Let’s talk about threats.
The weakest points in any security system are the people who use it. That’s why cybercriminals are starting to go low-tech. It’s much easier to trick a human than create a virus. Hackers don’t have to break through your firewall, because employees are letting them in the front door.
There are plenty of proven tools to keep bad guys from breaking into a network. But attacks from the inside pose an entirely different kind of danger. And most businesses are completely unprepared.
How it Works
Hackers have a host of methods for conning their way into a network. Email is still a very effective method for delivering malware. (You’d be surprised at how many distracted executives will open a file called “Q1 Past Due Accounts.”) Messages may use techniques like baiting or phishing (pronounced “fishing”) to trick people into handing over passwords and account numbers.
Some hackers target employees’ personal computers, which tend to have weaker security. Then they sneak into the company network when the employee logs in remotely or brings a corrupted USB drive into the office. Mobile devices can contract malware through apps and unsecured networks (such as the free WiFi at airports). All of these methods give cybercriminals a way to slip past the company firewall without raising an alarm.
Worse Than You Think
Here’s the real problem: Most business networks have weak or nonexistent internal defenses. The emphasis has always been on external measures like firewalls. Good anti-virus software is expensive, and executives didn’t see it as a huge priority (“because we have such a good firewall”). Essentially, people put giant locks on their front doors and called it good. Which means if a hacker can sneak past the firewall, there’s likely very little to stop him from stealing your data, crashing your system, and bringing your business to a screeching halt.
This is why the discussion about cyber security needs to change. Businesses have to look beyond keeping the bad guys out and consider what happens once they get in.
The Options
Don’t assume your current IT staff can take on this threat. Searching for and responding to internal breaches is more labor-intensive than maintaining a firewall. System administrators don’t have time to run counter-hack operations and support the company’s IT needs.
If a fulltime cyber-security specialist isn’t in your budget, then you need to consider other methods for improving data security. Good strategies include using the best anti-virus software that management will buy, putting more user restrictions in place, prohibiting USB drives, and teaching employees good cyber ”hygiene”. Perhaps the most effective strategy for protecting your data is to move it from your private server to the cloud.
The Cloud Bank
The building materials industry has been very slow to adopt cloud-based solutions, in part because many executives don’t trust them. Letting a third party manage their data at a separate location feels risky. Keeping everything in-house, on their own servers, in an environment they control feels safer. But unless your company has a fulltime cyber-security specialist, using a private server is significantly riskier than using the cloud.
A good way to think about it is to compare your data to money. Keeping your data on a private server is like keeping your money in a shoebox. You have direct access, but so does anybody who breaks into the building. It’s easy for them to grab that shoebox and walk out the door. When hackers get past your firewall, they can potentially trash or steal anything on your network. Accounting records, operations data, and customer information are up for grabs.
Using the cloud, on the other hand, is like keeping your money at a bank. The funds are still available, but if a thief breaks into your office, there’s nothing for him to steal. He can’t get to your money because it’s at the bank. And breaking into a bank is an entirely different matter.
Still Not Convinced?
Some people are skeptical that the cloud is safer. After all, if a corrupted laptop can infect your entire network, what’s to stop that virus from spreading to your hosted data.
This is a fair question. The simple answer is the cloud is different from traditional networks. It offers multiple layers of security, far beyond what most businesses can afford on their own.
The first line of defense has to do with access. A local network typically has many points of entry, because it’s used by many different software applications. When employees check email, create sales orders, track inventory, or enter payments, they are storing all of those records in the same place. Applications on a local server are sort of like offices on the same hallway. Applications in the cloud are more like guarded buildings on separate roads.
Let’s say a hacker gets past your firewall. If you store all of your data locally, he can walk up and down the “hallway”, from your email to your accounting records to your customer files, because everything is connected. If you store your accounting data in the cloud, however, he can’t crawl from your email to your billing records because they are in separate locations. In order to get to your accounting data, he has to leave the hallway, exit your building, find the right “road”, and then get past all of the guards. This brings us to the next line of defense.
If data is stored in the cloud, it’s on a server (or multiple servers) at a data center. Data centers make sure your information is accessible to you and only you. These facilities invest heavily in sophisticated security tools and anti-virus software. They also provide 24-7 monitoring by cyber-security experts who constantly walk the (virtual) perimeter, checking for weaknesses and scanning for suspicious activity. (All the things system administrators don’t have time to do.) Let’s go back to the shoebox vs. bank analogy. Your only way of protecting that shoebox is to lock your front door. The bank, on the other hand, has locks on the door, cameras in the ceiling, and German Shepherds patrolling the lobby.
Next Steps
Unfortunately, there aren’t any security patches for human behavior. No matter how many rules a company puts in place, somebody will inevitably slip up.
If you want a sobering conversation, ask your IT manager what defenses your network has against an internal attack. Find out which parts of your operation would be affected, and how long your business would be down. Take a hard look at the worst-case scenario, and start planning the best possible response.
This article originally appeared in Building Products Digest.
Businesses have always been dependent on IT companies for software. But new, web-based tools are changing that. These tools are so user-friendly, almost anyone can create their own billing program, asset tracker or CRM.
Software users are becoming software producers, and they are creating business applications with unbelievable speed.
It starts with PaaS
This dramatic shift in the technology landscape is due in part to two things: Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Rapid Application Development (RAD) tools. PaaS is a cloud-based technology that allows consumers to essentially rent easy-to-use, high-end development resources. Powerful tools are now available to an entirely new audience.
RAD tools have graphic interfaces with menus and buttons that let users build software with the click of a mouse. This reduces some of the time-consuming coding work. When PaaS and RAD tools are combined, it reduces a LOT of the coding work.
The tech company Progress says their RAD component, Rollbase, creates software with “80% drag-and-drop and 20% coding.” Not only do PaaS-based RAD tools dramatically speed up the development process, they are simple enough to be used by almost anybody.
RAD tools often start with basic templates for several types of programs like a calendar, time clock, contact manager, etc. Users then customize the program by dragging and dropping different elements on the screen. For instance, an employee database could have fields for home address, email, phone number, birthday, nickname, SSN, and branch office. Users simply click on the fields they want to include. It really is that easy. If you can move icons around your desktop, then you can build a custom calendar, online catalog, asset manager, or billing program.
Why you should care
PaaS-based RAD tools are revolutionary, but not because of the kinds of programs they build. There are already plenty of calendars, time clocks and document storage applications available. RAD tools matter because now non-programmers can create customized software, and they can do it very quickly.
This is a game-changer for business operations. Customized software offers benefits off-the-shelf software can’t touch. RAD tools can solve some fundamental business problems and shift the way a company thinks about technology.
Problem: You don’t work with your software, you work around it
The bar for “good” business software is pretty low. Most companies settle for applications that “almost” or “usually” perform as needed. Programs with lots of functions can be cumbersome to use and difficult to learn. There are too many clicks and too many screens required for basic processes. Despite the wealth of features, the software is still surprisingly limiting. Users come up with workarounds to find what they need. For instance, an employee might look up pricing for a job by searching for the account and then filtering by location.
A RAD tool lets companies build software around their existing processes. If employees want to look up orders by route number or “Ship To” location, then route number and “Ship To” can be made searchable values. Users can also create custom logic and workflows. For instance, a scheduling program can automatically assign tasks to employees with the lightest workload. Screens and menus can be arranged in ways that make sense for individual users. Customized software can eliminate the need for workarounds, because the most important functions can be brought forward and grouped together.
Problem: Too many options
Most people use multiple programs to do their jobs. There are separate applications for email, bookkeeping, scheduling, inventory management, etc. These programs usually aren’t connected and don’t share information. It’s an inefficient setup, especially if you need to switch between several screens to complete one task. Managers and admins may need to create separate employee databases for scheduling, payroll, and HR programs.
The PaaS/RAD tool combination replaces individual software applications with a unified ecosystem of custom programs. Employees can access their email, work schedule, daily tasks, time clock, PTO requests, and company profile from one location. A custom system also makes life easier for administrators and system managers, because the programs pull from the same database. Messages, entered time, and performance reviews are all attached to the same employee record. This makes it easy to crosscheck PTO requests against a schedule, and there’s no worry about conflicting records in different systems.
One of the best opportunities for a RAD tool to improve operations is within the sales team. Many sales reps and managers would like to tie their notes from site visits and phone calls to a customer’s order history, but most invoicing software doesn’t track anything other than sales. Businesses could use a RAD tool to build a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) program that works with their sales order software. Reps could easily check recent discussions with a customer while on a sales call. The service team could view a log of all support requests tied to a specific order.
Problem: Lost in translation
Some businesses use their IT department or an outside firm to customize or create in-house programs. It’s usually a lengthy and expensive process, and yields uncertain results. Miscommunication between users and programmers quickly increases a project’s cost. There can be a long delay between requesting a change and seeing the result, so misunderstandings aren’t discovered until it’s too late. This is a special concern for businesses trying to change their existing infrastructure or launch a new project like a customer self-service website.
RAD tools reduce delays and mistakes by giving users a more active role in the development process. Instead of hoping the programmers will understand a list of requests, the people who actually use the software can update screens, rename fields, and customize functions to the way they need. Then they can hand it off to the IT department to implement the changes. Allowing users to do a significant portion of the design work reduces the risk of miscommunication. RAD tools tee up the code for programmers and help control costs.
How to get your very own RAD
RAD tools are available in a couple of ways. Companies like Zoho and Workxpress have standalone options that let you build new applications from the ground up. Another option is to use a RAD tool attached to a larger software program, specifically a SaaS program. (Software as a Service programs are cloud-based applications. Web email services like Gmail and hosted ERP systems are examples of SaaS products.) Some SaaS providers are starting to offer RAD tools with their main applications. These tools let users build new programs or customize parts of the “parent” software. This can be a great strategy if one of your central software products has a RAD tool available. Enhancing and improving your existing central processes can be more valuable than starting at square one.
A quick note about names: not all providers call these sorts of programs “RAD tools.” Some use the term Graphic User Interface (GUI) builder or Application Platform as a Service (aPaaS). Zoho simply calls their Create program “a custom app builder.” When you’re researching this topic, look for PaaS products and app builders that use the phrases “drag and drop” or “point and click.” These terms distinguish the easy-to-use PaaS tools from those that require more programming knowledge.
The PaaS/RAD tool combination is a proven technology that’s under-represented in the building materials industry. This is a window of opportunity for forward-thinking organizations. Start exploring the options and how they would fit in your business. Find out if any of your current software providers have a RAD tool or are developing one. Customized software offers huge operational and competitive advantages to businesses ready to embrace it.
This originally appeared in Building Products Digest.
DMSi Software announces its partnership with TallyExpress, the revolutionary lumber tally app.
TallyExpress represents a major shift in end tally technology. While most solutions rely on lasers and specialized equipment, TallyExpress runs on an Android phone or tablet and is simple for users to navigate. It puts tally technology within reach of hardwood businesses deterred by the complexity and cost of laser-based systems.
DMSi’s leadership sees TallyExpress as a natural complement to its line of software solutions for the lumber industry. “We’ve spent decades developing software to help our customers grow their businesses,” said Henry German, DMSi’s market teams manager. “When we saw what TallyExpress can do, we knew immediately it was a technology breakthrough for the industry. We’re bringing this product to market because it is the right solution for our customers’ futures.”
TallyExpress is available as a stand-alone product or as an integrated component of Agility, DMSi’s inventory management system.
About TallyExpress
TallyExpress was developed by Fordaq, a technology company providing solutions to the global forestry and wood products industry. DMSi is the official reseller of TallyExpress to North American markets. Learn more at tallyexpress.com or by calling (402) 996-2706.
About DMSi Software
DMSi provides the leading business software for the lumber and building materials industry. Their Agility ERP system includes integrated accounting, sales, purchasing, and remanufacturing, as well as CRM, eCommerce, and mobile sales solutions. An independently owned and privately held company, DMSi’s operation, including software development and support, is located in Omaha, Nebraska.
Omaha, NE—DMSi Software has spent more than 40 years designing business software for the lumber and building materials industry. They are well-known for their Agility ERP, an end-to-end system developed specifically for the needs of businesses that buy, sell, and process lumber. The company’s newest offering, TallyExpress, is another solution tailor-made for the hardwood industry.
TallyExpress allows users to capture end tallies from an Android smartphone. It uses a mix of object-recognition technology and machine learning to measure each board in a bundle. Users simply take a picture, review the results, and everything uploads to the cloud.
Henry German, part of DMSi’s family ownership group, leads the TallyExpress product. German explained, “We immediately recognized this was a technology breakthrough for the industry, we wanted to be involved in bringing this to the market because we believe it is the right solution for our customers’ futures.”
Andy Nuffer, a veteran of the hardwood industry, heads up business development for TallyExpress. “At every stop in my career, getting accurate tallies is key to the bottom line. TallyExpress is quick, it’s accurate, and it fits in your pocket. In my opinion, it can help everyone in this industry.”
According to DMSi, TallyExpress combines, accuracy, speed, ease of use and affordability – all on the most widely-used device available: a smartphone. Skeptics may hear this description and think the product sounds too good to be true. To examine these claims, we reviewed several major hardwood businesses currently using TallyExpress in their operations to determine if the app delivers on its promises.
Accuracy is a big concern for any hardwood company. Most TallyExpress customers went through extensive testing before fully implementing the app.
“The company who put our accuracy through the most rigorous test was Northwest Hardwoods,” said German. During their trial, Northwest Hardwoods tested over 100 bundles and compared TallyExpress with their hand and machine tally methods. They followed this initial test with a three-month pilot where they tallied over 5,000 bundles and performed weekly spot checks by tallying each board with a tape measure and comparing it to TallyExpress. “Overall we were 99.5% accurate to these tape measure tallies, some sites were seeing 99.8 to 99.9%,” recalls a company representative from Northwest Hardwoods. “At that point, we were confident this app was going to work.”
Richard Buchanan of Granite Hardwoods in Granite Falls, NC also did extensive testing before implementing TallyExpress at his business. “To verify the accuracy, we tested around 32,000 feet from a kiln. TallyExpress was within 16 feet of our tally and it took us about 1/3 the time as it would have manually.”
“One thing that stood out to us during testing was how good TallyExpress is at detecting splits or two boards that are really flush,” said a representative from Allegheny Wood Products of Petersburg, WV. “One pack in particular had a board with a really wide vertical split plus another area where two boards were perfectly flush together. It was even difficult for the naked eye to determine if the flush boards were one or two. TallyExpress picked up both of them correctly. That was pretty impressive.”
In addition to accuracy, businesses want to make sure TallyExpress delivers reliable, consistent results over time. Tim Brownlee of Brownlee Lumber Co. described their experience. “We have been live for almost a year now and the results are consistently accurate with where I would expect them to be. We only need to edit one or two boards on 150-200-piece bundles. In our opinion, just taking the human error element out of the process improves the consistency and accuracy of our tally.”
Using photo records also addresses consistency issues with order fulfillment. Businesses can provide their customers with photos and tallies of the specific bundle a customer purchased. This provides a shared point of reference for the order, making it easier to resolve issues. “Being able look at a picture of your bundle after it’s shipped is very helpful,” said Richard Buchanan of Granite Hardwoods “If a customer questions that we sent them a pack of Common and it should have been FAS, we can look up the bundle on our side instead of asking them for a photo. It resolves issues faster, doesn’t inconvenience our customers, and makes us look smarter as a company.”
Balanced with concern for accuracy is a concern for speed. If staff can’t tally accurately and quickly, operations grind to a halt until employees work through the backlog of bundles. This is another area where TallyExpress has proved itself. “Conservatively, we can say tallying a bundle with this app takes 1/3 the time of tallying it manually,” said Nuffer. “The average time to tally a bundle is between 1 to 1 and a half minutes, depending on the material being tallied.”
“It is much faster than all of our other tallying methods,” agreed a representative from Allegheny Wood Products. “We think a couple of our facilities will be able to push out more lumber in less time because TallyExpress reduces the end tally bottle neck.”
Richard Buchanan of Granite Hardwoods recalled a specific instance where TallyExpress was helpful. “One day we were backed up with 12 bundles on our line. Normally, it would have taken a very stressful 30 minutes to get those tallied and moved. With TallyExpress, we did all 12 bundles in about ten minutes and it was a stress-free experience.”
Northwest Hardwoods realized the saved time in terms of labor-savings. “Previously, end tallying was a huge bottle neck. We were regularly paying 16 manhours of overtime on Saturdays just to catch up,” said a company representative. “TallyExpress has completely eliminated that extra day of tallying because we can process bundles faster during the week. Another element of time-savings is that it’s a mobile app. We can tally from where the lumber is instead of taking the lumber to where the tallying device is.”
Improving efficiency not only helps the bottom line, it is a welcome improvement for employees. “I have noticed a big morale boost in the yard because of this app,” said Buchanan. “If you have ever tallied lumber manually, you know it is a pretty unpleasant experience. TallyExpress makes it a pleasant one. Our tally employees are excited that we made this investment to make their lives easier.”
TallyExpress functions similarly to other photo apps many people have on their smartphones, making employee training fast and easy.
“The training is almost nothing,” said a representative from Allegheny Wood Products. “People take pictures with their smartphones every day. It’s very familiar technology. Basically, you show someone how to use it on one bundle and they’re ready to go. It really does only take a couple of minutes to train someone.”
“What really drew me to this product was that anyone can use it and get accurate tallies, even if you don’t know anything about tallying lumber,” said Richard Buchanan of Granite Hardwoods. “So that day where one tally guy is on vacation and the other calls in sick, I can train someone else on TallyExpress in about five minutes.”
This also addresses a perpetual issue for hardwood businesses: finding qualified tally people. “Usually tally people are your best employees, so they often move on to other positions,” said a representative from Northwest Hardwoods. “Because of our size, we’re constantly doing tally training. With the old hand tally method, it would take a couple of months for someone to be proficient. With TallyExpress, you can have them tallying bundles within a couple of minutes. By the end of the day, they are basically an expert.”
Tim Brownlee said, “We really like how anyone can use it. To achieve accurate results in the past, you had to find the right tally person who was detailed, patient, and who could endure the tedious process of tallying lumber by hand all day. Today when using TallyExpress the app, we get the same accurate results regardless of who does the work, and we haven’t found an employee yet who wouldn’t prefer tallying lumber with a smartphone vs. manually tallying.”
“When we first heard about the product and what it could do, I was curious. When I found out how inexpensive it was relative to other tally devices, I was extremely interested to try it out,” said a representative from Allegheny Wood Products. “Now that we are using it and it’s doing everything they said it would, the price makes it a no-brainer.”
“In comparison to the upfront cost of other tallying methods, the payback period is so much faster with TallyExpress,” said a representative from Northwest Hardwoods. “It’s very easy to justify the cost.”
“Some people have asked us, ‘if the program is really this good how can it be so cheap’,” said German. “There was a large upfront investment to build this product and we continue to enhance and maintain it, but software apps like this get the benefit of being able to be programmed once and deployed to many. Put simply, all you need to do is buy a phone, buy a reference square, download the app and start taking pictures. Since we get to keep our variable costs low, we are passing those savings on to our customers.”
The only equipment you need to run TallyExpress is a phone and reference square; both are inexpensive and readily available.
“We keep spare parts and backups for almost every other piece of equipment we have,” said Tim Brownlee. “For most equipment, we can only get parts from a couple of suppliers, I can’t always be certain on lead times, and downtime can be extremely costly. But with TallyExpress – we don’t need to keep spares on hand. If our phone breaks, we can use mine temporarily or we can easily swing by a store and pick up a new one the same day. Either way, we would be tallying again in less than an hour.”
Service and support are always a top concern when businesses invest in new technology. Henry German explained DMSi’s approach to customer service, “We see ourselves as partners with our customers. We want to make sure we’re servicing and supporting TallyExpress to the same degree as our Agility inventory system. We’ll do everything necessary to help our customers.”
Tim Brownlee recalled his initial experience working with DMSi. “We had the benefit of being the second or third customer to obtain TallyExpress, Henry came out to our facility to help us verify the accuracy before we bought it.”
German continued recounting the experience, “Tim and I got a permanent marker and a tape measure to test the accuracy. Our plan was to measure the exact width of each board, mark it on board, and compare to TallyExpress. It felt like it took us all day but at the end we had a width written on every board. Then we took a picture of the bundle with TallyExpress, compared the results, and found TallyExpress was 99.74% accurate to our manual measurements. It was a long day – but seeing that level of accuracy was worth it!”
In addition to assisting with exhaustive testing, DMSi also helps customers integrate TallyExpress with whichever inventory system they have. “Integrating with our current inventory system was a very quick and simple process. We gave DMSi the requirements and they nailed it on the first try,” said a representative from Allegheny Wood Products. German added, “Of course, we’d love for our TallyExpress customers to use our inventory system. But we are committed to our customers and will help them get their TallyExpress data into any inventory system they have.”
DMSi’s Customer Service Lead for TallyExpress, Anna Elam said, “Customer service is very front-loaded for this product. We take great care in assisting our customers in all phases of the trial and implementation, especially during the phase where they’re testing the accuracy. Once customers are live, they can contact us 24/7 for help. But the product is so easy to use, we actually don’t get many support requests.”
Brownlee affirmed this description, “We haven’t had many needs for support on this product but when we have, DMSi’s support has been able to resolve the issue immediately.”
TallyExpress is quickly proving itself in hardwood businesses across the country. The app officially launched nine months ago at the 2018 NHLA meeting in Toronto, and already more than 30 different companies are using it in their operations. It’s delivering on the potential Henry German saw for TallyExpress and benefiting businesses throughout the supply chain.
German said, “This app gives any sized company, large or small, access to a consistent “machine” method for end tallying lumber. Because you have a picture showing the end tally nobody needs to wonder what amount of human error is in an end tally anymore. Is it missing a board or a whole row, or did they measure the same board or row twice because they got distracted? Those uncertainties are removed with TallyExpress. As the business owner you just had to trust everyone is manually tallying with the same level of care that you would, with TallyExpress it is programmed to measure the same way every time and you can log on the website to visually see the bundles and how the program measured each board.”
Nuffer added, “What we are trying to tell the market is, ’just try it out’. We offer a free 30-day trial, so you can test it on your own bundles and decide for yourself. We are currently converting over 80% of our trial accounts into customers so we are very confident that if you try it out you will like it.”
This article originally appeared in National Hardwood Magazine.
DMSi has moved Installed Sales, the new project management module in Agility, out of beta testing and into active use.
Installed Sales is a comprehensive tool for dealers who perform installation or service work as part of their business model. It lets dealers create a project that ties everything together related to an installation. Quotes, sales orders, and even credit memos can be linked to the project. Tasks can be created, labor scheduled, and related project documents and photos stored.
Upon opening Installed Sales from the SALES ORDERS/QUOTES MENU, real-time metrics (like the percentage of projects completed on schedule) appear in the dashboard, giving the user a useful project snapshot.
The module is available to all hosted Agility customers. Because it can be accessed from any device with a web browser, users can obtain and update information from the field. This feature is useful to projects where physical on-site visits are necessary to complete tasks. Anyone with a smart device can use Installed Sales in the field, with input data reflected in Agility in real time.
“It’s a big value-add for Agility,” said Cindy McCarville, Senior Account Manager at DMSi. “Many of our customers install products or manage service crews and this will allow them to track everything right in Agility. There are often a lot of tasks and moving parts that must be coordinated to ensure the job progresses on schedule. It’s a streamlined process to handle the complexity inherent to installed sales projects.”
Installed Sales is now readily available as part of the Agility platform.
Aetna Plywood is a leading wholesale distributor of building products serving contractors, fabricators, and architects across the Midwest.
As a large company with customers spanning many territories, Aetna wanted to centralize account information, create a lasting record of each account’s activities, and improve inter-department communication.
Building Results CRM from DMSi Software delivered everything Aetna had in mind and more.
Instead of relying on notebooks, emails, and spreadsheets, Aetna’s sales staff now finds everything they need in a central location. As Kim Diaz, Aetna’s system administrator, explains, “Everything to do with a customer is captured in the CRM: contacts, buyers, sales analysis, merchandising dollars, how many times we’ve called them. It’s all right there in one bucket.”
Centralizing information has improved collaboration among staff. “There’s a lot more communication with inside reps,” says Diaz. “If a customer calls our inside sales desk, the inside rep checks the CRM and sees everything happening with that account.” The benefits go beyond Sales; communication has improved across departments. “If a customer tells their rep, ’I had three sheets of damaged goods last week,’ the rep enters a note in the CRM, tags the warehouse manager, and the warehouse manager is notified about it right away – all without sending separate emails.”
Aetna is seeing successful adoption of the platform among its sales staff. One reason Diaz credits for the success is the voice-to-text feature in the CRM’s mobile app. Instead of typing notes, Aetna’s reps simply dictate them by speaking into their smartphone. “95% of their work is done in the mobile app,” says Diaz. “As soon as they leave a customer meeting and before they drive away, they dictate their activity notes, tag people, and schedule follow-up tasks using the app. It takes 5 minutes per appointment.” The app’s ease and convenience make a huge difference in adoption.
In addition to contact management, Building Results CRM helps sales reps set and track goals, gain better account insight, and grow their pipelines. Calendar and territory management features help reps manage time and focus on their priorities. “Now they’re seeing more customers in a day than they used to,” says Diaz. “Every day they have a plan, they know where they’re supposed to be.”
The centralized calendars and customer records are valuable tools for Aetna’s sales managers to guide their teams. Instead of open-ended questions, managers review each rep’s scheduled activities and logged results. “Managers can see in a snapshot what each rep is doing every week. They can make sure each rep has a plan, knows where they’re going,” says Diaz. “The manager and the rep are looking at the exact same thing, so it’s a more focused conversation.” Managers are better able to help their reps focus on high-value activities instead of constant firefighting.
Aetna also uses Building Results CRM to track sales-related information, such as merchandising. “It’s a big deal for us,” says Diaz. “We spend a lot of money on merchandising. Now we can run a report to see who has displays, which ones need replacing, how much we’ve spent. We can track it all in one place.”
Edgebanding Services Inc. (ESI) is a seven-location distributor of products to the cabinetry, furniture, and countertop industries. Delivering a smooth customer service experience is a priority for ESI, and it’s no small feat in light of the company’s high volume of transactions and large customer base.
Agility helps ESI provide exceptional service with sales tools that give reps immediate access to customer information, order histories, and account details.
