July 2011

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App Addicts

July 26, 2011 in Innovation by Jon Sooy | No comments

App AddictsWhether you’re an iPhone, iPad, Android or Windows Mobile user it has become clear that the ‘app’ is here to stay. What began as goofy gimmicks and games are now a tsunami of options and opportunities for mobile device addicts. As you navigate the marketplace, it is becoming increasingly difficult to figure out what apps are best for your particular business. It is interesting to me that despite the search capabilities within my Android phone, most of my favorite apps have been recommended by friends. Fun apps like HeyTell, Words With Friends, and of course Angry Birds! But what about business and productivity in general? Here are my picks for the top five apps for business:

Tripit - Available on all major platforms, this great app helps you organize your travel plans. Flight, hotel and rental car information is all in one place. You can add maps, directions and even share you itineraries with others. Even for the occasional business traveler, this is a must have app. More features here on the Tripit website.

Expensify - Available on Android, iPhone, Blackberry and Palm. This app has an incredible number of features. Highlights are the ability to scan receipts and how easy it is to create an expense report. You can also import data from your credit card. For the full rundown of capabilities, visit the Expensify website.

Evernote - Available on virtually every mobile device (not to mention every operating system). Evernote will keep all of your notes synchronized across multiple devices. I am also a Livescribe user and all of my handwritten notes taken with my Livescribe pen are saved to my Evernote account. I don’t know how I ever lived without it! On the road and forgot that contract? If you saved it in Evernote: no problem! Evernote Website.

Dropbox - For all those files that are not in Evernote. The Dropbox application places a folder on your system and everything you put into this folder is synchronized across whatever devices you wish to include. It works on Android, Windows Mobile and the iPhone. Sort of like Evernote, you can easily access documents and files on the go! Basically, any important documents you have on your computer are now in your pocket. The program is free up to 2 gigabytes and above that there is a small per gig charge. Dropbox Website.

Astrid Task - This is an Android only app but there are similar apps for other platforms. I just found this great app a few weeks ago and it’s beauty is in it’s simplicity. The feature rich alternative available on most other devices is “Remember The Milk.” Astrid is a simple task manager/to do list app that can be used as a stand alone or you can set it to synchronize with your Google tasks (which of course can be linked to your Outlook tasks). I was always tied to my Outlook tasks, now I have my list of things to do with me at all times. Available in the Android Market.

Are you an App Addict? What are some of your favorite apps?

Jon Sooy
VP Sales and Marketing

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It’s the Process not the Product

July 21, 2011 in Strategic Outsourcing by Gail ORoke | No comments

I’ve spent nearly 30 years in the office supply industry. During that time I’ve come to understand that the costs associated with activities surrounding supply purchasing far outweigh the costs of actual product.

The nature of general office supplies is that each individual item is not a high-ticket expense. From years of studying various procurement processes employed at a wide-range of customer organizations and of creating improved systems, it is possible to conclude that the time taken to selecting product, ordering product, receiving product, occasionally returning product and paying for product can be considered a high-ticket human resource expense.

Here are some tips to keep those processing costs down:

  • Avoid general shopping in mega-catalogs. The average office supply catalog is well in excess of a thousand pages. Although this tool can be helpful when looking for the occasional specialty item, purchasers can be overwhelmed when looking for general office supplies.
  • Establish a reasonable listing of frequently ordered items with good value brands selected for each product. For instance, most office supply dealers carry 14 brands of binders? One of those brands represents the best value binder. The other thirteen, to varying degrees, represent less value.
  • Work with a single-source whose pricing and service you trust. If your organization is shopping a number of suppliers, looking for the best price possible on an inexpensive item, the time spent comparison shopping completely erases the small gains in product price.
  • Establish cost center sub-accounts with your supplier. This allows for easy and accurate allocation of costs. It also ensures that packages are delivered clearly marked for with the appropriate department name.
  • Insist on summary billing. Processing many relatively small invoices each week is a drain on accounting personnel time. One monthly bill, if well prepared by the supplier, can save hours of work each month.
  • Work with a supplier that has a great on-line system that is easy to use and allows for site customization that is tailored to your company’s needs.
  • Work with a supplier that has a solid customer service team. Your organization specializes in your field, not in office supplies. Rely on the expertise of people who understand the products. Your customer service team should always be available for questions.

Using these simple principals we’ve created hundreds of procurement programs, saving our customers thousands of dollars each year in time and in product costs.

Gail O’Roke, CDC
Vice President, East Bay Division

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Reach Out and Touch Someone

July 21, 2011 in Customer Service by Laura Thurston | 1 comment

Client Interaction Over the Phone

Having good telephone skills helps build stronger relationships with everyone! Whether the call is incoming or outbound, the following can be applied to virtually every call. The way you handle your phone is as important as a face-to-face meeting. So take the time to go over some of these basics. Here are my favorites:

  • From beginning to end, show that you care about the person you are talking to. You don’t need to act overly excited about your phone conversation. Just have a positive attitude. It is contagious.
  • Even though you are on the phone, the other person can sense a smile from you.
  • Your tone and voice inflections will create an impression and help the person on the other end understand what you are telling them.
  • Say “Hello!” (or good morning, good afternoon, etc.) Have a warm greeting or opening. Welcome people into the conversation. Don’t make them feel as if they are an interruption.
  • It is not always easy to keep calm, especially if the customer is angry about something you have no control over. If a customer is complaining and angry, let them vent. Most likely they aren’t mad at you personally. Ask them questions to show that you care. Don’t add to their aggravation. You might ask them to repeat the problem just to make sure you understand. Be a good listener.

The most important strategy is to apply the golden rule: treat others as you wish to be treated!

Laura Thurston
CPO – Chief People Officer

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What If Today is the New “Normal”?

July 12, 2011 in Innovation by Kevin Austin | No comments

I just recently returned from a business conference of 4000 people consisting of some of my suppliers and peers. I have always believed it is very important to work “on” your business as well as “in” the business. In one of the sessions I attended, the question was raised “what if today is the new normal?” We have been told by economic experts that the recession is technically over, but you would have a hard time trying to sell that idea to the 7 million people that lost their jobs during this time period. The job growth pace is much slower than job reduction period.

At the same time that the Big Box stores are down 30%, our wholesaler tells us that their top 150 independent dealers are up 22%. What can be the reason for this? I believe it all has to do with the value proposition. Independent companies like ours can deliver a better value to our clients including higher levels of service, flexibility, innovation, and technology solutions. This drives down our client costs and puts us in a position of a partner to our client.

In today’s business environment, it pays to team up with a company that understands your company’s problems, needs and objectives. This results better relationships based on delivering programs and solutions. I believe this is the new “normal” and is why Golden Pacific Systems has grown in a down economy.

Kevin Austin
President and CEO

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