Cutting Cost

Who doesn’t want to save money? At the end of the day, we all want to cut cost where we can, but don’t always know of all the ways that we can save money or at least get the most bang-for-our-buck. Thus, in my "spare” time, I’ve been looking for ways to cut cost. Now I’d like to share a few of those ideas that I’ve stumbled across. This list will by no means be all the ideas that I found (I’ll share those later), but this is merely a starting point to get the cogs turning.

The big idea behind this list is Multi-tasking.

• Multi-purpose Mailing – Are you still sending out paper invoices? Well, you should be pushing for paperless invoicing, but that’s a topic for a different article. For those customers that still prefer to be sent a paper copy of their invoice, start sending promotional material with the invoice. Therefore, instead of sending two different mailings, one mailing can play double duty. This will save on postage, envelopes, and labor cost.
• Pay Online – This is a multi part section. First of all, paying online is quick and immediate. It saves time, by not having to stuff envelopes, and money on postage, envelopes, checks, ink, etc. The next point would be that, by paying online, you’ll be able to set up auto-pay (where possible). I know auto-pay doesn’t work in every scenario and that some people still don’t like the idea of auto-pay, but it saves time, and in turn money, and can free up accounting to perform more important task. Lastly, by paying online and early, you may be able to get a discount. Ask your suppliers and distributors if they’ll give a discount for paying early and don’t be afraid to start negotiating (this is more common than you may think).
• Buying in Bulk – How is this multi-tasking? Well, we all have to sign something at some point or maybe make notes the old fashioned way and we also have to market our company. You don’t have to look very far to find a company that is trying to sell you something with your logo on it. Many times these companies are selling pens at or around the price that you can buy them in the store. So, why not buy some pens with the company logo on them that team members can use and that can be passed around to potential clients. Two birds with one stone.

While some of these ideas may seem like small changes, over time they can make a big impact. Having normal daily task pull double duty or, in the case of auto-pay, perform the duty for you, is simply a mind set of cutting cost and saving money wherever possible. As I said in the intro, this list is simply meant to get the cogs turning and hopefully spark an idea that will keep more money in your bank account and less going out on checks.

Support for Windows 2003 Server

Microsoft will be transitioning once again in July of this year. To be more specific, they will be transitioning on July 14, 2015. This transition will mean the official end of all support for Microsoft Windows 2003 Servers. For some, this may not seem like a real issue. Maybe you're thinking that, with everything still running smoothly, there’s absolutely no need to update the system. That may be partially true, but something else is also true. End of support means that there will be no more updates developed or released. This can also create compliance issues with the current standards and regulations. Also, with no updates, this means less protection from threats regardless of whether or not the server is physical or virtual. 

At this point, we urge you to start either making a place in the budget for a server upgrade or to simply start the process for upgrading from Windows 2003 to Windows 2012. Delaying this process will inevitably create more issues. 

Don't take the Risk with EMV

Periodically we hear about some large company like Home Depot or Target being hacked by vandals and credit card data being compromised. The credit card industry has put a lot of effort into reducing this fraud and one method most talked about is the EMV initiative. This initiative will become effective in October of 2015. EMV covers a number of areas but to keep things simple there are two points to remember.

1. EMV makes it very difficult to duplicate a card for fraudulent purposes. The old magnetic stripe cards are easy for criminals to duplicate. Countries that have adopted EMV technologies have seen a dramatic reduction in the fraudulent use of credit cards.

2. If a company isn’t compliant with the EMV initiative, then when the deadline arrives that company will become liable for the fraudulent charges. 

For example, someone comes in and buys a welding machine with a credit card, the company isn’t EMV compliant and therefore doesn’t realize that it’s a fraudulent card. When the fraud is detected, the credit card company isn’t held liable, because the company wasn’t EMV compliant.

The main point here is that, to protect your bottom line, make sure that the company is EMV compliant.  If you’re going to buy new terminals for the counter, this might be a good time to explore DataWeld’s Online Payment Processing software. If you’re interested, then please feel welcome to contact us and we can explain some of the ways that the team here at Dataweld can help you to reduce the chances of being victimized by credit card fraud.

iPhone Solves the Lot Number Tracking Problem

Since its founding 33 years ago, DataWeld Incorporated, based in Bossier City, Louisiana, has specialized in providing modern day solutions to the age old problems of tracking cylinder assets for the compressed gas distributor.

There was a time when the driving force behind a distributor wanting to track his cylinders was either better asset management, better customer relations, or both. But in today’s world, distributors often are faced with totally different reasons for needing to track their cylinder assets: the United States government.

As an example, for years the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has mandated tracking of lot numbers for medical gases. As anyone who has tried it knows, tracking lot numbers manually is very tedious and very error-prone. Being able to determine where all of the cylinders in a particular lot number are currently located can be even more difficult, if not impossible.

To complicate things even more for the compressed gas distributor, in recent months there has been

quite a bit of conversation about where the FDA is headed in terms of tracking lot numbers for products like CO2 for beverage gases and CO2 for food processing. As it currently stands, CO2 going into food processing requires lot number tracking, while CO2 used for carbonization does not require lot number tracking. But it looks like the FDA is headed that way.

The answer to the headache of tracking lot numbers, as it is with many tedious tasks, is automating the process. Put bar code labels on your cylinders, buy a bunch of handheld computers, and start tracking your cylinders and, more specifically, their lot numbers.

It is a good solution, but many distributors have turned away from tracking cylinders (and lot numbers) electronically because of the high startup costs. But now there is a better solution that lets you track lot numbers without breaking the bank, DataWeld’s iPhone-based cylinder tracking software, AcuTrax.

DataWeld’s iPhone-based software provides the benefits of tracking cylinders and lot numbers without the expense of buying proprietary handheld computers. The iPhone also offers other advantages. One device can be used to track cylinders, communicate, text, provide driving directions (GPS) and even provide digital proof of delivery. The fact that many drivers already have iPhones further reduces the cost.

Instead of writing down serial numbers and lot numbers, AcuTrax gives the capability to enter the lot number and then scan every cylinder in the lot.

When the cylinder is delivered to the customer, the driver simply scans the bar code and AcuTrax keeps track of who this lot numbered cylinder was shipped to. Easy-to-use queries answer all your questions about lot numbers in seconds. 

The government will forever be implementing new policies and procedures that create additional paperwork. DataWeld’s iPhone cylinder tracking software can eliminate much of that paperwork without costing you a bundle. 

Patch Problems?

Microsoft recently released an update (KB3013455 (MS15-010)) that was meant to resolve some security issues. Specifically a vulnerability in Micosoft Windows that "could allow remote code execution if an attacker convinces a user to open a specially crafted document or visit an untrusted website that contains embedded TrueType fonts” (Microsoft).

The update had a negative side effect, which was distorting fonts. The easiest way to fix this was to simply uninstall the update. As of now, Microsoft has released a patch for the original update that should fix the issue.

From Support.Microsoft.com:

Known issues with this security update

After you install security update 3013455, you may notice some decrease in text quality in certain scenarios. The problem occurs only on systems that are running one of the following operating systems:

• Windows Vista SP2
• Windows Server 2008 SP2
• Windows Server 2003 SP2 

To resolve this issue, install update 3037639. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

        3037639 Fix for text quality degradation after security update 3013455 (MS15-010) is installed

For now, we recommend installing the most recent patch, which seems to be fixing the issue. 

Let's talk about Surfing

We've always been told to put safety first, but to be safe, you first have to know that you're in an unsafe environment. That's what this article is all about, at least from the standpoint of the internet. Too often computers are hacked and valuable information is lost unnecessarily. Not necessarily because of careless behavior, but from simply not knowing that something was unsafe. 

The next two points are specific ways to be safer while browsing the internet:

Point One: Think about the network to which you're connected. Have both virus and malware protection on your computer.

Have you ever been at the local coffee shop, on your computer, and decided to pay a bill or check your bank balance? This would seem harmless (sometimes it is), but the problem lies in the fact that most coffee shops do not have any sort of firewall or protection from outside threats. At this point, I'm not even talking about someone stealing your private information, but about the person across the room who accidentally clicks on the wrong link. If someone else opens a virus while your computer is connected to the same network, then that virus has an extremely clear path directly onto your computer. This is why we advocate so much for anti-virus software and keeping that software up-to-date. Should you stay off of all public wifi spots? No, but make sure that the computer is protected by installing a virus protection and anti-malware software. Also, be cautious while browsing. If you're going to get on the internet at your local coffee shop, that's fine, but avoid checking your bank balance or any other potentially private information on unprotected networks. Caution is key! 

Point Two: Make your password secure. The less it makes sense the better!

If a conversation about internet safety starts, then talk about passwords will inevitably be thrown into the mix. There's a good reason for this and it's because passwords are extremely important. They should be complicated and, in general, not really make sense. This would make them as difficult as possible to crack. But I know that, for most of us, it needs to make a little sense so that it can be remembered. However, there are a couple of rules to follow that can really help with creating a good password.

A few of those rules to remember are:

1. Add in upper and lower case letters, special characters, and numbers. This makes it difficult for a hacker or "bot" to crack. Not all sites will allow the use of special characters, but, when possible, use them.

2. If a website says that the password is weak (this would happen at signup or when resetting a password) then listen. Rethink the password and come up with a new one. Again the more complicated the better.

3. Do not write down passwords! I know that sometimes it becomes difficult to remember multiple passwords, but having them written down opens the door of opportunity for them to be misplaced or misused.

The biggest factor in internet safety is caution. As the saying goes "better safe than sorry". 

Should you Tweet?

Twitter obviously isn't leaving the social media scene any time soon, so do you join or stay away? This answer isn't a simple yes or no. There are a number of factors to consider and, while some may seem more applicable to a specific company's scenario, it’s a good idea to weigh all the different reasons for using twitter. The following list will hopefully help with this decision and spark some creative juices.

Before we talk about the reasons, we need to clarify the purpose of Twitter. While it’s more than just a place for people to announce what they had for lunch or for you to find relevant news, it’s also not capable of being your company’s sole source of online presence. However, Twitter has become much more than just a news feed.  According to Twitter, their service is an information network made up of 140-character messages called Tweets.

How does this apply to business? 

1. Customers can be informed and alerted about new products, sales and promotions. This could be a simple announcement or it could be a headline with a link to a page on your website. At a conference, this is a quick and easy way to remind customers that you’re at the conference and where you’re located.

2. Establish the company as an industry leader. If a company has been in the industry for a couple of decades, then they probably have some wisdom to impart. Write about that experience, add it to the website, and then post it to Twitter. Just think about all the potential customers with Twitter’s wide reaching user base.

3. Send updates. How is this different from point number 1? Well, if you've been with us for awhile, then you know we like to encourage disaster preparedness. Because, tying into point number 2, we have some experience and have seen too many customers hurt by disasters. As part of a disaster recovery plan, why not use Twitter to update customers about what is happening and how the company is proceeding? Twitter could be used to assure customers that everything is ok and moving forward.

There are many other ways to use twitter that we simply don’t have space to outline here, but feel welcome to email me with questions and I would be glad to help. The thing to remember is that to be effective with Twitter doesn't require a large investment of time, but it needs to be done well. It would be better to not use this tool than to use it poorly and have that reflect upon your company's reputation. The next time you think of Twitter, try to think of how it could be used in creative ways to better your company. 

If you've already been using Twitter, I would love to hear how it’s worked for you and how it has been applied it to your specific scenario! Click here to let me know!

What's the Ransom?

Ransomware is making a come back, but it's nothing new. In fact, it's been around for awhile. What is it? It's a type of malware that can essentially lock up a computer. Of course if that was all it did, then it would probably have a different name. Ransomware not only locks up the computer that it infects but, as the name implies, it also demands a ransom. In most cases, the computer suddenly becomes unresponsive and then a screen appears stating that the operator has been involved in some illegal or illicit activity and must pay to have the computer unlocked. 

Most malware can be completely wiped from a computer or completely prevented with a couple of pieces of software. In many cases everything can be put back to the way it was before the attack. However, that's not always the case with this particular type of malware. There are versions of this malware that actually encrypt all of the files that it infected making it near impossible if not completely impossible to get the files back. Why? Because the encryption key needed to unlock all of those files is sitting on the hacker's computer. That means that the ransom would have to be paid in hopes that the hacker will actually send the key. Oddly enough, there are reports of people receiving the key after they have paid the ransom. What does all this mean? Be careful and take some precautionary measures.

Here are some of the precautionary measures we recommend:

1: Beware of links. Never click on links that are either not recognized or that can not be trusted. Companies like Pandora who survive because of advertisers probably have enough safeguards to stop these threats from embedding themselves, but what about your personal email? 

2: Have virus and malware protection. We can't stress this enough. Virus and malware protection is a drop in the bucket as far as expenses are concerned. Especially considering the fact that a new hard drive will most certainly cost more than the virus software. Also, keep this protection updated. It's not a sure fire way to stop every attack, but it's a great preventative measure.

3: Keep security plugins updated. Microsoft doesn't like these viruses and malware programs any more than you or I, so they're trying to stop the attacks from ever happening. Between security plugins and virus and malware protection the computer should be covered.

4: Back Ups! Back up the computer everyday. We recommend a service like Carbonite, which backups in real time, or a simple external/jump drive will do the trick. Carbonite will back up your files and, with some form of an external drive, a copy of your entire computer (all your software, files, and the operating system) can be made. This way all files can be accessed through Carbonite, if the computer needs to go offsite for someone to repair the damage, and if there's a complete copy of the drive, then the drive can be wiped and reloaded with the uninfected files. Note: the second option can be a little more complicated, so make sure to talk with a computer professional if you're uncertain about the process.

Protecting a computer from everything isn't possible, but these preventative measures should protect a computer from most threats. As a final note, cutting down on the time that a computer is connected to the internet also helps because it cant be attacked if it isn't on... When possible, turn off any non-essential computers at night, which will in turn conserve energy and save money!

404 Page

There's going to be times when things just don't work properly. Normally, I shut my computer down at night (a good practice to get into for personal and non-essential computers), but one night I didn't. The next morning I realized that I had left my computer on so I gently shake the mouse to wake everything up and what I saw put a smile on my face.

As the guy who is in charge of the website, I would get frustrated when things didn't work properly. Then one day I realized that this was just going to happen. That there was nothing I could do about this issue except to take preemptive measures to avoid inconvenience. I realized that even the companies much larger than mine still had issues, hence the image above. This image appeared because a webpage wouldn't load. Most of the time this is fixed by refreshing the screen, sometimes it takes a few minutes for a server to catch up with all the request that are coming in, and sometimes this means that something is actually broken. When this does happen, because it will at some point, will customers get a funny message that makes them smile, that lets them know the company is human and not perfect, or will they get a blank page and be confused about what is happening? A few companies have taken a very lighthearted approach to this issue and some have forgotten about it. 

What will your customer’s see? Whether the choice is made to be a little fun on the 404 page or keep it basic, there needs to be a couple of simple things that are always included:

1. Make sure that the customer knows what happened. This doesn't mean that a paragraph has to be written, but simply a basic explanation. 

2. Give the customer some direction. This may be a link to the homepage or it may be a note that says to refresh the screen. Regardless of what is chosen, make sure that it is clear how to proceed. 

Below are a few examples of good 404 pages. I realize the image is small, so to see a larger version of the image simply click on the name of the image you want to see.

Get Organized

I was trying to create an article for a newsletter and it wasn't going well. I was drawing a blank and then it hit me while I was staring at my computer. Recently I have been reorganizing my computer files. I'm typically an organized person, but over the years I've collected a massive amount of files due to video and image editing. It was now time for me to restructure and purge those files that were no longer needed. 

A few things I realized were:

1. Be Centralized
Keep all your files in a centralized location. This simply means don’t have some folders on the desktop, some in the My Documents folder, some on an external drive, etc. I recommend having one location for all folders and then creating the Root folders within that centralized location. This will make locating a file easier (no more using the search bar to find a file) and, if the need arises, transferring all those important files means you copy and paste 1 folder not 100.

2. Start with a good root folder
I've created hundreds of videos over the last few years. All of these videos have a raw format, a finished format, and a handful of other files. Keeping all that organized can get overwhelming. To fix this issue, I created a root folder for videos within my central location (My Documents, Dropbox, an external drive, etc.). I then created sub-folders for each of our offerings and within that a folder for each video. This setup keeps me from having to search through every file for one video and keeps me from having to go through twenty sub-folders to find a specific file. 

3. Don’t be afraid to change
Like anything else in business, the setup created today may not work next year. Getting organized is just the first step. You may realize soon after everything is organized that there is a better way. Figure out what works for your specific situation, what helps you to be most efficient and effective at your job. 

At the end of the day, everyone’s organization will look a little different. The naming structure needs to make sense to the user and the folder layout needs to fit the needs of whoever is using it. If this is one person it’s relatively simple. If it’s a team, then it becomes a little more complex and might require a couple of conversations. Spending the time to get organized will help, in the long run, to save time and in-turn money.  

Know the Count

Can you accurately answer this question: How many cylinders do you own?

How many cylinders do you own? This may not seem like the most important question at first, but not knowing this answer has the potential to greatly impact your rental income and relationships with your customers. For over 30 years, the team here at Dataweld has had the good fortune of working side by side with distributors in the gases and welding supply industry. In that time I have long since lost track of how many times I have asked this question, but one thing that I do know is that the answer is almost always the same.

Smaller distributors tend to say that they have around 1,000 to 2,000 cylinders, while larger distributors tend to say around 15,000 to 20,000 cylinders. Let's think about this from an assets standpoint. Cylinders have different prices, but for the sake of discussion, let's just use an average price per cylinder of $200. A variance of only 1,000 cylinders would represent an investment around $200,000. That's not exactly pocket change. What if you were looking at accounts receivable and, instead of finding an exact number, found a note that read "somewhere between $200,000 and $400,000"? 

4 Suggestions for Solving the Asset Problem:

 1. Put controls in place.

 2. Keep accurate records of cylinders shipped to your vendors.

 3.Keep track of empty and full cylinders on your dock.

 4. Consider using bar codes or RFID tags to track serial numbers.

Think about the accuracy of you cylinder records from another perspective. Inaccurate cylinder records can have a negative impact on your customer relationships. Improper record-keeping often means incorrect billing. Incorrect billing often results in lost billings on gases, cylinder rental income, and time spent reconciling balances with customers.

Identify the Problem

Many of the distributors we've worked with over the years have said things like "I don't make that many mistakes..." or "It's not that big of a deal...", but let's apply a little math to this topic and see what the numbers say. Let's say that there are 100 invoices a day and that there are two types of cylinders on every invoice giving us a total of 200 cylinders. Assuming that there will be returns, for this example we will keep the returns equal to the amount of shipped cylinders, our total amount of cylinders is now 400. Now there are 400 transactions involving cylinders for every 100 invoices billed. Assuming 22 working days in the month and 12 months in the year, the result is more than 100,000 transactions.

If cylinders could talk...
How old is your oldest cylinder? Whip Seaman, president of Corp Brothers in Providence Rhode Island, reports that he has a cylinder dated 1911. "It's shoulders are covered with retest dates, every five years, from then to present. Can you imagine the places that cylinder has been? Fab shops, hospitals, ambulances, factories, served our country through two world wars, and to sea on a research vessel. How many times was it refilled? What customers kept it the longest time? What gases were pumped into it? Questions like that could go on forever!" Indeed those questions could go on forever. Again, the question stands, how old is your oldest cylinder? What is your best cylinder story? Let us know by clicking here: My Cylinder Story

Let's also assume that we are above average and are 99 percent accurate. In this example, if we only make one error in every 100 invoices, then 1000 errors will be made before the end of the year. There are more things to consider however. 

Things to Consider:

1. Did the mistake involve one cylinder or ten?

2. Was the mistake in my favor or the customer's?

3. Did the customer loose the cylinder or were the returns improperly recorded? 

Solve the Problem

Where do we begin? First, 1. Controls need to be implemented. Employees need to be balancing the trucks, every day,  to the orders that were both taken and delivered. The place to start is by taking a physical inventory of each truck before it leaves and when it returns. The beginning inventory of cylinders, plus or minus the number of cylinders that were delivered to customers, should equal the ending inventory. If there are too many cylinders on the truck, then the driver most likely didn't record some of the returns. If there are too few cylinders on the truck, then the driver may have forgotten to record those extra cylinders that the customer didn't order but asked for at the time of delivery. Catching these mistakes now will keep things from getting out of hand later.

2. Keep accurate records of cylinders shipped to your vendors. Vendors make mistakes, but no one wants to loose assets or pay rent on cylinders that don't exist because a vendor's driver didn't record the correct number of shipments and returns. 

3. Keep track of empty and full cylinders on your dock. Knowing how many cylinders are on the dock completes the picture of how many cylinders are available and where they are located. 

The Formula: 1 + 2 + 3 = How many cylinders you have.

1. How many cylinders are at customer sites?

2. How many cylinders are on the dock?

3. How many cylinders are at the vendors?

The suggestion above will do wonders for the accuracy of cylinder records, but there is another important benefit. Not counting cylinders can say to employees that cylinders are not important. If employees see from management that these assets are highly valuable, then they will be much more likely to also value the assets. 

Now would be the time to take a closer look at tracking cylinder assets by Serial Number using Bar Codes or RFID tags. Tracking by Serial Number can help to resolve those more complicated issues. For example, if a cylinder asset is returned from a different customer than it was shipped to and no tracking is in place, then there will now be two customers with incorrect cylinder balances. 

The cylinders that were shipped to the first customer may have been returned, but credit was not given to the customer for the cylinder. Now the second customer has been given credit for cylinders they didn't rent. This sets up the company for loss of rental income and an unpleasant meeting about cylinder discrepancy.

GAWDA Cylinder Task Force
The US Department of Transportation says that a standard cylinder must be filled by its owner or by someone with the express permission of the owner. As we all know, the question of determining cylinder ownership has been a longstanding problem in this industry. To combat the issue, GAWDA's Government Affairs and Human Resources Consultant, Rick Schweitzer, has been working with a handful of GAWDA distributors as part of the Cylinder Task Force. The goal: to develop a policy template that will help resolve ownership issues. Please check the GAWDA website for more information.

Accuracy is the Key

When it comes to cylinders, accuracy is everything. There needs to be as much emphasis on accurate cylinder balances as there is on bank records. The purpose of accurate cylinder records is not just about answering a question or giving the overall number. The purpose is about improving customer relationships, about reducing those uncomfortable discrepancy meeting, and about improving billing revenue. Accuracy should be your state of mind.

Need to contact your driver?

Have you ever needed to get a message to one of your drivers, but you know they can't answer the phone? Or maybe you just need to contact all of your drivers with an urgent message? 

1. You could call every driver, who may or may not be able to answer, but that would take a lot of precious time that could be spent on other more important activities. 

2. You could send them an email, assuming they have access and that they check their email frequently. 

3. Instead, send them a text using your email. All you need is the driver's phone number and the ending for the specific wireless carrier they use. For instance, to email a text to someone with Verizon, type in the ten digit number then @vtext.com. 

4. The text message will pop up as a text message freeing up the driver from having to answer the phone and or search through their email inbox. 

5. A text is the perfect solution. It will appear right on the screen, notifying the person immediately that it has arrived, and the driver never has to answer a call which will save all parties involved a lot of time. 

6. On top of all of that, lets say you have to contact 10 drivers with the same message. Using this method, you'll only  type and send the message once. 

So next time you need to contact your drivers or anyone in your company, send them a text message through your email.

Common Carriers:

Verizon: @vtext.com

AT&T: @txt.att.net

Sprint: @messaging.sprintpcs.com

T-Mobile: @tmomail.net

Virgin Mobile: @vmobl.com

Why did my computer restart?

Did your computer restart all by itself? Don’t worry this has happened to most people at some point and typically is nothing to worry about. There are a couple of common things that could be the culprit. 

1. One issue could be Dust. If a computer isn't properly cleaned on a regular basis, then the components, fans, etc. can become coated in dust keeping the computer from cooling properly. Most modern computers are set to shut down if they start to overheat. The solution would be to open the computer and, with a can of compressed air, gently blow the dust off of the components, fans, etc. 
2. The culprit we always recommend investigating are Windows Updates. Whether it’s to save time or because the computer came preset this way, Windows may be updating automatically. When these updates are run the computer must restart to apply the changes. If this is the case, then go into the Control Panel > Systems and Security > Windows Update > Change Settings. Here the preferences can be set for if and when to update, to manually or automatically update, and even schedule the update. If the issues persist after making these changes, then it might be time to call a professional.
3. Another issue could be that the Computer has a Virus. If this is the suspected issue, then run a virus program such as Kaspersky or Norton and the problem should be solved. 

No more Barcodes!

Anyone who has been in a long checkout line has probably experienced the frustration of watching a cashier fumble with a product. Trying to either:

1. find the barcode 

or

2. scan it correctly. 

In January, a new technology was introduced that incorporates an invisible digital watermark, not unlike the kind used for currency.

The new technology company says that the clerk will no longer have to hunt for the barcode because it will be printed all over the package. While it's not visible to the naked eye, devices such as a smartphone will be able to see it. Also, the code can be embedded onto the product via common software products like Photoshop. This next generation barcode is still in the testing phase, but developers claim it will speed up checkout times by as much as 33 percent.

Support for Windows XP?

If you're still using Windows XP, then it may be time to start adding money into the budget for an upgrade. As of April 8, 2014 Microsoft stopped supporting Windows XP. What does this mean? It simply means that the opperating system is locked and that there will be no more updates, no more patches, bugs fixes, or security updates. If you have any questions about upgrading feel free to ask! 

Accounts Payable Controls

Most businesses understand the need for balancing controls with Accounts Receivable and have implemented the appropriate controls. We have seen in many cases however, where the same controls do not exist for Accounts Payable. The reasons are varied, but the same controls still need to exist. When no controls exist invoices can be entered twice and vendors paid multiple times or paid the wrong amount. Each mistake takes time, and in turn money, to correct.

Here are a few suggestions for implementing Accounts Payable Controls:

1. Minimize the number of people involved. A company may be large and perhaps need a number of people to handle all of the invoices, but the process still needs to be focused. One person who really understands the task is going to do a better job than two people who kind of understand the task.

2. Separate the Accounts Payable invoice entry from the Purchasing function. This will be impacted by the size of your company, but It's still good from a control stand point to separate this process.

3. Run Totals. When the process is started, run a total on the number of invoices that will be entered and the total amount of those invoices. Balance these two numbers against the purchase journal after the invoices have been entered into the system.

4. Use the actual Invoice Number whenever possible. This will help to keep duplicate numbers out of the system. If there is no invoice number, for instance a credit card statement, then it's it a good idea to date stamp the invoice number. This may look like Visa20140714. 

5. Check-Off the Invoices. Always mark invoices as Entered after they have been processed into the system. Whether a paper file is maintained or the invoices are scanned and stored digitally, this can help provide proof that the invoices have been entered.

6. Look for the Abnormalities. When the Purchase Journal is run, learn to look for the abnormal conditions. This means that if there is typically a $100 a month charge from a vendor and now there's an invoice for $10,000, there may have been a mistake made. This is one of the main reasons to run a total on the amount of the invoices. It's also another reason to restrict the number of people involved in this process. After a while, an experienced person will recognize the abnormal situations and be able to make changes as needed.

7. Check the Work. Always double check the work. It is easier to correct a mistake before everything is processed and it takes a lot less time.

Summary

Minimize the number of people involved, run a total on the number of invoices and the total amount of those invoices, always use the vendor invoice number when available, compare your total to the purchase journal and double check all the work.

Our Top Ten List

There are a more than a few top 10 lists floating around these days. Finding one of those lists of 10 things to work on, steps to take, or simply funny anecdotes requires nothing more than a Google search. A customer of ours asked for some enhancements to the reporting functions within our software and what became of those enhancements was our very own Top 10 list of nine items. I know, why couldn’t it be ten and ten? What follows is that very list which we thought would be helpful to both our customers and non-customers. Even if you’re not using our software, knowing the following numbers about your company could be very beneficial to daily operations and management.

 Here are the nine top ten reports that were developed:

1. Dead Stock: This report shows the Top 10 items in inventory that are considered Dead Stock. Companies qualify items as dead stock with different metrics, but they we qualify an item(s) as Dead Stock is when less than ten dollars of a particular item was sold in the last year. If the item isn’t selling, maybe it should be removed from inventory to free up room for items that are selling faster. Better inventory management starts here.
2. Gross Profit: This report was designed to paint a more positive picture by showing the Top 10 inventory items that generated the most Gross Profit last month. These items are not only profitable, but are selling regularly.
3. Monthly Inventory Activity: This report displays inventory based on how much activity is generated on each item. Therefore it shows the Top 10 items that generated the most activity during the month.
4. Sales Analysis: Knowing who the best customers are is very important. Each sales person can quickly see to which customers they need to be devoting the most attention. This report also gives management the ability to see if the sales team is staying in touch with their customers.  
5. Gross Profit Analysis: Sales are important, but how profitable are your customers? With this report anyone who has access can quickly see the Top 10 most profitable customers by sales person or location.
6. Cylinder Balances: Part of our software is used to track cylinders in various different scenarios. Regardless of the asset, knowing which customer has which asset and how many they have is very important. The report we designed helps our customers to easily see the Top 10 customers who have the most cylinders (assets) on hand by sales person or location.
7. Cylinder Activity: Another way of looking at cylinder (asset) customers is to see how many cylinders (assets) they are being shipped each month. This Top 10 report shows the Top 10 Cylinder (asset) customers based on how many cylinders (assets) were shipped to them or picked up. Customers with a sudden increase in activity would show up on this list.
8. Invoices Over 60 Days Old: It’s important to sell and to make a profit, but money has to be collected. When time is limited and only a few collection calls can be made, make them to the customers who owe the most money. That is exactly what is on this report. It shows the Top 10 customers with the highest balances that are sixty days and older, the last time they paid, and how much they paid.
9. Total Amount Owed: This report gives a slightly different picture of how much customers owe. With this report, you can see the Top 10 Customers that owe the most money regardless of how old an invoice is.

This Top 10 list will give a quick, efficient look at some key areas of your business. Regardless of the number, we chose 10, but you could choose 100, having an idea of what these numbers are will give your team clear defined areas to work on. Now go create some reports!

Where's the proof?

One of the most common questions our distributors are asked by their customers is "Can you tell me who signed for that delivery?” Another common question is "Can you show me the original delivery document?” Perhaps there is a legitimate concern about an item delivered, cylinders returned or maybe the customer is just trying to avoid paying. Regardless, there normally are only two ways to produce the desired proof for the customer. One is to go through your filing system, get a copy of the original delivery document with all the handwritten notes including the signature and then send it to the customer via fax or email. The other option is to invest in a document imaging system and scan every delivery document. The document imaging option is very sophisticated and works nicely, but can require a large up-front investment.

Now there is a another option, the iPhone. Using the iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, you can take a picture of the delivery document immediately after the customer signs it. The image of the document is saved with the date, time and invoice number and these images are automatically uploaded to a designated server via a cellular or Wi-Fi connection.

Once the images are on the server, you will be able to bring them up and email the image to the customer as proof of delivery or to answer their questions. 

The obvious advantage to this approach is that you can provide absolute proof of delivery to your customers without the requirement to invest in a document imaging system. The other advantage is that having each driver capture the image as part of the delivery process eliminates a scanning bottleneck back at the office.

Four Common Backup Mistakes

Few things that are done each day are as important as backing up critical data. Unfortunately, backups often aren't given much thought until they are needed. Over the years we have seen a number of mistakes that have been made regarding backups. Here are the four most common.

1. Not Doing Them. People might be surprised how often this happens and often times it's simply because someone forgot. Always make sure someone is responsible for performing the daily backups and make sure it is getting done. This has been made easier with services like Carbonite. Backups can also be scheduled on any PC within the administration section and set to run on a schedule that works best for your specific schedule.

2. Not Verifying That The Backup Works. Jump drives and external disk drives are reliable, but they should still be verified for a successful copy of the data. If a service like Carbonite is being used, then chances are that the backup worked. However, it's never a bad idea to take a minute and check for critical files. A little time is worth a large amount of insurance.

3. Not Taking The Backups Offsite. Years ago, one of our clients had been diligently backing up their data, but left the backups on the desk beside the computer. One night, the building burned along with EVERY backup of the company's data. The client lost their inventory files and accounting records. If you're backing up on site with an external device, then make sure to either take it off-site or place that copy into a fire/water proof container. Again, we encourage our clients to use a service like Carbonite since it can backup in "real time" and is off-site.

4. Not Having A Secondary Copy. People make mistakes. We've heard stories of operators accidentally deleting data instead of copying it. Having a secondary copy prevents major issues and an extra external drive is very cheap insurance. Always have more than one copy of your critical data.

Phone System Upgrade

We just completed an upgrade of our phone system here at DataWeld to make it easier to communicate with all of our customers and potential clients. The new system is based on VOIP Technology which simply means it uses the internet to communicate instead of traditional point to point land lines. So how does this help you? 

1. There is now a direct access line to everyone in the company. No more phone trees! Instead of calling our main number (which is still operational) and entering an extension number, you call the phone number that goes directly to the person you're trying to contact. It's faster, easier and there are no extension numbers to remember. 

2. Voice message aren't just saved to the phone they're also sent to the person you're calling via email. As time permits, the team here at Dataweld could respond via email while continuing to work with another client. This will ultimately lead to faster response times. The numbers are in place now, so the next time you need to speak with someone on the team here at Dataweld, ask for their direct line or go to Dataweld’s Contact Us page for a list of the numbers.