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All about avid technology informationArchitectural and Engineering Outsourcing of Building Information Modeling Cuts Costs
Posted on December 05, 2011
Architectural and engineering outsourcing of Building Information Modeling or BIM from the Philippines cuts costs for architectural and engineering firms. This service is usually outsourced from service providers who also provide High Definition Surveying and Point Cloud Conversion services as well as 2D CAD Production Support and 3D Visualization and Imaging, including photorealistic renderings, photomontages and site animations, among other outputs. These service providers use the latest hardware like the Leica Scanstation and the latest software like Point Cloud, Cloudworx and Cyclone from Leica Geosystems, and Revit Architecture, Revit MEP, 3DSMax and AutoCAD of the Autodesk software suite.
In the process of construction for various types of projects, engineers and architects who draw up the building plans have to provide the general contractor and the many subcontractors with separate two dimensional drawings relevant to each of their tasks. Unfortunately, this is where many costly mistakes are rooted. Any error in any of these particular drawings will translate into so many man hours of labor and thousands of dollars in materials that will have to be discarded and redone, doubling the costs.
With Building Information Modeling or BIM, a detailed three dimensional virtual information model is created from the start of the planning process and is added to with documentation of every step of the process. Included in this virtual model are all the properties, quantities and geometric characteristics of all the building components and information on their sources. Also included are the ways in which each of the elements relates to the others. Of course, all these information are interoperable, meaning they can be pulled out and used by any member of the entire construction team. The virtual model therefore facilitates the exchange of information and makes it possible for all users to check for possible errors. Immediate correction is thus made possible even before the error reaches field level.
Building Information Modeling can be done through the Revit Architecture software. The mere fact that the process of drawing and modeling is automated by software already means that common errors that result from manual drawing and modeling are eliminated. Since all project data are interconnected in a single file, there is bidirectional associativity wherein changes entered digitally in any area in the virtual model are automatically reflected in the entire file. This results in efficient content management and project management. Coordination and teamwork are simplified.
Because errors are identified and rectified early on during consultations and meetings, time, effort and money is saved. This has a huge impact on the overall cost of the project.
Added to this is the capability of the software to render information, for instance, on sun position and solar effects to enable architects and engineers to create sustainable designs. The software also produces immediate feedback on the project design, scope, schedule and budget.
By: Jayson Agulto
Business Greeting Cards – 5 Cards That Will Increase Your Profits
Posted on November 27, 2011
In this climate of economic downturn, great customer service has presented itself as a must have in order to survive. A smile and a thank you are wonderful but to generate new business and retain current customers, Business Greeting Cards have become a customer service and sales trade secret.
Corporate Greeting Cards come in many shapes and sizes and are designed to appeal to a wide range of customers and business associates. Customer service and sales professionals use them as a follow-up to a big sale to say thanks, or just as a way to stay in touch. Ordered in bulk quantities and personalized, they are an unexpected surprise that offers a personal touch sure to be remembered the next time your services are needed. You may visit loan online no credit check for more information.
Here are 5 Business Greeting Cards that will enrich a sales experience:
1) Corporate Thank You Cards can be used in a number of ways. The obvious is to thank those that have purchased something from you, but cards that say thanks are also appropriate for business associates that helped make the sale possible and vendors who also may have played a part. Sending a Business Thank You Card says more than a phone call or quick email can convey. It says you took the time to sign, address and mail your appreciation.
2) Business Referral Cards are more targeted Thank You Cards that clearly send appreciation to those that have sent business your way. Once you have made your sale it is easy to forget how it became possible. Remember those that helped you along the way by thanking them for their referral and they will remember you again when opportunities arise.
3) Business Anniversary Cards don’t have to be just about wedding anniversaries. A Business Anniversary Card can send congratulations on the anniversary of a big sale or to denote a special event in a corporation’s life. Use them as well to commemorate the date an employee arrived at your company. They will be surprised you remembered and will remain loyal employees.
4) Business Happy Birthday Cards are great for business employees but you may want to consider sending them to important business customers as well. They will certainly be surprised to find out you know their special birth date and that extra special gesture will make them feel they’re part of your corporate family.
5) Corporate Welcome Cards can delight and surprise. They can be used to welcome new employees or for welcoming new business partners. Help improve business relationships by strengthening the partnership bonds you build with cards welcoming those that will help your business grow.
Just remember to personally sign and hand address the envelope on your greeting cards so that it doesn’t look like a mass mailing. Jot a quick note if you can and keep a roll of stamps on hand instead of running it through the company postage meter. Just a bit of special attention now will increase profits in the near future!
By: Linda Cress Dowdy
Online Business – Adding That Personal Touch to Customer Service
Posted on November 15, 2011
With so many online businesses vying for customers in today’s fragile economy, an important, yet overlooked area of improvement is in their customer service. So many businesses, whether they are large corporations or small online business, neglect to add a personal touch to their customer service. A little extra effort and personal interaction can increase the rate at which a customer will return to that business to make another purchase, or better yet, recommend it to a friend. This can be especially helpful for the little guy trying to make an impression in the online business world.
We are all consumers. Most of us have now used the internet to purchase some kind of good or service. Can you remember the last time you received a personal thank you for your purchase? Or was it just an auto response, blanket email, generic letter or recorded phone call? I can remember one time that I got a personal response, ONE, and I am an avid online shopper. I became a repeat customer there, for that sole reason.
This got me thinking and I have now implemented in my own business ways to personally thank my customers. It just takes the willingness to have personal contact and maybe a little extra effort. I am not saying you should use these methods as a means to bully your customers into more purchases. A personal email, letter or phone call is just a nice gesture to say thank you for their purchase of your product or service, wish them well, and give them your contact information, so that if they have questions or comments they can easily voice them. Make sure you have your email, phone number and website for easy reference. State your return policy and be willing to help and answer the questions when they come.
To make the personal touches authentic, you have to put a little effort into them. I know in this world of instant gratification people want to take the easiest route possible to get the end result. In business this is usually getting lots of customers and getting them now, but will those customers stay loyal? If you take the extra time and effort they just might chose you over your competitor. In the long run, this will produce a better result with repeat buyers and their personal referrals.
Just think of it like a small town hardware store. There are no big companies here, just Joe’s Hardware down the street, and he knows everyone in town. You can go there knowing he is willing to take the time to explain to you how to use that new drill you are going to buy and you know that if you have problems you can go back and he will still be there to explain it again. This is the personal service you strive for.
Personal touches in customer service make your customers feel comfortable and are a way to establish a working, trusting relationship with them. It makes them feel important and valued. It is a way to get back what has been lost in business today.
By: Coby Smith
Business Development – Don’t Build Your Business Backwards!
Posted on November 05, 2011
Most entrepreneurs and small business owners build their businesses backwards. No matter how many times I open a presentation with this line I get the same result from the audience, tilted heads, puzzled looks and a couple of knowing and sad nods of agreement.
The most common way for an entrepreneur or small business owner to start a business is to get a great idea, craft a business plan that focuses on revenue and expenses, locate the capital needed and they launch. The problem with this approach it that they are strictly building themselves a different job, not a business designed to serve them.
The traditional model does produce some great businesses and typically a well thought out one will pay back the bank and the venture capitalist as expected. It also creates cranky, tired and often disillusioned owners.
My three favorite questions for my fellow business owners are:
When was the last time you took a vacation? How many weeks per year? How many family events do you miss every year? What would happen to the business if you or a family member got seriously sick or injured?
It’s about the time I ask these three questions that the vast majority feel uncomfortable, begin to mumble answers or come face to face with the reality that their business model isn’t working for them.
It’s not too late to fix it… if you have the guts to do it. You should you had the guts to start the business, changing the model is actually easier regardless of how long it’s been operating.
Building a business plan the correct way or forward rather than backwards begins by clearly articulating what the end should look like.
How much do you want to make each year, quantified, not just ‘as much as possible”. How many weeks do you want to work each year? How many days per week? How many hours per day?
These numbers all factor in to what you’ll need to charge per hour if you’re in a service business or what the sales per hour/day will need to be if your in retail or restaurants.
Knowing these numbers helps you determine your business model, plan your marketing, target the right customers that can afford your products or services and helps you plan for staffing as well.
Remember there’s a very specific science to building a business the right way if you truly want to be able to Do business on your own terms! ®
By: Bob Holdsworth
Key Market Research Factors For Competitive Catalog Printing
Posted on October 19, 2011If you are indeed clever in catalog printing, you will always pay attention to the key market research factors. This data will help you design those print catalogs more competitively.
If you are a beginner at this though, and do not know these factors, you will have some extra learning to do. Fortunately, for you, I am going to teach you these key market research factors. Let us get started then.
In the list below, you will find the five most important market research factors that should shape your catalog designs and printing processes. Use them as guide and you will have competitive marketing material that will give you real results in projects and campaigns.
• The audience and the target market – The first major market factor in your designs for catalog printing is of course the market itself. The general audience and your specific target market demographics will have different preferences and reactions to certain design themes and messages. It is important that you be informed well about their preferences so you can match specifically the catalog design with what those audiences and target markets like. The better matched your design is to the audiences preferences, the more your material can succeed at its main purpose.
• The competitors – Another big market element is your competitors. You will of course not want to print catalogs that are too similar in design and content with your rivals. Doing that is not only a sign of lack of originality, but it also means that you will not stand out to your audiences. Therefore, it is good to know exactly what your competitors have in terms of designs. The more you know, the more you can differentiate your designs to make yours look more original and eye catching. So do your homework and try to see what your rivals are working on. This will give you the best chance of to try to make some minor adaptations that help make your own look unique.
• Your resources – It is of course also a fact that your own resources in terms of time, money and effort are a big part of your market considerations. Depending on what you can or cannot do with your resources, the quality may be affected. In this situation, it is best to be creative with your printing options and still get some good printing materials for an affordable price.
For example, you can try reducing the size of your catalog to save money. While the space might get tighter, you should probably still get the best looking outputs you can with a reduced price. Just try to be wise and creative with your choices to maximize the use of your resources.
• Your primary goals – Finally, your design will ultimately be shaped by your primary goals. Are your catalogs made for direct sales? Is it for a more subtle job of image building or maybe even for customer relationship building? Depending on your true purpose, the content of your catalogs and its emphasis may vary. So make sure you take into account the market research factor of goals, plus the realities in trying to achieve them. As long as you try to be faithful with your goals, you will get what you need.
These are the key market research factors in printing catalogs. Try to let the concepts above seep into your own style of printing so that they can be more tuned to your markets. Good Luck!
By: Kaye Marks
Web rating to enhance the profit of online business
Posted on October 10, 2011Do you know how Google works? If you do not know, you need to know about it. Remember this information is very important for you to know especially when you make your business goes online. When somebody types some keywords in the Google search box, the result will be based on the related website with the keywords. When the website has a greater grade than other website, the website will be able to show up in the first page of the list. This is when the Free website grader is very important to you. If you ask why, I will tell you how the grade of your website will give you profit in your business.
I am sure that when you want to search some product using Google, you will not visit every page of in the search result. You will only click the link which appears in the first page. This is when the web rating and the SEO reseller plan will help you achieving that. When you have a website and you want to make your website appear in the first page of Google, you will need so many back links. The SEO reseller program will be the one who will be able to create a lot of back links to your site which makes your website granted a good rating.
Robotic Retail
Posted on October 05, 2011
I just read recently the new way cosmetic companies are getting products to the consumer. It is a new retail outlet to help generate sales. It is another avenue cosmetics companies are using in addition to online stores, and retail stores. It is automated shopping with automated stand alone stores. You see this happening everywhere. The self services check out at the supermarket. The self service machines you use to purchase your movie tickets or check in or out at the airline. Don’t forget the classic vending machine. With this technology you don’t need a beauty advisor. Is this where the future is taking us? Will we no longer have the interaction with a beauty advisor when we go shopping for our cosmetics? When we do go shopping will it be a computer generated beauty advisor with a touch screen that will handle your needs? Or a virtual beauty advisor image that would follow you around the store and only answer questions when asked. With this type of shopping it does make the consumer life easier. It is fun, reliable, you can take your time, browse detailed product information, and you’re the boss. You can get your product on the spot and don’t have to wait for service or shipping. You don’t have to deal with sales people stopping you in the aisle or trying to up sale you items you may not necessarily need.
It is another outlet than online shopping, where you really don’t get a chance to see the product live as you would in an automated vending machine. I am avid online shopper, and I think I would probably shop at an automated store because I like to get in and get out and I like to shop without being interrupted by a sales person trying to sale me items, when I am an expert in my field. I think I would miss the interaction with a human being talking to a live person, conversing with different personalities than a computer.
A few lines are already using this technology. They include Pro Active, StriVectin and Elizabeth Arden. Coty Inc. has a 30 square foot fragrance store with star scents which is endorsed by Jennifer Lopez. Macys has 400 of these machines in there stores across the country. Zoom Delivery Systems (www.zoomsystems.com) is the major company providing these automated retail vending machines. It was founded in 1998 by Gower Smith. These machines will be available in malls, airports, hotels, and even grocery stores. They are located in high traffic areas.
By: Nalo Jones
Branding Gone Wrong – Industry Standards
Posted on September 25, 2011
The wonderful thing about industry standards is that they give companies an easy way to add value to their products and they give the consumer a stamp of approval that all is well and that products will work together. A few examples include Wi Fi, USB, Firewire, and Ethernet. The downside of industry standards is that they quickly become checklist items on a feature list – everyone includes them and this allows for no differentiation.
A few companies try to get around this by attempting to brand industry standard features. I recently had two experiences with new products that pointed out why doing this can work horribly against a company. Both were with major brands, Apple and Sony, and both are a good example of how a company can become disillusioned into thinking that their power and influence in the industry is beyond what will matter to their customers.
The first experience was with Apple. I recently built a digital recording studio using Pro Tools from Digidesign and a dual processor G4 Macintosh. Years ago I was the Product Manager for the Finder and Human Interface at Apple, and in the digital recording world it is well-known that Macs are the best platform for working with audio (less hassles, better software, etc.), so I thought that going with a Mac was the right thing to do.
I’m not a Mac guy anymore – I switched to Windows back in the mid 90′s, so I had to do a lot of footwork up front to determine which model to buy and what features I wanted. Part of my requirements were that I needed to be able to use the machine with my home Wi Fi (802.11b) network.
Now Apple a few years ago decided to brand Wi Fi and call it Airport. This would provide wonderful differentiation for them, and the loyal Apple masses certainly liked it. (At least four or five times I had Apple fans tell me that Airport was easy and great).
But here’s the problem. For the rest of the world outside of Apple’s customer base branding Airport creates uncertainty, doubt and an obstacle in the buying process.
I wanted to make sure that Airport was compatible with my industry standard Wi Fi router, so I started asking people about it. I asked all of the Apple fans I knew, and none of them had any idea what Wi Fi was. I asked the techies I knew, and they said “there is a good chance it will work, but I’m not sure.” I went to the Apple website and searched for 802.11b and Wi Fi and found nothing. Then I went into an Apple store and asked a salesperson – he had never heard of Wi Fi and had no idea what I was talking about.
In this case Airport worked against Apple in a big way.
The second example has to do with Sony. My wife and I bought a new digital camcorder from Sony. It has been a great product and far exceeded our expectations. So much so that I decided to try doing some digital video editing. After all, I had just bought the G4 Mac for my music studio and it is supposed to be THE premier machine for editing video.
I tried to determine if the video camera (which is a fairly new model) would work with the Mac. No mention of it anywhere. I had read the Sony manual and it talked about connecting to a computer, either using USB or in some cases using a computer that supported Sony’s ilink fast transfer technology. I tried USB. No luck. I knew the Mac had industry standard Firewire built in, but there was no mention of firewire anywhere in the Sony documentation or Sony’s website. I finally gave up.
As it turns out, I mentioned this to a tech-savvy friend of mine. He had gone through the same thing. He enlightened me that ilink is FireWire (had I known to look for the mentions of IEEE 1394 standard compatibility all would have been fine). I hooked up the camera and got it to work within minutes.
I’ll take the blame for not knowing Firewire was also referred to as IEEE1394. But if I don’t’ know that, and I work in the tech industry, imagine how confused the rest of the world out there is about whether Sony’s ilink products are compatible.
How much money, time and effort did Apple spend branding Airport and Sony spend branding ilink? I don’t know. I’m sure it seemed like a smart idea to their marketing people at the time.
Was this Marketing Brilliance, or not?
By: Brian Lawley
How to Evaluate the Success of Your Brochures
Posted on September 24, 2011Evaluating the success of their color brochures is one big problem that some small businesses face. This is so when they do a brochure printing project. It does look hard to try to evaluate something as dynamic as marketing brochures.
Their biggest problem usually is that they do not really know how to evaluate. However, a few tricks can be used to determine if your brochures indeed have some kind of beneficial effect in business. Let me teach you a few of these tricks in brochure printing evaluation.
Below is a list of five of the common techniques that most experts use to evaluate. See if you can do them yourself.
1. Initial pre-distribution testing – One of the best tricks in evaluating the success is an initial pre-distribution test. This means that before you actually deploy, give them first to several focus groups to get a sense of how they are received. This helps you gauge quite well how typical audiences will react. Just make sure that you get a good sample of different demographics in your focus groups to make sure that the whole spectrum of the market is represented in your study.
The best thing about this kind of evaluation is that you can still try to alter your designs even if you discover that your particular custom layout sucks. This makes this evaluation trick one of the most common practices experts do in their evaluative process.
2. Marketing time isolation testing – Now, a more complex evaluative process for color brochures is isolation testing. This basically means that you isolate the effect of brochure promotions in a certain time period by simply using only color brochures for a set number of days. This trick is quite effective for small business owners with a local market reach.
Therefore, as an example, a local gift shop may cancel all its other promotions such as flyers and posters for a month or so, while brochures are the only ones given out. That set time of isolating the effect should give some idea of how much they bring in to the business. Take note though that there are still a lot of factors that determine the arrival of customers, but using this trick in smaller local settings can give you some good figures on the performance.
3. Customer marketing surveys – One evaluative trick that is simpler to do are customer marketing surveys. In this method, you simply need to give a survey to every customer willing to answer it. In that survey, besides presenting the typical market research questions, you also of course should include a question about where they heard about your business first. You include your marketing materials as an option to see if they are the primary medium by which people hear about you.
The more sample points you get, the more accurate your results should be. The good thing about this evaluative method is that you get to see how they also compare with other promotional mediums that you are using. That is why a lot of experts also use this to evaluate.
4. Coupon/Raffle Stub Tracking – Another good trick to track the performance of custom brochures is to add in a coupon or a raffle stub. By having something in there that readers have to give back to you, you can easily track the number of people who read them by simply counting the returns of those coupons and stubs. Of course, this has the added benefit of getting more people to go to your business because of your coupons and stubs. If you do have time to do a raffle or create coupons, try this out as an evaluative tool.
5. Observation at distribution points – Finally, you can just simply place an observer at the distribution points. By having a person stay with your racks for a few days, they can try to observe how different people react. Sometimes, they might actually discover why certain people a veering away while others are attracted. This is a more direct method, but if you have some time, or you have a person that can do the job, then you can try this trick out.
Do these things to evaluate your custom brochures. You do not have to do this all, but a combination of these studies should give you some idea of performance.
By: Kaye Marks