Keynote in Stockholm

I'll be doing a keynote for SAP in Stockholm in September. Details here.

Keynote: Thriving on change

From Dialogue, an article I wrote for payroll professionals. As they note in the intro, "although Jim is not a payroll professional, he is our featured VIPP this month because of the insightful keynote presentation he recently gave at our Annual Conference ….This article is based on parts of his presentation on change, including ideas on how to embrace it." [ article ] (in Adobe Acrobat format)

BrowserCRM -- I've finally found the CRM I like!

It's a fairly complicated home office environment around here...and as things get busier, scheduling, managing communications, tracking research and all the other tasks that come with a busy professional practice have always been a challenge. For a long time, we'd been using Lotus Organizer to do our scheduling and contact management, but it just seemed so "90's."

I wanted a Web-based CRM that runs on Linux (given the preponderance of Linux systems around the house.)

And I have finally found the one I really like, and have integrated it into the office routine -- BrowserCRM, from a company based in Wellington, NZ.

The software does it all - contact management, calendar management, a nifty little Intranet for notes, documents and other file exchange, full mail-merge capabilities, the ability to create online forums -- you name it, and there are extremely useful office management tools in here!

I've set our system up on a 2.6ghz Celeron server next to my desk, and the system just flies. It's resident there with Traction, our knowledge management/tracking tool. The result? It's elegant, fast and an absolute joy to work with.

The cool thing about BrowserCRM is you can run it on your own server (Linux or Windows); or you can use it on a 'service bureau' basis, i.e. you simply visit this site, sign up for a few accounts, pay on a monthly basis, and you are in business. Personally, I think what they've done here blows other CRM systems such as SalesForce.com out of the water.

What is particularly impressive about the product are several key features : installation was an absolute breeze compared to some of the other CRM systems I used; the design is clean, functional, and absolutely pleasant to work within; and all of the modules are tightly integrated, so that your contacts flow directly into your calendar, for example. They've really thought through the design, which is quite brilliant.

BrowserCRM is gaining increasing attention in the CRM world, and rightly so. Having looked at dozens of systems, I simply found this one to be of a quality, design, and functionality that makes all the rest pale by comparison.

"Igniting Growth Through Innovation"

Next week - August 25th -- I'll be doing an online Web conference for SAP, on the topic of "Creating a Growth Culture through Innovation." Ties in nicely to all the work I've been doing in writing Frogs in Texas through the summer. Have a look at the details here.
SAP is also having me keynote an upcoming client conference in Stockholm, September 15th.

"The Future of Manufacturing"

Through the years, I've spoken to several manufacturing groups about the change coming to their industry. I wrote the attached proposal a few weeks back for one client, and it makes sense to post it here as well; it provides siome useful insight into some of the key trends affecting manufacturing into the future. [ link ]

"Frogs in Texas" - Chapter 6

I'm still on the big comfy couch -- and I'm now up to chapter 6. The book will come in at about 8 chapters -- and should be available mid-to-late October.

It takes a look at issues of leadership and the future, innovation, change. I've been writing about the impact of hyper-innovation and hyper-competition; how we must get into a frame of mind that responds to a world that is changing around us faster than ever before. Stay tuned.

Cool -- I'm in ComputerWorld Malaysia

My comment on blogs for business has been picked up here.

"The Future of Agriculture"

I'm off to Drake, Saskatchewan for a Friday night dinner talk; I'll be speaking to 250+ farmers, agricultural suppliers and other folks about the future, trends, and coping with change. I've done many such talks, including keynotes for groups such as the MidWest America Crop Protection Association.