GENERAL BUSINESS CONSULTANTS  

SPECIALISTS      IN     " SYSTEMS"      AND     MORE-PROFITABLE     OPERATIONS  -  For Distributors, WHOLESALERS, Manufacturers

WORKSHOP SUBJECTS

Associations and other organizations use GBC to conduct workshops because, we:

   - tailor workshop content to participants' needs

   - send ready-to-use p/r material and workshop handouts well before deadlines

   - conduct unbiased, objective workshops that aren't a sales pitch 

   - base the workshops on GBC's hands-on experience

   - avoid technobabble, and explain terms that might be too technical

   - pass along some "secrets" we recommend to  clients

   - consult with participants afterwards.

CURRENT WORKSHOP SUBJECTS ARE:

TECH TRENDS THAT CAN HURT DISTRIBUTORS AND WHOLESALERS. Most trends in Information Technology (IT) will help distributors and wholesalers save money and increase customer service, but some IT trends could hurt. This workshop overviews each trend and explains its pros and cons for distributors and wholesalers:

            "Talking" Chips Replace Printed Bar Codes

            Wireless Digital Networks Result in Go-Anywhere Data Communications

            Warehouse Management Systems Become Affordable and Practical

            Supply Chain Management Dramatically Alters Business Relationships

            The Plot to Take Away Distributors' Computers

            Software Support Moves Overseas -- the Pros and Cons  

WHY SOME SYSTEMS ARE DECREASING CUSTOMER SERVICE, MARGINS AND RETURN ON INVENTORY INVESTMENT -- AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT. As part of efforts to overcome shrinking margins and rising costs, distributors are enlisting the aid of their computer systems. But too much time is often spent in the wrong places -- functions that do little to increase sales/margins or customer service, or decrease costs; and the equally-important "manual system" is often ignored. This workshop explores those functions that have a big impact on profits and customer service, and presents some ways for improving them. In addition, it presents some tips for improving related user-skills and procedures & controls that involve users and non-users.

AVOIDING EXCESS INVENTORY AND SHORTAGES WHILE KEEPING CUSTOMER SERVICE HIGH. Distributors know that they need to manage inventory levels and warehouse operations very effectively to profitably increase customer service. But most don't know that  good software isn't enough -- procedures and controls often need to be implemented or tightened, and user-skills upgraded. This workshop starts by describing key procedures and controls, and then describes the kinds of skills that are needed. Then it provides some "tips" for using a system to manage inventory in ways that increase customer service and return on inventory investment.

WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (WMS): NEW TECHNOLOGIES, AND TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL WMS. New warehouse management technologies can increase productivity and reduce errors more than bar code reading -- but have some drawbacks. And selecting a WMS, and getting it to pay off, is more complex and expensive than most people realize. Its possible to spend a lot of time and money but not get the benefits; a WMS can even make things worse. This workshop presents a summary description of new warehouse management technologies, and then overviews the steps that should be taken before looking for a WMS and the steps for getting a cost-effective WMS while avoiding the pitfalls.

DON'T SIGN THAT SYSTEM CONTRACT -- UNTIL YOU CHANGE IT TO PROTECT YOURSELF. The conversion to a new system, and the new system itself, are all so complex that many things can go wrong, before, during and years after in­stallation; sometimes with a costly impact. But no vendor contract protects a distributor against numerous possible problems; vendor contracts protect vendors. This workshop is a summary description of the kinds of protections a distributor should B and can -- get in a system contract. And it outlines the steps a distributor should take to get a contract with specific performance guarantees.

DO YOU REALLY NEED A NEW SYSTEM? New technology has made it more difficult  to make the critical decision about replacing the computer system. That decision has always involved subjective intangible factors as well as dollars, and now is even more confusing because it must consider a different kind of new "system" -- Application Service (AS). With AS, a distributor does not pay a large sum up-front for a license to use ERP software; a distributor pays for the resources used, when used -- disk storage, the amount of processing done, etc. This workshop outlines the steps and data to gather to take to make a non-emotional, unbiased, cost-effective decision.