PORTLAND, OR. – September 9, 2010 – GTS Services, a division of Pittsburgh Glass Works and the leading software and services provider to the glass industry, was honored today by Glass Magazine’s 2010 Crystal Achievement Award for Most Innovative Industry-Specific Software. 

GTS GlasPac^®LX Glazier Edition with Microsoft Dynamics^® empowers contract glazing companies to manage and control all aspects of their jobs from estimating to project management through financial accounting and business analysis. GlasPacLX eliminates complex steps and non-value added functions found in competing software solutions to deliver only what a glass company requires to improve profitability.

"One of the best decisions I've ever made was moving to the on-line version of GlasPacLX with Microsoft Dynamics GP."  Doug Linderer, Go-Glass Corporation.

Glass Magazine‘s 2010 Crystal Achievement Award winners are selected by a panel of judges representing all segments of the glass industry, the awards recognize the best products and glass applications the commercial, retail and fabrication markets have to offer. This year’s program includes 30 categories but only one winner per category.

“We are honored to be recognized as one of the best products in this industry. We know that contract glaziers are facing tough times during this economic downturn, and our software is making a difference by streamlining and automating their workflow which in turn increases their productivity and reduces overhead costs,” said Mike Jones, president of GTS. “GlasPacLX helps glass companies focus on the most profitable elements of their business.”

GTS attended the fourth annual Glazing Executives Forum on September 30th at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, as part of GlassBuild America: The Glass, Window & Door Expo, Sept. 30-Oct. 2, at the same convention center.  Although overall GlassBuild attendance was down year over year, over 7,000 attendees were in Atlanta for the expo.

Just over 100 attended the Glazing Executives Forum, a day-long event that consisted of:

• A "State of the Industry" panel discussion led by Henry Taylor, Architectural Services Team manager, Kawneer Co., Norcross, Ga.; Rod Van Buskirk, president, Bacon and Van Buskirk, Champaign, Ill.; and Newton Little, executive vice president, Ace Glass, Little Rock, Ark.
• Economic forecast from from Jeff Dietrich, senior analyst, Institute for Trend Research, Concord, N.H.
• Breakout sessions on Estimating, Software Trends, Legal & Contracts, Talent Management and HR, Storefront & Curtainwall, Protective Glazing, LEED Projects, and Fire-rated projects

Before the group got into the day's agenda we watched a video on Leadership from Robert Trainor, CEO Trainor Glass.  He spoke about the importance of "over managing" projects to ensure you have easy, real-time access to all the project details so you can manage net profitability by job.  He stressed the importance of having systems and processes in place so that you can attack problems and resolve them quickly.  Additionally, he mentions having the appropriate reporting and anlysis in place so you don't make the same mistake twice.  The video can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyBl5TWFPKU .

During the "State of the Industry" panel discussion, Kawneer's Henry Taylor shared a chart showing "non-residential building contracts awarded trend 1970-2013." In 2010, the square feet awarded is 993.2 million, a 40.5 percent decline since 2007's 1,667.9 million square feet. "We're still anticipating a 15 percent drop next year," he said. " A potential for a strong recovery’s out there if all the projects go through, but recovery’s going to be slow."

For the short term, Taylor advised companies to focus on core competencies and manage cash flow with a "cash is king" mind-set. For the long term, think about technology, he said. "Now is the time to upgrade or improve technology," he said. "Also take a look at your key positions and make sure you have the right people in the right position. Look at your facility, your process flow, now is the time to change those. You won’t have the time in 2011.

Henry's presentation slides can be found at http://www.myglassclass.org/courses/StateoftheIndustry_GEF2009.pdf

Economist Jeff Dietrich predicted a similar decline in non-residential construction in 2010 (12%) with a recovery coming in 2011.  Jeff's message was very similar to the panel - Conserve cash and implement technology and process improvements to emerge from this downturn stronger than the competition.

The two breakout sessions I attended were "Estimating" facilitated by Newton Little of ACE Glass and "Trends in Software" facilitated by GTS's own, Erik Miller.  There was a great deal of information shared during these round tables.  Below are a few of the specific bullets I thought you might find to be of interest:

• The majority of the attendees used GDS Storefront Estimating http://www.glazesoft.com/
• Key Metrics used to measure the effectiveness of estimators:
• • Dollars Closed / Dollars Bid; compared with,
  • # of Jobs Won / # of Jobs Bid; and lastly,
  • Profit Dollars per job
• Group felt it was a best practice to have completed a AIA Prequalification sheet.  Florida Glass was cited as a best practice of posting their pre-qualification form http://www.florida-glass.com/prequalification.php
• Group felt it was a best practice to set daily goals for the field crews.  Field crews should be rewarded when they outperform the daily productivity goals
• Field crews should be measured against historical benchmarks for productivity.  In other words, a team of three should be able to set so many lites of glass per day.
• Group felt that real-time infomraiton is needed to take corrective action as a job progresses.  30-45 days after the job is too late.

Washington, DC (August 6, 2009)  The National Glass Association announced today that GTS GlasPacLX Glazier Edition will be included in the special “Innovations Pavilion” at GlassBuild America 2009, to be held in Atlanta, September 30 through October 2. The pavilion will showcase cutting-edge technologies and other groundbreaking advances from across the glass industry.

Information on GTS newest version (5.0) of GlasPacLX Glazier Edition will be featured in the Innovation Pavilion and in the GTS booth #1711.

As our valued customer, we’re pleased to offer you a FREE registration admission to the trade show – a $70 value. To pre-register and to find out everything this industry event offers, visit www.GlassBuildAmerica.com .  Use our Customer Guest Pass Code: 09GTS.

Please visit us at booth # 1711 at GlassBuild America: The Glass, Window & Door Expo, Wednesday, September 30 – Friday, October 2, in Atlanta, GA.

Last year, GTS rolled-out GlasPacLX Glazier Edition complete with a Job Management module.  Keeping with our commitment to continually improve and evolve GTS solutions for the retail flat and commercial glazing markets, GTS will be announcing significant GlasPacLX and Microsoft Dynamics product advancements at this years' GlassBuild show.

GTS Internet Marketing Division will also be in attendance to evaluate your website with www.ScoreMyWebsite.com and talk with you about increasing your sales through an effective on-line strategy.

As our valued customer, we’re pleased to offer you a FREE registration admission to the trade show – a $70 value. To pre-register and to find out everything this industry event offers, visit www.GlassBuildAmerica.com .  Use our Customer Guest Pass Code: 09GTS.

Attendees must pre-register by September 24, 2009. After this date, FREE Guest Pass Codes expire.

We look forward to seeing you in Atlanta!

With social media sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter being all the rage lately, there are bound to be questions about how these popular online tools should be deployed in a business environment. Some companies fully embrace social media, creating Facebook and MySpace profiles and pages, Twitter accounts, and using them to interact with customers, as well as advertise to potential customers, and manage their online reputation. Here are some best practices for implementing social media in your company.

1. DO use Social Media as a customer service tool. Your customers—and potential customers—are already talking about you online. To their Facebook friends, on their blog or via Twitter. Why not become a part of those conversations? If a customer has a gripe, they are much more likely to post something about it online, and social media is an increasingly popular place for online rants, especially about customer service. Social media is a great way to manage your online reputation. By engaging people who may have experienced a less than optimal situation with your company, you can greatly reduce the amount of negativity associated with your company and brand. Resolving issues in plain view of the general public goes miles towards building a reputation for transparency, as well as building trust in your company/brand. Comcast has been particularly successful at using Twitter to resolve customer issues.

2. DON’T use social media for recycling data or automated feed dumping. Nothing is worse than a company reposting the same thing that is on their website on their Facebook page or Twitter feed all the time. Linking to the website or blog post from your page/feed is great, but always save some unique information for social media. You want to engage your audience, not recycle information. One recommended use would be posting an online coupon just for your Facebook friends/fans, or Twitter followers. Make sure it is a ‘limited time only’ offer, to ensure the coupon isn’t abused. Some other potential uses would be “web only” deals or specials, free gifts, or complimentary services and perks.

3. DO be conversational. Monitor your pages and feeds (most social media sites offer email notification for this), and interact with your customers. With Twitter, use “@username” replies and “re-tweet” interesting and relevant posts as much as possible. On Facebook, respond to questions or requests for information on your company or its products. When someone has a gripe, respond publicly, and use the opportunity to show you are human, and willing to work with someone to resolve an issue.

4. DO have fun and be human. Give your customers some personality to enjoy. Being a social media automaton is not going to get you any fans or followers, and could even hurt your potential to gain new customers. Make social media fun and interesting to your fans and followers, and they will think of you first when they need your product or service.

5. DON’T be rude or condescending to people online, even if they are a troll or are trying to flame you. Most things posted online can remain there indefinitely. Having rude interactions with people online won’t win you new customers, and will just remind everyone that you didn’t handle a situation appropriately. If needed, you can always appeal to moderators or help staff of the social media platform for help with trolls and people who flame you online.

6. DON’T share sensitive information. If you are managing a social media presence for your company, you definitely don’t want to post things about layoffs, gossip, and other sensitive or potentially harmful information. Avoid things that could put your company in a negative light, or cause distrust among your potential customers. That’s just common business sense!

7. DON’T let your page, profile or Twitter stream go stagnant. Social media is all about engagement, and creating a profile or page, and then letting it sit there, is not going to do you any benefit. Post links to interesting articles in your industry. Ask questions, post surveys, contests and/or special offers…anything to engage your fans and get them thinking about your company and its offerings.

Use of social media is growing at an exponential rate. What are you doing to capitalize on these exciting new online tools?  Are you doing enough?

I need your help.  Many of you have requested that GTS add Pilkington to our software as an available wholesaler for electronic inquiries and ordering.  Interestingly, most of the requests come at us "tongue in cheek" assuming that GTS wouldn't be interested in that given our PPG/Pittsburgh Glass Works connection.  That couldn't be further from the truth.  Our stated mission is to help you achieve your goals for growth and profitability.  And we believe that utilizing technology to help you better manage your purchasing and quoting process to maximize margins is essential in today's marketplace.

So what's the problem?  Why isn't Pilkington available in GTS software?  We do offer PPG Auto Glass, Bartlestone, Old Dominon Glass, and will soon be announcing the addition of one of the largest independent distributors in the U.S.  So where is Pilkington?

I think the problem starts with me.  I have made repeated attempts to contact and invite Pilkington to connect to GTS software.  Unfortunately, I don't buy glass. That is where you come in.  I have a feeling that Pilkington will be much more interested in speaking with you and looking for ways to meet your needs.

If you are interested in adding Pilkington to the line-up of available wholesalers available for electronic ordering within GTS software, please tell your rep how important it is to you and that they should contact me to get things moving.

With any luck we could be up and running soon.  Thanks in advance for your help.

I have been avoiding this....but, the Super Bowl is over (Go Steelers!).  The groundhog saw his shadow.  I need to accept that 2009 is here and make a New Year's resolution.  I'm not sure what is holding me back this year.  Maybe the uncertainty of what lies ahead in the economy, etc.  Regardless, 2008 is history and it is time to focus on overcoming what lies ahead to deliver a better performance than last year.

I have been speaking with a lot of our customers about this and I am finding out that I am not alone.  One thing is certain, all of us need to focus on actions that will enable our companies to emerge from this downturn stronger than the competition.  Most of my conversations have focused on conservation of cash or launching projects to improve productivity and reduce costs.  Some of our customers are investing heavily in marketing during this time in an effort to build their brand and pull in customers that can later become loyal advocates for their service.  These are the most interesting conversations given that many companies cut their marketing budgets to reduce expenses whenever times get tough.

These companies are focused on ROI for their marketing investment.  This is not the time to create a beautiful brochure that everyone likes unless it can be proven that it drives sales.  Many of these firms are shifting their marketing investments on-line so that they gain visibility into what drives new business and what does not.

Based on what I have learned from these companies I offer you the following 5 possible New Year resolutions in case you are like me, still struggling to pick one:

1.     I will establish an on-line presence – This is at least half the battle.  Establish a budget, allocate the funds, define your site's business objectives, and dedicate the people necessary to make it happen.

2.     I will engage and delight those who visit my website – Each customer’s experience should lead them down a path. A path that ends in a sale. Based on your knowledge of your target customer, what content will keep their eyes glued to your site?  What will make them take that next step towards the sale.  In the autoglass market GTS tool www.glassquoter.com has proven to be a viable interactive solution for on-line consumers.

3.    I will capitalize on my company's reputation – Your customers are conserving cash just like you for fear of what the future may hold. They can’t afford to spend money with a company that they do not trust. Capitalize on your good reputation and community involvement in your marketing messages. Activate your loyal customers and word-of-mouth recommendations with an e-mail campaign, on-line blog or customer review section on your website.

4.     I will fail quickly – Because web marketing is real-time it provides an inexpensive way to experiment and come up with creative ways to close business. You can quickly implement a new tactic or promotion and see results. If an idea is successful immediately test a slight variation of the idea to see if you can outdo the last one. If something is going to fail, do it quickly and then move on.  It is all about ROI and continuously improving to drive better results.

5.     I will seek expert advice – This is not a sales pitch!  Your budget can be wiped out quickly if you don't know what you are doing.  Expert advice is available for free on the Internet if you have the time to do the research.  Or, find someone with digital marketing as their core competency.  This will let you focus on your business while they help you bring on-line buyers to your company's doorstep.

We all know what’s happening in the economy. We’re living it. Homeowners are in trouble. Home buyers are nowhere to be found. Banks aren’t lending. Consumers aren’t spending. The sky is fall. Responsible businesses are slashing spending across the board to ride out the storm… Or are they? Or should they be?

Penn State’s Smeal College of Business * study, “Turning Adversity Into Advantage: Does Proactive Marketing During a Recession Pay Off?" , finds that companies that proactively market during a recession not only survive but thrive. Marketing dollars spent during a down economy are more powerful than the same amount spent during the good times, because each dollar represents a greater percentage of the marketing pie.

This isn’t time to launch a huge branding campaign, but it is the time to weigh every penny against results. Just getting your name out there isn’t enough. Accountability is important in every aspect of your business. Marketing shouldn’t get a pass.

·      How many people are seeing/hearing your advertisement? (If you can’t answer this you’re losing money!)

·      How many people are responding to your ad?(Same as above!)

·      Your buyers have changed the way the research and buy. Have you? Forrester Research found that in the next six months 26 percent of interactive marketers plan to increase their interactive marketing investments and 46 percent will maintain them at current levels.   GTS' own Mike Jones has a great blog post on this subject.

What have you found that works? Are you doing enough?

*I sincerely apologize to my fellow University of Pittsburgh alumni for noting a Penn State Study.  I tried desperately to find something from anywhere else.  (It could be worse.  It could be West Virginia).