Truck Accident colours a City

What would someone do with 8,000 gallons of printer ink? Well many in a small north east American city found it to be a very colourful day. It was actually a tractor trailor crash on the highway during the morning rush hour. You get to laugh though without guilt because no one was hurt from the accident. However, when the crash occurred at 6am on March 9, it was nothing short of an environmental disaster and a huge mess.

The tractor trailer had actually rolled over, which is what caused its contents to hit the highway and it was a very colourful disaster. The printer ink was found later to not cause any immediate threat to the environment, or even to people. It’s just a scene that many people will never experience hopefully ever again.

The accident occurred in Peabody, Massachusetts, during the morning rush hour at 6 AM. If you thought that you were delayed before, you would have been delayed for several hours while State Police and other authorities were out overseeing the cleanup. As you might expect, traffic was restored to normal in about a few hour’s time but it still something that the citizens of Peabody will never forget.

Of course, neither will the Internet. The moment this story broke it became viral, being posted on countless sites around the world, including our blog.

When you think about it how often do you find that a huge truck has turned over onto a highway? Pretty often, right? It’s the fact that the truck contained nothing but printer ink that makes it funny. Now,  it wouldn’t be funny if someone got hurt but thankfully that wasn’t the case. However, it was a very costly accident with the cleanup and it will go down in Internet history for many years to come.

Why can’t you just add a button to do this?

We got a lot of that from our customers and hopefully by sharing our software development process with you, you will better understand why we say no to you all the time.

Below is a simplified version of the software development process,

Planning
The important task in creating a software product is extracting the requirements or requirements analysis. Customers typically have an abstract idea of what they want as an end result, but not what software should do. Incomplete, ambiguous, or even contradictory requirements are recognized by skilled and experienced software engineers at this point. Frequently demonstrating live code may help reduce the risk that the requirements are incorrect.

Once the general requirements are gathered from the client, an analysis of the scope of the development should be determined and clearly stated. This is often called a scope document.

Certain functionality may be out of scope of the project as a function of cost or as a result of unclear requirements at the start of development. If the development is done externally, this document can be considered a legal document so that if there are ever disputes, any ambiguity of what was promised to the client can be clarified.

Implementation, testing and documenting
Implementation is the part of the process where software engineers actually program the code for the project.

Software testing is an integral and important phase of the software development process. This part of the process ensures that defects are recognized as soon as possible.

Documenting the internal design of software for the purpose of future maintenance and enhancement is done throughout development. This may also include the writing of an API, be it external or internal. It is very important to document everything in the project.

Deployment and maintenance
Deployment starts after the code is appropriately tested, is approved for release and sold or otherwise distributed into a production environment.

Software Training and Support is important and a lot of developers fail to realize that. It would not matter how much time and planning a development team puts into creating software if nobody in an organization ends up using it. People are often resistant to change and avoid venturing into an unfamiliar area, so as a part of the deployment phase, it is very important to have training classes for new clients of your software.

Maintaining and enhancing software to cope with newly discovered problems or new requirements can take far more time than the initial development of the software. It may be necessary to add code that does not fit the original design to correct an unforeseen problem or it may be that a customer is requesting more functionality and code can be added to accommodate their requests. If the labor cost of the maintenance phase exceeds 25% of the prior-phases' labor cost, then it is likely that the overall quality of at least one prior phase is poor.[citation needed] In that case, management should consider the option of rebuilding the system (or portions) before maintenance cost is out of control.



Source: wikipedia

Time Management

In today’s world the term “multi-tasking” has been researched, and evaluated by hundreds of professionals, and is continually up for debate.

However you can’t sum up the results as certain individuals are simply better at multi-tasking than others.

You also have to consider that some people are required to multi-task while others would do better if they just managed their time more efficiently.

For example me; a Mom working from home and office I, (most of the time) have to create all types of lists and notes so I don’t forget to do anything. I have to work around my child’s schedule so I can work without interruption at all different times during the day. Sometimes this means working longer than expected, working weird hours or putting sleep last. I never know what the day will bring. I could be on an important call, my son happily watching a video quietly when he will decide it’s a good time to take off his diaper and go to the bathroom on the carpet… I am constantly adapting so I can be ready for anything at any moment. This could mean cleaning a diaper mishap, or taking that sales call I have been trying to get for days!

I need to manage my time to make sure I can maximize what’s required of me. I need to be organized to do my job well as well as be the best Mom I can be.

Then you have the other side of the coin where multi tasking is not necessary or helpful. For example a student who is doing their homework while texting on their blackberry and watching TV will definitely prove that Multi tasking in this manner is not going to get her best work done.

Here are five steps that will help manage your time whether you’re in the office, working from home, going to school, or getting your chores done on the weekend:

1.    Complete follow up and responses: We all have questions asked of us that we may or may not know the answer to. Most people prefer a full answer rather than a rapid response that is missing bits of pieces causing them to ask again, wasting both of your time as you will have to spend double the amount getting back to them with excessive emails or phone calls. If you know the answer, respond as soon as you can. If not, let the person know that you are looking into it. Then when you have some time to concentrate and have all the facts clearly outline the answers, using bullets or repeating their request back to them to ensure proper communication.

2.    “To Do List”: There is nothing more useful and self reassuring than a “To Do List”. The very practice of making one forces your brain to organize itself and prioritize more efficiently. Keep the items to about 5 things/ day as if there are more you will overwhelm yourself, and set yourself up for failure. Take this list for example, by the time you’ve reached number 5 you’ll be tired of reading, if it was a list of “10” things you would only register a few of them anyways. Crossing something off a list of things to do, leads to a feeling of self satisfaction and accomplishment and gives you the energy you need to get the rest of the things done.

3.    Prioritize: Some things you have to get done are more important than others. A customer who is unhappy is a priority over one that just needs clarification on something. Likewise a child going to the bathroom on the on the living room carpet may cause for a “Can you hang on a minute?” rather than finishing the call, whilst allowing your child to finger paint your room with his feces. If it’s an important meeting you are booking or an assignment due, you will have to schedule that to when you know you will have uninterrupted time to focus. If things change as they often do, be honest and request to reschedule. People appreciate that more than you being distracted, just as you’d appreciate if from them.

4.    Know when you’re most productive: Knowing when you work best is important. Perhaps you’re an early riser and can get amazing amounts of chores, calls, or (whatever the task may be) done. If you’re tired at the end of the day that gives you less motivation to do what needs to be done, if you’d rather be spending time with your family than doing work, then make sure that you get up extra early or have a later supper together to ensure that you’re maximizing your efficiency with work and enjoyment of life.

5.    MULTI- TASKING: Generally it’s good to avoid it, but if it has to be done, make sure you’ve made a list, prioritized that list, and been honest about your human abilities. Be reasonable, holding a baby, cutting vegetables for dinner, washing the floor, typing in those notes from the meeting, and finishing those last pending calls may not be the best combination, but then again… Practice makes perfect! JUST KIDDING, there are limits people.

Understanding Active Directory

A great part of network administration involves management of users, computers, and groups. A successful operating system must ensure that only properly authenticated users and computers can logon to the network and that each network resource is available only to authorized users. Active Directory feature provides the solution to these problems.

An active directory is a directory structure used on Microsoft Windows based computers and servers to store information and data about networks and domains. It is primarily used for online information and was originally created in 1996. It was first used with Windows 2000. An active directory (sometimes referred to as an AD) does a variety of functions including the ability to provide information on objects, helps organize these objects for easy retrieval and access, allows access by end users and administrators and allows the administrator to set security up for the directory. An AD can be defined as a hierarchical structure and this structure is usually broken up into three main categories, the resources which might include hardware such as printers, services for end users such as web email servers and objects which are the main functions of the domain and network.

When understanding active directories, it is important to know the framework that objects can be viewed at. In fact, an active directory can be viewed at either one of three levels; these levels are called forests, trees or domains. The highest structure is called the forest because you can see all objects included within the active directory. Within the Forest structure are trees, these structures usually hold one or more domains. Going further down the structure of an active directory are single domains. To put the forest, trees and domains into perspective, consider the following example.

A large organization has many dozens of users and processes. The forest might be the entire network of end users and specific computers at a set location. Within this forest directory are now trees that hold information on specific objects such as domain controllers, program data and system, among others. Within these objects are even more objects which can then be controlled and categorized. If you are a computer administrator for a large corporation or organization, you can easily update all end users computers with new software, patches and files simply by updating one object in a forest or tree.

It is important to note that active directories are a great way to organize a large organization or corporation's computers' data and network. Without an active directory, most end users would have computers that would need to be updated individually and would not have access to a larger network where data can be processed and reports can be created. While active directories can be technical to a good extent and require considerable expertise to navigate, they are essential to storing information and data on networks

View complete article HERE
Image found HERE

Restarting the Tailwind Agent

From time to time, the Tailwind Agent will lock up and cause itself to fail.  If this is the case you will start to receive warnings in the system stating that the Tailwind Agent will need to be restarted for the system to function correctly.

Note: The Agent is responsible for any automation in the system such as automatic payables, load posting, EDI etc.  If you do not have any of these it is not critical to restart the agent but should be looked at sooner rather than later.

You can very easily have the Tailwind Agent up and running by simply following the instructions below on the Server machine.

    •    Open up the Windows Services menu by navigating to Start → Run and entering "services.msc"

    •    Search the list for Tailwind Agent (it may show the version number 5.x), and select stop.  The status will then show blank, you will then right click and select start.
 
    •    Verify that the agent is running by logging into Tailwind CMS and navigating to Help → Check Tailwind Agent, the status should now be reported as running.

What is EDI?

EDI or Electronic data interchange is the transfer of business data from one business's computer system to another without human intervention. It is one of the features provided by Tailwind's broker and carrier software to automate an EDI business process, which was typically in the past, quite a labor-intensive paper system.

Advantages of an EDI system

An EDI system eliminates paper documents, meetings, faxes, etc. It also greatly reduces human labor and errors, and at the same time, increases the speed of the business transactions. It can be integrated seamlessly to a business's operational software such as Tailwind's carrier software, thus improving business productivity, performance, and reliability.

Overview of EDI in Tailwind Software

Typically, an EDI business process in the carrier industry involves electronic ordering, invoicing, and payment. This kind of business processes involves 2 way communication between the carrier and its customers. This is implemented as a sequence of EDI messages sent and received between the parties over an electronic network. An illustration of an EDI process in Tailwind would be the shipping of cars by Company A for Company B:

·       Company B sends a message to Company A that a shipment of vehicles need to be delivered, say from a railway ramp to a dealership.

·       Company A receives this message automatically in real-time using Tailwind software's EDI feature and alerts the user of a new Load Tender from Company B, indicating each vehicle 's VIN, as well the source and destination locations.

·       Company A will decide to accept or reject this Load Tender. Once accepted, Tailwind software will automatically generate an order into its database.

·       The order is dispatched and when completed, a message for each vehicle is sent from Company A to Company B indicating the shipment has been delivered as planned, or if needed any changes to the delivery.

·       Company B receives a message from Company A that the shipment has been delivered.

·       Company B sends a message to Company A indicating the amount paid for delivery each vehicle in the order.

·       Company A receives this message automatically in real-time using Tailwind software's EDI feature and alerts the user of payments from Company B, indicating each vehicle 's VIN and its delivery payment.

·       Company A can process the payments and update the invoice records into its database.

Standards, Protocols, and Implementations of EDI in Tailwind Software

Tailwind currently supports the following X12 EDI standards:

EDI X12 204 - Motor Carrier Load Tender
EDI X12 210 - Motor Carrier Freight Details and Invoice

EDI X12 214 - Transportation Carrier Shipment Status Message

EDI X12 820 - Payment Order/Remittance Advice

EDI X12 824 - Application Advice

EDI X12 858 - Shipment Information

EDI X12 864 - Text Message

EDI X12 990 - Response to a Load Tender
EDI X12 996 - File Transfer
EDI X12 997 - Functional Acknowledgment

The details of these standards, as well as the network protocols and value added networks (VANs), will be explained in future blogs...

A few pointers to get the right Insurance for your trucking company

There are a number of things that can go wrong in the trucking transportation business. Accidents, acts of nature, weather conditions ,damage to goods and injuries to the persons travelling in these trucks are all very strong possibilities. Unless you have a strong insurance plan protecting you against these events, you could stand exposed.

It is therefore best to leave it to a reputed truck insurance service provider to handle any of these potential liabilities and that would help you concentrate on your core business to make it profitable.

So how do you go about finding the right insurance company for your business?

First, shortlist some insurance companies operating around your area. This information can be found on the internet or your  local yellow pages. Once you do that, there are some basic questions that you would require these shortlisted companies to satisfy before you can go ahead and call them for negotiation. They are:

*The number of years the company has been in existence with specific emphasis on heavy trucking insurance.

*What is the level of underwriting or financial backing enjoyed by the company so that it is in a position to pay liabilities as and when they come up? You will find this in their brochure normally.

*What is the rating of the company? This is again something you can find out from the company literature. If you wish to find on your own, then you can contact the Department of Insurance for all details on insurance companies shortlisted.

*Ask what other local trucking companies are using them? Call those companies and ask about their experiences good or bad with the ones on your short list. This way you will find out about shortfalls before it’s too late.

Now comes the decision on whether you should go for a company that specialises in commercial trucking insurance, or for the one that offers general insurance. The popular opinion is that specialists should always be preferred due to their ability to deal with specific needs of truckers with precision.

Moreover, such companies are also put under the scanner of independent rating bodies and a high rating from them would be a comfort factor that would help you make the decision. General insurance service providers on the other hand are thought to be not up to the mark when it comes to taking care of the truck driver and other personnel travelling in the vehicle at that point in time.

All said and done, the most important considerations that you should keep in view are the type of coverage offered, the customer support helpline and the commitment towards settling claims. If you can get plausible responses from the company on these points, you should go ahead with one of the shortlisted companies based on the competitive rates they can give you.

Now make your educated decision regarding the one that is right for you and your business needs.