Notes from the President

06 November 2024 khilton Notes from the President

Ken Hilton - President Red Wing Software

Have you ever boarded a commercial or private airplane and noticed the pilot(s) with their head down focused on reading documents before takeoff? They aren’t brushing up on “how to fly this thing.” They are going over a detailed checklist of all the important things they must accomplish before leaving the ground. They know it is extremely difficult to pull over and fix something after take-off if they skip an important step.
We should all treat our recordkeeping with the same level of scrutiny. If we miss something in the accounting process, it can cost us unwanted penalties and interest, not to mention missed opportunities.
At Red Wing Software, Zoe, our amazingly efficient internal accounting person, has a spreadsheet with four tabs containing lists of items that need to be accomplished weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually. These tabs each have as many as 50 items. Without such a document, I can’t imagine anyone trying to remember all these tasks.
Of course, having such an extensive list is not worth much if there aren’t processes to explain how to accomplish all these items. So, she has a twenty-six-page supporting document that tells how each of these tasks should be completed. These lists and processes should evolve and be updated over time as the need arises. Having these documents in place also helps business continuity should a personnel change occur. Thanks to our previous, equally amazing, internal accountant (Zoe’s mother), Zoe was fortunate to have a head start on these lists and processes.
While I focused primarily on the accounting processes, having checklists and supporting processes documented for all important areas of the business is equally important.

Notes from the President

11 October 2024 khilton Notes from the President

Ken Hilton - President Red Wing Software

Another election cycle has rolled around. Is it just me, or do these cycles seem more frequent, longer, or just noisier?
Making our preferred choice of candidates can be difficult because of all the confusing messages we hear, but we need to sift through the noise and try to get to the facts. We must look past the teleprompter speeches and look at the underlying philosophy of the candidates. What direction do they want to take the community, country, and world? We need to ignore the talking heads that tell us what a candidate means from their perspective. After an interview, speech, or debate, change the channel to something non-political and decide for yourself whether the candidate is the kind of leader you would like to see guiding their respective geographic area. Then, of course, you need to vote!
Remember, whether your candidate wins their race, or the opposition comes out victorious, know that you will get another chance to vote in two more years. However things turn out, there is no better place in the world to call home.

Notes from the President

08 August 2024 khilton Notes from the President

Ken Hilton - President Red Wing Software

In celebration of 45 years in business, Red Wing Software hosted a dinner cruise on the Mississippi River for our staff and retirees. It was a perfect night to sit on the boat’s deck and enjoy the scenery and camaraderie with current and past team members. It was a pleasure to reconnect with some former staff, some traveling long distances and others who have been retired for several years.
Since COVID-19, our entire staff has worked remotely most of the time, with occasional work-at-the-office days. While our internal meetings are held via video conference using Microsoft® Teams, this event allowed us to gather and network in person.
On another note, I’ve mentioned several times the importance of continuing education. To that end, Tim, the Red Wing Software Support Manager, and I traveled to Louisville, KY, for the Farm Financial Standards Council annual meeting. This organization was started around 35 years ago and has also experienced many changes. Seeing so many new (and younger) attendees this year was refreshing. We were also able to connect with several long-time customers who help us continuously improve our offerings and, of course, stay current with the ever-changing needs of our customers. I can’t stress enough the importance of this kind of continuing education on the success of any business.

Notes from the President

22 July 2024 khilton Notes from the President

Ken Hilton - President Red Wing Software

Last month, I wrote about the company celebrating our 45th anniversary. Thinking about all the changes that have taken place over the years reminds me of the people who led the company through the years and have since retired. We owe much of our success to these former leaders and visionaries.
There have been many changes over the last 45 years. I recall having a room full of computers to make copies of the software to send to customers. We needed many different brands of equipment because every system had its own unique disk format, not to mention multiple operating systems. Of course, now virtually all software is distributed as downloads, and our programs are only available for one operating system.
I could go on and on about all the changes we’ve experienced, but the one most important thing is keeping up with the changing times and not falling behind in technology. This is as important for you, as a software user, as it is for us as a supplier. Now would be a good time to inventory your critical business tools and ensure your computer(s) and software are up to date. It’s never fun to have a problem with an important tool and scramble to recover your valuable information.

Notes from the President

06 June 2024 khilton Notes from the President

Ken Hilton - President Red Wing Software

This month marks our 45th business anniversary. I credit this longevity to many things, and the ones that stand out are:
• Our amazing staff and the service they provide our customers. Whether it’s the people who answer the phone, provide front-line sales and support, or work behind the scenes to provide great products, documentation, and marketing materials, they live our mission: “Creating the Best Management Software Experience.” With our average tenure of over 22 years, we have very experienced talent who typically stays with us until retirement.
• Our business partners help us support our customers and provide insight into making our products even more valuable to the companies that rely on the best information to help manage their business.
• And, of course, our customers. We would be nowhere without our loyal customers, who have helped us thrive for so many years. Many have been with us since the early eighties, supporting us as we have grown. We value all our customers, especially those who challenge us to be better at what we do.
Since 1979, technology and the markets we serve have undergone myriad changes. Many software companies have come and gone, but we pride ourselves on continuing to take the best possible care of our team members, partners, and customers. Thank you all for being there for us.