In the event a hurricane watch/warning is issued for South Florida or wherever you may be, a decision needs to be made as to when your office will close to allow all employees time to prepare the offices and get to safe cover well in advance of the storm.                                                                          

To help assist with your preparations; we have created a checklist that should help guide you in preparing your office for a hurricane.       

INSIDE OFFICE                                                                                                  

ð        Make sure all of your files are backed up from individual computers to the server. 

ð        Make sure all server files are backed up fully (preferably off site).

ð        Properly shut down server and make sure it is unplugged and lifted off the floor.

ð        Shut down and unplug all computers and electronics.                                                                    

ð        Wrap and seal all computers and server in plastic bags.

ð        All monitors and printers or other electronics should also be wrapped in plastic bags and sealed

ð        Lift all electronics off of the floor in all rooms

ð        If your office has an outside window…

• Your wrapped computer and electronics should be labeled and placed in a room with no outside windows on top of a piece of furniture.
• Move any additional loose items onto furniture away from the windows

ð        Remove any important items from your desk and place in drawers or cabinets.

ð        Seal any important documents or items in a protected case and either store in a high cabinet or take home with you.

ð        Close all windows, blinds and coverings.

ð        Close office doors, especially those with outside windows, prior to leaving the building.

ð        Take any valuable personal items home with you.

ð        Make sure you and your employees have the website and password to check your email from home.

• Prior to shutting down your computer, it is also a good idea to set up an auto response stating: Due to Hurricane/bad weather, we will be closed XX-XX. I may be able to check email however, if this is an emergency please contact (and either list your cell phone # or if you have a location out of the hurricane zone, list that office)

ð        Make a list of any key contacts and any online login information you may need in the event office is closed for longer than a day.  Make sure your employees do the same.

ð        Remove any food and open condiments from the refrigerator and freezer.  Ideally, this unit should be emptied and unplugged.

ð        Make sure you and your employees have a copy of the company phone/contact list with them when they leave the office

• If you have an automated notification system in place, make sure all employees’ numbers are stored and up to date.
• Set up a phone tree or primary contact who will be responsible for disseminating information such as office re-open times and needs for supplies

BUILDING                           

ð        Bring in any loose or decorative items outside the building

ð        Lock the elevator into the off position, preferably on the 1st floor

ð        Close all shutters or board up windows that are not hurricane grade (if possible)

ð        Turn off A/C units

ð        Manually lock any gates and outside doors in case of power loss  

While no one can predict what a hurricane may cause, taking the proper steps to insure that your business is as protected as possible can save a lot of headaches (and possibly your business).  Take a few extra minutes to make sure your office is prepared for a hurricane and you will be glad you did.

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It would seem that banning someone from using their Internet service would be the same as shutting off their electricity for using too much or cutting of phone service for talking too much.  We're sure the guy in this story agrees - Comcast bans man from Internet, shuts down service. 

Apparently, he was well within his download limit but his problem - he sent too much data into cyberspace.  Comcast is not the only provider starting to enforce these limits.  AT&T has added a 150 GB per month cap on its DSL service.  Most cell carriers have a cap on mobile data usage.

The real question is when did unlimited become unlimited with an asterisk?  Most people have unlimited talk, text and data packages on their smart phones - but is it really unlimited?  The answer is no.  Read the fine print.  Unlimited up to a certain amount then they kick you down to the lowest speed, charge more or simply shut down your service.  And this is for customers that pay every month, on time.

With all the regulations made on utility companies, when will the government catch up and recognize that in today's society, Internet services should be classified as such?  Almost 75% of the households in the United States have some sort of Internet service.  That number is increasing annually.

More and more people are technologically saavy and doing more online.  The steady decline in the US mail volume can attest to that.  Even to our customers we recommend full off-site back-ups of their servers and data.  This alone could result in massive uploads of data.

While the cost of the data expansion is not great to the Internet providers, the value to consumers is immeasurable.  At this rate, many other customers may be suspended from using their Internet connections. Tweet

Warehouse management solutions (WMS) are nothing new.  Most companies have some sort of system to manage their warehouse.  The problem is, most of these systems involve manual notes and/or spreadsheets.  

In today's economy, companies are finding they need a quality system that can easily be integrated into their Customer Relations Management (CRM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems.

Why does your company need WMS?

Here are 10 Benefits a good WMS system provides:

1. 99% reduction in human error (item identification)
2. Up to 50% reduction of time and distance travelled within the warehouse
3. 50% reduction in time locating an item
4. 50% reduction in time identifying available space for put-away
5. Up to 35% reduction in operating costs
6. Up to 27% reduction of shipping expenses
7. 20% increase in reliability of inventory
8. Managing employee effectiveness and implementation of wage incentives
9. Minimal training time
10. Up to 30% reduction in labor costs

When assessing how your warehouse is managed, ask yourself if any of the above could benefit your company and your bottom line.  Installing a quality Warehouse Management Solution or WMS that is integrated with your other systems can be the key to succeeding in today's fast-paced business environment.

For more information on Priority's Integrated WMS solution, please see Priority ERP's Integrated WMS solution.

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Here in South Florida, we've noticed a growing trend with business computer networks.  Businesses are increasinly relying on Internet programs and Cloud computing without upgrading their network and data capabilities.

What this does for your business network could be disastrous.  An overloaded network or server can crash at any minute.  Of course, you have back-ups in place for your data, but how long can you afford to have your systems down?  Replacing a server or upgrading a network under fire creates needless stress on your staff and IT company.

What do you need to do to make sure your business network and server structures are scalable?  Most companies have a business plan that forecasts 2-3 years out at the minimum.  If your plan includes the addition of software or staff, you are going to want to make sure you buy more than double the capacity you need today in order to accomodate your future needs.

At minimum, you will need 1 server for domain controller/dns server, 1 server for Exchange, 1 layer 3 switch, or 1 switch and 1 router.  All workstations also must have Windows professional with Microsoft Office and Outlook.  Check with your Internet service provider frequently for upgrades and service changes.  ISPs are changing capacity offerings monthly (sometimes weekly) and the plan you are on might not be the most efficient or cost-effective for your office environment.

We encourage our South Florida clients to review and assess their server and business network capacity on a quarterly basis.  Our scalable solutions are meant to grow with the company and we make sure that they are.
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Are you sure your network is secure?  What about your websites and online portals?  Anyone that does not take the security of their data seriously could be in trouble.  Even large corporations with in-house security departments are not immune to breaches.

Look at what has happened to Sony.  Yesterday, they reported another security breach.  According to the report, 8,500 user accounts were compromised.  This is the second time Sony has had a security breach in the last two months.  Remember back in April – the PlayStation Network was hacked and the data including personal details and credit card numbers of their 77 million users were stolen.  This time, third-party fan sites for artists were attacked.  These sites are for newsletter sign-up so this data only included email addresses, phone numbers, user names and passwords. No credit card data was available for exposure in this instance.

What does this mean for your business?  Every company has valuable, proprietary data.  Your customers trust you – why violate that trust by not protecting their information?  All organizations are different and each has its own security needs.  A customized protection program within your IT infrastructure can help protect your most valuable commodity – your information.

While nobody can guarantee protection, a few simple steps can increase your security level tremendously.  A dedicated IT professional can give you the best guidance however a few simple steps can go a long way.

• Use encrypting software to encrypt data that is coming in and out of your company.  Protect important details of your company’s communications.
• Install detection software on your servers and mainframe computers to trigger instant alerts if someone tries to access your system
• Run regular (daily is preferred) back-ups of your data.  Best practices suggest that you perform daily back-ups for any files that have changed and weekly back-ups of the full system.
• Include an off-site back-up service in your back-up plan.  If something happens to your building or internal back-up, your data is safe and secure in a second location.
• Include in your company manual specific and clear instructions for your employees.  Set specific restrictions on Internet usage, email security and file sharing.  The best security only works if everyone is following the same protocol.
• Make sure every computer in your office has an anti-virus program on it and running.  Scans should be scheduled daily and any incoming files checked upon arrival.  Verify that the software is updated frequently for the latest protections. Microsoft has included this feature as an option within the newest version of Windows.  By installing this update you insure you are protected at little to no extra cost.
• Install anti-adware and spyware software.  Protect against illegal programs tracking internet use or monitoring keystrokes for the purposes of collecting data such as passwords.
• Create a complete password list and store it in a protected place or encrypted file with limited access.  Change passwords frequently to make sure nothing within your network is able to be accessed by former employees.
• Create a firewall to guard your internal computers against outside interference.

If you cannot manage these processes yourself, hire an IT professional.  Our clients are thankful they have these measures in place.  Most companies do not even realize how close they are to a security breach.  We can all learn lessons from what happened to Sony.  If it can happen to them, it can happen to your company.  Network security and data protection should not be taken lightly.

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Even the smallest business has a need for an ERP software solution.  Without an effective ERP software package, small business owners will waste proportionately more time than a large corporation trying to manually manage processes and procedures.  A scalable ERP solution can work for any company.

To manage your business effectively you need to be able to track what is coming in, what is going out and how it affects your bottom line.  Tying those aspects together with your customer relations management - marketing to sales to retention - is another necessary aspect of business management.  An effective way to manage all of these components in one place is via a comprehensive ERP software solution.

A good ERP software package is going to combine the necessary tools that make a company run harmoniously through the daily processes.  For small businesses this is critical.  Eliminating human error and automating business processes can mean the difference between success and failure.  Without an ERP Software solution, small businesses could crumble if one employee leaves and takes with them a knowledge base that has been built solely in their heads.

What does an ERP software package provide?  ERP stands for Enterprise Resource Planning.  ERP integrates internal and external information across an entire organization, including finance and accounting, sales and service, CRM, warehouse and inventory, human resources and much more. ERP software systems automate activity in these departments within one integrated software solution. Its purpose is to facilitate the sharing of information, ideally in real time, between all departments inside a company and manage the information flow to any necessary outside parties.

It may seem complicated but the reality is that even if your departments consist of one person or one person makes up multiple departments, you still have a need for an ERP software solution – perhaps an even greater need than a larger corporation with 100s of people in each department.  An ERP software solution automates information flow.  As we mentioned before, small businesses have crumbled because one person left and took with them their personal knowledge base.  With an ERP software solution, all customer information, preferences, orders, contacts and payment history are stored in one easy to access place. 

With an integrated ERP software solution, inventory is easily managed and viewed by all departments.  The Sales Department does not have to wait for confirmations prior to taking orders – the information is at their fingertips.  Accounting can note slow (or no) paying customers so new sales are not able to be processed.  Marketing can easily target customers based on past history for potential new opportunities.

Best of all, with an integrated ERP software solution, business owners and managers can view in real time exactly what is happening within their business or organization.  In today’s market, many ERP software packages are available via online portals.  This type of software is known as SaaS (Software as a Service) and is hosted offsite and available through an online login allowing managers to access their data from anywhere in the world at any time.

Small business owners should view an ERP software solution the same way they view their office – as a necessary part of their business operations.

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Often we get questioned as to which would be better, using a Windows-based Terminal Server application or using Priority ERP Software WPF version.  The WPF allows greater user flexibility through a easy to manage and affordable solution.

1. Secure web access without the costs involved in Terminal Server licensing and maintenance. Users in remote locations gain the most by the improved response time compared to Terminal Server, especially in terms of using their local Office Applications on the end user's machine in conjunction with Priority: a "life changer" for remote users in terms of functionality, convenience and speed.

2. Synchronization with end user's installed Outlook and data exchange with other Office applications on their client machine, significantly on laptops.

3. Significant saving in infrastructure costs as one WPF application server can support over 100 concurrent remote users vs. 20 users with similar server configuration on Terminal Server.

4. Greatly improved user level customization capabilities, including "drag and drop" enabled report generators and more.

5. New and improved UI design with emphasis on visibility and quick access to most functionality that a user needs to have a key or mouse click away.

With WPF, the Priority ERP software package runs fluently and efficiently for all users.
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Sunbiz.org posted two warnings on their site recently about two companies trying to scam Florida business owners.

ARVITAS, LLC is a private company sending e-mails to businesses in Florida offering to file annual reports at an inflated fee cost.  COMPLIANCE SERVICES (not to be confused with the Florida corporation, Compliance Services, Inc.) is mailing notices to business entities requesting that "Annual Minutes" and a fee of $125.00 be sent to them for filing.

Neither of these companies are legitimate.  FIlings can only be done by mailing information directly to the department of State, Division of Corporations, OR by visiting www.sunbiz.org and filing online. 

Please do not let someone scam you out of money for this service.  The filing takes 5 minutes and there is no cost (other than the standard registration fee). 

TechCM works diligently to protect our clients, partners and friends. 


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We get asked this question over and over.   The answer is simple:  Yes.   The longer version of that answer is an ERP solution provides both measurable and intangible benefits to businesses of all types and sizes – increased productivity, reduced operating expenses, improved information flow, enhanced performance management, a more organized staff and better management oversight.

 

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Welcome to our blog!  We get so many requests for tips, advice and overall "what to do" questions that we have created this blog.  We'll be posting anything and everything we know about technology, IT support, software, hardware, computers, business management, ERP, MRP, Priority software, accounting services and anything else we can think of that will help our clients and friends succeed