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Some
Thoughts on What Can be Done
With a Properly Designed Database
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The following was written by one of my customers
after telling him I was going to put up a website. I was totally surprised that
he went to the effort to write the document with no encouragement from myself.
When I questioned him on why he wrote it, he stated that we were able to show
him ways to track his company that he was sure were not possible and wanted
others to know what we can do.
By the way, if you live or work in the metro Kansas City area, and need lunch
for 5 or 500
Call Grandma's Office Catering at (816) 472-6362 or see their menu
at http://www.grandmascatering.com/
Presented with permission from Grandma's Deli & Catering
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Forms from
different applications written by Business & Computers, Inc. were added to
further illustrate the solution. |
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Fact:
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Many
small to mid-size businesses don’t know the true costs of their product |
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Solution: |
Do
you know the current exact cost of each product you manufacture? How
about the cost of bought products including a portion of labor and fixed
costs? How do you factor in the rise in costs of raw material or the
effect of making/selling 13% more widgets per person based on current
sales? A database easily tracks and brings all of that information and
more to your fingertips. It allows accurate and instant analysis of
pricing and profitability, not just of each product, but of groups of products
assigned to a product line. You might actually find that you would be
more profitable with less work by eliminating a group of products you thought
were adding to your bottom line. |
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Above -
Products Cost Form for a Printing Division of a Fortune 500 Company.
Everything They do, They Charge Back to Other Divisions of the Company. |
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Fact:
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Virtually
all business suffer from theft and product loss |
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Solution: |
While product loss can
never be eliminated, stringent controls utilizing a database management system
will let you know almost immediately when and where a loss occurs. You
will see even greater savings as your staff participates in inventory control
and see first-hand the accountability for each product, each void, each
discount. Database management goes far beyond theft and cost
control. Once you know what is sold and what is used, an accurate
ordering system is an easy extension.
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Above - A Group of Reports
from Grandma's Deli & Catering Application |
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Fact: |
Most
businesses don’t use databases to bolster their marketing campaigns |
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Solution: |
Once you have tracked
your products to find what sells and what doesn’t, that data can by utilized to
make marketing decisions based on profits! An inexpensive marketing
campaign can easily be supported by a well built database. Send
personalized letters with ease from that same database. Even custom
labels for your products or reminder postcards verifying a client’s appointment
or product availability can be just a keystroke away. Some of the most
cost effective marketing campaigns have been centered around a focused group of
profitable clients and/or profitable featured products, both of which are
easily targeted with a customized database.
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Above - Sales Information for each Company from Jobs Done
in a Program We Wrote for a Construction Company.
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Fact: |
Many
businesses’ payroll merely prints checks |
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Solution: |
With setup of a proper
database, payroll can not only calculate regular and overtime hours, multiple
bonuses based on units, percentages and more, but can assign those costs to
customers or products. This system creates the paycheck, but more
importantly creates a system to track costs and profit centers.
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Above - Payroll Screen from the Payroll part of Grandma's Deli & Cateringa
program.
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Fact: |
In
summary, many companies don’t fully utilize the benefits of a database to
create accountability |
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Solution: |
A
system can be created to enter a client’s order into a database one time.
From there, a keystroke can produce invoices on letterhead, billing statements,
preparation reports both for that client and entire company-wide production
needs for a particular day or period. From there, missing product
can be researched. Profits can be tracked by dollar and percents.
Informed decisions on pricing and product lines come with ease. A simple
click of the mouse will provide custom labels and even assign production &
deliveries by staff, zip code or other criteria. You can then market to
those customers utilizing a particular product in a direct, inexpensive
manner.
In summary, you will see
greater sales, lower waste, theft and product cost with a noticeable rise in
bottom-line profits!
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Above - Job Sceduling Card (the employee takes to the job)
from a Program We Wrote for a Construction Company.
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Copyright
Copyright © 2004, by Business & Computers, Inc. All rights reserved.
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