Do you know Word - Really?

Tuesday June 9, 2009 | Filed under:

Now is the time to make sure your company is positioned to take advantage of the turnaround from this challenging economic period.  Every organization can find areas where improvements are possible and needed.  

Examining and streamlining processes, raising efficiency, and putting in checks and balances, at a time when business is a little slower, is a prudent decision.

And, you can be certain that the tools and systems you have in place provide more functionality and can offer more information than you are already using now. 

I wrote this in Microsoft Word before posting it, but I don't know all of Word's other features.  I'm constantly using only a small percentage of its capabilities, because I've yet to see the value of taking time to learn more. 

This is true not only for Word, but any software program, including our industry-specific ProfitMaker program for instance (which ASI Computer Systems provides for distributors and suppliers to use for entering orders, tracking inventory and producing business reports). 

So if you're a ProfitMaker user, here are recent improvements you might not have used yet that can really help you out:

More resources than ever

  • Updated website - with video demos and educational videos and guides on using the system more effectively
  • Online trainings and webinars about using ProfitMaker's new features.
  • ASI Show Chicago full-day training, with a session discussing future upgrades (click here for the show's education brochure with ProfitMaker sessions)  

ESP Online Search

  • Distributors can search the ESP Online database of advertising specialties directly from the ‘Order Entry' and ‘Quote Design' stages

New Activity Manager

  • Assign tasks, like follow-ups, to anyone in your office (also integrates with Outlook)

Reports

  • Use new business intelligence reports and charts in Excel to track your business progress
  • New ProfitMaker-to-ProfitMaker pipeline, allowing two customers to exchange purchase orders electronically and automatically

ASI Services directly integrated

  • ASI CreditConnect - suppliers can see their customer's credit ratings in real-time
  • LogoMall - no rekeying of orders entered from a distributor's LogoMall website
  • Supplier Ratings - see supplier's service ratings and distributors can rate suppliers

Direct Supplier Website Integration

  • Distributors can shop on supplier websites without rekeying information into ProfitMaker
  • ProfitMaker integrates directly with ordering systems of these top suppliers: SanMar, Broder Bros., Bodek and Rhodes, Alpha, NES, Ash City and Vantage Apparel (coming)

If you're not a ProfitMaker user, visit www.asicomp.com to learn more about how it can streamline your operations and provide you with more time for selling.

Look around your office and think about what programs and resources you already have that can contribute more to your operations, and ultimately, your profitability.

- Dave Wirth is president and chief operating officer of ASI Computer Systems.  Email him here.