Why Google Apps Needs Fixing

Originally titled “Google Apps for Your Domain,” the set of Web applications focused on collaboration within the workforce introduced by Google in 2006 offered Gmail account, shared calendars, Google Talk instant messaging, Google Docs, Google Spreadsheets, and a Web page creator which have since been revamped as Google Apps Standard Edition. Google Apps, geared towards small and middle-size firms, provides small businesses the ability to share documents and collaborate effectively for no fee (2). Notably, multiple users of the Web applications can read, correct, and update the same documents and spreadsheets simultaneously (4). As Dan Wood writes from experience with the system, “Google Apps are just what we need. Interviews are performed, the notes and transcripts are shared, stories are written, edited and copy-edited” (4). Included in the package is also seven gigabytes of e-mail storage for every user account, a fair amount for small businesses to work with.

Though seemingly resourceful, Google Apps does pose serious drawbacks to the efficiency of any company. The free Standard Edition of Google Apps is limited to just 50 user accounts, leaving any extra employees disconnected from the facility with which all others can communicate and share information (2). Additionally, users complain Google Apps proves incapable of saving work when designated to do so, requiring a time and effort consuming reload to cure the problem. Furthermore, documents require manual association with folders, easily frustrating business owners whose efforts should be focused on the task at hand, not their network of Web applications. Even more irritating for users may be that when using spreadsheets, “when a cell in spreadsheet B is referenced in A, the values don’t automatically get updated” (4). Seemingly, only the users with a spotlight on team collaboration will be willing to bypass the error messages to see the benefits which Google Apps offer. For all other business owners, the defects will prove too bothersome, time consuming, and frustrating to overlook.

Appearing to answer the call for the defects of the Google Apps Standard Edition, Google launched the Premier Edition for a $50 charge for each user account per year. This version of Google Apps incorporates the needs of all business forms, not just small to mid-sized businesses, and grants as much as 25 gigabytes of e-mail storage instead of the mere seven offered by the Standard Edition. Google Apps Premier Edition even rids the page of the ads which sponsor the free version and lend such benefits as e-mail archiving and more configurable spam filtering (3). An important business feature of the Premier Edition is the improved latency and disaster recovery times, as well as the ability to access information from another data center location if their primary data center fails for any reason. The company also recently introduced a Gmail feature for BlackBerry users as a feature enabling access of email through Microsoft Outlook (1). The updates to Google Apps Premier Edition seem to emphasize the attempt by Google to tailor their software package towards businesses in an attempt to simplify everyday operations.

Many IT departments feel the cost of Google Apps Premier, as compared to Google Apps Standard, is not worth the upgraded benefits. Ultimately, managers must decide whether “some phone call support, guaranteed e-mail uptime, more e-mail storage and an API or two,” validate the $50 fee required each year from Google per user (2). However, the way in which Google Apps (both the Standard Edition and the Premier Edition) foster an environment for collaboration and the sharing of information seem to be reason enough to ignore the small hindrances of the programs. An environment which acknowledges the immense benefits of collaboration and cooperation will undoubtedly thrive.

References
(1) Lynch, C.g. "Google Apps Premier Edition Gets Key Improvements." NETWORKWORLD, 7 July 2009. Web. 17 Mar. 2010. .
(2) Ericson, Richard. "First Look: Google Apps Premier Addition." Business Center. PCWorld, 23 Feb. 2007. Web. 17 Mar. 2010. .
(3) Carr, David F. "Google Apps: The Free Version's Best Features." Forbes.com. 17 Mar. 2010. Web. 17 Mar. 2010. .
(4) Woods, Dan. "Why Google Apps Need Fixing." Forbes.com. 26 Jan. 2010. Web. 17 Mar. 2010. .

Cloud computing: really useful or a load of hot air?

Companies are arguing over whether or not they think that cloud computing is useful or not. Businesses are focusing more on cost saving strategies rather than improvements. One poll found that half of respondents either did not know if cloud computing was important or said it was of little or no importance when it comes to improving the operation and cost-effectiveness of their IT environment over the next two years. Scott Swanburg, the director of the service provider program at Citrix, says that there are three elements that need to be considered to win over end users: simplicity, seamlessness and security. Ian Cummins, vice president of EMEA sales at Network Instruments, says it uses cloud computing in the form of CRM behemoth Salesforce.com. “It is the life-blood of our company,” he says. “It touches every single part of our company.” Although cloud computing has moved down on the list of importance for companies, in the future the simplicity and cost saving strategies that this method offers will be recognized and implemented.

Cloud computing is defined by WikiInvest as an emerging computing technology that uses the internet and central remote servers to maintain data and applications. Cloud computing allows consumers and businesses to use applications without installation and access their personal files at any computer with internet access. All this seems extremely helpful for businesses and I believe that it would allow them to gain a competitive advantage in the technologically advanced world that we live in today. I think that companies are focusing too much on cost saving strategies and not realizing that the use of the cloud computing would ultimately save them in costs. If companies could see past their cost saving strategies and realize the usefulness of the cloud, they would ultimately be more successful.

"Lionel Lamy, software and services research director at IDC, says only a third of business customers are now bothered about improving their overall IT service levels, down from half in 2008." To me, this seems strange because I believe that IT is the new up and coming phenomenon in the business world, and in order for businesses to get ahead, they really must be prepared to compete with one another at the IT level. With the prices of impelementing the cloud being relatively low, companies should take advantage of this now before competing companies realize the significance of the product and the prices shoot through the roof. In the business world that we live in today, being ahead and on your toes is crucial. Cloud computing is bound to rule the business world whether companies want to accept it or not, and if they want to be able to operate in an ever-changing business world, they should really think about the usefulness of cloud computing.


References

Doidge, Fleur. "Cloud computing: really useful or a load of hot air?" CRN. 17 March 2010. Accessed from channelweb.co.uk.

Why Be Standard When You Can Customize?

When most companies implement a CRM system they are hoping to gain a competitive advantage over their competitors. The process of this implementation can be long and costly, but for most the investment will be worth the investment.
To help make a CRM system better and more profitable, they must find a way to make their system work better than the next company. To do this most effectively Christopher Bucholtz says that a company must look to its customers for the answers. When a customer returns to a company, the company should have a full profile on the client already so that they may help the customer in the fastest manner. Customer service is the key to retaining customers and building customer loyalty today. We no longer live in the age where mass emails are sent to every person on a company’s contact list, the emails are customized according to the habits and trends of the specific customer. As we learned in the presentation by Brian McManus, the director of technical infrastructure at Under Armour, the same marketing strategy cannot be used to get mothers to buy Under Armour for their children, as they use to convince college students to try Under Armour. Under Armour has a highly developed CRM system that tracks customers from the first time they enter the site. Under Armour know what the person buys, how much they buy, how frequently purchases are made, and also many demographic facts about the person from surveys and other websites the client visits. This specialized data according to Bucholtz is what will separate the CRM leaders in the future.
To Increase revenues in a tough market, the company must find out what makes new customers come back to the company and help make this experience available to all the companies’ customers. If one person returns to a company because of something the company did for them, the idea is that this service would bring other customers back too. In today’s market it is much more cost effective to retain clients, than to have to market to new customers. If a company can adjust their current CRM system slightly based on customer comments, the company can position themselves to increase both sales and their profit.

Reference
(1) Tricks of Your Trade: Little Things That Can Make CRM Better By Christopher J. Bucholtz http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/69479.html

CRM's + social networking = success?

Although it has been awhile since we have talked about CRM systems in class, I continue to find them very interesting, and decided to write my blog about a new concept that has just recently been worked into many companies called the social CRM. CRM encompasses all aspects of customer resource management, from initial purchase to the follow-ups, troubleshooting, and repairs. Companies invest millions of dollars in setting up calling centers to help customers who have issues with their product. However, problems have arisen as customers turn to their peers (rather than trained professionals) for help. This is what the article “Social CRM's Point of First Impact” from the CRM Buyer section of the E-Commerce Times addresses.

As young adults, we are all very in touch with what is 'trendy', and an obvious trend on line recently has been social networking sites like Twitter, Myspace, and Facebook. These are sites where we can interact and communicate with our peers and other people who have similar interests. The idea of a social CRM is very similar, but geared towards a specific product. Social CRM's are interfaces where the different users of a product can get together to share problems and solutions that only other day-to-day users of a product would have encountered, and the solutions that they would have attempted that have not worked, along with those that have. It was suggested in the article that agents of the company should also monitor the site to weed out unhelpful comments and post correct responses of their own.

Although there is no denying that this is an innovative idea based on the technological wants and needs of a new generation of consumers, the jury is out on whether this is actually a good idea or not. Chris Bucholz, author of the article, argues that this is the means by which consumers are now comfortable solving problems: after trial and error on his/her own, the consumer turns to either peer evaluation or research of unidentified fellow users who they do not need to call in to talk to (specifically, posts on the topic brought up through Google). Therefore, this type of CRM would fulfill the need of a correct answer, and also keep the consumer in his or her comfort zone. In addition, it might cut calls into the service center, thereby cutting costs for other forms of CRM. Social CRM's would essentially turn everyone into a do-it-yourself man who actually knows the correct way to do it themselves. Costly after-the-sale service would no longer be a nuisance, and customers could get the answers they are looking for with less additional cost to the company. This is important because, in this economy, it is just as important to cut costs as it is to keep customers.

However, I worry about something that was brought up in the article, but not specifically addressed as problems. One of the reasons that Bucholtz claims it is important to have good Customer Resource Management is because “Customers are increasingly taking their service questions to their peers first...causing the company to now be merely the cause of the problem and not part of the solution.” Therefore, a networking site wouldn't address the issue of customer frustration with the company, only the issue of frustration with the product. Once this issue is solved, social CRM's will be a good addition to any arm of customer service.

(1) http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/69520.html

(2) http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2009/03/22/the-future-of-twitter-social-crm/

New RPM System Will Allow Info in Real Time

We live in a world in which information systems are becoming a crucial part of business’ operating procedures. Technology like CRM and ERP systems are continuously being improved and becoming more complex. The newest system that has entered the market is from Progress Software and is called Progress Responsive Process Management (RPM). This system combines business process management, complex event processing and network monitoring technologies and is the first integration of this type. Besides the fact that this new system combines all three technologies it is also unique because it is responsive in real time. This system is able to do this by detecting changes in conditions and important events in data as it streams (1). According to a statement that Progress released one of the biggest benefits of this RPM system is that “users can ‘see and automate the response to what is about to happen in their business, not just what has happened’” (2). In theory this new system will be providing businesses with the opportunity to not only make decisions about events that have happened but also about events that are going to be happening in the future. This provides businesses with the opportunity to be one step ahead, providing them with a competitive edge.

On Progress Software’s website the advertisement for this new RPM system has the slogan “Continuously improve your business’ operational responsiveness” (3). Additionally, the website claims the benefits of this new system are that companies will gain real time visibility, be able to immediately sense and respond, and continuously improve their business’ process (4). As apparent the defining quality of this new system is the immediate access to information that users are provided with. While this new technology is going to be helpful to numerous businesses the article stated that it is going to be extremely useful in fields such as the airline industry. This is because this is an industry where real time information is very important. If airline companies are able to monitor their flights they will be able to notice delays earlier and consequently alert customers and make changes.

Through use of the RPM system businesses will be able to boost efficiency because they will always be provided with up to the minute data. If used to help with information such as flight delays then this system will also be boosting customer service as well. I believe that the combination of these three systems will be a great benefit for companies because it will help to consolidate various outlets of information. Additionally, I think if effective in its primary locations this RPM system will quickly spread to a variety of different business. This system has the potential to be helpful in all different industries because all companies can benefit from having quicker, more consolidated and efficient information. Having the ability to know about events before they happen will be a huge help in avoiding or managing arising problems. Overall the RPM system will help to relay important information, allow for quicker problem solving, and enhance the overall progress of the companies.

References

(1) Doug Henschen, “Progress Releases Real Time BPM Suite”, Information Week, March 15, 2010, http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/open_source/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=223800265&subSection=News (accessed March 15, 2010)
(2) Doug Henschen, “Progress Releases Real Time BPM Suite”, Information Week, March 15, 2010, http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/open_source/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=223800265&subSection=News (accessed March 15, 2010)
(3) “Progress Responsive Process Management (RPM)”, Progress Software. 2010. Web. March 15, 2010. http://web.progress.com/en/business-need/responsive-process-management.html
(4) “Progress Responsive Process Management (RPM)”, Progress Software. 2010. Web. March 15, 2010. http://web.progress.com/en/business-need/responsive-process-management.html

SAP Execs Pledge Speedier Product Innovation

Recently SAP, the largest maker of business software applications and a leader in ERP, has switched management from Leo Apothekor to Chief Executives Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe. Apothekor lost his position in February after holding the title for less than a year--a year in which SAP saw its sales decline. With the new executives the company is planning to take a new course of action and boost the speed of production of their new products. The German company is taking this new approach as a bold new strategy to reverse the dip in sales that led to the firing of their former CEO.
The new CEO McDermott "promised to 'radically speed up' the pace of innovation at SAP."[1] SAP plans on doing this radical increase in output by greatly increasing the amount of acquisitions the company makes. The first affect of the new approach will be the July release of the company's new version of the Business by Design software, which is an online package of application for small and medium size businesses. The new development plan expects sales to rise by 1% in 2010 and hopes to eliminate the former criticisms about slow paced releases and lack of implementation of new programs that can be accessed through the web and mobile devices.
One strategy being used to increase the pace of new engineering of products is an increase in company-wide efficiency. In the new version of Business by Design software SAP was able to use about two-thirds of the amount of engineers used in previous similar products, that equates to hundreds less employees working on the project. Along with the new idea of efficiency and production rather than Apotheker's 'sales focus' management plans on catering to customer's needs.
I think that the strategy that SAP is planning to take will be very beneficial for the company for sales in the long run. The new sense of urgency that management is planning to take will give customers more trust with the company and the customers will be sure that SAP will always be a leader in the ever present ERP system integration. The efficiency and innovative engineering will ensure that SAP is a worldwide leader in business management tools giving the companies that choose SAP the software that they need to manage their databases in the best possible manner. I think that the acquisitions of other companies will also help SAP to boost their innovation with new talent and new products that can add to their sales mix and allow them the outlets for expansion that they will need. Overall I think the risk that they are taking with a different form of management and a new bold quicker-paced business plan will be well worth the switch and will pay off for SAP.

1. "SAP Execs Pledge Speedier Product Innovation - BusinessWeek." BusinessWeek - Business News, Stock Market & Financial Advice. Web. 17 Mar. 2010. .

CRM and BI systems Improve Pharmaceutical Companies

PLIVA, one of the most successful pharmaceutical companies in the market, is headquartered and Croatia and is the leading pharmaceutical company in Central and Eastern Europe. The company has over 1200 products and works with hospitals, pharmacies, and other medical care institutions. The company is very dependent on their sales teams to work with customers; the problem was that the sales teams in different countries were using different software and business tools, which created difficulties within the company. Igor Haralovic, the CEE Region Marketing and Sales Effectiveness Director said, “The flow of information from the sales teams to the head office was slow and marketing and sales people were unable to access the right information they needed to make the right decisions” (1). The slow flow of information reduced the companies effectiveness in the market, negatively affected costs, and made sale goals difficult to reach because of the lag time in information.

Another challenge the company had to overcome dealt with their infrastructure – the sales force only had old hardware and software, along with slow Internet connection, which made it difficult to work online. By reading about the sales force at PLIVA, it is clear that they needed to improve upon their systems in order to better the effectiveness of their sales teams, which they so heavily depend on. For a solution, Haralovic said, “One of the key requirements was cost effectiveness of the solution. We were looking at a number of solutions, including market leaders in CRM solutions for the pharmaceutical industry” (1).

Their solution in the end was add.PHARMA by the company ADD, which was designed specifically for the pharmaceutical industry that includes both Business Intelligence and CRM functions. The CRM supported their marketing and sales personnel and offered many functions, including cross- selling, sales support, and marketing campaign execution. The information gathered was constantly updated between the users and office, which allowed the company to keep better track of their sales team’s performance (1). It is clear that the CRM function really improved upon the effectiveness of their sales teams to gather more accurate data, which ultimately helped PLIVA provide better and more specific products for their customers.

The new Business Intelligence system was used to reduce time to provide sales reports and allowed for data to be refreshed more quickly. The company used it to analyze sales data and get information from a number of different data sources, which allowed them “ a comprehensive overview of the market and gauge their sales on the ground” (1).

There are so many benefits from the add.PHARMA solution that is was the best decision for the company to implement it. The most important benefit being that the CRM application allowed the sales and marketing departments to link information, which enabled the company more control over the sales force (1). In my opinion, this solution was definitely the best because it allowed for the flow of knowledge to circulate throughout all departments, which ultimately enabled the company to better their sales force, which they deemed most important in the company. It also allowed them more and accurate information on their customers so they could better fit their needs. Overall, PLIVA made their company much stronger in the market by adding CRM and BI systems.

References:

(1)"Leading Pharmaceutical Company Uses CRM and BI to Drive Business Results." NGP: Next Generation Pharmaceutical. ADD D.o.o., 5 Aug. 2009. Web. 16 Mar. 2010. .