Tbook - Software and IT Support

New Tech Blog for Non Profits

 The Two Black Labs marketing firm has just set up a new multi-user blog – the NFP Tech Blog (http://nfptechblog.com/) – to provide non-profits with advice about Microsoft Dynamics products and other not for profit accounting software.

Microsoft partners Brittenford Systems, Maner Costerisan, MIG & Co., T3 Information Systems and SSi Consulting have already begun blogging about their experience with non-profit clients.

As the blog evolves, the partners hope that it will become a resource for non-profits to find advice on how to decide which Dynamics product to invest in and how to implement their software. Microsoft Partners will share case histories – like this Microsoft Dynamics GP non profit case study – describing how the American Red Cross use the software to reduce their warehouse costs by 50%.

Complex Distribution Software Server Organization

In a previous article on Windows Exchange, we looked at the evolution of Windows Exchange from an e-mail client to a powerful Exchange Server 2010 with unified communication services. We concluded with the remark that certain steps can help reduce the complexity of managing the complex server infrastructure and make administrator and user experiences pleasing ones. In this article we look at the organization of the Exchange Server in your setup.

Let us start with a look at the Server Roles in Windows Exchange 2010. There five roles: Mailbox Server (MBS), Client Access Server (CAS), Unified Messaging Server (UMS), Hub Transport Server (HTS) and Edge Transport Sever (ETS).

• The Mailbox Server hosts a lot of data and information including, among others, the Exchange 2010 store, e-mail address policies, address lists and inbox rules.
• The Client Access Server hosts client protocols such as POP3 and IMAP, and also the Web services.
• The Unified Messaging Server, connected to a PBX, is the infrastructure that puts all e-mail and voice messages into one mailbox that can be accessed from many devices.
• The Hub Transport Server is a mail routing server that routes mail within the organization handling mail flow, routing and delivery.
• The Edge Transport Server is also a mail routing server that routes mail in and out of the organization. Sitting as it does at the perimeter of the organization, it has to handle Antivirus and Anti-spam functionalities based on how the user has configured these.

Different roles can be accommodated on a single server or distributed on multiple servers depending on the requirements of the user organization. Decisions on these matters should be taken in a planned manner considering relevant issues. Adopting just any organization can lead to problems in administration and user experience.

Simple Server Organizations

A small organization can opt for hosting all the roles on a single server. The ETS role will be absent and HTS will be connected to the Internet through a firewall.  The server will also act as the Active Directory domain controller. This option is recommended only if you are using Windows Small Business Server.

A bigger organization can choose to go for two servers, with one of them having functionalities similar to those above while the other server will have domain controller role and will also host the ETS. It will be the ETS that is connected to the Internet through a firewall, and also to the HTS for internal mail delivery. Microsoft recommends this option for users under Windows Essential Business Server.

Complex Server Organizations

Larger organizations will necessarily have to go for more complex distribution software server organizations. These can be Standard where e-mail clients and server are within the same LAN, or Large with physically separated locations for clients and servers and several Active Directory domains, or Complex where it is necessary to synchronize several Exchange Global Address Lists.

We will look at these in a separate article.

Auto Insurance Comany Improves Policy Rating System 750%

In just a few months, TCS Insurance has improved the efficiency of their policy rating system by 750%, and reduced their annual IT requirements by 20,000 hours. This amazing savings is coupled with improved data access and speedier turnaround on everything from rate evaluation to competitive pricing analysis.

These amazing improvements were accomplished by taking advantage of parallel programming on a Microsoft Windows Server. From 1999-2010, TCS maintained duplicate data on both a mainframe computer and a web based server. This system seemed the only way to meet the dual needs of processing huge amounts of mathematical data and having critical information available to agents in a timely manner. Such duplication required that the systems be maintained separately, requiring extensive IT staff time.

  TCS is known as one of the top auto insurance companies in New York City, grossing $130 million in revenues in 2009. It receives high ratings both from within the industry and in customer recommendations. Since 1985 the company has offered a broad variety of insurance products in 3 states. Improving their ability to adapt rates according to internal rules for adjustments is critical for maintaining such excellent service.

Key to the requirements was performing analysis of varying scenarios to calculate the potential results of rate changes. This rating engine requires heavy mathematical calculations, with results available to agents as quickly as possible.

Microsoft parallel programming through the Windows Server operating system environment meets both of these needs. Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 and the .NET Framework 4 effectively uses modern multiprocessing.

With the aid of a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, it took only four weeks for an operable parallelized rating engine to be developed. The following three months were devoted to testing and documentation to ensure an accurate, quality product. The system went live in February 2010.

On the new processors, running parallel in F# code, policy rating jumped from an average of 10 policies per second to 89 per second. The Visual F# is suited to mathematical problems, and is an integral part of the Visual Studio 2010 package. The .NET Framework 4 does not require compilation, and is implemented through runtime library routines. IT specialists familiar with working in Visual C#, Visual Basic, or Visual F# could easily adapt to the new platform.

  TCS evaluates policy rates in light of 80-100 rules, and with Visual Studio 2010 these could be evaluated independently, with only minor changes to the coding, using parallel For Each loops. Instead of building spreadsheet models and waiting for testing on the mainframe, pricing analysts can now test validity rates for a batch of 50,000 policies in about nine minutes. TCS’s Manager of Application Development noted that this has allowed the company to reduce a rate-change cycle from three months to just one month, giving them a significant market advantage.

The Secret to great B2B social networking

If your business is B2B and you’re not group blogging, you’re missing out on an exceptional opportunity.

Group blogs are a site shared by many firms in the same industry. Some examples: Accounting Software Reviews for ERP vendors and CRM Software Reviews, a Microsoft Dynamics Reseller community.

By banding together to blog with other companies in your field you get a blog with:

• Tons of content updated frequently

• The ability to split maintenance costs many ways

• A forum to establish yourself as a thought leader

• A much higher Google ranking than you could achieve for your own site or a blog with a single owner

• A powerful site to link build from

• Somewhere beyond the confines of your website to self-promote

• Valuable networking opportunities

• An increased chance that your posts will actually get read
 

Group blogs are emerging as dynamic, growing communities that meet online, share leads, split costs and learn from each other. 

For more information about Internet marketing, visit interactivelimited.com.

Private Equity Valuation Challenges Solved With Microsoft Dynamics GP

BY Martin Begley of Eisner Information Solutions

One of the key challenges created by the seismic economic shifting we've experienced over the past year lies in the confidence we can have in the valuation of private-company assets.  The absence of consistency or constants results in hesitation and delay in many markets.  There is an excellent video interview on Private Equity Blogger  in which this challenge is discussed and potential solutions, or interim solutions, are suggested.    The clear strategy suggested for private equity firms is to prepare to become far more granular in the detail with which you evaluate assets so you can sell off parts of companies allowing yourself more time to wait for greater opportunities.

The video also covers interesting alternatives such as asset sales and indexed pricing which may provide more flexibility with more conservative, manageable risk.

Never has it been more important than it is now to make sure your operational systems are at peak performance, delivering the information your stakeholders need to make the right decisions in a timely manner to take fullest possible advantage of opportunity.  Microsoft Dynamics GP systems for private equity from Eisner IS have a proven track record of providing just that kind of accuracy.  With comprehensive data collection, robust reporting, and tremendous flexibility Eisner IS can provide technology solutions that meet the needs of financial service firms like yours and of your portfolio companies.

Single-Minded Determination To Maximize Returns: How CRM Software Benefits The Clients And Owners Of Private Equity Firms

I recently read with great interest the “ILPA Private Equity Principles” which is an excellent guide to best practices developed by the Institutional Limited Partners Association (www.ilpa.org).  One of the first key points made in the introduction to this guide points out that “requiring the general partner to have a meaningful equity interest in their own funds helps private equity firms to maintain a “single-minded determination to maximize returns on the underlying investments.” 

One of the key best practices emphasized in the guide is the importance of transparency and accuracy in reporting from the general partner to the limited partners throughout the lifecycle of each investment and each fund.  An entire appendix is provided that details the wide variety of reports that are regularly required. 

Our firm, Eisner Information Solutions (www.eisneris.com), helps Private Equity firms assure the accuracy and timeliness of their reporting and client tracking by using a combination of industry-leading systems including Microsoft Dynamics GP Microsoft Dynamics CRM and PrivityCRM.  PrivityCRM is especially helpful since it is a client relationship management system designed specifically for Private Equity firms.  By combining the resources of our well-respected parent company, Eisner LLP, with the expertise of our division in designing, deploying, and implementing system solutions for Private Equity firms, you can assure that your reporting meets and exceeds requirements such as those set forth in the ILPA Principles.  Our role as a Microsoft Certified Partner signifies that we continue to make key investments in training our experts so that they remain current with the excellent Microsoft products we use to create operational efficiencies for our clients.

Especially in the new economic world we find ourselves in, we have seen that powerful solutions like PrivityCRM need to be at the core of information management.  If you’d like to try out PrivityCRM we do offer a free, no-commitment managed trial of PrivityCRM for a full month.  We not only put PrivityCRM to work for you, we also work with you to simplify the learning curve, answer questions and help you make a fully informed decision.  If you’d like to learn more about this 30-day managed trial please call me at 212-891-6900.

Watch the video below for more details about Privity CRM:

FIVE SURE-FIRE WAYS TO GET CONTROL OVER YOUR PROJECTS

Whether you're in engineering, architecture, marketing, or information technology, fierce competition, fast-paced technology developments, and the ever-rising level of customer demands surely have you looking for ways to maintain profitability and achieve your customer satisfaction goals when carrying out projects.

Producing fair and accurate estimates, respecting time budget constraints, and the efficient use of resources are among the challenges facing you on a daily basis.

You can't afford to "guesstimate" costs or to track progress using a multitude of individual spreadsheets. While improperly estimating projects or progress can cost you money and opportunities, long billing cycles are an even bigger problem. Waiting for people to report their hours, calculate costs, assess work in progress, and ultimately report them creates significant billing delays. In many cases you end up financing your client’s job, which is not a position you want to be in. Finally, the sheer administrative manpower required to track a project adds significant costs that must be passed on, potentially pricing you out of the market.

How can you avoid these traps and sharpen your competitive edge? By adopting a fully integrated project-based ERP system complete with project accounting software that allows you to plan, execute, and manage your projects from preliminary estimate to final delivery. Here's how:

1.    Adopt a unified platform
Choosing a unified platform is the foundation for the integration of multiple technologies. For example, the Microsoft platform allows you to integrate business data from virtually any source. Integration tools enable you to integrate and incorporate data with a high degree of integrity, security, flexibility, and speed. What’s more, the Microsoft ERP system offers a similar look and feel as Office which will allow for rapid training of your employees on your new system.

2.    Reduce administrative costs
Using a project-based ERP system that integrates all functionalities will reduce administrative costs, namely because your data is shared and easily accessible at all times by authorized persons, thereby accelerating their work. You will have all the tools needed to track the status of projects, work in progress, resources, and budgets, all the while ensuring complete accounting and financial control. Since the data is fully integrated, you can rely on its accuracy and integrity as well as benefit from faster processing and a reduced need for administrative staff.

3.    Obtain information in real time
Web technologies now allow you to access—at any time and from anywhere—the functionalities of the ERP system. For example, by using integrated Time & Billing software, with your project-based system, you can maintain a follow-up in real time on the profitability of your projects and solve problems as they arise. Project managers have access to any tool they need to control their projects. They can approve time and expense entries, organize their resources, estimate the progress of their projects in time and dollars, and get a complete up-to-date picture of the status of their projects. Moreover, as each resource enters time and expenditures directly into the system, this data is captured only once, saving you time and reducing the risk of errors.

4.    Centralize and spread the information to the right people
Benefit from the collaborative networking capabilities offered by the current technologies by centralizing your information and by spreading it to the people concerned. Without the right information, your people cannot make informed, accurate decisions. That’s why a solution providing business information in contexts that make sense for individuals is so valuable and drives growth. Define roles, such as division manager, project manager, project director, budget manager, or project accountant, and share information by ensuring that these various people have accurate and appropriate access to the information based on their level of responsibility with regard to both reports and dashboards.

5.    Exploit the full breadth of your data
Access to meaningful and complete management information is of crucial importance to any manager or project manager. Because all management data is integrated and shared in a project-based ERP system, you will have a rich and unique source of information starting from which you can produce a wide range of reports on project analyses, employee productivity, project transactions, project profitability, ad hoc queries, and key performance indicators (KPI) all while ensuring data confidentiality by means of strict access regulations.

By opting for a project-based ERP system, you can help your firm achieve increased profitability of its projects thanks to:
◘    Reduced lead times
◘    Respect of deadlines and budgets
◘    Efficient allocation of human as well as material resources
◘    Improved cash flow
◘    Accurate revenue recognition
◘    Lower operating and administration costs
◘    Improved communication between project teams members
◘    Integrated management of inter-division, inter-corporate, or joint venture projects
◘    Access, at any time and from anywhere, to rich and meaningful management information

JOVACO Solutions is an independent software vendor whose solutions are fully integrated into Microsoft Dynamics GP.  JOVACO Project Suite, a project-based ERP solution, is designed to meet the needs, budget and growth of professional services firms or project-based manufacturers.

New eBook Divulges Accounting Software Secrets of Healthy Project-driven Companies

Project-based organizations  face issues that can drive their accounting staff and project managers crazy. A new eBook by Michael Camp identifies nine of these irritating scenarios. He also reveals the seven ways that your company can solve these issues when solutions are implemented on a consistent basis. Read 7 Secrets the Healthiest Project-driven Organizations Know That You May Not and learn how to effectively handle the complexities of the project-based world through the use of an integrated set of software tools drawing on the same data and all appropriate to each stakeholder who uses them. The eBook is under a creative commons license and is available for anyone to use, distribute, or post on their website or newsletter without express permission from the author.