For more than 30 years, Arbor Age magazine has been covering new and innovative products, services, technology and research vital to tree care companies, municipal arborists and utility right-of-way maintenance companies
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Image provided by Creative Automation Solutions, Inc. Although GAIM is a separate product offering, many of the same inventory data capture capabilities including GPS and GIS are available in ArborSoftWorx Commercial Business Management. AA: What are the latest business management system technology trends in the tree care industry? Garner: Mobile access, on the go, more and more users wanting access to information from tablets and smart phones. Cardillo: Mobility is a key factor in keeping up with demand for instant answers and instant client communications.The ArborSoftWorx suite of software is offered as a stand-alone or networked installed product on Windows,Linux,and MAC iOS systems.Also offered in the Cloud on cost-effective hosted servers for secure anytime, anywhere access from practically any device for management, office staff, sales, and crews. The ease of incorporating digital content is important.For many years, ArborSoftWorx has provided the ability to incorporate digital images, photographs, maps, drawings and property sketches.ArborSoftWorx users can connect any digital content file with customer records meeting the demand to integrate:RFPs,spreadsheets,Word documents,Resistographs, GIS plots, Google and Bing-based maps, simple sketches and sophisticated layered CAD style drawings. Ease of receiving client payments is critical. Most companies today process credit card transactions.ArborSoftWorx offers a secure e-pay module to accept credit card payments from within the application and a secure Web-based Client Payment Portal for their clients to view their invoices and make payments any time — eliminating receivables and increasing cash flow.This solution offers fixed amount recurring payment processing,does not require a terminal and offers secure access,and is 100-percent PCI compliant (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard). AA:What impact can a business management system make on a tree care company's bottom line? Garner: It gives companies a systematic way of managing data so www.arborage.com that nothing slips through the cracks, including phone messages, appointments, making sure that services are scheduled on time, and help with marketing — to existing customers and to help generate repeat income. Cardillo: In a few words, the wrong one can ruin it. The right solution will help your business run more smoothly,increase productivity, improve client communications, provide faster turnaround to your clients, improve communications with crews, increase closure rates and volume of work, and help you build your business beyond just generating and tracking data. More importantly, the right solution will be scalable and grow with you and your changing needs. You don't invest in new technology simply because someone says it's good for business.You don't invest in new technology because it looks like a really cool gadget.You have to understand what you need and why you need it.The ArborSoftWorx industry specialists help you do just that. As IT engineers,we know computers and technology.We will work with you to add the right technology that makes sense for your business and budget, and guide you through improving your current processes, and procedures through the proper implementation of ArborSoftWorx. From single-owner-operated businesses to large companies with multiple branch offices, capturing and maintaining quality data is important. This data can be analyzed and reported in a number of different ways — from a simple job costing report to complex sales commission calculations and profitability analysis.The information derived from capturing consistent, quality data is paramount in enabling ownership and management to make appropriate decisions and actions about their business. AA:When shopping for a business management system, what are the key factors that tree care company owners need to consider? Garner: How they want to access their information — through a Windows database or a web browser? Will they need access from mobile devices? How easy is the software to use, and does it come with a training program? Cardillo: Deciding to implement or change a business management system can seem, at first, overwhelming.There are all sorts of applications in the marketplace, some specialized in the Green industry, others for any generic service company, and yet others that are wide open to interpretation.Each one touts the benefits of their offering versus the competition, and all seeming to have some plusses and minuses for your business. So where should you start? Well, unless you plan to build a system from scratch and spend tens of thousands of dollars, and countless hours while running a business, you may never find a 100-percent perfect fit. Some key features you should look for in a business management system to make sure you get the best possible functionality for your business needs are: Industry competencies/focus: Is the software geared toward your business? Does it address the required government agency reporting requirements for this industry such as DOD, OSHA, DEC or DOA? Does it answer the reporting requirements of other industry initiatives such as TCIA Accreditation? Is technology their core competency? Are there certified programmers,developers and IT specialists on staff? What are the core competencies of the organization that develops the software? Is software Arbor Age / April 2013 19