Need New Software?

Struggling to figure out how to pay for new technology AND train your workers?

NYC Business Solutions Customized Training has funded many businesses in the same situation.  In many cases, business owners who didn’t think they could afford to purchase and train on new technology were able to use NYC Business Solutions Customized Training to do so.

The businesses we’ve helped span many sectors and industries. Here are three examples:

1. Gourmet Guru, a Bronx-based distributor of natural, organic, and artisanal food, is using Customized Training to transition from QuickBooks to two new integrated software tools: Microsoft Navision and Electronic Database Interchange (EDI). This transition is helping them improve inventory controls and purchasing. Many of its large customers (including Whole Foods and Food Emporium) had requested Gourmet Guru use EDI for sales order processing.  Currently Gourmet Guru employees are learning how to coordinate orders and shipping in real-time through the use of EDI.  Some employees are also learning advanced Navision features to better estimate margin per product, obtain greater inventory accuracy, and generate more accurate financial reporting. As a result of training, Gourmet Guru predicts staff will spend less time gathering and analyzing data and more time pursuing new business opportunities.
2. Reich Medical and Surgical Eye Care, a Brighton Beach-based ophthalmology practice formed 30 years ago, needed assistance in moving to a more efficient, digital practice model.  For over 30 years, the practice operated with paper records.  Manual processes related to insurance and authorizations led to long wait times for patients, low patient satisfaction, and fewer patient visits.  Using Customized Training, Reich has upgraded their computer infrastructure and trained staff on software that integrates insurance, billing, patient records, equipment, and pharmacy connections.  Final results are still pending but training on AdvancedMD software is expected to improve the efficiency of the front desk staff and the billers by about 3 minutes per patient encounter by automating a lot of the actions currently performed manually (such as checking if insurance has expired). Training on SRS software will improve efficiency for the front desk staff by about 2 min/encounter (the approximate amount of time it takes to pull and file back a chart).  As a result of the training, Reich expects to save 90 hours per month of overtime labor costs.
3. Staten Island-based Dome Property Management provides property management services to the New York Metropolitan area. Dome’s property management software was installed in 1999 and is no longer supported by the software manufacturer.  It lacks many time-saving features such as website integration and online payment and check processing.  Additionally, manual tracking of projects is slow, difficult to coordinate, and subject to errors. Using industry-standard Yardi software, employees are learning to conduct database queries, and create and analyze reports.  Employees are learning to use this software to process and track property management issues with greater efficiency and fewer errors.  As a result of the training and new software, Dome expects to save at least 80 hours of labor per month. 

How can you use new technology to grow your business? Consider the questions below: 

• Are there ways we can use software to automate some tasks we do manually now?
• Have we contacted our software vendors to see if there have been recent upgrades or improvements?
• Have we asked our suppliers/customers what kind of software they use? Could we integrate our systems with theirs?
• Do we have a customer relationship management software tool? Does it work for us?
• What software/technology do our competitors use?
• Are there ways we can integrate or combine the different software programs we already own?
• Are there modules or facets of the software programs we already use and own that we have not explored?

If you have questions or comments about how new technology could help your business – or how Customized Training could help you implement new technology – drop us a note below or email us directly at training@sbs.nyc.gov.

Sara Schlossberg is the Executive Director of Training for NYC Business Solutions. Please share her post on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and email.