Choosing an on site trainer
Making the decision to switch software packages is a big one that
affects all aspects of your business. If you have upgraded to TOPS
2000™ from an older software package, such as Promaster, you
were probably affected even more; with the costs of upgrading hardware
compounding the costs of your new software. So why should you spend
still more money on training? Your employees can simply read the
manuals to learn what they need to know. Right?
Wrong. In any industry, a worker's ability to do his or her job
is defined by three items: Skills, Tools, and Training. As it stands
now, your employees only have two of the three. Without proper training
your employees are left to falter through a software package that
may not be laid out the same or act exactly like your previous product.
There are hundreds of timesavers built-in to TOPS 2000™; but
if your employees are not shown how to use them, they can quickly
become frustrated, and angry about their own lack of knowledge.
| "In any industry, a worker's ability to do his or her
job is defined by three items: Skills, Tools, and Training." |
While the basics of using TOPS can be self-taught, it is the intricacies:
the shortcuts and extras and undocumented features that are the
most difficult to learn. Of course, it is these same features that
make TOPS 2000™ a valuable tool to your company. Without proper
training or an understanding of how the entire product works, you
are at the hands of inefficiencies from both employees and technology,
even the potential loss of a community because of mistakes or errors.
Unfortunately, it is not enough to select just any trainer. You
need one whose experience can be matched to the aspects of your
business. When contacting a potential trainer, make sure that he
or she has three key types of experience, which can be summed up
in a simple acronym: TAP: TOPS 2000™, Accounting, and Property
Management. Only when these three qualifications are met can you
guarantee that you will receive the maximum benefits from TOPS training.
Let me share with you the comments of some of the TOPS 2000™
users I've trained over the past year, on the benefits of a quality
training program with TAP:
Prepare for What If's
Grand Shores Management Group, Sandestin, Florida (Sheila
Hawley)
"worth every dime spent. Not only do you
need a knowledgeable trainer for TOPS 2000™, he [or she]
needs to have the expertise to answer questions not just from
a TOPS 2000™ usage point of view but also experience in
this industry. I bought and installed TOPS 2000™ from reading
the manual and the help screen. But it did not prepare
me for the what if's, which only happen in a crisis, but that
is what Mike supplied. How to deal with those what if's
and other alternatives on how to use the system more efficiently,
like how to assess for master associations"
| "Make sure that [your trainer] has
three key types of experience, which can be summed up as TAP:
TOPS 2000™, Accounting, and Property Management." |
Reduce Audit Costs
Candlewick Lake Homeowners Assoc., Poplar Grove, IL (Mark
Harrison)
"For every dollar spent, it was returned a 100 fold.
The audit fees were cut substantially. The calendar days for the
audit dropped and the number of days to do the fieldwork were
reduced. This was the cheapest audit in years.
Initially, there was a decision to make, whether to hire a trainer
with TOPS 2000™ knowledge, accounting experience and in-depth
understanding of associations, or, to hire the auditor; who was
more money, [had a] lack of TOPS 2000™ knowledge and a lack
of how associations work from an accounting standpoint, as well
as, practical standpoint. Of course, that is what makes
Mike so valuable and a major return on investment - he's a TAP
(TOPS 2000™, Accounting and Property Management experience).
For two years, we never had the system (TOPS 2000™) functioning
properly -- until after the training. It wasn't a TOPS issue,
but an operational issue. The system was originally set up wrong.
Once we had the proper training, then implementation, based upon
Mike's recommendations, we knew that was the key. The
benefits were 6 figures; reduction in audit costs, collection
process cleaned up, collection of outstanding dues reduced dramatically,
and a monthly system to manage the money."
Enjoy New Features
BP Davis Property Management, Cocoa Beach, Florida (Sandy
Bean & Christine Morgan) DOS to Windows conversion.
"Wow! We should have converted a year ago with all
the new features TOPS 2000™ has to offer; The money
was well spent, both for the conversion and the on site training
with Mike. The on site training was extremely beneficial, especially
with someone who has an accounting background, plus real property
management experience"
Efficient Employees
GW & Associates, Atlanta, Georgia (Gary Griffin)
"You need some assistance for someone to show you
the in's and out's of TOPS 2000™. It is foolish
not to spend the money to be trained properly. If you elect not
to train, the system is now a waste of money and employees' time
in trying to figure out how to use it. As far as qualifications
of a trainer, you don't necessarily need a network specialist,
but a TAP."
| "For two years, we never had the system
(TOPS 2000™) functioning properly until after the training...
The benefits were 6 figures" |
Real Life Scenarios
Real Property Management, Columbus, OH (Dwight Penn)
"You are in your own environment with your own data,
dealing with real scenarios. To enhance the training,
[you need] a trainer with not only excellent TOPS 2000™
experience, but in-depth accounting background and condo experience.
Finally the plan, a combination of on site training and implementation."
Maximize Training $$
Associated Management Group, Greensboro, North Carolina (Randy
Fann)
"We definitely needed the training. It was wonderful, great.
I can't begin to tell you the hundreds of items we learned
from Mike's training. A combination of two companies
over 60 people attended the TOPS 2000™ training class.
Improper setup, poor training, and lack of experience can all
contribute negatively to your bottom line. When it is all said
and done, the question is not whether you can afford to pay for
training, but 'How can you afford not to?'
The only way to take advantage of the many benefits of TOPS
2000™ ownership is through proper training. And the best
training addresses all aspects of your business, not just your
software. If your objective is to save time and money, and make
this software work for you to its full potential, then TAP
is the solution."
Michael Furnia
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