The Light Is Green:

Best movies: December 2006

Saw five great movies this month, here they are in order of preference:

Other Best Movie posts:

Tags: The Illusionist, Little Miss Sunshine, Millions, Casino Royale, All the King's Men

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December 30, 2006 in Books, Film, TV | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Eleven rules of choosing business management software: Rule 2

Here's the next entry from our list of eleven "rules" to help small and medium sized companies evaluate potential products and suppliers when they're looking to change their business management software.

Rule 2: Does the system stay up-to-date regarding fiscal compliance?

Uncle Sam Many vehicle dealers take for granted that their business software complies with the legal and fiscal regulations that are in force in their country.

But this fulfillment may very well be partial. In fact, many solutions available in the market only comply with some of the more simple interpretations of these regulations: they may not take into account tax withholdings, or provide all of the required accounting reports, or handle VAT completely, etc.

In addition, in many countries, new fiscal and legal requirements appear or are modified on a regular basis. This can cause serious issues for the dealership if these adjustments aren't quickly reflected in the system.

It is vital that the software supplier have its own in-house development team, to program the required changes as soon as they appear. These developers should work closely with the supplier’s legal and accounting advisors who are in the best position to understand the new regulations. Many suppliers outsource their application development; this means that it is very difficult, if not impossible, for them to react quickly to changing legal and fiscal matters.

On a related note, the lack of an in-house development staff also means that the supplier won’t be able to provide system updates as frequently as may be desired, much less incorporate customer feature suggestions and other requirements.

Posts in this series:

Tags: Autologica, DMS, ERP, SMB, SMBs, dealer management systems, auto dealer software, automotive, auto industry, automotive industry, auto dealer, auto dealers, car dealer, car dealers, motor vehicle dealer, motor vehicle dealers

December 27, 2006 in Best practices, DMS | Permalink | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: auto dealer, auto dealers, business management software, car dealer, car dealers, dealer management systems, DMS, ERP, motor vehicle dealer, motor vehicle dealers, SMB, SMBs

Toyota to surpass GM

The New York Times reports that current 2007 production estimates show Toyota surpassing GM to claim the lead in the worldwide automotive industry.

In 2006, Toyota had global sales of 8.8 million cars and trucks, while GM estimates are at 9.2 million. But the companies are going in different directions: Toyota expects to add 500 thousand unit sales next year, while GM is closing plants and laying off workers.

How does Toyota plan to grow? 6% in the U.S., 9% in Europe, and 15% in Asia.

Toyota's current concerns seem to be:

Right now, avoiding political fallout from surpassing G.M. As the NYT says: “Does being No. 1 matter? It matters for G.M., and for America,” said Hirofumi Yokoi, an auto analyst at CSM Asia. “It becomes a political issue when America gets passed in a core industry. Toyota will have to be even more sensitive and cautious in the U.S. market.”
Quality issues as they continue to expand. Toyota has always had high marks in quality, but this year they've recalled record numbers of cars (1.2 million just in Japan). Japan's Transport Ministry has ordered Toyota to improve quality control. “There will be no growth without quality,” Toyota president Katsuaki Watanabe told reporters, according to The Associated Press.

Tags: automotive, auto industry, automotive industry, Toyota, Katsuaki Watanabe, GM

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December 24, 2006 in Auto industry, GM, Toyota | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Why Firefox is better than IE

I've already posted about my preference for Firefox 2.0 over Microsoft IE7, even though in the latter's latest incarnation they've added many of the features that Firefox already had (or so I'm told) and IE lacked.

I am not a Microsoft hater or basher. As stated in my previous post, my gripe with IE7 is the continuous crashes. But I've also found a few features and usability issues that I think make Firefox an even better choice.

Let me qualify this post by saying right now that I'm not a sophisticated user. I'm not sure if such a thing as a browser "power user" exists (what would they do that I'm not doing?! :), but if it does I doubt I'd qualify.

Here's my list of features that I think make Firefox 2 better than IE 7.

In Firefox, you can right-click on any link and either open it in a new tab, or in a new window (i.e., a new instance of the browser). Tabs are one of the most useful new features of both browsers, but IE7 only lets you open a link in a new instance of itself, not in a new tab. (--- CORRECTION: An alert reader has just pointed out that IE7 does have this feature, you can even click your mouse wheel over a link and a new tab will open. Nice! BTW, I swear my IE7 didn't have this, maybe it was in the update I just ran? ---)
If the browser closes abruptly (in the case of a power outage, for example), when you reopen Firefox it asks if you want to re-initiate all of your previous sessions. With IE crashing so much, this is a feature it really should have.
Like many people, I’ve created a very simple HTML Home Page with my most used links. But every single #$%$% time I open IE7 it asks me if I really "want to allow scripts or ActiveX controls" (there are none!), and I have to click 3 (!) times to continue. I can't turn this control off! What a pain! Sure I can ask our IT expert how to fix this, but should I have to?
When you do a Ctrl-F (a search! Use your keyboard! :) in Firefox, as you type in letters it starts highlighting what it finds. This is very cool.
Firefox has a cleaner and more elegant management of Favorites.

That's all I can say for now. I'll add to this list as new items come up. Please send in comments and corrections!

December 23, 2006 in Web/Tech | Permalink | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: browsers, Firefox, IE7, Internet Explorer, Microsoft

Nissan bets green

Automotive News recently reported on Nissan’s alternative fuel plans, dubbed the "Nissan Green Program 2010" by the manufacturer. So far Nissan has had a low profile in this regard. The plan includes:

A hybrid car using Nissan technology, to be sold in the U.S. and Japan in 2010. Next year, Nissan will launch an Altima hybrid in the U.S., using Toyota technology.
Vehicles with new clean diesel engines. In April 2007 for Europe, in 2010 for North America, Japan, and China.
Expanded availability of Flexible Fuel Vehicles within the next three years. A flex-fuel Nissan Armada will debut in 2007, joining the Titan.
A "test" Nissan electric vehicle early in the next decade.
Accelerated development of plug-in hybrid technology.
Reduction of CO2 emissions from global manufacturing plants 7% by 2010.
A "three-liter car" (100 kilometers on 3 liters of fuel)… gasoline powered, by 2010
A new company to develop lithium-ion batteries.
A "Nissan Green Shop" program to improve environmental impact of dealerships.

Tags: automotive, auto industry, automotive industry, alternative energy, electric cars, hybrids, flex-fuel, diesel, Nissan, Altima, Renault-Nissan

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December 22, 2006 in Alternative energy, Auto industry, Nissan | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Eleven rules of choosing business management software: Rule 1

We recently put together a list of eleven "rules", sort of a guideline really, to help small and medium sized companies evaluate potential suppliers when they are looking to change their business management software.

We sometimes make references to the specific type of software we provide, dealer management systems, i.e. business software specifically designed for managing vehicle dealerships (auto, truck, agricultural and construction equipment, etc.). But the premises hold true for any type of business.

The rules cover both product and supplier issues, and was not intended as a disguised marketing piece to covertly extol our virtues :). It's a list based on recommendations by dealership and manufacturer owners and managers, as well as on our own experience with best business practices.

So here is the first of our Eleven Rules of Choosing Business Management Software:

Rule 1: Make sure the new system can accompany your company’s growth.

Choosing a dealer management system is an investment that will be useful for many years.

This investment includes not only the cost of software licenses and related services, but also the dealer’s efforts during the different stages of a successful implementation:

Before: Documentation of current business processes as well as needs, initial configuration of the system, data migration from the old system. These tasks are performed together with the new DMS supplier.
During: Training, final system configuration, and working with the supplier throughout the new system’s “go-live” stage.
After: Constant interaction with the supplier in order to continuously improve business processes. Also, feature suggestions to supplier.

It is important to make sure the new software solution satisfies not only the dealer’s immediate needs, but that it is also capable of incorporating long term needs and adapting to the market’s evolution.

You should take into account the following when choosing your new system:

The database must respond efficiently, quickly and securely to accommodate the normal data flow that is to be expected in any dealership. A small database (for example Microsoft Access®) is inappropriate; robust databases such as Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle, which were created for business use, are the right way to go. In addition, ask your supplier whether they “leverage the possibilities offered by the database engine, by storing data manipulation processes in the database to achieve optimal performance.” This will denote their experience with the database and more importantly: database performance will be greatly enhanced.

The new software solution should be designed and developed for the mostly commonly used computing platform around the globe: Microsoft Windows. In addition to its inherent advantages, a Windows application ensures a faster learning curve for present and future employees.

The new system should adapt to the dealer’s business processes, not the other way around. Though a process may exist that cannot be replicated exactly as the dealer would like, in a flexible and configurable system these will be minimal.

The system should handle multiple company names, franchises, stores (points of sale, workshops, etc.) and depots, to anticipate future growth.

All departments and stores should work in real-time, without the need for cumbersome end of day processes.

The software should run on off-the-shelf hardware: servers, PCs and printers.

It is important to make sure the supplier offers periodic updates and upgrades. These versions should include new features, ideally developed based on customer needs as well as on technological advancements.

If the dealership is not able to assess these aspects on its own, they should request the help of their Manufacturer in order to perform a thorough evaluation. Manufacturers usually have staff that specializes in this.

Posts in this series:

Tags: Autologica, DMS, ERP, SMB, SMBs, dealer management systems, auto dealer software, automotive, auto industry, automotive industry, auto dealer, auto dealers, car dealer, car dealers, motor vehicle dealer, motor vehicle dealers

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December 20, 2006 in Best practices, DMS | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Mazda lesson on how to fix a problem

Here's a lesson from Mazda on how to nip a potentially huge problem in the bud (based on a piece in Automotive News):

Step 1: See the problem.
Step 2: Admit the problem. Publicly.
Step 3: Take quick action to solve the problem. Publicly.

The backstory: In July, a shipper carrying Mazda vehicles went into a 60-degree list in the Pacific and had to be towed to port. Some of the cars were under water, others were dry with little visible signs of damage. Mazda quickly stated that its engineers would evaluate all 4703 cars to determine which to scrap and which to sell through a used-car program. Standard fare.

But then they saw that though their initial solution was logical, it was not a wise one in the long term. I quote from Automotive News:

... given that the provenance of the vehicles might come into doubt in several years' time, Mazda decided to avoid a potential customer-satisfaction nightmare by scrapping all the vehicles.

"We just couldn't take the risk of there being unforeseen issues down the road," said Mazda spokesman Jeremy Barnes.

"There were two camps of potential buyers. One was, 'Where can I get one cheap?' The others were worried they might get one by accident and weren't going to shop Mazda as a result."

What a great move by Mazda! The solution is in the best interest of clients, potential clients, people who weren't potential clients but now may be when they see how Mazda handles problems, and ultimately Mazda itself.

Tags: Mazda, automotive, auto industry, automotive industry

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December 16, 2006 in Auto industry, Best practices, Customer satisfaction, Marketing | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

The decline of the "world-class" ERP

I recently read an interesting article at SimpleX, an IT news site, that compared the performance of "world-class" ERPs versus their Latin American counterparts over the last ten years.

The term "world-class" was very popular during the nineties, but it's use has declined to right around zero (I haven't heard it in a long while), as has its significance.

The prevailing wisdom ten years ago was that buying a "world-class" ERP software package was like buying Lenovo IBM, you know, "nobody ever got fired for buying blah blah blah".

But if you take a look at the top "world-class" ERP players in 1996, you'll notice that most have either gone out of business, were absorbed by another company and their product discontinued, or fallen dramatically in sales and standing.

Here are the top ten players from 1996:

SAP
Baan
JD Edwards
Oracle Financials
Peoplesoft
Marcam
BPCS
Computer Associates
Mapics
Great Plains

Right off the bat, you can tell what the article is talking about.

Baan. The whole Oracle-JD Edwards-Peoplesoft takeover thing. The Great Plains-Navision-Solomon Microsoft Business Solutions-Microsoft Dynamics confusion. The Computer Associates scandal.

In a nutshell, the article concludes that while the "world-class" software vendors had a 20% survival rate over the past decade, 90% of the top ten Latin American vendors are still here, their ownership is intact, and they have grown in revenue and presence throughout the region.

Food for thought.

Tags: ERP

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December 11, 2006 in Best practices, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Toyota Fine-X concept car

Check out the really nice photo feature at Popular Science, covering concept cars presented at the latest Tokyo Motor Show. Standouts include:

Toyota Fine-X fuel-cell hybrid. Can run off its battery, fuel cell or a combination of the two. Features four independent wheel motors and four-wheel steering. Has huge gull-wing doors.