How Much Do Cyber-criminals Make with Your Personal Data?

How Much Do Cyber-criminals Make with Your Personal Data?  Security Magazine According to a study from the Kapersky Lab, a global cybersecurity company, criminals can sell an individual’s complete digital life for less than $50.  The market for a single breached account is even lower.  You’ll be surprised to learn the various ways criminals are stealing and selling a person’s complete digital life on the dark web. read more

#AHA - A time to help

Help me help others by donating just $2 (you can always contribute more if you like). 

A donation is the right thing to do if you or your loved ones have been impacted by Heart Disease like my family.  It is even more important if you want to prevent Heart Disease from affecting those you love.

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More Efficient Operational Processes

More efficient warehouse operations.  If only.  Is it possible?  If it were, there would likely be less labor costs relative to increased production.  Less costs and less production is clearly a down cycle in the business as is more costs and less production.  Ideally you want less costs and more production. 

Automation is the key.  But, automate what, how?

For most manufacturers and wholesale distributors the key often revolves around inventory levels, processing and handling.  Inventory tends to have the greatest Return On Investment (ROI).  Inventory management is somewhat like upgrading your kitchen in your house remodel.  The kitchen remodel generally returns the most on investment.  Other upgrades make living more comfortable, but Kitchens have one of the better paybacks.

Increased accuracy in order and pick/pack/ship processing due to warehouse layout optimization, receiving efficiencies including barcoding and scanning, automated put-aways and cycle counting are just a few examples that can contribute to more efficient operations.

Most businesses that have survived the economic fluctuations are running fairly well and have probably automated at least some and likely much of their facilities.  Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) are the key to the automation.  Unfortunately these systems are not always fully implemented.  Sometimes the implementation plan was a phased approach, but never completed.  Sometimes the organization had a loss of faith in the promised return.  The causes are many, a bad match between sales and purchasing, lack of education, or lack of funds to fully implement the solution. 

WMS systems are great, but they do have to match the business model.  Typically the greatest efficiency in WMS comes from a fully integrated solution that is part of the native Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution.  However, if the ERP solution is not a good match, the WMS module will tend to exacerbate the problems.

A thorough review of business operations makes sense before purchasing or upgrading your WMS solution. 

Are there plans and budget available to outfit workers with wireless equipment, barcode scanners, printers, and other tools?  The benefits of WMS will be limited without the corresponding equipment.  Automating labor collection and reporting is another benefit of WMS systems.  A phased-in approach is a valid model as long as the implementation is completed.

How much paper is involved with the current processing of orders, receiving and counting?  How will a WMS system reduce this overhead?  Will your people be convinced?  What is the baseline and what metrics are needed to gauge the project success?  Without an electronic system how can workloads be optimized?  How much time and effort is needed to check orders? 

How much does the administrative overhead affect your profitability?

Achievable goals include year over year decreases in labor costs relative to production, order, pick and shipment rates of 99% accuracy.  To enable these accuracy levels organizations will typically need to implement bin management in their WMS system, real-time paperless receiving and put-aways, automated picking and cycle counting.  Manual systems require a significant amount of administrative overhead and paperwork which contributes to inaccuracies. These inaccuracies increase if batch, lot or serial number processing is involved. 

High accuracy rates are not the end goal, efficiency is.  High accuracy rates are what enables business to concentrate on real operational efficiency improvements. 

To get started, businesses need to conduct a business process review including evaluation of the incumbent and competitive ERP software including WMS systems, including any upgrades to their current systems.  This is only a start, but it is an important an unavoidable step in the right direction.

Buy-in at all levels in the organization is an important component to not be forgotten. 

Owners and/or management cannot just decide one day to push out a whole new way of doing business without proper training and education.  From the shop floor, warehouse, to the back office, management and top level personnel, everyone needs to understand that the change will help them to do what they do more efficiently and productively.  Set the expectations and gain consensus on the outcome. 

This is a real test for the leadership in the organization.  

How is your organization dealing with change, leadership and inventory challenges? 

Dolvin Consulting works with your team to identify and remediate the causes of inefficiency in your organization.  Contact us today to see how we can help. 

ERP Mobility

Your customers are mobile, your sales people are mobile, everyone is talking about the cloud, it must be heaven.  The reality is we are on the ground and there are times when we are connected and when we are not.  Is your Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution running reliable like a sports car on the freeway or is it like an old farm truck with rust, bolted-on additions and constant repairs?

“If it ain't broke, don't fix it” – Bert Lance.

Not broke is not the same thing as fixed.  It means you are getting by.  Simply working is not the same as efficient.  There is a difference when you drive a new car versus a slightly used or old bucket of bolts.  ERP solutions start out shiny and new.  They get a little wear and the physical equipment gets a little older.  You keep up on the maintenance, at least initially when it was bundled in the purchase, and now it is just another line item in your overhead that you wish was not so big.  There are more and more mechanics.  There is more confusion as to where the actual problems exist as the symptoms are misleading.  There are too many aftermarket or third party add-ons and no one source is responsible for the entire solution, except you.

Add to all this mass of confusion the need to mobilize your salesforce.  What?  They have smart phones and we send them out on the road, aren’t they already mobile?  They call us to find out where to go next, what the customer owes, and inventory availability.  We just wish they would actually go where and when they are scheduled.

What?

Mobility software solutions have the ability to work while connected and while disconnected from your systems and synchronize after being disconnected.  Mobility software can exist as a bolt-on to what you are already using and is where many organizations start.  Somebody, somewhere created something that your people will somehow, after too much time and expense, finally figure out how to integrate with your system and then invest a lot of time keeping it integrated.

In contrast your solution provider may have or is developing a fully integrated solution.  This solution is typically clean and simple and has the same interface and conventions as the main ERP solution.  The mobile solution is typically fast and effective for everyday use.  Users can easily search for customer or inventory information, pricing and availability, create and send orders.  In some cases the mobile applications can be utilized by both internal personnel as well as customers. 

Once you are mobile enabled it opens the door to more effective connections with your customers, it is an enhancement to your relationship.  Trade shows, onsite customer visits, on the street.  You are conducting business where and when it needs to happen, not just in your back office.

So what should you look for in your solution?

• Work well online as well as offline.
• Minimal need for additional equipment.
• Minimized data usage on cellular networks.
• Intuitive searching and selecting.
• The ability to take advantage of mobile bar code and image capture applications.
• Connectivity to Bluetooth devices such as scanners, printers, and credit card devices.
• Signature capture.
• Payment collection.
• Geo location and navigation.
• DSD route sales.
• Immediate sales and delivery.

How would your organization compete better with a fully integrated and supported set of applications by your ERP solution provider?

This might all sound futuristic, but these solutions exist now and your customers are expecting these types of solutions.  Why?  Because your customers have their own demands and your products are needed when they need them, on their schedule. 

Mobility or not, you do not need the solution just to have the solution.  You need the solution to service your customers the way you would expect to be serviced.  Remember always that everything you invest in your company should have your end customers in mind.  You could have the best of everything, but if you do not have anyone to purchase your product or if it takes too much effort to do business with you, then they will go somewhere else even if it costs more.

What are your thoughts?  Share them here to benefit your fellow readers.  I am sure they would appreciate it as much as we do.

Navigating your way through the constant flux in technology and how it specifically impacts your business needs takes effort.  A trusted advisor like Dolvin Consulting helps in many ways including helping you to recognized and narrow your focus on critical impact areas.  Contact us today to see how we can help your team drive more efficiency in your operations. 

Pace yourself with ERP selection and implementation

Most of us know the story of the hare and tortoise.  The story concerns a Hare who ridicules a slow-moving Tortoise and challenges the tortoise to a race.  The hare soon leaves the tortoise behind and, confident of winning, takes a nap midway through the course.  When the Hare awakes however, he finds that his competitor, crawling slowly but steadily, has arrived before him. 

 

The account of a race between unequal partners in which ingenuity and trickery are employed to overcome a stronger opponent.  The over ambitious and overconfident, start and stop versus the steady consistent and persistent effort.  Haste makes waste and the race is not to the swift.  There are a number of lessons in this story which apply to life in general as well as selecting and implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution.

 

Thousands of businesses arrive at a similar crossroads every year.  As it turns out timing really does play an important role.  If you replace your existing solution too early, you may end up with more software than you need.  If you wait too long, you could end up struggling with inefficient business processes that damage your business performance and prospects for future profitability and growth.

 

At what point do the costs of maintaining your existing system outweigh the benefits of keeping it in place?  When is the right time to make the move?  All businesses at one point or another will struggle with the same issues.  The impact varies, but the challenges are similar.

Has your workforce growth outpaced your infrastructure?  Have you added locations and mobile workers?  Is your information contained in multiple systems?  Do you have separate customer relationship management (CRM) system, customer service processing, inventory control, warehouse management (WMS)?  Are you overburdened by spreadsheet sprawl? 

 

 

Is there a single dashboard where all information is summarized with drill-down to the details?  How long does it take to get consolidated financial information?

 

What is the cost of inefficiency to your organization?

 

How well are your customers served?  Do they get different information from different sources?  Are your deliveries accurate?  How much better does your competition reach their customers (or your customers)?  How much guess work goes into forecasting?  Customers expect you to have stock levels, order status and delivery tracking at any time they contact you and they expect it to be accurate.  Sales people need to have all the latest information on hand even when they’re out on the road when they are in front of customers and prospects.

 

Does it take too long, how long does it take, to share information and is it correct?

 

Where actually is that inventory?  Did you reorder what you already have, because you could not find it?  Can your customers self serve their information needs?  How much work goes into filtering and analyzing your information into meaningful sales campaigns?

 

How many systems are you using to deliver information?

 

Have you reached the limits of your existing solution(s)?  Have those limits limited your ability to serve your customers and grow?  Are you adding more people to your workforce and still are not producing more?  Do your struggles drive the need to add more and more disconnected systems?  Are your people resourceful and just want to get their jobs done individually instead of raising the productivity of your entire organization?

 

Do you dream of adding more products or services, but dread the overhead of implementation in your current solution?  Not if, but how big are the challenges to adapting to new business trends?  How much time and energy go into the technology of your business versus working on your business?  Do you have budget for technology or are you fixing and patching? 

 

What Return on Investment (ROI) can you expect and how long will it take to get there, if you do invest in a new solution?  How will you bridge the gap from where you are now and your vision of the future?

 

Well defined goals and a trusted advisor can help to pave the way.  Where do you want to be in the future and when?  With an advisor you can document and map processes and match them to the right ERP solution.  While there may not be an exact match, a good fit between challenge and resource will help to define your processes and roadmap to solution implementation. 

 

Compare the starting and stopping, heading in wrong directions, not getting key functions working in a timely manner causing cost overruns and failed implementations with what a strong and steady tortoise-like approach can bring. 

 

Are you a rabbit or tortoise? 

 

Which yields better results? 

 

What happens if you do nothing?

 

Dolvin Consulting works with your team to define a roadmap and develop a clearly defined project plan for the future.  We work with industry experts to match challenge with solution.  We cannot guarantee you will fix all of your problems, but we do know that an organization that selects a solution that integrates the entire business process tends to yield great returns.  Why not contact us today to see how we can help. 

 

Fix and Found

What happens when you find an operational deficiency, you investigate options, implement changes and then find that your challenges were bigger than you originally thought?

 

One day long ago your organization struggled with manual processing and systems that did not work well together.  A hodge-podge of separate systems, inefficiencies, duplication of effort and accuracy issues. 

 

Your struggles led you on a path of discovery.  You took a serious look at yourself to see what your business does to generate revenue, how it operates and what changes could be made to drive new efficiencies and profitability.  After a period of elimination you made a selection of a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution to address and fix the challenges.

 

The changes worked their magic and after all the pain of transition everything seemed to work well and then your company started to grow even more.  The old systems were, in fact, a constraint on growth.

 

What you found was that your focus was on the greatest pain in your operations.  Good place to start.  Fix the pain and move on.  What happens when your remove one bottleneck? 

 

Growth.

 

Great, but what about your ERP solution?  What about the next bottleneck?

 

Was the solution you took so much time to choose able to address this new growth?  It was designed to address your biggest challenge.  Your business grew and along the way you discovered that your new solution allowed you to fix and address other challenges that you did not realize were actually impacting business. 

 

Your business grew even more.

 

Really great, but what about your ERP solution?

 

A great, not just good, partnership with your ERP solution provider is a key ingredient in success.  A smart solution provider will take the time to ensure that your solution will not only fix your current issues, but will also tap their experience to know where you next struggle threshold will likely occur and ensure the solution provided will grow with your growth. 

 

A really good find is when the solution that you selected has the ability to address new challenges that will inevitably show up and grow with you. 

 

The solution enabled you to grow and grew with you.

 

You have a mutually beneficial relationship with your ERP solution provider.  Both of your futures depend on your success.  If they do not have that commitment then what investment are you really making?

 

Dolvin Consulting works with industry experts to help you identify your current and future challenges and then helps you select the right solution.  The process starts with a self assessment and evaluation of how you are currently operating.  You then need to picture what life would be like with a new solution.  Your business needs to know where you are today and where you want to end up.  It is how we roadmap a solution for the future.  Contact us today to start the conversation.  We care and are here to help.   Let us show you the roadmap to growth.

 

Warehouse Management System Best Practices

To ensure the accuracy of information processed at an organization Warehouse Management Solutions (WMS) need to include both hardware and software.  Newer systems are used to manage product services, such as shipping, receiving, inventory management, product or service layout, staff, bins, and purchasing.

 

Having the right solution in place is an integral component to organizing and managing the supply chain and is crucial to the success of overall business.  Having the appropriate software simplifies inventory processing through automation, thus ensuring tight control and lot tracking at all levels of warehouse management that meets industry-specific regulations and institutional requirements.

 

Common mistakes can make it challenging to maintain a successful warehouse operation even when WMS tools are being used.  Common problems include failure to put in place an efficient warehouse layout best suited to the products being handled, lack of knowledge of the inventory on hand, and inadequate preparation and training of personnel.

 

Having a logical warehouse layout is paramount to the success of any warehouse solution.  Location and paths should be organized to facilitate efficient routes.  The most popular and fastest moving items should be easily located and accessed.  The location of all products should be clearly defined and not scattered throughout the facility.  Trouble in finding products can cause delays and errors in product shipment.

 

Creating a logical naming and sequencing plan along with barcodes for efficient mechanical reading is a foundational steps in organizing a warehouse.  Special attention needs to be taken in the planning phase to ensure products are located where they can be picked efficiently.  It does not mean you have to rearrange your entire warehouse, but small incremental changes add to a cumulative benefit.

 

Accurate perpetual inventory and knowledgeable staff will help in this planning stage.  For example, by placing higher moving products near picking lanes that are close to shipping areas and placing bulk areas in a location to facilitate bin replenishment.   

 

A good WMS will show how well a system is performing and product movement.

 

WMS challenges increase when there are date sensitive products such as found in food or pharma industries.  Compliance regulations make it critical to keep accurate records of date tracking, handling and product movement.  No customer wants to receive an outdated or expired product.

 

Staff ultimately plays one of the most important roles in increasing operational efficiency.  Providing training is critical, but so is listening to the people that actually walk or ride the floors.  Their input is invaluable in indentifying any unique requirements.  Enlisting the help of a trusted advisor will help to identify your organizations strengths and weaknesses. 

 

Organizing and managing inventory begins with a detailed look at what you are doing and why you are doing and how you utilize your available resources.  A good match between your organization and a warehouse management system is more than picking up a software box at your local office supply store. 

 

The WMS system should integrate well with your Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.  Seamless passing of information between systems is a critical component and this integration.  Consider also the other components of your operations such as bar code scanners, radio frequency equipment, data collection equipment and where or what this equipment connects to or monitors.

 

There are a lot of components to connect and integrate in any operation.  The key is building a solid foundation to build upon.  A flexible ERP system with expansion modules that include WMS and other key components that match your departmental and functional roles is a great place to start.  But what happens if you already have a system in place and the complexity of adding more components is too great? 

 

This is where finding and selecting a trusted advisor will help.  A fresh set of eyes to look at your operations in a way no insider can see is helpful.  Accepting new points of view is the hard part. 

 

At Dolvin Consulting we work with industry experts to give you new perspectives on business-as-usual.  Contact us today to see how we can help. 

 

What ways do you evaluate trusted advisors and new solutions?  Please share your experiences with our readers.

ERP Leaders

 

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."   John Quincy Adams (6th U.S. President).

 

Can Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions themselves be leaders?  Is it even possible for software to be a leader or are the companies that provide the solution leaders? 

 

Should ERP solution providers be leaders?  Do they need to be or do they just need to provide workable solutions?

 

People generally want to be on a winning team.  But, after you peel away the layers, if the solution works, then does it matter if you are working with number one or two or some other ranking? 

 

The solution has to be a solution.

 

Call it what you want, rate it however you like, but the bottom line is: it has to work.  The solution needs to provide a platform to generate a positive Return on Investment (ROI).  Without that you would need to have a specialized need or operation to choose a solution that did not provide a basis to generate a good return.

 

What does a “Leader” mean to you, the purchaser?

 

One thing a leader in the software industry offers are direct relationships with hardware providers to ensure their applications take full advantage of available resources, that their software handles upgrades and operating systems updates seamlessly without interruption to business operations. 

 

Another leader quality is a commitment to development, research and support.  Taking feedback from their user base to build better solutions that fulfill their needs (customer service).   Research and development into new technologies to keep current with evolving supply chain demands.

 

What are you paying for?

 

With ERP solutions you typically pay in initial license fee and then an annual maintenance fee.  I had a conversation with a business owner a little while back about these fees.  He thought they did not make sense since the software had already been written.  He understood the hardware costs, but not the software fees.  Conversion and implementation estimates were another discussion.  We discussed that the fees are not really to pay for the software that has already been developed; it is to support the organization that supports your business operations.  It pays for continued improvements, bug fixes, and error/message handling. 

 

Granted the proposed software did have some significant costs associated with its development and the initial fee offsets those costs to the developer.  The annual fee is reasonable when you consider that you need the efforts of a leading developer to keep you current with your industry. 

 

You need a leader in the industry in order to provide training and support. 

 

There are plenty of solutions available and you need to select a solution provider that will be able to help you train, prepare, convert and support you as you transition and grow.  If the supplier it too small, then what happens if the economy turns, or they get really busy or they get hit by a bus?  If the organization is too large, then you can end up being just a number and lose any personal contact.  Most people like to be known to their supplier and have a relationship. 

 

Technology is continuing to develop at a faster and faster pace.  You need a partner that understands your business and is committed to continue growth efforts to both your business and theirs.  You have a mutually vested interest in both succeeding.

 

What do you think of leaders in ERP solutions?  How important is it to your business?  Do you just prefer a low cost solution and are not concerned about upgrades and support?  How do you currently utilize the support services provided by your supplier?  What is important to you?  What does your business need to grow?  What support services are a necessity and what is a luxury?

 

At Dolvin Consulting, we would like to know what you think.  Please share your ideas with us.  Contact us, if you need help.

 

ERP Disaster Recovery

Today’s economy is no different than yesterdays.  There are plenty of pressures to keep current, catch up, and compete.  Add to that the lack of budget, compliance mandates and a false sense of security and you have all the ingredients that drive a disaster recovery situation into a financial meltdown. 

 

Many technology providers are changing their mantra from disaster recovery to business continuity.  The concept is good.  Do we want to recover or do we want to continue operating?  Failing to plan is planning to fail.

 

Many providers now have real, viable, and proven solutions for Microsoft Windows server technology.  What about solutions or applications that do not run on Windows?  They leave that up to your Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution provider.  That may be the first bit of good news.  You ERP solution provider knows your system and has experience in recovery procedures that should include both hardware and software.  If your ERP selection was done right they have taken into account your risk quotient and have addressed your specific needs.  You did have that conversation, right?

 

A Disaster Recovery (DR) plan starts with the plan and that is little good unless the plan actually exists and it is practiced and takes into account the changes that are occurring almost daily.  Does the DR plan take into account the actual business requirements?  Sure you have backups, do you have a hot site that you can restore to?  Does the plan include a reverse recovery plan?  How do you transition back to your production environment? 

 

Does the plan take into account that during most testing it is under a controlled circumstances and the testing is planned in advance when in reality a real disaster is rarely a planned event.  Getting key people in place, getting needed resources to the recovery point is not so easy when everyone in your region is doing the same thing at the same time.   The problem with disasters is that they often affect a region at a time and not necessarily a single organization.

 

How much time will it take to actually restore your entire system?  Or, is it systems?  What interdependencies exist?  The priority is typically the ERP system, but what about user accounts, email, communications?  What about user data, spread sheets and documents?  Do you keep both sites in sync so that in a disaster situation only current data needs to be refreshed?  Do you try to do all of this yourself or do you hire a firm that has experience and resources to manage the process when you need it most. 

 

You might need help.  Think of a management organization like a paramedic when you have an accident.  As you are lying there, at that point in time you really do not care how much experience the help has or how much it costs, you just do not want to die.  What would be different if your own professionally trained and experienced healthcare team followed you around?

 

At this point we do know that we need a plan and we have to test it regularly.  Take into account that in a real emergency it will not go as you hope, but your contingency plans will help accommodate the chaos.  The DR plan cannot just scratch the surface.  The plan also needs to address the switch back to the normal production environment. 

 

On of the hardest things to address is the constant evolution of your processing.  Your team must have up to date run books.  A simple program change or update to increase operational efficiency can have a dramatic impact on documentation.  It is inevitable that documentation can lag behind.  The question is what impact it will have when you are in a recovery situation.  One of the best things to be done is to cross train personnel and periodically let a person from a different department run through the instructions to ensure that in a recovery situation the most critical operations will continue.

 

Remember, a backup tape is not a disaster recovery solution.  How long does it take to backup?  How long will it take to restore?  Where and what will you restore to?  It is the same hardware?

 

Are cloud solutions an exception to disaster recovery?  The data resources may be safe, but can you get to it and with what client?  What bandwidth will be available when power and communication lines are down?  In the case of a regional weather impact your people will be concerned about their families and homes.  Who will make your business a priority over their family?

  

Remember, just because you trained does not mean you are qualified.  Practice, practice and yes of course, practice.  Test, test and yes test.  Test not just one system, but your entire infrastructure.  Test the restoration to production.  Plan, plan, and plan.  In a real disaster recovery situation, there will be situations that you cannot plan for, but you can have contingency plans. 

 

At Dolvin Consulting, we would like to know what your organization doing in the area of disaster recovery and business continuity.  We would like to know, your colleagues would like to know.  Share your ideas, best practices and checklists.  The one you help will be yourself.  As you share, you validate your efforts and get much needed feedback.  Contact us today to see how we can help with your plans.

 

ERP and Tattoo Decisions

Well, congratulations you have made the permanent decision to get a tattoo.  Hopefully it was a sound mind decision, because they tend to be permanent.  Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) decisions can have the same lasting effect, especially if not made well.

 

*

Unfortunately people are not required to be of sound mind when they get a tattoo nor are they required to consult with a trusted advisor or have a required waiting period.  Most of us have seen the person that seems to just keep looking for open patches of skin to get another dose of ink.  Perhaps we have also seen someone who has a plan.  The results are quite different to look at and appreciate.  This is not to say that both types of people do not enjoy their ink.  Typically each tattoo tells a story and has its own meaning to the owner. 

 

From an outsiders impression there is a difference.  A well executed plan, a vision of the future, what the whole body will look like in the future and the realization that the decisions we make today really do make a difference. 

 

Each ERP solution had meaning to the business owner when the decision was made.  Each has perhaps a new meaning now.  Remediation and corrections are possible, but each has its associated costs.

 

What is involved in getting a tattoo? 

 

Given a little thought, then it might be comparable to what a business might go through to make the sound decision to implement or change an ERP solution. 

 

Really?  Let us take a closer look.

 

You start with a decision.  You want a tattoo and it is to be part of a whole body plan.  You want a working ERP solution and it should incorporate the entire organization.  What you have does not satisfy anyone’s needs or work.

 

You gather ideas.  What would the image look like?  What would operations be like with a working ERP solution.  How will this decision affect the future?  What about what you have now?

 

You make plans.  Where will you get the work done?  Do they have a good reputation?  Are they clean and sterile?  Do you feel safe working with them?  What support services and fixes will you likely need after purchase?  What kind of experience do they have?  Have they worked with anyone like you or your business?  What if you do not like the results?

 

You get a consultation.  Get some advice, check qualifications, verify pricing, find out what happens if you are not happy, what happens afterwards, how do you recognize if there is a problem, what are your support contacts?  How do you care for the new artwork?  The ERP solution?  Do they have referrals?

 

You make a commitment.  Decisions, decisions.  What will you do?  Do you have the resources, are you willing to go through with “it”?  Once you decide to move forward, is there a back door escape route?  What remediation options are there?

 

You get a design.  Review and approve what the end result should look like.  Trial run, check scale and apply pattern to the area to make sure the fit is right.  What colors, what business impact?  Does it seem right? 

 

You start with an outline.   It does not happen all at once.  You start with the outline and even though it too is permanent, it does offer an opportunity for check and review.  How is the pain level now?  Will it get better or worse?  Will you be able to tolerate the transition from before to after? 

 

You fill in the open spaces.  You have the outline, now comes the color.  With any change comes pain.  Nothing that requires this type of commitment is pain free.  Regardless, the image starts to take shape.  The ERP solution is implemented one department at a time.  It might not all get done in one sitting.  Good work takes time.

 

You get a chance to appreciate the investment.  What was the idea that drove the original decision?  Hopefully it is still relevant.  How did it turn out?  Did you follow the plan?  How long did it take?  How happy are you with the person that performed the work?  What will you be able to do now?  How has it transformed your operations?  What else needs to be done?

 

You make tweaks to what you have.  What you have is great, but was it a onetime stop that fulfilled all of your needs or was it a stepping stone to a bigger picture?  Sometimes a single image or solution is all you need.  Sometimes you know you need to start by stepping in and fulfill a current need and then add-on to address future needs and growth. 

 

Tattoo or ERP? 

 

Both require commitment.  Both are decisions with a long life span.  Both have remediation steps if things go terribly wrong.  Hopefully that will not be necessary, because you took the time to do your research, plan the outcome and secure the resources needed to achieve the desired results.  Both also have great benefits if done right.

 

More than likely you have or will consult with a trusted advisor.  Someone that has experience in what you are planning.  Someone with experience that can guide you through the process you will likely encounter.  Someone to help you look at what you have with new fresh eyes and supply you with the resources needed to not only make an intelligent decision, but also implement a successful solution.

 

At Dolvin Consulting we have the experience and partnerships to help you make better informed decisions.  Decisions that will help you to streamline your operations, reduce costs, and increase profitability.  Decisions you will not regret later.  Contact us today to see how we can help.


* Tattoo photograph courtesy of Vincenza (C) 2013
 

How Bad Does it have to Get?

When was the last time you called the doctor?  Were you barely breathing, having trouble talking, did you have aches and pains?  We know we need regular check-ups and we sometimes actually get the appointments made and actually make the appointment.  Then there are the emergency appointments.  Those do not get missed as often, but only once we realize they are actual emergencies.

 

After all even if you do take the time to take your temperature and it is higher than normal, how bad does it actually have to be, what impact on your life is significant enough for you to contact a doctor or go to the emergency room?

 

Budgets are tight all over.  Not that budgets have ever been unlimited, but in recent years the allocation has been challenging at best.  This translates into postponed and scaled back decisions that ultimately can cost more in the long run.  If the impact was only cost, then that might be so bad.  After all money grows on trees, right? 

 

What happens if the impact is more than just money?  What happens if the regular maintenance or checkups are postponed?  How bad does it have to get before you call for help?

 

Bert Lance believed that he could save Uncle Sam billions if he can get the government to adopt a simple motto: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." He explains: "That's the trouble with government: Fixing things that aren't broken and not fixing things that are broken."

 

How do you tell if something is broken and needs fixing or if you are fixing something that is not broken?

 

An example is using older computer equipment well past its designed lifespan.  It is working after all, why not keep using it?  Never mind security updates, never mind ever increasing maintenance costs, never mind the impact that dependence on a single-point-of-failure would have on operations.  When that piece of equipment goes down, what is the productivity and financial impact to the company when employees cannot perform their duties? 

 

Hint – The impact is big and has long term implications.

 

I have had a Return on Investment (ROI) conversations with a company CFO in the past about replacing some older workstations.  He would debate the expense giving the current budget, which was never robust to begin with.  They were on a break-fix model.  As it turns out the new equipment would easily be free based on the return.  The slow speed in which the existing equipment started and took to load programs and to process information was painfully slow.  A new workstation would be so much faster increasing employee productivity that it would pay for itself in labor/time savings.

 

What about other more complex equipment like servers or network infrastructure?  The security risks alone should be justification, but then I am not the one writing the check.  On the other hand given that data breaches are more easily prevented than remediated, who should make it a priority?  A post breach situation will always be more, a lot more.

 

So when is it time to contact your doctor? 

 

 

When is it time to contact your trusted advisor to get help with the relationship between your employees and your equipment?  How bad does it have to get before you address the issues that increase costs and ruin productivity and operational efficiencies? 

 

What about your Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution?  How do you tell if it is too old and past its prime?  Good question.  After all you are still processing orders, you still have the customers you always had, your suppliers like doing business with you, there is no competition for your services, you are still making a profit, well, you hope that is the case.

 

Things change.

 

Failure to keep up almost always ends up costing more.  The quick catch up needed when you can no longer process what you used to.  The scrambling to find the needed resources when you have equipment errors and you are so far behind there are no fixes available and the only solution is to rush through an upgrade instead of planning and implementing the changes on a schedule that is manageable. 

 

Sometimes this happens when a vendor says they are no longer supporting your release.  They will still take your maintenance payments and fix any known errors or should I say errors that have known solutions.  Sometimes it is just coincidence, but this seems to happen often.  Companies ignore the out-of-date warnings and then they have problems with real impact.  They go into a panic mode and want to know what they should do.  What can they do? 

 

It is like the tires on your car. 

 

 

You drive around and really do not think about them much until one day you realize that it took way too long to stop or that turn went a bit wide.  Then it occurs to you.  Your tires have become worn or bald while you were concerned with everything else that you have to deal with and the thought occurs to you that you are taking your life in your hands.  It is at this point you make getting new tires a priority. 

 

The tires did not just go bad in one day.  It happened a little at a time.  You still need tires, you just do not need the worn out ones.  They just cannot meet your needs now.  Did your needs change?  Probably not, but tires wear out and you do not always drive the same route.  Sometimes you need to be prepared when the weather changes for the worse.

 

What impact does using older technology have on business when we live in an environment of constant flux?  We would like to know what you think.  What impact has ignoring up-keep had on your operations?

 

Contact Dolvin Consulting today to see how we can help.