September 26, 2007 by Steve.

Due to the federal Check 21 law, banks are beginning to allow businesses to make their daily deposits using the Web. The latest bank to begin offering this service is InsurBanc. Their new Virtual Deposit Delivery system allows you to electronically submit checks for deposit utilizing a high performance scanner and a PC with an Internet connection at your local office without having to go to the bank. The benefits include saving time and money by eliminating trips to the bank, improved cash flow because funds are available faster, and reduced credit risk due to faster returned-check notification.

The service is easy to use. You simply log onto the system, scan the checks and verify the data, and then send the images to the bank for processing. Additional information can be obtained at www.insurbanc.com.

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September 17, 2007 by Steve.

As part of Google’s ongoing effort to make the world’s information universally accessible, they have created and are testing a free service called Google Voice Local Search. The service allows you to use any phone to search for a business listing. Simply call 800-GOOG-411 (800-466-4411) and speak your search phrase.

You can search for a specific business name or for a category. For example, you could just say “pizza” — and you’ll get a listing of pizza providers. You can then send the listing details to your mobile phone via SMS by saying “text message.”

The service is fully automated, so it doesn’t rely on human operators. It connects you directly to the business, free of charge. However, your telephone company may apply regular charges for making a phone call or receiving an SMS. The information provided is the same local information you’d find on Google Maps.

Google Voice Local Search is still in its experimental stage. It may not be available at all times and may not work for all users. They are fine-tuning the service to get better at recognizing users’ requests and finding the businesses they are looking for. It’s currently only available in the United States in English.

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September 13, 2007 by Steve.

Effectively managing human resources is one area where many agencies struggle. As a case in point, it can be a hassle to keep track of employee vacation and sick time. In small agencies, the agency owner typically tracks vacation and sick time — but most of the time, not very well.

WhosOff.com is a free Web site that helps organizations of any size manage and track vacation schedules, holiday planning, and sick time. The program is completely browser-based. Once you establish an account, you and your staff can request holiday/vacation time. The request goes to whomever you designate to approve or decline requests. Then, staff is notified of the decision. If you have remote offices, you could assign one individual to review all requests for time off. You could also designate a department manager or supervisor.

In addition to paid holidays and vacations, the system can also track sick leave. WhosOff enables you to visibly see patterns of sickness across the organization or for each individual, because sick days show up as red blocks on the user’s calendar. With this program, you’ll know who has a chronic case of Monday illnesses.
 
If you set WhosOff to allow your staff to log sickness for each other, a person who calls in sick can have his or her absence logged immediately. Then, an automatic e-mail is sent to that person’s approver, enabling managers to plan and backfill as appropriate.

The system also allows you to set rules and restrictions. For example, you might want to set a rule that Tony can’t be absent when Alan is absent. The WhosOff system alerts the user of the restriction when he or she initially requests leave.

To register for a free account, go to www.whosoff.com.

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