Freelance or Interim PMO & Project Manager

Infrastructure, Dynamics, CRM, AX, ERP, Office365, SharePoint

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Aug122015 by adminNo Comments

How I can Help

Home Page, Me
Businesses sometimes struggle with the move to more flexible working practices and the IT challenges it brings. Working remotely on mobile devices, that access systems in the cloud, will become natural. Want to talk, call me, top of the page. To ensure engagement with staff, you’re likely to need to provide systems that people want to work with. I can help your business understand what IT platforms tools and services you could be investing in to ensure you’re not left behind in this ever changing world. I understand how IT suppliers & providers work and they sometimes struggle to meet the organisations expectations. (more…)
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Aug102015 by adminNo Comments

When is a Sales Lead an Opportunity ?

Uncategorized
Exactly when do we qualify a lead to an opportunity? I mean when they need a proposal, ask more questions about our product, when they desire to keep in contact, when someone asks for catalogue, when we feel they may become a customer? I want a standard way." This is sort of like asking, “What is the meaning of life?” Depends on who you ask – right? With Microsoft Dynamics CRM’s inherent flexibility, there is no reason to get hung up on a “standard” way to segment the arc of the sales process, nor should there be. One of my favorite Microsoft Dynamics CRM characteristics is the way it can be configured to adapt to your unique business processes, procedures, philosophies, etc. (more…)
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Aug92015 by adminNo Comments

CRM Adoption

CRM, Home Page
To encourage staff to use CRM,  it must be an essential step in the process. If staff don't need to use the system, they won’t. Its just a fact of change management, there must be a motive. If part of the process defines using CRM then they probably will, over time some affection will arrive and as they begin to get used to the system they will use it more effectively and willingly. Nothing is perfect first time, so hold regular meetings to discuss the functionality of the system and how this could be improved. Feedback is key; so ask users what they like/don’t like and use customisation and training to solve these issues.
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Aug72015 by adminNo Comments

OneDrive – Limiting file sync to domain joined PC’s

Home Page, O365
OneDrive for Business enables users to synchronize their files for offline use across their PCs or Macs. One of the most common requests from IT admins is to have the ability to block sync on unmanaged PCs. Now you can enable file sync to work only on domain-joined PCs (and you can even specify which of your domains you want to allow to sync), thereby blocking file sync on personally owned or unmanaged PCs. Note that using this setting means that you will disable file sync on all Macs as they cannot be domain-joined and managed like PCs. This new control uses PowerShell to limit file sync to a list of permitted domains and, if your organization uses multiple domains, you can select the individual domains from which you allow…
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Aug52015 by adminNo Comments

New features coming to Outlook on the web

CRM
by Outlook Team, on August 4, 2015 Today, we are happy to announce exciting updates coming to the web version of Outlook in Office 365. As part of our ongoing work to deliver the richest email and calendar experiences on the web, we are rolling out an improved user interface (UI) and new features that help you be more efficient, stay on top of your inbox, and better manage your calendar. Formerly known as the Outlook Web App (or OWA for short), our browser-based Outlook experience will simply be referred to as “Outlook on the web” going forward. Let’s take a closer look at what’s new. A cleaner look for greater efficiency Outlook on the web now sports a simplified, cleaner UI to help you work more efficiently. This starts…
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Aug32015 by adminNo Comments

Successful Deployment of CRM (suggestions from CRMUG panel)

CRM
If you are new to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, there can be a lot to learn about the product, and even more to prepare for in rolling out the solution to an organization. User adoption of an enterprise system is always challenging, and CRM Online's mix of SaaS capabilities, customization, and periodic updates from Microsoft mean that system administrators must carefully manage mission critical processes in sales, service, and marketing. So where does a new CRM system administrator start to ensure a great rollout? (more…)
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Jul312015 by adminNo Comments

Lotus Notes (are you stuck in ?)

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How many SME's still use Lotus Notes. Probably quite a few as they are convinced (generally by the Lotus Developer :( ) that they cant move without massive business interruption. Well, I can get you off Lotus Notes and onto Outlook, and move your line of business applications into more transportable platforms..
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Jul312015 by adminNo Comments

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Spring 2015 – Immersive MS Excel

CRM, Home Page
The release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM – Spring 2015 includes a helpful new feature; Immersive Excel. This functionality allows a user to manipulate Dynamics CRM data in MS Excel, without the cumbersome "Export to Re-import" process required in the past. The Spring release handles this process behind the scenes now, giving the user a multi-record, frictionless data manipulation experience. However, this feature is only available using Dynamics CRM Online and O365 MS Excel Online.  Here are the requirements to take advantage of this new, powerful feature: Dynamics CRM Online Separate O365 License required Export to Excel Security Role Privilege Available in the Web Client Let's dive right in to demonstrate what can be done with the new Immersive MS Excel. This example contains a list of Leads that need some…
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Jul302015 by adminNo Comments

Your Office in the Cloud

Home Page, O365, Uncategorized
Office 365 brings together the power of the familiar Office applications with business class email (powered by Exchange Online), document sharing (powered by SharePoint Online), and instant messaging and video conferencing (powered by Skype for Business Online). Everything works seamlessly together to give you the best productivity experience across your devices – from PCs to smartphones to tablets. Because it is a cloud-based service hosted by Microsoft, you always get the latest technology without the need to upgrade your servers and it comes with virus/malware protection, automatic backup, and 99.9% uptime guarantee with a financially-backed service level agreement. Office Latest version of Office desktop applications licensed as a subscription Per user licensing across 5 devices including PC, Mac, iPad/iPhone and Android Tablet Stream any Office application on a PC while…
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Jul302015 by adminNo Comments

Snacking Dining Cooking

Home Page, O365
Imagine if you could access the latest Microsoft desktop suite, while taking advantage of trusted communication and collaboration products to enhance efficiency and reduce cost. Imagine if it was available for a per user per month price, meaning you could pay for what you need, when you need it. With Microsoft Office 365, that possibility becomes a reality. The Office 365 offer helps you take full advantage of the latest technology, whatever the size of your business. What is more, with our ongoing support, you can secure maximum business benefit from your investment. With Microsoft Office 365, you can: Collaborate: Office 365 enables colleagues and business partners to work effectively together, sharing documents and information with ease. This enhances efficiency, and facilitates productive team working. Work remotely: Because it is…
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Jul282015 by adminNo Comments

Office 365 Phone System

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Microsoft is adding telephony into O365. Could this mean the end of the traditional phone system. Will make life so much easier for organisations to move to always available access to all staff. Improving access to specialists wherever they are could change the game for some support companies. Read about the futire of Unified Communications here Network_Evolution_June_final.
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Jul232015 by adminNo Comments

How Long is an implementation of CRM

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...good question, bet you know the answer, 'it all depends' and that is the answer most people don't want to hear. Business need answers, so expressing this in a way that means something to the business is important for buy in...start small with CRM. What does that look like. Well we used to refer to it as piloting, but this seems to have given way to full scale Analysis of what the business does. In some instances this starts with As-Is process mapping. Why?, businesses that want CRM know they need better systems, so why measure where they are not working well. Take a few Procesess that the business understands but finds that they are all procedures..ie dependant on people, and use these to pilot CRM. A good choice for…
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Jul222015 by adminNo Comments

Simple Features & Customer Relationship

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CRM makes it easy to attach documents to a record, capture time/date information on interactions and search records, among many other small, simple features that allow clear information on a client’s record. A well designed and implemented CRM focuses on the CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP – This is the “leg up” many business have on competition, consistently treating their customers better than the average business.  One element to this strategy is accessible client information and consistent process, both of which can be innate features in CRM. Quick Access Anywhere – I hate business cards, I also hate not recording enough information when entering a contact into my smartphone.  CRM gives mobile access to retrieve and enter data, so a salesperson can have the right information in the right place from the start.
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Jul222015 by adminNo Comments

Process Consistency

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CRM should be representative of your sales process. When that process is clearly documented in CRM, it allows for it to be clearly understood and strictly followed Quantification – A business owner once told me he had no idea how many monthly leads they got from the internet (before they had CRM) this was crazy to me, “if you don’t know how many you’re getting, how do you know how well you’re doing?”. Automation means quantification and numbers will always tell a story that can shape your business’ direction. Organisation – I can’t tell you how many sales peoples offices I have been in where they have a spreadsheet with client contact info in rows, and those were the organized ones!  CRM gives a system of organisation to a person who…
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Jul222015 by adminNo Comments

Sales person memory upgrade

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We are all human and have our human limitations. Notes, Views and Interaction logs in CRM can reduce those limitations and can make a sales person smarter and more detailed in their approach with a client. Make consistent reliable follow up – Whether a person or the organization decides to automate follow up, the benefits run deep by creating interval reminders in CRM making it less likely for a customer to be forgotten. Ensure that people don’t slip through the cracks of your organizations processes – When processes are left to humans, things tend to get forgotten or left out, tally these potential sale omissions up from a entire sales force and you have likely left a hefty sum of cash on the table.
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Jul22015 by adminNo Comments

Why can’t I !! (you may need CRM)

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OK! so you're the Chief Executive and you keep hitting the wall of 'why cant I' , you know you need systems to give you information needed to fulfil the obligations you have with your customers, you know you need systems to enable the business to operate, lets not get into efficiencies here, you probably know which systems you want (Microsoft CRM right :) ) and that 0ffice 365 thingy (not sure what it is but its all over the place right now, and I have en early version of office, am I missing out?) but all you hear is how much it costs to implement and the disruption it causes and the fact that Consultants want to re-engineer your business to justify the costs of implementing CRM. Now don't…
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Jul12015 by adminNo Comments

You don’t have to be a “good communicator” to be good at communication

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Not all communication is the same. When we talk about communication on projects let’s be clear what we mean. I wonder sometimes if project managers shy away from communication because it is perceived as something that is about being out-going, chatty with lots of small talk. Of course, these are great skills but do not in themselves enable successful project communication. For me, communication in a project context is a planned activity with the aim of helping the project to hit its milestones and deliver its benefits. Often it seems communication is only discussed in terms of interpersonal communication or leadership communication. Discussion around these forms of communication can also sometimes seem a bit too conceptual and frankly intimidating. They matter of course, but I would argue if the focus…
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