Clever s*ds - help required please!!

[giraffe]

It went from -2 to -1 when I received another message, but seems to be ok now.

[MBH]

Well, apart from messages from odd forum members, but that's normal.

Hey - I resemble that remark

(Luv u 2 Sis )

[Bunnylump]

Whatever made you think I was referring to you, MBH...? But, if the cap fits...

(Luv you too)

[Biscuit]

Does anyone have any knowledge re crm systems

at present we have to key in information in various systems but would like to make this a single entry.


We currently use superoffice for writing letters and keeping contact details, a bespoke factory system for producing quotations and costings , and producing orders, autocad for producing working drawings and designs, and pegasus opera accounting system for the accounts.

I just wondered how other companies do it.

Regards

Biscuit

[MBH]

Customer Relationship Management (Yes - I looked it up to make sure )

I've written at least half a dozen "back in the OLD days" when all software was 'bespoke', and the term CRM caught my attention because I investigated, installed, and implemented the ACT2000 system when I was back with The Eye Clinic.

My whole philosophy is that things should only be done ONCE and everything else draws from that. Anything 'off the shelf' has so many options that it never works exactly the way you want it to, and anything custom-written costs a lot more.

In my private business, I've created my own CRM in the form of Excel spreadsheets. Those that know my thinking would have guessed that However the interlinking of Worksheets and even different spreadsheet Files means that it is a powerful tool (with a number of natural limitations).

At present we have to key in information in various systems but would like to make this a single entry.

I try to avoid repetition wherever practical. There are occasions where the amount of work/cost to avoid it makes it pointless - but the solutions I've created for different clients have always been on the "Do It Once" principle.

Speaking of principles - when I started business I put together my Principles Of a Computer Solution. The joke being that "Principles" and "Computer Sales People" rarely went together in my experience NO - it's not ALL sales people, but I think I had a few bad examples to work from.

Anyway - I've not shared this with anyone, so:

The three principles of a computerised solution:-


1) The individual task must be made quicker or easier.

This speaks for itself – the action of using the solution should give a faster result or be simpler in operation than the existing process.

2) The speed or difficulty of the task may remain equal (or even increase), but a regular action will be made quicker or easier.

This ‘regular action’ could be a job that is done at the end of the day, week, month, or year – or items of analysis that you may want to do at any time. If this action is simplified, then you are still saving time (and therefore money).

3) If the task is no easier, and the existing analysis is no quicker, then there must be additional benefits at no extra effort.

There are occasions where the reason for a change to an existing system is not to improve the existing process, but to get extra benefits. This is the normal evolution of office systems, but the additional benefit must be provable.


If none of the above principles apply to a given situation, then there is a good chance that the planned computerised solution is wrong... Re-think and start again.


If you are saving time and money through a computerised system, then you are saving that money every time you carry out the action.

You mention the different systems you have, and they are distinctly different functions. Probably fairly embedded in the working environment as well. The Autocad would probably need to stand on it's own, but the contacts, quotes, and accounts are all different elements of the same time-line. Contacts become customers, customers get quotes (and accept them), jobs are invoiced and accounted for. I would have hoped that if none of them can do the whole job then at least they could 'speak' to each other.

I smiled at the 'bespoke factory system for quotations and costing', as I've written a few of them as well. Amazing how different this is depending on the business type. [Fish farm / Funeral Director / Shop-fitter / Machine plant hire] What can you tell us about that part of the job, and the sort of business you're in?

If you want to swich to PM for private business matters, that's fine. I've got a LOT of years experience going into different companies and needing to hit the ground running - so if I can point you in the right direction I will

[gill216]

Security tool virus.

My SiL has this problem and I'm trying to help her by phone. I got her computer started in safe mode but it wont allow her to connnect to the internet to download a removal programme. Is there a way to remove it manually?

Edit. We have now got so far as to be able to access system restore and are trying that now.

Edit again: sorted!

[giraffe]

Now this is probably really obvious, but I'm trying to put some photos on the digital photo frame that I was given for my birthday. (Thought I ought to use it as it has been sat there doing nothing for 6 months). I have the photos on my laptop, but they seem to be in several folders. I'm a bit terrified of doing anything as I don't want to accidentally delete them all. I have the memory card that fits the frame in a little slot in the laptop, so I thought it would be really easy to save them onto the card.

I can see the photos using windows photo gallery, which has opened itself when I plugged the camera in. Can I use that to move the pictures? I highlighted the ones I wanted and then couldn't see a way to save those ones on the card. I clicked copy and nothing happened. I was expecting it to say "Where do you want to copy to?" but it didn't.

AM I being really thick here? usually with a bit of fiddling I can get things like this to work (probably not the quickest or best way, but as long as it gets done I don't care), but this seems to be defeating me.

[giraffe]

Thanks MBH!

Yes I was being really thick, copying, but not pasting. I now have the photos safely installed on my photo frame. I even managed to turn the photo frame on. (Which wasn;t as obvious as it sounds)

[clvrlad]

so the photo frame is now working? well done

[MBH]

Sorry I didn't get back to you on the thread - but glad that quick phonecall led to a working conclusion

Yes I was being really thick, copying, but not pasting.

Nothing 'thick' about not knowing something [want a look at my puzzle books? ] Copy/Paste is a technique I usually teach within Word Processing but as a base idea it is used in hundreds of ways. It is EASY (takes 5 minutes to teach) but it's not OBVIOUS in any way - you'd never stumble across it the way you might find the use of a 'backspace' key.

What you were trying to do is at the heart of 'File Mangement' on the computer, and this is a task that many courses sail straight past (or have done in the past). At work I have put together a plan on how to teach computer file management to almost everybody in the Council - beacuse although they all use computers they know nothing about this subject

[eirian]

At work I have put together a plan on how to teach computer file management to almost everybody in the Council - beacuse although they all use computers they know nothing about this subject

can you come and do the same at Manchester Council as well? I'm gradually training my office, but am getting really fed up of explaining to one chap time and time again why opening an adobe acrobat file in Word yields gibberish...

[MBH]

How are you doing it? I use the sheet music, gramaphone record, CD technique.... They all store music but if you put the sheet music on the turntable and put the needle on IT DOESN'T WORK!!!!

Using the right tool for the right job is the way of explaining it but first define TOOL and JOB and USE

[giraffe]

Nothing 'thick' about not knowing something

but there is something thick about not doing it when you usually do. As soon as I spoke to you it was obvious what I had to do, I think I was panicking because I don't like the photo frame and I didn't want to lose the photos. I'm always copying and pasting things, so why I didn't think to paste is beyond me.

[giraffe]

Me again.

Last year you all helped me to make a cd for my mum's birthday. She has put in a request for another one, so we have spent the last few days recording them. I now have audacity files of them on my pc. I then tried to burn it to a cd and it doesn't seem to have recorded. When we put the cd in the player it didn't seem to have any tracks on it. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? I've reread the bit where you all helped me last year and I don't seem to have had any problem doing this bit, so I'm puzzled as to why it hasn't worked.

The cd player says there is one track on there and it is 13 minutes long, but won't play it.

[giraffe]

No clever s*ds around when you need them.

[Scurra]

Well if you're not doing anything different to last time, then it's quite hard to diagnose the problem.
If the last time you did it was a year ago though, then it seems most likely that all you did was fail to tick a box that you should have ticked (or vice versa.) I don't know Audacity well enough to know if that's likely though.

[giraffe]

The problem is I can't remember what I did last time, although I thought various lists came up that I don't seem able to find this time. I've just had another go (the third) K says that if I put it on media player she might be able to do it. The files look the same on the laptop as they did before, but I can't remember how I put them on the disk.

[giraffe]

Panic Over. Kingsley has sorted me out. The thing I remembered with the lists was Windows media player. Once we'd put it as a playlist on there it was really easy.

Typical, one child out puzzles me and the other knows her way round the computer better than me.

[giraffe]

Does anyone have any idea what direction I should look in to find the moon? Couldn't find it last night and Lally needs to draw it for her homework!

[Scurra]

Up?

I must admit that the moon is one of the few things that I can usually see at night! But I imagine it depends upon time of year as to how high it gets at a reasonable time to see it. Not helpful, I know...