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In This Issue
IDT Mid-Market Briefing Series
ERP Software Shifts to Subscription Based Deployments
Microsoft Dynamics GP Helps Companies Be More Effective
Microsoft Dynamics CRM - Into the future
CRM 2011 Online - Go Live Checklist
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Welcome Back John!
 John Dobbins
 

John Dobbins has rejoined the IDT team as Vice President of Account Management.

John will be working with you and learning more about your organization's business requirements and to better understand how IDT can continue to be your trusted and valued IT business partner. John's industry experience can be reviewed by clicking here.

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Document Imaging is for Work, Paper is for Play. IDT's Digital Document Scanning & Conversion Services can quickly reduce your paper document backlog.

Turn to IDT Conversion Services for help.

Fun Facts

According to the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council's Business Tax Index, the top 5 states that have the best tax system for small business are:

  1. South Dakota
  2. Texas
  3. Nevada
  4. Wyoming
  5. Washington

According to the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council's Business Tax Index, the 5 states that have the worst tax system for small business are:

  1. Iowa
  2. New York
  3. New Jersey
  4. Minnesota
  5. District of Columbia
Integration Insider

June 2011

A common question asked when you first get on a call is, "How's the weather for you?" Lately, we hear many different stories across the country as we have had some interesting and uncommon weather for this time of year. Each day, we all check either the local news or online for what we should expect that day in our area. Sometimes the weather forecasters are right and other times they are dramatically wrong. We often think it would be great to get paid to be wrong more than we are right! That likely wouldn't keep our businesses going though.

A business forecast is often like a weather forecast since you cannot always predict outside forces, but unlike the weather, we are usually able to keep tabs on our outside forces such as competition, economy and expenses. The next time you check the weather forecast, keep in mind that they are using the latest up-to-date software and technology that allows them to be more accurate - imagine what the forecast would be without that technology. The same can be said for your business. The more up-to-date software and technology you have, the better you will do at forecasting your business' future.

Here's to forecasting good weather and good business for you!

Sincerely,

Michael Ciabattari
President
Microsoft Silver Certified
 
The Microsoft Big Easy Offer is back!

Big Easy 2011The Microsoft Big Easy Offer 2011 is a great opportunity for you to choose from a variety of Microsoft products and solutions while earning money back on qualifying purchases that can be used to pay for additional software, hardware or services from IDT Consulting.

The Microsoft Big Easy offer 2011 closes June 30, 2011, so get in quick and make the most of this chance for some serious savings. Contact us at 630-875-1100 or email us at info@idtconsulting.com for further details.

IDT Mid-Market Briefing Series

Full GlassThis three-part series provides the insight and approach you can take to navigate the options and purchase of new financial software. It's focused on the specific issues faced by mid-market organizations.

This Month:

Part II: How Distributed, Web-Based Document Capture, Automated Accounts Payable & Content Management Significantly Enhance ERP/Financial Systems

This second in our three-part Briefing Series is available to enhance your knowledge of financial systems. It provides you with insider information about how to achieve both efficiency and compliance through integration of your financial or ERP solution with Enterprise Content Management.

New Study Finds Workers Prefer To Work Without Walls

In a recent study of Information Workers conducted by Microsoft it found that 77% of the respondents preferred to work remotely. The survey addresses technology, company policy, and limitations. With more employees wanting to work remotely for a number of reasons such as cost of commuting, increased amount of time being able to be focus on tasks, and non-traditional work schedules, what is your company's position and how do you accommodate those employees?

While the policy decisions are unique to each company the technology is not. Microsoft has Office 365 that includes solutions like Lync and SharePoint 2010 which enables employees to have more effective communication and collaboration with their colleagues no matter where they are. With all the advancements in technology, you may want to review your current remote worker policy. You may find that you can increase employee effectiveness and satisfaction while saving a few dollars on operational costs.

ERP Software Shifts to Subscription Based Deployments

According to this Forrester Research Report, there will be a gradual shift to subscription based ERP software from the standard licensing model over the next five years. Consumers everywhere are becoming more familiar and comfortable with subscriptions, whether it is for unlimited access to movies or software deployment. To explore the model works best for your organization contact us at 630-875-1100 or by emailing us at Info@idtconsulting.com.

20% Small Business Tax Deduction? Not Yet.

You may or may not be aware of a proposed tax deduction of 20% for companies with fewer than 500 employees. If you are not, you may want to stay on top of this. The proposed 20% tax deduction was recently omitted from a jobs plan released from the House of Representatives and it is said from Treasury Secretary of State, Timothy Geithner, that the administration would focus more on corporate taxation after the national debt limit debate is finished. Learn more about the progression of this tax break in this Business Week article Republicans Ponder Plan for 20% Small-Business Tax Deduction. Contact your state's representative to let them know you want this deduction to move forward.

Microsoft Dynamics GP Helps Companies Be More Effective

When you think about using an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) solution most people think of software that is responsible for financial transactions and invoicing. A key aspect of modern ERP solutions that is often under-utilized or completely skipped is automated financial reporting. One of the reasons for this is that many companies do not take the time to map out their reporting needs or just think that they can keep doing it manually. This approach usually results in reports that are not only labor intensive to keep current, but very difficult to keep accurate due to human intervention.

When a company moves to automated reporting they benefit from accurate and timely information that no longer needs spreadsheet processing to be understood. By implementing Microsoft Dynamics® GP and FRx for Microsoft Dynamics ERP companies can easily generate the reports that are so crucial to making their business operations more effective and to help make important business decisions.

For more information download this fact sheet from Microsoft and contact us to setup a demo to see how Microsoft Dynamics GP and FRx can streamline your financial reporting.

Three Common Accounting Mistakes

Small business owners often make simple accounting mistakes that can make the difference between a good and bad fiscal year. Here are three common errors entrepreneurs make and the lessons you can learn from them.

  • Mistake No.1: You treat sales as revenue before the product or service is delivered.

When you make a sale, don't count it as income until you have delivered the product or service to the customer.

  • Mistake No. 2: You don't consider the financial ramifications of a large purchase, such as equipment.

When making a major purchase, such as equipment, consider a short-term loan or leasing if purchasing with cash would put a serious dent in your reserves.

  • Mistake No. 3: You confuse profits for cash flow.

Always track what you're spending versus selling. Just because there's money in the bank doesn't mean you're making a profit.

For further detail: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219523

Microsoft Dynamics CRM - Into the future

Wondering what's on the roadmap for Microsoft Dynamics CRM? Well, based on the information in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Statement of Direction released in May, there are some very exciting innovations on their way. To find out what is on the radar and when you can expect to see these innovations contact us at 630-875-1100 or email us at info@idtconsulting.com for an update.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Online - Go Live Checklist

Recently the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Technical Support Team published a "Go Live Checklist" that is helpful for the "go live" phase as well as for troubleshooting some common problems you may experience as you get ready to start using Microsoft Dynamics CRM within your organization. Normally these documents are intended for system administrators, but to allow everyone to get the most out of Microsoft Dynamics CRM online they included everyday resources for the end-user. Take advantage of this valuable Microsoft resource - download a copy of this checklist from our website at your convenience and if you would like additional assistance or information we would be happy to assist you.

Clearing the Clouds about Cloud Computing

There are numerous definitions out there for cloud computing, but this article makes what was once "cloudy" a bit more clear. Be aware of these five cloud characteristics and gain a better understanding of the cloud...

  1. On-demand self-service. Automatically run computing capabilities without IT support.
  2. Broad network access. Access through laptops and mobile phones anytime, anywhere.
  3. Resource pooling. Computing resources serve multiple end users with different physical and virtual resources based on demand.
  4. Elasticity. Scale out and/or scale in depending on your requirements.
  5. Measured service. Resource use is automatically controlled and optimized through metering, and resource usage.

Still a bit cloudy? Contact us for more information about cloud computing.

Watch, Practice, Learn Almost Anything - For Free

One of the great things about the internet is that it gives people the ability to share all kinds of information. Salman Khan started out by putting a few algebra videos on YouTube for his cousins and it was so well received that he uploaded more and more tutorials. Seeing the positive effect it was having in his wider family and community, he made it his mission to deliver a world-class education to anyone anywhere.

He approached Bill Gates who believed in what this aspiring young man was trying to achieve and now there's a library of more than 2100 lessons. Covering everything from arithmetic to science, finance to history, there's something there for everyone.

It's certainly worth the time to look into what is available. Highly recommended are the finance, banking and investment topics that can help you avoid all sorts of financial mistakes. And these are not just for adults. Instead of giving the kids an inheritance, it is far better to give them early financial knowledge so that they don't need any.

http://www.khanacademy.org/

The companies of IDT (Integrated Document Technologies, Inc.) support small, mid-market and enterprise firms in achieving maximum efficiency by offering fully integrated ECM, ERP and CRM solutions.

 

Founded in 1992, IDT's initial focus was helping companies effectively apply automated enterprise content management solutions to eliminate paper and better manage every business transaction. With the inception of IDT Consulting in 2001, the company offers ERP and CRM solutions and in-depth knowledge of how financial systems work and how to streamline the accounting process. Today, IDT Consulting is a Gold Certified Microsoft Partner specializing in Dynamics GP, Dynamics CRM, and Microsoft SharePoint. Visit our website at www.idtconsulting.com.