SmartOffice Feature of the Week - Smart Tags
I know. Lately it would be better called “Feature of the Month”. Well this week we have a huge feature to make up for it. Smart Tags.
What are Smart Tags you ask. They are just the biggest new feature available in APD 3.0. Tags allow you to format the Scope of Work and Terms sections of your proposals. Use them to add larger fonts or bold text for headers, add the client name or address to the welcome letter automatically, or even add photographs and text wrapping.
There are four types of tags that you can use:
- Formatting Tags: Use these to add formatting to certain text in your document. (e.g. bold, underline, or font size or color)
- Data Tags: Use these to add data from your database into the Scope or Terms. (e.g. personalize the scope with the client name and address or add a section to the contract that shows the totals from the proposal)
- Picture Tags: Use this to add pictures and text wrapping into your document.
- Conditional Tags: Conditional tags can be use with data tags to include or hide certain sections based on the content of the proposal. For example: If you have certain text that you want to included in the contract when you install a home automation system. You can create a conditional tag for that text to only be included if home automation is a discipline in the proposal.
If you take the time to really understand the Smart Tags you will not regret it. Combined with SmartOffice Boilerplates, you can make one Scope of work and use it for every proposal that you make in the future. Click Here to download a pdf of the documentation for Smart Tags. Remember that you must have APD 3.0 installed to use this great feature. If you don’t, contact our tech support team to get the links to upgrade to the latest version.
CEDIA VIP Preview
If you haven’t received your CEDIA VIP Preview yet either electronically or in the mail, here is an article talking about the new Control System Integration feature in SmartOffice that integrates with Control4.
You can see the original here.
Simply Reliable Software’s Weekly Training Series
SRS Draw
Please join us Wednesday August 26th, 2009 at 12:00 PM EDT for this week’s free training. Tom will be discussing SRS Draw for SmartOffice. Subjects to include block, pictorial, rack, and floorplan drawings as well as equipment set up. You may begin logging into the webinar at 11:45AM EDT. Follow this link for more information.
I Had a Dream Too…
About six or seven years ago my systems integration business in Cleveland was going pretty well. The biggest problem was keeping up with getting proposals out, project managing them, and ensuring that the feature sets I promised were delivered in the programming. I found Jonathan Knapp and Simply Reliable Software after having a disastrous and expensive experience with someone else (now I am not doing a commercial for SmartOffice here it is just a point in the story). Using SmartOffice solved my issue with keeping up with proposals and the project management side of things.
The problem was getting my exact expectations, features, and devices into our programmers heads out through their fingertips, into the computer, out to the control processor, and finally to the user interface so that my customer would know this is exactly what I signed up for without any question.
I had the good fortune to be one of the first 30 dealers to visit Salt Lake to see Eric Smith and Will West’s new product and company Control4. I was quite excited about the pricing level and the simplicity of the programming. When the BIG IDEA hit me… Why couldn’t I send all the information from the proposal right through to the controller. I pitched my idea to Will West, he thought it was a good idea so I introduced Jonathan to Control4. This was back in 2004-2005 time frame. I was outside of both companies, a dealer and client pushing for an idea.
Well Back to The Future we are Obi Wan (is this a mixed metaphor?). Now working with Simply Reliable I began re-introducing this concept a year and a half ago. The Simply Reliable engineering staff has worked really hard to deliver this idea. Control4 and their entire engineering and sales team have been very supportive. We are now on the cusp of changing how systems integrators do business. If you are reading the blog then I am sure you have seen the e-mail blast that states “This Button Changes Everything.” Trust me it will!
If you are going to CEDIA visit us at booth 1459. If you are a Simply Reliable client currently and a Control4 dealer and would like to be involved in the Beta release of this FREE module or would like to hear more call us or e-mail us and we will fill you in on this new revolutionary feature.
I’d like to thank Jonathan Knapp, Eric Smith, Will West, Chris Jaffe, and Ernie Coulter for making my dream come true.
By the way, there is more to come… Keep watching it is going to get very exciting.
Related Contacts
Related Contacts is a feature that may be used to associate contacts and also projects.
First select the main contact from the contact list.
This contact will be the one that has other contacts/projects related to.
Now navigate to the Related Contacts. This is located in Contacts - Related Contacts.
You will have a tab for Projects and for Contacts.
Each section has a list of contacts on the left.
Click the plus sign next to the contact and this contact will now be related to the original selected contact.
This feature is good to use when you need alternate bill to and also to relate different job sites to one contact.
Simply Reliable Software’s Weekly Training Series- Inventory
Inventory
Please join us Wednesday August 19th, 2009 at 12:00 PM EDT for this week’s free training. Tom will be discussing managing inventory with Smartoffice. You may begin logging into the webinar at 11:45AM EDT. Follow this link for more details.
Are You Using Simply Reliable’s FREE Training?
We have many dealers throughout the world and are proud of our association with them. Companies using SmartOffice tend to be more aware of tracking where they are and a little more immune to the economy. So congratulations to our clients!
My question is are you using ALL of the software to its maximum potential? I am not trying to sell you more modules or more seats, although I certainly won’t stop you either, I am asking you to look at all the power in the Smartoffice ecosystem and ask yourself “How can I best utilize this and receive the best return on my investment”?
If you are reading this then you are aware of the new website. Great! Are you aware of the videos that have been added to the site? Are you aware of the weekly FREE trainings on Wednesdays at 12:00PM Eastern Time? Or the FREE Webinars Simply Reliable offers about every six weeks on business topics?
The training is there to help you and your team utilize the software to its fullest extent. You can view the schedule online and see what topics you would like to attend. After the training I stay on the meeting for as long as necessary for a kind of “Ask the Expert” session. I am totally there for you.
If you or someone in your company has ideas for trainings you feel are not available, send me an e-mail at tcoffin@simplyreliable.com and request the subject and I will see what I can do about accomodating everyone. If you have gone past the basics remember we can provide private training online or at your facility.
Remember, working on your business’ processes will ultimately reap enormous rewards in bottom line profit, less employee turn over and longer customer retention.
APD - Wrong product graphics or no product graphics
Rarely, but sometimes, APD may bring in the wrong product graphics or no product graphics. This has to do with the cache folder and APD not being cleared out after a lot of reload proposals. There is a quick and easy fix.
In APD, nagivate to the Products Tab ( Settings -> Graphics/Settings - > Products).
First click the “All” button.
Secon click the “Delete Cached Images” button.
Third click the “Reload Proposal” button.
Now the correct product images will be displayed in APD.
Simply Reliable Software’s Weekly Training Series
Projects and Scheduling
Please join us Wednesday August 12th, 2009 at 12:00 PM EDT for this week’s free training. Tom will be discussing projects, Gantt charts, work orders and scheduling. You may begin logging into the webinar at 11:45AM EDT.
Follow this link for more information.
Preparing for CEDIA
Much has been said in the press about the CEDIA Expo and your ROI (return on investment). This a really valid issue. In years past you may have looked at going to CEDIA to see your friends, attend some awesome parties, and see if there were any new toys. Again, the press would like you to change that because of the “economic conditions.”
In my companies we always prepared for CEDIA. This is one of the few shows to set your product selection, marketing, training schedule for the up-coming year. Here’s what we did, maybe it will help. First management would get together twice par year, once in January before CES and once in July preparing for CEDIA. The agenda was always the same. Review the disciplines we are supporting (Life Safety, Information Infrastructure, Communications, Distributed Audio, Distributed Video, Home Theatre, Video Surveillance, Lighting Control, Climate Control, Access Control, Systems Integration, Protection, Central Vacuum, Electrical, HVAC).Are there any we should delete? Are there any that need more of a marketing push? Are there any that need help with their “Feature Sets?” Are there ones we should add? Next we would analyze what manufacturers and models we were using in those disciplines. Did we need better price points, features, availability, etc.
From here we would create a needs list. This could a product, marketing support, a category and other related topics. Now a plan for the show was created. Sometimes the needs were many so we would assign tasks to individuals to go find this information at the show and bring it back to the group. Other years there were less issues and we could travel as a team. Whatever your case plan ahead.
Appointments: I feel very strongly this is a vastly underused tool. Just as your time is valuable so are the salespeople and technical support staff working the vendor’s booth. Plan ahead and schedule time, send them an agenda of what you would like to talk about, and be prepared. The person you are meeting with will respect this and be even more willing to help you.
Upon returning home, sit with your team and share your notes form the show. Explain what value the show brought you and your business. Begin thinking about how to get more out of the next show. I can’t say enough about thinking and writing down your goals whether it is specific to a show or how your business is run and where you intend on taking it. Plan, plan, plan.
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