The Attivo Blog

Can you relate to this picture?

Recently, I bought a used motorcycle and an RV.  I have no idea how to change the oil or perform routine maintenance on either.  I brought both vehicles with me on a recent camping trip.  I have learned the expensive way to obtain proper basic training before operating either of these toys.  For example, when your RV has less than a quarter tank of gas, your generator will not work.  If you put too much oil in your motorcycle it will break.  If you try to call the manufacturer for help they will refer you to a local service provider for guidance because it is not a mechanical defect, it is user error.  If you are a beginner at motorcycling and RV camping it is probably a good idea to learn about your new vehicles before use. 

The same goes for your MAS 90 ERP Software or SageCRM Software. Prior to data conversion and software use it is best to know how to use your software by enlisting the assistance of a local service provider.  If you convert the wrong data or indicate the wrong information in the wrong place you will likely be displeased with your purchase.  It is not the developers fault, it is an expensive mistake that can easily be avoided with the proper training.

Do you have problems with any of the following: MAS 90, MAS 200, QuickBooks Enterprise, Macola and/or SageCRM system but do not get the answers you need?  Make your ERP Software work for you, not the other way around.

Compare The Attivo Group Inc.'s full value support plan with your Intuit or Sage Software developer plan to see why our support will help you make your software work the way you need it to:

	THE ATTIVO GROUP INC. FULL VALUE SUPPORT	SAGE SOFTWARE BASIC TELEPHONE SUPPORT PLAN	INTUIT SOFTWARE BASIC TELEPHONE SUPPORT PLAN	MACOLA SOFTWARE BASIC TELEPHONE SUPPORT PLAN	MICROSOFT DYNAMICS GP SOFTWARE BASIC TELEPHONE SUPPORT PLAN
Personalized, Custom Client Portal	x
Generic Public Portal	x	x	x	x	x
People Who Know You Personally	x
Software Updates Installed	x
User Training Included	x
Report Writing Included	x
Rollover Unused Minutes	x
Use It Or Lose it		x	x	x	x
User Guides Developed Specific To Your Needs	x
Documentation	x
System Documentation Unique To Your Installation	x

The Attivo Group Inc.'s Full Value Support Plan is designed to fit your needs like a glove! Please contact us today to learn more!

A common question or problem that many of us face as teenagers is how to fit in or be accepted by the "in" crowd?  One way to achieve acceptance into any group is to provide value or increase the status of the social circle you are trying to enter.  (You can also try being yourself but for the purpose of my blog lets stick with my first suggestion) Over the past few months, I have written several articles about the "Fab Five" of manufacturing applications that integrate with QuickBooks and I have to admit that when I began writing about the "Fab Five," I was unaware of the value that FishBowl's Inventory Control Solution could provide to the group.  So now that I am introducing FishBowl to the "Fab Five," what can FishBowl offer? FishBowl's Inventory Control Solution, offered by The Attivo Group, provides QuickBooks users with an affordable solution that solves many of the problems that only expensive solutions solved in the past.  These problems include better order management, inventory control, warehouse management and manufacturing.  Not only this but FishBowl is known for its ease of use and has great online documentation that is available for its users. A good rule of thumb is never invite somebody into a crowd if you don't think they will get along with everybody.  With FishBowl's strong inventory control, integration with QuickBooks, affordability and ease of use, I have full confidence the "Fab Five" and FishBowl will get along just fine!

Well it’s a new week and time for another blog posting for the “Fab Five” of manufacturing applications that integrate with QuickBooks.  With the NFL season currently underway I think it is only appropriate that I talk about ACCTivate! You ask… what do the NFL and ACCTivate! have in common?  ACCTivate! is an application that easily manages your operations while providing you with full Inventory Control.  ACCTivate! handles the operational side of the business while QuickBooks takes care of the accounting. When I think of the NFL, players that come to mind are Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Brett Favre.  As you will notice all of the players that I mentioned are quarterbacks and we all know that quarterbacks are the ones who handle the operations on the football field. Another thing that is important to NFL franchises is its fans.  The NFL makes it a priority to cater to its fan base and give them value for the money they are spending.  Like fans, ACCTivate! realizes that customers are vital to any business.  That is why CRM is built into the product to provide everybody in the company with the required information to make the customer happy. With all that being said think of ACCTivate! as the quarterback for your company.  ACCTivate! delivers robust features that enable businesses to automate, oraganize and adapt for a sustainable, competitive advantage.  Sounds a heck of a lot like what Drew Brees will do for any NFL team!

A few weeks back I blogged about my 5 favorite manufacturing applications that integrate with QuickBooks and referred to them as the “Fab Five.”  Now if you follow my blog on a somewhat consistent basis you will note that I have already given JobBOSS and MAX their own postings.  Not wanting to be accused of nepotism (I was an employee of Exact Software for 5 years) I felt it was only fair to give the other 3 members articles of their own. I put Acctivate!, MISys and BatchMaster’s names in a hat and drew to see which one I would start with.  The winner was MISys which is an application designed to fit the needs and budget of small manufacturing firms.  Pretty cool to have an application that automates your manufacturing processes, integrates seamlessly with QuickBooks and is cost effective to boot! Another pretty cool feature of MISys is the fact that it is modular.  So in other words, you only need to purchase what you need from the package.  That is awesome for small businesses with manufacturing needs. So now that I have covered 3 of the “Fab Five,” I think it is safe to say that small manufacturers have plenty of options out there.  Stay tuned for more blogs on the “Fab Five.”   Please don’t let the anticipation for them keep you up at night!

Every day we have certain choices to make and often face crossroads that we need to decide which direction to go.  These crossroads don’t always have to be major and most of these decisions have positive and negative outcomes. Let’s take a decision like whether or not you would like to live in New York City.  Sounds like a great idea right?!  After all, what’s better than the glitz and glamour of the big city, the amazing night life, Broadway, great restaurants and diversity that only New York can offer? Too good to be true?  Let’s take a look at some of the negative aspects of living in NYC.  Rent and cost of living is very expensive.  People can be very aggressive and often times unfriendly and traffic in NYC is far less than ideal.  When weighing the pros and cons of living in New York, it makes the decision a little tougher to make. A decision or cross road that many businesses have to make in today’s world is whether or not to use Social Media Marketing.  Venues like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube are commonly being used by businesses to market their company.  But are these forms of media right for your business? Some advantages of SMM are low cost, quick turnaround, community sharing/connectivity and the ability to express creativity using various platforms.  Some disadvantages of SMM include current lack of filters creates problems finding the best content, writers often have problems delivering content consistently, and anonymity can sometimes lead to polarization and hate. For many businesses whether or not to use this form of media is a tough decision to make.  As society and technology moves forward it is very important to stop and think which direction your company wants to go and whether or not you want to embrace this form of media.