How B2BWorkforce Works: An Insider's Guide to Getting the Most Out of Your Relationship with B2B

By Katie Kaduk

Last year I got married. Although our first year of marriage is still in progress, I have confirmed, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that my husband's mind works very differently from my own. He likes to know how things work. He has bookmarked www.howstuffworks.com in his web browser. I have heard his explanation of exactly how that little canister at the bank's drive-up window slides back and forth through the plastic tube. As for me, I am a proud graduate of the Liberal Arts school of "I don't care HOW it works, as long as it works when I need it." This difference of mindset has sparked an interesting question in my professional life: Just how deep is my understanding of the organization I work for? And, more importantly, how can that knowledge help our consultants in the field?

While I have a broad understanding of how the company operates, there are never enough opportunities to share this information with the folks who need it the most - the b2bworkforce consultants working on our projects. . The real question, I suppose, is this: If each of us had the time to explore how all the moving pieces of the organization come together to make a successful B2B, would it improve our understanding of our own role in the company's success? And would it help us to enhance our client relationships and improve everyone's bottom line?

Upcoming installments of the "How B2BWorkforce Works" series will explore: The Sales Team, our Delivery Team including the Talent Delivery Center, the Human Resources Department, our Recruiting and Accounting teams and, of course, our Consultants in the field. Each installment will include helpful tips on how to get the most out of b2bworkforce and make sure that we are delivering the kind of service to clients that brings in repeat business for all of us.

It seems appropriate to begin this series with a simple, but helpful tip: A list of who to call at B2BWorkforce when you have questions:

Who to call	Role	Phone#	Email
Resource Manager	Call every time you have a project related update or question.
Carol Newberger	Contracts Admin/Benefits	770-667-7223	cnewberger@b2bworkforce.com
Heather Arnold	Human Resources:	770-667-7215	harnold@b2bworkforce.com
Jean Decker	Immigration Specialist	678-597-3235	jdecker@b2bworkforce.com
Ryan Lenox	Asset Retention Manager-Time/Expense Entry questions	770-667-7221	rlenox@b2bworkforce.com
Payroll- W2	Joe Lepore	770-667-7216	jlepore@b2bworkforce.com
Invoicing/Accounts Payable	Kelly Johnson	770-667-7222	kajohnson@b2bworkforce.com

A series of articles exploring "How B2BWorkforce Works" won't solve all the mysteries of B2BWorkforce or the ERP software consulting universe. I do believe, though, that it can help us understand how, we, whether serving as a consultant in the field or as a member of the staff in the Atlanta office, can assist the company in reaching its goals. Better yet, it just may help us understand how by working together, we can each benefit when those goals are met. Until next month, may we each keep doing what we do best!

HR Updates

B2BWorkforce Consultants,

Thank you for completing the B2B Consultant Survey focused on helping us maintain and improve our programs for consultants like you. We hope to have the data aggregated and able to provide reports back to you so you can see how we are doing soon.

All W2 employees will be receiving another survey in February that is critical in helping us shop for Medical and Dental Carriers for the upcoming insurance open enrollment that happens in April/May of this year. This may seem early, however, we shop well in advance in order to be able to provide our employees with the best possible healthcare coverage we can. Your answers are anonymous, and will help us to receive accurate rates and coverages for the June 1, 2007 renewal.

As a W2 hourly employee, you are currently eligible for group healthcare coverage on your 9 month anniversary with B2B Workforce. Even if you have not yet qualified to enroll, please provide your feedback to this survey that you will receive from our HR Department during the month of February.

Heather Arnold
Director of Human Resources

Oracle- In the News

CHICAGO (AP) - In the upcoming 2010 census, the Census Bureau for the first time will equip its temporary work force of 500,000 people with hand-held computers made by Harris Corp. (HRS), to help them make a more precise count of more than 300 million people living in the 50 states and Puerto Rico.

Every decade since 1790, the government has painstakingly counted the residents in each household. They do a pretty good job, with historical accuracy to half of 1 percent, according to Preston Jay Waite, Associate Director for the Decennial Census. To be even more accurate, and save both time and money, the agency hired outside contractors for the 2010 census to supply the wireless computers, linked to a nationwide data collection system.

B2BWorkforce's CEO Tim Shearer commented on this article:

An AP article from early this morning describes the Census Bureau as going high tech. As many of you know, B2B Workforce has been a major contributor to this effort through Accenture. We have had up to 28 people on this project and continue to have over 20 supporting the final testing, dress rehearsals and the incremental builds that will occur.

Click here to see the entire article on USA Today online

Other recent Oracle Headlines:

Oracle Announces Availability of PeopleSoft Enterprise Campus Solutions 9.0

130 New Enhancements to the Application Suite to Help Higher Education Institutions Meet and Adapt to Changing Needs of Their Constituents

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) today announced the availability of Oracle's PeopleSoft Enterprise Campus Solutions 9.0, which will help higher education institutions more effectively manage the entire student lifecycle -- from recruiting and admissions to student services and alumni relations -- in a flexible, secure environment. The new release will feature more than 130 enhancements.

Today's higher education institutions face mounting pressure to recruit the best students, retain quality staff, comply with complex regulations and minimize costs. PeopleSoft Enterprise Campus Solutions 9.0 provides higher education institutions with a flexible framework for addressing these challenges, allowing them to implement the modules they need, when they need them, to address their unique challenges. The new release will help institutions improve recruiting, student/alumni relationships and fundraising performance; provide access to personalized, easily navigated information; and enhance data security. It will also improve efficiency through self-service capabilities and the integration between Campus Solutions and PeopleSoft applications for customer relationship management and human resources applications.

Click here for the full article

Oracle Promises Easier Upgrade to E-Business Software Suite

Rolls out first major release in six years, hopes to avoid previous migration woes

February 05, 2007 (Computerworld) -- NEW YORK -- For the first time in six years, Oracle Corp. is shipping a new version of its flagship E-Business Suite applications, and company officials vowed last week that upgrading won't be as challenging as moving to the last release was.

During a launch event here, Oracle announced the availability of E-Business Suite 12, saying the new software is easier to use than its 11i predecessor and more tightly integrated with the company's Fusion Middleware technology and the various other business applications Oracle has acquired in recent years.

Click here to see the full article

SAP- In the News

SAP Executive Management Validates Enterprise Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) Vision with Members of America's SAP Users' Group

Shai Agassi Addresses ASUG Northern California Chapter Meeting

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Americas' SAP Users' Group (ASUG), the world's largest customer-run community of SAP professionals, announced that Shai Agassi, President of SAP's Product and Technology Group and member of the Executive Board, presented the keynote address at today's meeting of the ASUG Northern California Chapter in Palo Alto, California.

In addition to discussing SAP's vision and delivery on Enterprise Service Oriented Architecture, Mr. Agassi also shared SAP's focus on simplicity of consumption for its customers. He then spoke about the power of SAP's growing ecosystem of developers, partners, and business process experts leveraging enterprise SOA to transform IT into a strategic asset in today's new business environment

Click here to link to the full article

SAP to Bridge Business Gaps with New SAP xApp
Sales and Operations Planning composite app aligns enterprise on plan to meet

Walldorf, Germany - February 6, 2007 - SAP AG has released the newest in its portfolio of SAP xApps composite applications that is designed to help companies overcome long-standing hurdles to achieving operational, sales and financial goals. Built on the SAP NetWeaver platform, SAP xApps tap reusable functions, or "services," from existing IT systems, enabling and automating innovative processes that improve collaboration among business units and with business partners.

Available in ramp-up for first customers in March 2007, the SAP xApp Sales and Operations Planning (SAP xSOP) composite application is expected to help companies align business units on the best-suited, lowest-risk plan for financial success. The application will enable finance, sales, purchasing and production departments to collect, analyze and track all sales and operations planning (S&OP) data in a central location, reducing the time information workers spend hunting down data and enhancing information visibility for decision makers.

Click here to link to the full article

Health Tip from WebMD

Take Your Diet on the Road
Traveling doesn't have to land you in fat city

By Carol Sorgen
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic

Whether you're headed home for the holidays, taking off on a long-planned vacation, or traveling for business, being on the road can wreak havoc with the best-laid eating plans. Is it possible to stick to your diet -- or at least avoid gaining weight -- while you travel?

Yes, experts say, but it does take some planning.

Fern Reis, chief executive officer of the branding company Expertizing.com, has developed her own system for eating healthy when on the road. She travels with plastic Ziploc bags of raw vegetables, dried fruit, nuts, crackers, and a jar of peanut butter.

"Not only does this keep me on my diet, but it also protects me from starvation (or more likely, overeating) when delays occur on airplanes," says Reis. "It's not that difficult to stick to your diet when you're in a restaurant at a time when you're supposed to be eating; it's those, 'Oh, my god, it's 3 p.m. and I'm starving because I'm still on this airplane! that kill you."

Kathy McCabe, editor and publisher of the travel newsletter Dream of Italy, has developed her own tricks for sticking to her diet in what she calls "the land of carbs."

"It's hard to fight off packing on the pounds in Italy," says McCabe. Following the Italian way of living -- no snacking and lots of walking -- helps, but McCabe has also taken to bringing a box or two of bran bars with her.

"They have lots of nutrients and fiber, so I'll have one with my morning coffee instead of having a roll or pastry as the Italians do, or I'll have one as a snack," she says.

Pack Your Snacks

Reis and McCabe have the right idea, say nutrition experts.

"You never know when there will be long delays when you're traveling -- especially around the holidays -- so if you plan ahead, you won't be stuck going to the first fast-food place you find," says Samantha Heller, MS, RD, senior clinical nutritionist at New York University Medical Center.

Some portable snack options include:

• Raw nuts (but keep the portions to about 1/4 cup) and soy nuts
• Fresh or dried fruit
• Bagels
• Pretzels
• Low-sugar granola bars
• Low-fat energy bars
• Mini carrots
• Bottled water

FUN STUFF

Are you ready to try out a few more time wasters on the web? Well, this first site may actually prove useful.

Check out www.dealcatcher.com for deals on an array of products. Deals change daily, but when I browsed I saw a name brand ladies cashmere sweater advertised for less than fifteen dollars, numerous deals on flowers for Valentines Day, and some really great computer and electronics deals.

This next one is slightly less productive, but as far as time wasters go, at least this challenges the mind. If you have not caught on to the Soduku puzzle craze yet, this is your chance. Log on to www.websudoku.com for the most fun you will ever have arranging the numbers 1 through 9.

What are your favorite fun sites to visit? Email me at kcaruso@b2bworkforce.com and we will feature some of them in an upcoming edition of this newsletter