Because war goes back to the start of human civilization, there are numerous stories of poor military decisions and disgraced leaders, ranging from the German invasion of Russia during World War II to the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

What management lessons can we learn from military leaders of the past?

Use Employees Effectively

Called the decisive battle in the First War of Scottish Independence, the Battle of Bannockburn took a turn on June 24, 1314 when King Edward II of England decided to position his army very close together.

The men were so crowded that they found it difficult to maneuver, and knew that falling over meant being trampled to death. Edward also kept his bowmen so far back from the battle that they were useless against the Scottish (pictured above with King Robert Bruce).

Not surprisingly, the battle did not go Edward’s way. He soon abandoned his forces, causing the leaderless English troops to panic and flee. Many met the unkind end of Scottish weaponry.

Using your own employees effectively starts by knowing their strengths. Creating openness in the workplace also allows leaders and experts to develop and be recognized organically. We can take another lesson from this example: give workers the time and space to do their work properly.

Understand the Technology

In 1472, the Lord of Cordes brought two cannons to The Siege of Beauvais. However, he only brought one cannon ball for each cannon, and ended up making a small hole in the town’s gate. The Lord also neglected to bring masons to make more cannon balls*. The walls of Beauvais were not breached and the siege failed.

Understanding business technology, like your ERP system, helps you figure out how it fits into your business and what it can do for you. A proper implementation plan prevents you from diving into new technology, like cloud computing, without the knowledge to use it correctly.

*Cannon ball shortages were an issue in many battles. During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Army was so shorthanded for cannon balls that one officer offered a cash reward for the retrieval of enemy balls. Several soldiers tried to catch them.

Be Open to Employee Insight

A British war hero at the turn of the 18th century, Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell (pictured right) suffered an unfortunate end to his illustrious career.

A navigation mistake put his fleet of ships off course, prompting one of the seamen to approach the Admiral about the error. The Admiral had him hanged for mutiny.

Soon afterward, four of the fleet’s warships, including the one carrying the Admiral, hit the rocks off the Scilly Isles. They sank within minutes, and the Admiral lost his life, along with 1,300 men aboard the vessels.

Your employees have a view of the company you are not afforded. They can often spot gaps in technology and ways to make processes more efficient. That valuable insight is crucial when trying to improve your business. Even if it’s not good news.

Focus on Objectives

During the Texas Revolution, the Mexican forces arrived at a wide open prairie on their way north. In the middle of the prairie was a tiny, adobe-walled mission called The Alamo. Santa Anna, leader of the Mexican forces, chose to attack the tiny garrison instead of simply going around it. “Pride goeth before a fall,” anyone?

The famous Battle of the Alamo lasted 13 days, until the Mexican forces finally pulled off a victory. However, they had held themselves up long enough for the Texan Army to take a stronger position for the Battle of San Jacinto.

Santa Anna lost that subsequent battle in 18 minutes (ouch).

To succeed in achieving long-term business objectives, it’s important to focus on them as much as possible. Meetings, emergencies, and other distractions will always try to sap away the time we can spend on objectives. This is not necessarily a time management issue, as long as we put “first things first.”

Protect Business Plans

It’s a bad idea to leave sensitive information out for others to see. It’s an even worse idea when that sensitive information is your detailed battle plan, and you’re General Robert E. Lee of the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Right before the Battle of Sharpsburg (or Antietam, pictured right) in September of 1862, Union General George McClellan was hot on Lee’s trail. That’s when two Union soldiers found a copy of Lee’s battle plan in an abandoned campsite.

Fortunately for Lee, McClellan waited 18 hours before choosing to use the information to alter his own battle plan. However, 23,000 Confederate soldiers still lost their lives in the crushing defeat at Sharpsburg.

When you’re moving toward closing a deal, you’ll probably share more and more information with the other party. Commitments from both sides will come in oral form, payments, timelines, or contracts. However, the other party is likely speaking with your competitors as well. That’s why it’s important to document when commitments are made and by whom (as well as who is involved). Make sure the information involved is private during negotiations, and even after the deal is closed.

Bonus lesson: Act on valuable knowledge when you can. Why wait for the business environment, or your competitors, to restructure the situation?

Sources:

http://listverse.com/2009/09/03/top-10-worst-military-decisions-in-history/
“Strange But True Military Facts” Steve Crawford. Metro Books: New York.

How many times have you been interrupted today?

Maybe too many to count.

You might even be distracted before you finish this article.

That’s because interruptions—from co-workers, managers, emails, social media, texting, and the internet—have become a permanent part of our workdays.

Interruptions are so common that they’re estimated to occur every 11 minutes.

Don’t pull your hair out! Think about how to make interruptions positive.

How to Create Good Interruptions

In “Leading in the Smallest of Moments” (2011 issue of The Journal of the American Management Association), Douglas Connant and Mette Norgaard suggest using interruptions as “TouchPoints” with co-workers.

TouchPoints take advantage of interruptions by injecting energy and momentum. All you have to do during an interruption is use it as a chance to offer co-workers help and suggestions with solving problems and working toward goals.

Using this approach turns interruptions from energy-sapping nuisances to positive events.

The TouchPoint Approach – Broken Down

Start by asking “How can I help?” After that, be sure to:

• Listen to the person intently
• Frame the issue
• Advance the agenda

And always follow up!

Congratulations!

You now have a way to harness positive opportunities every 11 minutes!

I hope you are now able to get more out of interruptions, maybe even look forward to them. Let me know what you think!

Is there a hotter word than “cloud” in the technology sector right now? If you’re considering cloud services for your business, you’ll find numerous choices.

Have you thought about Sage ERP MAS 90 Online?

Functional. Flexible. Efficient. Accessible.

Sage ERP MAS 90 Online comes with many of the core modules of Sage ERP MAS 90, plus the option to move to the on-premise version of Sage MAS 90 and 200 as your business changes. You can even drop and add services as you need them. And once you factor in the speed of the internet, you’ll start to see how mobile your business can be.

“Does Sage MAS 90 Online fit my business?”

Do you have remote workers? Are you looking to give your business data a fresh start? Sage ERP MAS 90 Online could be right for you. It might also be the right fit if you have a small company with a limited workforce, since you could outsource IT functions that might weigh you down.

MAS 90 Online also sports a subscription-based payment method vs. the traditional upfront investment model associated with ERP solutions. You’ll pay a per-user subscription first, and then pick the other services you want. Your subscription even comes with a disaster recovery service and a guaranteed system uptime of 98%!

Click here for a full list of available modules

For more information on your ERP options, or to determine if Sage ERP MAS 90 Online is right for you, contact us today!

You might have noticed some new Sage product names appearing on our website. That’s because over the course of 2012, Sage is dropping the term “MAS” from its ERP family of software solutions and changing the name of several other products.

The new brand names match up with the names used by Sage in Europe. This means a stronger, more consistent brand experience for customers.

The “MAS” name has been around since the 1980′s, so it will be strange to see it go. But the software is so much more than a Master Accounting Series today; it’s a powerful management solution for all parts of business.

Here’s a handy breakdown of the name changes for the Sage solutions Kissinger sells and services:

• Sage MAS 90 and 200 will become Sage 100 ERP
  • Sage MAS 90 will become Sage 100 Standard ERP
  • Sage MAS 200 will become Sage 100 Advanced ERP
  • Sage MAS 200 SQL will become Sage 100 Premium ERP

• Sage MAS 500 will become Sage 500 ERP

• Sage FAS Fixed Assets will become Sage Fixed Assets

• Sage Abra HRMS will become Sage HRMS

Products that include these names will reflect the new branding (ex. Sage MAS 90 Online will become Sage 100 ERP Online).

There are no changes to the Sage software itself (aside from the recent release of Sage 90 and 200/100 Version 4.5), but please contact us if you have any questions on the rebranding or Sage software in general.

During the craziness of the holiday season, you may have missed the release of Product Updates to Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 Versions 4.4 and 4.5.

• Product Update 2 (4.50.2.0) for Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 4.5
• Product Update 8 (4.40.0.08) for Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 4.4

Checking Compatibility
Before installing Sage Product Updates, you should check the compatibility of all your third-party software, including your Kissinger Enhancements (lists below). If you need a compliance fix for our software, you can obtain it by logging into the Customer Portal or Business Partner Portal, and then clicking on the enhancement/s that need the fix.

Compatibility with 4.5 Product Update 2:

• ACH Direct 4.50 – Good to go!
• AIA Job Cost Billing 4.50 – Good to go!
• Certified Payroll 4.50 – Compliance Fix Required
• Union Automation 4.50 – Not released yet

Compatibility with 4.4 Product Update 8:

• ACH Direct 4.40 – Good to go!
• AIA Job Cost Billing 4.40 – Compliance Fix Required
• Certified Payroll 4.40 – Compliance Fix Required
• Union Automation 4.40 – Compliance Fix Required

Sage Product Update Tips

Review the Read Me files and Release Notes
You’ll find these located under “Documents” on the Product Update pages. These files list all the enhancements and corrections included in the update, as well as friendly reminders.

Make a back up!
Don’t lose that data.

Are You Using 4.5 Yet?

You can get more information on the latest version of Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 at our 4.5 customer education class, at the What’s New in 4.5 webpage, or by contacting Kissinger.

Did you know that the Extended Enterprise Suite of Sage MAS 90 and 200 is now part of Sage MAS 90 and 200 Version 4.5? Learn more at our free customer education class!

What’s New in Sage MAS 90/200 Version 4.5 (+ 4.4 review)

Tuesday, January 24, 2012
2:30pm – 4:00pm ET (find your time)

Here’s what I can tell you now: if you missed the last couple upgrades, you’ll get all the enhancements from those releases in Version 4.5. You’ll also find module enhancements and new features like national account management.

Watch this short video preview of Version 4.5 to get an idea of the improvements in this version. (click here if you cannot view the video)

Can’t make the webinar? You can still get the info you need here:

• The Version 4.5 page
• Blog coverage of 4.5 (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3)
• 4.5 Features guide

Hope to see you at the webinar!

AIA Job Cost Billing 4.50 is now available!

AIA 4.50 is now available for download. This release is compatible with Sage ERP MAS 90 and 200 Versions 4.50.0.0 and 4.50.1.0 (product update 1) without any compatibility fix.

Please contact your reseller to ask about upgrading. You can also read more here.

Compatibility Update for Kissinger Enhancements

The following Kissinger Enhancements are compatible with the Sage 2011 IRD and the Q1 2012 Tax Table Update AS IS:

• ACH Direct
• Certified Payroll
• AIA Job Cost Billing
• Union Automation

Thank you!

The holidays can be a wonderful time to celebrate the past and plan for the future. It’s also a perfect chance for us to reflect on our Core Values:

Integrity | Respect | Hard Work | Competence | Reliability | Personal Responsibility

For the 26 years we’ve been in business, these Core Values have informed our work and our professional decisions. And during the holidays, we think about how we apply them to relationships with family and friends.

Home for the Holidays

Kissinger will be closed on Monday, Dec. 26th and Monday, Jan. 2nd. If you have a technical support request while we’re out, please email support@kissingerassoc.com.

We’ll check the support request emails at 9:00am ET and 1:00pm ET on both dates. If you have an emergency, we’ll get right on it. If it’s a non-emergency or if it’s sent after 1:00pm, we’ll respond to it when we return to the office on Dec. 27th or Jan. 3rd.

From all of us at Kissinger Associates, Have a very Happy Holiday and a Fantastic New Year!

Image courtesy of:

Shopping for business software? Considering an ERP upgrade?

I could sit here all day telling you how Sage can give you a more capable, efficient, and dynamic business.

Or you can read the success stories below and on our website, and see how real companies like yours are benefiting from Sage ERP software.

Sage ERP MAS 90 (more)

The Armed Services Mutual Benefit Association was using an old Sage system and decided they were ready for an upgrade:

Shepard appreciates the way Sage ERP MAS 90 presents data, and allows her to drill down and drill around to uncover the details she needs. “When a vendor calls, for example, I can
quickly see all of their invoices, what payments were made, when they were made, and what the details of the invoice are,” she says. “It is intuitive and fast.”

Sage ERP MAS 200 (more)

Moonstruck Chocolates found MAS 200 to be the scalable solution they could grow with:

“We are now able to compare the actual cost of each production run to the standard costs through the variance reports. If our costs are higher than expected, we can identify where the problem is and work quickly to correct it,” says McKinney. “In addition, the impact of changes in the process or the bills of material can be measured instantly. This kind of current, relevant, and accurate information helps us make better business decisions.”

You can also read about Packaging Specialties, and why they’ve always used Sage for business software solutions.

Sage ERP MAS 500 (more)

Haremar realized their two different software systems were holding the company back. After looking at 20 ERP solutions, they chose Sage ERP MAS 500:

The availability of highly-regarded and tightly integrated process manufacturing and scheduling components for Sage ERP MAS 500 factored significantly in the selection process. “We are both a process and discrete manufacturer,” explains Lichtblau. “Very few ERP solutions can handle both types of manufacturing effectively and equip us with advanced planning and scheduling tools to ensure efficient production. … It gives us the flexibility we need without compromising our requirements.”

If you’re considering an upgrade to Sage ERP MAS 500, you might be interested to read why Ready Mix USA, a former Sage ERP MAS 200 user, moved to MAS 500 as they acquired locations and expanded operations.

You can also view how other Sage software helps companies with their HR and payroll, customer-facing processes, and fixed assets.

Have your own success story? Share it with us in the comments below or contact us!

Are you up to date on ACH Direct for Sage MAS 90 and 200?

The newest version, ACH 4.50, is now available! Contact your reseller before performing the upgrade.

How to download ACH Direct 4.50:

1. Navigate to the Customer Portal (top right hand corner of kissingerassoc.com)
2. Enter your Username and Password
3. Click “Licensed Enhancement Software Downloads” near the bottom of the page
4. Choose ACH Direct from the list of enhancements
5. Click “ACH4.50.exe”

You can choose to download the file in an .exe or .zip format.

Please contact your reseller if you need assistance with the install process or have questions.

About ACH Direct

ACH Direct for Sage MAS 90 and 200 is a Direct Deposit enhancement to the Payroll module. Instead of issuing paper checks, ACH Direct empowers you to transfer funds directly to employees’ accounts on payday. A NACHA-compliant file is created for your financial institutional and you can directly deposit funds to more than one account per employee.

ACH 4.50 is compatible with PU 0 and PU 1. ACH 4.40 is compatible with PU 9 through PU 7.

Not an ACH Direct user yet? Learn how Direct Deposit methods like ACH Direct help your business go green!