|B2B Practices|

Very cool and fun site. Spy on People or just kook up details on Competitors using a large database of Area Codes

Why Use Reverse Phone Lookup:

Reverse Cell Phone Number

Discover who’s calling! Whether you’re researching a phone bill, tracing an unwanted caller, or verifying an address, Reverse Phone Lookup makes it fast and easy to conduct a phone search.

Caller ID for the 21st Century

Most cell phone numbers aren’t available in free whitepages directories or people search websites. We specialize in these hard-to-find numbers, which makes our leading website far more useful than a regular free reverse phone lookup.

This new site has info on
area code 818, area code 301, area code 710, area code 810, area code 303 and more!

They have access to almost every detail on any number. Check their organization out if you’re bored.

B2B Rants/News

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders.

An RFID tag is an object that can be applied to or incorporated into a product, animal, or person for the purpose of identification and tracking using radio waves. Some tags can be read from several meters away and beyond the line of sight of the reader.

Most RFID tags contain at least two parts. One is an integrated circuit for storing and processing information, modulating and demodulating a (RF) signal, and other specialized functions. The second is an antenna for receiving and transmitting the signal. Chipless RFID allows for discrete identification of tags without an integrated circuit, thereby allowing tags to be printed directly onto assets at a lower cost than traditional tags.

Today, RFID is used in enterprise supply chain management to improve the efficiency of inventory tracking and management. However, growth and adoption in the enterprise supply chain market is limited because current commercial technology does not link the indoor tracking to the overall end-to-end supply chain visibility. Coupled with fair cost-sharing mechanisms, rational motives and justified returns from RFID technology investments are the key ingredients to achieve long-term and sustainable RFID technology adoption

EDI, ERP, RFID, e-business b2b, ERP, RFID, rfid tags, SCM

I’m sure most of my readers are busy people so I will try to keep my introduction to my blog short and to the point. I hope you will come back and visit my website again.

While the words Commerce and Business don’t have much difference in English and in fact are largely interchangeable as nouns describing organized profit-seeking activity, there is a difference between eCommerce and eBusiness. The difference is quite artificial, but different terms do carry different meanings. A “buzz” started when Amazon and Dell first succeeded over the electronic business model in the past. Electronic business transactions involving money are so-called “e-commerce” activities. However, there’s much more to e-business than meets the eye.

Ebusiness goes far beyond ecommerce or buying and selling over the Internet, and deep into the processes and cultures of an enterprise. It is the powerful business environment that is created when you connect critical business systems directly to customers, employees, vendors, and business partners, using Intranets, Extranets, ecommerce technologies, collaborative applications, and the Web.

Some food for thought acronyms that you may want to lookup involving ebusiness are:
- ERP
- CRM
- SCM
- Databases
- Intranets
- Extranets
- eProcurement
- data mining

Simply put, eCommerce is more of buying, reselling, and money exchanges over the internet. eBusiness is more of how businesses can utilize certain technologies to their advantages whether it is electronic ordering from vendors or data mining from multiple retail store locations.

B2B Rants/News, Small Businesses, e-business b2b, ebusiness, ecommerce

“Web Based CRM” Software that Your Company Needs

Web Based CRM what is all this? Today I’ll be going over some web based crm applications that you and your company may want to have a look at either soon or later down the line as a long term investment. With todays trends of business successes relating very much so to customer service, the demands for CRM software are obviously growing.

In this world of remote employees, sometimes software that sits on a single computer at the office is not the best option.  Salespeople, often working from their homes or on the road visiting customers, may need to access information about prospects or customers from a remote location.  In a nutshell, that is the beauty of web based CRM, also known as a hosted CRM solution.

“Web Based CRM” or a CRM solution has become more and more popular over the past few years as companies are looking to outsource IT functions to focus on the primary purpose of their business.  Web Based CRM is the perfect solution for companies looking to rid themselves of dealing with software issues, server issues, and installation problems.  In essence, it’s an expense that companies are willing to live with in order to take some responsibility off their inhouse IT help, increase sales, and simplify sales management functions(i.e. followups, etc).

From a sales representatives perspective, it’s a beautiful thing.  New IT age Sales Reps love working with web based CRM software. Why you ask? Whether they are on vacation and need to make a quick call to a client, at home because of bad weather, or if they work remotely on a permanent basis, it can make for a truly virtual office.  Sales reps. can access their client information and notes from anywhere with a web connection, and pickup just like they are back in the office.  Many salespeople who work out of an office, have found themselves making their cold-calls from home so they don’t have to do it in the bullpen at the office.  This is great from a sales managers perspective because, let’s face it, all they want is to make sure the calls get made!

To name a few of the more popular Web Based CRM software include but not limited to:

Salesforce, Siebel OnDemand, Salesboom, Netsuite CRM solution,

In addition to that, popular CRM programs like ACT can also be purchased and then hosted by hosting companies that specialize in CRM Hosting.

Please check back soon for my review topic on “Web Based CRM Reviews” where I’ll be going on reviews on certain software that I’ve used already in the past or that my fellow industry friend have discussed with me about.

CRM, Sales/Marketing CRM, Web based CRM

Sales Tracking Software | Best of the Best

Today I’ll be covers a few important topics on what I think you should be well aware of when considering a new sales tracking software for your business.

I’ll be covering:

- What kind of software is this?
- Advantages of a Sales Tracking Software
- Disadvantages of a Sales Tracking Software
- Cost
- Companies

What kind of software is this?

Sales Tracking Software comes in many different shapes and sizes (different compatible versions). The software generally tracks all your sales whether it is web or client server based.

What are the advantages of tracking sales?

The short term investment will payout in your long term lifetime of your business. Expect a higher ROI. STS also comes with many customizable options to fit each individual companies needs and wants. Many of those features would get used only rarely. As a sales professional, focus on the features that you will use on a daily basis. For most salespeople the following are typically the primary areas of use:

* Contact Management: An easy and efficient way to manage prospects and accounts.
* Sales Management: A simple way to track sales leads and opportunities.
* Sales History: An effective method for keep notes and tracking communication.
* Organization: A simple mechanism for centrally organizing appointments, tasks, opportunities and all related sales records.

Keep these primary areas in mind as you begin your review of tracking software. To go one better, take time before you start your search and make a list of the primary features you need and want. Focus on the top items and you are likely to find your list is similar to the one above.

What are the disadvantages of a sales tracking software?

There isn’t much but since I’m naming advantages I might as well point out some disadvantages. One disadvantage for small to medium size companies is cost. Lots of these companies are unsure of spending new money on software that they know little about etc.  Another disadvantage is that if you purchase this now and later down the line discover another software (Full package Software) with CRM, SCM, ERP, all in one that you think is more important for your company to have .. you’d of spent the money on this one.

What kind of costs are we looking at here?

The costs can range anything from $100 - $100,000 depending on your companies needs. This range is from over the counter sales tracking prepackages software to fully customized corporate enterprise software.

What are some Companies that provide Sales Tracking Software?

- Avidian (Prophet)
- Salesforce
- Netsuite
- ACT!
- Omniture

cheers-

SFA, Sales/Marketing sales automation, sales tracking software

Great Plains Software Demo Available | Accounting Only…

So what is this “Great Plains Software” that I’ve heard so much about amongst my fellow industry professionals and how can it benefit my company? This is a very elaborate and advanced version of an accounting software very similar to that of Peachtree. The credit and creation of the Great Plains Software goes to an independent company located in Fargo, North Dakota, which was founded by a man named Doug Burgum. In late 2000, Microsoft announced the purchase of the Great Plains software for $1.1 billion.  Yeah I know, that’s a lot of money for an accounting software. The acquisition was completed in April of 2001.

There is a new version the Great Plains software. It is now called Microsoft Dynamics GP. This too, is a mid-market business accounting software package that runs on top of a Microsoft SQL Server database. It is a part of the Microsoft Dynamics family.

Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 is the latest version and was released in June 2007. Microsoft Dynamics GP 9.0 was released in November 2005. Prior versions were named Microsoft Great Plains and Microsoft Dynamics. Previous versions were compatible with Microsoft SQL Server, Pervasive.SQL, Btrieve, and earlier versions also used C-tree, although after the buyout all new versions switched entirely to Microsoft SQL Server databases.

Previous versions of Microsoft Dynamics GP were available in two editions:

* Standard: Up to 10 simultaneous users, and 500 payroll employees for each defined company.
* Professional: Unlimited users, additional user-level security options, consolidation tools, automatic purchase order generation, and more reporting/analysis options. In addition, Professional Edition includes additional manufacturing and field service modules.

Microsoft recently announced a change to their licensing of Dynamics GP called Business Ready Licensing (BRL). This new licensing format applied only to new customers, although existing customers can switch over to Business Ready, and is based on a per named user cost instead of the previous cost per module licensing program which supported concurrent user licensing rather than named user. The advantage to the new BRL is that customers now get every module included with the software, and only have to pay for each concurrent user in the system. To coincide with this licensing change, a fixed price offering has also been launched.

Microsoft Dynamics GP is now available in two versions: Business Essentials and Advanced Management

What does Microsoft Dynamics GP (formerly Great Plains) software offer our company?

To keep this short and to the point here’s the notable benefits/solutions that comes with the package:

-Analytics - Utilizes “Crystal Reports” in building and designing reports and some.

-Customization Tools - comprehensive customization tools to enable .NET developers to create real-time, transactional connections between Microsoft Dynamics GP and other applications and expand potential for new features and functionality

-Supply Chain Management - SCM

-Analysis Cubes - for Microsoft Office Excel is a core component of the GP financial system which leverages the power of SQL Server and helps you define and extract key data and present in an easy to analyze mode to enable accurate, strategic decision-making.

-Financial management- Analytical Accounting, Bank Reconciliation, Cash Flow Management, Collections Management, ebanking, and some

-Field service - This has nine powerful elements within a single user interface to manage engineer service calls, preventive maintenance, contract administration. Data can be entered remotely. PDA and CRM integration. (How great is that!)
Human resource management - HR management

-Manufacturing - Job Costing, Materials Requirements Planning (MRP), Bill of Materials..

-Project accounting - Similar to project management/gantts charts, etc. Connects project activities with company financials and timelines so that projects get completed on time and within budget.

This software is no joke. If you visit Microsoft’s website they can provide you a demo version for all you serious buyers out there.

Accounting, E-procurement, SCM Accounting

Supply Chain Management Software | Eliminating the Bullwhip!

Using Supply Chain Management Software to eliminate the bullwhip effect! Stop, I was just kidding. There is no SCM software out there that can eliminate the bullwhip effect entirely. This doesn’t mean not to invest some company money into a supply chain system.

We’re in a bad time (2008 Recession) when supply risks loom larger than ever, many companies lack strategic approaches to manage that risk and ensure supply continuity. Many companies are either stocking too much or stocking too less of goods. This fact, combined with the increasingly global nature of today’s business climate, makes supply management a daunting task for every organization that procures goods and services.

To gain success, this requires continuous collaboration among purchasing, engineering, supply operations, and vendor personnel. Companies must reduce complexity in their supply chains to maximize margins and launch products with agility. Sourcing processes need to be streamlined to optimize direct material costs and enable the supply base to support and respond to changing needs.

Designed with these best business practices in mind, supply chain management software combine supplier relationship management (SRM) processes with collaboration and procurement processes that cut across time-horizon, functional, and geographical boundaries.

The best example I can give you about 2 companies that have worked on SCM to the finest in any industry is, Wal Mart and Proctor and Gamble. They use just in time (JIT) systems, and etc. These two companies are the pioneers in SCM.

Supply Management solutions generally allow you to manage the product costs through the overall product life cycle, with the capability to define target costs and compare them with actual costs. The solution enables costs to be loaded in for components and sub-assemblies from various internal or supplier-provided inputs and can perform multi-tier cost roll-up to the product level. The cost elements not only incorporate sourcing or supplier prices but additional transformation and uplift costs like assembly, manufacturing, and transportation costs. This gives users the ability to view the total product costs with their elements and drive actual costs to meet targets over the product realization cycle. Through these processes and the ability to examine and compare prices from multiple suppliers, users can align costs with margin targets, retaining market share and overall profitability.

To name some of the benefits of using a Supply Management Software:

Reduced direct material spend, Increased compliance, Reduced inbound supply chain and logistics costs, Improved user productivity, Decreased inventory, Increased revenue potential, and Shorter cash-to-cash cycles.

Here’s some of the industry leaders you may want to have a look at in depth:

Capterra, Cognos, Microsoft, IBM, Logility. There are many more, just spend sometime using the free SCM software out there first before deciding on which one you want to purchase. Keep in mind a good SCM system should be customizable to your companies needs prior to implementation. Good luck.

SCM supply chain management

Job Scheduling Software | Planning Made Simple

Today I’ll be discussing on the topic of job scheduling software. What is it really and how does it impact your company small or large. Generally speaking this is a program that enables an enterprise to schedule and, in some cases, monitor computer “batch” jobs. Jobs in terms of units of work, such as the running of a payroll program.

A Job scheduler can initiate and manage multiple jobs automatically by processing already prepared job control language statements or through equivalent interaction with a human operator. I.E: you or an employee.

Today’s job schedulers typically provide a very user friendly GUI (graphical user interface) and a single point of control for all the work in a distributed network of computers.

Some Basics features that may be found in a J.S. software include:

-Continuous automatic monitoring of jobs
-Job completion notifications
-Performance monitoring
-Report scheduling

Before purchasing a job scheduling enterprise software, be sure to sit down with all the appropriate people in charge of job creations, time managment, project managers, etc. Keep in mind this is a long term investment type of deal. Implementing such a software into your company can dramatically increase productivity, profit, and ROI on projects.

Advanced Planning & Scheduling Job Scheduling Software

Advanced Planning & Scheduling Job Scheduling Software

Marketing Automation Software: What is this and How can it be useful?

Marketing Automation Software allows small to large sized companies to manage multi-channel marketing campaigns, and provide current communications with sales teams. An automated lead handoff system further ensures that leads don’t go cold, and real-time reports and analytics allow marketers to measure and track ROI and other data on marketing campaigns.

Here are the specifics on the most important components in a marketing automation application:
-Integrated Sales and Marketing Application
-Analytics and Reporting
-Document Management
-Asset Management
-Multi-Channel Marketing Campaign Analysis and Optimization

Marketing Automation is the use of Information Technology solutions to automate marketing processes such as Marketing Planning and Budgeting, Marketing Resource Management, Campaign Management, Interaction Management, Lead Management, Analytics and reporting, and other functional and vertical aspects of marketing functionality.

The use of marketing automation makes routine processes that would otherwise have been performed manually much more efficient, and makes some new processes possible. Marketing Automation solutions are supplied either is an integral part of either an Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems or Commercial operations management solution, or as a stand-alone Enterprise Marketing Management (EMM) systems.

Here’s a list of some M.A.S providers:

-Salesforce
-Aprimo
-Robohead
-IBM
-Microsoft
-Marketo
To name a few..but there are plenty more just do your research.

How could this improve your b2b?

With the use of Marketing Automation Software, you’ll be able to obtain strong contact management and campaign management capabilities allowing your company to optimize and measure the effectiveness of its offline and online marketing campaigns quickly and easily. Marketing automation works best when the message is relevant. Every customer is different with all set of different preferences, interests and demands that make them unique. The closer you come to addressing those uniquely triggered needs in your marketing communications, the greater the likelihood that you will convert prospects into customers. More conversions equates to more long term success!

MAS Marketing Automation Software