Wednesday, July 30, 2008

MOM Helpers Offers MailOrder Manager™ Personal Training: On-site and Remote

Our Trainer. Your Topic. Your Schedule. Your Pace
Learn more about your MailOrder Manager™ software — and learn it faster — by selecting to use MOM Helpers MailOrder Manager™ On-Site Personal Training or Remote Personal Training service.

It can be difficult to learn about your MailOrder Manager™ software. Sometimes the only options you feel like you have are trial-and-error, attend a training class, or the user manual. All of these options take your focus away from your business. With MOM Helpers, you have a choices that help you keep your focus on your business; learn what you need, at your pace and within your schedule. All training is personal and specific to fit your busy schedule.

As a MOM Helpers’ client, we will personalize your training sessions to suit your needs. We know that you manage a business and recognize that you cannot stop your operation. Therefore, we offer you choices. With a Remote Personal Training session, we will train you whenever your schedule allows – an hour, a ½-day, once a week, once a month. We connect to your computer and take over the mouse, keyboard and screen. You and your staff can take notes or practice a situation with our expert trainer observing. We can correct any misunderstandings and show you a better option as necessary. It is flexible and personal and your training time is dedicated to your issues. If you need someone to come to your office, we also offer On-Site Personal Training at a fixed cost to you. Due to travel scheduling, you will need to plan this into your schedule and be prepared to make a commitment at least 14-days in advance of your required dates.

Do I have to travel for MailOrder Manager™ Training?
No. When you choose MOM Helpers' MailOrder Manager™ Personal Training On-Site or Remote, we come to you. You and your staff do not have to take time away from your office to learn. However, if you want to come to Florida, arrangements can be made to train you and up to 10 staff members in a conference room setting. Our trainer. Your location. Your schedule.

Is the MOM Helpers MailOrder Manager™ Training specific to my business?
Yes. Unlike general training, our trainers have visited hundreds of businesses and have trained staff in a variety of areas. So, we tailor the training sessions to your business, train you on what you want to know, and help you and your staff get back to work. Our trainer. Your topics.

What is the cost of MOM Helpers Personal Training?
If you compare the cost of travel, hotel, food and expenses for sending your staff to a training class, you will be amazed how inexpensive training your entire staff is with MOM Helpers Personal Training. The cost is as low as $150 per hour for as many people on your staff that can fit in your conference room with Remote Training. In addition, we offer discounts for On-Site Personal Training to our clients that have a MOM Helpers Annual Support Contract.

When can I schedule a MOM Helpers MailOrder Manager™ Training?
Almost anytime. You can schedule an appointment early or late and even on weekends. You can schedule for as little as 1-hour per session*. We understand that you are running a business. So, we try to remain as flexible as possible. *1-hour sessions are available for Remote Personal Training sessions only.


Learn More about MOM Helpers MailOrder Manager™ Training
If you would like to learn more about what MOM Helpers can do for you, please e-mail your questions to info@momhelpers.com.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Should I upgrade my MailOrder Manager™ software?

Should I upgrade my MailOrder Manager™ software to the new version?
This is a difficult question to answer with enterprise solutions – software that is an integral part of your operation. As a consulting company, MOM Helpers supports all of the past and current versions of MailOrder Manager™. Dydacomp, the software developer, has dropped their support for many past versions – see table below. That is one reason why MOM Helpers is here. Company’s still need help because many still rely upon unsupported versions and MOM Helpers supports them.

To be clear, there are generally three types of updates/upgrades:
1) Program updates – This type of update is usually at no charge to supported users. The user downloads these from the Dydacomp website. These updates usually fix bugs or problems within a current version and usually make the software more reliable and stable.

2) Dot-release updates – This type of update may or may not come with a charge. This is like MOM 6.0 to 6.1. These generally address major resolutions to a prior ‘dot’ release issues and/or offer enhancements in the standard features.

3) New software versions – This type of update usually comes at a significant charge – 40% - 60% of the original purchase price is common. This type of update is usually referred to as an upgrade. This is like going from MOM 5.0 to MOM 6.0. New versions may come with significant changes – programming language changes, database table structures, major logic enhancements, re-configuration and user requirements, etc. In addition, you should consider the cost to update your infratructure to meet the system requirements of the version. In many cases, users may need to update their network, server, workstations and/or add software to make this type of upgrade fully functional. Along with new features, there will generally need to be some training to make your operational use of the new version effective. So, please consider these additional costs in your total for budgeting.

For new software versions, we recommend that you consider the following to help you determine whether to upgrade:
1. Is my current version no longer supported?
As software manufacturers release new software, they no longer support the older versions. Most software companies support the most recent old version and perhaps one more past version, but rarely more than two old versions. To check if your version is supported, you can go to the software maker's website and check the support area.


*As of July 2008, this is the status of supported versions according to our understanding. Dydacomp is phasing-out support of these versions. Please contact them directly if you have specific questions. MOM Helpers support and Dydacomp support are not the same. Dydacomp support includes the ability to provide bug/fixes to the executable. MOM Helpers support is limited to supporting the functions and features as they work within your specific executable.

2. Does the new version have features that will make my work more efficient?
Almost every software upgrade (the one that costs the most money) includes new features designed to make it do more for you. Request a list of new or changed features to see if any will really benefit your company. However, most companies never use more than 20% of the features of any software package. So, consider the new features that you will definitely use and the total cost of the upgrade. You may be able to get a customization from MOM Helpers for significantly less than the cost of the upgrade; and, you’ll get exactly what you want. Usually, no added costs are necessary for training or infrastructure because the programming is provided to work as you designed it and on your existing platform.

3. Has the software upgrade been out long enough to detect significant issues?
MOM Helpers recommends that you let others be the ‘testers’. It is usually a good idea to wait 6 or so months after a major new software version is released before upgrading. The main reason is that in the first few months, the software company finds bugs (or we should say users identify bugs) that they didn't find when testing. They prepare a service release or program update that fixes those problems. By waiting until that first service release is available until upgrading, you reduce the risk of upgrading and running into significant problems.

4. Will I run into compatibility issues?
If the software application has changed significantly -- table structures, system requirements, etc., the upgrade may require that you consider other issues. For example, you may need to consider updating your server, workstation, or network hardware and/or software. In addition, significant changes in the new files may not be compatible with the old version of the software. So, if you want to go back to the prior version, it may be difficult without a good backup. Also, file changes can cause problems with custom reports or programming that was designed for the current version that you are using. In the end, consider all of the costs related to the upgrade before making the decision.

Learn More
If you would like to learn more about what MOM Helpers can do for you, please e-mail your questions to info@momhelpers.com.

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DISCLAIMER: Mail Order Manager Helpers, Inc. /dba MOM Helpers is not related to or associated with Dydacomp and cannot be relied upon for any statements made about or regarding Dydacomp support policies, update or upgrade practices, or your companies access to the referenced Dydacomp website. MOM Helpers recommends that you contact Dydacomp directly for specifics about their policies and practices related to any support, update, upgrade or other issue related to their software. This information is provided as a guide to assist your company in understanding what MOM Helpers, and MOM Helpers staff, has observed over time about Dydacomp, MailOrder Manager™ software since 1991. However, we believe our statements below to be true, helpful and accurate. If we have made an inaccurate statement of the facts or you feel mislead, please contact us directly. Please let us know what specifically you believe to be inaccurate. We are glad to make corrections if they are proven to be inaccurate or misleading.
All trademarks and copywrites are the property of their respective holders.

Friday, July 11, 2008

MOM Helpers Offers Annual Support Contracts

Did you know MOM Helpers offers Annual Support Contracts?
MOM Consultation Annual Support Contracts starts as low as $1,500 and offers clients many benefits:
- Support for all versions of MOM
- Our lowest hourly rate
- Includes 10 hours of consultation at no additional charge
- Discounts for On-Site Training
- Flexibility to use service when you need it throughout the contract period
- And, optionally offers shipping rates and zones updates
About MOM Helpers
MOM Helpers is a consulting company that specializes in working with users of Dydacomp's MailOrder Manager™. MOM Helpers supports all versions of Mail Order Manager™:
- MOM for DOS
- MOM 3.x, 4.x, and 5.x
- MOM Enterprise 5 and 6
- MOM (SQL) XL 5 and 6
Improving Businesses
Our MOM consulting services focus on improving your use of MOM, which include:
- MOM System Data Repair/Recovery
- Increase Speed and Performance
- On-Site Training
- Custom Report Writing/Programming
- Custom Invoices
- Technical Support
And more!
Exclusively Endorsed in 2001
Dydacomp’s founders/owners had so much confidence in our ability to assist their users, that they exclusively endorsed Mail Order Manager Helpers, Inc. /dba MOM Helpers in 2001. In early 2008, Dydacomp’s was sold and many changes have taken place. However, at MOM Helpers, we have not changed our focus. We remain committed to helping users take full advantage of MailOrder Manager™.
Other Services Offered
Here is a list of MOM Helpers services:
- Consultation 'Annual Support Contract'
- Consultation 'As Needed - Per Incident'
- Consultation ‘Contract – Weekly’
- On-Site Training
- Website Integration
- Custom Reporting/Programming
- System/Order Processing Hosting
- Call Center Services
- Fulfillment Services
Please e-mail your questions for details on specifics services to info@momhelpes.com.
Learn More
If you would like to learn more about what MOM Helpers can do for you, please e-mail your questions to info@momhelpers.com.