Have you ever had discrepancies in the reporting and analytics you pull that show overlapping legs of a call? Or is it that the times just don’t seem to match up logically? Does it make you so frustrated you feel like shoving your computer across your desk? via GIPHY Me too. And […]
In an earlier blog I wrote about how we started with a product vision and over time, based on early customer input, that vision gets modified so that we end up triangulating more accurately with real market needs. While this sounds pretty obvious, in fact it’s not so easy. Sometimes the needs of one or […]
Unless you’re seriously into computer systems, chances are you won’t have heard much about something called meta-data. Meta-data holds the promise of different cloud platforms seamlessly interacting with each other and it is going to be increasingly important for the way you run your business. In the old days, computer systems were totally self-contained. Your […]
In an earlier blog we covered the topic of pushing information down to customers through downstream reporting. Now we’re going to think about pushing information up to franchisers, parent companies, and other people who are not necessarily on the front lines but require information from multiple sources to make strategic decisions.
It’s become common to say that we live in an information-rich world. The Internet has eliminated distance and smartphones have made it possible for us to access anything, anywhere, anytime. But how many of us really use information constructively in our businesses? How many of us have thought about how to use information to improve […]
In previous blog posts I’ve written about why an Executive Support System (ESS) is important in helping CEOs to make forward-thinking decisions. I’ve also explored some of the detailed metrics and ratios that an ESS tracks, like the three types of profitability metrics. Now I’d like to give a quick overview of the four core […]
“What’s the bottom line?” This phrase is so overused in business and popular culture that I’d venture to call it a cliche. If you’ve ever watched an executive look at an income statement, you would realize why “the bottom line” has become a part of our everyday parlance. Most CEOs glance briefly at an income […]
An Executive Support System (ESS) is a software solution that can help CEOs to make more pro-active and informed business decisions. The system works by aggregating and comparing data from across a company’s accounting, sales and other processes. Looking at key metrics in each area of a business, the ESS will calculate helpful ratios like […]
When I started an IT services company, I was an IT expert but not necessarily an accounting expert. I was so busy working with my partners to get the company up and running that I didn’t have the time or interest to dig down and get deep into the financials. Just starting out as the […]
It’s great to know where you are today in terms of your business’ health, and a good Executive Support System (ESS) can give you the full picture you need in order to make sure there are no hidden surprises lurking underneath the monthly reports. But in the next six to twelve months, do you know […]