Assured Solutions, a leader in Software Integration and Workflow Automation, has solutions that GUARANTEE a 100% improvement in your company's performance or your money back.

Auto-BOTS®, a registered name of Assured Solutions, describes our unique workflow automation processes that are specifically programmed for the Professional Services industry.

These software solutions are actually "Programmed Robots," customized from best-of-breed software, and operational on virtually all platforms and networks used by corporate graphic operations.

Auto-BOTS® glue your existing applications, databases and technology together and automate the flow of data between them.

In today's business climate, nothing is more important than maximizing the return on invested capital dollars.

Using Auto-BOTS® to alleviate repetitive, frustrating tasks familiar to  departments everywhere is an important first step.

Accuracy:

The accuracy of Auto-BOTS® is unequaled in performance and reliability.

With emergency support and periodic maintenance included, they are virtually worry-free solutions for every registered user.

Auto-BOTS® are available for a fraction of typical custom software costs, and come in the following automated graphics programming categories:

1. Auto-FLOW® Processing

Auto-FLOW® is a category of "Auto-BOTS®" designed to integrate multiple software applications and automate the process of moving data between them.

Because copying and pasting data from one application to another is one of the largest causes of friction in a workflow, using Auto-FLOW® to streamline this data movement saves your company a fortune in wasted time and energy.

Auto-FLOW® scripts are an integral part of software integration.

Like most companies, you have probably standardized on "best of breed" software tools to accomplish specific tasks.

Because every company is unique, the developers of these tools don't have the ability to predict how their software will be used in every situation.

Fortunately, most software developers have developed "hooks" which allow their programs to "talk" to other programs.

Our Auto-FLOW® scripts use these software "hooks" to move data between different applications.

This lets your company maximize your return on investment by having those "best of breed" software tools customized to your exact needs.

In addition, Auto-FLOW® scripts log their actions.

This allows you to quantify how they operate and measure performance for improvement.

2. Auto-TRACK® Accounting

Auto-TRACK® is a self-contained automated robot process that can be fully customized to your overall graphics/studio operations.

Auto-TRACK® is a Management Accounting System using Activity Based Costing ("ABC") that dramatically improves the productivity and workflow of your graphics environment.

Unlike most other financial accounting solutions, which can only report the salaries of your people, Auto-TRACK® can specifically identify how efficiently they spend their time.

Until these measurements are properly tracked, it's almost impossible to improve the productivity of any graphics operation!

And unlike most other traffic workflow or job tracking software systems available on the market, Auto-TRACK® is a completely open solution!

Therefore, it:

• Runs on multiple platforms (Macintosh ™ , Windows ™ , NT ™ , and the Web) and networks (AppleTalk ™ , TCP/IP ™ , and IPX ™ );
• Interfaces to multiple applications via AppleScript ™ , Visual Basic ™ , ODBC ™ and SQL ™ ;
• Can be customized to work in unison with most existing accounting software systems.

Auto-TRACK® is the easy 1-2-3 answer to all your jobs/trafficking/workflow needs. Here's how:

It's THREE great solutions IN ONE package:

(1) Budgeting - it helps create and manage complex, multi-million dollar campaign expenditures;

(2) Production - it coordinates numerous human resources needed to get the jobs done;

(3) Traffic - it manages any level of desired details on each and every job.

It streamlines your workflow by automatically:

(1) Applying all your customized workflow steps and assigning them to the proper people in the job process;

(2) Tracking each person's time and relieving them from doing it (which they probably wouldn't do anyway);

(3) Identifying and monitoring -- in real time -- the current status of every task and project in the system.

It's a tool for ALL PERSONNEL because it:

(1) Allows Management to plan, track and view strategic campaigns from the "top down.";

(2) Allows Administrative personnel to create, detail and generate status reports on every task and project;

(3) Allows all graphic Users to simply point-and-click in check boxes on any task or project screen to know where they stand.

Auto-TRACK ® is the one ALL-PURPOSE tool that every graphics/studio operation needs to effectively and efficiently manage their overall job tracking, processing, budgeting, estimating, and productivity.

Like all of our solutions, the PDF AutoBot logs its activity to measure performance improvement and show true calculated ROI (Return on Investment).

3. Auto-FORM® PDF Autobot

The Auto-FORM® PDF Autobot is a solution that automates the process of creating a Portable Document Format file (PDF) from an Encapsulated PostScript file (EPS) and adding pre-defined form fields and security to the resulting file.

In addition it will rename the file with your correct naming convention.

Because a large portion of a creative's time is wasted doing the boring, repetitive, and error-prone process of creating revisions for review and approval, automating this process saves a lot of time and money.

This is a Drag and Drop solution built with AppleScript™.

The end user only has to drag and drop the EPS file on top of the PDF AutoBot and the process begins.

The only interaction required from an end user is to select two choices.

(1) Choose a Forms Template File

The user is asked which Form field template to use as a basis for the new PDF file.

"Standard" uses form fields that are laid on the new document and must be moved to the correct position.

If the user selects the "Custom Dimensions" button, then they are given the choice to navigate their hard drive to find a PDF file similar to the one they are creating.

In most cases this will be a previous revision of the current PDF being created.

This is useful in the fact that the form fields will end up very close or precisely where they need to be on the page.

(2) Choose a revision number.

The PDF AutoBot is designed to take revisions up to the number 20.

The PDF file will be distilled and saved in the same folder that held the original EPS file.

Like all of our solutions, the PDF AutoBot logs its activity to measure performance improvement and show true calculated ROI (Return on Investment).

 (Click here to see a QuickTime™ Movie of the Auto-FORM™ PDF Autobot.)

4. Auto-BUILD® Constructing

Auto-BUILD® is a category of "Auto-BOTS®" scripts designed to integrate a textual database (FileMaker, Oracle, MS SQL, etc.), a visual database (Portfolio or Cumulus), and a page-layout program (Quark or InDesign) to construct unique documents for output.

With most creative shops, there is a constant need to organize and label their storage systems, be they file cabinets, jazz disc covers, zip disk covers, cd/dvd rom jewell cases, etc.

Auto-BUILD® is a great solution for quickly producing these customized, and yet, consistently colorful labels.

The Auto-BUILD® Constructing solution eliminates the need for a user to spend excessive time in the setup and output of custom labels.

Here's how easy it is to use the Auto-BUILD® Contructing Solution:

(1) The User opens a Portfolio™ media catalog.

(2) Then the User drags their files into the catalog window.

(3) The files are Indexed and "thumbnails" of the files are created.

(4) The User "double-clicks" on the Auto-BUILD® Constructing Script.

(5) The Script opens a Quark Xpress™ Template.

(6) The script opens FileMaker™ Database

(7) The script merges text from FileMaker™ into the Quark template.

(8) The script merges Images from Portfolio™ into the Quark template.

(9) The script logs its activity to measure for performance improvement and calculate ROI (Return on Investment).

5. Auto-CHART® Reporting

Auto-CHART® Reporting is a category of "Auto-BOTS®" scripts and robots designed to integrate textual databases (FileMaker™, Oracle™, MS SQL™, etc.), with a graphing or charting program (MS Excel™, DeltaGraph™, Funnel Web™, FastTrack™, MacProject™, etc.).

Because reporting is the life blood of any business, faster report generation makes for faster decision making.

However, if "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words," then having a report generator that automatically charts and graphs the results is priceless.

Depending on your needs, there are two easy solutions to help you better manage your business through pictures:

(1) The User Driven or "Attended" solution reduces the number of steps required to generate "on-demand" reports, charts and graphs.

(a) The User opens database.

(b) The User selects output button.

(c) The Script filters database.

(d) The Script exports result.

(e) The Script imports into graphing program.

(f) The Script displays graph.

(g) The Script logs its activity for measuring performance and calculating ROI (Return on Investment).

(2) The Robot Driven or "Un-Attended" solution completely automates the process of generating "periodic" reports, charts and graphs required on a timely basis without wasting valuable human resource time.

(a) The Robot opens Database.

(b) The Robot finds and filters data.

(c) The Robot exports the results.

(d) The Robot moves data into graphing program.

(e) The Robot generates graph.

(f) The Robot logs its activity to measure for performance improvement and calculate ROI (Return on Investment).

6. Auto-SORT® Indexing & Searching

Auto-SORT® is a category of "Auto-BOTS®" scripts designed to automatically index, catalog, filter and connect Media Asset Management Programs (Extensis Portfolio, Canto Cumulus, etc.) with multiple other systems and software.

Auto-SORT1® Indexing

Indexing Problem

The time required to Index and catalog a CD/DVD filled with images can require anywhere from 30 minutes to 30 hours.

It is both extremely time consuming and boring to track the process of indexing a volume of data.

For example:

• If the process stops indexing in the middle of the night, no one is there to re-start it.
• If errors occur during the indexing process, no one is there to troubleshoot.

Indexing Solution

Automated indexing and cataloging of all visual assets archived for improved image inventory management saves hundreds of thousands of dollars annually by proatively managing the indexing process.

This lets your creatives focus on being creative, not administrative.

Auto-SORT2® Searching

Searching Problem

The time required to locate a visual element is anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours. (The average is 15 minutes)

The manual process required to locate an image is:

• The User leaves their desk to go to manual Catalog of previous jobs.
• The User searchs for the element (image, logo, layout, etc.) and then must locate the archived job.
• Many times, a job is archived on digital tape and the user must contact a technical administrator to retrieve the job.
• If the administrator is available, and if they have time, the user might get their request fulfilled that day.
• However, if the request comes back incorrect, then the whole process starts all over.

Searching Solution

An Integrated process connecting a visual cataloging system (Extensis Portfolio™, Canto Cumulus™) to a "near line" storage system (Powerfile™ DVD Changer) and automatically locating the EXACT file in seconds rather than minutes.

The automated process to locate an image is:

• The User queries the visual catalog to find the file they want.
• The User selects a script called "Find Original".
• The Script locates the DVD Changer and mounts the archived disk.
• The Script highlights the file on the disk for the User.
• The Script tracks the process to measure for performance improvement and calculate ROI (Return on Investment).

(Click here to see a QuickTime™ movie of the Auto-SORT2® Searching Autobot)

7. Auto-SAFE® Archiving

Auto-SAFE® is an automated robot that stores and manages your digital pictures, illustrations, images and electronic graphics of all types, along with their associated data.

Auto-SAFE® categorizes and files all these "MEDIA ASSETS" of your entire graphics department onto Compact Disks ("CD's") and Digital Video Disks ("DVD's") for quick and easy RETRIEVAL at any time.

Auto-SAFE® automatically scans your network of graphic users to search for large accumulations of image files from artists, designers and production personnel.

Then, it auto-downloads and writes (or "burns") them onto a new CD.

Auto-SAFE® then catalogs each new CD archive in a MEDIA ASSET MANAGEMENT system, such as Portfolio ™ , and makes that storage-and-retrieval information available to each registered user on the department's network.

With data files growing exponentially faster than most graphics operations can often keep up with, Auto-SAFE® is the easy, 24/7 answer to 21st Century needs.

And it pays for itself in recaptured time that's no longer wasted by having expensive humans do an Auto-BOT's job. It will easily justify its expense usually within the first few months!

Here's what Auto-SAFE® does in 1/4th the time it takes a human to do, presuming you could get a time-strapped human to even do such a thorough routine of "best practice" procedures:

(1) Creates a Robot Log in FileMaker ™ that tracks each step of the process;

(2) AppleScript ™ triggers the Finder ™ to auto-copy files onto a scratch disk;

(3) Norton ® DiskDoctor ™ checks the disk for possible problems, and repairs them (if possible);

(4) Virex ™ checks the disk for "viruses", "worms" and "trojan horses", and eradicates them( if possible);

(5) Toast ™ writes the CD archive;

(6) Portfolio ™ (or Canto ™ ) catalogs the CD for all users to see and access;

(7) Acrobat ™ creates a PDF of the directory for placement inside the CD's plastic case.

(8) And finally, Emailer ™ notifies a customized user list that the CD archive has been created.

Auto-SAFE ® is the ONLY WAY to be assured that your archived files are absolutely, positively on that stored media, completely free of corruption and errors, and that EVERYONE KNOWS where those files are and how to quickly access them.

 (Click here to see a QuickTime™ movie of the Auto-SAFE™ Archiving Robot)

8. Auto-VIEW® Distributing

Auto-VIEW® is the 24 hour Distribution Assistant.

The Auto-VIEW® Robot gives your customers 24x7 access to download their creative files while giving you complete accountability to profit from their actions.

When your clients bypass your workflow and demand your attention for their special projects, you lose lots of money !

The Account Executive's Automated Assistant!

Auto-VIEW® is an automated, Web-based, resource library that enables your clients to securely REVIEW their electronic comps, pdfs, logos, and other files (of your choice) for their approval.

Client Self-Service

Auto-VIEW® allows your clients to access their files 24/7 from anywhere on the Internet.

Auto-VIEW® reduces client interruptions by providing them with a resource they can securely access on their own using their Internet Web Browser.

Full Accountability

Auto-VIEW® is Secure Offsite Storage which is simple for your creatives to use, and easy for your clients to access.

Here's what you get from this solution:

• Wide Area Workflow
• "Just-In-Time" Creative
• Complete Accountability
• Better Management Tools
• Improved Client Retention
• Increased Profits
• Maximum Value

Distributing Problem

The Graphics Studio was "FedEx-ing" Paper comps for Review and Approval. (This was, at best, a 24 hour process.)

Once the artist had printed the comp, and manually prepared the FedEx for shipping, they then moved onto other jobs in their workflow.

The following day, when the client called back with revisions, the whole process (Print, Prep, FedEx, and Wait) started over again.

Approximate Cost per file transfer is $50 (time and materials)

Revision Process painfully slow.

(6) Distributing Solution

The automated distribution of all digital image files and formats for viewing and sharing on a private web network, complete with password protection security and world-wide, firewall-free access.

Through "Web Routing," the Auto-VIEW® Distribution robot replaces FedEx by allowing the Studio to ship their files in a "native" format directly to a client or vendor using a "firewall-free" secure offsite storage facility.

Here's how this solution can work for you:

On the Creative's Side the solution is straight forward and extremely simple to use:

• The artist mounts a hard drive over the internet. No confusing FTP clients.
• The artist copies the files to their folder and un-mounts the drive.

On the Client/Vendor's side the solution is very easy to access:

• The Client "surfs" to Website.
• The Client "logs in" to the robot.
• The Robot queries the database and authenticates the Client.
• The Robot redirects the Client to their authorized folder.

The Robot monitors the usage of the website to measure for performance improvement and calculate ROI (Return on Investment).

9. Auto-MART® Vending

Auto-MART® is the 24 hour Automated Vending Machine.

The Auto-MART® Robot gives your customers 24x7 access to convert and download their creative files while giving you complete accountability to profit from their actions.

When your clients bypass your workflow and demand your attention for their special projects, you lose lots of money !

The Account Executive's Automated Assistant!

Auto-MART® is an automated, Web-based, resource library that enables your clients to DOWNLOAD their electronic comps, pdfs, logos, and other files (of your choice) for their approval.

Client Self-Service

Auto-MART® allows your clients to access their files 24/7 from anywhere on the Internet.

Auto-MART® reduces client interruptions by providing them with a resource they can securely access on their own using their Internet Web Browser.

Full Accountability

Auto-MART® is Secure Offsite Storage which is simple for your creatives to use, and easy for your clients to access.

Here's what you get from this solution:

• Wide Area Workflow
• "Just-In-Time" Creative
• Complete Accountability
• Intelligent Cataloging
• Better Management Tools
• Improved Client Retention
• Increased Profits
• Maximum Value

Here's the Vending Problem:

Constant un-documented and informal demands for Logos and Images prompts the studio to produce CD-ROMs.

To save money, the studio produces thousands of CDs per run.

However, costing approximately $4/CD in time & materials to produce, CD-ROM technology is still quite expensive.

Because there is no mechanism to know WHO is using the CDs or HOW they are being used, thousands of dollars are wasted.

In addition, creating the CDs is a "best guess" effort.

Finally, as most CDs are shipped on as-need basis through FedEx @ $10 each and the images on the CD are OBSOLETE once the CDs have been burned, the whole process is a tremendous waste of money.

The solution is the automated vending of any graphic media asset for internal or external use and distribution -- or for the purpose of E-Commerce,

Managed from one, firewall-free ExtraNet, with as many "sub-web" sites and pages as may be needed.

Here's how this solution can work for you:

On the Creative's Side the solution is straight forward and extremely simple to use:

• The artist mounts a hard drive over the internet. No confusing FTP clients.
• The artist copies the files to their folder and un-mounts the drive.

Once the files have been transferred, the Auto-MART® Vending robot automatically indexes the files for easy finding, viewing and downloading.

On the Client/Vendor's side the solution is very easy to access:

• The Client "surfs" to Website.
• The Client "logs in" to the robot.
• The Robot queries the database and authenticates the Client.
• The Client searchs for file or image they are looking for.
• The Robot, using "shopping cart" technology, retrieves the file and downloads it to the user.

The Robot accounts for each download to measure for performance improvement and calculate ROI (Return on Investment).

10. Auto-CHANGE® Converting

Auto-CHANGE® is a category of "Auto-BOTS®" scripts designed to automate the conversion of image files from the format in which they were created, into many other popular file formats, as may be required or requested.

Without exception, different users will always need different file formats for different projects.

Your outside agency or vendor needs Hi Res Mac files for printing, while your field sales rep wants some exotic Windows format for Powerpoint presentations.

As anyone who has ever had to convert files from one format and platform to another can attest, the process is enormously boring, repetitive, and error-prone.

Basically, it's just another administrative task that wastes your creatives time and saps their energy.

Here's how this solution can work for you:

If you are using the Auto-MART® robot to download files, the Auto-CHANGE® script is an option which adds file conversion to the "shopping cart" process.

Basically, the client gets to choose to convert from one File Format to another prior to downloading.

A. Dr Pepper/Seven Up (DPSU) Packaging Group

DPSU Packaging personnel were spending excessive amount of time on the routine task of transmitting revisions.

This was just one of a number of minor tasks that had to be accomplished each day, But the cumulative time spent was significant.

To address the problem Artists were interviewed about the PROCESS and TIME spent creating Specialized PDF files for use in the Lotus Notes Review & Approval Tracking System

After determining the work flow requirements, Assured Solutions using their PDF Software Robot, automated the process to achieve some outstanding savings.

The results, according to Libbie Murtaugh of DPSU Packaging, were substantial.

• In Use since 8/20/99, the PDF Robot has been Saving $17,500 every year at a Net Capital Outlay to DPSU of just $3,900.
• The Payback Period was only 1.4 months
• The percentage Return on Invested Capital was an outrageous 448% ROI for just the first year.

c) So how did Assured Solutions accomplish this feat?

It was found that the artists were spending up to 3 minutes setting up the specialized PDF form for every revision of a job to be transmitted. By using the PDF Creation Robot: The User was able to drop the EPS file onto the PDF Robot. From that moment on the task was automated:

• The Robot requests document size needed
• The Robot requests file revision number
• The Robot launches Acrobat Distiller to create a PDF file
• The Robot copies files in background to obtain correct form fields
• The Robot launches Adobe Acrobat and builds custom form fields
• The Robot saves PDF with appropriate password and locks file
• The Robot cleans up temporary files and opens file in Acrobat for human review.

 

B. Dr Pepper/Seven Up (DPSU) Creative Solutions

The Problem:

DPSU Creative personnel were spending excessive amount of time responding to requests for Logos and Images.

(1) To streamline the process, DPSU Creative Solutions annually produced thousands of CDs with logo materials.

(2) Factoring in time and materials, the cost to produce the CD-ROMs was approximately $4 per disk.

Creating the CDs was always a "best guess" effort for these reasons:

(1) No mechanism existed to determine WHO was using the CDs or HOW they were being used.

(2) Most CDs were shipped on "as-needed" basis through FedEx @ $10 a piece.

(3) The Images on the CD were OBSOLETE once the CDs had been burned.

The entire process, while necessary, was not the best use of resources.

The Solution:

1. Create a firewall free, "Self-Service" Image Vending Machine which can dispense ANY kind of graphic image and track who requests it.
2. Eliminate the need for Creatives to be constantly interrupted by individual requests for a visual asset.
3. Eliminate the need to produce and distribute CDs.
4. Make it EASY for Creatives to upload new files to the Vending Machine.
5. Automatically catalog images.
6. Track which images are being downloaded.

3. The Results: According to Dennis Graham of Creative Solutions

• Total Images in Vending Robot = 2274
• Total Images Downloaded per year (approx) = 10,000
• Total 3 Year Savings = $1,639,125.00
• Net 3 Year Capital Outlay = $155,650.00
• Net 3 Year Cash Flow = $756,286.50
• Discounted 3 Year Cash Flow = $558,391.21
• Payback Period (Months) = 2.47
• Return on Invested Capital = 486%

C. The American Heart Association Graphic Design Group

Through their Research, Public and Professional Education and Training and Community Services, the American Heart Association has been phenomenally successful in achieving their goal "to reduce the number of disabilities and deaths occurring from cardiovascular diseases and stroke."

To accomplish these life-giving results, non-profit organizations need to squeeze the maximum amount of dollars from every cent they receive.

The more money available from charitable gifts and fundraising, the more good they can accomplish.

In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2000, Management and General Expenses were approximately 7.3% of Total Expanses.

In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2001, Management and General Expenses were approximately 6.8% of Total Expenses.

This percentage reduction meant about $2,574,000 dollars more was available for true needs.

The American Heart Association obviously did a number of things to become more efficient and effective.

One of those things was to implement WorkFlow Automation software provided by Assured Solutions.

While not implemented until near the end of June 2001 accounting year, one of the paths the Association took to cut costs demonstrates the dynamic advantages of using software robots to eliminate Administrivia.

David Barnes, Art Director, American Heart Association had this to say about the Assured Solutions software robot:

"The American Heart Association has been running the Media Robot, setup by Assured Solutions, for over 1 year.

In that time, we have mounted over 1090 CDs to access our catalog of 114,000 stock images.

Conservatively, it used to take at least 15 minutes to access each CD.

Previously, we had to:

(1) gather the stock photography books,

(2) find the picture of interest,

(3) find the CD which held the picture of interest (which might have been in another department,)

(4) load the CD, and

(5) then move the file to our computer's desktop.

That time has been reduced down to less than 5 minutes with the Media Robot.

The actual realized savings amount to $109,000 of artist time in just the first year.

This system paid for itself within 5 months of coming on-line!"

INCREASED Revenues and Decreased Expenses:

Our robots unlock your human resources from inefficient manual tasks to increase their productivity.

This opens avenues for new products and services to generate additional revenue, and improves control over valuable electronic assets, content and information.

INCREASED Speed, Quality and Efficiency:

Our robots can secure data integrity between systems.

This increases your data accuracy in production and eliminates information bottlenecks, and other work stoppages.

All of which helps you maintain product consistency and branding for a stronger company identity while simultaneously reducing redundant and labor intensive tasks.

FLEXIBILITY to Change things as you need to:

Robots integrate the technology you already own.

This lets you link your legacy, current and future systems and configure them EXACTLY to your needs.

BETTER Enterprise-Wide Information Management:

Robots create a complete data-sharing environment by linking independent applications, databases, systems, content, meta-data, electronic assets and workflow processes.

Our robots handle communication and dataflows between internal and external networks and provide intelligent features to regulate and supervise these connected systems.

By building centralized archives and content information centers, you can easily incorporate remote workers into a unified workforce.

AUTOMATIC Product Creation:

Robots control applications, databases and diverse technology letting you create an automated electronic infrastructure.

Because these robots can create layout pages, PDF documents, HTML pages and word processing files, you can build electronic products and repurpose the data for multiple media.

Through database driven document construction, our robots enable variable-data personalization.

PRO-ACTIVE and PREDICTABLE process for managing time:

Robots can pro-actively notify you when tasks are not being completed in a timely manner or when projects are going over budget.

This lets you quickly make "course" corrections to get the work done.

Because our Robots give you so many options for getting data into the system, you have more data to see the ACTUAL work done a project, and are better able to predict future ESTIMATES of work required to get something done.

CENTRALIZED location for personal and group calendar data:

Currently, your data is scattered over many different systems. The robot modules let you cosolidate that data into one set of databases.

This lets you better RELATE, manage and manipulate the data to your hearts content.

While spreadsheets can perform some functions of a database, they are not relational and therefore lack the ability to link different data structures together to see a Comprehensive picture of what is going on.

A solution which can be QUICKLY IMPLEMENTED:

Because the core functionality our robots is already built, the system can be setup and the solution implemented very quickly.

A system which is CUSTOMIZED and USER-FRIENDLY:

All robots can be tailored to each group's individual preferences and needs.

This insures that the system is used effectively by each group and that you get your maximum return on invested capital from the robots.

NOTE: Our experience shows that unless a system is customized for each group who needs to use it, the users will find a way "sabotage" the solution so that it does not work effectively.

More TIMELY resource tracking and a BETTER WAY to manage your money.

Robots let you track your projects and their associated tasks in "near" real-time.

As your users enter their data into their calendars, palm pilots, through the web interface, or directly into the database, the data is moved periodically and can be updated on a daily basis to reflect the previous day's work.

This gives you tremendous insight into how all of your projects are progressing, or NOT progressing.

BETTER customer retention:

Knowing about your projects on a more timely basis increases customer confidence and retention.

Even better, the system can be setup to allow customers to actually see the status of projects as you update the system.

This saves ENORMOUS amounts of customer service time spent tracking the status of your many projects.

VALID and ACCURATE data:

With your data managed and maintained on a daily basis, you will be in better control of your budget.

You will also get a clear picture of what projects REALLY cost in terms of total manpower.

Too often, we only see one resource associated with a project, when in reality, many people may work on the project.

Robots gather EVERYONE's data which can then be assigned to any and all projects those people worked on.

You will now be able to see both how much it costs to do a project BUT ALSO, how much time is required to MANAGE the process.

CONSISTENT reporting across departments:

Since Robots provide a customized interface for each group, the data can be consistently reported across the departments as a whole.

This allows your groups to feel like they are running autonomous units and still allow you to see consistent business reporting data on demand.

FASTER RESPONSE report generation:

Because the system updates daily, you will be in a better position to generate on-demand reporting.

Faster response report generation makes for faster decision making.

ACCURATELY see where your people are spending their time:

Because Robots gather all data from multiple resources, you now have a tool to see how time is spent on non-billable overhead.

This is a very powerful tool which allows you to determine how effective your "overhead" resources are vs. their "billable" counterparts.

This highlights areas to target for training.

STREAMLINED process with less time wasting double-entry:

Less double-entry allows your managers to focus on what you pay them for -- solving problems.

Too often we find people spending so much time doing "busy work", and while much of it is important, it is not necessarily effective work.

Robots automate much of the busy work required of any management accounting system.

BETTER REPORTING which describes historical costs and vendor usage:

As your department generates data into the Robot, you will begin to build a "knowledge" base of actual historical costs and vendor usage which will become a valuable resource for strategic planning and tactical implementation.

EFFICIENT MODELS which allow for better decision making:

One of the unique features of Robots are that they can store complete models of work which can be re-used over and over again.

This dramatically improves efficiency.

Just imagine having the ability to hire new resources and have both a training tool and operations tool in one.

These models can be developed in any project management application and imported directly into the Robot either for training purposes or directly into Tasks which can be immediately assigned to resources to execute.

We believe this capability makes our Robots "one-of-a-kind" because they increase your ability to get the work done regardless of the level of detail involved.

Additionally, actual project data can be exported and analyzed to create even better models which can then be re-imported and assigned.

In effect, our Robots give you a "circular" system which can improve the work you produce over time.

BETTER resource management:

One of the great challenges of management is juggling the needs of the company's "top-down" planning with the real world needs of your resources.

Everyone has urgencies which affect their priorities.

Robots let you find a way to compromise and still get the work done.

Data in the Robot can easily be re-assigned to future dates or alternate resources or however you might need.

An EASY way for designers to publish images to the web:

Robots can link into an image database to provide your department with a solution for finding graphics on the web.

Our robots manage the secure login process and track the files as they are downloaded.

This concludes this report.

But the potential benefits our robots can provide goes on and on and on.

Click here to go to How We Do It next >>>

ASSURED•SOLUTIONS
Robert-Charles "Rob" Stokes
Dallas Infomart
P.O. Box 720667
Dallas, TX 75372
email: 411 @assuredsolutions.com voice: 214-747-4411