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Technology News You Can UseJune 2008 – Issue XXXVIIn This Newsletter
Letter from the Editor, Paul O'Bannon, Stillwater O’Bannon GroupAnother newsletter with great information for many of us. Although we would love to have articles that reach everyone, we know this isn’t always possible. This month is exceptional. Larry Lentz continues his series on Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and includes real world information that can help you manage your client, customer and prospect base. Marci Parrish brings information to technology professionals to help with career decisions. If you are one of them, this is for you! Chuck Weisbrich isolates the need for project management in today’s business environment. Combine this with Larry’s article, and you’ve just invested a few minutes very wisely! We are always seeking to bring to you the information that you need to grow your business, take care of your existing clients and make you more efficient. This is what technology is all about. If you have an issue that you think could be addressed and help the North Chamber membership, we would love to hear from you. We’ll find an expert in our Technology Council and get an article published. Enjoy! Top
Your Country Needs You! The Growth of Public Sector Technology Jobs Marci Parrish, Technisource, A Division of SpherionTech professionals, your country needs you! Even as the private economy slows, federal, state and some local governments are actively seeking people to help them usher in a new era of eGovernment. Not only are the numbers in your favor – the need generally exceeds the supply – there’s also a lot to like about a government gig. The work is varied and interesting. Just about every aspect of life and society has a government department devoted to studying, regulating or improving it. There’s health, agriculture, business, education, medicine and criminal justice, to name a few. The pay may be a notch or two below the private sector but it’s still good. There’s job stability, competitive benefits and lots of paid holidays! Nothing’s perfect, of course. Some technology may be dated and there’s always that infamous bureaucracy. But on balance, a career in the public sector offers a lot. Here are four reasons to consider a government job. A job-seeker’s market The number of tech jobs is projected to grow. Network and systems administrators and computer support specialists, for example, are expected to see double-digit increases from 2006-2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Both state and federal governments will be fertile ground for job seekers. Computer specialists accounted for just 3.5 percent of federal jobs in 2004. That figure is expected to rise to nearly 14 percent by 2014. Experts also foresee a significant need on the state level. In a 2007 survey by the National Association of Chief Information Officers, over 80 percent of respondents said they were having trouble filling open positions. Ask not what your country can do for you
It may have fallen out of fashion somewhat during the era of hedge funds and big profits but many people still value the opportunity to serve others. Whether you’re passionate about children, the environment or immigration issues, there is a job that fits your interests. Virtually every government agency has a need for skilled information technology specialists. Moreover, many people, particularly those who work in state and local government, can see how their work affects their communities. Great career opportunities
Are you interested in polishing your skills in database management, planning a Citywide WiFi program or just making it easier for citizens to access government services? A public sector job can offer any of those challenges – and much more. Because of the nature of government, information technology projects are often large, complex and integrated. While positions tend to have a specific focus, such as networking, database management or user support, it’s likely that tech workers will be able to gain a comprehensive view. Perks, benefits and incentives
There’s a reason people love their government jobs. There are often guaranteed raises, the benefits are generous and some jobs even have the ultimate retirement prize, a pension and lifetime health benefits. In some cases, public sector agencies are sweetening that pot with forgiveness of federal student loans, sign-on and retention bonuses, education assistance and other perks.
Project Management, Chuck Weisbrich, New Horizons Computer Learning CentersThe need for Project Management is now more crucial than ever before, due to the amount of time and money spent on trying to implement new technologies or processes. To remain competitive we have to do our processes more efficiently. In the United States alone billions of dollars are wasted on failed projects. In addition failed projects can cause more problems than were there before. It can also make an organization steer away from opportunities that might have been good for them and also causes an unwillingness to even try new challenges because of the past stigma of failed projects. Project Management can help eliminate these issues by determining even before the project starts is it even feasible. By using a structured approach to documenting and analyzing requirements, devising of solutions to correctly fulfill those requirements, planning the implementation of said solution as well as executing the devised plan correctly the first time hitting all targets of Scope/Quality, Time and Cost. The main parts of this methodology are as follows: o Scope Management – Ensuring that all necessary work is planned and executed in a manner that fulfills all stakeholder requirements o Time Management – Executing project work within the constraints of an established schedule o Cost Management – Management of project budget ensuring zero cost overruns o Quality Management – Ensuring customer/stakeholder satisfaction o Human Resource Management – Maximum utilization of resources in accomplishing project work o Communication Management – Planning and maintenance of correct, timely and effective information flow within the project thereby promoting clarity, morale and productivity o Risk Management – Insulation of the project from negative risk as well as utilization of positive risk to “springboard” the project forward o Procurement Management – Ensuring that all goods and services required are procured in a competent, timely and accurate manner without compromise of safety, integrity, quality and customer confidence Following this methodology we can give ourselves an edge. To be successful in today’s economy it is imperative to do things smarter. Structure, focus, expediency and competence are of paramount importance now more than ever. Experiences in CRM - Making Microsoft Dynamics CRM Work the Way Your Business Does Part II Larry Lentz , Microsoft Dynamics CRM MVP, Lentz Computer ServicesAs the first Microsoft Dynamics CRM MVP in
Marketing CRM is of course an excellent tool for marketing my business. One of the big differences in Microsoft CRM and other tools I’ve used over the years like ACT! and GoldMine is it has a separate database for Leads. Using Leads, I don’t have to clutter my Contact database with a lot of records of folks who may never do business with me. When I meet folks at a networking event or get a list of leads from some source, I put them into my Leads database. Then if they work out, I can convert them to Contacts and Accounts, and hopefully Opportunities. When I enter a new Lead into my system, I have a Workflow Rule that starts a bit of a marketing process. First, the rule checks where the lead came from and if it meets certain criteria, it will send them an e-mail saying how glad I was to have met them. For instance, if I met John from ABC Corp at a North Chamber networking breakfast, the workflow would send him an e-mail saying “John, I enjoyed seeing you at the North Chamber networking breakfast. Hope to see you at future events. In the mean time, please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can be of any service to you or ABC Corp.” It’s a great way to make that initial follow up that can be so important. I have made a lot of new friends with this approach and garnered a bit of business as well over the years. A couple of days after the e-mail has been sent, the workflow will assign me a task to follow up on the Lead. It will ask me to set the level of Interest expressed. If they did not reply to the e-mail and they were otherwise just a casual entry, I code it as ‘No Response’ and the system ends the workflow rule. However, if I indicate that there is some level of interest, then the workflow will prompt me to follow up with them by assigning tasks to contact them again. If I should say that they are Not Interested at this Time, then the workflow will go into a wait state for a few months and then prompt me once again to check on their level of interest. I also use CRM to send out notices, normally in the form of e-mail ‘blasts’. I can send these to Leads as well as Contacts. I have received many favorable comments from folks on my lists and only a few that have asked to be removed. Of course I don’t blast too often. That would be the kiss of death. CRM has many other marketing tools which I’ll leave for another article. In the next installment I explain how I track the services I provide my clients. |
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