Selecting New Software

I am in postion that many of you are or will be in....I've spent the week interviewing software companies for a B&L project. I thought I would share what I do in evaluating these software companies.

1. I interviewed the B&L management team to determine what we needed from the new software. Also, asked them to list what they wanted. From this I was able to develop a priority list. From this priority list we where able to determine what features and functions we needed on day one and what we wanted for phase two.

2. I googled some key terms and found some companies that specialized in what we need. I gleaned as information as I could from their websites and looked at some references they mentioned on their sites. I then did a further google search to see what kind of "dirt" I could find. Some companies where eliminated at this point.

3. I then called a friend from the Chamber of Commerce to see if she had worked with any of them. She had and gave me some reviews on those she worked with or knew about. Her reviews pulled alot of weight with me.

4. I took #2 and # and made a three candidate list. I did not want to interview any more then three, I was afraid things would get lost and confused. I contacted all three and setup appointments at B&L. This 1st meeting was not for a demo, but rather to:

• Answer their questions about my priority list. How else would I get an accurate quote?
• Learn about their company (Are they stable, have they been around for awhile, etc.)
• Most importantly, can I work with them? Do our personalities mesh?

I am finishing up my last interview today. My next step is to meet with the people I would work with, check references and have a demo or two on their products. Then it is decision time.

Anyway, that is it for me. Have a good one!

Secret Sauce

I was at the gym yesterday talking to a friend of mine named Joey. Joey owns a Dairy Queen and several commercial buildings. We talked about business, banking problems, etc. Joey then asked "How is B&L doing?" I told Joey "YTD we have closed 300% more new business then 2008". Joey looked at me like I was nuts and then he asked "How the hell have you guys done that?"

Great question. I answered Joey by listing several factors including:

1. With the economic downturn, B&L recognized a fundamental change in the way metal casters do business. Metal casters must do more with less and stick to their expertise, making castings. 24 months ago we recognized this change and released several new products to help customers "stick to their knitting."

2. Innovation is our life blood. This is for all facets of our business. We are always looking for ways to help our customers do more with less resources. Purchased Castings, Schedule by Heat, the 1st and only complete Tooling Module available are all examples of the our endless Innovation quest. Innovation goes beyond software but into training (at your request, we can record all training classes to be used by you at a later date), implementation (creation of Implementation Managers, Task People, File Conversion Specialists), etc.

3. Truly, our customers are our greatest asset. Yes, they direct the future of software and services. But many do more than that. I just found out this morning that Sivyer Steel hosted a B&L prospect for a demo. We knew nothing of this meeting until yesterday when the prospect called us for more information! Fred Wile, President of Southern Cast Products did a demo for Glidewell Foundry last year. Glidewell is now a B&L customer. Recently we landed Grede Foundries. What helped us win the job was our reputation. Several managers had worked in B&L foundries and insisted Grede drop SAP for B&L solutions.

4. We are an open company. Our President lists his e-mail and phone number for any and all customers and prospects to call with any questions. We also publish each and every new customer. This is truly priceless. Others software firms claim to be busy (with no proof) or recycle old wins trying to generate publicity. We are proud of our new customers and aren't afraid to display them in an open and honest manner. In fact, we have another one and as soon as Jerry passes me the paperwork we will make the announcement!

5. We've invested $100,000's in customer support. We hired three support desk people that all they do is answer your questions. We have a comprehensive CRM system where we track all implementation projects, enter questions and receive downloads. All of this without charging additional fees.

And the list goes on. I told Joey all of this and then told him I expect several more new accounts before the end of the year. He rolled his eyes and said something about low margins on ice cream cones.

That's it for now. Take care and see ya' down the road.

Boston, Indy, Then ????

Spent the past few days in Boston visiting with our business partner Progress Software (www.progress.com). Progress provides the Interface, Database and Programming Language that powers Odyssey. It was a great visit. Met with numerous VPs and Departments heads to ensure B&L and Progress are on the same page. We came away from the meeting more confident then ever with our relationship with Progress. In fact, thanks to our tremendous growth pattern and embracing new technologies, we will be featured in several of their marketing campaigns!

Next week I will attend the ICI show in Indy. Should be fun. It has been awhile since I have attend a show. When I met with the Progress Corporation, I was asked about what is new in Odyssey. I started off telling them other software firms are touting "Shop Floor Data Collection." Everyone of them had the same response.....Don't all ERP firms have Shop Floor Data Collection??? We have had our Shop Floor Data Collection since 2003. It has been further enhanced (thanks to our customers) over the past six years. Yeah, it is a powerful tool. stop by if you want to see it. But seriously, every ERP system worth its salt should have had this years ago.

We have focused much of our programming resources in extending the reach of metal casters. Many metal casters are doing business with other foundries, whether they are in the states or overseas. One continuing challenge they face is the management of inventory. Well, we now have a Purchased Castings which will help you keep track purchased castings, whether from across the street or across the ocean(s).

Client Services has been very busy. Our implementations are better then ever. File conversions time, the one phase that historically takes the longest, has been reduce greatly. We have several people responsible to work with you and convert the data from your old system into Odyssey. Our average implementation is running 6-8 weeks. This is for file conversion, training, support, reporting writing (if needed) and go live. And by the way, this is not just accounting!!!!!

Sales has been very busy. We have welcomed many new customers this year and we expect more before the end of the year. Some of the customers are well know metal casters. I look forward to posting their names as they close!

That's it for now. If you are attending the ICI show, stop by the booth for more information about how B&L can help you make better decisions, faster.

Incredible!!!!

The past four weeks have been very busy and exciting for me, my family and B&L Information Systems. I cannot believe it is October already!

My kids started school in September. Meredith is in the second grade and Grant is in Pre-K. They both love school! Of course it helps that Laurel, my wife and their mom taught 11 years, that is until Meredith was born. Her full time “job” is a stay at home mom.

We have closed several new accounts. FiveStar American Die Casting, a 17 employee die caster, signed with B&L Information Systems. Welcome aboard FiveStar American Die Casting. Also, Grede Foundries has selected B&L Information Systems’ software and service. The B&L software, which replaces SAP, is part of their corporate reorganization strategy. Welcome aboard Grede Foundries. Find it funny when other software firms say how busy they are, yet they never mention who they are busy with???? We never hide who we do business with!

We also had Spectrum ’09, our annual user conference. This year we where in Chicago. Around 65 clients where in attendance. While this number is lower then the average year, still not to bad considering the economy. Brenda Polvock, Client Services Manager and Sandy Warren, Marketing Admin Support, do a wonderful job on this event. All of the details are covered and it seems (from my perspective at least) everything always goes smoothly. For more pictures from Spectrum 2009, go to the B&L Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/BL-Information-Systems/106238318018

I also want to congratulate Bremen Castings for their featured article in Modern Casting’s September issue. I know JB Brown (President) pretty well and I am proud to say Bremen Castings use B&L software. If you ever want to visit a foundry that understands the use of technology, Bremen Castings should be at the top of your list.

That is it for now.

Matt