We would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. May 2017 be your best year yet!
2016
APD Ltd
APD Ltd
Annan, Scotland www.apd-ltd.com Follow On Twitter
With two offices located in Annan and Aberdeen, APD Ltd have been designing and installing state of the art process control systems up and down the country and overseas for over 25 years. Providing solutions to problems is what APD does best, so what happened when they came up against a problem of their own?
Things Were Starting To Go Wrong
As business was starting to really take off, Technical Director Jim Main realised that they way were running things was slowing down their growth:
We had a hotchpotch of slow Access Databases, Spreadsheets and Ledger Books. None of them were easily accessible or ‘talking’ to each other – a ridiculous situation for any company, never mind one with around 25 employees at the time.
APD knew that they need to find a solution which could bring all aspects of their business together on one reliable, uniform platform that would grow with them.
Accounting Packages Just Don’t Cut It
The first thing the company did was to upgrade their exisiting Accounts system to see if it could handle things like quotes, but it quickly became apparent that it just wasn’t working:
Our Accounts package is great for accounts but definitely not for the day to day running of a company. Plus when we realised that once you commit an entry, there’s no go back without a lot of painful fiddling we knew it just wasn’t what we were looking for. We needed more.
APD Ltd Has Gone From Strength To Strength
Since embracing Ornavi fully as their business management tool, APD Ltd record all their customer, supplier, job and company information and say that this is saving the company enormous amounts of time and money:
Everything is connected so we are operating much more efficiently. For example we can knock up a 50 page quote ridiculously quickly. Then if the quote gets accepted, a few clicks and we can start generating purchase orders, assigning team members to projects and eventually track job costings in real time. It’s incredible.
Even the employees who are always working on site, up and down the country love the time saving element of the system. They can access the information they need, quickly, easily, regardless of where they are.
Any Highlights?
Jim explained there is so much about the system that he and the rest of the team love but that there is one thing in particular that sticks out:
Ornavi has given me tremendous peace of mind and I don’t care what industry you work in, that is invaluable.
Rab Corder Group
Rab Corder Group
Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland www.askrab.com Follow On Facebook
Business owner Rab Corder owns and runs a successful bathroom, kitchen & bedroom design and installation company based in South West Scotland. The team at Ask Rab pride themselves in their ability to provide a full plan, design and installation service with minimum hassle and disruption to the client.
Why Look For a Job Management System?
At the start of 2015 they reached a new level of busy and Rab decided it was time to get organised.
We needed something to bring everything all together. Most of the business was being run in my head, the rest on spreadsheets and it was all disjointed. The company was really starting to grow and we needed to bring it all into one place.
Collaboration & Traceability
One of the main things Rab was looking for was an improvement to the availability of information and the communication between members of his team. He wanted to give any one the ability to pick up on a job, without having to go through him or use his computer where all the information was being stored.
Since coming on board in early 2015, the whole workflow process has changed for the better because of the improved communication and availability of information.
“We needed something to bring everything all together. Most of the business was being run in my head, the rest on spreadsheets and it was all disjointed. The company was really starting to grow and we needed to bring it all into one place.”
There are many other aspects of Ornavi that makes life easier for Rab and his team but for him, the winner is the slick and professional quotes module. A huge portion of Rab’s working day is dedicated to designing custom quotes for his customers which he used to manually create using a template built with Microsoft Excel.
“No two clients want the same so to do a quote, it used to take me about an hour. I used to be working until 8 or 9 every night just to catch up. Now it’s not an issue, I can rattle a brand new quote off in 10 minutes with the customer sitting there. And we’re busier now – if we had still been using the old system there’s no way I would have been able to cope.“
Rab Corder Group Are No Longer Losing Money
Before Ornavi, Rab reckons they were probably losing thousands of pounds in unrecorded work being carried out in addition to the main project.
“During a job, a customer might ask for a fan to be added or a fuse box to be upgraded and my guys will pick up what they need and carry out the work but that wasn’t getting passed back to the office so we were losing a lot of money. Thousands probably.”
But now, any member of his team can flag up additional work like this, whilst on site which means the staff back at the office can catch it in time before the invoice goes out.
Ornavi Is Different From The Rest
With other systems I looked at, you get the impression it’s being developed by people who will never need to use it, and without any consultation with the people who will and in my eyes that’s a huge problem in the software industry. Whereas Ornavi has been built and shaped through the eyes of the people who are using it. That’s what makes it stand apart from the rest.
MSM Electrical
MSM Electrical and Ornavi
Peterhead, Aberdeenshire www.msmelectricalservices.co.uk
MSM Electrical Services is a domestic, commercial and industrial electrical contractors based in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire that a little over a year ago decided if they wanted to maintain their success, something needed to change. We asked Technical Manager, Glenn Colley to explain.
Time For A Change
Previous to Ornavi MSM Electrical were running the business with a hand written system that was starting to make planning work difficult.
I sometimes work out with the office so I was looking for something that would give me remote access to our past, current and potential jobs.
After spending valuable time looking at various online job management tools, Glenn explained that none compared to Ornavi:
We quickly realised that Ornavi was ideal for the business in respect to what we wanted it to do. The free trial was very useful and after a short period we realised that the system was simple to use and delivered exactly what we were looking for. The pricing was very competitive so our minds were mades up.
Were There Any Reservations?
Due to MSM Electrical’s remote location, there were initial concerns about accessing the system, with it being cloud-based:
We were nervous about being able to connect to Ornavi but we can log in no problem when working remotely from the office wherever we have a WiFi or data connection.
How Has Ornavi Helped Organise Your Business?
Glenn maintains that Ornavi has changed the way MSM Electrical do business for the better by simplifying a number of processes and freeing up time to concentrate on other important things.
We have reduced the time it takes to create job records, quotes and so on. Ornavi has been a valued addition to our business.
The company think Ornavi is an excellent visual aid, that allows them to see exactly what work is outstanding, current and upcoming.
Has It Been A Good Experience?
As a customer facing business that takes pride in its level of service, Glenn knows the importance of good customer support and the team at Ornavi did not disappoint.
Thanks to an initial telephone consultation and the ongoing support we had during the trial, we felt reassured that Ornavi would deliver for us. Since then the customer service aspect of our experience has been outstanding. Our dedicated customer support rep is always professional, polite and helpful. We couldn’t ask for anymore.
Since subscribing to Ornavi over a year ago, Glenn is pleased with one other aspect of their experience so far:
Every business is different, and since we subscribed we have asked for some additional features within the software. These have now been implemented and we are more than happy! I would definitely recommend Ornavi to other businesses.
Business Expo 2016
Tomorrow we are exhibiting at the first ever Dumfries & Galloway Business Expo. It’s free entry so why not come along and see what’s going on. Easterbrook Hall 10am – 6pm.
Most Promising New Business 2016
We are proud to announce that Ornavi is a finalist in the Most Promising New Business category of Dumfries & Galloway Chamber of Commerce Business Awards!
How To Make GOOD Business Resolutions
How To Make GOOD Business Resolutions
New Year’s Resolutions are not just for losing weight, getting fit and eating less – they are just as applicable to your business as they are to you personally. But both have one problem in common…they just don’t stick. So how do we make GOOD business resolutions?
By February (unsurprisingly) almost half of us will have ditched our New Year’s Resolutions in favour of that donut, cigarette or large glass of wine. Or in business terms, we will have reverted back to the “good ol’ way” of procrastinating, stuffing things in a drawer and burying our heads in the sand. Sound familiar? Unfortunately it happens all too often. But luckily for you, we have just what you need! Forget the January, and follow this guide to ensure you make GOOD business resolutions that stick, anytime of the year!
…and don’t worry, the donut eaters can apply these techniques just as effectively!
Step 1: Record
The first step of creating good business resolutions that will stick, is to determine exactly what it is you want to achieve. Before you can plan how to successfully achieve your goals, you first need to articulate them and you would be surprised how much putting pen to paper can actually help with this. The key to good goals is to make them SMART:
S-pecificM-easurableA-chievableR-ealisticT-ime Based
There’s no point in deciding your company goal for 2016 is simply to double your profits. It’s a great long-term objective but it’s too wide to be able to realistically make plans to achieve it. Instead you need to think of smaller steps that will/could contribute to the overall goal. For example, improve staff skills via training; try social media advertising or reduce company wastage. These are small steps, that will make a difference to that larger end target.
You ideally want to make goals that you can track the progress of, so that everyone involved can gauge how well they are progressing. Having measurable goals will make reviewing and rewarding your efforts a much simpler task later down the line.
There is no harm in aiming high but you need to ensure that the goals you set for your business are achievable. Setting your team tasks that are almost certainly unachievable is actually more destructive and will lower motivation and morale. In the same breathe, they still need to be challenging or there is no point in making them in the first place. It’s about balance.
Similar to Achievable, this is about making goals that are rational and realistic to your business capabilities. There is no point setting goals that are out of reach, and destined for failure as this is demotivating for staff and ultimately counter-productive to realising your resolutions. For example a micro start up company are unlikely to achieve the status of market leader by the end of year 1 – even if that would be the ultimate dream.
It is good idea to set your business goals within a time frame. When do you want to achieve them by? Having open ended goals is a recipe for disaster as there is no pressure for them to actually be achieved. However they don’t all have to be achieved by the same point in time, there is no problem with having both long and short term goals built into your business plan for the year.
Once you are clear on exactly what it is you want to achieve, it will make achieving your resolutions that much easier and it is great for referring back to. Of course, you don’t have to follow this method for recording your goals but it’s smart for a reason…
Step 2: Recount
There’s no point in keeping a good idea to yourself! Once you know what it is you want to achieve, it’s time to include your team. There is no end to the positives of sharing the company goals with your employees. First of all, they need to know what you expect from them going forward. If you are dealing with changes within you company, the chances are you will need your team to share the workload.
Your team will feel valued, motivated and empowered if you make your plans for the business transparent. By including your employees you keep everyone aiming in the same direction you are and you also avoid losing the trust of the people who play a key role in keeping your company running.
Another perk of including your team in the project is the chance to get another perspective. When you have been working on an idea continually either yourself or with the same team of people, it is easy to get tunnel vision. Sharing it with a fresh pair of eyes, may shed light on something you have missed.
Step 3: Resolve
There is a difference between a resolution and having the resolve to see something through. Resolutions are essentially the statements of intent which is a great starting point, but having the resolve to continue with them is more about making a commitment.
“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.” Peter F. Drucker
Resolution breakers that give up too easily, do so because the novelty wears off or other priorities take place. To combat this, you need to get in the right frame of mind. If you start to feel a loss of momentum, remind yourself of why you started in the first place and what the end goal will mean to your company if you are successful. Not to mention how good it will make you feel!
It’s time to test your resolve…go ahead and see if you can solve the puzzle without losing your cool.
Steps: 0
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Step 4: Review
You might feel like you have been making waves with your new resolutions but don’t forget to revisit your goals frequently. Only you can decide how frequent this should be. Daily, weekly, every fortnight? Whatever you decide, plan your reviews in and stick to them. If you made your goal measurable, assess how successful it has been and tweak if necessary. The review process also helps hold people accountable for their responsibilities, including yourself.
If you feel like you are not making much progress with your business resolutions, it can make you feel extremely demotivated. Setting aside some time to review where you are at, gives you an opportunity to assess where improvements can be made. What you want to avoid is a culture of “We aren’t getting anywhere so what is the point?”.
Step 5: Reward
Set milestones and if you reach them, reward the people that made it happen – including yourself! Celebrate in a meaningful way and be sure to make specific mention of what has been accomplished, why it is important and how it has made a difference to the business. Not only does celebrating our successes boost morale and express gratitude to those involved, it reinforces our motivations for carrying out the next challenge.
Tip: Don’t go overboard as you run the risk of making the reward “the norm”. This step is more about building a culture of appreciation in where your employees feel good about their continual hard work and contributions.
Step 6: Repeat
If you were committed and organised enough to achieve what you set out to do, firstly congratulations! But the party doesn’t stop there. You now know what you can achieve so it makes sense to repeat this winning formula either to expand on the current success or to create new resolutions.
If you didn’t reach your goal then it is important not to see it as a failure but as an opportunity to learn something about your business. Set some time aside to evaluate what went wrong. Were the goals unrealistic? Were your ideas for the company met with too much friction from key people within the business? Maybe you just didn’t have the time? By pinpointing the specifics of why you were unable to meet your goals, you can repeat these steps with some tweaks and adjustments to improve the likelihood of their success.
Hopefully you have found our 6 steps on How To Make Good Business Resolutions. If you have any other hints and tips for creating and achieving great business goals then let us know!
Time For A Change?
For some top tips on how you can make positive changes to your business, visit the blog now!