Use Technology To Your Advantage

Use Technology To Your Advantage
November 1993

Each week, I'm enticed to buy new software and hardware products that come on the market. Most of these products are just new versions of what's already available, but once in a while I see entirely new ways of using technology to enhance our businesses.

I spend almost all of my workday away from my desk. To keep contact with my coworkers and customers, Phone messages and internal notes are sent to my electronic mailbox, and I can quickly read them when I drop by my desk or dial into the network using a modem. If I need to, I can print the phone messages and take them with me—I'll return the phone calls while I'm enroute to my next appointment.

I occasionally get teased because I carry a phone in my briefcase, but one of our largest customers switched to our company because I was able to quickly return a phone call—while I was walking across the Chamber of Commerce parking lot.

Ok, so this doesn't sound different than any other businessperson with a stack of “While You Were Out Notes” and a portable phone. And you're right, it isn't...yet.

A fair portion of the calls I receive are from people requesting information or documents. For example, customers often request specific keystrokes to perform a task.

By installing a computer fax/modem in my home computer, I can respond quickly to these document requests. If I'm closer to my home than office, I stop at home, dial into our corporate network via modem, and download the data I need. I create the requested document and fax it from my home computer. I don't have to return to the office to use a fax machine. The next step will be to connect a notebook computer with a fax/modem to my cellular phone!

I even leave my home computer fax machine on-line so I can receive faxes on evenings and weekends.

Our company often teams with hardware vendors during large network installations, During these projects, we merge our respective portions of an installation proposal together to create a single, complete document.

For example, last month I received an oral proposal request for a network installation. I contacted my hardware team company, and we quickly wrote our sections of the proposal. I received their potion of the proposal by modem and combined it with my portion. The finished proposal was faxed to the customer in less than an hour! This is for a project estimated at over $150,000!

By the way, to help all of us take advantage of fax/modems, WordPerfect Corporation has included the capability to send faxes in it's new word processing software: WordPerfect 6.0!

Another technology innovation that I've found useful is the CD (Compact Disk) reader. Some software vendors make their new products available on both diskette and CD. Our network operating system, Novell NetWare 4.01, was delivered on CD. If I want the diskettes, I can order them...for about $150 more!

Microsoft Windows NT was delivered on both diskette and CD. Faced with the option of installing the Windows NT software from 23 diskettes or 1 CD, guess which I chose!

I regularly keep a dictionary, encyclopedia, and grammar reference CD in my computer. I don't even have to walk across the room to use the dictionary!

Our corporate accounting firm switched from a shelf full of reference books to a tax law database on CD. Not only is the database more up-to-date, but the staff is able to more quickly search the database by using the automatic cross-reference features.

I'm suggesting that you consider how you can use new technologies to improve the way you work.

By combining electronic mail into your network system, fax/modems at the office and home, and CD readers, you create a competitive advantage. Use technology to help you work more efficiently.

Good luck!

David Stephen Murphy is President and CEO of Damar Group, Ltd. which presents computer training classes, publishes computer learning guides, and helps organizations do business on the Internet. The website is http://dgl.com, and Mr. Murphy may be reached at dave@dgl.com or 410.567.5366.

updated November 2, 1996
http://dgl.com/tbm/tbm9311.html