I need IT Projects!

I should add my skills, I'm a good hardware person and a good network admin, but I dislike programming and don't have a lot of programming skills, so suggestions like writing something in Java, C++, etc. are not really options. I also don't think a small company this size should get into much custom programming since I can't support it. I'm looking more for off the shelf solutions and products.

I want your job!!!

Seriously, I would start looking at ways to improve customer service and improve productivity.

My short list of pojects to examine would include:

** On-line inventory that customers and sales people can can access.
** On-line ordering for new or existing customers -- or outside sales people (if you have them).
** Walk-up design kiosks for decks and fences that allow customers to do a design and automatically generate a materials list -- and show if the materials are in stock and how much they will cost.
** Give wholesale customers the ability to generate internal proejct identifiers so that when they get invoiced (and their new year-end summaries) it shows what project/job the materials were ordered against -- your company can sell this concept as a great benefit to help its customers better track the money it spends on materials.

** Do you have delivery vehicles/forklifts, etc? Do you have a fleet management application to track maintenance and operating expenses for the vehicles and equipment?

Those are just a few ideas. Hope they help.

humbly submitted,
diabetic

Setting up a WAN to connect all the offices seems to be the only "logistical" thing that's missing. You didn't mention the details of the remote connection, but speed, availability, and especially security are all important issues with a VPN.

Thebig thing that jumps out at me is training those "WordPerfect for DOS" users to get up to speed with the 21st century. They must be using older and slower computers, so why not force the issue by upgrading their computers. Even if there's a way to run "WordPerfect for DOS" on a new Win2000 / Win XP computer, they don’t have to know that, do they? Training seems to be the biggest challenge, especially considering that a lot of "old dogs" resist learning “new tricks”. Creating power point presentations, interactive training methods, and the like can be a real challenge to put together. If you're not comfortable teaching or presenting to groups of people, check out Toastmasters International. That's another way to not only help the company but experience a great deal of personal growth as well. And teaching those old dogs new tricks can certainly be a rewarding challenge.

I'm in a similar situation as you. It seems that upgrading the hardware and software infrastructure comes first, then the training to bring the users up to speed is next. Then it starts all over again, with the two leap-frogging each other.

Not knowing the particulars of your business I can only generalize, but another possible avenue of consideration is interaction with other contractors and sub-contractors, design professionals (architects, engineers, etc.) suppliers, etc. Using your Web site as an interface seems like the logical place to start. Design firms (architects, engineers, contractors) are starting to really get into "on-line" collaboration using sites like buzzsaw as the interface.

Those are some of my thoughts.

Good luck,

Maxwell

These are great comments, however, I probably should be more specific about our bussiness. We sell doors. And hardware. That's about it. And just commercial doors. If you'd like an idea, our web site is www.pdoor.com. Yes, I know that it's a rather drab site, but it was my first attempt, and the owner likes it. Fleet maintenance is a very good idea. I'm hoping for more like those.

Internet for everyone (via firewall of course), your own email adress (own exchange server).
Connect those office together (WAN)
Maybe look into a pda device.

Leopold

A lot of companies that are in the general size category of your firm are right at the cusp of being able to benefit from good CRM packages. Implementing a CRM system integrates your customer service and sales functions, and lets you respond to customers more effectively in general. A low end but serviceable CRM solution can run from 10k - 50k, although it's easy to get suckered into spending more (do your homework!!). In support of a CRM initiative, a good project would be an IT perspectivebusiness process analysis of your company. Identify areas where processes could be automated or made more efficient. Is data being recorded redundantly and offline in several different parts of the business? Do certain parts of the company have no way to access information recorded by another department that might help them do their job better? An effective and thorough analysis is a project in itself and will help you answer the question you've posed in this forum.

I see nobody's mentioned wireless networking. Granted, your main office only has 40 individuals, but if you have a warehouse, it could benefit from wireless PDA's for inventory purposes. They can help keep you current on re-stocking or re-supply areas. Some more expensive units are designed to mount on forklifts, so the operator can enter the quantity and location while he/she is loading it.
You can install one in your main office to accommodate visiting employees from your branch offices who want to plug in and check e-mail, whatever. It's also handy for conference rooms because they are typically underwired. This enables attendees to download/distribute files to each other right then and there. The cost is fairly small andthe convenience factor is high. The important thing to remember about wireless is that it is a hubbed, not switched, technology. You don't want to consider it as a replacement for your wired infrastructure or you'll lose the performance gains you got by installing the switches. Enjoy and have fun!
- ck

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