http://www.broadpoint.net/ Your source for insightful information that's relevant to you and your business community. en dcarnevale@broadpoint.net Copyright 2010 2010-07-29T17:58:45+00:00 http://www.broadpoint.net/blog/social-networking-for-nfps-unveiled-webinar-hosted-by-broadpoint-technologi/ http://www.broadpoint.net/site/social-networking-for-nfps-unveiled-webinar-hosted-by-broadpoint-technologi/#When:17:58:45Z Social networking is quicking gaining steam with for-profit companies as an effective way to build relationships and win business.  But can the lessons learned be applied to nonprofit groups and associations? Social media is quickly becoming a standard part of marketing and sales efforts for most for-profit companies.  But do the same rules apply to nonprofit groups and associations?  In an upcoming webinar entitled “Social Networking for NFPs Unveiled”, BroadPoint Technologies and GoLightly will discuss why social networking is so important, what steps you can take to extend the reach of your programs and services, and how to leverage today’s technology to drive revenue and improve member retention and acquisition. Many nonprofits and associations are facing real challenges that need to be addressed.  It’s a difficult road to face all by yourself.  Working with a vendor who understands your social networking needs is a great way to get a head start.  Many social networking tools, including Facebook, do not provide integration with iMIS, and there are serious concerns about protecting the privacy of your information.  Rather than trying to manage several different social networking tools individually, an integrated social networking platform will empower you to get the most out of your solutions. We encourage you to join us for this webinar on August 11 at 2:00pm eastern.  You can register on our website or contact us for more information. iMIS, Client Services 2010-07-29T17:58:15+00:00 http://www.broadpoint.net/blog/sales-order-success-for-manufacturing-and-distribution-companies/ http://www.broadpoint.net/site/sales-order-success-for-manufacturing-and-distribution-companies/#When:15:47:21Z For distribution and manufacturing companies, getting products out the door is the lifeblood for success.  Sales and Finance executives at these companies are often challenged to know what and how much is shipping on a given day.More than ever, non-stocking distributors need faster, more comprehensive sales and customer service tools to run their business.  Keeping pace with growth, driving automation and achieving greater efficiencies are all constant business challenges.  But how do organizations overcome day-to-day pains such as: Incorrect information during the sales process due to disparate or unrelated silos of data Managing exceptions to a process Running the business “blind” – without tools need to make strategic decisions Limited access to data for sales and customer support team BroadPoint and Salepad are bringing our combined expertise and products to manufacturing and distribution companies.  We have a solution that addresses all of the issues described above and a lot more.  You will gain better visibility into your data and streamline your operations.  View our 3 minute screencasts to learn how you can run your automate your sales order processes, and run your company smarter and better. Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010-07-27T15:47:15+00:00 http://www.broadpoint.net/blog/the-hidden-cost-of-budget-development-for-nonprofits/ http://www.broadpoint.net/site/the-hidden-cost-of-budget-development-for-nonprofits/#When:14:21:31Z While developing budgets is challenging for any organization, Not for Profits (NFPs) face special challenges such as allocating funds donated for specific purposes, aligning spending with stated missions and providing for unforeseen events that affect their mission.While developing budgets is challenging for any organization, Not for Profits (NFPs) face special challenges such as allocating funds donated for specific purposes, aligning spending with stated missions and providing for unforeseen events that affect their mission. Compounding the problem is the fact that many frugal NFPs work with outdated accounting systems that don’t provide easy access to data. Requiring complex spreadsheets and manual processes, these budget processes hide the true cost of planning. Struggles with Aging, Customized Accounting Systems   The success of any NFP is in large part due to strong fiscal management, ensuring that every dollar possible be spent to support the organization’s mission.  Many NFPs are still using operating systems and accounting software where even the simplest changes require customized solutions.  These organizations have to “make do” with the system that provides fragmented information with no consolidated view of finances. At budget time, when it’s time to plan and allocate for the coming year, the accounting staff has to manually compile the information to support critical decisions. Since data is difficult to extract, the burden of reporting fulfillment and delivery often falls to the IT department. While the organization may believe that they are saving money by postponing investments in new technology, the cost of employee efficiency and morale soars.  Automated Budgeting Will Save Money NFPs don’t have to be burdened by these painful processes.  There are collaborative tools available today that distribute, enter, manage and integrate budget data into accounting systems that leverage current technology.   The cost of entry for accounting solutions is often far less than the yearly maintenance cost for maintaining legacy systems, such as an AS/400 system.  Leveraging flexible data servers, like Microsoft SQL, allows the organization to share data across departments and create reports easily.  When the Budget administrator can initiate a new budget and create all departmental budget forms with Prior Year Actual, Current Year Actual + Forecast, and Proposed Budget Input in a matter of minutes, the organization time savings is tremendous. With no involvement needed from the IT team, they can focus on serving the mission of the organization. Finance teams can focus on analysis of current revenue and spending to identify areas of opportunity and cost savings. While the cost of implementing a new ERP system may worry the NFPs Board of Directors, the true cost of not upgrading to more efficient technology is far more damaging. Maturing technologies and software delivered through the cloud are reducing the risks and costs of implementing new systems.  The best path to strong fiscal management for NFPs is to uncover hidden costs and chart the path to improvement.  Management should always be looking for better, faster and more efficient ways to run the organization.  Automating budget development is one way to accomplish this. Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010-07-20T14:21:15+00:00 http://www.broadpoint.net/blog/broadpoint-named-to-presidents-club-for-microsoft-dynamics/ http://www.broadpoint.net/site/broadpoint-named-to-presidents-club-for-microsoft-dynamics/#When:18:15:06Z Announcement made at Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) in Washington, DC.We received word over the last few days that BroadPoint had been named to the 2010 President’s Club for Microsoft Dynamics.  Companies who are named to President’s Club are the top five percent of Dynamics partners in the world.  This is a very prestigious honor and we are truly humbled.   We believe that one of the things that separates us from other vendors is our commitment to our customers and their specific needs, and this award validates that commitment and reinforces our dedication to providing the best products and services for our customers.   This announcement comes on the heels of the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) being held this week in Washington, DC.  With over 14,000 attendees, this year’s conference is the largest WPC ever.  Having attended many of the keynotes, general and breakout sessions, and special events this week, I can safely say that there is tremendous momentum behind the Microsoft partners, regardless of the products they sell or the countries they serve.  We certainly celebrate our inclusion in President’s Club.  Now, the work begins to make this a repeat performance next year.  Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010-07-15T18:15:15+00:00 http://www.broadpoint.net/blog/4-keys-to-building-customer-satisfaction-via-email/ http://www.broadpoint.net/site/4-keys-to-building-customer-satisfaction-via-email/#When:14:27:07Z Are you following the Best Practices of Email Marketing? Email is one of the more personal ways of communicating with your customers, which means the benefits are great if you do the right things. In this post, we outline four rules to assist you in your email marketing so customers don’t hit the unsubscribe button.For marketers, utilizing email is one of the best ways to reach prospective customers and nurture existing relationships. But in a world where email vendors and technology are improving almost daily, it’s easy to lose sight of the customer and their needs. I present the following four rules to help you keep your customers happy and engaged through email, and to help position you as a partner in their success and not just an unwanted spammer: Rule #1: Maintain Timely, Consistent Communication Email communications often do not generate excitement or activity overnight.  It is important to maintain a regular schedule of emails to your audience.  As they continue to receive your messages, your readers will begin to expect them and trust that the content is worth reading. Using a sales and marketing automation tool such as Microsoft CRM can have tremendous benefits when you are planning these regular communications. Send out a weekly/monthly newsletter to get started. Keep the tone of your emails consistent. You want the message to come across as a single voice from your organization.  Make sure your subject lines are brief and to the point. Always keep the “from” address the same for every email.   Maintain a consistent design for each email to build brand awareness with your audience. Rule #2: Generate Relevant and Valuable Content Understanding your audience is the first step in reaching your audience.  Do some research to see what topics or themes are hot with their industry or job function, and develop content around these areas.  Segment your lists so a specific audience gets their specific message.  The more relevant your communications are to the reader, the more valuable they will perceive them.  One of the biggest hurdles we must overcome as marketers is conveying the value we can add to the customer’s business.  Show them that you understand their business and their challenges, and they will begin to engage with you.  Rule #3: Encourage Feedback from Your Audience Whenever possible, make your emails interactive so you can fully connect with your audience.  Offer them surveys on hot topics in their industry.  Take a poll using pertinent questions for someone in their role.  If you include blog entries in your emails that link back to your site, make sure there is a “comments” area available for them to share their thoughts.  Listen to any feedback you get…it can be incredibly helpful in the design and execution of future email campaigns.  Rule #4: Respect Their Wishes For both companies and individuals, one of the most important qualities is the ability to listen.  If a customer makes an unsubscribe request, respect it and remove them from your list.  Period.  Ignoring these types of requests will only lead to unhappy customers and potential headaches down the road. Microsoft CRM allows you to quickly and easily designate contacts for opt-in or opt-out lists, letting you dedicate more time to your core tasks.  Keep your lists as clean as possible by acknowledging hard bounces and complaints, and taking the proper action.  If they ask you to add a colleague to the email list, do so promptly so the request does not fall through the cracks.  Customers are the lifeblood of any company.  It is crucial to maintain a regular dialogue to understand their business, find out what challenges they are facing and keep your organization top of mind with your latest product and service offerings.  Email marketing is one of your most effective tools in improving and maintaining customer satisfaction.  Be diligent in your execution and you will see the results you desire.   2010-07-13T14:27:15+00:00 http://www.broadpoint.net/blog/asi-names-chairmans-circle-inductees/ http://www.broadpoint.net/site/asi-names-chairmans-circle-inductees/#When:13:00:49Z BroadPoint receives prestigious award for fourth straight yearAdvanced Solutions International (ASI), a privately owned global provider of software for member and donor-based non-profits, recently named its inductees for their 2009 Chairman’s Circle.  This award recognizes outstanding overall performance by ASI partners.  BroadPoint is proud to be inducted into this year’s Chairman’s Circle, the fourth straight year as an inductee.  The announcement of the Chairman’s Circle inductees was made at ASI’s 12th Annual iNNOVATIONS Partner Conference held recently in Austin, Texas.  More details on the awards are available on the ASI web site.  ASI is the developer of iMIS, an upgradeable software solution for managing associations, membership, non-profits and fundraising. This award reinforces BroadPoint’s commitment to helping associations run their organizations more efficiently.  BroadPoint solutions for associations deliver integrated tools, best practices and automated processes that are designed specifically for member based organizations.  iMIS 2010-07-08T13:00:15+00:00 http://www.broadpoint.net/blog/virtual-servers-whats-the-deal/ http://www.broadpoint.net/site/virtual-servers-whats-the-deal/#When:18:41:56Z In the past few years a lot of focus has been placed on virtual servers.  What is virtualization and what does it mean to you?A Brief History of Virtual Servers Virtualization has existed for more than 30 years, beginning with Big Blue. At the time, mainframes needed to multitask and Virtualization was the best way to accomplish this. Mainframes were segmented into smaller “pieces” that could process independent functions. Enter the Client Server era, with inexpensive microprocessor architecture starting in the 80’s.  Virtualization was no longer a necessity; microprocessor systems were far less expensive and therefore companies simply bought more, filling up server rooms and data centers. Fast forward to the 2000’s.  Virtualization is now back in play… but why now? As companies realize their investment in IT and ever expanding resources for applications, Virtualization finds its way back to IT budgets and helps tremendously when companies are looking maximize the use of the hardware they own.  Cloud computing adds to the conversation because most hosting companies are leveraging Virtualization to maximize margins. Power consumption as well as square footage in datacenters cost money, so hosting companies squeeze every bit of processing power out of each server. Today, Virtualization is everywhere – it’s even a standard feature on Windows server.  VMware server is free (both Microsoft and VMware have enterprise class servers for a cost), and Windows XP Mode runs on Microsoft’s Virtual PC again all for free.  So what can Virtualization do you for you? Cut cost? Sure, with more organizations adopting green initiatives, they are using less power and consuming less ping, which has a direct impact on the company’s bottom line.  We also talked about Good Habits for a Greener PC  in an earlier blog. Testing Environment for ERP and CRM Systems Leveraging a development environment during the implementation of a new ERP or CRM systems or version upgrades allows you to test without fear.  Through Virtualization of your servers, you don’t need to make an additional investment in hardware but can reap the rewards of a test environment commonly known as the “sandbox”.  Your IT staff can use the sandbox to apply changes to the system without affecting production systems for: regression testing that allows for roll back of code if updates do not work, testing upgrades to new version of deployed  applications, adding and testing new feature functionality. Virtualization solves common IT Dilemmas How can you train new users to use your customized ERP or CRM system without corrupting data in your production system?  The sandbox is also a great place to train new users without causing any harm to your clean data.  Many of our customers that have complex VPN solutions that allow remote users to access their ERP or CRM system. Ever try running a Juniper, Cisco, Checkpoint, or other VPN software on a single operating system? Virtualization saves a lot of time and frustration, eliminating multiple reboots and failed connections. So now that you know what’s in it for you, think about virtualization to help you make the most of your ERP or CRM investment. Microsoft Dynamics GP, Tips & Tricks 2010-07-06T18:41:15+00:00 http://www.broadpoint.net/blog/is-your-companys-dashboard-doing-its-job/ http://www.broadpoint.net/site/is-your-companys-dashboard-doing-its-job/#When:17:26:38Z Why 3D Graphs, Pie Charts, and Bright Colors Make for a Dashboard Disaster Dashboards are designed to effectively display the “big picture” about a business. But the truth is, most Dashboards choose flash over function when it comes to their design.Most Dashboards are little more than eye candy. Think of the last Dashboard you saw.  Did it have bright colors, pie charts or gadgets that reminded you of an airplane cockpit or high performance race car?  Typical Dashboard design seems to try to entertain rather than actually convey important information.  Think back to that last Dashboard...  Can you think of one important piece of information you took away from it? A Dashboard’s Job is to Communicate It needs to display the state of an organization at a single glance as well as be specific to its audience and in a time appropriate manner.  While a CEO may need to see weekly updates to the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), the Customer Service Director may need instantaneous status on a Call Center. Most Dashboards fall well short of these goals. Why the “Big Picture” is Obscured by Design Dashboards that require scrolling or selecting tabs to view additional information defeat the purpose of understanding your organization in one glance, making it difficult to focus on the big picture.  This may be the case of trying to design the ‘one size fits all’ Dashboard.  The use of bright, primary colors (red, blue and yellow) actually make it more difficult to understand the data, especially if those colors are used across the Dashboard to represent different measures – or if you are color blind! Pie charts and 3D graphs are the most ineffective tools for conveying information, yet they are the go-to display on many Dashboards. The ‘eye candy’ of bright colors and speed dials will quickly get old to the executive who just wants to understand what’s going on with their organization.   If your organization has implemented a Dashboard, ask yourself: Is it really doing its job?   Is it getting used?  Does it give you the information you need in one glance?  If you don’t think your Dashboard is living up to its job, I recommend reading Information Dashboard Design: The Effective Visual Communication of Data by Stephen Few.  It has a nice list of the most common mistakes made in designing Dashboards, all of which defeat the true purpose – communication! Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010-07-02T17:26:15+00:00 http://www.broadpoint.net/blog/microsoft-dynamics-gp-2010-webinar-a-better-and-smarter-way-to-work/ http://www.broadpoint.net/site/microsoft-dynamics-gp-2010-webinar-a-better-and-smarter-way-to-work/#When:15:22:08Z Online presentation showed latest features and upgrades of Dynamics GP 2010 and how they can help improve business operations.BroadPoint Technologies recently held a webinar on Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 to show how it can help organizations work better and smarter.  There has been a buzz in the industry around this release and the attendance at this event reflected that.   We have seen considerable interest in Dynamics GP 2010 and believe this product release has a lot to offer our clients.  Here are just a few of the benefits our clients will see: Get better insight into your data using role-based dashboards and KPI’s with drill-back Reduce steps for routine tasks with new and enhanced workflows, integrated with Microsoft SharePoint. Tighter integration with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel and Outlook Get a better picture of your how your business is running with predictive modeling and analysis We have set up a webinar page on our website where you can download the presentation slides.  If you have any other questions regarding Dynamics GP 2010, you can email us directly. Microsoft Dynamics GP, Client Services 2010-06-30T15:22:15+00:00 http://www.broadpoint.net/blog/know-all-your-customers-like-your-best-customers/ http://www.broadpoint.net/site/know-all-your-customers-like-your-best-customers/#When:17:05:13Z Social networking sites like LinkedIn and Twitter can add vital data to your Microsoft Dynamics CRM system.  Before the introduction of social networking websites, it could take months or years to develop a strong business relationship with your customers. But knowing and managing your customers’ personal information is much easier now that sites like LinkedIn and Twitter provide public access to their interests, hobbies or company information.“What’s the husband’s name again?,” I ask my wife on our way to a dinner party. “Give me a minute”, she says as she quickly goes to Facebook from her phone. “It’s Bill,” she says in a tone as if she knew it all along.  Truth be told, I am pretty bad with names and related personal data. That is why when I meet someone and get their business card, I try to write their personal information on the back. That way, when I staple their business card into my dusty overfilled Rolodex, I know I have the personal data on the back of the card.  Okay, so I really don’t have a Rolodex. I use a supercharged customer database, but the concept is the same. That is, the ability to easily capture and leverage business contact information along with the personal data. And what is my supercharged customer database? It is Microsoft Dynamics CRM. With it, I can have one aggregated view of a customer’s business and personal information all on one screen. Building Stronger Business Relationships What if you knew ALL your customers like you know your best customers? You would probably get a lot more business. You already know the detailed personal information of your best customers from the relationships you have built over a long period of time. You know their hobbies, interests, the college they went to and maybe even the college their kids are going to.  But do you have the same deep level of personal knowledge for all customers and prospective customers? Maybe. Maybe not. Keep in mind that just because you know a prospective customer graduated from the University of Maryland in 1987 doesn’t mean that you will win their business, but knowledge like that can provide better insight and the opportunity to build a stronger business relationship.  Leverage LinkedIn and Twitter into Your CRM Social networking tools such as LinkedIn and Twitter can add vital data to your CRM.   Track additional demographic and personal information. Validate and keep your own customer data accurate.     Know when a key contact moved to a new company. Add additional contacts at a customer company to your CRM. Try to create a holistic view of your own data mixed with “public data”.  In Microsoft Dynamics CRM, you can access the customer’s LinkedIn profile information right from the contact record. Track and manage specific Twitter conversations about your company or your product. Microsoft Dynamics CRM has built-in integration to Twitter.   See what I’m talking about here.  With all the information available on the internet, specifically with social networks, it is no surprise that customers expect more. Keep up with customer demands by leveraging information found with social networking directly in your own CRM. When it comes to customer buying decisions, people buy from people. Well not exactly. People buy from people they know and trust. Tips & Tricks 2010-06-29T17:05:15+00:00