Manage for Competitive Advantage

Composites business owners should take more advantage of information technology, says Tom Deller, president of Danicose Inc., a Chagrin Falls, Ohio-based consultancy. In his education session Manage for Competitive Advantage at C+P 2009, Deller will focus on how IT systems can help owners and entrepreneurs streamline their management functions, which include planning, leading, organizing and controlling.

Adopting robust IT systems is important because they help integrate day-to-day tasks performed in various departments. For instance, data on sales calls and bookkeeping can more easily be aggregated and shared with the right technology. “You need to see the interrelationship of these different departments, and what better way to do that than with information technology?” IT systems are also necessary to collect date for other reasons, such as ISO certifications. “You’ve got to generate or actively inspect and chart and understand the processes in order to control them.

Deller also will speak about the importance of continuing education, whether it’s through formal, accredited programs or informal classes. “You can take courses in selling, management and finance areas. These are all courses that can be taken through the years,” he says. “There are a million of them. You need a constant ongoing involvement in some kind of educational process that builds on your experience."