Business Software » Article http://www.danamarie.org Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:12:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 Selecting Business Names and Intellectual Property Law http://www.danamarie.org/selecting-business-names-and-intellectual-property-law http://www.danamarie.org/selecting-business-names-and-intellectual-property-law#comments Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:12:51 +0000 admin http://www.danamarie.org/selecting-business-names-and-intellectual-property-law

Whether a software license agreement is properly constructed for a transaction depends on a range of factors. Of course, management of intellectual property rights for the copyright owner is a key area for close consideration. This entails defining the territory – usually countries – for the use of the software.

Software Development Contracts

A key indicator for complexity is whether the software licence is or will be part of a larger agreement to develop software from scratch – that old-fashioned word bespoke may ring a few bells. When computer software is developed under a contract, the proper advice is that a document specifying what the software will do at the end of the day should be incorporated into the agreement. Whether it is referred to as the functional specification, functional requirements or the requirements document is immaterial. What is important is that it defines with reasonable clarity what the software will do; and of course on a functional level.

Packaged Software Contracts

On the other end of the spectrum is a software licence for packaged software. In this case, the software is not to be built to any person’s particular specification, but rather the software supplier has gone to trouble of identifying a need in a market and constructed the software to fill the gap in the market. Sometimes – and more frequently – niche software is built with configuration options to deal with a broad array of configurations to suit different flavours of businesses. So, an accountancy package may be tailored to businesses from 10 people to 1,000 people. The point is this: software of this nature is fundamentally packaged and is sold as it is. There may be a requirement for extended configuration to suit the particular client’s needs, but in the end it is packaged and not software built to anyone’s particular specification, as is the case with software development contracts.

The difference may be obvious in this regard, but time and time again the wrong contract is used due to misconception as to the fundamental nature of what is being delivered.

After determining the fundamental nature of the software, some of the other matters that are frequently dealt with in so called software license agreements are:

1. The provision of maintenance and support service

2. Installation and testing

3. Service level agreements, delivery of improvements (whether they are updates or upgrades, rather than hot fixes). The software related services may be agreed in a separate document or they may be incorporated into the same agreement as the software licence. We return to these below.

Intellectual Property Rights

Terms of License

Assuming that the software supplier does not intend to assign the copyright in the software to the licensee, the terms of the licence are of crucial importance to software suppliers’ further exploitation of the software.

On the most generic level, there are 3 types of licences that may be granted: non-exclusive licences, sole licences and exclusive licences. Licences though, as they are only ‘permissions’ may be framed in anyway the parties wish. A software supplier will often wish to licence their software to a number of clients. In this case, the licence will be a non-exclusive licence as the software supplier grants a non-exclusive right to the licensee to use the software. Sole licences do not appear too often, and they simply mean that the licensor (the software supplier) grants a single licence to a party to use the software, and they retain the right to use the software themselves. On the other end of the licensing spectrum is the exclusive licence. In the event that a software supplier wishes to grant the licensee the right to use the software to the exclusion of all others, an exclusive licence is granted. Some care needs to be taken when granting exclusive licences, as courts will look at the terms of the exclusive licence and decide whether it is in substance an assignment. If it is, then a court will order that the licence term was not at law a licence at all, but rather an assignment and thus divesting the software supplier of all rights in the software.
Here is a brief example of the complexity that can be introduced in granting licences.

Suppose a supplier designs and constructs software that manages couriering of documents from office to office of business. It is possible for the software supplier to grant non-exclusive licences to businesses in a particular trade, say banking to use the software. Those licences may be restricted to use in a particular geographic region such as the City of London. The software supplier may then grant non-exclusive licences to businesses in the financial sector in Manchester to use the software. Further, the software supplier may grant an exclusive licence to a person to develop the source code to perform additional functions. This exclusive licence would deprive the software supplier from further developing the source code himself. So licensors of software are able to flexibly grant permissions to use the software, and restrict its use geographically, by industry and any other basis that appeals to them.

Extensions of these types of licensing are non-transferable and non-assignable licences, which effectively prevent licensors from selling or licensing others to use the software. One of the exclusive rights of the copyright owner is the distribution right – the right to licence others to distribute software. This is the foundation of the reseller agreements, whereby third parties are authorised to licence software on the software suppliers’ behalf. Most software licences do not grant the licensee the right exercise the distribution right as it would allow them to sell licences for the software.

Furthermore licences may be set for a fixed term or the grant of licence may be perpetual – allowing the licensee to use the software forever subject to any other conditions imposed by the licensor.

Tracking Licences

When the software is licensed on a per use basis, it is a good idea to provide that a register be maintained of copies made of the software, in addition to monitoring software use by Active Directory on Windows systems. Such implementations facilitate denying software use by electronic means. If this is to be done however, the licensor must be informed in the contract document.
Intellectual Property Rights Indemnities

In software licence agreements, these indemnities are geared to protect the licensee from primary liability for infringement where their use of the developed software would infringe patent rights or copyright. As innocence is no defence to infringement, a user of the software infringes intellectual property rights simply by using it. It is worthwhile to note however that the innocence may be taken into account in the assessment of damages. These indemnities are becoming more important to licensees as an incidental effect of the popularity in obtaining patent rights. Patented inventions may be combined with other inventions, and although in patent cases infringement may be difficult to prove in the absence of great expense, the existence of patent rights in software is the best form of protection, because there is no defence that the software was independently created. That defence is only available in copyright infringement cases.

In order to claim the benefit of an indemnity, the indemnifier should require that they have conduct of the defence of the infringement defence proceedings and insist on the cooperation and assistance of the indemnified party in defending the claim. This to some extent allows the indemnifier to control their costs and run the defence in their best interests. The software supplier is in the best position to run the defence in any event due to their knowledge of the development of the software and the sources drawn on in developing it.

Usually accompanying intellectual property indemnities are provisions requiring the software supplier to replace infringing aspects of the source code and failing this, pay the expenses of the licensee in doing so.

Payment for Licences

Owing to the nature of the rights of the licensor in granting software licenses, the licensor is able to structure the payment for licences to build in flexibility to payment structures.
Restrictions may also be placed on the use of software over a network, per machine, single use, on specified equipment, per user, per site, worldwide, by territory or any combination of these.
The most basic form of licence seems to be a fixed sum for an organisation. Extensions of this form of licence may be for a set number of users with additional licences incurring an additional fee for a fixed period. For multifaceted software, different fees may be applied for different the types of licences required. For instance, an organisation may require additional administration licences or data processing licences each of which would attract a different price point.

Where licences granted are not intended to be perpetual, the timing of renewal payments should be set out and the method of calculation of the sum falling due. Properly drafted contracts should allow for price rises over the course of the licensing period together with price rises in materials and human resources. Also, the parties should consider whether they want the licence to renew automatically, or to automatically lapse.

It is worthwhile providing for interest rates where payments are late, but failing that the Late Payments of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 will apply for those late payments.

Other Payments

Where software has been commissioned, there may well be hardware requirements to host the software or other expenses such as staff costs, other materials and travel expenses that should be dealt with in the agreement. For clarity, whether the prices are inclusive or exclusive of VAT it should be made clear to avoid doubt as to who will be liable for the tax in the event it becomes payable in unexpected circumstances.

Additional Services and Improvements (Upgrade Services)

Provision may be made in software license agreements for further development and/or customisations by the software supplier. These are commonly dealt with in two ways. Firstly, the supplier may be required to provide a quote for the development services requested by the licensee or alternatively the software supplier may be granted entitlement to charge time and materials at published rates. It is rare in this day and age for suppliers to be given a blank cheque to perform further services for licensors wishing to improve the functionality of the software.
In packaged software and commissioned software licence agreements, especially in the case where the software is licensed on a non-exclusive basis and constantly improved and developed, licences often entitle the licensee to improvements for a fixed period. In the case that a licensor has uniquely funded the development but receives the software at a reduced price, more favourable rights to receive improvements are commonly encountered.

Change Control

Effective change control provisions are imperative to prevent scope creep, but in order to be effective, a functional specification or other document must be incorporated into the agreement to provide a point of reference for change control. Change Control provisions also allow an elegant mechanism for the software supplier to extend the delivery time scales. Where scope creep occurs, the supplier may not have a problem performing the additional work, but to perform the work in the same timeframe as original work is unrealistic. The focus in this sense is contract management: managing the deliverables, and when they are to be delivered. Change control is not to be underestimated.

Factory Acceptance Testing

In order for a software supplier to ensure their products are fit for purpose, factory acceptance testing must take place before a software product is released.

For off the shelf products the onus is solely on the software supplier to ensure the product meets the functional requirements and is bug free to avoid having to patch copies of software already released to market.

However, in more bespoke or customisable solutions the responsibility for successful factory acceptance testing prior to release falls on both parties. The majority of the responsibility falls on the software supplier to ensure that the product is tested in house prior to release.

Time pressure to deliver often reduces the actual time spent on this phase of software development to a minimum. This is a cause of a far greater number of faults being reported in the user acceptance testing phase which is a more costly exercise for both parties.

To ensure factory acceptance testing occurs and is performed adequately obligations must be placed upon the software supplier to deliver test documentation to the customer for review prior to the customer signing off to receive a release. The test results should contain certain numbers of test iterations across the whole software suite.

Obligations must also be placed upon the customer to deliver in a timely manner items such as a suite of test data and test scripts to the software supplier. Forcing this co-operation through contractual agreement creates a balance in the contract to focus the parties minds on the job in hand thereby reducing the time spent user acceptance testing on a customer’s site thereby reducing cost.

User Acceptance Testing

Released software invariably involves some degree of acceptance testing and the methods of conducting it are more or less onerous on the software supplier. To properly conduct acceptance testing, the purchaser should be given the opportunity to prepare their own test data and test scripts. The acceptance testing should be conducted in the presence of the software supplier so that instances of apparent defects may be dealt with immediately, and if the tests are successful obtain the acceptance certificate immediately, as acceptance certificates are the precursor to payment. Provision for retesting should be set out to allow a speedy process in the event that a genuine defect is identified during acceptance testing process. Warranty periods for software maintenance arising from defects should run from the acceptance date and not before.

Documentation Requirements

As businesses become more sophisticated in respect to the delivery of computer software, so does the requirement for cogent user documentation.

This is a minimum requirement for packaged and commissioned software. In the event that the intellectual property rights are to be assigned to the commissioner of the software, delivery of design documents, project management documents and user requirements documents are likely to be required to be delivered at the conclusion of the development project, to enable the commissioner of the software to develop the software in its own right.

Usually there is no commercial reason to grant rights to access these development documents where the software is subject to a package licence, or where the licensee is simply entitled to use the software.

Training

Training may take a variety of forms. In the case of commissioned software, the software supplier may need to ‘train the trainer’ of the licensee as a minimum requirement, or for additional fees, conduct formal training sessions for end users. Much depends on the complexity of the software and computer literacy of the intended user base.

Escrow Arrangements

Escrow agreements are geared to protect the licensee paying a software supplier to design and construct software that meets their particular needs. These agreements are relied upon when the software house loses the means to continue to support the software whether through liquidation or lack of will. Escrow contracts are premised on the state of affairs that the licensee is never in possession of the source code, and to that extent, the licensee is exposed to the risk that if the software supplier or software house fails, they have recourse to the source to maintain and develop that source code. The conditions for release of the software to the licensee may be made as particular as the parties wish to make them. The more formal flavour of escrow agreements involves an independent trusted third party who specialise in providing escrow services. They take possession of the source code for the software, and undertake by contract to release the source code to the licensee only in the specified circumstances. The licensee gains some comfort in managing their risk in investing in the software development in the first instance.

Penalty Payments for Failure to Deliver

Rather than be forced to commence litigation in order to recover damages and to reduce the administrative cost of contract management, incorporation of penalty payments (liquidated damages) clauses into software license agreements is increasingly commonplace. Already, liquidated damages clauses are frequently used as the means for recovery for failure to meet agreed service levels. These liquidated damages payments come in the form of service level credits. The difficulty with liquidated damages clauses to setting the damages to be paid in the event of breach or non-performance to a level that does not qualify as a penalty or a forfeiture, which are unenforceable in the English legal system. The linchpin in determining whether a liquidated damages clause will be considered a penalty or forfeiture is whether the sum of liquidated damage is a genuine pre-estimate of the loss that will be suffered as a result of the breach that leads to the right for liquidated damages to be paid. Agreeing sums to be paid by way of liquidated damages however does not limit the payee to accept the specified or calculated sum in the event of a breach, as they may still sue for damages at large.

Termination

The two provisions that cater for termination in practically every professionally prepared document – where the parties have near equal bargaining power – are that either party may terminate in the event of a material breach or where one party enters liquidation or is otherwise insolvent.
Incorporating other rights to terminate largely relies on the nature of the services to be provided. Having right to terminate the contractual obligations assumes that there are continuing obligations under the contract. If the contract simply grants a perpetual software licence for a fixed fee, then it stands to reason that there is little need for rights to terminate. The modern style of contract drafting, even for packaged software (which are commonly instances of a perpetual licence grant ion) commonly exist in software licence agreements, and generally relate to the failure of the provider to meet specified minimum service levels.

Consequences of Termination

In the case of outsourced software services, exit management provisions are essential to ensuring a timely and professional handover of the outsourced services. In the context of software developed and subsequently licensed, it may be that it is appropriate for the licensor to

1. Hand back user documentation

2. Delete all copies of the software residing on servers and workstations

3. Deliver up copies of the software on backup media and

4. Destroy confidential information.

Certificates of compliance may be used to obtain confirmation that the post-termination requirements of the contract have been adhered to.

On a related issue, this is where managing software licensing by electronic means is a useful tool to prevent use of the software. This is an under utilised measure by licensors to ensure that the computer software cannot be used.

Limitations of Liability

Limiting liability can be one of the most contentious issues in negotiating licence terms. The purpose of limitations of liability is to exclude or otherwise limit liability that arises in a party in the event of a breach of contract or negligence in performing the contract. Liability that cannot be excluded should be insured and there is a good case for employing other means to manage corporate liability and protect the assets of a company, which naturally includes intellectual property assets. Liability arising from negligence that causes personal injury or death cannot be limited or excluded in any case. The types of liability that may be excluded include property damage; loss of profits, business or revenue; consequential or incidental loss; loss of goodwill and the damage caused by the loss and destruction of data.

In technology contracts that use facilities such as the Internet that are outside the control of the parties, force majeure clauses may be used to absolve the parties of liability when something goes wrong. Force majeure clauses may refer to named events as well as a general type of event. The effect is to avoid the instance of a party being in breach where the events are outside their control.

The basic checklist for some of the provisions that are often sensibly incorporated into software license agreements is:

1. The Parties

2. The Price

3. Obligations of the Software Supplier

4. Obligations of the Licensee

5. User Acceptance Testing Procedures leading to Acceptance, including warranty periods that will apply thereafter

6. Additional Services

7. Change Control

8. Training Requirements

9. Escrow Agreement

10. Service Levels

11. Service Level Compensation

12. Liquidated Damages

13. User Documentation

14. Rights to Improvements

15. Confidentiality obligations

16. Intellectual Property Rights
a. Branding rights

b. Terms of licence
17. Confidentiality obligations

18. Termination clauses

19. Consequences of Termination

20. Limitations of Liability

By: L Ellis

]]> http://www.danamarie.org/selecting-business-names-and-intellectual-property-law/feed 0 Escrow Management Software http://www.danamarie.org/escrow-management-software http://www.danamarie.org/escrow-management-software#comments Sun, 27 Jun 2010 19:55:28 +0000 admin http://www.danamarie.org/escrow-management-software

The escrow industry as well as land title are nothing short of volatile in which they continues in creation of new challenges in the particular environment or field for ongoing industry regulation as well as consolidation. Several settlement, trust accounting software, Escrow as well as closing companies are much burdened from the paper based processes, lack of integrated software and extensive document requirements etc.

Apart from these challenges, land title firms are in need of balancing the need for reduction in cost with high level of service requirements. The escrow management software will enable you to anticipating improvements in customer satisfaction, overall efficiency as well as visibility. Land title firms are in need to use latest technology for compensation of facing competitions from all the corners. In order to face the competitions and overcome with them, you need flexible systems as well as accurate system that provide real time information’s and also makes you to focus on four keys of purchasing, accounting, reporting as well as budgeting etc. All these work can be achieved from this software.

YOUR BUSINESS GOALS FROM ESCROW MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE:

All your business goals can be achieved from escrow management software from the following circumstances:

Increase in visibility and accuracy in information’s through daily updating as well as audited close of the business will transfer to finance from title production.

Increase in efficiency as well as low costs in financial system which enables the business scale without the necessity of headcounts.

Improvement in planning along with flexible as well as integrated reports will enable the business to get the forecasting solutions as well as budget solutions.

Increase in business predictability with transparent as well as trusted management reports and analysis will create in better software.

With the help of award winning applications, financial service can be the powerful escrow management software solution to provide better scalability as well as flexibility which will motivate your business to grow with maximum profits.

Escrow management software centre can be accessed through the web based management system. Their function will be sophisticated and also with user friendly interface. Similar to all 24 hours service, business users can use the escrow management software for 24 hours a day as well as 7 days a week in order to avoid paper work and to concentrate on motivating the business goals. Escrow management software is a very easy tool which makes the user to set up new agreements or also add up other beneficiaries when some software launches the products. Moreover, this software can be used online who are in need of escrows online.

By: Ram Prasath

]]> http://www.danamarie.org/escrow-management-software/feed 0 Merchant Account For Business http://www.danamarie.org/merchant-account-for-business http://www.danamarie.org/merchant-account-for-business#comments Sun, 27 Jun 2010 10:39:25 +0000 admin http://www.danamarie.org/merchant-account-for-business

Accepting online credit card orders has become one of the most important aspects for the growth of a business. You could lose at least 85% of your potential orders if you still are not accepting credit cards. Most online businesses report 95% increase in their order through online order forms.

Opening a merchant account for business is easier than it appears. To accept online credit card orders, you need three basic things: Merchant Account

Software

Internet Service Provider

Merchant Account for business:

A Merchant account for business is a special account that you open with a financial institution to accept credit card payments from customers. It may not be enough if you are already accepting credit cards for your offline transactions. Credit card companies consider Internet transactions to be riskier than other standard transactions so, not all accounts permit Internet transactions. If your current merchant account does not allow Internet transactions, you have to contact your financial institution to correct this.

There are many banks available that can help you open a Merchant account for you. Their conditions for opening an account may vary drastically, which can make it difficult for you to decide which account is best for you. Most brokers will offer to sell or lease expensive equipment to you, when they open your account. Do not be fooled that is how they make their money. You do not need any software or equipment to open a Merchant account. To open an account, all you should have to do is pay is processing fee, which should not be more than $100. That should be enough for you to start accepting credit cards.

To maintain your merchant account, you must pay the following monthly fees: Discount fee – For Internet sales, this fee should be between 2.5% and 2.9%. You should be suspicious of any discount rate that is less than that.

Transaction fee – This fee should be between $0.20 and $0.30 per transaction.

Address Verification Fee (AVS) – This fee should be $0.05 per transaction. Some (very rare) financial institutions may not require this service, but it is a must for you because it helps to prevent fraud.

Statement fee – This fee is usually between $10 and $15 per month.

By: Zed Miller

]]> http://www.danamarie.org/merchant-account-for-business/feed 0 Do I Need An Accountant Or Accounting Software? http://www.danamarie.org/do-i-need-an-accountant-or-accounting-software http://www.danamarie.org/do-i-need-an-accountant-or-accounting-software#comments Sun, 27 Jun 2010 00:24:21 +0000 admin http://www.danamarie.org/do-i-need-an-accountant-or-accounting-software

Accounting is the process of collecting, summarizing and analyzing the financial data of your business. Every business needs do keep on top of their accounts to ensure proper management of revenues and expenses. Failure to do so could cause your business to fail.

There are two ways of keeping accounts for your business, one is enlist the help of an accountant and the other is to buy some accounting software and manage the accounts yourself.
Lots of people are worried about accounts and tax and would rather pay for an accountant to do all the work for them, however this might suit some people but not everyone. With hiring an accountant this will be quite costly and the cost will depend on the size of your business and the amount of financial data it generate. If you are just starting up a business you could collect all of the information and hire an accountant once a year. Most accountants work on an hourly basis so depending on how long it take them to work out your accounts will depend on how much you have to pay them. If you keep all receipts and invoices in date order this could keep your accountant fees to a minimum.

Another option is to invest in good accounting software. You do not need to have any knowledge about accounting as most good software is very easy to use with simple steps that anyone can follow. More and more business are using accounting software as the price of an Accountant can be quite steep whereas accounting software is a one of payment. There are lots of different types of accounting software for small and larger business and for lots of different types of businesses. Some accounting software can work for all size businesses with modules that you can add as your business grows and your accounting needs grow.

Some of the many benefits of having accounting software are:

Saves time

Saves money

100% Accuracy

Up to date accounts always available

Quick access to information


They are just a few of the reason why accounting software is best option for any business. Accounting software will make your business management much better, much more efficient and easier. You will be able to access the up to date data with a simple click of the mouse giving you the competitive edge that all business need to have in this day and age.

Choosing the right software is a very critical. You should always do your research before you buy any accounting software. With the internet it is not a problem as you can find reviews, websites and talk to users of software to find the best one for your particular business. I would talk to many different users and read many different reviews and then weigh up the benefits of each. Once you have chosen the right one then your business can grow and expand without any worries about finances. The software will free you time up so you can get on with your job.

By: Carolyn Clayton

]]> http://www.danamarie.org/do-i-need-an-accountant-or-accounting-software/feed 0 How To Pay Employees With Cash In Quickbooks – Best Way To Protect Your Business http://www.danamarie.org/how-to-pay-employees-with-cash-in-quickbooks-best-way-to-protect-your-business http://www.danamarie.org/how-to-pay-employees-with-cash-in-quickbooks-best-way-to-protect-your-business#comments Sat, 26 Jun 2010 18:28:37 +0000 admin http://www.danamarie.org/how-to-pay-employees-with-cash-in-quickbooks-best-way-to-protect-your-business

Sometimes businesses need to pay their employees with cash, verses issuing a paper paycheck. There are a couple reasons the business may want or need to do this:

The business is having cash flow problems, and paying employees from cash is easier to manage. The employee may not have a bank account. Cashing a paycheck is difficult and/or expensive, and direct deposit is not an option.

Businesses should never simply hand employees cash for work performed. There must some type of paper trail to prove:

in what manner the employee received the funds when the employee received the funds how the gross pay was computed what employment taxes were withheld from the pay; gross pay vs. net pay.

Every single one of these is a potential issue that could arise in the event that the employee disputes the pay, or in the event of a employment tax or work comp audit.

Here is how to pay employees with cash, while still protecting the business from potential problems:

1. The business must be set up with some type of payroll service. Either QuickBooks must be enabled to perform payroll, or an outside service should be used. Either way does not matter, but somehow payroll taxes, etc., must be computed correctly.

2. Generate a paycheck in the normal way, using the checking account to draw from, or a special checking account for payroll, if you have one.

3. Have the employees endorse the checks – he/she is signing it over to you.


4. Pay the employees cash. It must be the exact amount on the checks, to the penny. No fudging here! This is important, because the cash paid out must reconcile to the check amounts. If the amounts are not exact, it will be difficult to reconcile them.

5. Take the checks to the bank and deposit them back into the checking account. Don’t void them in the software. Although voiding them has the same net effect on the bank balance, the accounting software cannot compute the gross pay and payroll taxes correctly if they are voided.

Another alternative is to simply create “dummy” checks on blank paper. Make sure the employees put their signatures on them. Pay with cash, to the penny.

The employee’s signature on the paycheck or “dummy” check is crucial – this way, the employee cannot claim he/she was not paid.

Following this method, you are simply cashing the employee’s paychecks for them. This leaves a very good paper trail for your accountant or auditor to follow. Everything is clean, above-board, and easy to understand.

My thanks goes to Suzanne Mead, Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor over at http://forums.quickbooksusers.com/index.php, for this excellent tip. Thank you Suzanne!

By: Jennifer A. Thieme

]]> http://www.danamarie.org/how-to-pay-employees-with-cash-in-quickbooks-best-way-to-protect-your-business/feed 0 Business Intelligence – The Science http://www.danamarie.org/business-intelligence-the-science http://www.danamarie.org/business-intelligence-the-science#comments Sat, 26 Jun 2010 17:23:02 +0000 admin http://www.danamarie.org/business-intelligence-the-science

So, if Business Intelligence can increase profits, pinpoint marketing efforts, streamline processes and monitor employee performance – how does it work?

How your information is stored

There are nearly as many different types of business software as there are businesses, but each one behaves in a similar way, taking in the information entered and storing it on a database. A database is a collection of tables which hold related information and are linked together by common strains of data, or keys. A customer table may look something like the one below, the second table is an example of how customer contacts may be held. So if a customer has two people who are your contacts, it will display the information like this: Most databases comprise of a minimum of twenty or thirty tables and many can be more than a hundred, but the theory stays the same.

Joe’s Garage uses ‘Service-Station-Op’, which, although it was produced by an obscure and now defunct software house, is a reliable database, and holds details of customers, completed jobs. It is more than capable of storing all of the data Joe needs to operate and expand his profitable enterprise.

A special programming language exists specifically for extracting this information and summarising it in different ways. This language is called SQL (Structured Query Language) and is the core of all Business Intelligence reporting.

Report writing software

SQL can be written long hand to produce lists of data, but doing this can be tedious and the results make complex viewing! Thankfully, software programs exist which provide a high level of control and fast development times. The market for reporting software is dominated by Crystal Reports. Over the years it has deservedly become the de facto standard, and is regularly updated with new revisions that provide ever more sophisticated tools whilst retaining the straightforward user interface which makes it so attractive to users of all levels. This is the development tool of choice for the majority of BI consultants (myself included) and produces robust, accurate reports within extremely quick development timeframes. Naturally, the more popular a software package is, the greater the availability of specialist consultants. However, the ever increasing popularity of Business Intelligence means that the best BI consultants are highly in demand.

Joe has recently enjoyed considerable success after he stumbled across the concept of BI and hired a consultant, Patrick, to explore some potential marketing ideas. Patrick recommended Crystal Reports because he believes that it will be a worthwhile investment for Joe it is user-friendly enough for Joe to learn the basics over time, and has the capacity for Patrick to develop it to deliver on every one of Joe’s demands.

Crystal Reports is not always the right choice and other options are available, such as Actuate and Sequel Server Reporter. Crystal Reports is, in my opinion, far superior in report production but the other options do have advantages when it comes to distributing reports.

Distribution Software

Once a report is developed and filled with data it must be communicated to the people who need to use it. For many small businesses this is not an issue as only one or two people need to the view the results and this can be done by simply using the software used to create the report. For example, on the left is Crystal Reports in “design mode” and on the right, displaying the report with data.

A free report viewer is available for Crystal Reports, but reports still need to be manually emailed to the recipient and stored on a network they can view. This is usually an ideal and cost effective solution for small to medium businesses. But distributing reports across a large company requires a different solution, particularly if the recipients need to see various variations of data on an ad hoc basis. The owners of Crystal Reports (SAP) provide several solutions for distributing reports, the most useful being Crystal Server which allows reports to be viewed online, and also to be automatically scheduled and sent to whoever is licensed to receive them.

This can become quite an expensive approach when distributing across a large company, but other independently developed alternatives are available with a much smaller price tag. The other reporting software options also come with their own distribution software, both pricing and functionality vary. Most Distribution Software is licensed by how many users receive reports, but shopping around can save a lot of expense.

Joe is the only person who needs access to the reports, and only at one location, his office. Because Joe’s initial Business Intelligence requirement was for a one off solution, Patrick recommended using the free demo of the latest Crystal Reports. By the time the 30 day demo has expired Joe has realised the value of BI and is happy to pay the reasonable amount for the licence (which he claims back as a business expense on his tax returns). As his business expands, all the data for his other garages are also held on the one system, but Joe likes to have to freedom to view information while at the other garages and so installs the free viewer and carries a copy of his reports on a memory stick.

My personal experience is that Business Intelligence is usually implemented first for one department, and once the benefits are realised, an extended reports library is eventually adopted across the entire company.

“Cheap” BI solutions

Programs like MS Excel, Access, or similar, can be used for BI purposes and may seem like a cost effective solution if they are already installed for other uses, (although if being purchased specifically for BI they are around the same price as report writing software). But, to tailor this type of generalist software to your specific BI needs will eat up significantly more precious development time, and is likely to work out more expensive than buying specialist software. An added disadvantage to this cheap approach is that you become reliant on the person who developed your reports, as the system becomes ever more convoluted. Whether you become dependant upon a permanent member of staff who may become too busy with their other duties, or a consultant who may increase their prices, further development may be a problem.

Exporting data into a spreadsheet directly from a database is a popular solution, even in big companies with specialist BI departments. The time it takes to export the data and format / summarise it in a spreadsheet takes at least as long as it does to create a report using the correct software. And if the same data is needed next month the whole process begins again, whereas a report just needs the date to be changed or can even be programmed to run automatically. This brief journey through the technical side of Business Intelligence should have enlightened you sufficiently to ensure any future discussion with your BI professional is tightly focused on achieving your goals!

By: Jason Dove

]]> http://www.danamarie.org/business-intelligence-the-science/feed 0 Fax Management Software, E-Mail Fax Software At Hand http://www.danamarie.org/fax-management-software-e-mail-fax-software-at-hand http://www.danamarie.org/fax-management-software-e-mail-fax-software-at-hand#comments Sat, 26 Jun 2010 05:20:18 +0000 admin http://www.danamarie.org/fax-management-software-e-mail-fax-software-at-hand

Sending and receiving faxes these days is easier than ever. Long gone are the days of slow, bad-printing fax machines. Now fax management software lets us take advantage of the Internet to send, receive and broadcast documents at the speed of light!

How Fax Management Software Works

Fax management software lets you send faxes just like you would send an e-mail. It converts any document you scan or have in a format like Word or PDF, and converts it to the format commonly used b fax machines TIFF. This can be done either through a fax modem or through a fax server.

You receive faxes in a similar manner. Besides doing this, you are able to keep track of all your faxing both incoming and outgoing, and of course, you’ll be able to broadcast faxes if you want. This means reaching thousands of customers or providers with a single click!

The Importance of Internet Faxing in Today’s Businesses

Faxes are always important in any business, and the jump to Internet faxing is imminent as companies try to make the most out of the investment. You put it simply, if you keep using a fax machine for your communications you’ll stay as a caveman in your industry.

Speed and clarity are two essential attributes to an effective communication strategy on any business. Besides that, fax management software acts as a center that handles also mails, instant messaging and phone calls!

How to Start with Fax Management Software

You can start with online fax software by looking in the Internet for sites with information and reviews. Alternatively you can take advantage of the free trials for win fax software and internet fax services out there!

By: Paolo Basauri

]]> http://www.danamarie.org/fax-management-software-e-mail-fax-software-at-hand/feed 0 Accounting Software Tally http://www.danamarie.org/accounting-software-tally http://www.danamarie.org/accounting-software-tally#comments Sat, 26 Jun 2010 03:55:58 +0000 admin http://www.danamarie.org/accounting-software-tally

In business today, it is very important to have an accounting method that is both accurate and convenient to use. This is where accounting software Tally comes in.

This software is a software program that maintains all books of accounts starting from records of vouchers, ledgers, etc. it is perfect for those businesses who deal in multiple products and prices.

It is a wonderful software program that handles different types of vouchers like Payment, receipt. It also makes adjustment entries like Journals, Debit notes, Credit notes, Sales, Purchases, Receipt notes, and Delivery notes.

This incredible software follows the double entry system of accounting and this will eliminate any possible errors. Accounting software Tally also allows the user to have a multiple tree like structure groupings. This may seem a little complicated especially if you are just starting your business, however the program is very easy to use and very easy to understand.

Tally software usage has come a long way, since the primitive usage of account methods involving the abacuses and hand written ledgers. The methods of the past were very time consuming and mistakes were often made that led to the numbers being off.

This software has been developed to cater to the needs of businesses representing the growth and needs of the customers. There is no chance of errors being made when you use this software.

It encompasses multiple products with several innovative products and service offerings for various businesses including small business, chartered accountants and software entrepreneurs. It is a fast, efficient, accurate way to maintain your business records.

Accounting software Tally’s flexibility and features can be used for Gold accounting or any other bullion metals or commodities accounting. This is excellent for those who do not have the time to sit down and figure out prices that often change without notice.

By: Blake Allen

]]> http://www.danamarie.org/accounting-software-tally/feed 0 Strive For Virtual Centricity in Your Business Database Designs http://www.danamarie.org/strive-for-virtual-centricity-in-your-business-database-designs http://www.danamarie.org/strive-for-virtual-centricity-in-your-business-database-designs#comments Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:10:56 +0000 admin http://www.danamarie.org/strive-for-virtual-centricity-in-your-business-database-designs

Virtual centricity is a concept that places business data at the center of your database design efforts and forces your application requirements into the role of becoming the embedded reality of your operational software.

This is accomplished by setting up an articulate plan that allows for scripting of database mappings between XML tags and function pointers to the relevant Read-Write routines found in the XML code that acts as a glue holding the syntax in a pattern suited for business semantics.

An XML-based architecture fits into a real-time operating system as the embedded requirements of a business application.

The real-time operating system provides the business application with low-level services such as memory allocation, network services (TCP/IP), and semaphores.

The business application software provides the system with its unique value, the device’s “reason for being.” In the business code, there is assumed to be an autoresponder agent-either developed in-house or purchased commercially. In addition, there is a set of management information objects which access the device data for management via the autoresponder.

The XML embedded software consists of a series of wrapper routines (scripted tagged-access methods) for the requirements data found in the business software.

Lastly, since there are as many different ways of representing data as there are individual developers and designers, a viable Web-based management solution needs the data access written in a special format that it can understand. This special format is an agile business-centric perspective referred to as virtual centricity.

Some common characteristics regarding the virtual centricity include the following factors that must be written into the syntax of the software and tightly mapped into a pattern of named-tags associated with the XML tree structure and corresponding database.

1. Recognition of the facts that data flows in from one or more sources while some data is static and stored, but other data is dynamic and accessed in different ways.

2. Data needs to be ordered and structured while at the same time needs to be handled dynamically as it is filtered from one system to another

3. These dynamic requirements of data must be integrated and shared across multiple tables or applications (or both) and concurrently may need to be stored in different storage media internal and external to the operational platform.

4. Provide a tracking sub-system to monitor the amount of data to be managed as it grows in both size and complexity.

5. Consider the facts that data can be large while the devices operating on that data can have limited system resources (usually for cost reasons).

Once all of these considerations are carefully addressed and embedded semantically into the design syntax, your business objectives should be fully realized.

By: Tom Gruich

]]> http://www.danamarie.org/strive-for-virtual-centricity-in-your-business-database-designs/feed 0 Salon & Spa Software http://www.danamarie.org/salon-spa-software http://www.danamarie.org/salon-spa-software#comments Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:45:07 +0000 admin http://www.danamarie.org/salon-spa-software

When you run a salon or spa business keeping track of clients, appointments, inventory, payroll, gift cards, and accounts payable let alone credit card processing and marketing can be overwhelming and take too much time. You can solve this problem by effectively managing your accounting with software specifically designed to manage salons and spas. Whether you run a salon, spa, Hair salon, Beauty Salon, Nail Salon, Medical Spa or Laser Center choosing the best business management software will make the difference between success and failure.

One example of effective salon software is Advantage Salon and Spa Software. Since 1998, this tool has been installed by over 5000 companies around the world. Advantage is a complete business management system with features like appointment book, point of sale, client management, inventory control, payroll, credit card processing, gift cards, accounts payable, marketing with full financial accounting. With your front desk functions, like appointment book, cash register and client management integrated with office functions, like inventory control, payroll, accounts payable and financials, your business will run more effectively and profitably.

Inventory control is integral to business success. Salon software will take away the headaches of managing a business with handwritten notes. Software will help you control inventory shrinkage, re-order inventory items. Another benefit of salon software is the ability to easily keep track of payroll and commissions.

Keeping track of loyalty program and gift cards also become much simpler and you will be able to offer more programs to your clients which will increase repeat business and referrals. With salon software, you can track non returning customers, better manage standing appointments, and generate mailing labels and call lists for your marketing campaigns. Some software, like Advantage, will internally track client loyalty point programs and award points for every dollar a customer spends in your business.

When choosing salon accounting software, be sure to find a solution that uses that latest technology. Advantage Salon Software is a true 32-bit windows program, which was developed using Microsoft development tools making it compatible with all versions of Windows 95 and higher. This means that it will work now and in the future. In addition, true 32 bit software operates at the fastest speed possible. Using Windows standard features also makes software easy to use with little or no training. The latest software will enable true multi-user and network capabilities. That way, you can share data with all your computers and allow all of your employees to use the system.

Anybody who manages a salon or spa business will benefit by using accounting software specifically designed for their industry. Choose a strong solution, like Advantage Salon Software that will integrate all your business functions and provide the benefits of the latest technology.

By: Fabiola Groshan

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