BACK CHAT FROM THE USA
So how many of you got treats OR any tricks pulled? No one! Ok I wonder what Nicky from Fort Dix McGuire got looking like this. Probably an increase in business - oh wait, she gets that every week anyway!!!!
BACK CHAT FROM EUROPE
Written and composed by Trevor Scarratt
INTRODUCTION...
Welcome once more to Back Chat Europe, the forum which enables us Export Guys to learn a bit about our business and each other and, in so doing, to have a bit of fun too! I wish to thank all of the contributors to this edition and to invite those of you who didn’t participate this time to do so for future editions. Don’t forget, this is Our Own magazine and it is only as good as the material that goes into it, so please keep the information conveyor belt rolling!
DOWN ON THE FARM...
Here is a story (once more) from “Don Vicenzo” Vince Blackett concerning that most stressful of pastimes: Moving house. Here is Vince’s tale in his own words (with some tweaking from myself).
“Well it’s been about a year since I moved into this almost 180 year old farm, complete with cow & pig stalls, rabbit hutches, five storey hay barn, wine/beer cellars and a small garden and patio - that’s the outside. The living rooms were a total disaster, every room presented a new challenge, but at long last I have got it all under control. So now I’m thinking of a new career in house renovating in three years when I retire and if any of you readers need a kip if you’re in the Stuttgart area there’s plenty of room down at the farm. Moooooo for now”.
Vince, it sounds as if your farm could accommodate us all!
AN EMPEROR’S NEW EXHIBITION...
Here is a contribution from myself concerning a remarkable exhibition that’s currently taking place in the City of Trier here in Germany. Before explaining more I will pose you this little quiz: What do the words and names Sunday, Soldier, Istanbul and St Peter’s (in Rome) have in common? Well the answer is Constantine the Great. This famous Roman Emperor has close connections to Germany’s oldest city, but he also has a connection to Britain because it was at Eboracum (today’s York) that he was declared Emperor in the first instance. The collection of Memorabilia is quite vast, spread out over three of Trier’s museums and includes Roman armour, swords, pottery and countless coins from all over Europe. To list Constantine’s achievements would make a good sized volume; but it is important to say that his influence on European history was important and you will see why when I explain how his life ties in the words and names I mentioned earlier. Sunday: derives from the Latin name Dies Sol. Sol was the Sun deity worshipped by Constantine. Soldier: Constantine paid his legionaries in a currency called the Solidus, so thereafter they were named after the currency they were paid in (actually 3 Solidi a year.) Istanbul is the Turkish rendering of the name of Constantinople (the City built as Constantine’s new Capital, formerly Byzantium.) St Peter’s: It was Constantine who presented the Bishop of Rome the Lateran Palace (the Pope’s residence in Rome.)
If any of you has the inclination to see this exhibition then it’s worth the trip.
COMPLIMENTS FROM UP HIGH...
During a recent inspection at Lakenheath by two Generals and Bob Smith, Gary Bloom was complimented on the neatness of his department. Upon being informed by Gary about being awarded Manager of the Year they congratulated him and told him to keep up the good work. A big WELL DONE Gary!!....Praise like this is always welcome and reflects well on yourself and the company.
A FOND FAREWELL...
As most of you know our Man in Wuerzburg, Dave Tindell, recently moved stations to Schweinfurt.. Before his departure Dave received a well deserved presentation from Staff and Management to congratulate him on the many years of service at the Wuerzburg store. May we all echo this praise and also wish him well at his new store.
EPOS BRIGHT IDEAS
When doing our own MTM Inventories it is always important to check that the balances due are correct against the branch ledger. OASys allows us to do this quite easily. Go onto the MTM section and click Outstanding Balances; hitting the ENTER key then brings up a list of options. Select “R” for Received and this will bring up a list of held balances on orders received together with all the information about each order including the current balance. Alternatively if you just press search you can see all orders with a balance, either still in make, received or in transit. This could be easily copied onto Excel to give you an electronic branch ledger rather than having to keep a manual ledger book. Every time you take an order just update the file.
This page, together with an Order Status Enquiry, can then be printed out to aid a branch inventory.
