Volume 31 • Issue 10 • October 2006
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Tools of the trade
Modern technology is changing the way an office functions

by Dana E. Blozis

Today’s fast-paced technology is changing the face of the traditional work place and how we do business. From cell phones and high speed Internet to video conferencing and PDAs, today’s office tools have created an instant world where communication is immediate and customer demands are high. Some local companies are taking the technological changes in stride, however. Here’s how they have embraced these new tools to enhance and grow their businesses.

The value of virtual
With years of business training and office experience under her belt, Whatcom County virtual assistant Cindi Pree formed the Kulshan Group to provide virtual office assistance to businesses that needed administrative help on a part-time or temporary basis. Following the growing trend of offering virtual help from a remote location, Pree formed her company to provide administrative and transaction management services to real estate agents around the country.
“There is huge growth in outsourcing right now,” Pree said. “The virtual assistant industry is exploding.”
This trend is due, in part, to the amount of time spent traveling between different business locations and to see clients around the world. In addition, as the cost of hiring full-time employees with benefits has risen, it has become more cost effective for companies to outsource certain types of work.
Working out of her home office in Ferndale, Pree has been successful at serving such companies by providing needed services on demand. To meet her clients’ daily needs, Pree utilizes a mix of technologies to create a seamless connection to her clients.
One technology Pree has found useful is online file storage. By using an online storage service like IBackup or XDrive, users at different locations can upload and share files for little or no cost. Users can share an account with different levels of access. For example, a company in Florida can upload a set of 10 work files for Pree to use. She or her staff can then log in to the account, download the files to work with them and then return the updated files to the storage service. The services are secure sites and client data is backed up regularly. Data files, support and security services are available 24/7.
Another technology that has been critical to Pree’s business is the use of Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology which allows users to make phone calls using a broadband Internet connection rather than an analog telephone line. Calls can be made from a regular telephone or directly from a computer. The advantages to Pree are that the VoIP allows her to make long distance calls without toll charges, while providing each of her clients with a local number on which to reach her. Because she has a separate line for each client, calls coming in from or on behalf of a given client are identified as such so Pree knows how to answer each call. This service allows her to create the appearance that she works on site for her clients around the country.
For example, real estate agent Jody Smith in New Hampshire is expecting an important call from a potential buyer. Smith will be out showing homes to another client and doesn’t want to miss the call. Using Smith’s phone number and an extension specific to her virtual assistant Pree, the potential buyer will call in and be directly routed to Pree, who will handle the call on Smith’s behalf as if she were a member of Smith’s on-site team. Both Smith and the buyer receive immediate service from Pree without additional expense and annoying phone transfers.
“As a virtual assistant, it’s the only way I can work,” Pree said.
In fact, Pree said that the VoIP service is a good complement to e-mail and other forms of written communication that are not always understood as they were intended to be. With a superior level of quality, the voice communication is often a good tool to follow-up on e-mails that can’t always convey urgency, tone or mood. In addition, because of the VoIP’s “search and find” technology, calls can be forwarded as needed to clients who are traveling but need to remain reachable.
Because much of Pree’s work involves real estate transactions, it is important that her communication is timely and clear and that she follow up on items on behalf of her clients. To assist her with those goals, Pree utilizes online transaction management platforms like Top Producer and Guru Networks. These client management tools are specifically designed for the residential real estate agent to assist her in converting leads into sales, providing follow-up reminders, scheduling appointments and more.
In addition to utilizing these specific technologies, Pree is always looking for ways to improve her efficiency and productivity and, in turn, providing optimal service for her clients whether they are located in Mount Vernon or Denver.
“I’m continually working on automation,” she said.

Web based applications
Co-owned by Doug DeVries and Mark Lee, the four-year-old Big Fresh Media is another local company that has used technology to its advantage. As a web design and development company, Big Fresh Media has always focused on technology. However, their focus has shifted in recent years to concentrate more on web-based applications that move work processes to the Web.
iMast (www.imast.net) is one such product. This product was designed to assist a Lynden-based company to remotely manage its Alaskan fishing operations. By logging into the web-based iMast program, the employer can create human resource documents and contracts online which can then be reviewed, approved and signed by employees in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The software also tracks accidents, number and type of fish caught and provides real-time data to fish sellers. This centralized data source has eliminated paperwork and improved communications for Big Fresh’s client.
Last year, Big Fresh Media developed a new, user-friendly website for the Whatcom County Association of REALTORS® (www.wcar.net). The new site is designed as a tool for both prospective buyers and sellers, but also for the brokers and REALTORS® themselves. On the public side, web visitors can view a REALTOR® directory, news and calendar items. On the secure side, members can log in to pay their annual dues, enroll in classes and register for events.
Another project involved designing online quote requests for Birch Equipment. When an online quote request is received, it follows an internal communication chain within the company where different members of the team can review and comment before passing it on to the next team member.
All of these projects have one thing in common. They centralize data and bring software applications to the web so employees can conveniently log in from anywhere. With the appropriate permissions, staff has instant access to company data regardless of their location.
DeVries said that such applications have grown in popularity as the need for instant information in multiple locations has grown.
“People are more accustomed to online transactions than they used to be,” DeVries said. “So they are more open to the idea of putting processes online.”
Lee agreed.
“We use more technology now ourselves. These web-based tools and applications make our projects much easier to manage,” Lee said.

Digital paper route
Materials Testing & Consulting (MTC), with locations in Bellingham and Burlington, has benefited from another of Big Fresh Media’s web based applications – the digital paper route. Developed within the last year, digital paper route (www.digitalpaperroute.com) provided MTC with a solution to get copies of project-related documents to multiple people at the same time.
The company, which offers geotechnical engineering, materials testing, special inspection, and environmental consulting services, generates hundreds of reports on its larger projects. Prior to having the digital paper route, MTC had to duplicate each report for at least five to six people and send those documents via regular postal mail. This effort took materials, manpower and time which could potentially lengthen the time for each project. With the digital paper route, however, the documents are available online instantaneously to all the required parties, streamlining the distribution process and providing an effective tool for project management and tracking.
“It’s a really powerful project management tool,” MTC co-owner Brian Steele said.
The digital paper route has been particularly useful for the remodel and construction of Skagit Valley Hospital. According to Steele, there are more than a dozen people on the distribution list (engineers, contractors, developers, etc.) who will receive over 600 reports. Because of the sheer amount of information, the digital paper route saves reams of paper and a significant amount of time by providing the documents online, many accessible at the job sites themselves.
More importantly, the digital paper route can be sorted by the end user by type or category. For example, if a contractor wants to review deficiency reports to identify what aspects of the project are not in compliance, he can sort the deficiency reports by date to find out what issues and concerns remain outstanding. This saves items from falling through the cracks.
“This is really critical on projects like this. It’s a safety issue,” Steele said. “Digital paper route has been very helpful.”
Steele reported that about 95% of MTC’s clients use the Big Fresh Media technology, so they still send out hard copies of documents occasionally. It is an education process to switch clients over to the digital paper route, but once they see the instant access, reliability, security and efficiency of the product, clients are easily sold on its value.
“It’s a good tool for anyone who has a lot of documents to send out,” Steele said, “And it serves as a much more efficient project management tool.”

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New types of phones and computers are providing new possibilities to the office environment.




Co-founders Doug DeVries, left, and Mark Lee of Big Fresh Media.