Newsletters – April to
June 2007
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Newsletter – April 2007
Editorial
How many eggs did the Easter Bunny leave you? It's a
pretty tale about her. The goddess Eostera had a bird which she changed
into a rabbit to amuse some children and the bunny laid them coloured eggs –
much to their delight! It is from her name that we get the words Easter,
oestrous and egg.
April in South Africa is not Spring and reawakening, but
Autumn and the harvest time. What have you harvested this year? I
see lemons on our trees ready for turning into wonderful jams and marmalades.
Beautiful vegetables ready for making into warming soups for the Winter months.
I also look at our harvest of projects – some completed and
some in progress. Then I acknowledge all those wonderful customers who
make our business work. Thank you all of you for your contribution to our
business and also thank you to our employees, whose contribution is just as
valuable.
QuickBooks and Quick Payroll
Contact Simphiwe for more information on these products!
Tel. 011 802-2685 or
simphiwe@softwareafrica.co.za
Customer Acknowledgement taken to new heights!
Do you have special customers whom you wish to acknowledge in
an unique way? How would being able to send them a personalised card for
their birthday, impact on your relationship with them? Or perhaps a hand
delivered present? If this idea appeals, then RMail may be the fit you are
looking for – contact Judith for more information (011) 802-2685 or
info@softwareafrica.co.za
Lotus SmartSuite is still around...
...and is a complete office suite for people on a low budget.
For just R2228 inclusive of VAT and local delivery, you have WordPro, Lotus
1-2-3 spreadsheet, Approach database and Freelance presentations. Please
contact Simphiwe for more information. Tel. 011 802-2685 or
simphiwe@softwareafrica.co.za
Problems and Solutions - the Q&A of Debt Collecting
Excuses for not paying the account on
time...as supplied by our customers and ex-customers (edited a bit)!
- ABSA is not paying us because their new SAP system is not working, so we
can't pay you.
- No-one can sign cheques because the Directors are in Mauritius.
- Yes, I told you we would be paying, but I'm not the one who does the
payments.
- I didn't say we would pay, I said we would try to.
- I didn't get the invoice you e-mailed (what, you got a "read receipt"?
That's hardly conclusive –did you get DNA evidence?
Excel Tips
40 – SUMIF()
Last
month we looked at the IF function (Syntax:
IF(comparison, true part, false part) ) used to return one of two values
(or formulas) based on a comparison.
Now consider this scenario: You have your bank
statement on
Excel, imported from Internet Banking. In a column next to the data, you
put in an allocation –for example Groceries, Bank Charges, Municipal, Vehicles,
etc. Of course you know how to use =SUM() to get a total for all the
figures, but what if you want separate totals for each allocation? You use
=SUMIF.
The syntax is:
=SUMIF(range, criteria
[,sum_range])
Range is the range of
cells you want Excel to check for the Criteria, which can be any logical
expression (in quotes), text, or a cell reference.
Sum_range is the range of cells you want
Excel to sum. [sum_range
is shown in brackets to indicate that it is optional. You don't
enter the brackets.] If you leave out
sum_range, Excel will sum
Range.
How to use this: Let's say that you have the statement
on a sheet named "April", containing the columns A: Date, B: Description, C:
Amount, D: Balance, and E: Allocation. You want to sum the amount from
Column C for each allocation in Column E. We'll assume the headings are in
row 1 and the data starts in row 2.
Insert a new sheet, let's call it Totals, and
create two column headings, in A1: Allocation, in B1: April.
From cell A2 downwards, list your allocations, one per cell, in column A.
In cell B2, enter the formula: =SUMIF(April!$E$2:$E$1000, Totals!A2,
April!$C$2:$C$1000)
This tells it to look on the April sheet in the
range E2:E1000 (expand if necessary) for the allocation (criteria) in
A2 (the top allocation) and, where the criteria matches, sum the value in column
C (sum_range C2:C1000).
Copy this formula down as far as your allocations
go, and you will get a total for each allocation.
Bonus: As a check that you have not missed
any allocations (or added new ones later!), it is a good idea to do a SUM of the
SUMIF formulas, then compare this with =SUM(April!$C$2:$C$1000) which is of
course the sum all the amounts. Can you think of a formula that will do
the check for you and display either "OK" or "*** Error! Amounts not Allocated!
***" ?
Next
Month: Counting a range of figures that meet a
condition.
and version 9.5
Marketing Campaign using HTML documents?
Maximizer's Campaign Manager uses two types of
documents - HTML and Maximizer's own format. HTML documents mean that you
can use pictures and text formatting, whereas Maximizer's own text format is
very plain. What are the advantages?
With Maximizer's own text format, you can use
merge fields, whereas HTML does not allow this unless you have a good HTML
programmer to assist you. However, if you want really good formatting,
remembering that the email will contain the addressee's name in the To: section,
HTML is the way to go.
We recommend using FrontPage or a similar html editor to
produce your document. Pictures, contained in it, require that you put
them on your website with links to them in the document. The resultant
communication comes onto the recipient's screen beautifully if they are allowed
to access graphics, otherwise they receive the text with links to your website.
This means that more people receive your quality communication!
We have had success with both types of campaign.
Where the Maximizer document format seems to work best is with product
introductions. Plain text makes for easy reading and the merge facility
makes it more personal. HTML is more fun and brings responses from our
loyal customer lists. Try both and see which works for you.
Next
month – The power of Search in creating reports
What passes for Humour amongst Programmers...
Question: Why did the computer cross
the road?
Answer: It was programmed by a chicken.
Remember: We can Help you with:―
-
Writing
your custom databases on Microsoft Access, or custom programs in Visual
Basic. If you can’t find that piece of software to do things your
way, ask us!
-
Solving
your Maximizer, Access, Excel, Word, Visual Basic, and Lotus 123 problems.
-
Training
your company on Maximizer, Excel, Word, Access and Windows. We do all
levels from beginners to Programming.
-
Software:
We re-sell and support various CRM, timesheet, scheduling, and productivity
programs.
All
the Best from the team!
Judith and Rick
Directors, Communication in Action (Pty) Ltd t/a Software Africa
PO Box
987, Gallo Manor, 2052
South Africa.
Tel: (+27 11) (011) 802-2685. Fax: 802-4576. Cell: 082 389-3481/2.
E-mail: info@softwareafrica.co.za
This entire newsletter is
Copyright© 2007 Communication in Action (Pty) Ltd.
Please share it with your friends or post it on your site as long as it
is left intact with all links unchanged and includes this notice.
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Newsletter
–
May 2007
Editorial
The leaves are falling fast and their colours
give a new appearance to the cityscape. A recent walk down the Sandspruit
gave me an opportunity to see that the very shy flock of Macau ducks is still
there and growing. My camera trigger finger was too slow to take a
photograph. Our other groups of ducks are also thriving as people along
the river seem to feed them.
These groups are fascinating being a mix of
African Black duck, Mallard and some type of white duck. They interbreed
happily with some amazing colour combinations occurring as a result. In
addition, the Egyptian geese are pairing off ready to produce this season's
goslings.
Walking the river trail is a wonderful way of
sweeping the computer cobwebs away. The Sandspruit down stream trail is
rich with bird life - more so than upstream from Ernest Ullmann Park.
Other non-computer news is a request from SAPS
for more people to volunteer as reservists. If you do not have matric, you
can become a "D" reservist patrolling the streets under the supervision of
permanent force or "A" reservists. This form of volunteering is one way to
gain job experience and to learn the Sandton area well - think 2010 and showing
people where to go as a guide for that event. PS - It also pays!
Contact your local police station if you are not in the Sandton area or Judith
if you are, for more details.
On the crime beat, please do not leave your
laptop on your car's seats. They are prime theft targets. In fact
anything of value that can be seen by a casual passer-by is inviting criminals
to take advantage of you.
First Announcement: Labbie, the Laboratory Data
Retriever
How do engineers know that their reinforced
concrete building will stay up? Civil Engineering Materials Laboratories
strength-test endless batches of concrete cubes for quality control purposes.
The Labs often lack a coherent system to capture the data and report the results
to clients, then bill them timeously for the number of tests done. Our
solution, the program Labbie, is now on Beta test at a pilot site.
First Release is due at the end of the month. Over the course of time we
will be adding many other materials tests. To find out how to join the
Labbie bandwagon,
e-mail us now or visit the Labbie page.
QuickBooks and
Quick Payroll
Customer Acknowledgement taken to new heights!
Did you miss out on Mother's Day? Your wife's birthday? Your
wedding anniversary? Do you have special customers whom you wish to
acknowledge in a unique way? How would being able to send them a
personalised card for their birthday, impact on your relationship with them?
Or perhaps a hand delivered present? If this idea appeals, then RMail may
be the fit you are looking for – contact Judith for more information (011)
802-2685 or
info@softwareafrica.co.za
Speaking of Acknowledgement...
Dear Rick,
We are sure that you will recall that in April/May 2004 you
developed a spreadsheet import routine for our Access database.
Before you
developed this routine the process was a cumbersome, inefficient
exercise
that used
to take at least 5 to 6 days to complete. It now takes less
than twenty minutes and is accurate to the last cent.
Thank you to you and your team productivity and accuracy has
improved in leaps and bounds.
Keep up the very professional, efficient, and friendly way you
conduct your business.
Best Regards,
Norman Foulkes.
Financial / Administration Controller.
Casey and Associates, 13 Nov 2006.
Hotkey Shortcuts
(with thanks to Microsoft MSDN Flash - April 2007
[Microsoft@newsletters.microsoft.com])
Many tips and tricks for technologies enhance our
day-to-day experience. Hotkeys refer to keyboard shortcuts that can be used to
simplify everyday tasks. They often make a task faster, since you don't need to
reach for a mouse. Beyond CTRL+C to copy text, and CTRL+V to paste text, here
are some favourites to enhance your experience:
Windows: The F2 key can be used for
renaming selected objects, such as files and folders. Use the Windows Key
+ E to open Explorer, Windows Key + F to find files, Windows Key + M to minimize
all to display the desktop, and Windows Key + Shift + M to restore the minimized
windows. For more Windows XP keyboard shortcuts see
https://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=6712126.
For Windows Vista see
https://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=6712127
--use the Windows Key + TAB for the 3D Windows Vista Flip.
Internet Explorer 7: CTRL + Left Click
opens a link in a new background tab. To Open link in new foreground tab:
CTRL+SHIFT+ Left Click. CTRL + TAB moves forward through tabs. For other
IE7 shortcuts see:
https://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=6712129
An Apology
from Rick
In January I urged you to join Business Warriors
since membership would close at the end of that month for the rest of the year.
Then in late April, Peter Carruthers unilaterally decided to reopen membership.
We had a big argument as a result.
If you joined just because
membership was closing, Peter offers to refund your fees. I apologise
unreservedly if you feel I mislead you.
Excel Tips
#41 – COUNTIF()
Last
month we looked at the SUMIF function (Syntax:
SUMIF(range, criteria
[,sum_range]) ) to sum values that match a criterion.
You can also count the
values that match a criterion:
Use COUNTIF.
The syntax is:
=COUNTIF(range,
criteria)
Range is the range of
cells you want Excel to check for the Criteria, which can be any logical
expression (in quotes), text, or a cell reference.
How to use this: Let's say that you have a bank
statement on a sheet named "April", containing the columns A: Date, B:
Description, and C: Amount. You want to count the number of credits, that
is the number of positive amounts in Column C. We'll assume the headings
are in row 1 and the data starts in row 2.
Insert a new sheet, let's call it Statistics,
and create a column heading in B1: April.
In cell B2, enter the formula: =COUNTIF(April!C2:C1000, ">0")
This tells it to look on the April sheet in the
range C2:C1000 for the criteria that the number is positive (">0" -
note the quotes!) and, where the criteria is true, count it.
and version 9.5
The power of Search in creating reports
By using Search > All fields, you can
create and catalogue for future use any number of searches that give you the
reports that you require. The "Catalog" feature in Search is the one which
makes Maximizer simple and easy to use.
To really harness this power, create the views that give you the search
results laid out on the screen as you want them, then you just print the column
report.
Next
month – A look at Customer Service
What passes for Humour amongst Programmers...
Question: How do you know that a
programmer is an extrovert?
Answer: When talking to you, he looks at your shoes instead of his
own.
Remember: We can Help you with this:―
-
Unable to
find good staff? We can write you a custom database or custom
program to embody your business rules and processes in software:
Low-level employees just have to "join the dots" on time, while you monitor
for exceptions.
-
Express your corporate image with a coherent set of templates
on Word or Excel.
-
Solving
your Maximizer, Access, Excel, Word, Visual Basic, and Lotus 123 problems.
-
Training
your company on Maximizer, Excel, Word, Access and Windows. We do all
levels from beginners to Programming.
-
Software:
We re-sell and support various CRM, timesheet, scheduling, and productivity
programs.
All
the Best from the team!
Judith and Rick
Directors, Communication in Action (Pty) Ltd t/a Software Africa
PO Box
987, Gallo Manor, 2052
South Africa.
Tel: (+27 11) (011) 802-2685. Fax: 802-4576. Cell: 082 389-3481/2.
E-mail: info@softwareafrica.co.za
This entire newsletter is
Copyright© 2007 Communication in Action (Pty) Ltd.
Please share it with your friends or post it on your site as long as it
is left intact with all links unchanged and includes this notice.
To Subscribe to the newsletter, Click here and SEND the resulting e-mail.
Your data will not be sold, rented or given away to any third party without your
express permission.
To
unsubscribe, Click here
and SEND the resulting e-mail from the address to which this newsletter was
sent.
Back to top
Newsletter – June 2007
Editorial
It must have
been the coldest May out and now June has come around with an equal cold front!
Labour relations between government and workers are just as frosty, and
inflation is at a high, as are the interest rate and the petrol price.
Real concerns around cost of on-site support can be addressed by computer programs
which can cut petrol costs and travel time to site significantly.
Do you have
sales staff on the road with cellphones? Then take a look at how this
solution can assist as well. Maximizer CRM is the first solution to also
operate via cellphone. This means that your staff are using their familiar
instruments to do their jobs. No need for high levels of computer literacy
in order to track sales efforts.
New Product: Terra Firma, a database for managing a
Landscaping Business
Corinna Botoulas, an independent
landscaper trading as CB Landscapes, approached us early in the year looking for
a solution to her paperwork problems. She manages labourers on various
sites on a daily basis, and needs to produce accurate payslips for the month
including bonuses, advances, loans, refunds, travel expenses and the like.
She needs to bill customers accurately and on time for the labour, plants, etc.
and get a bird's-eye view of what she owes and what she has not yet billed.
Our solution was a Microsoft Access database: Quick to develop, and
affordable even for a small business. Because Corinna is a newcomer to
computers it had to be easy to operate. The database has now been running
for a couple of months and Corinna is feeling like she is getting her life back.
CB Landscapes is now making the database, "Terra Firma", available for licensing
to other landscapers:
e-mail us now!
QuickBooks and
Quick Payroll
Customer Acknowledgement taken
to new heights!
Do you have special customers
whom you wish to acknowledge in a unique way? How would being able to send
them a personalised card for their birthday, impact on your relationship with
them? Or perhaps a hand delivered present? If this idea appeals,
then RMail may be the fit you are looking for – contact Judith for more
information (011) 802-2685 or
info@softwareafrica.co.za
Reading and Writing Office 2007 Files
(with thanks to Microsoft Office Tips and Tricks - May 2007)
If you still haven't seen the new Microsoft Office,
click here to take it for a "test drive". Or you can download a trial
version
here.
Perhaps you've
had a look at the new Office and
want nothing to do with it!
You think the new "ribbon" idea
sucks and wish Microsoft would stop
changing things for the sake of
change, in fact you are perfectly
happy with Office 2003 or XP.
There is just one problem: Those
darn early-adopters and
techno-bunnies are now sending you
files in the new Office 2007
formats, and you can't read them!
Here's help. Ask the person who created the Office
2007 file to save you a copy that is compatible with Word 97-2003, PowerPoint
97-2003, or Excel 97-2003. If you can't, then you can upgrade your earlier
version to open, edit, and save files for Word 2007 (extensions .docx and
.docm), Excel 2007 (.xlsx, .xlsb, .xlsm, .xltx, .xltm, and .xlam), and
PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx, pptm, .potx, .potm, .ppsx and .ppsm). Download the
Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for 2007 File Formats to do that.
Warning: It's 27 MB in size! For more information about the
Compatibility Pack, see
Knowledge Base article 924074.
The full version of this tip from the "The Crabby Office Lady" is
[link no longer
exists].
Quick Windows Tip
To determine the operating system
version and memory available to Windows, click the Start button, then click Run,
type
winver and press Enter.
An Apology from Judith
It is with
sincere regret that I apologise to the Business Warrior community, of whom I am
no longer one, having been drummed out by Peter last month. My inadequate
proof reading of last month's newsletter was the cause of
this. I miss you all and trust that you will continue to thrive.
Excel Tips
#42 – COUNT, COUNTA, COUNTBLANK
Last month we looked at the
COUNTIF function (Syntax:
=COUNTIF(range,
criteria) ) to
count the
values that match a criterion.
To complete our knowledge of the "counting" functions, this
edition we will look at three simpler ones:
COUNT(Range) counts
the cells that contain numbers.
COUNTA(Range) (Count
All) counts the cells that are not blank (contain numbers or text).
COUNTBLANK(Range)
counts the cells in the range that are blank (empty). The formula counts
any cell that looks empty if unformatted, including formulas that return
empty strings (""), and blank strings (single quote in cell), but not zeros.
The
range may be a single range or several ranges or cells separated by commas
(e.g. C2:C10,D12,E2:E10 ). In the first two functions you can also put in
values instead of ranges and they are counted appropriately.
and version 9.5
A look at Customer Service
Good Customer Service is the
challenge of every business. You only have to visit
www.hellopeter.com to realise how this challenge is a bar too high for many
SA businesses - not every time, but you are only as good as your last customer
service call!
Maximizer Enterprise assists in
addressing this problem through the built-in Customer Service module.
There are two aspects to it - the incident capture and the knowledge base.
The incident capture, which is the Customer Service area, enables a responder to
the incoming call, e-mail, fax or angry customer coming into the premises, to
log the call with all appropriate details. Depending on your business,
serial numbers can be logged; equipment types; everything right down to the
problem category.
The case is then assigned to a
responsible person for action or sent to the appropriate case owner for
assignation. Completion dates can be set and this date will generate an
e-mail to the owner of the case and the person responsible for solving it
warning them that it is still outstanding. This notification happens the
day before!
Once the case is resolved, the
how of the resolution has to be entered as well as how long it took. This
information can then be placed in the Knowledge Base for future reference.
This side builds up a searchable database of documents, which can be used for
new cases. We have used this often to resolve recurring problems, with a
marked decrease in downtime.
Customer Service can be set up to
calculate the cost of the job and everything can be copied and pasted into the
invoice on the job's completion.
Next month – Why CRM and a look at the options
Weak Humour from the Programming Department...
Did you know there are 0010 types
of programmers?
–Those who understand binary numbers and those who don't.
Remember: We can Help you with this:―
-
Unable to
find good staff? We can write you a custom database or custom
program to embody your business rules and processes in software:
Low-level employees just have to "join the dots" on time, while you monitor
for exceptions.
-
Express your corporate image
with a coherent set of templates on Word or Excel.
-
Solving
your Maximizer, Access, Excel, Word, Visual Basic, and Lotus 123 problems.
-
Training
your company on Maximizer, Excel, Word, Access and Windows. We do all
levels from beginners to Programming.
-
Software:
We re-sell and support various CRM, timesheet, scheduling, and productivity
programs.
All
the Best from the team!
Judith and Rick
Directors, Communication in Action (Pty) Ltd t/a Software Africa
PO Box
987, Gallo Manor, 2052
South Africa.
Tel: (+27 11) (011) 802-2685. Fax: 802-4576. Cell: 082 389-3481/2.
E-mail: info@softwareafrica.co.za
This entire newsletter is
Copyright© 2007 Communication in Action (Pty) Ltd.
Please share it with your friends or post it on your site as long as it
is left intact with all links unchanged and includes this notice.
To Subscribe to the newsletter, Click here and SEND the resulting e-mail.
Your data will not be sold, rented or given away to any third party without your
express permission.
To
unsubscribe, Click here
and SEND the resulting e-mail from the address to which this newsletter was
sent.
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