Study Says Computers Give Big Boosts to Productivity
New York Times (03/13/07) ; Lohr, Steve

A new study by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation reveals that worker productivity is bolstered more by investments in computing technology than other capital expenditures, citing a three- to five-fold increase. Technology could be especially useful in improving the health care, electric utilities, and transportation industries, according to Foundation President Robert Atkinson. However, the report indicates that the IT industry will probably not create a substantial number of new jobs in the future, as robust productivity has enabled it to simultaneously boost output and downsize.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/13/technology/13tech.html?_r=1&ore
f=slogin

Tap Your Employees: Wikis Are the New Office Water Coolers for Sharing Information
Orlando Sentinel (FL) (03/14/07) P. F1 ; Kitchen, Patricia

About 50 percent of companies across the globe will use wikis--or collaborative Web sites that allow numerous users to edit and add content--by 2009, according to Gartner Inc. Wikis are gaining popularity in the workplace as a means of boosting productivity, sharing information among colleagues, and distributing human-resources materials. Amy Vickers of Avenue A/Razorfish, a Manhattan-based firm that assists companies in creating wikis, says information shared at the water cooler can be disseminated company-wide via wikis.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/classified/jobs/orl-wiki1407mar14,
0,976214.story

Microsoft Access: Best Spreadsheet Add-In
AccountingWEB (03/14/07) ; Hurst, Simon

Accountants and other professionals who use word-processing programs inefficiently and depend too much on spreadsheets would benefit from using databases, and they do not need a lot of technical knowledge to do so. Databases can be used to access information from a variety of sources. Spreadsheets are useful in data analysis, but inputting the data can be a lengthy process. However, linking their spreadsheets to a Microsoft Access database will enable accountants to easily export the necessary information, boosting productivity and efficiency. Databases are also helpful when it comes to word-processing tools, as they provide a means by which users can easily input client contact information from accounting, tax, or practice management systems into letters.
http://www.accountingweb.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=103284&d=815&h=8
17&f=816&dateformat=%B%20%e,%20%Y

ERP Not Just for Manufacturers Anymore
SearchSMB.com (03/13/07) ; Atoji, Cindy

Small businesses in need of integrated supply chain, human resources, inventory, and payroll systems, among others, now have access to enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions, which Forrester Research Inc. analyst Ray Wong calls "the brains of a company." When selecting an ERP system, Aberdeen Group Inc. Vice President Cindy Jutras thinks small firms should focus more on functionality than features. Jutras notes that small companies need to look at enterprise tools differently than they do desktop tools that involve figuring things out on their own in order to "take it to the limit." However, David Caruso of David Caruso & Associates believes such features as workflow tools, customizable dashboards, performance metrics, and desktop integration are "must-haves." Another important consideration is total ownership costs, factoring in expenses related to data conversion, training, integration, testing, and maintenance, among others.
http://searchsmb.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid44_gci1247239,00.
html
 

How Small Firms Can Upgrade Hardware While Keeping Cost Down
Legal Technology (03/07/07) ; Whelan, David

Small businesses with limited financial resources are still able to undertake hardware upgrades, according to David Whelan of the Cincinnati Law Library Association. Whelan urges them to purchase technologies intended for small businesses instead of consumer applications, which concentrate more on entertainment than networking and productivity. He also recommends that they institute a three-year to four-year buying cycle, instead of waiting until absolutely necessary to purchase replacements. Implementing network-attached (NAS) storage or another storage system may make more sense than buying new hard drives as storage needs increase. Additionally, they should consider small upgrades, such as random access memory or new network cards, as well as devices that consolidate several functions into one unit.
http://www.law.com/jsp/legaltechnology/pubArticleLTN.jsp?id=11731
75405244

Deploying CRM
Processor (03/02/07) Vol. 29 , No. 9 , P. 26 ; Brandon, John

Small businesses must make several considerations when instituting a customer relationship management (CRM) system to ensure a successful deployment. Given that many sales representatives conduct business outside the office, firms must make sure the system can be securely accessed via cell phones, personal digital assistants, home computers, and wireless networks. They should also take into account server and database maintenance and bandwidth requirements, determining beforehand whether an infrastructure upgrade is necessary to support the CRM system. "In smaller companies, a CRM deployment really depends on the current infrastructure, what they want to do and how they will use the CRM package, how much IT support they can provide, and whether they have high integration requirements," says Laurie McCabe of AMI Partners. Training workers to use the new system is another consideration, determining where help is needed most by testing it on non-technical staff and those who generally have trouble making the switch to new technologies.
http://www.processor.com/editorial/article.asp?article=articles%2
Fp2909%2F31p09%2F31p09.asp&guid=&searchtype=&WordList=&bJumpTo=Tr
ue

Speed Up Your Site with AJAX
Entrepreneur (03/07) ; Campanelli, Melissa

For those looking to increase speed, interactivity, and versatility of their Web sites AJAX, short for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, provides a nice solution. AJAX is a Web development process that makes Web sites faster and more responsive by exchanging small amounts of data with a server continuously, so the entire Web site does not have to reload each time the user changes one detail. Web sites not using AJAX have to reload the entire page each time the user changes their address, shipping date, quantities, or gift message, but AJAX makes small changes as the user fills in information, requiring the page to load only once. Before switching to AJAX, a test on a target audience might be beneficial to see if they notice and appreciate the change. Make sure to work with a programmer with experience in AJAX to prevent your site from dropping in the search rankings, and to ensure your site remains compatible with internet browsers.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/ebusiness/sitedesign/article174662.ht
ml

XBRL Grows Up
Accounting Technology (03/07) Vol. 23 , No. 2 , P. 29 ; DeFelice, Alexandra

XBRL, eXtensible Business Reporting Language, offers a method of financial reporting that is designed to cut across various accounting tools and methods and increase productivity. XBRL has taken its time to seep into the business sector, according to Gartner, but "Even smaller, private businesses have to share financial information with various third parties such as regulators, banks, and investors," says FRx Software Director of Marketing Andy Kamlet. Experts agree that eventually banks, credit card firms, mortgage lenders, and other companies will require small firms to submit financial data in XBRL formats. Today approximately 24 public companies use XBRL to file quarterly reports with the SEC in XBRL through the SEC's Edgar filing system, but many agree that software vendors need to improve their tools to ramp up the return on investment for their XBRL programs in order to get the attention of small business owners. Microsoft FRx 6.7 helps companies create XBRL reports and analyze data, while CCH ProSystem fx data and Rivet's Dragon Tag also create XBRL documents. Some firms contend that XBRL will lead to more disclosure than necessary, but experts indicate of the 95 percent of data falling into the current taxonomies without extensions, only the data released by the firm will be searchable by customers. Moreover, without additional code extensions for data, companies can be assured that financial reports will be more accurate. The FDIC, which introduced XBRL in 2005, reports that its workers can now analyze data from up to 150 more banks than previously, making them more productive.
http://www.webcpa.com/current_issue.cfm?pub=act

Six Degrees of Irritation
CFO (03/07) Vol. 23 , No. 3 , P. 33 ; Shein, Esther

Social-networking sites that cater to businesspeople can provide valuable contacts and services, but some users are concerned that participation brings a number of unwanted relationships as well. Different types of workers use these sites for different purposes. Executives may look for potential employees that they can pry away from their current jobs, while entrepreneurs may seek business contacts that can turn into partners. Sites that offer some degree of exclusivity have an advantage, as they can assure their users they will not be bothered by contacts with little to offer. Still, users can never really know whether the contacts they make will be as valuable as they hope, although sites like LinkedIn allow users to choose the level of familiarity they seek, allowing them to limit introductions to friends or friends of friends. Vshake offers an optional verification system so that users can be sure of their contacts' identity. Many sites are also seeing success in offering more interactive business services, such as LinkedIn's Answers section, which allows members to post questions that are answered by other members and cater to those looking for niche-oriented market contacts.
http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/8760672/c_8766497?f=magazine_alsoi
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