Home | ManagePro  |  Mpro-Link  | 
ManagePro April 2003 Newsletter
eNews Letter April 2003

 Contents
 1. Annual Maintenance users be sure to update to the latest build 545
 2. Tips: How do I update my system? and How to speed up ManagePro.
 3. Tip: How do I get people to actively use ManagePro?
 

Download a decision guideline to determine when to move from a shared access (LAN) configuration to our web-based MPro-Link
 
 
 1. Annual Maint. users update to the latest build - 545
Look at the number of new features and software firsts!

People/Meeting Planner (Meeting management just got much easier)

  • The People/Team planner has been renamed to the People/Meeting Planner, with records in this planner being identified as either people or meetings by checking the appropriate checkbox in the Details view.
  • Records identified as "Meetings" are identified by a blue font and are found in a separate "Meeting" tab in the Who designation box when assigning goals to review in a meeting. 
  • Now you can quickly build an agenda for a meeting by assigning the goals you wish to review to the Meeting Initials in the Who field. Add to that the ability to use the "File/Print Selected Options" and managing meetings, tracking assigned to-dos and printing out meeting minutes has never been so easy.
Selective Access Managers *Requires a Team license for each SAM
  • ManagePro can now support multiple combinations of Managers and direct reports within a single shared or Team database.  Each selective access manager has access to their (and only their) direct reports in the People/Meeting Planner.
  • This is a particular boost for small business teams using a shared database but with multiple manager - direct report relationships.
  • To designate a selective access user as a manager, go to their Access settings, click the "Enabled" button on the "Allow People Planner Access" field, and then select which users they can view in the People field below.  Thereafter the user will have a People/Team Meeting button added to their left column selections.
Email Notification
  • The email button now includes four new tabs when emailing any goal or sub-goal, with the email mechanism completely redone to make it easier to compose and add attached documents.
  • You can now select any goal to have an email notification function, and designate not only the criteria for creating the notification, but who will be receiving it.
  • Check out the 3rd tab.  You can now select goals to send out a customer satisfaction survey when they are marked done.  Automatically generate feedback from internal and external customers!
  • The 4th tab now provides a history, so you can see who you emailed a goal, to-do, progress note or event and when they received it.
For more information on the new features click on the "New Features" button in the ManagePro background splash page. |Top|

   2. Tip: "How do I update my system? and How do I speed up ManagePro?"

Updating ManagePro

If you have purchased an Annual Maintenance contract you are able to take advantage of our new features, provided through a web update system.  The updates usually have four to six new features and are released from our office every 4 - 10 weeks. 

Each time we have a new update available, you will see a red icon in your ManagePro splash page alerting you to download the new update.  It only takes a couple of minutes and you are ready to continue.  This service is only available to users that have purchased the  Annual Maintenance contract.

But then you might be asking, "Now how do I know if I have the Annual Maintenance contract version, or how do I update my system?"  Here's how to solve both questions:

1.  If you don't know which build you are currently on and/or whether or not you have an Annual Maintenance version of ManagePro, simply open ManagePro and click on the Help pull down menu.  Then choose the "About" option.  If you have an Annual Maintenance version it will be listed to the right of the Version number, and the build number will be listed under the Version number.

2. To update your license to the latest build (if you have an Annual Maintenance Contract) be sure to click on the "Download New Update" line in the ManagePro background splash page.  Again you want to update to Build 545.

*If you are updating a 5.0 version of ManagePro
 (to a 5.1 non Annual Maintenance), you must first uninstall your existing copy of ManagePro, and then download the new version at http://www.managepro.com/mpro/oci/setup.htm

Speeding up ManagePro

If you are using ManagePro and find that it slows down significantly over time, here's something to check.  ManagePro maintains a mpz file to manage transactions when using MPro-Link.  If you look in your ManagePro directory the file would be identified by starting with your database name (ex. OurDB) and finishing with the letters ".mpz", e.g. "OurDB.mpz".

If you are not using Mpro-Link this file will increase in size over time and definitely cause a slow down in speed.  If you are not using MPro-Link go ahead and delete this file from your ManagePro folder and make sure  Mpro-Link is not checked as enabled in your Mpro-Link Sync configuration window, under the Synchronization pull down menu.

| Top

  3. Tip: How do I get people to actively use ManagePro?


Having people not use the ManagePro tool after it has been purchased is a frustrating, but not uncommon experience.  Fortunately there are a number of effective steps to counter-act this problem.  Let's go over one in this newsletter.

The Work Contract

When workers don't use new tools it can be due to a number of issues, ranging from signaling that they don't see or experience a compelling reason to change, to an alert that the new tool has prompted a significant change effort, with all of the associated adoption, resistance and transition issues.  One of the most common issues that can slow new tool adoption is an outdated work contract.  Below we list three basic agreements necessary to an effective work force and adoption of tools like ManagePro.  Are your employees signed up for all three?

1. People are paid for their time, but employed for the results they generate.  The clearer results are measured and documented, the easier it is to value the employee's contribution.

2. Employment means working in a way that  is consistent with the organization's values, methodology/processes and tools.  Processes and tools will change and evolve over time, every employee needs to assist in deployment and integration of these changes to help improve the performance and survivability of the organization.

3. Everyone has a boss - someone to whom they are accountable.  That means that someone-else (and also the strategic plan) will set your priorities and be responsible to hold you accountable for doing what works, for what generates results.  E.g. it means you will ultimately be responsible to work a set of priorities that may not reflect your own.

Had a great time meeting a number of you at last month's training event.  We hope to arrange a second session during the fall.  We've also launched a number of partnering relationships to ensure our user organizations have a good response to the software deployment.  If that is something you are interested in, be sure to contact us...  have a great month.

Rodney Brim,
CEO, Performance Solutions Technology, LLC

 |Top|