So Simple Even a Cave Person Could Do It

I was reminded today about another one of the superior aspects of the Synchro32 software system. The Synchro32 development team released another huge batch of software updates that further expands the functionality and ease of use of the Synchro32 software system. So far in 2010, there have been a total of thirty-six feature enhancements/improvements to specific modules of the Synchro32 software contained in six distinct releases.

At Synchro32, we listen to our customers and also on-going sales prospects for improvements and expansions to the software. Not only do we listen to our customers, but internally the world-wide team is devoted to the continual "revolution" of the software by suggesting improvements and keeping our eyes on new trends and business practices. A customer in the Oceanic market may request some new feature or enhancement. Once quickly implemented, the entire worldwide Synchro32 customer base has access to this new release. A new trend or idea in Australia will quickly be available the world over. With Synchro32, it's like having your fingers on the pulse of the entire world and the entire world is at your finger tips.

There are no forms to complete for enhancements, changes, or even ideas. The Synchro32 development team actively communicates with the customer base on an on-going basis. What you need is really what you get! And, to top it all off - Synchro32 customers do not have to wait a year or more for the enhancements to be included in a release! There is no "it would be nice to have this "today", but have to wait a long time for it to be rolled out and perhaps even be voted on. Smaller metal casters have just as loud a voice when it comes to enhancements as do the mega giant metalcasters.

The Synchro32 software system was designed from the get-go to be modularized and easy to apply updates to. The entire update process to a release is so simple, effortless, and quick that "even a cave person could do it".

At Synchro32 the entire team is committed to exceeding the customers needs and expectations - every day - all day.

See you at CastExpo 2010! I'm getting excited about this.

Till next time, see you on down the road.

Bouncing Down the Road

The Synchro32 show crates are on their way to Orlando, bouncing down the road on a big 18 wheeler. Did you know it's only twenty-five days until show time? I do hope you have made an entry into your PalmPilot/Iphone/Day Planner and have made your stage coach reservation as well as lodging at the LongBranch for CastExpo 2010! Do make a note to visit Synchro32 in booth number 2101. Chris Collins, Managing Director/CEO, Simon Adlington, Synchro32 Worldwide Implementation Manager, and myself are looking forward to meeting you on the show floor!



Till next time, See you on down the road...

100th Post! Back In Lufkin

Hello and welcome to my 100th post here on my blog. I do hope you enjoy reading this sometimes useful information with brief glimpses into my rather exciting life. If you have any comments, please be sure to post them.



Friday night I traveled over to Lufkin in Deep East Texas to attend the AFS Texas meeting. There was a good crowd on hand to hear a presentation on the electrical grid in Texas. Food was most outstanding as was the fellowship. I ran into many people that I knew from having worked in Lufkin for twelve years at TF - Texas Foundries (Citation Lufkin). Unfortunately, Citation shuttered Texas Foundries a year or so ago and there will never be a metalcasting facility on that tract of land again.


Until Next Time, See you On Down the Road...

Writers Cramp Signing Drop Slips

I was reminded today of a dear friend of mine, a former college professor, PhD type (you know - Piled Higher and Deeper). I remember long ago when he came into the evening COBOL class, yea, I'm that old - I cut my teeth writing COBOL, and said that he was tired and had writers cramp from signing drop slips. Drop slips, meaning students withdrawing from his brutal class. The last day before the "drop deadline" was always tough on professors as they would have to sign many drop slips.

The reason I was reminded of this today was that since the start of the year, I've had a constant "typers cramp" of issuing quotes and this week has been especially brutal. But, trust me, I'm not complaining! I really like introducing new metalcasters to the world of Synchro32 - the worlds most affordable metalcasting specific software with the legendary support! What is unique with Synchro32 is that our quotes are extremely straight forward and easy to produce. All of our prices are highly visible in plain sight - so visible that a blind man could see the prices in an instant. http://www.synchro32.com/pricing.htm At Synchro32, we call it "clarity of pricing". There are no hidden prices, massive upfront fees, yearly maintenance fees, pricing by CPU class, etc. Nope, it's all there for the world to view. We have nothing to hide. What you see is what you pay and Synchro32 has not had a price increase in quite a while. The Synchro32 licensing is unique to the industry as well - all modules are included - there is nothing to "pick and choose from", it is concurrent based licensing that is not tied to a specific machine or user. Sign up for 25 user licenses and install it on 100 PC's - only 25 can be active at once. Simple, straight forward, flexible, and most of all fair. The new industry revolutionary SFDC - Shop Floor Data Collection Module only uses 1/3 of a license on a shop floor data collection work station.

The economic recovery is in full swing globally and New Zealand and Australia and the USA are leading the pack. All of the Synchro32 customers I have spoken with recently are seeing a very strong uptick indicator of orders on the books and the tonnages and numbers are pretty strong.

If you haven't taken a demo of the Synchro32 system, now is a perfect time to arrange one before you go to 24/7 work shifts and I will be more than pleased to scrunch up my fingers and give you an on-the-spot quote.

Till next time, see you on down the road...

To the Ends of the Earth...

Customer support before and after the sale is extremely important at Synchro32 and is constantly monitored for quality improvements. The entire Synchro32 support team under the very competent direction of Lee Mahon, Technical Support Manager, does their very best to provide legendary - outstanding - the benchmark that all others are measured up against - platinum support!

With Synchro32 not only do you get rapid response and NOT just a "blind email" saying "we have gotten your request and are processing it. Nope, nada, zero, zilch of that automated garbage. Each and every support request is handled individually and personally by a bona fide real live person. Synchro32 also does not have a voice mail maze for you to negotiate through to obtain assistance.

Synchro32 is a global company with support centers around the world providing nearly 24/7 coverage. The Synchro32 support desk is even monitored on weekends and holidays as we realize that when customers, our most valuable asset next to our people, need support - they can't wait until the next day. With customers spanning the globe with a multitude of locales, customs, and differing holidays, Synchro32 realizes that the needs of the customer must be supported. Customers in Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries can expect to receive support on the traditional Western weekend of Saturday and Sunday as in these countries these days are working days and Thursday and Friday are their days off. New Zealand, Malaysia, Australia, all celebrate different holidays and festivals. Synchro32 is there to support them as well.

What brought all of this up is that a Synchro32 customer in the Oceanic region got in touch with support today. Let me illustrate a time line of how support responded

Initial Support Request: 2010-02-16 at 18:28:51 GMT
Synchro32 Resolution Response: 2010-02-16 @ 18:34:11 GMT
Reply From Customer: 2010-02-16 @ 18:56:11 GMT

"All fixed and now going OK.
Thanks for the prompt response."

Reply from Synchro32 Support 2010-02-16 @ 18:59:21 GMT

Glad to be of assistance. Support is taken extremely seriously at Synchro32 and we all do our best to provide rapid support - even on the other side of the world.

Mind you, this customer was fifteen time zones away from North America where it was actually very early Wednesday morning.

Elapsed time from initial support to resolution response was less than six minutes!

At Synchro32, we hear from customers all the time thanking us for the rapid response to their issues, however minor it maybe. You see, we don't just have a "dedicated" support team - everyone in the company takes support seriously and constantly monitors the worldwide support system that everyone has access to. The above example is a typical response.

Synchro32 has the latest tools to monitor support and sales worldwide.

When thinking about software for your metalcasting operation, check out Synchro32 first and then benchmark all the rest against us.

Synchro32 support above and beyond the rest...

Till Next Time, See You on Down the Road...

To You It Might Look Like a Fire Hydrant

Ok, I admit it, I'm a little bit off the wall. I have this "power of observation" and a habit of making note of castings. Metal castings, you know, the kind that metalcasters manufacture. I was in Birmingham earlier this week to make a presentation with the Synchro32 WorldWide Implementation Manager Simon Adlington on costing and estimating to the AFS Birmingham Chapter. While I was at the hotel, I captured some images of castings in action.

Some see a fire hydrant or a storm water grate - common everyday objects that are often over looked and ignored. However, at Synchro32 we see METAL CASTINGS. These everyday objects are important in our world and are vital to the functioning of cities and municipalities. If your house was on fire, you certainly wouldn't want a fire hydrant to fail or if you walked across a storm water grate you wouldn't want for it to either crack and break or to be so loose fitting that you fell into the void.

Not only do I notice the castings themselves, but I look to see which metalcaster, perhaps a Synchro32 customer, made the item and try and decipher the heat/date code. If the metalcaster is not a customer of Synchro32, I wonder why not - why are they not using the most affordable metalcasting specific software in the world - whose support is 2nd to none. Synchro32 knows metalcasting. The Synchro32 software is lengendary and has been around for many moons with installations spanning the globe and if there was a metalcaster on Mars, then there is no doubt that Synchro32 would be the planetary software of choice.

Think you can't afford the best metalcasting specific software there is? Think again - just like with a fire hydrant that didn't work or a metal grate that came crashing down - you can't afford not to be using Synchro32.

Till Next Time, See you on down the road and I'm willing to bet you notice the next fire hydrant you see or storm water grate you cross - and when you do - think of Synchro32.

The Bell Tolled in Birmingham

Simon and I "rang the bell" whilst in Birmingham Alabama for the AFS, American Foundry Society, chapter meeting tonight! Both of us were presented with this most outstanding bell for being speakers at the February 2010 meeting! But in actuality, the bell rang for the entire worldwide Synchro32 team and our customer base. Because without the input and support of the Synchro32 team and the legions of Synchro32 customers, this visit would not have been possible. At Synchro32, it is truly a team effort day-in and day-out and there is certainly no "I" in team!



The course of study at the meeting was on costing and estimating and how to improve your bottom line. It was a most outstanding honor to be invited to this meeting and I met up with a number of old friends from days gone by.

Thank you Mark Cotton and the entire AFS Birmingham chapter for affording us this opportunity!

Here are a few more pictures of the meeting.

By the way, I'll be announcing our next road show stop in the coming weeks.
as the plans are firmed up. This is one presentation you will not don't want to miss!

Till Next Time, See you on down the road...