Newsletter

Newsletter articles in PDF format.

Under each of the major "tip" sections and AM-Win support articles you will now find a link that says  Click for PDF version in blue.

If you click this link you will open the article in PDF format where you can view, print or save it to your computer for later use.

AM-Win Support Solutions

The SMS function in AM-Win

Keeping your clients informed is still one of the best ways to keep them coming back. Phoning them often takes up valuable time while you answer questions about their job - time that you don't have and answers that will be given when they arrive to collect their vehicle.

So maybe SMS is the answer

AM-Win has offered SMS functionality for some time but in versions nine onwards SMS is now available from most screens making it much more convenient to whip off a quick SMS when you need to make contact with a customer or a supplier.

AM-Win uses the services of MessageNet to send SMS messages.  Once the registration and account is set up with MessageNet, the SMS function can be used for all types of communication between employees, suppliers, customers etc. The SMS that is sent now gets recorded in the correspondence tab.

Configuring your SMS functions

To access the SMS set up and Registration, go to the Others>Maintenance>SMS Set up menu in the main AMWIN. The following screen will appear.

Click on the Register SMS Provider button. This will take you to an internet website connection where you are asked to fill in a form with various details such as your name, company, address details etc. You will also be asked to make a payment for this particular service.

Upon submitting the completed form and paying the regulated fee, you will then be sent a Username and Password to set up your SMS function. Enter this Username and Password into the relevant fields on the SMS registration screen.

Secondly, click on the Save Password Details, then Thirdly, click on Exit to finish the Registration and Setup screen process.

Now you are ready to start using your SMS function!

SMS Masterfile

The SMS masterfile is where you can save templates of your regularly used SMS messages. Its as simple as insert, type up your message and then save. They are now saved in the masterfiles ready for use. To set this up go to Others>Maintenance>SMS settings>SMS>SMS Masterfile.

Sending SMS Messages

SMS messages can be sent from job invoicing, customer masterfiles, supplier masterfiles and job item masterfiles. Within these areas there is a SMS button. Click on that SMS button to bring up the following screen.

To send a message, simply select the customer and phone number you wish to use, type in your message or use the previously saved template messages from the SMS Masterfile, and then click on the Send SMS button.

Your message has now been sent!

NOTE: If SMS is NOT arriving at the destination, Check the SMS log file in AMWIN (others> Maintenance> SMS log) And note if mobile number begins with ‘1’ instead on ‘0’. Then Go to Control panel, check and change ALL Regional Settings, From USA to Australia. Test SMS.

SMS Log File

The SMS log file will keep a running log of all text messages that have been sent out through AMWIN. It will keep a record of the date, time, operator, person to whom the message was sent and their number as well as the details of the SMS message.

To view the messages recorded in the log file, go to Others>Maintenance>SMS Settings>SMS>SMS Log.

Don’t Send SMS Tickbox Option

There is now a Don’t send SMS option in the customer masterfile which allows you to tag a customer to not be included in any marketing or general SMS processes. You can still send an SMS directly to the customer via the SMS buttons.

Click here for PDF version

AM-Win SMTP Settings

About SMTP

SMTP is a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol functionality in AMWIN that allows you to send emails with out the use of a default email client program such as Outlook.

SMTP will only be required where a terminal server is used on your network. If this is not the case then you need only to utilise your default e-mail program [Outlook etc] to send mail through AM-Win as usual.

Activating SMTP in AM-win

To set this up you need to go to Others> Control System>System and Company Details tab. Click on the Security/Options tab and tick the box “Use SMTP not MAPI” to turn on this function.

Configuring SMTP Email Settings

To set up the SMTP email settings to use this function, go to Others>maintenance>SMTP Settings>SMTP>SMTP Setup.

You will then need to enter the same information on each computer that wishes to use the SMTP email option.

The Email server is usually your internet provider details. For example if you are with Bigpond, then the email server would normally be mail.bigpond.com.

The Email port will be in most cases 25 unless otherwise set up by your IT professional.

NOTE: SSL tickbox option is ONLY TO BE USED IF INSTRUCTED BY YOUR INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER. This is a secure socket layer of encryption running through your modem.

The next section is usually left bank unless required by your IT professional to hold information about your internet connection.

SMTP Emailing

When you go to email a document in the usual manner (i.e. by selecting the print option of “email document” tickbox), the Sent SMTP message screen appears. Just fill in the recipient details and anything else you wish to add to the notes box and click on OK. The email will be sent via SMTP and recorded in the SMTP log file.

SMTP Log File

The SMTP log file will keep a running log of all email messages that have been sent out through AMWIN. It will keep a record of the date, time, operator, person to whom the email was sent with the subject header. It will also show a status of the email message as to whether it was successfully sent or not.

To view the emails recorded in the log file, go to Others>Maintenance>SMTP Settings>SMTP>SMTP Log.

Click here for PDF version

Business Tips

The challenges of increasing environmental legislation

There is no doubt that the "environment" is firmly back on the national agenda and with this in mind our newsletter team decided to do some research on what effects the new [and in some case existing] regulations and "green tape" might have on small business.

Tips to assist small and medium sized businesses prepare for the challenges of increasing environmental legislation

The following list is an extract from an article on the NSW Business Chamber web site. Click here to view the complete article.

Be aware and prepared for increased environmental legislation, particularly in the areas of environment planning and protection, waste and energy.

Understand the relevance of environmental legislation to your business and your responsibilities in relationship to the law.

Be aware that it is expected that small and medium sized businesses will come under greater scrutiny; and that if you are in resource, energy and waste intensive industries you will be at greatest risk of increased costs of compliance.

Know the activities that have the potential to impact negatively on the environment.

Be aware that stricter environmental and planning law will constrain any business applying for developmental consent to expand or build their physical operations.

Be aware that the development process has the potential to become very costly as local councils update their assessment criteria to assume greater responsibilities for environmental issues.

Understand that navigating overlapping EPIs and objections from a more environmentally conscious community will further add to the expense of setting up or expanding your business.

Recognise that a company doesn’t have to intentionally commit an environmental offence for it to be considered negligent; and if found to be responsible, the company, as well as its directors and managers, are liable.

Appreciate that a business can be held accountable, not only by the regulators but also by members of the public and environment groups.

Understand that if you are in the supply chain of big businesses you will also feel the pressure that requires their activities and products to meet stricter environmental standards.

Be prepared for increased regulation in the use of energy when state or national emissions trading schemes are introduced.

Appreciate that climate change, and all its ramifications to business, will require decisive policy responses from Australian governments, with the need for administering regulation in a way that is consistent, co-ordinated and can withstand any rational cost-benefit analysis.

Understand that any development you plan will require close consideration of the EPIs and, importantly, these cannot be read in isolation.

Be aware of the risk of environmental prosecution not only from the regulators, but also from the general community, should you be deemed to be causing environmental harm.

Understand that although many of the schemes to encourage industry to minimise waste in the priority areas are voluntary, there will continue to be an increasing focus on businesses who deal in waste products.

Be aware of the connection between environmental impact and obtaining permits to expand or develop new activities.

Appreciate that any constraints should be seen as opportunities to take advantage of the demand in the market for products and services that minimise the company’s environmental footprint as well as enhance the reputation as a sustainable business.

Click here for PDF version

 

Searching for "Similar" images in Google.

If you've searched for an image lately on Google lately, you've probably noticed that they've enhanced their image search. Instead of just thumbnail images, if you put your mouse over an image it expands to give you a larger view.

You may also notice a link that says “Similar” at the bottom of the expanded image.

If the image in question has a color scheme you like or the picture is taken at a certain angle, you can click "Similar" and bring up more results that fit your criteria.

For example let's search for an image of a laptop.

You can see that Google shows a larger image with image details if you place your mouse over one of the search results

Click on similar

You will now be shown other images that are similar to your selection.

 

Click here for PDF version

Uninstall A Program

As time goes by, you will probably accumulate more and more programs on your computer. Some programs you’ll use often, and they will be part of your day to day activities.

Programs that the Kids have installed and no longer use, trial programs that you decided not to buy and other programs that have just passed their use by date not only take up space on your hard drive but can slow things down and clog up your system. It’s best to get rid of programs like these if you know you’ll never use them.

Let's look at how to uninstall these unwanted program the right way - doing the job the wrong way can lead to many problems that may stop your computer from functioning. This tutorial includes the un-install process on both Windows 7 and Windows XP. Other versions may be use a different process but the basics are similar.

To uninstall a program from Windows 7, click Start > Control Panel > Programs (Uninstall a program).

The Programs and Features window that opens up displays a list of programs that currently exist on your system. It’s a useful panel that tells you who published the program and when it was installed on your computer.

When you find a program that you want to remove from your system, click on it to select it and then click Uninstall at the top.

You will usually see a confirmation window displayed that requires you to confirm that you really do want to uninstall the program. Sometimes these confirmation windows include checks to make sure that you don’t have certain other programs open that prevent the uninstall from being performed. If you get error messages like these, close down the offending programs and continue with the uninstall.

At other times you may receive messages that say something like "This program shares files with another program - do you want to keep these shared files".  At all times say YES to this because Windows provides little or no information about these shared files so you won't know whether they are important or not.

Once the program has been uninstalled, it will no longer appear in the program list.  It is important that you restart your computer after the un-install process that changes made to the computer's registry can take effect.

How to uninstall a program in Windows XP from the Control Panel:

Important - Please read the Windows 7 procedure above so that you know what to look out for during the uninstall process.

Step 1. Close all open windows and applications.

Step 2. Click the Start button with your mouse.

Step 3. Select Control Panel -> Add or Remove Programs

Step 4. You will be presented with a list of programs you have installed on your machine. Go through the list until you find the one you want to uninstall.

Step 5. Select the program you want to uninstall -> Click Remove.

Step 6. Confirm your actions by clicking Yes or pressing Enter when presented with the Are you sure… popup.

Step 7. Wait for the un-installation process to complete.

Step 8. In some cases it may be necessary to restart you computer.

Editor's Notes - For advanced users only.

The uninstall process often leaves bits and pieces of the uninstalled program lying around on your hard drive. While the occasional file or folder won't do any damage if the system or no other application references them, entries left in the registry will slow your computer down or may cause problems.

A computer should be maintained on a regular basis using a program like Registry Mechanic that will check the registry for entries that are no longer used, and to clean the registry of these entries. This is especially important if you add and remove programs on a regular basis.

Important Disclaimer:

AM-Win Software do not endorse or recommend any third party program in this newsletter.  Registry Mechanic has been mentioned by name as an example only. Use of any third part software mentioned in this newsletter is at your own risk.

Click here for PDF version

Auto Recover function - MS Word 2007 & 2010

The power goes out…

The program stops responding…

You entire system crashes…

Whatever the cause, you just had the program close unexpectedly and your work is gone… gone… gone…

Or maybe not.

If you’ve got the Auto Recover feature active, then you might be in for a pleasant surprise!

With the Auto Recover feature working in the background, a fairly recent version of the file should open when you restart the program.

Fairly recent” because the time interval that you set the last Auto Recover save, may have been a few minutes ago. (Still, it’s better to have to back up a few minutes worth of work than redo everything you’ve accomplished since you started.)

To enable the Auto Recover feature of a program open the Options dialog box.

In Office 2007, you’ll use the Office Button to reach the program’s Options button, found in the bottom right corner.

In Office 2010 you’ll need the File tab, Options choice.

Navigate to the Save category.

On the right, locate the “Save Auto Recover information every ___ minutes” option.

Make sure that the checkbox is selected and then set a minute interval for the saves. One or two minutes is reasonable but that will depend on how much you are prepared to lose should something go wrong.

Click OK.

The good news is that the next time the program closes unexpectedly, you should find yourself in a fairly good position… Auto Recover will help you get your document back.

The Auto Recover feature does not replace the old rule of thumb… Save, Save, Save…and Save some more. Nothing replaces saving a file frequently.

Click here for PDF version

Drop Caps - MS Word 2007 & 2010 

It’s called a Drop Cap and, while this may not be something that we would use every day, it is a quick and very easy way to add a little something extra to your documents.

Creating your own Drop Caps…

First you’ll need to place your cursor in the paragraph that is to have the Drop Cap.

Open the Insert tab of the Ribbon.

Locate the Drop Cap button.

Click it to choose a quick Drop Cap style – or remove a Drop Cap, if that’s the situation.

The choices are pretty obvious, put the letter in the paragraph, or have Word place it in the left margin.

Choosing one of these two preset options will create the Drop Cap with the default setting and the same font as the rest of the paragraph.

To change the font for the Drop Cap, or adjust how far it sits from the text, choose Drop Cap Options from the bottom of the list.

At the top you can change the type of Drop Cap to use.

In the bottom section you’ll find settings for the font - the example contains a font that does not match the rest of the paragraph as we chose something that would give the character a bit of flourish.

Below that, you can decide how many lines it should sit next to. The more lines the bigger the Drop Cap will be.

The last option is the distance the character should be placed from the rest of the text. It is set to zero by default but if it feels too cramped set it just a bit bigger to 0.1 – not a huge change but enough that it seems more legible. You will need to play with this to decide what setting you prefer. You have a setting between 0 and 22 so there’s lots of room to play with.

When you’ve got the look “just right”, click OK.

Click here for PDF version 

Excel- Creating an organisational chart

The first section of this article covers Word 2007 and 2010. Scroll down for information on how to create an organisational chart in Excel earlier versions.

The graphics capabilities in Excel are flexible enough that you can use the program to create organization charts. This is done by using SmartArt, as described in this tip. (This tip works with MS Excel 2007, and Excel 2010.

One of the tools available in Excel is the ability to create organization charts. How you create one depends on the version of Excel you are using. Start by displaying the Insert tab of the ribbon. In the Illustrations group, click the SmartArt tool. Excel displays the Choose a SmartArt Graphic dialog box.

At the left of the dialog box click Hierarchy to see the types of organization charts available.

If you are using Excel 2007 there are seven types of hierarchy charts available. In Excel 2010 the number is increased to fifteen. Regardless of the version you are using, the first type of hierarchy chart available is the traditional organization chart. Click that chart (or one of the others, if you prefer) and click OK. Excel adds the chart to your worksheet, along with a bunch of different tools on the Design and Format tabs of the ribbon.

Organization charts are made up of shapes and lines. Lines are automatically added or removed as you add or remove shapes. If you would like to change the formatting of any of the elements in the organization chart, right-click on the element and choose Format Shape from the Context menu.

Excel- Creating an organisational chart in Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, and Excel 2003.

One of the tools available in Excel is the ability to create organization charts. You do this by just choosing "Diagram" from the Insert menu. Excel displays the Diagram Gallery dialog box.

The Diagram Gallery box shows six different types of diagrams you can add to your worksheet. The default diagram type is Organization Chart. Click OK, and the chart appears in your worksheet as a graphic object.

Along with the actual organization chart, Excel displays the Organization Chart toolbar whenever the chart is selected. This toolbar allows you to add different boxes to the chart (using the Insert Shape drop-down menu), as well as to specify how the chart should be organized (using the Layout drop-down menu).

In Excel, organization charts are made up shapes and lines. Lines are automatically added or removed as you add or remove shapes. If you would like to change the formatting of any of the elements in the organization chart, right-click on the element and choose Format AutoShape from the Context menu.

Click here for PDF version

Note:

Please note that we do not provide support for our Word and Excel tips as they are provided by a third party. If you need further information why not try using Google - Cut and paste the heading of our tip into Google's search box. You'll be amazed at the information available.

Whoops

Jokes

It works! It really works!

A man goes to the doctor with a long history of migraine headaches. When the doctor does his history and physical, he discovers that his poor patient has had practically every therapy known to man for his migraines, with no improvement.

"Listen," says the Doc, "I have migraines too, and the advice I'm going to give you isn't really anything I learned in medical school, but it's advice that I've gotten from my own experience. When I have a migraine, I go home, get in a nice hot bathtub, and soak for a while. Then I have my wife sponge me off with the hottest water I can stand, especially around the forehead. This helps a little. Then I get out of the tub, take her into the bedroom, and even if my head is killing me, I force myself to make love to her. Almost always, the headache is immediately gone. Now, give it a try, and come back and see me in six weeks."

Six weeks later, the patient returns with a big grin.

"Doc! I took your advice and it works! It really works! I've had migraines for 17 years and this is the first time anyone has ever helped me!"

"Well," says the physician, "I'm glad I could help."

"By the way, Doc," the patient adds, "you have a really nice house."

I was just joking.

There was this guy at a bar, just looking at his drink. He stays like that for half an hour.

Then, this big trouble-making truck driver steps next to him, takes the drink from the guy, and just drinks it all down. The poor man starts crying. The truck driver says, "Come on man, I was just joking. Here, I'll buy you another drink. I just can't stand to see a man cry."

"No, it's not that. This day is the worst of my life. First, I fall asleep, and I go late to my office. My boss fires me. When I leave the building, to my car, I found out it was stolen. The police said that they can do nothing. I get a cab to return home, and when I leave it, I remember I left my wallet and credit cards there. The cab driver just drives away."

"I go home, and when I get there, I find my wife in bed with the gardener. I leave home, and come to this bar. And just when I was thinking about putting an end to my life, you show up and drink the poison I just bought from the chemist with my last bit of change."

Until next month

Office, Excel and Windows logos are the property of Microsoft and are used for reference points only.