With this month’s theme of Execution, I’m reminded daily of the need to work smarter. We all need to reassess our priorities on a regular basis, to be sure we are focusing on the things that are important. Often the things that present themselves as the most urgent aren’t really the most important ones. Managing several client implementations gives me ample opportunity to balance our long-term process improvement initiatives with the daily demands of our newest clients.
It’s the same during this seasonal transition for landscape contractors. You need to meet your current clients’ obligations while gearing up for snow season, and/or preparing next year’s proposals and renewals. It’s all about working smarter, making progress on the “big rocks” as Stephen Covey says, as well as the day-to-day tasks. This is especially true for the companies that are also preparing to implement Asset in the near-term.
Include Software is an ambitious company with innovative ideas and significant growth plans. So much so that we are hiring a Software Trainer to help meet our growth needs. That’s gives me the best possible problem to have – hiring and training another skilled professional to accommodate our growth.
We are officially in the Dog Days of Summer here in Maryland. It’s been a busy time at Include Software as we assist with several client implementations. Some of those clients are persevering under challenging circumstances, but making good headway in the process. They inspired me to write about how much I admire what they’re doing, and how their success is truly our success.
A few clients have experienced unexpected turnover among key employees. This is always disruptive, especially in the middle of the season and your business management software transition. A couple clients have tackled organzational changes at the same time as implementing Asset. As noted in our newsletter and my posting last month, we appreciate how hard change can be under the best of circumstances. One client has persevered through break-ins, flooding, computer crashes and the like and is still very much committed to their Asset implementation. Seeing their focused effort makes me want to redouble mine.
It’s not unlike the weeds I pull out of my mulch beds. I know I’m making room for the periwinkle to take over when I weed out the more hardy but less welcome species. A couple more seasons and I’m sure to see the fruits of my labors, so to speak. I hope every client implementing Asset this summer feels the same way!
Recently one of our clients said, “Right now I’m struggling with the good internal tension of doing scheduling the way I did it before, versus taking advantage of the tools in Asset™. The critical word in his observation was the word good. He recognized that the uncomfortable feeling of having to change his process was a good thing, because it allows for the possibility of improvement. Smart guy – he knows his business and sees that growth may necessitate change.
I’m all about process improvement, and what it takes to make it happen. I appreciate how hard it can be to embrace change. Implementing Asset almost guarantees a company will change the way it does some things. Our product offers many tools to run a business more productively and efficiently. Making use of those tools usually requires work flow changes in one or more areas.
We’ve recently launched a program for experienced Asset users to evaluate their use of Asset in conjunction with their estimating, production and accounting workflows. The program features a survey we call OptimizationPlan. It models the PlanFirst™ evaluation form we use for new and prospective Asset users. Some companies learn what they need to know from this self-evaluation process. For others we can provide consulting services to facilitate their process changes and training needs. For one client this resulted in the identification of significant improvement opportunities throughout the firm. We are assisting them in this challenging but valuable exercise.
A recent conversation with a client illustrated the importance of sharing your appreciation with your coworkers, staff, vendors and even clients. It might seem like a little thing, even trivial. But the little things DO matter.
In this case the client chose to call me to express his appreciation for the over-and-above support Include Software has been providing his firm during a transition. How gratifying to hear such kinds words! He could have just sent an email, or taken our efforts for granted. But he wanted to confirm that he wasn’t wearing out his welcome. I assured him it was quite the opposite. While we strive to work hard on behalf of all our clients, it’s easy for people who show their appreciation.
Within your firm, have you taken the time to acknowledge a staff member’s successes? Thank a co-worker for their team support? Praise a consultant’s contribution? Celebrate a client’s milestone? It only takes a minute and has a multiplier effect. Every private and public acknowledgement reinforces your trust in that person as well as bolstering your team’s spirit. It also helps to set a tone of professionalism. Expectations may be high, you’ll hold your staff and vendors accountable, but you’ll also share the love when it’s appropriate.
Helping launch a new release in my first month at Include has been a terrific learning experience! I say “helping” because I’ve been all about the Help file. Updating it, that is, for the Spring 2011 release enhancements and bug fixes. In the process I’ve added several pages on navigating the software and printing from Asset.
We want our Help file to be truly helpful. It is designed as a reference manual, and can be used a couple of different ways. Think of it as a book with chapters. Within each chapter are explanations of functions as well as “How To” pages. You can search for a topic under Contents and drill down to find what you’re looking for. For example, Modules contains detailed information about each component of Asset, such as Schedule Manager or Purchasing and AP Manager.
Another way to use the file is through the Index. It works like the index of a book. Click on a keyword or topic of interest to jump to that page in the Help file.
The third way is using the Search function – my personal favorite. Enter a keyword or two to see a list of pages. As you scan the pages you’ll see the search terms are highlighted in yellow. If you get too many results, add another keyword to narrow your search.
If you’re an experienced user, you already know to go straight to the What’s New page near the top of the Contents page. Here you’ll find details of what we’ve changed, improved, added or fixed.
The Help file offers multiple ways to get to the information you need. We hope clients appreciate everything about the Spring 2011 release.
