Red Wing Software - Notes from the President Ken Hilton

Ken Hilton - President Red Wing Software

If it works, don’t fix it. I’m sure everyone has heard that statement, but is this philosophy always good to live by? That depends on what it is that “works”. In some cases, you can get away with letting things fail, and then take the action to fix or replace them. In other cases, it’s a good idea to fix things at the first sign of trouble, and sometimes things should be “fixed” even before anything appears to be wrong. Let’s take a look at a few examples.

Let’s say the speakers on your computer are making a funny noise, and it’s not because you’re watching hilarious YouTube videos. It might be okay to put up with the noise because if the speakers fail, it’s probably not critical to running your business. Or, your car is making a noise that you have identified and it is not compromising safety. In this case, you can turn the speakers up and not hear the noise anymore.

About two years ago one of the sensors in my wife’s car that tells when the tire pressure is low malfunctioned and was always on. The tire was fine, but the light was a little annoying, so we spent the money and got the sensor replaced. Recently, the light came on again. Of course, the first thought is a bad sensor, but after checking the air pressure, we determined it, in fact, needed some air. Problem solved, the light went out… for a couple of days. When the light came on again, we discovered there was a screw in the tire. It was a good thing we replaced the sensor and didn’t ignore the light in the first place, or she may have been stuck on the side of the road.

Finally, how is your computer running? I’ll bet it’s running just fine, so why would you need to back up your information? Computers rarely give you a sign that something is about to go haywire. That doesn’t mean you don’t need a backup. And, while we’re talking about technology, how old is the computer and/or software that your business is relying on? Eventually, the computer will fail, and the old software on it may not run on new equipment. Are you prepared to reenter all the information you need to run your business because your data will not move to newer software? Think about it.

Sometimes things need to be fixed, even if they still work.

Virtual Classroom Training - May 2018

The online Virtual Classroom provides you with in-depth information and explanations that allow you to learn more about CenterPoint from any location where you can access the internet (high-speed internet connection recommended). The training sessions in the Virtual Classroom are presented live by one of our CenterPoint experts. The sessions will also be recorded and sent to you so you can refer to the information afterwards.

Customizing CenterPoint Reports
Tuesday, May 8, 2018
9:30-11:30 am CDT
$59.00

CenterPoint Payroll Reports
Thursday, May 24, 2018
2:30-4:30pm CDT
$49.00

Click here to register for these sessions.

The Virtual Classroom offers pre-recorded training sessions as well as live training sessions. This gives you the flexibility to access the training at any point after the original live session was offered. The pre-recorded sessions can be purchased with 30-day access and can be viewed as many times as you like during the 30 days.

You can view and purchase pre-recorded sessions from our web site at www.redwingsoftware.com.

  • If logged into the web site, go to the My Member Account page (from the Welcome menu, select My Account Home), select the Training tab, and then select the Recorded tab.
    Or

  • Select Menu > Virtual Classroom Training (under ‘Services’ on the right-hand side of the menu), and then select the Recorded tab.
    Or

  • Select the Training button on the Main web site page, select Virtual Classroom, and then select the Recorded tab.

Customers in the News

Vir-Clar Farms was featured in the March 24, 2018, Special Edition of Dairy Star magazine, the story: Establishing the Future of a Herd. The story is about the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA) and emphasizing animal welfare. Vir-Clar Farms was also featured in another related story, in the same issue of the publication.

Behind the Scenes - April 2018

  • Julie's (Sales Engineer) son, Joey, and niece, Carmen, became Godparents to Julie's great-nephew, Caleb.
  • Katrina (Administrative Assistant) and daughter, Kyla, made some time for tea on Katrina’s birthday.
  • Carole’s (Staff Accountant) daughter, Zoe, decided to accept the offer from the University of Wisconsin – Madison to attend their school in the Fall of 2018. She was accepted into the school of agricultural and life sciences and will be majoring in biochemistry with an emphasis on stem cell research. Zoe will be graduating from Red Wing High School in June with a 4.1 GPA and has already completed 60 college credits that will transfer to Madison.
  • Jada’s (Technical Support Specialist) daughter, Ava, (holding the flowers) had a lead role in “The Ever After - A Musical.”