BUSINESS MANAGEMENT USING CLOUD SOFTWARE. Thomas E. Cerchiara, PLS

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1 BUSINESS MANAGEMENT USING CLOUD SOFTWARE Thomas E. Cerchiara, PLS

2 THE NON-GLAMOROUS SIDE OF OWNING A SURVEYING BUSINESS Paperwork Repetitive Tasks Staying Organized Scheduling Data Management Redundant Data Input Accounting

3 WHAT IS THE CLOUD The Cloud just means someone else s computer which you access through the internet. Through the cloud you can store/access data and run programs as if they were on your computer. Cloud services can be accessed through your web browser and other internet protocols. Cloud services can be connected and linked to reduce data input and increase efficiency. Cloud services are usually backed up or mirrored on multiple servers around the world.

4 USING CLOUD BASED SERVICES You must have reliable internet access. Speed is not much of an issue unless you are storing CAD or image files in the cloud. Data is stored on secure servers managed by Amazon, Google, Microsoft, or others. Security is handled by professional server administrators with the experience and time to stay on top of updates, patches, etc. Data is often backed up across multiple servers around the world. Software and files can be accessed through any web browser from any computer, phone, or tablet. Data Import/Export. Back our your data. SaaS (Software as a Service) means monthly or yearly payments to use software. Business reputation, size, time in business, etc. You need a stable and long lasting software company.

5 EXAMPLES OF CLOUD SERVICES Lead & Sales Tracking Scheduling Time Tracking Project Management Accounting Data Storage , Word Processing, Spreadsheets Automation/Integration Enterprise Application Software (EAS) Product Deliverables

6 BEFORE YOU SIGN UP FOR ANY SERVICE YOU MUST DEFINE YOUR PROCESSES Draw out an administrative flow chard that will guide you from the moment a call comes in through archival. List out specific features you want and tasks you want automated. Keep it simple and follow logical flows. The process needs to be one that you and your employees will actually follow. Multiple steps can be in one piece of software or span multiple software systems. Can have multiple flows and expect there to be exceptions to the rules. Revisit one or two times a year to make sure it is working. There is lots of overlap between services. Examine which work best for you.

7 LEAD AND SALES TRACKING Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) Central hub of the business. Where all projects and client relationships start. Proposal and sales pipeline tracking. Manage leads, contacts, marketing, and communications. Integration with software. Ability to archive communications with prospects and leads. Software options range from being glorified address books to fully customizable products. Places to start: Hubspot, SalesForce, Zoho, Insightly

8 PROJECT MANAGEMENT & ACCOUNTING Where a project goes once it has been won. Software options vary greatly in features with some being digital whiteboards and others with integrated CRM, project accounting, and invoicing. Ask yourself what features you will be using in your project management software and what ones are covered by other software. Don t make it too complex. Focus on the features you and, just as importantly, your employees will use. Where to start: WorkFlow Max, Harvest, Trello, Asana, DaPulse, Mavenlink, ZoHo

9 SCHEDULING Being able to tell clients realistic schedules is imperative. Pick the level of detail you feel comfortable with. Trying to schedule every hour of the day is nearly impossible. Easy to hang a monitor on the wall and display the schedule for quick reference. Calendar vs. Scheduling Software. Calendar will almost always lack features compared to scheduling software. Some software will integrate into Google Calendar or Outlook. Integrated into some project management software. Where to Start: Float, Deputy, Harvest Forecast, Better Scheduling (for Google Calendar)

10 TIME & EXPENSE TRACKING While specific time and expense tracking apps exist, they are usually included in project management or scheduling software packages. Time and expense specific applications should integrate with other software easily. Expense tracking on your cell phone is great as long as it integrates with other software to avoid double data entry.

11 ACCOUNTING Project Accounting and Business Accounting can be together or separate. Project Accounting for monitoring budgets, project billable expenses, project profits, T&M contracts, and project invoicing. Incorporated into some project management software. Where to Start: WorkFlowMax, Harvest, Mavenlink, some QuickBooks packages. Business Accounting for taxes, payroll, business financial reports, general ledger, non-billable expenses, and general bookkeeping. Should be set up by an accountant Great if it integrates with project accounting software. Where to Start: Quickbooks, Xero, Freshbooks

12 DATA STORAGE & BACKUP Let professionals handle data storage, security, and backup. Read data recovery policies and fine print. Data is stored on secure servers which are professionally administered and secured. Data is often backed up in multiple places around the world. You may not need a server but should still have a local backup. Easy sharing of large files. Remote access to files at any time through any device. File storage with backup solutions: Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, app specific storage. Data backup only solutions: Carbonite, CrashPlan, BackBlaze. AutoDesk and other software specific storage.

13 , CALENDAR, WORD PROCESSING, & SPREADSHEETS Services usually come as a complete package and usually include some data storage. Google and Microsoft are leaders in this area. Microsoft: Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, webmail. Google: Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Google Drive, Forms, Inbox. Adobe: PDF Deliverables and certifications. Special Mentions: SmartSheet, Docusign, Google Voice

14 PRODUCT DELIVERABLES Delivering large files through shared links. 3D model, point cloud, and orthoimagery viewers. GIS viewers and webmaps. AutoDesk viewers.

15 AUTOMATION & INTEGRATION This is where cloud software really shines. There is no single solution that does everything your business needs perfectly. Different companies have different workflows and needs. Special web software systems that act as central communication link for other software. Reduce duplicate data entry. Automate tasks. Features range from simple data sync, automatic project/folder creation, to advanced conditional operations and actions. Keep everything synched but remember System of Record considerations. Where to Start: Zapier, IFTTT, OneSaaS, automate.io

16 HOW MUCH DOES IT COST Complete EAP systems generally range from between $300 and $400 per month to thousands per month. You are stuck inside their system with few outside integrations. Cost of each cloud software system can vary a lot depending on features, users, and services needed. Anywhere from free(!) to $100 a month per service. It s going to be different for every business. You can pick only the software or features you need and will actually use. You get lots of variations of similar products. Maybe one scheduling software doesn't work the way you like but another does. Maybe one does not integrate into another software you like. Per user and monthly billing can let you grow and shrink as needed. Costs usually work out to be similar to purchasing software outright when you factor in updates and linking/automation time.

17 EXPERIMENT & EXPLORE Ask for a demo period to go in and play with features on your own time. Guided sales tours miss a lot. Consider features and usability of each piece of software. Carefully weigh overlapping features between software and remember that they are releasing new features all the time. Focus on usability. Don t over-complicate it at first. You and r your employees need to use it. Take your time. Remember that reviews, comparisons, and testimonials online are often disguised advertisements. Pay attention to company history and number of users. You don t want a company to disappear with your data.

18 CONTACT INFORMATION Tom Cerchiara, PLS TEC Land Surveying, PC 15c Tioronda Ave, Beacon, NY