It's Been a Banner Year

First of all, on behalf of myself and the entire Synchro ERP global team,  please allow me to wish you and yours and all of theirs a warm and toasty holiday season where ever you maybe reading this from.  Let's be careful out there!

It's been another banner year at Synchro ERP.  The influx of new customers and the continuing training of existing customers has kept the GO-TEAM pretty darn busy this year.  In speaking with Simon last week, he recons that he has done a total of twelve trips this year with many thousands of air miles.  Simon certainly does a fantastic job of bringing new customer on board, as I personally witnessed last week while at a new customer location in Indiana,    No telling how many miles and trips Richy has done to the trans Pacific Oceanic region of the world.  He has become quite the globe trotter with trips to New Zealand, all over Australia, Malaysia, and China.  Jean-Marie has stepped up to the plate and made travels to the land down under as well and will be returning to the region in early 2012.   Simon and Chris made a quick jaunt to the land of the UAE as well!
 
This year we welcomed two new senior members to the staff, our Frenchman Jean-Marie Darchicourt who reminds me of  Corporal Louis LeBeau of Hogan's Heroes fame,  and  Tom Millar of DEWTEC fame.

During the year, the sales and marketing department put on exhibitions at the 115th MetalCasting Congress in Schaumburg Illinois, the mind boggling GIFA in Dusseldorf Germany, the Investment Casting Expo in Covington Kentucky, and the New Zealand conference and show.

Of course, none of this would be even possible without the dedicated support team headed up by Lee Mahon.  It takes a lot of wilderthal to keep the support of the company up to it's platinum level when so much of the team is globe trotting.  He cracks a mean bullwhip!

Bianca does her stellar job behind the scenes of helping to organize the shows/expos and keeping up with the demands of the sales and marketing team.

My buddy Kevin down in Brasil keeps me company during the afternoons when the other support centers have shut down for the day.  We bounce ideas and test stuff for each other all the time - he is a huge positive resource for me as he knows the Synchro ERP system very well.  Always there to lend a hand.  We've never met him in person, had many SKYPE video chats, but hopefully one day soon we will shake hands.

Last but never least, none of this would be even possible w/o the legendary commitment and vision of the Sales and Marketing Director, Barbara Nolan Collins, who did a beyond fantastic job of putting together GIFA and keeping all of the associated duties of deadlines for articles and magazines balanced.  Of course, Chris Collins, the truly visionary leader, CEO, Managing Director of Synchro ERP somehow keeps everything on a a steady course as we navigate the waters of metalcasting specific software on a truly global basis.

Please allow me to introduce Wyatt Earp, bestest friend of the legendary Doc Holliday.  With great sadness, I must report that my loyal and forever dedicated MinPin that saw me through many tough times departed this world to join his other master, my dad, several months ago.  Doc Holliday, the card playing, women chasing, hard drinking MinPin was my constant companion for 15+ years.  I miss him dearly.

However, Wyatt Earp has joined the Allen household and has some big shoes to fill.

Until next time next year, I'll see you on down the road.  

Hi all It’s been A while...

I would first like to take this opportunity to welcome some new members to the SYNCHRO family.

My first welcome is to David Zhang (Our new agent in China)

‘Welcome David’

My second (In no order of preference) is to Gordon Muldrew

‘Welcome Gordon’

My third is to all the new companies that have joined SYNCHRO ERP

‘Welcome’

Also I would like to say

‘HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO EACH & EVERY ONE OF YOU’

We also have a new addition to the Catherall family in the name of Tinker, she is a 12 week old welsh collie who seems to be the life & sole of the party..... I have my work cut out here!

At the moment the tree is still in one piece and all is good.

For those of you yet to Join us please do not forget about our current discount offer.

Well lots to do, enjoy the holiday season !!!

Bianca Catherall

Company PA

WOW: End of Year Bulge

Wow, 2011 is rapidly drawing to a close - things are moving ahead very nicely at Synchro ERP.  It's kind of like the battle of the bulge.  The implementation teams are moving forward across the lines bringing new customers on line - even in the traditional slack month of December.   It has been a fantastic year and we do hope that all is well with you. 

Be sure to keep an eye out for an important press release that will be made available soon.  Gotta run, got more quotes to get out the door so that they can be signed by the end of the year to take advantage of the 25% discount plan! 

Until next time, see you on down the road.

Shane Allen
Head of North American Operations

So here it is....................

A warm welcome to December everyone, long nights, dark mornings, but everyone just that little bit happier, that little bit friendlier.

The Synchro ERP team wish to convey the very best seasons greetings to our fantastic customers, and wish everyone one a bright, and prosperous New Year.

As 2011 draws inexorably to a close, the Team are in agreement that it has been our best year yet, but as ever, we wont rest on our laurels, or stall in our pursuit to give you the very best in 2012, to ensure we overshadow the past year in achievement.

to Sign off from 2011, I thought a little IT based humour appropriate, so we shall leave you with a word processor based slant, on an Edgar Alan Poe classic....

….Once upon a midnight dreary, fingers cramped and vision bleary, 
System manuals piled high and wasted paper on the floor, 
Longing for the warmth of bed sheets, still I sat there doing spreadsheets. 
Having reached the bottom line I took a floppy from the drawer 
I then invoked the SAVE command and waited for the disk to store, 
Only this and nothing more.

Deep into the monitor peering, long I sat there wond'ring, fearing. 
Doubting, while the disk kept churning, turning yet to churn some more. 
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token. 
"Save!" I said, "You cursed mother! Save my data from before!" 
One thing did the phosphors answer, only this and nothing more, 
Just, "Abort, Retry, Ignore?"

Was this some occult illusion, some maniacal intrusion? 
These were choices undesired, ones I'd never faced before. 
Carefully I weighed the choices as the disk made impish noises. 
The cursor flashed, insistent, waiting, baiting me to type some more. 
Clearly I must press a key, choosing one and nothing more, 
From "Abort, Retry, Ignore?"

With fingers pale and trembling, slowly toward the keyboard bending, 
Longing for a happy ending, hoping all would be restored, 
Praying for some guarantee, timidly, I pressed a key. 
But on the screen there still persisted words appearing as before. 
Ghastly grim they blinked and taunted, haunted, as my patience wore, 
Saying "Abort, Retry, Ignore?" 

I tried to catch the chips off guard, and pressed again, but twice as hard. 
I pleaded with the cursed machine: I begged and cried and then I swore. 
Now in mighty desperation, trying random combinations, 
Still there came the incantation, just as senseless as before. 
Cursor blinking, angrily winking, blinking nonsense as before. 
Reading, "Abort, Retry, Ignore?" 

There I sat, distraught, exhausted, by my own machine accosted. 
Getting up I turned away and paced across the office floor. 
And then I saw a dreadful sight: a lightning bolt cut through the night. 
A gasp of horror overtook me, shook me to my very core. 
The lightning zapped my previous data, lost and gone forevermore. 
Not even, "Abort, Retry, Ignore?" 

To this day I do not know the place to which lost data go. 
What demonic nether world is wrought where lost data will be stored, 
Beyond the reach of mortal souls, beyond the ether, into black holes? 
But sure as there's C, Pascal, Lotus, Ashton-Tate and more, 
You will be one day be left to wander, lost on some Plutonian shore, 
Pleading, "Abort, Retry, Ignore?"

Have a fantastic seasonal holiday...

Synchro ERP Support Team...

Just a Normal Day

Support is a mainstay of the Global Synchro ERP Team! 

Thank you for the quick response - I unchecked it the hide pricing option.

Thank you for your prompt reply! :)

It's just the norm at Synchro ERP.  We get these types of comments all the time and when we provide references to sales prospects, they come away with an appreciation that our support is good, very good.  Spoke with one sales prospect yesterday and they came away smiling from having seen how robust the software is in use, how pleased our customers are, and how rapidly they get a response to a support request.

So, irregardless of which corner of the globe you hale from, Synchro ERP has you covered.  Got a foundry in outer Mongolia, no problem...

Until next time, see you on down the road...

How do we get out of this mess?

The mess I am referring to is the global economic situation - high unemployment, little GDP growth, etc.  It all comes down to simple economics.  I promise and swear -  I'm not about to get into any political thoughts, theories, or discourses. 

We have got to get people back to work and how we get people back to work is for the private sector to spend money.  Going with a product like Synchro ERP, which is extremely affordable in the first place, has all kinds of down stream implications.  As we welcome more customers, we hire more people to meet the increased demand and in-turn buy more products, attend more trade shows, and employees receive more income of which to dispose of.  As companies hire more people, these people are obviously no longer unemployed and start having disposable income to spend.  Their disposable income in turn creates new jobs for others.  It's a really good vicious cycle towards economic recovery.  If you are reading this BLOG, you know about Synchro ERP and if you don't already have it, then you probably are thinking that you are needing it.  Your timing is right.

With that in-mind, Chris Collins, Synchro ERP Managing Director/CEO, and Barbara Nolan Collins, Synchro ERP Global Sales/Marketing Director, have come up with a method to the madness of helping the metalcasting industry move forward.  It was announced at the recent ICI Investment Casting Institute expo/meeting that a 25% discount off of the standard daily implementation/training rate is being applied to all new customers who sign on the dotted line prior to the end of the year 2011!  What makes this so enticing is that the discounted daily rate is valid for a full year from the date of the first implementation visit.  Implementations must commence within six months of the contract signing date.

In keeping with the Synchro ERP commitment to straight forward and clear pricing, there is NO fine print.  What a refreshing change! 

WHAT A DEAL!  

Until next time, see you on down the road...
Shane Allen, Head of Synchro ERP North American Operations

ICI 2011: Thats a Wrap Folks

Coming to you from Damon's grill @ the Cincinnati Ohio airport on my way back to the North American office of Synchro ERP.  Simon is on his way to Denver to make one more stop before heading back to the UK. 

Team Synchro ERP wishes to thank Leland and the team at ICI for putting on a stellar show!  Attendance at the Synchro ERP booth was high quality.  Upon my return to the office, I have two quotes to get out, both of which will be rapid installs, and many demos to arrange.  It was that good of a show!
  
Looking forward to next year in Nashville TN!  Nashville is a great town.  Already have our booth reserved!  But, don't wait until then to contact us - we are always online and ready to assist!  We also have a prime booth reserved for the upcoming 2012 Metalcasting Congress - and I mean a PRIME booth!

Simon and I want to thank everyone that visited the booth, especially the Synchro ERP customers!

Until next time, I'll see you on down the road.
Shane Allen - Head of Synchro ERP North American Operations

Getting the Mail

On the weekends, my buddy Doc Holliday, my loyal companion, man's best Friend - the miniature pincher and I like to greet the mail man.  Certainly doesn't act like a 15+ year old doggie does he?  He's my buddy.

I've got an alert on my mailbox so that anytime the slot opens, it let's me know when I'm in the house so that we can race down and get the mail.  It's a huge metal locking mailbox that I added long ago to combat against identity theft and those scooping up the mail in search of checks.  Set in the ground about 3' with lots of concrete, it's not going anywhere.  I imagine if a twister came screaming through, the house might be blow away, but the mailbox would remain standing :)

It's like the Synchro ERP software - stands up to the daily vigors of the needs of the metalcsasting facility and is rock strong - set in concrete.

Until next time, see you on down the road.
Shane Allen - Synchro ERP Head of North American Operations

What's On the List...

TGIF!  Thank Goodness It's Friday!  Hope you are having or had a great Friday.  The weather has finally turned the corner and is at least reasonable in Texas - it's only 90 F right now.  Still exceedingly dry though.

Just thought I'd point you in the direction of a fascinating article I just read in Modern Casting on Single Crystal Castings.   Next time you park yourself on that over booked, surcharged to the hilt airplane seat, glance out the window at the engine turbines and think about Single Crystal Castings.   Talk about a safety critical component!

I'm also in the midst of reading three books which I will give a review of at a later time.  Dirty Little Secrets and Buying Facilitation and Area 51 'Uncensored'

I'm a Cold War Nuclear buff and have done a lot of reading and research on the NSA- "No Such Agency" - "National Security Agency", the CIA, the DOD.  I've poked around Los Alamos and the LANL, journeyed out in the deseret to the actual AREA51 three times, been to what was NORAD in Colorado Springs, and the high point has always been an in-depth tour of what was NTS - the Nevada Test Site and once the Atomic Proving Grounds - now known as the National Nuclear Security Administration / Nevada Site.   I actually got to stand on the rim of Sedan Crater - which is also about as close as you can legally get to Area 51 through the back door.

 

CATEGORY:	Crater
DESCRIPTION:	Sedan Crater was formed when a 100 kt. Explosive buried under 635 feet of desert alluvium was fired at the NTS on July 6, 1962, displacing 12 million tons of earth. The crater is 320 feet deep and 1,280 feet in diameter.
DATE:
NUMBER:	NF-12187
CREDIT:	Photo courtesy of National Nuclear Security Administration / Nevada Site Office
FULL SIZE:	nf121.jpg

Until next time, see you on down the road.

Shane Allen / Synchro ERP Head of North American Operations

The 3 G's

Great Friends, Great Food, Great Times.

A dear friend of mine whom I have known since 1974 flew into Houston last weekend and I drove down and met up with him and another friend of mine that I've known since 1979.  What can I say, it's GREAT to have GREAT friends that can withstand the passing of time and the travail of ages.  The three of us survived college and being roommates somehow.

Now, that is a Texas sized desert.

Unfortunately, we had one empty chair at the table of another most outstanding friend of ours that passed away three long years ago.  So, instead of the band of four, it's now the band of three.  I think of our dear friend daily and long to hear his voice and wisdom.  Here's to you Jimmy!  Gone but never ever forgotten.  Affectionately known as "Radioactive Matt"...

That's What Friends are For...

"This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out.

"A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, 'Hey you. Can you help me out?' The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on.

"Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, 'Father, I'm down in this hole can you help me out?' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on

"Then a friend walks by, 'Hey, Joe, it's me can you help me out?' And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, 'Are you stupid? Now we're both down here.' The friend says, 'Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.'"

Until next time, see you on down the road in Covington KY at the ICI - Synchro32 Booth# 113
Shane Allen
Head of Synchro32 North American Operations


Simply amazing that none of us has aged one single bit since our college years.  Looking good men - keep up the good work...

Mother Nature

Isn't she just wonderful?

No one has mastered it yet and let's hope no one will

I was at the seaside last week and normally there are waves....

But then for 3 days the sea became absolutely flat..no wind, no waves. It was smoother than a lake. Incredible!

When I looked down, amazing colours and patterns were showing...

Giving the opportunity for remarkeable photos. We went out and stopped to eat lunch 2 miles out. It was so quiet..

Then onto the very crowded beach..

Finally back to port...

Long may you continue to be who you are in this part of the world!

Jean-Marie Darchicourt

A Straight Shooting Company

I am sometimes reminded what it is like to deal with a shady company that will just out-and-out lie to you.  Let me assure you, Synchro32 is a straight shooting company without gimmicks, fine print, and we certainly won't lie to you.  It's not good business practice and it certainly isn't the right thing to do.  As Colin Powell once said, trust takes years to be built up, but can be lost in an instant.

If you recall back, I stimulated the economy and purchased a new truck in July.   You know us Texans, got to have our pick-up trucks.

Anyway, I recently sent a snail mail letter to the General Manager at the truck dealership over my displeasure of the way they conducted business and how dishonest they were.  I must have pushed the right buttons, as I got an email from them straight away and a follow-on phone call.  The dealership had lied to me about the state sales tax rate on new vehicles and also charged me for a worthless coupon book.  Making it a short story, I've have a very nice check from them coming in the mail to make up for their anything but honest dealings.

I indicated to him that I was not the only one displeased with their tactics, as others have posted anything but flattering comments on a number of blogs and webpages.  He was most taken aback.

So, it is beyond a distinct pleasure to work for a company and be associated with team members that are all straight shooters.  You can be assured when you make the decision to go with Synchro32, you will be treated in the utmost friendly and honest manner possible.  We wouldn't have it any other way.

I learned this from my parents, grand parents, friends I associate with, and working under H. Ross Perot at Electronic Data Systems, EDS.  At EDS, we called it playing from the center of the playing field.  If you get too close to the out of bounds lines, you are getting in trouble.

Until next time, see you on down the road at the ICI in beautiful Covington KY USA!  Investment Casting Institutue 58th Annual Technical Conference and Equipment Expo
 
My buddy Simon and I will be manning booth #113 - please be sure to stop by and see how straight we shoot!


Shane Allen
Head of Synchro32 North American Operations

Happy Birthday to a True and Trusty Friend in Whom I Can Confide

and always count on...

You can't say that about everyone.  Today is my constant companions birthday - Doc Holliday - the miniature pincher.    We've gone through the best of times and the worst of times together.  Doc Holliday, the little dog that loves playing cards, partaking in beverages, and chasing the female dogs around.

He might be fifteen today, but he still acts like a young pup.  Oh sure, he sleeps more than usual - but he can still chase the squirrels and loves his daily hikes.  I got him about three months after he was born.  He was the last of the litter and the largest.

Here's to you Sir Doc Holliday - Happy Birthday!

See, at Synchro32 we take very good care of the software and our customers.  Just like we take care of each other and the important things and animals in our lives.   It's "genetic" I think.  Every member of the Synchro32 team is dedicated and devoted to what we do and we do it really well.

Until next time, see you on down the road.
Shane Allen - Head of Synchro32 North American Operations