How to Write a Compelling Company Description

How to Write a Compelling Company Description    Brian Hart, Inc. Whether you are a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned business professional, writing a company description can be a difficult task to attract new business.  This description is a core part of your messaging, and it’s important to be succinct when everyone is now inundated with too much information.  Learn about the steps you can take to craft a compelling company description. read more

You Can Be a Great Leader and Also Have a Life

You Can Be a Great Leader and Also Have a Life   Bridget Schulte, Harvard Business Review  There is often a story in the business world that uses the flawed logic that achieving career success comes at a price of losing your personal life.  We have heard examples of Elon Musk and Mark Cuban sacrificing their lives to make billions.  It doesn’t have to be this way, however. Learn strategies on how it really is possible to ‘have it all’.  read more

Dolvin Notes - January Video Picks

Dolvin Notes - January Video Picks For You

How to Protect Yourself How to minimize the impact related to a data breach  see the video

Sunday Driver

How self-driving cars could become a reality

see the video

Design Guru

How a Harvard professor uses toys and origami to transform design

see the video

Innovation (ERP)

Over the last few weeks I have had the opportunity to attend several events.  The evens were both Trade shows and Expos.  I define Trade Show somewhat differently than an Expo.  An Expo tends to be cross industry and a Trade show tends to be more vertical in nature. 

Both fill niches. 

An Expo’s value is typically the concentrated focus which is helpful, because you have experts in product delivery and service together to share industry best trends and practices.  You know, stuff to help your grow and expand your business.

A cross industry perspective is the value of an Expo.  Unlike a trade show, you have multiple industries instead of one that support, supply, work with and purchase from.

Both have value.

There was a security conference which talked about risk management and the state of uncertainty.  An Expo which represented a cross section of business and industry in a market area.  A Trade Show in technology service and support.  Then off to another industry Trade Show and finally to a Business Development industry focused event. 

Business Development

The Business development event was by far the bestest.  Okay “bestest” is not really a word, but the event, if you could call it that, was a conglomeration of medical people and up and coming businesses working in an accelerator to create new and innovative solutions to improve, streamline and create efficiencies that save organizations time, money and most of all lives.

At the end of the day, if you can succeed in business by helping others and increase the quality of lives, that is a pretty good achievement.

The Business Development event is somewhat of a cross mix between a Trade Show and Expo. 

It was organized by government sponsored organization whose goal was to take existing businesses, put them together to nurture their growth and then place them in front of the medical community and business leaders to showcase what they developed, kind of like a graduation ceremony, and take feedback to grow further and present an opportunity to present and hopefully sell their solution to their industry.

What made this event great was the mix of people and business and the anticipation.  Most of all was the atmosphere of community.  That we are all working to address a growing challenge that transcends borders and cultures.  Medical issues are foremost in all societies.  Everyone gets older and at some point we want to improve the quality of our lives and those we love.  

So, you might ask, what does this have to do with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions?

Everything.

There are needs to have innovation, industry focus, and cross community collaboration.  Any business needs support of others in their same industry to share challenges and find solutions. They need cross industry support to help them with their challenges, supply goods and services, and provide solutions. 

Businesses also need incubator type of organizations to provide a fresh look, a new set of eyes, to develop new and innovative solutions to the challenges they face.  These incubators or accelerators need funding, government support, and industry nurturing to be effective. 

It takes much more than throwing money at a problem to find a solution.  It also takes a leader with vision.

It also takes a community. 

It takes questions, a lot of questions to find the answers to questions not yet asked.  It takes a cross section of industry to observe and think of new ways to solve the challenges of business.  All too often a closed industry of technologists keeps coming up with new ways to solve the same problem, which is not really a problem.  Inventing a better mouse trap when a trap is not what is needed.  Mice are not the issue after all.

I know of an ERP solution provider that takes the time to provide a user forum to educate their users and take their challenges to heart and create updates that address those challenges.  New features are created to address their real-world struggles. 

They are smart enough to know that if they want to be of value they need to provide value.

I have also seen screens and field prompts that were clearly written by technical people.  The prompt asks a question in reverse.  Instead of simply asking if a product in their catalog should be available on their Internet web site.  A simple Yes/No question.  They ask if the part should not be excluded.  A reverse answered question.  They should just ask if they want the item to appear.  Instead they ask if the item should be excluded.  So, to get the item listed, they have to answer “No”. 

Effective, but not intuitive. 

Users should not have to figure out logic questions to get their work done.  In the end most businesses just want their systems to work so that their people remain productive.  Customer service needs to be knowledgeable about their products, availability and to serve their customers well.  The other departments of business need to service the customer service department and those who directly face the customers.  All employees, even those who sweep up the shop floor contribute to the ability of your organization to serve your customers.

A good solution is one that looks beyond itself to drive efficiency and collaboration in the Enterprise.  Dolvin Consulting works with your team and industry experts to find solutions to your challenges.  Contact us today to see how we can help.  That is why we do what we do.

Refreshing, Fresh Start ERP and Power Washing

Okay, I just finished power washing my deck in preparation of staining and although that may not sound all that terrific to you, I believe it has a lot of parallels to your Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. 

 

 

First and foremost I had a lot to do and I really did not want to start something that would take some amount of time, however, tackling the biggest challenge of the day first and getting that done takes the a lot of pressure off.  Doing the little tasks are nice, because you get a lot of things done, but there is still this “big thing” to be done. 

 

In reality it was not that bad a job.  I had done it plenty of times before.  I just did not want to get started.  The deck is in relatively good shape.  It has been stained and receives a fresh coat each year.  Now the stain manufacturer says I can get five years usage on a deck surface.  That might be true, but it also depends on the type and amount of usage the deck receives.  Regardless, the deck is in not that bad a shape and I do what I found works.  The preventative maintenance is not nearly as much effort as replacing the entire deck due to neglect.   

Athorough cleaning is probably all it really needs and is what I could get away with, this year.  However, it just looks better and I feel more confident in the preparation with it being refreshed for a new season.  Trying to figure out what I can get away with is a lot more effort than just being proactive about taking care of what needs to get done.

 

In your ERP world, are you just getting by?  Are you doing simple maintenance?  Have you looked at the costs associated with replacing or upgrading your solution so that all of your people are more productive? 

 

Do you look at it as the costs or as the investment in your organization?

 

I am not suggesting that you replace your system each year.  But, what about upgrades to stay current?  How many releases behind are you?  How nimble is your organization should your customers or a potential new customer want to do business with you, but you do not have the resources available?

 

Does your ERP supplier have a preventative maintenance program?  Are they just fixing problems or are they looking at your industry to identify new trends and needs?  Are they asking you what you want and need or do they wait for requests?  How accessible are they and responsive to your growing needs?

 

Clear the clutter and streamline your operations.

 

Refresh your systems, invest in your enterprise which includes your employees and most of all your customers.  When was the last time you asked them what you could be doing to make things easier for them to do business with you?  I can guarantee that your competition is knocking at their door with what they can and will do for their business.

 

Do you let your customers know what you are doing to improve your processes? 

 

I believe that guests to our home appreciate that we make a welcome environment for them.  I am not sure if they know what effort goes into this environment to make them feel comfortable, however, I am sure they feel it.  Often they will say how nice and comfortable it is and I can elude to my philosophy of creating a welcome environment.  I do not do it for the thanks, it is just my way of being proactive.

 

In what way are you cleaning, protecting, and making a welcome environment for your guests (customers)?

 

Every one of your people are in customer service whether you realize it or not.  This includes the people that push the brooms, file the documents, answer the phones, make calls, analyze the data, hold board meetings.  Everyone.  It is a team effort and nothing happens unless everyone does their part.

 

Cleaning the deck or refreshing and investing in new systems is part of the overhead associated with not only staying current, but making your customers feel welcome and valued.  It is generally easier to keep up with the updates than try to do everything all at once every five years.

 

An ERP solution has a limited lifespan without regular maintenance.

 

Here is your opportunity to contact us.  At Dolvin Consulting we are interested in helping you help your customers.  A rising tide lifts all ships.  Our success depends on helping you be successful.  Perhaps you have an older system that is so far behind, perhaps you need to address growing pressure from your customers, perhaps you just want to know that you are already doing everything you can.  Contact us today to see how we can help.