Business Tools To Streamline Your Business

On day two of NACStech, mining customer data and implementing SharePoint software lead to overall operational efficiencies.

May 07, 2010

NEW ORLEANS - Day two of NACStech kicked off with a workshop in the operations track titled, "Hidden Treasures in Your Database." Moderated by Lisa Stewart, president of the Impact 21 Group, the session featured David Caudill, senior director of IT at Thornton??s, representing the technology perspective, and Bob Palmer, director of operations for OnCue Marketing, sharing the operations perspective.

The two experts shared information on how they store and retain their data as well as the key players who actively use the data. Palmer stressed that everyone in an organization who makes top-level decisions should be using data in their decision-making process. Caudill actively searches out leaders in the company to ask them about their pain points and explore how data can help. Also, he recommended, let these leaders know what data you have. You can often help solve their problems.

Palmer and Caudill shared the various and different types of reports they use to collect and share POS data as well as set gas prices. Automating these reports have simplified information and data sharing among far-flung store locations.

Overall, both experts agree that you need to tailor any reports to your audience whether it be a CEO or a category manager. "Take it from an operations guy," Palmer said, "too much information and it gets ignored." Keep it simple.

In the following workshop, "Unleashing the Power of Microsoft SharePoint, Dux Raymond Sy, managing partner at Innovative-e Inc., gave a tactical overview of SharePoint; how it brings document management into one central location, promotes better collaboration across an organization, automates business processes and instills accountability and responsibility in project management.

SharePoint, in a nutshell, helps businesses centralize relevant information into a single space. And because it??s a Microsoft tool, it integrates with Microsoft Office applications seamlessly ?" and doesn??t involve the IT department every step of the way.

Because each department can tailor how they use SharePoint to fit their needs, projects are managed efficiently from beginning to end ?" any one at any point in time can check the project status, deadlines, revisions, meeting requests and more by logging in to their SharePoint site.

Next week, SharePoint is launching its 2010 version on May 12 at 11:00 am EST.

Download the presentation handouts from the "Unleash the Power of Microsoft SharePoint" workshop.

Look for more coverage of NACStech in the upcoming special issue of Convenience Store News, specifically focusing on NACStech.

NACStech wraps up today at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. For more information, visit nacstech.com.

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