Twitter & TIFF
We all know what Twitter is (or I’m assuming your kids have told you about it) but regardless of what you’ve heard about Twitter and how it helps us be a part of the exciting lives of the likes of celebrities such as Paris Hilton. It recently was the spark that almost ignited the upcoming Toronto International Film Festive (TIFF) into controversy.
On August 24, Toronto-based music writer Helen Spitzer attended a screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World at Scotiabank Theatre in downtown Toronto. Later that night, she awoke with itchy spots on her back, bottom, and thighs. All body parts that would have come into contact with a theater seat. Spitzer grew increasingly alarmed, researching bed bugs online and tweeting warnings to her followers about how bed bugs are transmitted.
A few sore thumbs later the rumor which was proven false with an inspection conducted by Cineplex Entertainment had spiraled to the headlines of leading newspapers, blog sites, and thousands of Twitter feeds. The bed bugs were generating more publicity than the stars on the big screens!
Jennifer Yang of the Toronto Star commented that “This whole story shows how things can move faster than the speed of light on social media.”
More and more organizations today are investing in a social media strategy. They have recognized that social media enables them to build brand awareness, deliver a message, and capture a broad audience all while increasing the speed in which we receive that communication; good or bad!
What are some examples of how social media has worked for you or your organization.
photo credit: Webpreneurship
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As with any major project, first-time ERP users – and even some veterans of the service – are bound to make a few mistakes when implementing a system. Implementing an ERP system is something business owners want to get right on the first try, since the old adage “practice makes perfect” gets a little flimsy when mistakes can cost businesses hundreds, even thousands, of dollars.
If you want your business to be profitable quickly, ERP doesn’t leave a lot of room for practice. But avoiding these few simple and common mistakes can make sure that your ERP system gets to work quickly and efficiently, making you more money.
- Many ERP users make the mistake of thinking that ERP is just a type of software. They view it as the domain of the IT department, not something that human resources personnel or upper level management need to concern themselves with. However, ERP is a company-wide solution that requires the cooperation and comprehension of all divisions. Viewing ERP from only the IT perspective is a surefire way to miss out on some of the system’s greatest benefits, such harmonizing a company and synchronizing departments.
- While ERP is intuitive, it does require a certain amount of training. Don’t assume that you and your employees can just “wing it” and figure it out as you go. Making sure that everybody in the corporation is properly trained in how to best use the ERP system is certain to improve the returns on your investment. Everything in your company will flow much more smoothly when every employee knows how to work with the system.
- Lack of planning is a quick way to doom an ERP system. It’s very important to know where you want to migrate your data, which resources will be allotted to which departments and who will be in charge of each of aspect maintaining the ERP system itself. Deciding these things beforehand, either by yourself as an executive or as a corporate team, will eliminate what could potentially become a good deal of confusion and difficulty.
- Know when it’s time to upgrade, and do it in a timely fashion. ERP systems are a big investment, so it can be tempting to keep an outdated system around rather than shell out the money for the newest incarnation. However, the more time you let slip by, the harder it will be ensure a smooth transition between your old ERP and the new system you will eventually need. So bite the bullet and upgrade systems when your old one is starting to lose its ease and efficiency – you’ll get a much greater return on your investments if you do.
You’re not perfect, so don’t beat yourself up if you make a few mistakes when you begin using an ERP system or when you switch from one type of system to another. Just take your time, be careful and plan ahead, and you’ll have your ERP system up and running smoothly in no time.
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Remember Fred Flintstone? He was every kid’s favorite caveman curmudgeon back in the 70’s. I guess I’m showing my age, here. But it’s all good. You see, at least I’m no Fred Flintstone when it comes to promoting my company.
So what’s Fred Flintstone got to do with promoting a company? If you’ll permit me a little creative license, you’ll see how Fred, and his unflappable pal, Barney Rubble, are the wrong examples to follow when trying to promote your company in the era of social networking.
Fred works in a rock quarry: Even if you own a rock quarry, it doesn’t preclude you from using new forms of communication to tell the world about your accomplishments, new offerings, latest promotions, and more. While press releases still are central to notifying the media and customers of your news, using multiple distribution options is more effective at getting the word out to a wider audience. Here are some examples to consider:
- Company blog: Write about your latest and greatest on a blog. Make sure you remind your customers from time to time to check out the blog lest they forget it’s out there.
- LinkedIn: Post a discussion about your news and link it back to either the blog or a press release you have on your website. This will help drive website traffic and reach new readers. You can also post a one sentence update to your status to let people know what’s happening.
- Pitchengine.com: Use Pitchengine.com to post your press release along with lots of other interesting facts about the news and your company; a modest monthly fee allows you to keep the press release live indefinitely and is a great place to point journalists and customers seeking additional media-friendly information. For more advanced media management, the website also allows you to create a virtual press room where journalists and bloggers can get lots of relevant information at their convenience.
Fred slides down the back of brontosaurus when the whistle blows: Fred’s a company guy through and through, but when 5 o’clock rolls around he’s in his car before the whistle’s done blowing! Just like the wooly mammoth and saber tooth tiger, the old approach to marketing a business is giving way to the Internet and its myriad social media tools. Promoting your company on social networks requires constant attention. Some suggestions:
- Twitter: Twitter is beloved by some, reviled by others for its continuous, 24/7/365 stream of information, opinions, quotes, links to websites, inane blathering, etc. It has its fair share of time-wasting nonsense, to be sure, but if you’re careful about who you follow and how you engage your network it can be a good way to spread news of your company and drive real traffic to your website.
- YouTube: I’m not the biggest fan of video for video’s sake. (Check out my latest blog post on that topic.) Call me old fashioned, but before you start posting vids to YouTube you may want to make sure they look and sound professional, even if it’s supposed to be funny or campy. No need to look over produced, just make sure the final product works well and is consistent with your company message. The thing about YouTube, long after Fred has left for a night of bowling and “STEE-RIKES”, your company videos are hard at work as people surf for fun or interesting stuff to watch. Even if you’re not sure if YouTube is right for your company, you should still make sure videos are easy to find on your website. You’ll be surprised to learn how many people will stop and watch a video of you or about a customer when it’s made available.
- Social Media Monitoring Tools: Have you ever wanted to know what people are saying about your company? Social networking has ushered in a whole new era of water-cooler talk that you can now monitor. Reasons to monitor are many but the main one is that if there is a dissatisfied customer or brand-bashing crank spreading bad information then you can counter the negative spin with your facts. The problem is that so many tools now exist you can’t possibly monitor them all individually for what people are saying about you 24/7. That’s where these cool apps come real in handy: radian6, Scoutlabs, Buzzlogic, and Reputation Defender.
Cro-Magnons are much hipper than Neanderthals: Fred is quintessential old-school, a Neanderthal if there ever was one. He’s a bit out of touch with the newer generation, and that’s putting it mildly. Pebbles and Bam-Bam are so into new trends and ways of communicating that Fred just can’t keep up or pretend to care.
Guess what? A whole new generation raised in viral videos on YouTube, social games like Farmville and tweeting has invented a whole new way to keep in contact, share discoveries and generally socialize. If you want to market to this new species of consumer, and get them talking about your brand, then you need to learn a few new tricks. Here are some hints that might shake you from your pre-historic slumber and get you right with the new kids in the cave:
- Use Twitter to Spread Your News: A great way to promote your company – its strengths, its specializations, and its successes – is to tweet about it to like-minded followers. Trust me, there’s no need to tweet 20-50 times a day like some do. But a few a day that engage your industry in a way that provides value-added insight (not overt product pitches) will help you gain a larger following and drive traffic to your website. Oh, and a word to the wise, check out TweetDeck as a way to manage the tweeting process or using the Twitter website will become a headache fast.
- Hold a Promotional Contest: Put a new spin on an old PR ploy by holding a contest aimed at the younger demographic. Contest winners could receive any number of prizes, but don’t be afraid to be different. Make the grand prize a trip to the X Games or ACL Music Festival in Austin. Make it fresh, exciting, a bit daring even, and you will get noticed.
Follow just a few of the ideas presented here and you’re well on your way to shedding the old club ‘em-over-the-head ‘n-drag ‘em-back-to-the-cave approach to marketing and PR.
Good luck, and happy hunting and gathering!
Last week Sage organized a webcast to discuss “7 Steps to Driving Total Business Value Using an ERP System.”
The webcast provided companies looking for an ERP system with a number of tips on how to evaluate ERP systems, and how to ensure your implementation is successful after you select your ERP. If you have outgrown your current financial software, it’s definitely worthwhile to view this recorded webcast.
At the end of the webcast we opened the phone for questions. There were a lot of very good and interesting questions. I’ll provide answers to some of the most frequently asked questions in this blog:
- What is ERP?
ERP stands for “enterprise resource planning,” however, today this term is often used for any software that companies use to run their operations, including financial, operational, warehousing, HR/payroll. This is also often referred to as the “back office” – those processes internal to the company (i.e., not customer facing).You will also hear the term CRM a lot – which stands for customer relationship management. This is software used to automate the “front office” – any customer facing activity such as sales, marketing and support/service. Many vendors, including Sage, now consider CRM to be a part of ERP and provide fully integrated solutions that can automate a company “end to end.” - How do I determine if I will really benefit from upgrading to an ERP system? Are we big enough, will I really benefit from ERP?
This question was asked a lot by attendees that today use software such as Peachtree, Simply Accounting or QuickBooks, and whose business has grown. The best answer to this question is to talk to either an independent consultant or a value added reseller of ERP solutions such as Sage ERP. They will work with you to determine what your current and future requirements are, determine what ERP software would be the best fit, and then compare the cost to the expected benefits. Before starting this journey, you can consider a few tell-tale signs that you have outgrown your current software. Some of these include:- Your volume of business has increased over the last few years, and you spend more time looking at the hourglass waiting for your software to finish a task then you do entering data.
- You have a number of different software packages that all manage a different part of your business, rather than one integrated solution that would give you a “single view” of your business.
- You are changing your business processes to work around the limitations of your software, rather than adapting the software to how you want to run your business.
- I am using Peachtree today. In your view what is the next step up into moving from that type of system to an ERP system?
Again, your best bet is to engage with a consultant to determine what system best suits your needs. However, within Sage’s portfolio, the majority of customers that upgrade from Peachtree to an ERP system are moving to either Sage MAS 90, Sage MAS 200, or Sage ERP Accpac. - Is it important to choose a software solution that is configurable & scalable for future business expansion?
Absolutely. When you are investing in an ERP solution, you are starting a journey that will last many years. You need to make sure that your software can grow with you as your business grows (this is the “scalable” part) and can adept to your business as your business and processes change (this is the “configurable” part). Predicting the future isn’t easy, but you should look at products and vendors that support companies that are in the same industry as you, and are ideally larger than your current business – this will give you a good idea how the software can grow with you.
Selecting the right ERP software is a task that shouldn’t be taken lightly. A great start is to follow the “7 steps” described by Eric Kimberling in the webcast. And when you are ready for the ERP journey, engage with the right consultant to help you in your selection process and implementation.
By following these step your ERP system can have a very positive impact on your bottom line.
View the recorded webcast to learn more.
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This year, everybody wants to be lean.
No, we’re not talking about the latest diet craze or some new weight loss pill. We’re talking about lean manufacturing – doing more with less.
Lean businesses do more with less space, less time, less money and fewer employees. But getting your business lean – and keeping it that way – isn’t as simple as a gym membership and fewer candy bars. Making your business as lean as it can be involves working hard to eliminate all the excess and unnecessary processes that have stuck around just because you never thought to get rid of them. To borrow a phrase novelists use, it may involve killing a few of your darlings. But in the end, a lean business is a more profitable business.
What’s more, a lean manufacturing process can lead to a higher quality final product. In a lean manufacturing system, products are examined for defects or imperfections immediately and replaced or discarded within seconds if they do not meet company standards. The production line is also halted to identify and remedy the source of the defect. While it may seem like a lot of work, in the long run, this instantaneous fix saves a lot of trouble.
A lean business strategy can be achieved by reevaluating supply chains and reordering business steps to create the most efficient process possible. An ERP system is a great compliment to a lean manufacturing strategy because the two will work in conjunction to keep your business streamlined and make sure each department is in sync not just with the other departments, but with the corporation as a whole.
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Handling Problems with an ERP Core Team
Many businesses that choose to implement an ERP system also decide to elect and train a core project team to help manage the ups and downs of the process. Usually, this is a great idea – it takes some of the stress off of employees dealing with the change and provides a go-to group of people to whom confused employees can turn. We recently wrote about how to select and train such a team using a series of workshops.
But while a core team is usually a major asset, sometimes it can also prove to be a bit of liability. Some core teams might realize they’ve bitten off a little more than they can chew, especially if their training hasn’t been quite adequate.
ERP core teams might get antsy when they realize just how much time they’ve committed to the ERP project. They may get testy when they release the sheer amount of guidance and help they’re expected to provide while working on the implementation. In addition, any team can sometimes experience a little bit of in-fighting, competition and frustration between its members – which can be a major productivity drain.
There are, however, some things that you can do to help ensure the success of an ERP team. These critical success factors include encouraging the team members to be honest and accountable, to exercise their leadership capabilities and to compromise with one another.
Here’s how you can support your team in its efforts:
- Practice what you preach. If you’re talking about how important ERP is to the company, be sure you make it a priority. If the core team doesn’t see you devoting much time to the implementation, they won’t think they need to, either. Set a good example and your ERP team will follow. This also includes being considerate, accepting compromise, dealing with any setbacks in the progress of the implementation and being patient with the system.
- Offer positive reinforcement. Everybody likes to be thanked. Make sure your core team understands how valuable they are and how much they are helping in the ERP implementation process. Don’t be afraid to support the team in public, as well. That way, the rest of the company will know to be gracious towards the team, too.
- Hold team members accountable. Make sure each member pulls his or her weight – this will reduce friction between team members who may feel that the team isn’t equal. Offer individual rewards to the team members who are the most valuable, and if any member seems uninterested or abrasive, don’t be afraid to take him or her aside and have a few words about being responsible.
If you manage your ERP core team correctly, it can become an invaluable asset to your implementation process.
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Going Green with ERP
In a slow economy, business owners are looking for any way to cut costs. For some, investing in an ERP system can be an excellent way to squeeze a little more out of every dollar. By trimming the proverbial fat surrounding many business processes, companies can do a lot to improve their bottom lines. But another supply chain and procurement trend is also emerging amongst multi-national corporations looking to save some money in a tough economy – going green.
One year after Wal-Mart announced its intention to help its suppliers track and manage their carbon emissions, energy use and efficiency, many other major corporations are following suit. Businesses are investing in energy-efficient appliances, low-impact materials and renewable resources. Wal-Mart, for example, asked its suppliers to reduce the size and weight of their packaging materials. By doing so, trucks were able to carry more items per trip, reducing gasoline consumption.
Of course, it would be erroneous to assume that businesses are going green purely for the environmental benefits. While philanthropic interests indeed play a role, going green can mean a lot more green for your business. The savings from energy-efficient lights, appliances and processes can add up to enormous sums over the years.
One additional way that businesses can help the environment, in addition to all the recyclable materials and keeping the thermostat at a reasonable temperature, is through ERP software.
While some ERP vendors provide ERP systems specifically designed to help businesses monitor their energy use, even general ERP solutions are bound to result in increased efficiency and decreased carbon emissions. Using ERP to manage supply chains and procurement is a great way to keep track of these things. And using ERP to make your business more efficient will have a ripple effect throughout the rest of your processes, resulting in a better-run business that will be able to turn off all those energy-sucking computer screens earlier than its non-ERP counterparts.
ERP systems can also be customized to keep track of all the data that business processes can accrue, such as energy use and gas emissions. Emissions reporting is now required of businesses that exceed certain thresholds established by the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act. Handling this data manually can be costly and time consuming, but ERP systems can not only keep track of it, they can also help you establish where you can cut back on emissions.
What would motivate your business to go green? How do you think ERP can help you get there? Share in the comments.
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Business intelligence is a lot like what it sounds like: a way to make your business more “intelligent” by streamlining the day-to-day processes and procedures that your company goes through. Most companies can benefit from a business intelligence system, as most have a number of outdated, unintentionally clunky or unnecessarily complex processors that can easily be made more efficient with the right tools.
Business intelligence solutions give a company the ability to track, manage and, where necessary, alter its internal information. If, like most companies, your business exchanges hundreds of e-mails a day and manages dozens of inventories, clients, products or services, then business intelligence can help you manage it all more efficiently. And increased efficiency means increased profits.
Business intelligence occupies a space between a business itself and that business’ information technology. For this reason, trust is essential. You can organize a business intelligence center of excellence, headed by a trusted businessperson, to help manage information regarding the intelligence strategy and make sure that no one department or section of the company gets left in the dark. Additionally, the center of excellence can develop new business intelligence ideas and share them with the various sections that make up your organization.
Most businesses use information technology that has unnecessary steps. We’ve all had frustrating experiences with middlemen, misdirected e-mails or lost files. Implementing a business intelligence strategy is a great way to keep your company as efficient as possible to stay competitive in a tough market.
ERP trends for the second half of 2010
ERP trends for second half of 2010
A field as dynamic and complex as enterprise resource planning is always shifting and changing to meet the mercurial needs of businesses. ERP vendors are always working to customize and update their offerings to remain as relevant as possible – and the way they price their products is no different.
Now that we’re more than halfway through 2010, ERP trends for the year are becoming clearer. Of course, the changes in ERP systems and ERP system pricing don’t work on an annual basis; they’re constantly morphing and changing as needs evolve – which means pricing may still undergo some shifts before the year comes to a close.
How will these trends evolve? ERP Projects has some speculation.
- Licensing fees are decreasing across the industry. Since ERP software has become increasingly available, ERP vendors are fighting to get the dominant market share. One way to stay competitive and make an ERP product more appealing than a competitor’s offering is by slashing licensing fees, which companies are doing in droves. In instances where the fees can’t be waived or reduced, many vendors are offering payment plans that make the expense more manageable. Some even offer total project financing, which is a huge boon for smaller corporations or those that have been particularly hard-hit by the economic crisis.
- A lot of ERP vendors are also working to secure a greater market share by offering increased incentives. Much like a sub shop might throw in a free drink if you buy a bag of chips, ERP vendors are throwing in little goodies to entice companies to buy their products. Some of these add-ons might include additional training, reduced implementation costs and lower maintenance feeds. But don’t let yourself get caught up buying things just for the add-ons – make sure they’re really something that’ll help your company reach its full potential, rather than clutter meant to catch your eye. Don’t forget that there really is no such thing as a free lunch.
- Another ERP trend concerns improved customer service and maintenance. ERP systems require some maintenance, and the fees for repairs and upgrades can be high. Customers often complain that the cost of maintaining an ERP system is unfairly expensive, especially when they aren’t satisfied with the quality of the service they receive. Some ERP vendors make as much as a 90-percent profit on maintenance costs – a perk that isn’t likely to last much longer as customers become aware of ERP vendors that provide better service at lower prices.
ERP systems aren’t static for long, so pay attention as the trends evolve, and you’ll always be at the forefront of the industry.
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How ERP Can Streamline HR
It may seem as though information technology and human resources are mutually exclusive, but that’s not the case. In fact, the human resources department is one of the places where ERP can be the most useful to your business.
The human resources department of a company is one of the most essential areas of business operation. After all, who’s more integral to a business’ success than people, both employees and customers? It’s important not to view the people who work for your corporation as a commodity to be worked until exhausted or outdated and then replaced. Rather, a good leader sees employees as his or her most precious resource, which must be nurtured and treated with respect.
In today’s modern world, even the HR department enjoys a bit of automation. For example, computers manage files and complaints, automated telephone systems redirect calls and many payroll systems are handled with software applications. As with other parts of your business, ERP can help streamline these processes to make sure that your HR department can focus on what really matters – people – rather than machines.
ERP systems that focus on HR operate at the intersection of human resources and information technology. By making sure that computer systems and the people who manage them are in sync, unnecessary and repetitive tasks get easily eliminated. What’s more, as HR workers become more productive and helpful, so will the rest of your corporation. To borrow from John Donne, no part of a corporation is an island, entire of itself. Each part of your company is connected, and when one part runs well, so will the rest. That holds especially true for HR, which is already responsible for a lot of the synchronization that goes on in a corporation.
ERP systems can help make HR departments more efficient by organizing and maintaining a variety of tasks, including:
- Personal management, including personnel administration, benefits administration, salary administration, HR master data, recruitment and travel management
- Organizational management, including staffing schedules, planning scenarios and cost planning
- Payroll accounting
- Time management
- Employee training
- Performance records
An HR department needs to be flexible, adaptable and efficient. Today, businesses serve a local area as well as a global clientele, and their HR departments need to be able to reflect those growing needs.
ERP systems can help make sure that your HR department integrates flawlessly with the rest of your corporation, giving you an edge in a competitive business world.
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