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I am now a better Manager – ERP Solution Applied

Dolvin — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:15:00 +0000

Better Management:

Luke Wimberly from Handy Hardware believes that their implementation of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Solution from VAI has helped him to become a better manager.

· I can clearly see what my employees are doing.

· I never have to wonder what they are doing.

· I never have to wonder if they are working.

· I know if they are on-break or off-break.

· If they are actually picking or having an issue.

· I can watch them from my office instead of having to come down to the floor.

· I find out where my employees are and what they are doing at all times.

Watch the Video:

The Experience:

· The overall experience with RF (Radio Frequency) has been a good one.

· It took a little getting used-to, because they were used to doing things manually.

· After everyone became familiar with the system, everything went off without a hitch.

· It probably took about a week for everybody to learn everything well.

· It has now overall tremendously increased time for picking, shipping or receiving.

Benefits:

· For anything that we use RF, productivity has increased.

· Productivity has gone up 47%.

· Our ERP supplier, VAI, is responsive to our needs. They correct issues quickly. They are a good company to work with.

Handy Hardware Overview:

Handy Hardware is one of only six dealer-owned hardware buying groups in the U. S. As a regional wholesale hardware distributor, whose growth spans the last forty three years, Handy's basic structure and approach to the market place have remained sound and unchanged, through an ever-changing economy. Handy Currently serves over 1,300 members in twelve states out of their 560,000 sq. ft. facility in Houston, TX and their second warehouse facility covering 468,000 sq. ft. in Meridian, MS.

Thoughts:

A week? As a business owner I would gladly trade a week and the aggravation of new software to get a 47% increase in productivity. Imagine what the long term ROI (Return on Investment) would be.

Where can you start or finish, when talking about this success story about ERP, RF processing and productivity in warehouse operations. What I notice most is a common theme in WMS (warehouse management systems), ERP in general and life as a whole.

Change is uncomfortable.

We live life peak-to-peak. We are at a place now where we know we have to make changes, but the gap between where we are and where we would like to be seems great. Too large to jump in a single step. If it were easy for us, we would already be there contemplating the next gap.

I cannot imagine it was an easy decision to move forward for Handy Hardware. I also imagine that they knew they could not stay where they were. Probably took some hand holding, some leap of faith. VAI has done this work before, they have a proven success record and above all staying where they were on a technology stance was not going to allow them to compete and service their customer base in a manner that would enable growth.

We know it is not an easy choice to make change. It is usually very difficult to get consensus among your team. But, what are the alternatives? If you do not service your customers, someone else will. At Dolvin Consulting we work with industry experts like VAI and IBM to deliver proven solutions to your challenges. We can only guess who you are and what your struggles include. Today’s challenges can be tomorrow’s memories, if you start now. Contact us to see how we can help you. We are here to help.

Refreshing, Fresh Start ERP and Power Washing

Dolvin — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:15:00 +0000

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.

Refreshing, Fresh Start ERP and Power Washing

Dolvin — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:15:00 +0000

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

Clear the clutter and streamline your operations.

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

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

An ERP solution has a limited lifespan without regular maintenance.

Belief, ERP and All

Dolvin — Mon, 06 May 2013 11:15:00 +0000

It does not seem too long ago, my wife and I purchased a live (balled) tree for Christmas. We actually did that for our first three years together. I was looking out in the back yard recently and was just staring. You see we live in a neighborhood that was built a number of years ago on what was a golf course. The houses are relatively close together. We have nice neighbors, but we also like to feel like we have some privacy.

It is called “Green” now, but I just liked the concept of having a live tree that could be planted instead of thrown out on the curb for garbage collection a couple of weeks later. The trees took to the yard just fine. Taking an outdoor tree, bringing it inside to a warm environment, then back out in winter can stress the tree. When they were planted each was four or five feet tall. In a few years they towered over the yard.

And that was what I was contemplating. The trees are probably 35 feet tall now. I might need to find a geometry book and figure out the calculation of angle-side-angle so I can calculate the actual height. A somewhat nerdy thought, I agree. It really is not that important to know how tall they are. What is important is the transformation of the yard.

I did not plan on having a green fence that gave shade and privacy all year round. The evergreens are so nice, even in the winter season, having some green around. The snow on them looks nice too.

A few years ago our older neighbor moved out. She was a really nice lady and we had respect for each other’s privacy. Knowing that new neighbors would move in, we replaced a 4 foot chain link fence with a vinyl 6 foot privacy fence. The first thing the new neighbors did was erect a 12 foot tall play fort for their kids right next to the fence. No zoning laws for that unfortunately. The kids and parents like to climb up and stare and comment on our yard. So we planted some fast growing cedar trees. At the time they barely topped the fence.

We believed the nursery when they told us they would grow quickly and return our privacy to us.

Now just a few years later these new trees, green all year long, are 30 feet tall. At the time we did not know what to do. What we thought we wanted would not have helped. The nursery owner became our trusted advisor. He understood the problem and had the knowledge of what would work. It really was not that uncommon a problem and he had dealt with it before.

Looking at your situation in business sometimes takes forward looking back sight. Are you seeing your business as it is now or as it could be? I did not plan to plant trees for privacy, but the results were worth the effort and expense. I am glad I made the investment when I did.

Looking back it really was not that much effort or expense. The results are worth everything to us. There was waiting, faith, belief and a trusted advisor.

As a business owner you need to keep current and keep up with the demands from customers whose expectations are always changing and evolving. Your competition is doing that all the time. A happy customer is a loyal customer.

Any update, upgrade, new, or replacement of software should have the goal of increasing customer satisfaction. Efficiency is important and it is how you can afford to serve your customers better. It is like your optimal weight. You belt has another notch free, your clothes feel good and your walk is lighter, but are you any happier? Did the weight loss enable you to do anything more or more efficiently? If the result of the efficiency does not serve your customers, then you will not have customers.

A fresh set of eyes to look at what you are doing is a valuable investment. It is hard to look outside of the box when you are in the box. One of my favorite sayings is: When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

Many companies look to a trusted advisor when they realize that what they are doing just does not work anymore. Sometimes this is due to an increase in business. The business grows, sometimes rapidly, and they just do not realize right away that the software that worked really well at one business level, just cannot keep up anymore. At the other end of the spectrum is a business that is losing ground.

The purpose of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software solutions is to seamlessly integrate as much of the business operations together as possible. The best way for management to make intelligent decisions is to know what is going on, what are the trends and financial outlook. ERP enables the left hand to know what the right hand is doing.

This much you already know.

In this day and age, we know what ERP solutions are supposed to do. What we may not know is in what way the investment, which can be significant, can produce a Return on Investment (ROI) and in what time frame.

This is a really big point.

If the ROI will essentially pay for the solution in one to two years, any longer and it probably is not the right choice, then you are losing money/revenue right now. This is a fact, not a sales pitch. Think about the fact that if you can achieve a reasonable return, then that is most likely due to inefficiency in your operations. Inefficiency can be costly. It is money that could be used to improve customer service, grow market share, expand capacity, save jobs, take a vacation, etc.

Sometimes it takes a leap of faith. You have to believe.

A trusted advisor can help bridge the gap. Dolvin Consulting works with industry experts to help you look at what you are doing today and where you want to be in a few years. We start by working with your people to define areas that need improvement and have potential for great ROI. Sometimes we just do not realize how much pain there really is, because we have always done “it” this way. Then we work with your decision makers to define your budget and find solutions that will work.

The final decision is always yours, but would it make sense to know what your options are? Contact us today to see how we can help. That is why we are here.

Decision Making

Dolvin — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:15:00 +0000

What process do you go through when making a decision? Do you ask some questions? Do you like the way it looks? Do the details, the little things matter?

When you purchase an appliance or television, do you read the manual, ask a salesperson, a trusted advisor, your neighbor, someone else you know that recently went through the same decision process? Do you research it via a search engine, read online reviews?

I had this discussion with my wife recently. Like most relationships each of us has our roles. Mine includes the official read-the-manual (if it pleases you) role. She has the role of plug-it-in or turn-it-on (and ask me what to do that if she has problems).

We have been fortunate to be able to drive a wide variety of vehicles since being together. We used to own, now we are used to leasing and really enjoy having a new vehicle every three years and not have to worry about maintenance or other long-term car care issues. Once you are used to the payment, they typically stay about the same and it just becomes part of your budget. Very similar to leasing server equipment for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions. Hmmm?

My wife now enjoys, I mean really enjoys driving her Jeep Wrangler. Enough so that she is on her second one and states that she will always have one now. It took some trial and error over several years to finally try and lease this Jeep. She had talked about it, her brother gave it two thumbs down, but she test drove it, liked it (loved really), and introduced me to the dealer where I could test drive what she already selected.

She likes the variety of options. A Freedom top, which is a combination of hard-top, T-roof and also a soft-top, which has many options and she has me lower for her in the summer. She likes the options, but really just uses the hard-top in the winter and soft-top in the summer seasons. She, of course, adds a few options to customize to her style.

Notice that I said that I take care of the top- up, down, hard, soft. Yes, I read the instructions. I even know how to remotely start it with the key. She said she could not make that work and thus hands them to me. She is management and strategic, I am technical and tactical. It works in our relationship. We each take care of what we do best.

For my car, I researched all the options, checked with the dealer, went to one of their promotional events to get a discount on a new model. I needed to know everything, even though I knew what I was going to do, I just needed to justify it properly. I like watching the Salesrep demonstrate the car features when I picked it up. I probably knew as much as he at that point. I asked a few questions, one of which he had to double check. Amazing what information is available.

I often tell company owners the most dangerous employee is the one who reads the help instructions.

Should an ERP system be analyzed and if so, to what extent? Considering that replacing an existing ERP solution is comparable to open heart transplant surgery. If the doctors are smart and the homework and prep done right it can proceed without issue and your life continues happily ever after. Done wrong or steps skipped and a less than optimal existence will follow.

What challenges are you trying to solve?

What options are available in the solution? What will the Return on Investment (ROI) be? Can you purchase and deploy in a phased manner or do you have to jump in fully?

Two really important questions are how well does the software match your company’s culture and does it give you the ability to improve customer service levels? There are a great number of solutions to choose from today. Does the new solution employ new technology that requires hiring new people or does it involve too many steps to process a simple transaction? Is it just a matter of the learning curve or will it just frustrate everyone. Most new solutions require some learning. What will life be like six months later?

Change is the hardest thing for people to do.

If the fit is good, then it is not uncommon to actually hear six months after implementation that “I wish we had done this earlier, I do not know how we functioned before”.

Does anyone have a vision of the future? The most successful people have coaches. In the business world we call them Trusted Advisors.

Does it matter? The questions and due diligence?

If you asked my wife, her answer would likely be “No”. She is in that rare group that has that ability to just pick the right one. Besides, she knows that I will do the research regardless, so why should she do it also. Remember she is the strategic one. For me, the answer is “Yes”. Yes, it matters. It matters very much. What about your business?

What are your most asked and yet unanswered questions?

What keeps you awake at night?

ContactDolvin Consulting with your questions. That is why we are here. We work with industry experts to ensure you have the right solution to your challenges.

We look forward to serving you.

No Shortcuts to a Better ERP Solution

Dolvin — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:15:00 +0000

Well, not really anyway, but there may be a few tools to help you with the journey.

Take for instance the recipe for “Spaghetti alla puttanesca” (literally "whore's style spaghetti" in Italian) which is a tangy, somewhat salty Italian pasta dish invented in the mid-20th century. The ingredients are typical of Southern Italian cuisine: tomatoes, olive oil, olives, capers, and garlic.

Various accounts exist as to when and how the dish originated, but it likely dates to the mid-twentieth century. The earliest known mention of it is in a 1961 Italian novel which mentions spaghetti alla puttanesca come li fanno a Siracusa (spaghetti alla puttanesca as they make it in Syracuse). According to the Professional Union of Italian Pasta Makers the sauce became popular in the 1960s.

The 1971 edition of the Cucchiaio d’argento has no recipe with this name, but two which are similar. The Neapolitan Spaghetti alla partenopea, is made with anchovies and generous quantities of oregano, while spaghetti alla siciliana is distinguished by the addition of green peppers.

According to Annarita Cuomo, writer for Il Golfo, a newspaper serving the Italian islands of Ischia and Procida, sugo alla puttanesca was invented in the 1950s by Sandro Petti, co-owner of Rancio Fellone, a famous Ischian restaurant and nightspot.

Basic recipe

The sauce alone is called sugo alla puttanesca in Italian. Recipes may differ according to preferences; for instance the Neapolitan version is prepared without anchovies, unlike the version popular in Lazio, and chili pepper is sometimes added. In most cases, however, the sugo is a little salty (from the capers, olives, and anchovies) and quite fragrant (from the garlic). Traditionally, the sauce is served with spaghetti, although it also goes well with penne, bucatini, linguine and vermicelli.

Chopped garlic and anchovies (omitted in the Neapolitan version) are sautéed in olive oil. Chopped chili peppers, olives, capers, diced tomatoes and oregano are added along with salt and black pepper to taste. The cook then reduces this mixture by simmering and it is poured over spaghetti cooked al dente. The final touch is a topping of parsley.

So, thanks to Wikipediafor the insightful recipe. Our family version is a little different as it is likely different in many homes. What is consistent here is the recipe for a quick, filling, hot meal for a hungry family. It is a quick dinner sauce served over pasta. Pasta, a starch staple of so many people, like rice and potatoes.

So how does this relate to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions?

We so often look for a quick solution, something easy, something to ease the pain. And sometimes we luck out and find an individual or organization that is worth the investment that takes your company on a new journey, like a tour guide. As you can imagine there are all different levels of competency in tour guides and associated budgets.

The key is finding a guide or trusted advisor that you feel comfortable with that takes the time to get to know you, your business and objectives and balances that with the available solutions and is able to recommend and show you potential solutions to your challenges.

Just a good guide can make your journey enjoyable and a quick meal filling, a bad guide or a guide that goes too quick or does not invest the time needed or simply just does not understand your industry, your business, your people or culture, can make a ERP search seem like the something from the dead zone.

At Dolvin Consulting, we are proud to receive your requests for help. That is why we are here. To help your company navigate the seas of constant change and flux in technology. We leverage our industry relationships to bring comprehensive solutions to you. Contact us today to see how we can help.

Out with the old, in with the new

Dolvin — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:15:00 +0000

I am not sure where everyone is located who reads this article. For me, I am located in New Jersey, United States of America. “Joysey” as we often refer to it and no, it is nothing like the Jersey Shore television show (those are visiting New Yorkers and could be the subject of a whole book).

We have not had a terrible winter season, yet there have been cold spells. This weekend overall has given us a taste of spring weather. Warmer, more moderate temperatures, sunny skies, and a light breeze. Ideal weather to see how well in-shape we are from the winter to go out and start cleaning up the yard, fighting the weeds, pruning the bushes and pondering where our lawn went and if it will ever be the same.

My neighbor, after saying hello, said he did not know what he was going to do with his back yard. I agreed, saying that I really did not have grass any more, just weeds. At least he has grass in his front yard. I do not have much of anything that looks like grass. In truth the soil has run through many seasons and it is just not workable anymore. The weeds seem to like it fine. Yet, there are even a few dead spots the weeds do not even like to venture.

As interesting as this may sound (insert laugh sound here), it relates to a few of my customers who recently decided to replace their entire infrastructure. Everything. Servers, workstations, laptops, switches, operating systems, office software, etc.

I am not sure if it is a matter of the economy being so bad for so long, that no one did any maintenance and the future all-of-a-sudden caught up, like in a time warp. Or, if there was no one at the helm directing or deciding on what needed to be done. In one case the organization decided on new software which had new requirements. The old equipment just could not keep up and was painfully slow.

For many smaller companies it may be a matter of not having a Technology Department or budget. The companies are too small to have a dedicated person. They operate on a break-fix method instead of being proactive. Sometimes they have Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, but the vendor does not force updates and they end up getting left behind.

No one seems to want to take responsibility.

Now, I am not advocating that once an organization has a solution that they should be forced to stay current, yet there is some thought that is why you select an outside solution provider versus developing the code in-house. Someone to keep you current and invest the resources needed to keep current with today’s trends and changes and demands, demands of their customers.

Software as a service (SaaS) solutions have the advantage of keeping you current. They can sometimes be limited in that you cannot make all of the changes you want and you need to mold your business to the software. A big advantage is that you are always current. Small incremental changes instead of dramatic culture changes.

As a solution provider I run up against the challenge of whether or not I need to keep after my smaller clients or devote my time and energies, not to mention income, towards companies that are actively looking for help. I really do care, but how many times can I go to management and let them know they are at risk for not keeping current. I hear all the time that “we are not a target”, “no one is trying to break in”, “we do not have any money”, “everything is fine”, well at least not until after-the-fact. Then they have that puzzled look.

I do not ever say “I told you so”, I ask how I can help.

There was a time when things were simpler. The challenge usually was not enough disk space or a workstation that was disconnected or not communicating. You know, simple, not like there has been a data breach, our employee identities have been compromised and the regulators are calling.

There have been a few ideas on getting my clients current. Depending on just how bad things are helps to determine if upgrading incrementally is an option or if replacing everything is the solution.

When the decision is made to replace everything, there are virtualization options. The technology has come a long way and takes advantage of the older workstations being used as clients to a central system. There are a number of advantages, central administration, backup, disaster recovery, easily creating new workstations from templates. Another significant benefit is that all of the data resides in-house and for people traveling with laptop computers, this is a big advantage in cases where the device is lost or stolen.

The downside of virtualization seems to be in a few main areas. One, they has to be enough infrastructure to make it worthwhile. Virtualization has upfront costs and there has to be enough “stuff” to offset those startup costs. Two, you need someone on the technical side to help administer the system. Yes, these systems are fairly well automated, but there are needs that require knowledgeable people. These are powerful and sophisticated server systems. Three, there are virtualization systems that run in-house and others are hosted. The hosted ones take care of a lot of the administration and upkeep, however, if there are any connectivity issues, then this can be a dangerous combination. If everything is virtualized and “out-there”, then what happens when you cannot connect?

Last fall on the East coast, right here in NJ, hurricane Sandy came running through. Some businesses were completely unprepared. Still, others thought they had everything covered, because their servers were in the “cloud”. Great, but no one could connect. The Internet is growing and hosts valuable resources, but they are only good, if you can get to them.

Another option for the smaller organizations is leasing. If all of the equipment needs to be replaced, then it can all be leased. At the end of three years, purchase two thirds of it at fair market value, and then lease one third every year thereafter. At that point in time you will be replacing your workstations every three years and you can feel relatively confident that you will be current or not that far behind. Every three years you will be all-new. The servers can be leased as well, but you may want more time on them. One advantage of a shorter term lease is that you can configure the hardware more to your immediate needs and not worry too much about the future, because you will be replacing it in a few years.

Leasing also has the advantage of deferring the costs. A smaller monthly payment than having to come up with all that money at once. Cap-ex versus Op-ex expenditures. There is a cost to leasing, but the administration reduction typically pays for it.

I cannot say leasing is right for you, but I do suggest you take a look at the option.

So how is my yard and your computing infrastructure similar? Well, I have been “doing” my yard for decades, feel I have a good feel for what it needs, fertilizer, water, mowing, weeding, etc., just like you do with your equipment and software. I also know that a little knowledge and being knowledgeable are two different things. Perhaps if I let the lawn care to someone, i.e. a business, that does lawn care for a business that I might not only free up my time for things that only I can do, but I might also end up with a great lawn that I do not have to worry about.

At Dolvin Consultingwe either have expertise or we work with industry experts that do have the expertise to help you understand your challenges, develop a reasonable plan of action direct you into a profitable future. Contact us todayto see how we can help.

Service Level and Customer Satisfaction

Dolvin — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:15:00 +0000

Is servicing your customers by shipping same day while at the same time balancing manufacturing and distribution something your organization wishes they could do better?

My guess, the answer is “Yes”.

First of all customer service is the only reason to make changes. You do not need any process improvement for the sake of making improvements. There are always better ways of doing the things you are already doing. Some come at the cost of increased complexity. Some come at a high price. Some never materialize. We look for a Return on Investment (ROI) and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) when evaluating a new solution. Does that return include happy customers?

Even if the process improvement is only designed to save costs. Do the lower operating costs enable you to maintain competitive pricing for your customers (customer satisfaction)?

For example take a look at this company’s success story:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHdfdiAL7fY&feature=player_embedded

Multiple locations, many customers, same day service, manufacturing work orders, Material Requirements Planning (MRP), distribution, high inventory levels, warehousing, order entry, shipment processing and financials.

All on a single system, not multiple systems.

A complete package, simple interface that met the company’s culture, key customer support from the vendor (just like they service their customers), and on a very reliable platform. Six months from contract to full implementation.

Automation continues to be the key to cost containment, efficiency and profitability. Immediate order printing, barcode scanning, picking, shipment integration, and invoicing. All key to maintaining a high business level for this company.

Forecasting future sales based on history and select overrides enables better planning. Full integration enables production planning to meet demand. Capacity planning allows management to adjust resources to meet demand. Shop Floor Control increases labor reporting accuracy.

· “Our service level is second to none.”

· “Our Customers can count on us.”

· “The quality level is right.”

Where does your company struggle the most?

Would working with a proven leader be a good start? You will need to evaluate how well they work with organizations like yours. Are they so big that you never get a chance to deal directly with their management? Are they so small that you worry about them getting hit by a bus or going out of business? Do you have concerns about them being bought out and having to reestablish a new relationship with a new firm?

There is no pain free solution.

It is an uncomfortable transition to a new system, especially one that may be completely foreign to the way you operate now. It is akin to open heart surgery. Run you business as usual and plan, train and implement a new solution at the same time. Not a pleasant thought, but then again neither is going out of business, because you cannot compete in ever changing markets. Management needs the information and tools to see how their business is operating and make changes as needed. A multi vendor solution can have difficulties in presenting the information in a timely manner. A “big” system can do the job, but may be overkill for the job need. You need the right size fit.

A gauge of success is the statement six months later that we do not know how we ever managed before.

If you can say this, then you know you made the right decision. The challenge is that you do not know this is what you will say when you start. So you have to go based on like success stories, and most importantly, your gut reaction dealing with the solution provider. Are the accessible? Do they listen? Do they understand your business, not just your challenges?

At Dolvin Consultingwe work with your team to learn what your pain points are and what effect they have on your operations. We work with industry experts like VAI and IBM to deliver proven quality solutions. Contact us today to see how we can help you look at what you are doing with new eyes.

We care.

Resurrecting Your ERP System

Dolvin — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 11:15:00 +0000

In this Christian Easter season of resurrection and forgiveness is it time to look at you Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system with new vision?

After all, if you are in business today after the last few years, then you have accomplished something great. It has been tough. Give yourself a pat on the back and a nod in the mirror.

If my phone and email are any indication you probably receive dozens of calls and hundreds of emails every day. Everyone seems to have “The Answer” to your challenges. They all seem to know all-of-a-sudden how your business runs, what is wrong and the miracle solution. Are they trying to tell you how to run your business?

Really? How long have they been in business?

Now, in all fairness, length in business alone is not always a fair indication of success. A lot of people have been displaced and have opened their own business with the talents and skills built in a lifetime. A famous person said in response to a salesperson’s claim of 20 years of experience (and no new sales) that he really had one year of experience 20 times and perhaps he needed to look at what he was doing and how with a new perspective.

You cannot do what you have always done and expect the same results.

Times are a changing. Your ERP system has updates. The world is changing and there is a need to stay “current”. What worked in the past may not work well with the future. Think about how you do banking now. It is still leveraging income, expenses and cash flow. But, how do you interact with your financial institution? Are you using their online services? Balance inquiries, statements, transactions, transfers?

In what way is your financial institution servicing your needs and the needs of their customers in general? Is customer service a key component? Forget for the moment the fees they tack on to seemingly everything, are they customer focused? After all how different are all of these separate banks?

I see it all the time at networking meetings. This somebody tells me how great their bank is and how wonderful life is there. Then six months later they are working at a competitor’s bank and guess what? I hear how wonderful they are and how they are customer centric and they now have the tools to service their customers better. All they did is switch business cards. What is missing is that they are the key ingredient. If they learn to listen and service their customers, then when they switch banks in another year, their customers will follow.

It is customer service and relationships that matter most.

So, what does this have to do with resurrecting your ERP system? Everything.

You may actually have everything you need at your fingertips. You may just not be utilizing what you have. Have you turned on all of the interfaces? Can you properly cost your manufactured items? Are you taking advantage of all of your part discounts from your suppliers? What about vendor discounts? The list is long.

What are you doing now? How can that change? Do you need to change?

Perhaps you just need to stop making changes and take advantage of the upgrades you are already entitled to now. Most ERP providers today charge an initial license fee and an annual license fee. The initial fee is what you pay to get started. The annual fee is your payment of confidence that the solution provider is constantly looking to providing great service to their customers, listening to your needs and upgrading their solution to meet changing demands. It is how the ERP provider stays in business. Service their customer’s needs.

You need to service your customer’s needs too. Otherwise, they will go else ware. A happy customer is loyal and a loyal customer refers business to you. When is the last time any one of your customers sent you a referral? When is the last time you sent a referral to someone else? It is a two way street.

Resurrecting your aging systems may mean new training, upgrading or perhaps selecting a new system, because your customers are worth the investment.

How do you know which if anything should change? That is where your trusted advisor comes in and even if you already have one, maybe you need new eyes. A long time advisor is a great asset. But when can that relationship hurt you? If they know you so well as to shy away from what you need for any type of fear, loss of business, hurt feelings, etc, then they have lost their objectivity. I am not suggesting you terminate that relationship. They still are a great asset and can contribute in many ways, but you also need to look out for your business.

At Dolvin Consultingwe leverage our relationships with industry experts to help your team look at what you are already doing to see if a resurrection is necessary. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. After all, you may just find out that you are already doing everything you can. That would be a nice feeling, would it not?

There are all types of solutions at all levels of investment. That does not mean they fit your budget. What can you do now to prepare the way for the future? What are your options? What will your business look like in 5-10 years? Will your current solution provider be able to keep up? Will they still be in business? Will they be bought out by another company that does not care about you?

The time to build you new relationship is now. Contact us to see how we can help.

Next Generate ERP Solutions

Dolvin — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:15:00 +0000

New tools, new approach to the same challenges. How does an organization link its varied departments and resources to better drive efficiency and collaboration in its workforce and supply chain? How does an organization do this and at the same time keep to its budget? Are the returns on this type of investment real?

Your organization does not need to upgrade to keep doing business the way you always have. You do not need to invest in a new solution, if what you have works and you have no competition and are not worried about the loss of your customer base.

In fact, you can keep doing what you always have and keep getting the same or less results you always have and if that is satisfactory to your outlook, then you do not need to read further.

Why did you happen upon this article in the first place?

I have been working indepentently with a colleauge on a project for a mutual organization. Initially there was great interest in moving forward, integrating their separate systems, many of which are manual and paper based. No telling what is missed, lost in translation, billed incorrectly, if at all. The project started well enough with some detailed analysis and departmental interviews. Numerous issues were discovered that did not mesh with the vision for the future.

And then…

Politicis and egos crept in. No telling if the people in positions of authority suddenly became concerned about the budget for doing further analysis, or the budget for making improvments or really concerned that in moving forward they would have to acknowledge that they dropped the ball somewhere along the way. It may not have been avoidable, it may not have been a case of being inept, it may not have been in their control. It was, however, their responsibility.

A common challenge for many budget conscience organizations is to look at the costs of moving forward instead of looking at the process as an investment. An investment implies a Return on Investment (ROI).

The spirit of investigation was and continues to be one where teams are built to identify and address areas that can use and benefit from improvements. Improvments that in time will pay for the upgrades and process improvments.

Improvments where analysis cleary indicates that they have been hemoraging. It may not have mattered to their busines in the past, but it certainly will in the future. In order to maintain and increase their customer base, they will need to focus more on the customer, than on their own egos.

Titles are nice when it allows an organization to focus on decision makers. Titles are nice when it empowers servant based leadership. Titles are nice when what needs to get done, actually gets done. Titles are bad, if all that person is concerned about is their title.

Customer service is the most important function any organization can prioritize.

New solutions and new ways of collecting and anyalyzing information have value, if the purpose is to drive better efficiencies in your organization in order to deliver great customer service. Linking departments and streamlining operations, eliminating manual processes so that management has a birds eye view of business through dashboards and drill-downs is generally a good investment, if it helps drive customer service. Other improvments for other reasons are not without merrit, but remember without customers, you have no business.

New technologies are shortcuts to better operations. Portal, web and client applications typically reduce the costs of delivering the technology.

I remember the good ole’ days when there was a main computer and dumb terminals. No virus’ to worry about and no employee distractions. Did have the occasional distruption due to someone rearranging their office and unplugging daisy-chained devices. As technology improved, we had the higher costs associated with workstation emulation cards, configuration issues, but also had increased producdtivity and reduced landscape in office spaces from less devices.

Then technology advances started accelerating and the ability to keep up and manage the kaos brought on a whole new industry and new problems.

We are starting to come full circle where the focus is not so much on the technology, but on the results the technology can bring to the organization. Technology that can be used to link the various departments and operations. Technology that is available anytime, anywhere, from any device that provides seemless integration and is configurable to an individuals specific needs.

Needs in an organization that are focused on the providing the best customer service they can with the resouces they can afford.

At Dolvin Consulting, we are anxious and zealous for your future. We work with your team to drive results that improve operations and customer service. We typically help manufacturers, distributors and specialty retailers streamline their operations with integrated ERP solutionswhich imporove efficiencies, reduce costs and result in increased profits. Profits that can be used to pursue and retain happy customers. Contact us today to see how we can help.