Employee needs to be self-disciplined; manager needs to offer constant feedback
By Daniel Schroeder, for For SBT
Question: We are a recruiting firm for computer professionals. About four years ago, one of our employees, a man in his 30s, decided he wanted to operate out of his home. Part of his reasoning was that his productivity would increase if he saved time commuting and avoided all of the distractions in the office. After four years of this, he has decided he wants to come back inside. He tells us that he’s gotten tired of ducking into the laundry room to field phone calls while his babies are screaming in the background. Wasn’t telecommuting going to solve his productivity problems? What are the keys to productivity that he evidently is missing?
Answer: While some people adapt well to working from home, telecommuting isn’t for everyone. Still, more and more people are working from home – the Bureau of National Affairs tells us that at least 15 million Americans do so everyday. Being self-starting and self-disciplined is the foundation for being successful working from home. Absent these attributes, people can really struggle with the lack of structure offered by a home-based office. Additionally, as your question points out, home is not always the most professional setting. Conducting telephone conversations or interviews with crying babies in the background simply does not send the right message.
How could this employee have been more successful? Five suggestions come to mind:
Act as if you work in a traditional office: Establish a regular work routine in terms of starting time, break time, lunch time, quitting time, etc. Get dressed and establish a part of your home as your workspace.
Stay in touch with your traditional office: Maintain communication with your colleagues and attend meetings on-site, as needed. Don’t wait for the phone to ring – initiate contact with your teammates.
Separate your personal life from your professional life: Babysitting, watching Oprah, visiting with neighbors, etc., should be done outside of work hours. Make time for your personal life – it’s very important- but recognize that it normally doesn’t lend to staying productive.
Take regular breaks: One of the traps of working at home is to simply be “on” from morning until evening. Unless you’re careful, you can become a prisoner of your home office. Schedule times to get up and get away from the task at-hand.
Use information technology to stay in the loop: You can make use of software programs and Internet search skills to access and use a variety of information. Working at home does not mean that you have to be isolated.
All employees, whether they work at home or in the office, can benefit from reflecting on the techniques they are (and are not) employing to be productive. Think about it. What if you could get even 15 minutes more productive work done each day of the week? Simple math tells us that would bring a gain of 75 minutes each week and five hours each month. That’s a significant improvement. What if each of your colleagues realized the same gains?
Undoubtedly, you’d be setting performance standards for the rest of the company.
To become more productive, here are some factors for employees to consider:
Begin each day with a distinct sense of purpose: Each day when you enter the office, decide what must be accomplished. What’s the goal for today? How does it impact tomorrow? The next day?
Work as efficiently as possible: Rather than simply plunging into your work, spend a few minutes planning the approach you will use and making sure that you have the necessary tools and resources.
Keep your workspace clean: At the risk of stating the obvious, clutter is unproductive. Time spent looking for misplaced items is simply wasted time. At the end of each workday, clean up your workspace. You’ll feel better in the morning confronting “clean” rather than “chaos.”
Be on time: Another simple truth – you cannot be productive if you are not present. Joining the meeting after it has started slows everyone down and beginning your day late means that you have less time to accomplish the day’s work. Rule number one for personal productivity should be, “Be on time.”
Avoid procrastination: This is an obvious suggestion. You can’t be productive if you don’t get started. To avoid falling into this trap, start with the worst task first. In this way, subsequent tasks will serve as rewards.
Avoid workaholism: Just as obvious is the suggestion to avoid having work become the focus of your life. While some workaholics can be high achieving, productive, and healthy, over time, for most people the outcome of a steady diet of work and more work will be stress and burnout. Learn to balance your personal and professional lives.
Prioritize: Focus on what’s important by attaching a level of significance to each task with which you are confronted. Is it important? How important is it compared with what else is on my desk? Must I take care of this now? What happens if I wait until later? Learn to realize that not everything that comes across your desk needs to be attended to now.
Stay in control of your desk: Check your mail box/in-basket twice per day. Handle each document only one time — take action on it, file it, or pitch it. Do not create stacks (remember the suggestion to keep your desk clean?). Same thing for e-mail. Check it twice per day and scan what requires action and what can be put in the trash. Permanently delete messages that you will not refer to in the future — they are nothing more than clutter-the electronic equivalent of stacks of paper on your desk.
In order for your employee to become as productive as possible, he will need to incorporate these (and other) strategies into his behavioral repertoire. To do so, will require him to receive feedback and coaching about how he is doing. That is an important role that you can play. From my way of thinking, this is one of the most important things a manager can do: Offer feedback about the processes employees are using, as well as the outcomes they are achieving. By focusing on both the how and the what of their functions, employees can become more productive regardless of where they carry out their work.
Daniel Schroeder, Ph.D. of Organization Development Consultants, Inc. (ODC), in Brookfield provides HR Connection. Small Business Times readers who would like to see an issue addressed in a future column may reach him at 262-827-1901, via fax at 262-827-8383, or via e-mail at schroeder@odcons.com.
November 9, 2001 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

Attorney Phillip R. Maples has been elected a shareholder in the law firm of Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek in Milwaukee. He is a member of the firm’s Trusts and Estates and Business Practice Groups. Maples joined WHD in 1996. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison earning a B.A., with honors, in 1988 and a J.D. in 1992.
Betty Brinn Children’s Museum is pleased to announce the appointment of
Michael Brey has been named development director at Betty Brinn Children’s Museum in Milwaukee. He is a University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee graduate with a bachelor of science degree in education. Most recently, Brey spent three years as the executive director for the Wisconsin branch of the American Diabetes Association.
Frank Yaeger has been named associate creative director at Charleston
Orwig, Inc., in Hartland. Yaeger had been a senior art director at the agency since 1997. Yaeger began his career as an illustrator with Holoubek Studios, Waukesha, and has also worked for two other Milwaukee-area advertising agencies.
Mike Archie has joined Delafield State Bank as senior vice president on the organization’s Business Banking team. He had been a senior vice president at M&I Lake Country Bank. Archie, a Delafield native, began his banking career after graduating from UW-Milwaukee in 1972.
Brad E. Hallmark has been hired as director of client services for the recently-launched risk management and insurance brokerage firm Integrated Risk Solutions, in Delafield. Hallmark was most recently a liability case manager at Wausau Insurance Companies, where he had worked since 1992. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and business management from Beloit College.
Greg Zastrow has been named studio director in the senior living and residential studio at Eppstein Uhen Architects of Milwaukee. He will remain active in project work as well as client contact. He has been with the firm for 14 years and was named a principal in 1998.
Brenda Thompson has been promoted to the position of assistant front office manager at Four Points by Sheraton Milwaukee Airport. The hotel also promoted Jenny Zajaczowski from the position of reservationist to group rooms coordinator, and hired Laura Symmonds as convention services sales manager. She had previously been with the Radisson Milwaukee Airport.
Steven C. Johnson and Wade T. Balson have been promoted to the position of managers of audit and accounting at the Lake Michigan Client Service Center of Clifton Gunderson. Johnson, a UW-Eau Claire graduate, has been with the firm for seven years. Balson, a UW-Milwaukee graduate, has been with the firm since 1997.
Hatch Staffing Services has promoted Rebecca Davis to the position of office manager at its Mayfair office in Wauwatosa. She had been a senior staffing consultant with the firm, and is a UW-Oshkosh graduate.
Frank Kopecky has been appointed senior vice president at Frank F. Haack & Associates in Wauwatosa. He has been with the insurance services firm for more than 10 years.
Patty Andree has been hired as business development coordinator with the Milwaukee insurance services firm Fitzgerald, Clayton & James.
Anne Catalane has joined the Milwaukee Catholic Home as director of leisure activities. She had earlier been a lead traffic reporter for WISN-Channel 12.
Tim Brouillette has been named information technology project manager at Roman TechNet, a division of Roman Electric Co. He had been an IT consultant with Tek Systems since 1999 and had earlier been with Case Corp. in Racine.
Ben Sherman has joined Sun Tzu Security in Milwaukee as its new executive vice president of business development. Sherman previously served at EDS as theaArea director of sales for Wisconsin. While at EDS, he was responsible for opening the Wisconsin sales office and implementing e-business projects in the areas of e-commerce, supply chain management, customer relationship management, and business intelligence. Prior to EDS, Sherman was the national account executive for Inacom. Sherman is best known to Wisconsinites as the host of Wisconsin Sports Weekend on WTMJ-AM 620 Radio. Sherman is a graduate of Loyola University.
John Berg has been named director of sales and business development at The Olson Co. of Waukesha. He brings 17 years’ experience in transportation, logistics and supply-chain management to Olson. He had previously been with United Parcel Service.
Kathryn M. Kant has been named marketing director of human resource services for StaffOne in Milwaukee.
August 31, 2001 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

www.stritch.edu
Full-time MBA
Location: Milwaukee/Brookfield, Kenosha/Racine, Manitowoc/Sheboygan/Lake Geneva, Green Bay/Appleton
Focus: General management, health care
Program length: 2.5
Classes offered: One night per week
Start Dates: Rolling
Accreditation: North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs
Total cost: Part-time tuition $390 per credit
Application fee/deadline: $25; Rolling
Typical class size: 14-22
Year program began: 1986
Unique attributes: Students provided with notebook computers; some of the classes offered online; first non-traditional program in the nation to receive accreditation under ACBSP’s acceditation under its Option B (Baldrige Quality Criteria.)
Carthage College
www.carthage.edu
Executive MBA from Loyola University
Location: Kenosha
Focus: General management with international and ethics components
Program length: 18 months
Classes offered: Every other Friday and Saturday, three one-week in-residence classroom sessions and eight-day international study trip
Start Dates: August
Accreditation: AACSB
Total cost: $43,450
Application fee/deadline: $100/June 30
Typical class size: 27
Year program began: 1997
Unique attributes: Consistently among the top 10% of all MBA programs in the country; listed as the “16th Best Part-Time MBA program” by U.S. News and World Report. Resources and reputation of a large university with the personal attention of a small liberal arts college.
Concordia University
www.cuw.edu
Full-time or Part-time MBA
Location: Mequon
Focus: Health care, finance, church administration, global business, human resources management, managerial communication, management information systems, public administration, risk management, marketing, general management
Program length: 26 months
Classes offered: Evenings, one night per week
Start Dates: 8 times per year
Accreditation: North Central Accreditation
Total cost: $375 per credit
Application fee/deadline: $35; None
Typical class size: 12:1 student ratio
Year program began: 1991
Unique attributes: Christian institution; flexible class schedule; distance learning classes always an option; no thesis required for graduation
Concordia’s Distance-learning MBA:
Focus: Health care, finance, church administration, global business, human resources management, managerial communication, management information systems, public administration, risk management, marketing, feneral management
Program length: 26 months
Start Dates: Every 8 weeks
Accreditation: North Central Accreditation
Total cost: $375 per credit
Application fee/deadline: $35; None
Year program began: 1998
Keller Graduate School of Management
www.keller.edu
Full-time, Part-time, Distance/Online MBA
Location: Milwaukee, Waukesha
Focus: Accounting, electronic commerce management, general management, human resources, finance project management, information systems management, international business, marketing, public administration, telecommunication management, health services
Program length: 1.5 to 3 years
Classes offered: Evenings one night per week, Saturdays, Online
Start Dates: 5 times per year
Accreditation: North Central Association
Total cost: $1,350 per course
Application fee/deadline: No fee; Rolling
Typical class size: 15-20
Year program began: 1973
Unique attributes: Online program ranked in the Top 5 by Computer World Magazine; most courses don’t have prerequisites; after graduation, students can come back and take enhancement courses for $150 per course
Lakeland College
Part-time MBA with distance-learning option
Location: Sheboygan, Green Bay
Focus: Accounting, international business
Program length: 3 to 4 years
Classes offered: Evenings, one night per week
Start Dates: 3 times per year
Accreditation: North Central Association
Total cost: $780 per 3-credit course; $825 per 3-credit online course
Application fee/deadline: $25; by the end of the third course taken
Typical class size: 20
Year program began: 1993;
online courses: 1999
Unique attributes: Students can take courses to try program before going through the admission process
Marquette University
www.mu.edu
MU’s part-time MBA
Location: Milwaukee, Kohler, Waukesha
Focus: Marketing, economics, accounting, leadership, quality management, finance, international business
Program length: 36 months
Classes offered: Evenings and/or Saturdays
Start Dates: Sept., Jan., May
Accreditation: AACSB
Total cost: $585 per credit hour (overall cost $22,00 to $27,500)
Application fee/deadline: $40; Rolling
Typical class size: 26; off-site 35-40
Year program began: 1952
Unique attributes: Regular tenured faculty teach at off-campus sites; small class sizes; believe personal attention is important
MU’s full-time MBA
Location: Milwaukee
Focus: Marketing, economics, accounting, leadership, quality management, finance, international business
Program length: 18 months
Classes offered: Evenings and/or Saturdays
Start Dates: Sept., Jan., May
Accreditation: AACSB
Total cost: $585 per credit hour (overall cost $22,000 to $27,500)
Application fee/deadline: $40; Rolling
Typical class size: 26; off-site 35-40
Year program began: 1952
MU’s full-time, part-time Executive MBA
Location: Milwaukee
Focus: International business
Program length: 17 months
Classes offered: All day Friday and Saturday every other week
Start Dates: August
Accreditation: AACSB
Total cost: $35,000 all encompassing
Application fee/deadline: $40; Rolling
Typical class size: 30
Year program began: 1996
Unique attributes: Tuition includes books, food, laptop computer, and 9-day international trip
University of Phoenix – Milwaukee
www.phoenix.edu
Part-time MBA
Location: Brookfield
Focus: Technology management, general management, e-business, health care management, accounting
Program length: 3 years
Classes offered: One night per week
Start Dates: Once a month
Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission
Total cost: $365 per credit hour
Application fee/deadline: $110; Rolling
Typical class size: 15-17
Year program began: 2001
Unique attributes: Students must be working adults and be able to apply what they do for a living in the classroom
Phoenix’s distance/Online MBA
Focus: General management, accounting, e-business, global management, health care management, technology management
Program length: 3 years
Start Dates: Once a month
Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission
Total cost: $495 per credit hour
Application fee/deadline: $110; Rolling
Year program began: 1989
Unique attributes: One of the most recognized online programs in the country, very easy to complete courses from anywhere.
Upper Iowa University
www.uiu.edu
Distance/Online MBA
Focus: Accounting, quality management, management, organizational development
Program length: 2 years
Start Dates: Rolling
Accreditation: The Higher Learning Commission
Total cost: $870 per 3-credit course
Application fee/deadline: $50; Rolling
Year program began: 1999
Unique attributes: Do most of work offline and then log into site to post assignments so as not to tie up phone lines
UW-Madison
www.wisc.edu
Madison’s full-time MBA
Location: Madison
Focus: Accounting and information systems; agribusiness; applied security analysis; applied corporate finance; entrepreneurship; finance, investment and banking; general management; information systems analysis and design; international business; management and human resources; manufacturing and technology management; operations and information management; marketing; marketing research; real estate and urban land economics; risk management and insurance; supply chain management
Program length: 4 semesters
Classes offered: Monday-Thursday during the day
Start Dates: Sept.
Accreditation: AACSB
Total cost: Per semester, Wisconsin resident: $3,854.55; Non-resident: $11,001.75; Minnesota resident: $7,268.55
Application fee/deadline: $45; Apr. 15
Typical class size: 30
Year program began: 1945
Unique attributes: Ability to choose a functional major; real hands-on experience in class projects
Madison’s part-time MBA
Location: Madison
Focus: General management
Program length: 3 years
Classes offered: Monday and Thursday evenings
Start Dates: Sept.
Accreditation: AACSB
Total cost: $11,940 per year
Application fee/deadline: $45; Apr. 1
Typical class size: 40
Year program began: 1998
Unique attributes: Lock-step program allows students to start and stay with the same people and build network relations
Madison’s Executive MBA location: Madison
Focus: General management
Program length: 2 years
Classes offered: One week then Friday and Saturday every other week
Start Dates: Aug.
Accreditation: AACSB
Total cost: $21,000 per year, all encompassing
Application fee/deadline: $50; June 1
Typical class size: 32
Year program began: 1993
Unique attributes: Small size, virtually no attrition, optional international trip second year
UW-Milwaukee
www.uwm.edu
UWM’s full-time or part-time MBA
Location: Milwaukee
Focus: Cost management and ERP, entrepreneurship, financial strategy, global strategy, Information technology management, investment management, leadership, management of human resources, managing Innovations and new products, marketing strategies, non-profit management
Program length: 16 months; 4 years
Classes offered: Evenings
Start Dates: Sept.
Accreditation: AACSB
Total cost: Resident tuition: $1,507 per 3-credit course
Application fee/deadline: $45; rolling
Typical class size: 30
Year program began: 1971
Unique attributes: Consolidated foundation courses;state of the art technology; study abroad opportunities;
UWM’s full-time Executive MBA
Location: Milwaukee
Focus: Senior general management
Program length: 22 months
Classes offered: One day alternate Fridays or Saturdays
Start Dates: Aug.
Accreditation: AACSB
Total cost: $34,000
Application fee/deadline: $45; prefer applications by May1
Typical class size: 35-40
Year program began: 1974
Unique attributes: One of the oldest programs in the country, required international residency trip
UW-Parkside
www.uwp.edu
Full-time or part-time MBA with distance-learning option
Location: Kenosha
Focus: Accounting, general business, human resource management, finance, marketing, management information systems
Program length: 4 semesters
Classes offered: Evenings, Online
Start Dates: Sept., Jan., May
Accreditation: AACSB
Total cost: Part-time tuition: $263.85 per credit (resident), $809.85 per credit (non-resident)
Application fee/deadline: $45; Aug., Dec. Apr.
Typical class size: 15-20
Year program began: 1981
Unique attributes: New 8-week courses should allow students to accumulate more credits per semester and finish program sooner
UW-Whitewater
www.uww.edu
UW-W’s full-time or part-time MBA
Location: Whitewater
Focus: Management, marketing, finance, human resources management, international business
Program length: Full-time 2 years; Part-time 3-4 years
Classes offered: Evenings, one night per week
Start Dates: Aug., Jan.
Accreditation: AACSB
Total cost: $261.60 (resident), $758.60 per credit (non-resident)
Application fee/deadline: None
Typical class size: 28
Year program began: 1975
Unique attributes: The program is endorsed online so a student is not required to come to campus; highly interactive
UW-W’s distance/Online MBA
Focus: Management, marketing, finance, human resources management, international business
Program length: Varies
Classes offered: Online
Start Dates: Rolling
Accreditation: AACSB
Total cost: $550 per credit
Application fee/deadline: None
Typical class size: 36
Year program began: 1997
– Data compiled by Bridget Dorrycott of SBT
– Small Business Times, Milwaukee, August 31, 2001

All for Paws and Watertown Can, 740 N. Cburch St., Watertown 53098, $55,000, Ixonia State Bank;
Amerihost Inn & Suites, 1355 W. Main St., Whitewater 53190, $712,000, Wisconsin Business Development Finance Corp.;
Badger State Lighting, 1701 Pearl St., Waukesha 53186, $487,212, Sunset Bank & Savings;
The Bath Junkie, 2024 Northview, Waukesha 53188, $50,000, Milwaukee Western Bank;
Culver’s of Kenosha, 1407 W. Grand Ave., Port Washington 53074, $415,000, Wisconsin Community Bank;
D’Amato Bakery, 5040 S. 18th St., Milwaukee 53221, $20,600 and $58,000, Bank One;
Dollar Delight, N29 W6291 Lincoln Blvd., Cedarburg 53012, $150,000, St. Francis Bank;
Ethan D. Meyer, DPM, 1177 Quail Ct., Pewaukee 53072, $45,000, First Financial Bank Centre;
Farrell’s Fine Furnishings, 214 Watson St., Ripon 54971, $50,000, Horicon State Bank;
Follicle Hair Studio, 817 S. 5th St., Milwaukee 53204, $115,000, Lincoln Community Bank;
Four Lakes Athletic Club, 351 E. Morrissey Dr., Elkhorn 53121, $1.3 million, Wisconsin Business Development Finance Corp.;
Framers Corner & Gallery, 5407 Spring St., Racine 53406, $94,000, Community State Bank;
Geneva Pie Co., 647 W. Main St., Lake Geneva 53147, $140,300, Bank One;
Guy & O’Neill, Inc., 617 Tower Dr., Fredonia 53021, $1,027,000, Investors Bank;
Jacks or Better, 125 Milwaukee St., Johnson Creek 53035, $131,700, Bank One;
JR’s Exvacating, N6000 County Road PS, Hartford 53027, $80,300, Bank One;
Koskinen Eye Clinic, 3266 W. Main St., Ste. B, East Troy 53120, $95,000, Citizens Bank of Mukwonago;
Kresken Concrete, 532 E. Jefferson St., Burlington 53105, $74,000, First Banking Center;
LMT-Maritime, 832 Niagara Ave., Sheboygan 53081, $1,703,000, Community Bak & Trust;
Meyers Westside Lanes, 1515 New Jersey Ave., Sheboygan 53081, $205,000, Community Bank & Trust;
Midwest Powder Coaters, 3090 Polk St., Richfield 53076, $83,900, National Exchange Bank & Trust;
Modular Exteriors, 2884 North St., East Troy 53120, $112,000, Citizens Bank of Mukwonago;
Mother Knows Best,162 W. Main St., Whitewater 53190, $60,000, 1st Citizens State Bank of Whitewater;
Mystical Concepts, 303 E. Monroe Ave., Hartford 53027, $49,000, First Financial Bank Centre;
Palate Pleasers, 1005 Richards Rd., Ste. C, Hartland 53029, $90,000, First Financial Bank Centre;
Papa Murphy’s Take N’ Bake Pizza, 605 Lilac Ln., West Bend 53095, $125,000, M&I Marshall & Ilsley Bank;
Ruvin Bros. Artisans and Trades, 7127 N. Green Bay Rd., Glendale, 53209, $219,000, Wisconsin Business Development Finance Corp.;
Smart Card Solutions, 229 E. Capitol Dr., Hartland 53029, $172,000, Wisconsin Business Development Finance Corp.;
Snap-On Tools, 3411 Fischer Dr., Burlington 53105, $78,650, Community State Bank;
Thomas A. Mason Co., 1501 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., Milwaukee 53212, $821,566 and $613,811, Investors Bank;
The Train Store, 129 W. Sunset Dr., Waukesha 53189, $85,000, Citizens Bank of Mukwonago.
August 31, 2001 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

Figuring out where to start as you migrate
from a “tell mode” to a “seek mode” in sales – Part III
JERRY STAPLETON
For SBT
Two months ago, in the first installment of this series, we talked about the “whys”: Why curiosity is the salesperson’s greatest weapon and why it’s smart business to channel that curiosity into a Knowledge Call.
Last month, we talked “whats”: What a Knowledge Call is and what it isn’t. Intended to gain insight into the customer’s organization and business, a Knowledge Call is not a needs-analysis meeting.
We also talked “how”: How Knowledge Calls fit into your overall sales strategy. Assuming that they do (and is too much knowledge really ever a bad thing?), the next question is, of course, “who.”
Knowledge calls don’t need to be rationed
You can and should request a Knowledge Call with almost any contact – from a person you’ve never met who represents a company that your own firm has never done business with, to a long-time contact at a well-established account.
In selecting contacts for Knowledge Calls, follow these guidelines:
1. Let me in, coach
A true coach is by far your best Knowledge Call contact. Remember, coaches are more than “friendly contacts.” Coaches want you to have an advantage over your competition. They give you information that they wouldn’t give your competitors. Just beware the ubiquitous friendly gatekeeper masquerading as a coach.
2. Movin’ on up
Start with the least powerful, most talkative people first. This is the best way to avoid gatekeepers who try to block your ascent. It’s also how you prepare yourself as you move to more powerful contacts in the customer company.
3. Familiarity breeds content
If it’s an existing account, start with your day-to-day contacts. Just be alert to a tendency on the part of some contacts to act as gatekeepers. Sometimes you’re stuck with a contact whom you might otherwise not have chosen.
4. Don’t go there
Never attempt a Knowledge Call with someone who might be considered “off limits.” Secretaries fall into this category. With any prospective Knowledge Call contact, ask yourself if there’s any chance that your contact-or others in the company-might get the impression that you’re snooping.
5. So close, yet so far away
Don’t forget former employees and non-employees. Depending on your relationship with them and their relationship with the targeted company, such individuals can be buried treasure.
Tony discovered that when he snagged Mike, a new contact at one account, who had only weeks earlier left another of Tony’s key customers. Their 45-minute Knowledge Call turned into two hours, and gave Tony the insight he needed to save a $250,000 deal that was being torpedoed by someone working for Mike’s former employer.
6. Working at higher elevations
When your initial entry to an account is through an executive, and you have no good lower-level contacts, make a mini-Knowledge Call part of your introductory meeting with the executive.
Contrary to popular selling notions, it’s a bad idea to do Knowledge Calls with senior executives. However, if your first meeting at an account is with an executive, you should ask a few high-level, strategic questions as part of that meeting. But never try to conduct the same kind of in-depth Knowledge Call that you would with a good coach.
Making contact with your contacts
OK, we’ve talked what, why, how and who. Now it’s time to call your contact and set up the meeting. You know what you want to accomplish, but you need to explain it to the person on the other side of the phone or e-mail. And you need to explain in a a way that’s both professional and non-threatening. That’s a whole ‘nother topic, I’m afraid-one that we’ll explore next month.
(Part I of this series appeared in the July 6 issue of SBT while Part II appeared in the Aug. 3 issue.)
Jerry Stapleton is president of the IBS Group and author of “From Vendor to Business Resource: Transforming the Sales Force for the New Era of Selling.” For more than ten years, he has been showing companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune 500, how to sell to large accounts. E-mail: jstaple@theibsgroup.com Web site: www.theibsgroup.com
August 31, 2001 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

A $170,000 loan from the Milwaukee Economic Development Commission will help a grocery store maintain operations at a Fond du Lac Avenue site in the city.
Penasa Foods, Inc., received the Target Area Loan to purchase the building and land at 6627 W. Fond du Lac Ave., which now is host to a Sentry food store.
Chris Penasa, the owner of Penasa Foods who decided to purchase the real estate, has made several changes to the store since purchasing it from his father. He wants to remodel the store to expand the dairy, meat and produce departments to help the store meet growing demands from consumers for prepared foods.
The company, which currently employs 22 people, expects to create one full-time position.
M&I Marshall & Ilsley also is participating in the $425,000 project.
The MEDC’s loan committee also approved the following projects:
Animal Emergency Center, Inc., an emergency and critical-care medical facility for small animals, received a $300,000 MEDC Target Area Loan to buy a facility at 5401 N. Lovers Lane Rd.
The company currently employs 24 full-time workers and expects to hire three more as part of the $1 million expansion project.
The firm was founded in 1977 as an emergency medical clinic. In 1984, it became one of the nation’s first 24-hour animal hospitals, devoted exclusively to emergency and critical care.
The hospital, which also serves as a teaching center, examines between 6,000 and 7,000 animals each year.
Park Bank is also participating financially in the project.
Theiss Business Interiors, LTD, received a $210,000 Target Area Loan to construct a 7,500-square-foot building that would house the company’s interior design business and provide space for tenants.
Theiss Business Interiors specializes in commercial building space for offices, colleges, hospitals, clinics, banks or any type of business. The company’s services include layout, reflected ceiling and lighting plans, elevations, cabinetry and counter designs, and finish.
Greg Thiess, owner of the firm, would like to purchase a parcel at 1323 E. Brady St.
The company currently employs five full-time workers and expects to add one. Park Bank is participating financially in the $525,000 project.
Channel One, Inc., received a $161,968 Second Mortgage Loan to purchase commercial condominium space at 207 N. Milwaukee St. for continued use by the company.
Channel One, a business video and interactive media provider, expanded into a multi-million dollar company, now employing 22 people full time. It anticipates hiring seven more full-time workers to handle business growth.
Services provided by Channel One include graphics, animation video, narration, music and sound effects. The company also offers video and interactive production that includes concept development, digital editing and script writing. Clients include Miller Brewing, Sargento Foods, Monsanto, Gardetto’s, Tombstone Pizza and the NFL Players Association.
Associated Bank is financially participating in the $647,870 project.
Comfort Zone Entertainment Center received a $61,600 Target Area Loan to convert the Capital Sports Bowl at 5526 W. Fond du Lac Ave. into a banquet facility.
Real estate owners Jane Keenan-Turner and Lonnie Turner Jr. will lease the bar and banquet area to Melvin Turner, who will operate the Comfort Zone. In addition to a main banquet hall that will accommodate 180 people, a second area will be available for smaller parties of 75 people.
The new owners intend to renovate and update the kitchen for a short-order grill facility, to serve the bar area and caterers. Park Bank is financially participating in the $154,000 project.
Woody’s Sausage received a $19,800 Target Area Loan to purchase a building at 3528 W. Fond du Lac Ave. for use as a retail facility for Viceroy Wondering Foods, Inc., and as a manufacturing facility for Woody’s Sausages.
The MEDC loan will also assist with relocation and set-up costs.
Woody’s currently operates out of a former photography studio at 4328 W. Fond du Lac Ave.
The new 2,500-square-foot location will allow the company to expand its existing company base, increase its market share and reduce operating costs.
Alvin Holloman, president of Woody’s, has contracted with Klements Sausage to produce the company’s products since 1993.
Liberty Bank is financially participating in the $49,500 project.
National Tissue Co. received a $300,000 Target Area Loan for the purchase of two state-of-the-art machines that will enable the company to expand its product line from three to six products and increase efficiency by more than 50%.
The company is moving from Waukesha to 737 W. Cleveland Ave. in Milwaukee due to space constrictions at its former site and the need to be closer to a larger labor pool.
National Tissue is a manufacturer of toilet paper and paper towels for the commercial market. It produces three product lines which include jumbo-roll toilet tissue, hard-wound towels, and center-pull towels for public restrooms and for the institutional market nationwide. The company currently employs 16 full-time workers and expects to add 12 full-time positions.
M&I Marshall & Ilsley Bank is financially participating in the $752,000 project.
SBA loans
The following loan guarantees have been approved in March by the U.S. Small Business Administration in Wisconsin:
Associates Soil Testing, N9009 State Road 67, East Troy 53120, $18,500, First Citizens Bank of Whitewater;
Broadlands Golf Club, Inc., Highway 59, North Prairie 53153, $1 million, Wisconsin Development Finance Corp.;
Extreme Towing, Inc., 5414G W. Presidio Ln., Milwaukee 53223, $50,000, Norwest Bank Wisconsin;
Fibeco Corp., 425 Spruce St., Sheboygan Falls 53085, $575,000, Firstar Bank Wisconsin;
Hi Way Motors, 100 Twilight St., Lacrescent, Minn., 55947, $120,000, Bank of Holmen;
Iamusa, Inc., 9152 W. Dixon St., Milwaukee 53214, $120,000, Waukesha State Bank;
Interlude, 3712 W. Mt. Vernon Ave., Milwaukee 53204, $35,000, TCF National Bank Wisconsin;
Joseph T. Hebert Cleaning Service, 3230 N. 36th St., Milwaukee 53216, $8,100, Park Bank;
JW Towing & Auto Service, 2940 W. Fond du Lac Ave., Milwaukee 53210, $80,000, Firstar Bank Milwaukee;
Kut-Rite Corp., 4050 N. 34th St., Milwaukee 53216, $75,000, University National Bank;
Maid-4-U, Inc., 65 W. Pioneer Rd., Fond du Lac 54935, $95,000, Firstar Bank Wisconsin;
Making The Grade, Inc., 3477 N. 89th St., Milwaukee 53222, $52,000, Norwest Bank Wisconsin;
Malkins Carpets, Inc., N85 W16093 Appleton Ave., Menomonee Falls 53051, $550,000, Investors Bank;
Mike Burkart Ford Mercury, Inc., 102 N. Milwaukee St., Plymouth 53073, $1 million, Wisconsin Business Development Corp.,;
Performance Mold Products, Inc., N116 W18515 Morse Dr., Germantown 53022, $334,000, Wisconsin Business Development Corp.;
Rapwood Enterprises, Inc. W4385 Belgium Kohler Rd., Fredonia 53021, $515,300, Community Bank of Sheboygan;
R&B Video & Paging, 1532 E. Sumner St., Hartford 53027, $50,000, First National Bank of Hartford;
Scenic View Country Club, 4415 Club Dr., Slinger 53086, $160,000 and $250,000, Firstar Bank Wisconsin;
Señor Luna, LLC, 1901 S. Calhoun Rd., Waukesha 53188, $250,000, AT&T Small Business Lending Corp.;
Wells Consulting, Inc., 1260 Pioneer Trail, Waukesha 53186, $100,000, Waukesha State Bank.
Century firms
As part of Wisconsin’s sesquicentennial celebration, Gov. Tommy Thompson is seeking to identify Wisconsin’s businesses that are 150 years old or older; they will be honored at a ceremony this month, receiving a plaque and a governor’s letter of recognition.
A number of companies have been identified;others not on the list can contact Tony Hozeny at the state Department of Commerce in Madison, 608-267-9661.
The following firms are on the list, including the year they were founded:
Journal Communications, Milwaukee, 1837;
Dodge County Title & Abstract, Juneau, 1839;
State Medical Society of Wisconsin, Madison, 1840;
Case Corp., Racine, 1842;
Foley & Lardner, Milwaukee, 1842;
Joseph T. Ryerson & Son, Milwaukee, 1842;
Bliss Communications (Gazette Publishing),
Janesville, 1845;
Dane County Title, Madison, 1846;
Chicago Title Insurance, Waukesha, 1847;
H.H. West, Milwaukee, 1847;
Marshall & Ilsley Bank, Milwaukee, 1847;
Svedala Industries, Waukesha, 1847;
Wisconsin Color Press, Milwaukee, 1847;
Bentley & Son, Brown Deer, 1848;
Bruno Boiler & Engine Works, Edgerton, 1848;
Greater Beloit Publishing Co., Beloit, 1848;
Joseph Huber Brewing, Monroe, 1848;
The Masterson Co., Milwaukee, 1848;
Meissner, Tierney, Fisher & Nichols,
Milwaukee, 1848;
Michael, Best & Friedrich, Milwaukee, 1848;
Pfister & Vogel Tanning, Milwaukee, 1848;
Richardson Brothers, Sheboygan Falls, 1848;
St. Mary’s Hospital, Milwaukee, 1848;
Suettinger Sheet Metal, Two Rivers, 1848;
United States Leather Holdings, Milwaukee, 1848.

Joppe Logistics, LLC, a new distribution company, has leased 137,500 square feet of the former Briggs & Stratton facility at 12000 W. Burleigh St. in Wauwatosa, according to Mooney LeSage & Associates which handled the transaction.
The company commenced business in February, according to owner James Joppe Jr.
In addition to serving Briggs & Stratton, the company offers distribution, logistics and warehousing.
The company has signed a long-term lease.
Other leases announced by Mooney LeSage include:
– 42,000 square feet of space at 960 E. Milwaukee St. in Whitewater for Eco-Tech;
– 32,300 square feet of space at S66W14328 Janesville Rd. in Muskego for Meurer Bakeries of Milwaukee;
– 30,000 square feet of space at 1171 Universal Blvd. in Whitewater for Trek Bicycle Corp.
The Polacheck Co. of Milwaukee has announced the following leases:
– 1,847 square feet of retail space in the Riverview Centre at 827 S. Rochester Rd. in Mukwonago for Einar C. Svang III, DDS;
– 2,820 square feet of office space at 8350 N. Stevens Rd. in Milwaukee for Barrientos Architects;
– 1,150 square feet of retail space at 1677 N. Farwell Ave. in Milwaukee for Starbucks Corp.;
– 11,241 square feet of office space at 4915 S. Howell Ave. in Milwaukee for Sky Alland Marketing;
– 2,681 square feet of office space in the Riverfront Plaza at 1110 N. Old World Third St. in Milwaukee for CBS Cable; CBS Corp.;
– 1,780 square feet of office space at 5485 S. Westridge Dr. in New Berlin for Aid Association for Lutherans;
– 2,289 square feet of retail space at The Pavilion in Mequon for Scando Enterprises, d/b/a The Tinder Box;
– 6,400 square feet of industrial space at 11711 River Ln. in Germantown for Mero Structures, Inc.
– 2,738 square feet of office space at 250 N. Sunnyslope Rd. in Brookfield for Banc One Financial;
– 23,500 square feet of retail space at Rivercrest Drive and Appleton Avenue in Menomonee Falls for Office Max, Inc.;
– 2,000 square feet of retail space at Timmerman Plaza at 10442 W. Silver Spring Dr. in Milwaukee for Advance America, Cash Advance;
– 10,400 square feet of space at 1000 N. Water St. in Milwaukee for New Resources Corp.;
– 4,800 square feet of retail space at 6800 Washington Ave. in the Racine County Town of Mount Pleasant for Aurora Health Care, Inc.
Building Projects
Golden Leaves, LLC, is constructing a 15,000-square-foot retail and professional office building in downtown Hartland. The property, at 350 Cottonwood Ave., will be the home of Benning’s Books, adjoined by Heidi’s Café and Gourmet Coffee, Inc. The project also includes interconnected professional office suites and a luxury second-level apartment.
Ludwig Ridder Design, an architectural firm, will occupy one of the suites.
The development is a venture of Dianne Benning, who started Benning’s Books five years ago, and partner Karen Zernan. Golden Leaves will also manage the building.
Beyer Construction of New Berlin is handling interior office construction for the Helen Bader Foundation at the century-old Saddlery Building at 233 N. Water St. in Milwaukee. The foundation is locating from the Firstar Center. Architectural work is by Kahler Slater Architects of Milwaukee.
– Beyer is nearing completion of a project at Eaton Corp./Cutler Hammer Products, 4201 N. 27th St., Milwaukee. The project, which began in December, involves renovation of the second floor elevator lobby and complete reconstruction of the cafeteria and servery areas. Work includes installation of new servery fixtures and food service equipment, and new lighting and furniture. Quorum Architects of Milwaukee handled design.
Selzer-Ornst Co. of Wauwatosa is completing the renovation for Interim Health Care in Wauwatosa.
KCM, Inc., of West Bend has completed the design and has been awarded the contract for a 10,000-square-foot professional office and retail mall to be located in Jackson. B.E.K. & Associates, owners, are in the process of leasing the space.
– KCM has also been awarded a contract for a 13,000-square-foot industrial building in Jackson. The owner, Sierra Grinding, manufactures grinding wheels.
Z-Teca Fresh Mexican Grill Restaurant of Milwaukee chose MSI General Corp. of Oconomowoc to complete the tenant build-out for a Mexican restaurant at 3101 N. Oakland Ave. in Milwaukee. An April opening was scheduled. The restaurant will be operated by Roaring Fork, LLC, which is owned by Mike Pranke and Eric Wagner and which holds the exclusive Wisconsin franchise for Z-Teca. The restaurant firm is based in Denver. Founded in 1995, it plans to have about 300 locations in the US by the year 2000. It features made-to-order entrees.
– MSI General has also been selected by Custom Products Corp. of Menomonee Falls for the design and construction of a 33,502-square-foot addition to its manufacturing facility at the corner of Lilly Road and Silver Spring Drive. The expansion is Phase I of a program to provide additional manufacturing space. New orders from Cummins Engine and others were the catalyst for the project.
When John Iverson purchased the company in 1972, it had three employees and 8,000 square feet of space. It now occupies more than 300,000 square feet and employs more than 650 people. With expected growth, the company is planning a Phase II addition, as well.
Venture Development of Waukesha has completed the new office space for Relations Systems in Brookfield.
– Venture Development has also completed an interior remodeling project for Burton & Mayer, Inc., in Brookfield.
ASI General, Inc., of Waukesha has completed a new office building for Wisconsin Retail Lumber Association at W175 N11086 Stonewood Dr. in Germantown. The building includes 6,000 square feet of offices for the association and 4,000 square feet for tenant space.
The Lang Group of Lake Mills has been selected by the Sheboygan Redevelopment Authority to develop 14 condominiums with individual entrances on the Sheboygan River in the downtown area. The project will be known as River’s Edge. Each home will have a boat pier in the backyard with access to Lake Michigan.
Moves
George Webb Restaurants has moved to a new corporate office and commissary in the Bluemound East Industrial Park, south of I-94 in Pewaukee. The 16,350-square-foot building features expanded warehouse space plus rooms for training, conferencing and a full test kitchen. The chain now has 45 restaurants in Wisconsin.
Image Makers Advertising has moved from its Elm Grove location to its own renovated building at 139 E. North St. in Waukesha. The historic building was constructed in the 1880s as an out-building for a woolen mill.
Maglio & Co., a full-service wholesaler and distributor of produce, has relocated its offices and warehouse to 4287 N. Port Washington Rd. in Glendale.
The company had operated for 50 years on Commission Row in Milwaukee’s Third Ward. A second location was added in 1985 in the Walker’s Point neighborhood. Both those locations were vacated.
By the end of the year, the company expects to add 15 people to its current staff of 52.
The Glendale site was purchased from Johnson Controls last May. A 21,000-square-foot addition was constructed, adding 10 truck doors. The completed facility has 80,000 square feet of operating space with more than 30,0000 square feet dedicated to refrigerated storage.
With the added capacity, the company plans to expand its service territory and product lineup.
May 1998 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

With the right development, sites can help the bottom line
One of the more common questions heard around the water cooler, the health club or the boardroom these days seems to be “How’s the Website doing?”
The answers to that question can range anywhere from “I’m not sure” to “Which one?” to “I hear it’s doing well” to “We have a Website?”
Even though society is almost three years into the Internet revolution, there is still a pattern in companies both large and small when it comes to planning a Website.
“Early adopters” inside those companies see the advantages before the rest of their colleagues and seniors. Therefore the saying, “the right hand doesn’t always know what the left hand is doing” is very appropriate for businesses attempting to leverage the Internet.
Visionaries pushing Websites within their organizations are often isolated because a scant few in the enterprise understand the pervasiveness and reach of the World Wide Web. They also fail to grasp how Web-based technologies can provide efficiencies to functional lines of business within their own organizations.
Although some companies are just now beginning to experience revenue streams with e-business applications, effective Web initiatives that exist for reasons other than marketing usually focus on solving business problems, streamlining business processes or reaching external business partners. Often those solutions provide soft-dollar savings to the enterprise, providing little cover from hard-dollar savings purists.
Aside from the obvious opportunity to provide a high level of interaction between people and information, the Web doesn’t always provide a tangible, bottom-line benefit, or a revenue stream whose trajectory is comparable to a successful Space Shuttle launch.
So how can one justify Web-based technology as a necessary expenditure?
Because of the attractive potential of Web technology – such as its worldwide reach and ability to interact with users, many organizations have rushed headlong to establish Internet and intranet Websites. Many are taking a haphazard approach, resulting in wasted money and, more significantly, lost opportunity.
Develop a clear purpose
One of the most common mistakes companies make when implementing Websites is not having a clear vision or purpose for the sites. Therefore, when planning a Website there needs to be a blueprint for success, as well as benchmarks for success. Then we have also been working with this amazing web design service in the UK as they are just super-talented, so call them if you want some top-level web design in the UK. When it comes to ROI and the Web, there are several areas within an organization that can provide low hanging fruit to feed to the frugal financiers.
Automate business processes: Automate a variety of internal business processes on your Website for increased efficiency. For example, many organizations are using Intranet Web sites to automate the distribution and administration of internal documents, including policies and procedures, benefit selections, financial information, telephone lists and job postings. Electronic distribution eliminates the high cost of updating and distributing paper documents every time an update occurs.
Redeploy client/server solutions: By redeploying client/server solutions to Websites, you provide universal access to information without the need to install and manage specialized client software. Users can access the information they need through their standard Web browsers. Many organizations are already redeploying client/server applications in human resources, accounting, sales management and executive information services onto their intranets. Those Web-based applications are considerably less expensive to maintain and manage than traditional client/server solutions.
Disseminate information: Through your intranet Website you can disseminate internal information to employees – and even to business partners, such as suppliers and contractors. You can use your Website to present information in new and engaging ways, so your employees will be more apt to access the information. Your business partners will also appreciate being kept “in the loop.”
Salesforce automation: Organizations with remote field agents who are required to complete and submit field reports to the home office after every sales call traditionally fill out those reports either by hand or by word processor. In addition, this data would need to be re-keyed into the company contact database.
With a secure Extranet application, remote agents can use a browser to access a password protected, Web-enabled salesforce automation system – anytime, anywhere – on-demand. All forms/reports that would be required for the field agents to complete would be available electronically via the Web. Each agent has an individual user profile, and once the agent identifies himself/herself to the system, the appropriate forms are pushed to the agent to complete.
Human resource function: Allow employees to update their personal information, investigate new policies involving performance and rewards issues, control their 401K investment profile and to post questions and receive answers from senior management.
Facilitate a collaborative culture: Because important information flows more freely through intranet Web sites, it is easier for your employees to become more engaged, involved and interactive – within their own departments and workgroups as well as with other departments and workgroups.
Increase employee satisfaction: Use your Website to keep employees informed and solicit their feedback on matters that are important to them. As a result, you’ll build closer relationships with them.
Receive feedback: Because of its ease of interaction, a Web site can help you obtain valuable feedback from your employees and business partners. Use this information to improve service and support to these people who are so important to your business.
In order to provide feedback to the sponsors of your Web initiative, the methods you establish for monitoring your solution should be objective and measurable. Use them to evaluate the effectiveness of your site in meeting the objectives you have established. Are you reaching your intended audience? What incremental sales are attributable to the site? What cost savings have you realized by automating business processes on the intranet? Are you finding increased employee satisfaction because of improved information flow through your intranet site? Is your overhead reduced because of lower printing costs (external or internal) or lower sales costs?
As you increase the number of processes you deploy, the more your customers, vendors and employees will view your Web activity as a viable place to conduct business – and to invest resources. The result: you’ll improve access and service to your customers, suppliers and employees, and strengthen your relationships with them. And you’ll increase revenues and reduce costs at the same time.
So the next time someone asks you how your Website is doing, you can respond by saying: “The one where I can manage my 401K? Or the one that saves us 20% a year in paper?”
Jim Brophy is senior manager, business solutions, for the Milwaukee practice of USWeb Corp. in New Berlin. Comments can be directed to him at jbrophy@mke.usweb.com.
April 1998 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

1 Develop a complete Web marketing plan. Your online audience may be different from other audiences to which you market your products.
2 Spend money wisely. A lot of money put into designing a Website doesn’t equal success. Start within your means – you can always add on.
3 Put your company’s address and phone number on every page of your site. Sometimes customers will come to your site simply to research products but would prefer to purchase by phone or in person.
4 Register your site with search engines. Yahoo!, Excite, Lycos and other search engines all have online registration forms on their sites. Only if your site is registered will it appear when a search is conducted.
5 Track your visitors. Know who comes to your site and what they look at.
6 Register users. Registering users adds them to your e-mail list so you can keep in contact with them.
7 Send useful e-mails. If you e-mail your customers, make sure you’re sending them information they can use, not just promotional material.
8 Surf the ‘Net. Know what works for other companies, know what your competitors are doing.
9 Change site often. Users won’t come back if there is nothing new for them when they return.
10 Put your Web address on all printed materials. Business cards, mailers, company stationery, and advertisements are all good ways to get the word out that you are online.
11 Make sure you can fulfill new orders. If your business doesn’t have the capabilities internally to fulfill the new orders you might receive over the Internet, it could mean bad publicity for your business.
Source: Jenni DeGlopper,
Value Computer

Marketing program tracks e-mail responses
Steve Culver knows where you’re coming from. Literally. Culver, president of Computer 911 in Milwaukee, is setting up e-mail response addresses, allowing him to track his marketing efforts.
It’s not unlike the tracking often seen for regular mail responses, where a vendor might ask prospects to respond to something like “Department SI” at the vendor’s postal address. In that example, he’d know that the prospect saw the advertisement in Sports Illustrated.
That practice has been taken to the Internet to allow similar tracking, says Culver, whose firm rescues computer users in distress.
Culver is also tracking visits to his Website in a similar way.
“We want to know if someone is visiting our Website or sending an e-mail query as the result of seeing the ad,” he said.
While he called his response so far “disappointing,” he admitted that the nature of his business might preclude responses via the Internet.
“Most people who require our services need us because they want to, need to, but can’t access the World Wide Web and e-mail. That may be because they don’t have the computing power and/or the technical savvy to make it happen.”
Culver says he’s seeing use of the specified e-mail response addresses in the high-tech arena, especially in the computer trade magazines.
But the practice hasn’t come into widespread use among the general business community, even though Culver says it’s relatively easy to do.
“Any Internet service provider (ISP) should be able to host a company’s Internet domain name and set up any number of aliases for your e-mailbox for a small fee,” he notes. “We host Websites for our customers on our Web server. Every Website includes a mailbox that is usually named ‘info@mydomain.com.’ Additional mailboxes and aliases can be set up easily.”
The “alias” would be the tracking e-mail address.
While Culver offers the service through Websites, he notes that a Website isn’t necessary for e-mail tracking.
Culver is a big fan of e-mail. “E-mail is a great tool,” he says. “I tell my clients that the surest way to get a quick response from me, other than in an emergency, is to send me an e-mail.”
April 1998 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

According to projections by the Gartner Group Inc., more than half of all companies worldwide won’t be prepared for the Year 2000 computer problem. Companies which have started work on the problem are finding out that it’s more than they bargained for.
“I’m surprised at the systems I thought would be compliant which aren’t, or we haven’t figured it out yet,” says John Schwarz, director of Y2K compliance for Aurora Health Care. “It’s a lot bigger than I anticipated, and I think most companies will find this to be the case.”
Compared to six months ago when Aurora was first wading into its Y2K project, the project cost has taken what Schwarz will only describe as “a quantum leap.”
Many in-state manufacturers are already butting up against the Year 2000 as they make future projections for materials handling requirements.
At Appleton Papers, a material requirements application is used to plan for paper production at least 18 months in advance. That’s how long it can take to line up the sophisticated equipment required to produce the thousands of products made by the $1.3 billion Fox River Valley papermaker.
Because building a new paper machine is a complex effort involving a variety of vendors, if the material requirements application was not working by July 1998, there would be no way Appleton Papers could meet customer demands in the Year 2000, says Mike Pratt, the Y2K project manager.
“If the material requirements planning application was not working, our shop floor would simply shut down,” Pratt says.
Appleton Papers got started on the problem as early as 1995. With the help of Y2K consultant Compuware, the Fox River Valley papermaker launched a $3 million effort to convert 5.5 million lines of code. The project was completed in February, five months ahead of schedule.
Insurance companies and banks have been out ahead of the pack in dealing with the Year 2000 problem. That’s because much of the information those institutions handle is based on calculations that use dates as the basis for many of their applications. Last year, Allstate Insurance Co. estimated the cost of its Y2K fix at $40 million.
Like Allstate, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. has been actively working on the problem for two years, and has a targeted completion date of November of this year, says Kathy Oman, NML’s Year 2000 project director.
NML has 40 people working full-time on the project at its Milwaukee headquarters, and another 40 to 50 consultants from Infosys Technologies are attacking the problem offsite.
Infosys, an offshore company based in India, uses an automated tool to scan NML’s code and find out where the date hits are. Once they find the problem, they set about the task of “renovation.” Altogether, NML has about 150 different applications and 20 million lines of code to sort through, Oman says.
“Right now, only about 20% of our code remains to be looked at, so we should easily make our target date,” Oman says.
NML’s corporate service department is responsible for looking at the company’s embedded systems, which include elevators, security systems and anything else that is run by microchips. In addition, the insurer is analyzing the Y2K readiness of all of its electronic vendors, both hardware and software.
Don’t forget to
check the phone system
Most businesses will be affected in their accounting systems and also their telephone systems, says Tony Ollman, an information systems consultant with Virchow, Krause & Co. in Madison. In a survey of 200 Wisconsin manufacturers and distributors by Virchow, Krause revealed that 45% of the firms had not considered their phone systems as part of their Year 2000 planning.
“You can’t do business without a telephone, and that’s the most expensive system to repair,” Ollman says.
If your company has “homemade” programs from an outside programer, the best alternative may be to simply replace the application, says Steven J. Hyde, an information technology consultant with Kolb Lauwasser & Co. in West Allis.
That’s what Milwaukee Public Schools opted for in replacing its payroll system which was not Y2K compliant. While the new systems developed by Oracle and PeopleSoft are costly, it represents a good opportunity to do away with outdated code and upgrade with new software that should result in economies of scale, says Jim Bloom, a resource specialist with MPS.
Most companies will find it less costly and more timely to replace their systems with new packaged software that is Y2K-compliant, says Hyde, rather than continue to pay expensive
“My biggest concern is
that small businesses just aren’t getting it.”
– Carl Gerlach,
Apex Information Systems
programer wages which nationally average $90,000 per year.
Philipp Lithographing Co. in Grafton realized a tenfold increase in the speed of its IBM mid-range computer when it replaced it as part of Y2K compliance, says controller Dave Kaehny. After the computer upgrade in 1996, Kaehny had an outside consultant go through and work out the bugs in the company’s software in 1997.
Kaehny’s foresight resulted in a substantial savings for the company. From the time Philipp Lithographing got its Y2K problem out of the way, the cost of qualified programers has more than doubled, according to Carl Gerlach of Apex Information Systems in Cudahy, who performed the work.
“My biggest concern is that small businesses just aren’t getting it,” Gerlach says. “We have done a lot of public education through speaking at Rotary and Lions meetings, and have called on people who know for a fact that they’ve got a problem, but they just refuse to acknowledge it.”
Amid all the gloom, there are some positives that come out of a Year 2000 project.
By unbuttoning applications, businesses can create new processes designed to adapt to future changes, says Ernst & Young’s Lorne Richardson. Maintenance activities can be better organized, and systems can be made more flexible.
Simply eliminating dead computer code and multiple applications may generate substantial savings, Richardson says.
Each process that can be made more flexible and adaptive will add to the bonus. Also, data collected during your Y2K project can serve as a repository of application data which may prove invaluable when it’s time for upgrades and platform migrations.
“If you look at every program that you have and every date, it’s an overwhelming task,” MPS’ Bloom says. “But if you triage your systems and determine what’s going to fail, then it becomes doable.”
All Y2K consultants recommend that you identify your mission-critical applications first when you go about developing a plan of attack.
Also, remember to build in enough time to test your Year 2000 fix. Give yourself six months to a year to do all the testing, Aurora Health Care’s Schwarz advises.
“So you don’t have until next year to do it,” Schwarz says. “You should be doing it this year.”
By summer, companies that have not started the process of code conversion are probably not going to make it in time for the Year 2000, and could face potentially crippling systems failures, warns Y2K guru Peter de Jager.
“The companies who know that their very survival depends on their computers have already started making their systems Year 2000-compliant,” de Jager says. “For those who have not even begun to assess the extent of the problem, it’s too late. They won’t be ready by the Year 2000.”
April 1998 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

Employers enlist trainers to boost staff capabilities
Imagine yourself as the president of a manufacturing company. Your largest customer notified you that beginning in the Year 2000 all of its vendors must be ISO 9000 certified.
No one in your company, including your top manufacturing people, has the experience necessary to implement such a quality control program.
Do you hire somebody with ISO 9000 experience, or seek help in training your own people?
Every day, employers make these decisions. Faced with the current manpower situation, more businesses lean toward educating and training their own people.
At Park Bank, which has more than 150 employees, president and chairman of the board P. Michael Mahoney gets involved with the progress of his bank’s workers.
“I’d rather bet on an internal person than hire someone from the outside,” Mahoney said, referring to the bank’s policy of seeking to promote from within. “Education is critical with the growing focus on retaining employees.”
Not long ago, Mahoney engaged the assistance of Dr. Margo Frey to provide one-on-one coaching in management skills to an employee being considered for promotion.
A noted columnist and speaker, Frey is one of a half-dozen people in Wisconsin to achieve the status of National Board Certified Career Counselor. Her company, Career Development Services, charges about $150 an hour for services.
Individuals such as Frey and organizations which coach and train employees are finding that businesses are willing to make a significant financial investment in training.
Premier Aluminum, an 80-employee firm with plants in Allenton and Racine, engages the services of MRA-The Management Association, spending thousands of dollars for employee training.
Chuck O’Connor, Premier’s corporate production manager, sends his supervisors to MRA headquarters once a month for 10 months to a course on principles of management.
“It costs us about $2,000 a person,” O’Connor said. “After each class, I get together with them to discuss issues covered and to see how we can apply them in our plants.”
O’Connor admits it’s a gamble on whether or not they lose people after the training. “We try to impress on our people the opportunities here. We encourage them to take on more responsibilities.”
Larger corporations such as International Flavors and Fragrances, with a division in Menomonee Falls, find MRA’s training services convenient and affordable.
“We have 22 divisions, so our corporate training staff is kept busy with on-going safety and management training programs in all those locations,” says Jessie Core in the firm’s human resources department.
International Flavors and Fragrances brought in MRA to introduce senior management to team-building concepts during five half-day meetings. Each session costs approximately $1,500.
With more than 1,700 member companies, MRA-The Management Association, conducts more than 600 seminars and on-site programs each year at its Brookfield headquarters. Trainers such as Bill Bonham have job descriptions as “employee involvement facilitators.”
Founded in 1901, MRA functions as a non-profit management association. Over half of its members have fewer than 250 employees. In addition to providing human resource data and temporary on-site HR assistance, it offers a wide range of workshops and customized training programs. Sixty-five percent of its members are manufacturers.
Human resource people have developed a jargon of their own. They talk about “hard skills” and “soft skills” like computer junkies discussing hard drives and software. For example, Allen-Edmonds teaches newly-employed workers at its Milwaukee plant how to sew leather; that’s a hard skill. After work, the company offers soft-skill training – language classes to teach English to Spanish-speaking workers.
“A-E offers two-day classes in English,” says Cathy Jones, director of human resources for the operation. Over half of the workers attend, while a few of them attend both sessions. The in-plant classes are conducted by UW-Milwaukee faculty. For its workers in Ozaukee County, Allen-Edmonds offers Spanish language classes taught at Port Washington High School by instructors from MATC-North.
Hard skills such as basic mathematics, micrometer reading, and product knowledge receive special attention at R&B Wagner and at Advance Stamping in Butler. Both companies share the presidential skills of Robert Wagner, who encourages his workers to teach each other. Mike Kerney, a former shop manager with a background in tool-and-die making, teaches basic math and instrument reading to plant personnel who need it to perform their jobs. Two instructors, Mark Wojtycski and Jay Krickeberg, conduct 20 hours of product awareness classes to everyone who has customer contact.
Krickeberg conceived the idea and everyone from sales to shipping takes the training, Wagner said.
More employers measure their effectiveness against employee retention records because they recognize employee turnover is a loss of valuable company assets. What’s it worth to salvage a skilled employee, one who may have some deficiencies in an area human resource people call soft skills?
“The focus today is on behavioral competencies like critical thinking, problem solving, how to ask questions, and getting along with fellow employees,” says Dr. Daniel Schroeder of Organization Development Consultants in Brookfield. “Attitudinal problems may not show up on the bottom line, but they’re hidden contributors to the company’s P&L statements.”
Schroeder’s staff of 10 people offers dozens of soft-skill training programs under a franchise arrangement with WorkSmart. The cost for services from professionals like Schroeder will vary from $1,500 to $2,500 a day.
Today’s corporate structure is moving away from middle managers to self-directed work teams, Schroeder adds.
April 1998 Small Business Times, Milwaukee