We work for our clients!

So far today, I've had two calls with software vendors to discuss their products and how they might fit our clients. And in both cases, there was talk of 'volume commitments' and 'software deals forecasts'. There was some mention of 'low-hanging fruit', and a strong focus on moving software licenses.

And after I got off the phone, I realized... we don't work for the software vendors!

WE WORK FOR OUR CLIENTS!!!

Sure we sell software licenses. But ONLY if it is appropriate to your needs and will help you do things better. Sometimes, what you have is what you need... you may just need to know how to use it better. On the other hand, sometimes you DO need software, and it is our responsibility as your business partner (and experts in this area) to assist you with making the best business choices.

And I promise that we will continue to do that.

How good is Excel?

Is Microsoft Excel a good tool for dealing with calculations and summaries? Absolutely! There’s no better spreadsheet tool on the market, at least that I’m aware of. And when it comes to dealing with day-to-day business activities, most users are very capable of using it for their purposes. But how much of Excel’s capabilities does the average user , well… use?
I recall reading an article several years ago that said the average user only used about 10% of Excel’s true capabilities. Ten percent! That’s all!!! (Funny thing – I think that’s like the portion of our brains that we use on a day to day basis.) Let’s say things have improved lots over the past few years… let’s say we now use 20%.

So if Excel is such a fantastic tool for all our varied purposes, why then do we use only about one-fifth of its capabilities???

Could it be that the small portion that we do use is pretty easy to understand, but the rest of it is pretty hard? Could it be that the real strengths of Excel lie in the stuff we already use it for… and the rest really isn’t its forte?

There’s a saying that goes something like this: “It’s like using a hammer to put in a screw”. Or put another way, “It’s like using a cannon to kill a mosquito”. None of us would ever do that, right? We’d want to find the right tool for the job. The good old KISS principle.

If you'd like to see a cool video that really demonstrates the power of a tool other than Excel, along with a limited time offer to try it out, check out this Excel alternative.

Eureka

Last week, I was with my family on a vacation to Ottawa, and we went to the Canada Science and Technology Museum. It's a great place to take kids, and has lots of hands-on exhibits and interactive content. I happened to notice this little sign bedside one of the displays, and I couldn't help but keep thinking about its simplicity:

Sometimes, I think we adults make things too complicated. Maybe we should pay more attention to what we teach our kids.

Strategic Advantage

Is Business Intelligence just reporting? Pretty charts and tables? Is that all I get for my money?

If you look at information as a vital strategic asset for your business, you'll start to see how business intelligence is NOT just a cost. A lot of us talk about living in the "Information Age" and how we're all "information workers". But if all you're doing is recording transactions so you can pay your taxes, you're missing the point.

It's only data until you start to use it; then it becomes information.

And THAT is a strategic advantage.

What about...

How's your customer churn? How many customers do you 'fire' each year? Could you identify the ones that are costing you money to service??? Do you have the information to make an informed decision about replacing them?

What if...

What if implementing effective business intelligence gave you the tools to increase your volume from your top 10 percent of customers by 10 percent? What would that mean to your business bottom line?

Communitech - I'm a convert!

Many of you have likely never heard of Communitech. Here's how they describe themselves: "...the hub for the commercialization of innovation, creating economic prosperity by removing barriers to the creation and growth of tech companies. Our goal is to create more successful global tech businesses for Canada." For those of you not living in Southwestern Ontario, it's a shame, as you likely won't have much chance to get to know them. Anyway...

We (Dynamic Intelligence) were members of Communitech several years ago, and I was frankly a bit disappointed. But at the urging/recommendation of a business peer (Rick from Virtual Causeway - thanks!), I decided to reacquaint my self with Communitech. And in short, I am really happy I did!

I spent all day yesterday attending the Tech Leadership Conference organized by Communitech. Fantastic speakers! (Clay Christensen, Bill Taylor, Noel Biderman). Great breakouts! And great networking opportunities. All in all, a day well spent.

After leaving the event, I went back to my office and started exploring their resources more, and I have to say the Communitech blog is pretty good - already found out about a couple of things I hadn't heard before.

Anyway, just wanted to commend them on a job well done, and say I'm looking forward to being a member.

NB - This is not a paid commercial for Communitech! :)  I just think they're pretty cool!