– Yvonne Tuttle, Team Management Systems, Inc.

Many businesses these days find themselves in a bit of a quandary. A few years ago, they knew that buying a computer was the right thing to do and did it. After the excitement and hoopla about setting up the computers and getting everything hooked to the appropriate connections, then what? Often what followed within the company was excitement about the new steps that would be taken, then staff finding the fun little things computers can do. Management may have decided that when everyone is trained, it will be wonderful. Everyone wanted a program flexible enough to fit exactly the way functions were already being done. Changes were made and now no reports work! Now a few years later, businesses need to step back and look at where they are now. Is this process really working as envisioned?

Without the correct software, training and support, your firm could be setting in the twilight zone, not realizing what an effective, specifically written software program could actually do for you.

If you find that any of the above sounds familiar, the following questions could be helpful to you.

How effectively was your business run during your first year?
The first year is usually tough for all companies. There is a great deal of work in starting any business. Whether it’s your first business or your fifth, when it’s your own, you want to do it right. Often the first year is filled with a considerable amount of soul searching on the direction of the business, as you use sweat equity to get it off the ground, keep the bills paid, and fulfill all the legal requirements.

Where are you today in terms of effectively running your business?
Hopefully you can honestly say that you’ve come a long way from that first awkward year. So pat yourself on the back for the steps you have taken so far. Now look at where you would like to go.

It’s time to examine your current hardware and software. How long ago did you purchase your computer? Great strides have been made in technology over the last five years. A computer that is four years old pales in comparison to the speed and memory of a new system. If you could dispatch twice as many calls in a day... think of the impact this could have on your business!

What impact has your computer had on the advancement of your business?
If you purchased a computer at the beginning, you probably are able to at least have all your customers’ names and addresses in a database. This is a start, but what about data transfer between modules and customer history files? The shared data is crucial to timely financial reports and for quick accurate answers to your clients. Outstanding customer service is only obtained with good customer history files.

What further impact could the right software/hardware package have?
A triathlete can only function with a good mind/body connection. While the computer is not alive, it too must have the correct software/hardware combination. Without the correct software (brain), your computer is simply a fancy looking machine that sets on the desk. However, with the right software the computer can work wonders for your business.

If you purchased a basic software package that was not designed for your industry, you may feel that you are able to make it work well enough to get by. But is that all you want from your business? Getting by may mean losing out to your competition, ultimately losing profits. You could try to tailor the package to your business. This can be done; however, it will no doubt require hiring a programmer to make the alterations. This alternative is less than desirable for a few reasons:

• Finding a programmer who really understands your business is questionable.
  
• Updating the program keeps you reliant on that person instead of a company.
  
• You have little future advancement with that software.

If the software package you purchased was more advanced and designed for your industry, does it really work at full capacity?
If it is not up to speed it could be a lack of training or worse yet a lack of ability of the software to do the full job. Some software packages make claims that they are able to fulfill only if you and your employees jump through a lot of hoops for them. An example is when a software package claims to be "fully integrated." If the package truly is fully integrated, your data will need to be entered only ONCE. Some packages claim to be fully integrated, but data must be entered more than one time. That is not the meaning of fully integrated. Data that is difficult to enter is also difficult to retrieve for evaluation. When data is truly shared consistently across all modules, it allows you to run your business with ease and plan for future developments.

What impact could further training of your employees have?
Once you have the appropriate software package, empowering your employees to use the software to its fullest potential is your goal. When purchasing software, check with the vendor on how much training is included. Beware; more training offered does not necessarily mean that the software is a better choice. Some systems are simply easier to learn and therefore cost less man hours to get up and running. Ask what type of ongoing support is offered to you as the customer.

How well will the software work for your particular business?
When purchasing industry specific software, ask the vendor if it will be compatible with any other software you currently are using and plan to continue using. For example, if you use Microsoft Windows 95™, ask if the program can be running simultaneously with their software.

Keep in mind the marketing of a product and how well it actually does the job, may be two different things. Ask for a demonstration. During the demo, pay close attention to the functions your firm will require.

Here are a few examples of things to look for:

• Marketing Integration:
  Tracking of Advertising Effectiveness
  Quotations and Closing Ratios
  
• Job Costing:
  Estimates, Recurring Jobs
  Maintains P.O.s and Invoices for each Job
  Percent of Completion
  Percent Profit Estimated to Actual
• Inventory:
  Bar Coding
  Serialized Parts Tracking
  Tools and Vehicles
• Accounting:
  All modules integrate to Accounting (including Invoicing, Cash Receipts, Payables and Payroll)
  Departmental Financials
• Service Management:
  Tracks Customers from inception to completion with a complete history
  Estimate, Bill and Maintain Service Agreement administration

These are just a few functions to get you started. Look at the features that can increase your efficiency and produce a return in increased sales and reduced overhead. Those are the items that are essential for your next software investment – an investment that will take you far into the future!

Additional information is available. Call 1-800-299-7351.