My Wife - Technology For Us All

[Mojo]

This may be a little long so consider this an article. ;)

I am going to admit something here - I hate technology. Outside of the computer and internet I despise all the new gadgets, phones and such. It just seems everytime I bring something new into this house I have to take the time ( weeks mind you ) and a bottle of  to learn hot to operate it. I have a theater system I still do not know how to operate. Three new TV's that have so many connections I haven't a clue as to what is for what.

On the other hand my wife is a tech junkie. But then she is almost 10 years younger then me. She teaches at a Private high school where technology is its claim to fame. There are only two schools like it in the entire State. Technology is everywhere in this school. Each kid is given a laptop. The teachers are now using IPads. They have smart boards instead of chalk boards and the list goes on and on. The entire building is wired with sophisticated technology and soon my wife will be teaching one day a week via the internet.

So after coming home from the RV show last week carrying a bunch of papers, orders, quotes, etc. she shakes her head and says " I need to get you organized ". This comment came after much cursing on my part while sorting through these papers and losing some quotes. ( I found them later in the office inside my bus. It took me a day to go back through all the papers and figure out just what the hell it was I had and needed to do. Who ordered what, who needed a call back, who needed a quote, who got a quote. Plus the deposits I got for orders. Here is the kicker.... I have another show to do next month and a big show ( including a vendor booth ) in May.

So her answer is to move me into the paperless realm and help me get organized, thus cutting down my time sorting papers and to get my business end of things flowing correctly. This will give me more time to spend in the shop which is where we all make our money.

So this is her idea. I buy a tablet ( not cheap - $ 400 to 500 smackers ). She will load the app's I need and then I am off and running. Everything I need will be right there and a click away from the info I need. Her first suggestion is an invoice manager which ties directly into the quotes I do. Her second app would be a quote system which as stated goes back to the invoice system. The third app would be a system that helps me log measurements and such which would also talk back to the quote system and then this would spit out total yards of fabric, color selections and supplies needed.

She is suggesting this strongly to me. She is not encouraging me but " suggesting it " it a female way. You married men I am sure know the difference. A suggestion is more times then not an order. :)

So I am wondering what everyone else here thinks. I have to admit that she is on to something here. To carry a small tablet out there with me like the IPad or Asus Transformer and just make notations would be cool. I could use it to show customers prior work, custom jobs, designs, etc.
And of course it would take over my design sheets, quote papers, invoices, material ordering lists, etc.

I think maybe she is right. ( I will never admit that directly to her BTW ). I need to get organized and some of these tasks need to be streamlined.

Comments, suggestions ?

Chris

[mike802]

Chris: Its a good thing you have someone to teach you how to operate all that stuff.  It would take me years to become comfortable using it.  I would probably use it as best I could and continue to back up on paper, at least until I felt confident using it.

[Mojo]

I did well marrying a young-un. :)

She just jumped into polishing my web site for me and I have a new web building software program coming for her to use to create it professionally. I didn't think she knew much about the web stuff but she picked it up in one night of screwing around with it and handed it back to me done with the corrections.

Still, considering her shopping trips to Ross, Cato's and JC Pennys I really do not think I am getting a bargain with her " free work ". :)

Chris

[bobbin]

I have a laptop, not a tablet (although a very tech savvy lawyer friend of mine suggested the iPad for me).  I've watched two bosses fart around and waste a ton of time "doing it the old-fashioned way"; which is not to say that their systems didn't/don't work.  They do! but hand writing sales slips and then tallying taxes in long columns doesn't strike me as very productive use of time... unless the goal is to work more.  I am not interested in working more/harder, I'm interested in working smarter.  My experience thusfar has been fraught with frustration, mostly because I'm "on my own" and have had to fumble through the learning curve largely unaided. 

But I've perservered and it is getting easier!  I now take my laptop to jobs and directly type my notes into the specifically created file.  I can write sales invoices and enter inventory items in to my book keeping program and use it to tally the taxes for me.  I am working with a bookkeeper who patiently oversees my progress, offers suggestions, and has proven to be  the smartest money I've spent in a long time!  I am naturally organized and methodical so bank statements, the checkbook, and expenses are easy to organize and reconcile.  I do my best and then drop the laptop off with the bookkeeper who basically "checks my homework" and gives me pointers or a more advanced assignment. 

I would be completely ovewhelmed by what your wife is proposing, however, I have to figure this stuff out by myself.  But I think if you add one component at a time you will be glad you did when you look back on things in a year's time.  As my lawyer firiend says and my bookeeper friend echoes... "baby steps".  Add one skill at a time and practice them until you're comfortable with them.  they both remind me regularly that my sewing skills were not learned or mastered in a day/week/month/year.  And so it is with this new stuff. 

Go for it.

[Mike]

E I have to climb up and around on boats in the water making notes and then give a quote and perhaps sing a contract on the boat  I can't see me tryin to type in jte on a I pad  and I don't know bow one would make a paper contrack signed to give the owner perhaps if they had a small printer. Built in
somtimes I have to draw a sketch ot the job on my notes

[Mojo]

I made the jump yesterday and bought a tablet ( Samsung Galaxy tab 10 ). Wow this thing is cool as heck. I am having a hard time adjusting to the screen size because my laptop is a 17 inch.

My wife spent all night on it so I didn't get much of a chance to use it. She is getting it all set up for me and has the calendar program loaded a memo application loaded and a quote and invoice program loaded.

Something I never thought of is that this tablet has a real nice 3 mpx camera built into it. So when I am at a customers location getting measurements I can also snap a few pictures of their coach for later reference. It helps me with colors, valance design, awning type, etc.

I think that once she gets this setup for me this tablet is going to be a big help to my scattered brain work style. :)

The only thing I am not impressed with are the prices on tablets. They have no dvd burner, no big monitor, no hard drive yet they cost nearly as much as a PC. Yikes...... I will keep you all posted as to how this technology project goes.

Chris

[rustyeod]

MOJO
I would love to hear more about the tablet and whether or not it helps with the business.  I find it very hard to give an on-site estimate but having a tablet in hand might help.

[Mojo]

I will surely report back. If someone down the road does go to a tablet system for their business then I can share the application software with them so they do not have to repeat the search process like my wife has had to do.

Everytime she brings up a new application it has certain fields in which to categorize the work. She asked me last night if I wanted to categorize my products and it dawned on me that it was a brilliant idea. I can assign a product code to slide toppers and awnings based on the type they are and the
measurements.

RV awnings and slide toppers are sold based on a standard categorized system which is all measurement driven. Where Dennis, Gene or Kody are measuring to the inch and basing their price on fabric used, awnings and slide toppers in the RV industry are priced as to which category they fall into. For example a 140 inch topper would fall into the 93" to 160 inch category. A 65 inch topper would fall into the 60 - 92 inch category. So each topper or awning is priced according to the category it falls into. BTW, I didn't make this system up myself, it was done by the RV industry suppliers. :)

Of course you also have different awning and slide topper manufacturers for RV's ( carefree, A & E and Girard ) so assigning a product code would help me identify which manufacturer I am making a replacement fabric for.

Once she gets this up and going and I start using it I will give a detailed report. if anyone then wants to adapt a similar tablet system then I can help them get started with application and operating advice. I can say that this tablet I enjoyed yesterday. I took it to my Oncologists office who has wifi in his building so I sat and read the news while waiting for my appointment. :)

I seen a woman with her husband at Walmart grocery shopping. He was using the list and placing items in the cart and guess what she was doing ? Watching a movie on her tablet with her earphones on. :) Pretty awesome setup...........for her......Must suck to be her husband though. :)

Chris

[Allan]

Chris
I have an iPad and I use it more than the computer now
The company I work for runs many ferries and barges
I am now setting up 12ipads to use on board
These will get the daily tides, shipping movements, rosters, schedules
I have developed forms to report on passengers, time sheets, maintenance requests, daily check lists
These can be emailed back to the office for processing
I and now doing up the forms for maintenance task checklists
When you start using one ,you will wonder how you did without it

Allan

[Mike]

I made the jump yesterday and bought a tablet ( Samsung Galaxy tab 10 ). Wow this thing is cool as heck. I am having a hard time adjusting to the screen size because my laptop is a 17



Chris

Have you tried looking at Therese smart phone s? IE  I phone

[Mojo]

Mike:

My wife has looked at the smart phone and is getting an Iphone 4 this weekend. I myself will probably get an Android based one.

As an update, I found a quote/invoice/product program for my tablet and got all the data entered last night to start using it. It is actually pretty slick. My next application will be a schedule, once I find one to download. :)

More updates later.

Chris

[Allan]

Chris

What is the app you got?

Allan

[Mojo]

Allan:

The app I am using for quotes and invoicing is called Invoice Pro Manager. I believe the wife paid
$ 10 for it. I finally got it all working. I can generate quotes then if I get the order, convert it to an invoice. I can then print it as well as e-mail it out.

I will keep you posted as I get this tablet setup more. So far it works great. I was even able to import my logo so it will print an invoice with my logo and contact info on it.

Chris

[Mike]

Chris what do you do conne t the tablet to a printer?  For me that where paper is better to give a. O tract on the boat.  As FAr as my I phone I couldn't get by without it   
I can get a job request  by phone or e mail  get directions to it
Use my calculator I'll e en set a reminder for appointments on it. Them after I do the job I can email a photo to the customer if he's out of town. All things I'm sure your tabled could do.
Plus all my music I keep on the phone and use the clock no watch for years.
No matter how much I hate new tech I couldn't live without it  like tv.

[Mojo]

Mike:

I just spent yesterday inputting all my orders for February, March and April. I am booked solid till the end of April and that is sewing 6 days a week. When orders come in this week customers are not going to be happy to learn they cannot have their work done till the end of May as I will be gone for the first two weeks of that month.

It took forever entering all the orders, info, etc and about drove me nucking futs as I am used to working on a 17 " laptop. It is taking some getting used to working with something as small as a tablet. I do not think I could handle doing all this on a phone on a tiny screen. :)

Speaking of phones our contract was up with Verizon so we renewed last Friday and Ingrid got a new iphone and I got a new Droid. I plan on installing my schedule on the phone but wont do any orders, quotes or invoicing from it.

In regards to printing, I have a print app installed on my tablet and we use a Brother wireless / wifi printer at the house. So I can print from my tablet anywhere from within my house including my shop. My wife and I both share the printer. In the bus I have an office with a desk in the master bedroom and have a laser printer there as well. That one is not a wireless though and you have to connect to it the old fashioned way. So I will be able to generate quotes and orders while on the road in the bus ( attending RV rallys, seminars, etc. ) but will have to print using the laser printer in the coach.

The one thing that all this technology has taught me is just how un-organized I was before. I thought I had a good system down but it turns out I had an organized mess. :) I found two orders I lost while going through my papers and had to go back and move my schedule around. I also knew I got deposits on a couple jobs but couldn't find the notations on the quotes. I had to review my bank statements and thank God you can review each check with your deposits online. I found them straight away and applied them on their invoice. While digging into that mess I also found one customer paid for his bill in full but I never credited his account His order is on the cutting table right now. I know it sounds bad but I have pumped dozens of orders through here the last month and just lost track of everything. This new quote/invoicing system will allow me to stay on top of everything as the quotes, deposits and invoicing is all tied together.

Chris