From: Manufacturing Business Technology
By: Erik Keller

Every vendor has a value proposition; choosing what's right for a business is the challenge.

Somewhere in the world right now, an enterprise software salesperson is pitching a prospect for one of the vendor's products. Talking points likely include ROI, proof points, and references.

But for each manufacturing site, this doesn't just happen once, but many times a day-adding up to hundreds of opportunities a year. While all of these opportunities sound good, prospects are in the same dilemma that a gourmand faces when asked to visit countless four-star restaurants: Where to go? Companies have many metrics-typically financial-that surround what to buy. They also have tried-and-true best practices (see Top 10 for vendor selection). While helpful, financial metrics and best practices should be complemented by two other criteria: customer value, and corporate risk.

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DataServ, the leading on-demand service provider of document management, workflow and outsourcing solutions, announces that Howard Donnelly has accepted a position of Inside Account Manager. Donnelly will be responsible for the acquisition of new business. Howard has over 25 years of experience as a top-producing salesperson, sales manager and national sales manager in commercial equipment finance and computer software. His diverse experience makes Howard a valuable member in DataServ's sales team. Donnelly holds a Bachelors from the University of Wyoming and a Master's from Webster University in St. Louis, MO.

Prior to joining DataServ, Donnelly worked at NuParadigm, headquartered in St. Louis, where he was responsible for new business development.

From: CFO.com
By: Janet Kersnar, CFO Magazine

Last year's batch of annual reports speaks volumes about the confusing state of corporate reporting.

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DataServ, the leading on-demand service provider of document management, workflow and outsourcing solutions, announces that Paul Ikin has accepted a position of Strategic Account Manager. Ikin will be responsible for developing west coast territory and managing existing clients in the region. Paul brings with him experience from AST where he was manager for the IBM division and held senior sales positions at IBM managing territories in the Middle East and United Kingdom. His diverse sales and managerial background makes Paul a valuable member in DataServ's Sales group. Ikin holds a Bachelor degree from the University of Stellenbosch located in South Africa.

Prior to joining DataServ, Ikin was Director of Strategic Sales for the United States and Canada at MSE Inc., a global company focused on Business Process Integration technology.

When we polled AP professionals about the best ways they "transformed" their operations, one key area we asked about was customer relations. Here are 10 ideas survey respondents submitted that triggered the highest success in improving dealings with both internal and external customers.

1. Prepare or revise a formal, written, comprehensive AP policies and procedures manual.
2. Educate other departments in proper AP procedures, particularly with respect to invoices--late invoices mean lost discounts and late fees.
3. Creating an AP PowerPoint presentation and meet with different business units to explain AP expectations and workflow.
4. Meet with "problem" departments to find out the source of bottlenecks.
5. Set deadlines for all departments to have all invoices turned in timely--send out monthly reminders.
6. Hold monthly finance/operations meeting to discuss financial results from prior month and discuss future plans.
7. Show department managers how to look up invoices, so they can better manage their budgets.
8. Hold a monthly training meeting with AP, purchasing, and the accountants and tackle a tough topic each month.
9. Create a new-vendor packet that describes payment terms and the W-9 form.
10. Make customer service the focus of the AP department and for other departments to recognize and appreciate the huge output AP handles.

DataServ, the leading on-demand service provider of document management, workflow and outsourcing solutions, announces that Marquie Board has accepted a position of Document Solutions Specialist. Board will be responsible for supporting DataServ's systems, handling technical client issues and implementing DataServ's On-Demand document management solutions. His strong technical background and breadth of skills make him a valuable addition to the DataServ team. Board holds a B.S. in MIS from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.

Prior to joining DataServ, Board was a Data Load Coordinator with Meridian Enterprises, an online incentives company, where he was responsible for loading data and launching program websites.

From: Optimize
By: Barry Rosenberg and Craig Wright

SaaS can deliver great long-term value. But comparing the financials is complicated, requiring a new approach to sorting through the options.

Software as a service is one alternative to traditional software-purchasing models that's getting lots of hype. What's important to evaluate in detail, however, are the precise economics and ROI of the SaaS model, and what those details say about the viability of the process for your company.

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DataServ, the leading on-demand service provider of document management, workflow and outsourcing solutions, announces that Jeff Watson has accepted a position of Account Manager. Watson will be responsible for uncovering strategic and major account opportunities in the upper Midwest region of the United States. His diverse finance and sales background makes Jeff a valuable member in DataServ's Sales group.

Prior to joining DataServ, Watson worked for Cutting Edge Solutions, headquartered in Kansas City, MO, where he sold enterprise-level data capture and electronic content management applications. Jeff brings 10 years of experience in Finance, National Accounts and Issuer Risk with First Data Corporation, the world's largest 3rd party transaction card processor. Jeff has several years experience selling automated data capture and enterprise document management systems such as Kofax, Datacap, Readsoft, OnBase and FileBound. His experience also includes selling "nonstop" Tandem applications to F500 financial, telecom and retail organizations across North America.

From: IOMA

The best AP managers know that good staff performance management goes way beyond the annual appraisal form. But does that mean filling out evaluation forms several times a year? Hardly. It simply means doing quarterly performance reviews and discussions with your staff, says David A. Hofrichter, Ph.D., Managing Director, Compensation, at Buck Consultants, LLC, a global human resource consulting firm specializing in compensation and employee rewards and performance. Hofrichter has been named to Consulting Magazine's list of Top 25 Consultants in the World.

"Managers just need to sit down and have a performance discussion-not a formal review," says Hofrichter. "I'm talking about an informal discussion. How's it going? Are you coming across any obstacles? How can I help you? Engagement in discussion is what matters---not a form you have to fill out."

Having ongoing, informal discussions helps remove the threatening feeling that people can get when it comes to formal appraisals. "You don't want people to feel like they have to prepare for a 'game' in which the boss is going to try to undersell me and I have to oversell myself," Hofrichter points out.

What managers don't want to do when it comes to between-appraisal performance management is focus on numbers rather than on improvement, he notes.

To illustrate his point, Hofrichter uses the analogy of a football coach who tosses statistics at his quarterback in the middle of the game. "You need to coach, not grab the quarterback and say, 'You've made only four out of your last 10 passes and your goal was seven, by the way.' A good coach will say, 'You're rushing, take your time, you're not looking to your outside receivers.'"

Bottom line, says Hofrichter: "Performance management should focus on how to improve, not how your people have fallen short."

For more information: This article was adapted from IOMA's Guide to Performance Metrics 2007, a special report that examines the use of pay for performance to help achieve business objectives. For more information on this report, click here.

DataServ, the leading on-demand hosted service provider of document management, workflow and outsourcing solutions, announces that Kelly Tripp, Vice President of Operations, has achieved the IOMA/TAPN Accounts Payable Certification.

Through the IOMA/TAPN Accounts Payable Certification Programs, AP Professionals have the opportunity to prove their abilities, better serve their employing organizations and to distinguish themselves. This certification helps support the level of expertise that is required to be an AP professional in today's workplace. Passing a comprehensive exam on your AP competency level demonstrates your level of expertise and commitment. Certification places you into the elite group of accredited professionals across the country whose skills are recognized and acknowledged.

"I found this certification process something that I definitely would recommend to other AP personnel. I enjoy knowing that I now have independent certification of my business knowledge concerning Accounts Payables best practices, so I feel confident when providing Accounts Payable and General Accounting business advice to DataServ clients" commented Tripp. "Given that our solutions are customized based on the needs of our clients, this certification is critical. It signifies our level of commitment to delivering accurate and appropriate business guidance along with technically sound solutions."