From Greg's Head

Sometimes it’s hard to be humble … and sometimes it’s good to toot the horn.

I just learned that my firm, PKF Texas, is the only Houston-based accounting and technology consulting firm to achieve the highest level of Microsoft Certified Partner status – Gold level. Through the Gold Certified Partner status in the Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS) competency, we demonstrated expertise with Microsoft technologies and our “proven” ability to meet customers’ needs.

Sounds good, but what does this mean for our customers?

More than anything else, we will continue enhancing offerings to our client base through added resources only available to Gold level partners. From our involvement in the MBS Global Development Team for Navision Software, to our ongoing commitment to the highest standard of client service, we are devoted to bringing sound accounting and technology solutions to companies.

PKF Texas is one of the few firms that also specializes in MBS – the family of Microsoft financial applications – including Great Plains, Navision, Solomon and Microsoft CRM.

Posted In Microsoft Dynamics NAV Comments Permalink

I’m on my soapbox again about Houston and Harris County’s lack of Wi-Fi hotspots.

According to JiWire, not only did the number of worldwide Wi-Fi Hotspots surpass the 50,000 milestone in 2005 (with hotels and other location types that cater to the business traveler as the largest contributors), but the number increased by 100 percent!

This is more than a fad or trend … it’s the way of doing business. With the technological innovations so prevalent in Houston, why can’t we match and even beat the number of Wi-Fi hotspots in other cities?

Where are Houston’s hotspots? Respond to the blog with your comments and share your thoughts.

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How do you define “success” in your organization?

An interesting new white paper, “10 Keys for Project Success” from Retail Process Engineering crossed my desk the other day – and made me pause a moment. When was the last time you even thought about how to make a project more successful – especially in technology-related activities?

We’re all so busy building our business and meeting our deadlines that it’s hard to stop and justify measuring the process, much less figuring out ways to make it better. However, two of the paper’s suggestions caught my attention:

1. Prepare for the Inevitable – you’ve got to plan ahead and anticipate the blips that make up our daily lives. After all, when was the last time you started your day with a pre-defined agenda and actually accomplished everything on the page without interruption, diversion or a complete departure from the list?

2. Gain User Acceptance With Change Management – boy is this ever true! The paper says, “The project team needs to move users from one comfort zone to another,” and I totally agree. When your organization changed its systems to improve your processes, did you actually stop to think about the users of your systems and software versus the bottom line? Too often, we’re caught up trying to bring more efficient ways to manage our productivity, but more often than not, we forget that we have to influence the “people” perhaps more than any other factor.

Let me know what you think about these 10 keys, and what your own solutions might be … I’ll post them in a future blog.

Note: You need to register as a user for Technology Evaluation.com to view the document. Once you register, search for the white paper.

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I consider it an “event” when Bill Gates visits Texas, especially when he’s part of a venue that will be practical and informative for Navision customers – Microsoft Convergence 2006, March 25-28 in Dallas.

This is the 10th year for Convergence. In addition to Gates, keynotes include two heads of the Microsoft Business Solutions Group: President Jeff Raikes and Senior Vice President Doug Burgum.

Before and during the event, I’ll follow the progress of Convergence in future blogs. Let me know, too, if you’re attending this event – I’d like to see you there.

Posted In Microsoft Dynamics NAV , Week in Geek 3 Comments Permalink

Many of you will be reading my blog, asking yourself, “who is this person and why is he doing a blog?” Aside from the fact that “everyone is doing it,” the answer becomes much more complex.

1. I hope to create an ongoing dialog focusing on technology and emerging issues affecting the Houston business community. For example, last year I attended a national softball tournament with my daughter’s team and was amazed to learn that the small town of Rockford, IL. had made arrangements for us to use our wireless laptops at their city park where the tournament was played. This always-on environment made for a highly productive and exciting trip, allowing me to both work and cheer her team on (oh yeah, her team finished 17th out of 65 teams!).

Posted In Microsoft Dynamics NAV , In Our Community 9 Comments Permalink

What is nanotechnology and why is it so important?

As technology continues to evolve, processes become more efficient. Nanotechnology comprises technological developments on the nanometer scale, usually 0.1 to 100 nm. (One nanometer equals one thousandth of a micrometer or one millionth of a millimeter.) The term has sometimes been applied to microscopic technology.

To learn more about nanotechnology and emerging nanotechnology companies, you should attend the 5th Annual Nanotechnology Venture Forum on Jan. 20 in Houston. At the Forum, six early-stage companies will present their technologies to investors, industry leaders mentors and service providers.

Supported by the Houston Technology Center, the Forum is co-hosted by the Rice Alliance for Technology & Entrepreneurship, the Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology and the Rice Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology.

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From Greg’s Head is intended for educational purposes, as well as to offer general information about technology, accounting and related topics, and is not intended to provide any advice. By using this blog site, you understand that there is no CPA/client relationship between you and the Blog/Web Site publisher. The Blog/Web Site, including all contents posted by the author(s) as well as comments posted by visitors, should not be used as a substitute for competent counsel from a qualified advisor in your state.

How many of us are working remotely? We're away from the office, yet we're finding ways to increase efficiencies by accessing networks and staying current with our workloads.

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Recently, the Houston Business Journal had a great article emphasizing how we should all plan for the unexpected "bumps" in life - and this case, being late to a very important appointment. Laura Laaman, one of the HBJ's writers, summed it up perfectly:

We're all human, and we all make mistakes. The best of the best sales people and business people, however, plan for the unexpected. Sure they want to make the most of every minute, but they weigh the upside of spending a few more minutes doing whatever seems important with the downside of possibly being late.

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Greg Price, CPA.CITP, CISA, CFE

With active involvement in the Houston tech community for almost 25 years, Greg brings together the rare combination of technology savvy and business process expertise to support a wide variety of emerging business and technology-based organizations.

Greg created the Fast Tech 50 Awards Program in Houston, and judged the Texas A&M Ford Tech Transfer Challenge for the last three years the Rice Business Plan competition for the last five years. He currently is a board member of several technology-based organizations, including the Houston Technology Center Advisory Board, the Rice Alliance Roundtable Advisory Board, the Texas A&M Center for New Venture and Entrepreneurship Executive Committee, and TECH (Houston Technology Executive Council).

He also serves as a member of the Microsoft Business Solutions Partner Advisory Board for Navision Software, and has substantial international expertise by serving a diverse client base in more than a dozen countries.

Greg is a director with PKF Texas, and leads their Consulting Solutions practice.