PST Newsletter

1. ManagePro, an upcoming New Release and We Need Your Help!

We are releasing ManagePro 9.7 at the end of February.  That means in 4 very short weeks.  It has the usual feature adds and bug fixes, but we are needing your help to assist us with something bigger.

We would like your input on how we can shape the face of ManagePro 9.7 so that it is easier, more intuitive... some would say less intimidating to use.

Partly we are going through a process of deconstructing where users like yourself get confused or are unsure how to proceed when using the program.   Here's an example of a ManagePro screenshot and some of the annotated comments on it.



Additionally, we are testing out some new designs - to verify if in fact they would be easier to work with.

We'll be reaching out by phone to a number of you to solicit your feedback in this next phase of development, or you can call us directly and we'll schedule an appointment.  The entire process can be conducted over the phone and takes approximately 15 minutes.

Call us at (707) 487-3000 if you would like to participate if you don't hear from us first, and in addition we would be delighted to receive any feedback by email on your thoughts about what would make ManagePro easier to use.

Oh, and about some of the feature  improvements coming with ManagePro 9.7.  Here's a short list:

1. ManagePro tracks any record that has been emailed and to whom, and displays an email icon to give you a visual reference.  Clicking the icon displays the history of to whom and when the record was emailed.

2. ManagePro now works with Active Directory, to make user and password management easier.

3. We've added additional formatting capability to the report generation, you no longer lose what formatting existed in the comments field.

4. We anticipate being able to support hyperlinks in the comments field.

5. We've expanded email drag and drop capabilities in the calendar view area.

6. We've added additional logic to the duration field, e.g. you can input duration values without a start or due date.

 

We'll send you a letter to advise you when to make the upgrade, but we are expecting the end of February... and you can always contact our office for instructions or updates (707) 487-3000.

2. Strategy, Comfort and the use of ManagePro in 2010

If you are like us at PST, the first of the year always brings up the topic of results and being more strategic, and/or what course changes are needed based upon last years results.  If I had to suggest one area that is initimately tied to strategy, and that has potentially the biggest area for growth in your career, in your business - it would be to check your assumptions. 

Right after that, I would ask you to check your comfort zone and be ruthlessly honest with yourself about how your comfort zone is linked to what assumptions you buy into (about what is enough, what's the right direction, etc.), which ones you are willing to test.  Are you working to be comfortable or to be successful?  They don't necessarily cohabit the same space.  Be sure to check out my latest blog on that topic at http://www.performancesolutionstech.com

Let me go over a couple of areas that we commonly see where the comfortable use of ManagePro is in direct opposition to being strategic, so you can remind yourself to avoid them.  

1. Use of ManagePro as essentially an outline of (thought) folder labels -   We see this alot.  Usually the database is full of records with the title filled out, but not much else.  It usually looks like someone who started with a good idea, but never got around to implementing it.  Remember, titles as an organizing system are fine, but the real value in ManagePro is helping you achieve outcomes. Don't settle for anything less.

2.  Create a strategic plan or at least come up with some strategic initiatives, but never get around to setting up scorecards to measure your progress.  It takes a bit of work to set up scorecards, even more to track and measure your progress.  But it's an important hurdle to muscle through.  There's nothing like regular tracking of your strategic plan to increase your chances of being successful by ensuring you keep working on and adjust your strategy.

3.  Using ManagePro for yourself, but not getting your team, your direct reports, your partners, to use it.  ManagePro reduces large dollar coordination and collaboration ineffiencies that slip by silently... but sure hurt the bottom line.  Make a point to improve coordination of your work effort this first quarter.

 

Remember, we don't just sell ManagePro, we help companies all over the world implement and use it.  If you want to break out of the "I'll get around to it" pattern, give us a call, we would be glad to assist you with your strategic plan, crafting the scorecards and making sure your strategy is supported by the right projects.


 

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3. Todos + IMs; we're building one that talks to MPro and your smart phone

We are creating a terrific add-on product to ManagePro and MProLite.  Well actually it's a cool stand-alone product as well.  It essentially combines the features of a todo list with IM.

That means you have all the functionality of communicating by IM with all of your ManagePro team (you get the security of encrypted data, and storing all of your conversations within your database, not on Yahoo's, Google's or Microsoft's servers). 

But, you also get a list of all your todos that is interactive.  Think of the todo list you have in ManagePro, but available on any desktop, and on your phone.  But here's what is really powerful, as people update the todos, you get the immediate update.  Feedback is real time.

We are hoping to have the Windows desktop version ready to go with this next release of ManagePro 9.7, and then be generating versions that work on the newer Blackberry phones, Android phones and the iPhone in that sequence later this spring.  Stay tuned we'll keep you posted on our Facebook site - http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/ManagePro-and-MProLite/166570256924?ref=ts

 

Hope you're finding new ways to improve your business and help your people be more effective with ManagePro and MProLite.

 
Rodney Brim,  Ph.D.
CEO Performance Solutions Technology
Blog - http://www.PerformanceSolutionsTech.com/Blog
Twitter Account - http://www.twitter.com/RodneyBrim

PS. Be sure to stay in touch with us through Facebook!

From now on we will be supplying you updates to our development process as well as links to newsletters and other information on both our products and the company at our facebook site.

Please become a fan at our site so that you will get notifications of updates, releases and current information.  Our facebook page is ManagePro and MProLite, and you can find us at the following link.  http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/ManagePro-and-MProLite/166570256924?ref=ts

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