As powerful and efficient as computers are, however, it’s my opinion that computers can help a lot of people do dumb things very fast and very efficiently. They think “Now that I’m computerized, everything is going to be easy-street”. Yes, for many businesses, productivity has increased. There’s no doubt that countless man-hours are saved every day, every week and every month.

But, do you know what the biggest problem is for many of us? It’s trying to determine which computer software configuration is the best. Which combination will provide the solutions for what we need? Let’s face it – many people don’t know how to do a formal needs and resources assessment. They don’t know how to plan for their needs in the coming months let alone the coming years.

So trying to evaluate what is best and then making a final selection can be paralyzing for many of us.

Here's an interesting article I ran across the other day. Annette Petrick has hit the nail on the head here with her article, “Broker Trade Show Screams Software”. She says, it's all confusion. You may read the article here:

http://transportmarketing.com/businessinsider/guests/May_00/ broker_trade_show_screams_ software.html

I ,myself, have attended a good number of money and financial trade shows where everybody is showcasing their latest software package that will take you to peak success faster than any gold-paved road from anywhere else.

After 20-30 minutes of strolling by a number of booths - it begins to set in – confusion. I would think to myself – “Well I need to attend 2-3 trade shows just to get a good feel for what's being pitched. Then I need to attend another 2-3 shows to dig a little deeper and focus on the few that seemed to offer some tangible benefits. Then I need another 2-3 shows to make my final selection”.

So now you're looking at 7-8 years later and by then everything is obsolete. In fact, it's probably obsolete soon after the first or second trade show. Can you win at the computer/ software game? I don't know. You tell me.

About the Author:

John is sole-owner and president of Atex Freight Broker Training, Inc. and Vice President of Atex Logistics, Inc., the latter being jointly owned with his brother, James. Until recently, all freight broker training had been done over the telephone and internet. Recently, John began offering on-site freight broker training for clients in their office.