email services were introduced, not much people get hooked on and they still think the posts sent out thru their office boy are more secure and reliable. But as soon as people find the convenience of emails …the heat just spreads out and affects every single person’s life.
Internet faxing, or sometimes known as online faxing, or efax or fax to email or virtual fax, is a technology that enables you to send out and receive faxes in email forms. Modern internet services had made faxing easier and faster in a cheaper way compare to conventional facsimile transmissions. “We are eliminating the need for a fax machine,” says Janice Kapner, director of marketing and corporate communications at eFax. eFax is one of the pioneer in internet fax business that offers a free fax-to-e-mail service to more than one million subscribers.
By signing up with eFax services, you will get a real fax number at which you can receive faxes, which are then forwarded to an e-mail address of your choosing. You can as well send faxes out to normal fax machine through the service. Click here for more readings on eFax service reviews.
Internet faxing has caught the attention of both large and small businesses. More than 14 billion pages had been sent over IP-based networks in year 2002 and the number is keep on increasing, yielding more than 20 billion pages sent at the writing time of this article.
Why internet faxing service is growing this fast? Answer: the cost. Internet faxing requires less cost compare to conventional fax machine, which required user to buy fax machine, fax machine toners, extra fax lines …and the list goes on. With internet faxing, you don’t have to invest in equipment; you don’t need to pay for a dedicated fax line; you don’t have to allocate extra budget to maintain your fax machine.
Often, Internet faxing services require only a flat fee to use. As for eFax, with subscription fees range from $0 to $19.95/month; you can receive faxes up to 200 pages for free; you can then send out faxes with a low price of $0.10/page; you get a local or a toll-free number; you get additional services such as voicemail-to-email services.
Further more, internet fax doesn’t give you a ‘busy’ tone. You can always receive faxes as it will just drop into your email inbox. Faxes can be received even your PC is offline or the phone line is being used- it’s always on and you will never miss a fax with internet fax. “The `always on’ aspect of a Web-based fax service means that numerous faxes can be received simultaneously at the same number,” says Leslie Morgan Nakajima, director of corporate communications at Onebox.com.
Convenience is another plus point for internet faxing. With internet faxing, your faxes become digital files automatically. This in turns helps you manage your files easily. Just as other files in your computer, you can now copy, forward, and organize it in your PC hard disk - simple and clean. With most Internet faxing services, your faxes become digital files that can be copied, forwarded, and archived. There’s no learning curve for the service, one can just subscribe and start using it to improve your daily job.
On the other hand, there are a few limitations to Internet fax: You need online access and a scanner to fax paper documents. That’s why Dataquest’s other numbers show traditional faxing sticking around for years to come. However, the economy and manageability of Internet faxing will allow an increasing number of savvy home office workers to do without a fax machine.

The author, Claudia, is one of the expert writter in office tools and technologies. Read more about her new writting assignments in Online fax and CallWave call alert technology.
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In this small article we will be giving you highlights on Microsoft Navision and Axapta implementation, customization, tuning and reporting in Moscow and on Russian ERP/MRP market in general. We suggest this information to IT directors of multinational corporations with connection to Russia, Kazakhstan, Central Asia. Recently - in September 05 Microsoft Business Solutions renamed Microsoft Great Plains, Navision and Axapta into Microsoft Dynamics GP, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Microsoft Dynamics AX, following the directions of Project Green. We will be discussing localization, government reporting, language translation.
• Localization. Microsoft has two ERP products for Russia and CIS - Microsoft Dynamics NAV - Navision and Microsoft Dynamics AX - Axapta. Microsoft Dynamics GP is not localized and is not available in Russia from Microsoft Business Solutions Moscow. You can purchase the license from MBS Partner in US and implement Microsoft Great Plains in Russia, but you will face government reporting issues
• Language. Both - Microsoft Navision and Microsoft Axapta have interfaces translated into Russian and to some extent you can have multilanguage version, the reason we are rising multilanguage issues - in order to control your subsidiary in Russia you should have at least English interface and reporting.
• Government Reporting. Russian tax reporting is somewhat relatively conservative and the regulation here is rather strict. Also, tax inspectors assume that you use standard chart of account and do transactions on the General Ledger level, following accounting transactions prescribed rules.
• Chart of Accounts & Transactions. Standard chart of accounts has enumerated codes for accounts and geared toward manufacturing accounting. Again - accounting code prescribes you do transactions in General Ledger. The regulation would be not an impediment, if you are manufacturing company and tune your manufacturing ERP / MRP module to use codified and state-approved accounts/transactions. However if you are service business, especially high-tech oriented - the code is a pain for you, because Sales Order Processing or Service modules are typically designed under the assumption of accrued accounting, without posting your profit and expenses through “goods in production” type of accounts.
• Cash Based Accounting. Technically you can use either one: cash based or accrued methods. However, the accounting code was designed with the idea of the cash method.
• Implementation Partner. For the company, having headquarters in the US/Europe, consulting company selection is important question. Technically implementation should be done in Moscow, but the implemented ERP should be “consolidated” into Corporate ERP, an so - the communication between consulting company and your headquarters based IT and Finance department should be very efficient.
We encourage you to analyze your alternatives. You can always appeal to our help, give us a call: Russia: (095) 918 3314, Germany: (0177) 8349 806, USA 1-866-528-0577 or 1-630-961-5918, help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies (http://www.albaspectrum.com), serving Microsoft Great Plains, CRM, Navision to mid-size and large clients in California, Illinois, New York, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Washington, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan, Montreal, Moscow
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SAP just introduced localized version of its mid-size and small ERP solution – SAP Business One. As you probably know SAP Business One has Multilanguage in one company feature, and it is adaptable to unique tax rules, which is the case in Brazil. Among the other localized solutions: Microsoft Navision, Oracle Financials (or the whole set of Oracle Business Suite – Oracle Applications), Microsoft Axapta (localized version should be release in 2006), SAP Business One should be considered to be implemented for either Brazilian company with the connections to European and American market and business partners or for Brazilian branch of multinational corporation. Let’s consider market specifics and how SAP Business One could potentially fit for the ERP market in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro or the whole Brazil.
• Multilanguage & Brazilian Portuguese Support. This is really strong point of SAP Business One - you can switch from say Portuguese to American English by pressing cntrl keys combination. System will close all your existing screens and this is probably the only inconvenience you may notice. Please, be aware that SAP Business One has also version with Portuguese interface for continental Portugal.
• Manufacturing/Production module. For the multinational company Brazil is often considered as the place for quality and cost efficient manufacturing operations. And we see diversified needs for manufacturing automation – from machinery to food processing. SAP Business One Production module targets the whole spectrum of manufacturing needs.
• CRM. CRM module is integrated within the system. We should mention modern design of CRM module and really intuitive interface for business professionals, dealing with sales analysis.
• HR. SAP Business One doesn’t have Payroll module for Brazil.
• Drag & Relate. This feature allows you intuitively drag and compare/relate the data in the system.
• Customization, Reporting & Integration. SAP BO integrates with Microsoft Office on the level of COM objects, it sits in MS SQL Server database (the only platform available for Brazil at this time). It has SAP Business One SDK and we expect large number of ISV with custom products show up on the Brazilian market within a few years. Besides internal SAP BO reporting – you can do reporting from SQL Server directly.
• Competitors. If you are looking from the number of installations in Brazil, then you should consider Microsiga, where you will see similar slightly higher license and system implementation prices. If you are looking for international ERP brand, localized for Brazil – then consider Microsoft Navision/Dynamics NAV, Microsoft Axapta/Dynamics AX and Oracle E-Business Suite, which includes Oracle Financials, also known as Oracle Applications. Microsiga should be recognized as very efficient Brazilian tax & government reporting solution, at the same time SAP, Microsoft and Oracle are catching up with the compliance of their localized MRPs.
• Releasing Dates. SAP Business One, having over 8,000 installations Worldwide is scheduled to be released in Brazil in November/December 2005. Microsoft Navision and Oracle E-Business Suite are available and availability of localized Microsoft Axapta (Microsoft Dynamics AX) version is 2006.
• Licensing Price Structure. SAP Business One has all-in-one named user licenses. This means that you do not pay for adding new modules – all the modules are available for the user and included in the license price. CRM-only user license is available at 50% or the all-in-one user license. SAP Business One requires also annual maintenance fee, which will give you now standard for the ERP industry software upgrade and discounted technical support.
Please give as a call São Paulo 55-11-3444-4949, USA 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918! help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is SAP Business One specialist at Alba Spectrum Technologies (http://www.albaspectrum.com) – Oracle, SAP, Microsoft Great Plains, Navision, Axapta, Microsoft CRM and IBM Lotus Notes Domino Partner, serving clients in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, Recife, Manaus, Lisboa, Coimbra, Porto, Cascais and having locations in multiple states and internationally.
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Microsoft renamed its ERPs: Great Plains, Navision, Axapta, Solomon and MS CRM and now new names start with Microsoft Dynamics: Microsoft Dynamics GP, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft Dynamics SL, Microsoft Dynamics CRM. In this small article we will give you highlights on Microsoft Dynamics family of products implementation, customization, user training in South East Asia: Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines as well as in China and Taiwan.
• English Language. Considering such country as Philippines, where English is commonly used in business documentation, Microsoft Dynamics GP, or former Microsoft Great Plains/eEnterprise is a good choice. At the same time Microsoft Dynamics NAV or former Microsoft Navision is also excellent option. The situation is similar to what we have on the US ERP market, when Navision vs. Great Plains selection is based on the functionality comparison between GP and NAV.
• Chinese Language. Microsoft Dynamics GP doesn’t support Unicode characters in its native interface – Microsoft Dexterity (former Great Plains Software Dexterity). If you are looking at the Microsoft Dynamics GP Business Portal – you are free to customize it and have it support Chinese. There is special utility, which allows you to intercept Chinese characters and enter them in Great Plains fat client/Dexterity forms. The functionality is very popular among Chinese food distributors in the USA – Chicago and Houston areas
• Taxes. Both Great Plains and Navision support both tax systems: Sale Tax based and VAT (Value Added Tax)
• Manufacturing. This is where you should compare two systems: Great Plains and Navision manufacturing module/granule. Great Plains Manufacturing is good choice for Discrete Manufacturing type, if you have process manufacturing – you should verify functionality and third party add-ons features.
• Localization. If the conditions of your local country require localization (tax and language specifics – very good example would be India), you should check with Microsoft Business Solutions in your country on the positioning of Microsoft ERPs. In general, when localization requires non-English/Spanish/French Canadian language – Navision is the recommended and usually localized. Axapta also is very adaptable and localizable and you will see Axapta as the option in the majority of cases.
• Non-Microsoft ERPs. In some cases and we know real life stories/examples international company, having Microsoft Great Plains implemented in the headquarters in the USA, decided to implement SAP Business One for its overseas manufacturing facility.
• Software Licenses Sale only. In South East Asia we see very strong IT departments and IT consulting market. When company is required to implement Microsoft Dynamics – it can do it in-house and all you need is software licenses sale.
• Local ERP Solutions. On the local markets, especially where government regulation takes place you can find local or regional ERP vendors. There are pluses and minuses of such systems: plus would be government reporting side. Minuses are from the control side – international company should have ERP reasonably controllable and the option to rely on local specialists only is risky.
You can always have us help you with the implementation & customization. Call us in US: 1-866-528-0577 , internationally: 1-630-961-5918, 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, SAP Business One 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.
We serve international clients Worldwide.
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Based in Springfield, Massachusetts, Johnson & Hill Staffing Services, Inc. recently celebrated their tenth anniversary. What’s the secret to their long-term growth? They realized the need to be at the top of their field technology-wise.
Andrea Hill, Managing Partner of Johnson & Hill, states, “We look for operational efficiencies so that we can do more with less. We look towards technology as one of our tools to differentiate ourselves from our competitors.”
Hill would like to grow their two offices and the professional and administrative niche of their business by 20 percent within the next year.
“It was crucial to our business that our staffing software has the flexibility we need in any situation. We had to be comfortable that it can handle whatever we need,” said Hill.
At the beginning of 2005, Johnson & Hill switched from their legacy software to StaffSuite®, VCG’s premier fully-integrated front and back-office staffing software solution.
“When we decided to make the transition to StaffSuite, it was clear we needed to make a change to meet our growth goals,” said Hill, “our previous software just didn’t have what it took to help us compete effectively within the staffing industry and take us to the next level.”
To kick start their new program, Johnson & Hill went through a comprehensive training program that led to a smooth implementation.
Hill says, “VCG took our training very seriously. There was no lip service to our needs, rather strong action. There was a lot of follow through and sincerity from people that have worked for years within the staffing industry.”
Additionally, June Liberty, Director of Operations for Johnson & Hill, was especially pleased at the teamwork displayed by VCG staffers during the training.
Liberty adds, “It was important that we had a thorough training period. VCG’s comprehensive approach was helpful when it was time to go live.”
During this period they came to another realization. Did they really want to have the technical expertise in house to maintain their system? Could they be more effective by focusing on their core strengths — making sales and filling staffing orders?
So Hill decided to take advantage of VCG’s managed services offering. With managed services, Johnson & Hill no longer had to worry about housing its server or staffing software application. VCG was responsible for maintaining both at a 24/7 monitored, multi-level physical security environment with a 99 percent uptime guarantee.
VCG ensures system security, backups, data integrity, timely software updates and more, so that Johnson & Hill could focus on filling orders and landing new business.
Hill says, “The most amazing benefit of managed services is not having to even think about technical issues with the server or software – we even take it for granted when the software enhancements are added.”
Because management no longer has to spend their time putting out ‘technical fires,’ they have had more time to do their jobs and increase business.
“Either June or I would have to take time out from our day to fix whatever crisis was going on with our previous software,” says Hill, “it was lowering both of our abilities to be productive.”
VCG managed services put an end to the worries and even enabled Johnson & Hill to operate successfully with a leaner staff thanks to StaffSuite’s ability to improve staff efficiency and productivity.
“In the past, we had to anticipate technical difficulties and staff accordingly,” says Hill.
Liberty adds, “Not only do we have a leaner, more productive staff, but I no longer get pulled away from my job which is to win new business, not patch up any technical problems. And those problems might take four hours out of my work week when I could have been filling orders.”
While four hours a week might not seem like a lot, within a years’ time it’s 208 hours of lost productivity.
Hill emphasizes, “I don’t even want to know how much business we lost in the past because we were taking care of technical issues.”
With Johnson & Hill’s new technological investment, they will be poised to meet its 20 percent growth goal.
“We have superior software and technical support and we are ready to grow with the technology as it continually improves,” says Hill.
One wonders if they might surpass their growth goal for the year.

Ashley Jones is the public relations specialist for VCG. For more information on StaffSuite or managed services, please visit: http://www.vcgsoftware.com.
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When you enter the world of event planning, the one thing you realize very quickly is that flexibility is a necessity. Your event planning software will need to track appointments you have set, events you are planning, your journal or diary entries you are writing, projects you are working on, and the tasks on your to-do list. In this beginner’s guide article series, you will receive insights into each of these categories and some productive ways to use them.
First, let’s take a look at appointments in event planning software. This is the most obvious category. When picking an event planning software package, make sure that you have a monthly view of your appointments. This view allows you to see your month at a glance so that you can make decision quickly and get a grip on your schedule flow to prevent costly schedule errors like double booking.
Second, let’s take a look at your events in the event planning software. Your software should also give you a monthly view at this point too. Let me give you more detail on the characteristics on the monthly view. Your monthly view should be interactive without the need to compromise the view in your event planning software. In other words, you can make notations onto the calendar’s monthly view without leaving that view. This is where you will get your biggest bang for the buck because you can make notations directly onto the view without popping up any extra screens and yet have full visual to every day of the month.
If you are like me, you have had to fumble with software that took you to a totally different window to add notes and while you were writing the notes you needed to go back to the original window to assess some critical data. You may have even had to copy out your notes to another program temporarily until you could flip back from the original screen. What a pain!
The flexibility to work on your appointment and events in an unencumbered environment are crucial to your productivity success. As you can see, there is at a basic level some important event planning software design issues to address when choosing package. In the next article we will tackle the journal.
(c) Copyright 2005 Olan Butler All Rights Reserved

Olan Butler is the Chief Architect of BHO Technologists, a computer productivity software and service provider http://www.bhotechnologists.com with headquarters in Kansas City. His works also include the
Appointment Calendar Software Store and the Kansas City Computer Repair Site.
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Where is Microsoft Office today?
Today Microsoft Office has evolved from a group of private productivity products to a more complete and integrated system. Building on the well-known tools that a lot of people are familiar with already, the Microsoft Office System includes servers, services, programs and solutions meant to work as one to help deal with a broad range of business dilemmas.
What’s my benefit for getting Microsoft Office?
A Microsoft Office System gives you a building block for solutions that helps:
It gives business users enhanced access to data, and therefore they can get better insight and take actions that are more valuable. And it improves an organizations capability to expect, handle, and react to changes in the market. Further it is allowing teams and organizations to work jointly with swiftness and quickness. And finally, the most important, it improves individual efficiency and enables more business users to contribute in the all the time more challenging environment around them.
What is Microsoft Office?
The servers, services, programs and solutions, which put together, forms the Microsoft Office System, are:
Office Editions is the successor to Microsoft Office XP, and the foundation of the Microsoft Office System.
Microsoft Office Access is the Office database management program, and offers an enhanced ease of use and an extended ability to export, import, and work with XML data files.
Microsoft Office Excel is the Office spreadsheet program, and includes support for XML plus features that make it easier to analyze and share information.
Microsoft Office FrontPage is the Office Web site creation and management program, which delivers powerful features plus controls to help you design superior Web sites.
Microsoft Office InfoPath is the Office information gathering as well as management program, which streamline the process of gathering information.
Microsoft Office OneNote is the Office note-taking plus management program, which enables you to organize, capture and reuse notes on a laptop or desktop computer.
Microsoft Office Outlook, which is the Office personal information manager plus communication program, provides a integrated place to manage calendars, e-mail, contacts and other personal or team information.
Microsoft Office PowerPoint is the Office presentation graphics program, which allows you to produce an impact in person or online.
Microsoft Office Project enables organizations to line up business initiatives, resources and projects for improved business results.
Microsoft Office Publisher is the Office business publishing plus marketing materials program, which makes it easier than ever to produce, design, and publish expert marketing and communication materials.
Microsoft Office Visio is the Office business plus technical diagramming program, which helps you transform ideas plus conventional business data into diagrams.
And finally Microsoft Office Word is the Office word processor.
Final word about Microsoft Office.
As you see, Microsoft Office covers it all. Try it out. See if you or your business can benefit from this fantastic office tool. Give it a go and see for your self.

Huge amount of Microsoft Office quality information at this website – Go there. http://www.microsoftoffice.infostairs.com
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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:

Outside salespeople earn most for your company when they are
out of the office and in front of a customer or prospect - selling.

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.

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.
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