Posted by Plus Sales on Fri, Jul 23, 2010 @ 11:39 AM
by Brian Morris, brian@plus.ca
One of the more frustrating tasks for the average Accpac user occurs when they are presented with a multi-line order, which needs to be rekeyed on a regular basis. Not only does this waste a lot of time in the sales/order entry departments, but it can potentially lead to errors on subsequent orders. There a few methods of automating this process, but let’s first consider the most basic approach: the copy orders function.
In the example above, the OE clerk has just posted a complicated order for ACME Plumbing, with different comments attached to various line items. If another customer then places a similar order to the one just created, the Copy Order function would be used. To run this feature, click on the icon found in the O/E Transactions folder of Order Entry, as in the image below.
On the screen that pops up, you need to enter the Customer Number of the client you want to copy from and to (in the case of a repeat order for the same client, this number could be identical). Then you simply need to specify the quote or order number that you’d like to clone, and click on the blue arrows.
Once clicked, you will then see the individual line items from the cloned order appear (see below). If any of them need to be modified or deleted, you can do this from this screen. In addition to the standard order entry fields, you can also edit the Optional Fields by selecting that tab on the same page. When the order looks correct, just hit the “Create” button at the bottom-left of the screen, and the new order number will be displayed.
That concludes our look at the Copy Orders function, but in an upcoming post we will look at other methods of reducing duplicate entry, such as employing Standing Orders. Please check back often, and post any questions or comments below!
Posted by Dee Dutton on Mon, Jun 07, 2010 @ 12:08 PM
Hubpages.com, by Ritz
The following is an excerpt of the "90/10 Principle of Stephen Covey". This is an incredibly simple and amazing concept. You can apply it in every level of your life whether personal, business or other. Consider the various situations where this could work - traffic, losing a job, delayed flights, work deadlines. Give it a try!
"90/10 Principle of Stephen Covey
Discover the 90/10 Principle. It will change your life : (at least the way you react to situations).
What is this principle?
10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react. What does this mean?
We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us. We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane will be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%.
The other 90% is different. You determine the other 90%. How? By your reaction. You cannot control a red light., but you can control your reaction. Don't let people fool you; YOU can control how you react.
Let's take an example. You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just what happened. What happens next will be determined by how you react. You curse. You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over. She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and change your shirt. Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus. Your spouse must leave immediately for work. You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph speed limit. After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60 traffic fine away, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye. After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home, When you arrive home, you find small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter. Why? Because of how you reacted in the morning. Why did you have a bad day?
A) Did the coffee cause it?
B) Did your daughter cause it?
C) Did the policeman cause it?
D) Did you cause it?
The answer is "D".
You had no control over what happened with the coffee. How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day. Here is what could have and should have happened. Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say," It's ok honey, you just need, to be more careful next time". Grabbing a towel you rush upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff. Your boss comments on how good the day you are having. Notice the difference? Two different scenarios.
Both started the same.
Both ended different.
Why? Because of how you REACTED. You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% was determined by your reaction."
To read the rest of the article, visit; http://hubpages.com/hub/change-your-life-with-90-10-priciple
Recognized as one of Time magazine's 25 most influential Americans, Stephen R. Covey has dedicated his life to demonstrating how every person can truly control their destiny with profound, yet straightforward guidance. As an an internationally respected leadership authority, family expert, teacher, organizational consultant, and author, his advice has given insight to millions. Be sure to visit his site: http://www.stephencovey.com/
Posted by Plus Sales on Fri, Mar 12, 2010 @ 01:13 PM
by Mitch McNicol, mitch@plus.ca
See how one CEO stands up against economic adversity.
http://www.youtube.com/user/SageSoftwareNA#p/u/0/HAu2ebzqVC8
Sage Extended Enterprise Suite streamlines internal operations, helping sales, marketing, finance, and operations work as a single team to keep customers happy and your business competitive. By deploying a single platform, you'll eliminate multiple data entry points, reducing the chance for error and giving staff a consistent view of each customer from order to delivery.
Sage Extended Enterprise Suite helps you by:
- Uniting customer-facing systems, like sales and customer service, with back-office financial and operations staff for improved data accuracy
- Managing the customer acquisition lifecycle from lead generation to initial contact through sales quotes and order delivery
- Offering core functionality, including Financials, Distribution, CRM, and Inventory Management, and making it simple to add functionality as needed.
For more information or to find out more about the Sage Accpac Enterprise Suite, contact our office today.
Posted by Plus Sales on Fri, Feb 05, 2010 @ 03:35 PM
A few weeks ago I had an initial meeting with a prospective customer who called us after hearing our radio ad. They were a rapidly growing company, who were just as rapidly outgrowing their off-the-shelf accounting system, which had been purchased nearly a decade earlier. They were obviously a good candidate for ERP and CRM, but since they had some unique business issues - and really, what business doesn't have a few unique requirements - I proposed that we provide them with a Needs Assessment. When I mentioned that this would be a billable service, the response I received was something like "I never charge my customers for a quote, and I don't intend to pay you for one either!". I agree with their statement; no one should have to pay for a quote - but a quote is quite different from a Needs Assessment.
Suppose you purchase a parcel of property, on which you plan to build a new home. You'd have two basic options, going with a prefab design, or having a custom built house. In the former option, you can simply browse the catalogue or showroom, and pick out the option that you like best, and receive a free quote right away. Of course, not everyone wants to go with the cookie-cutter approach, and you may want to have some control over what your new house will look like. In this case you'll want to discuss this with an architect, and after some consultation, they will provide you with a set of blueprints that lay out exactly what type of house you want to build, and the steps required to make it happen. I doubt that anyone would object paying an architect for their time and expertise, so why does this happen with software?
Aside from the obvious benefits of having a document which clearly states your business processes, there are two more key advantages in engaging Plus to perform a Needs Assessment:
- Determining ROI
As part of the interview process Plus works with you to identify inefficiencies in your current system (Cost of Not Solving), as well as areas where you could grow if you had extra resources, or a more integrated system (Benefits of Solving). Using numbers provided by you, we will quantify all of these Costs and Benefits and combine them to determine the Total Value of a new system. This may seem like a very simple task, which could be done internally, but our consultants know exactly which questions to ask, and may uncover extra value due to their fresh perspective on your business.
- Fixed-Fee Pricing
Unlike with a quote, having a Needs Assessment will provide you with cost certainty on any project. Because all the steps have been clearly defined before the software purchase is made, we can guarantee that you will not pay a cent more that what you agreed to, unless you specifically request it via a written change order. Quotes, on the other hand are loosely-defined, and subject to increases of 100% or more, so at the very minimum, I think we can all agree that a Needs Assessment represents an inexpensive insurance policy against an unexpected price swing.
If you have any questions, or wish to share a differing opinion about Needs Assessment vs. Quotes, please post your comments below, or email me directly at brian@plus.ca