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Technology News You Can UseApril 2008 – Issue XXXIVIn This Newsletter
Letter from the Chair, Scott Hardin, New Horizons Computer Learning CenterHappy Fiesta!! Our monthly newsletter is again filled with helpful and relevant information. Please remember that any North Chamber member can submit an article. If you are interested, please contact Debby Zucker for more information. Top
Experiences in CRM, Making Microsoft Dynamics CRM Work the Way Your Business Does - Part I , Larry Lentz, Lentz Computer ServicesMicrosoft’s customer relationship management system, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, is a program designed to allow businesses to track their clients and the activities they engage in with them. As most programs of this sort, Microsoft CRM allows you to maintain a database of your customers’ information as well as your past and future appointments, phone calls, and other activities. But Microsoft CRM can do so much more. One of Microsoft’s marketing points is that Microsoft Dynamics CRM “Works the way your business does.” By this they mean that CRM can be customized to meet your business’ unique needs. As the first Microsoft Dynamics CRM MVP in
Being a computer guy, my customers tend to have Networks. Their Networks usually have Servers and Workstations. They also have Printers and Routers, etc. With CRM I can create ‘Custom Entities’ to represent these items. Networks have certain properties like the Internet domain name and address, Administrator password, and so on. These are the data fields of the Network entity. Perhaps your business has other entities like Properties for a Real Estate related business. CRM would allow you to track specific information about each Property. Or maybe you own an air conditioning company. You might want to track information about the cooling systems you have installed for your customers to include upcoming service dates, warranties, etc. The new database entities can be created in such a way that they are related to other entities. For instance, Networks generally belong to Accounts (companies I do business with). CRM will list all the Networks related to an Account. And the Networks also have other entities, like Workstations, Servers, etc. related to them. In CRM I have modified the data to add pieces of information unique to my business. This provides me with a very complete picture of my customers’ networks and equipment, and allows me to better serve my clients. In future episodes I will discuss how I use Microsoft Dynamics CRM to market my business and support my clients. Larry Lentz is a Microsoft Dynamics CRM MVP, an MCSE, a Microsoft Certified Database Administrator, and a Microsoft Certified Trainer. Technology Driven Innovation: E Commerce Financial Services for the Entrepreneur & Small Business Owner, Jon Morse, The Center for SuccessFor those of us who were entrepreneurs and small business owners in the 70’s and 80’s, it’s a wonder how we found the time to keep up with all of the financial and accounting tasks that were necessary to successfully manage the business. Daily timesheets, payroll, employee benefits, tax and unemployment benefits, receipts, invoices, accounts receivable, checking accounts, lines of credit, capital acquisitions & depreciation, credit card merchant accounts, quarterly tax filings and management reporting for finances. This doesn’t include any personal finance issues which include many of the items mentioned above. One solution that worked and continues to work for many is to outsource. Bookkeeping and accounting firms have maintained a solid business model with the many small and medium size businesses that require their help. Even today with the advent of many off line and online software solutions, many continue to require the guidance of their accounting and tax professional. Their role as a financial advisor has expanded beyond the data entry effort. I believe their role has changed significantly, and has expanded to business advisor and coach. Their traditional “bricks” methodology has been challenged with the capability of emailing financials and subsequent electronic processes and correspondence. I’ve heard it said that the only person who likes change is a wet baby. It must have been very unsettling to see demand slow in the bookkeeping industry. The advent of programs like Peach Tree Accounting (www.Peachtree.com) and QuickBooks (http://www.QuickBooks.com/) have had great impact. On the personal side, Quicken (http://www.quicken.com/), Turbo Tax (http://www.quicken.com/taxes/) and Microsoft Money (http://www.Microsoft.com/money/default.asp) have taken banking, bill paying and investment planning to a new level. It would be interesting to know how many use any of these market leading products. As a current user of the QuickBooks (QB) programs, I am constantly amazed at what I don’t know about the program! I have configured the processes to handle the following: • download three business checking accounts • download a line of credit balance • download three business credit cards (which automatically roll up to one master billing statement • download latest federal and state tax and wage data • accept credit card payment for products and services • run online credit checks for customers • send invoices through the internet …….and I am not a computer wiz. These processes were fairly intuitive. Think about all of the labor time saved by being able to automatically download the many transactions from credit card purchases. In addition, I am able to join their frequent flyer program and collect multiple round trip tickets per year through their alliance with a credit card program. By paying off the balance of the accounts each month, I am able to recapture the annual fee (over 10 times the fee amount). I am able to email the company files to my accountant for review and revision and they are then able to produce quarterly reports and payment data per state and federal requirements. I suppose I could manage that process myself, but I firmly believe in having another set of competent “eyes” reviewing the output. E Commerce has allowed us to take on the role of bookkeeper and accountant to the point where it does not demand more than 15% of our overall resource time. It also allows us to minimize the time spent training an assistant to handle data entry. As I mentioned earlier, it also changes the role and value offered by accountants. My accountant has become more of an advisor and is happier because the challenge is at a higher decision making process. And, believe me their hourly rate has changed to compensate for that challenge. The E Commerce delivery system has changed the way many companies do business (bricks & clicks). Let’s look at banking. The bank that I do business with has developed a significant national presence due to their integration into Quicken/QuickBooks programs. Their 24x7 online service center is well staffed. On the flip side, the brick and mortar is still there with the following unique characteristics: • Lower number of staff • Limited hours of operation • Dependence on centralized management and support As a consumer who is in tune to the E Commerce style, this works perfectly. I don’t want to indirectly pay for the high maintenance assets (brick and mortar) at the local level. It is convenient to drive there and make deposits, but I really have no relationship with those employees and often handle deposits by mail. Sometimes it's not worth the drive. Decisions are made at a regional and centralized location. My focus as a consumer has changed to highly value the 24x7 downloading capability and remote customer service. With a larger number of small businesses utilizing the software and internet access, QB was able to negotiate very competitive rates for a merchant account. That rate is about one-third the rate I was previously paying. It is much easier to handle data entry as well. An order for product comes in via email from the web site. I then key in the appropriate data to QB and it automatically credits the transaction to my credit card. That is a net credit after a small percentage fee. Because there is limited internet ordering, it is cost effective to enter data into QB. When volume of sales increases, the business will need to automate the credit card entry and payment transfer. The trick will be whether or not QB and its merchant account firm will be able to handle the technology side of that process. There are several companies that do it already, but they don’t download into QB. One short term solution would be to form a business alliance to provide that service All of these E-Tools allow the business owner to have a much timelier snapshot of their position in cash, assets, receivables and debt. This information leads to better decision making capability. The transition and evolution of clicks and bricks is a fascinating study. It impacts our business and personal behavior. It offers the opportunity for us to change. Hopefully we will continue to have the choice of making this a positive change. Attention IT Workers: Stand Out, Don't Burn Out by Marci Parrish, Technisource, A Division of SpherionIT professionals are today’s heroes. From keeping the network humming to guarding against cyber attacks, they are our stopgap against IT disaster. Every day, they labor to be all things to all people, modern-day miracle workers. But it is the few, the proud, the totally knowledgeable, who stand out as superheroes. So don your cape and take yourself and your job to the next level with these five strategies. Look at the big picture: Analyze how your organization makes money and determine how IT can further those processes or even create a new revenue stream. Surely the IT function can be enhanced in some way to add value to your organization. Also, be prepared to create or fine-tune an enterprise-wide system that supports the business objectives. A very big job, no doubt, but mastery of the skills needed to carry it out will make you very valuable indeed. Manage a project from beginning to end: Develop your skills so you can oversee a project, from a new application to an internal compliance program, from beginning to end. You don’t need to be an expert every step of the way but you do need to have enough knowledge to ensure the system is functioning at peak level. Stay on time and on budget. If you can’t do that, be sure to communicate the reasons and what to expect in terms of a completion date and final cost Keep up your technical skills: Few fields change as quickly as IT. Be sure you are maintaining a full range of technical abilities that are critical now and for the future. Stay current through training, classes and trade publications. Understand and embrace new technologies. In addition, stay abreast of entertainment technologies that are being adapted (or adopted outright) for business purposes. Be a good communicator and a patient teacher: Understand that most people have far less experience than you but they can be taught the basics and beyond. Empower people in your organization to learn how to solve their own problems and to think proactively about devising systems that support their individual goals. Also, be alert for questions and concerns that occur among several people or departments. In a critical way, you are the first line of defense against systemic problems and failures. Understand today’s regulatory and risk environment: SEC and other regulations govern many systems, particularly those in banking and finance. Be sure you thoroughly understand the regulations and requirements and how to implement them. Seek expert help and keep top management fully informed. Also, be cognizant of the vulnerability of your IT infrastructure. At any time, your system could be brought down by anything from a massive power outage to an explosion. Plan for a range of worst-case scenarios and be sure your business could continue to function in the event of a major disruption. Increasingly, business continuity planning occurs across an organization. Be sure you are a part of that planning and have the resources in place for recovery. What you need to ask when getting Internet and Phone Service. The basics… Heather Henderson, Grande CommunicationsWhen you own your own business, you must occasionally talk to someone about getting phone lines, Internet service, or both. This can be a very confusing and a hard decision. What provider (company name) should I use? What will it cost? What do I need (i.e. How many phone lines, how much Internet speed)? Below are three very important questions you need to ask when you are getting new services or deciding to change service.
As in any sales decision, if you “feel” as though you are being “sold” or “pushed” into a solution, be wary. The industry is already complicated and the last thing you need is a complicated sales representative.
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