In this issue:
Real-time Performance Monitor 1.1 available soonThe newest version of Karmak’s Real-time Performance Monitor, Version 1.1, will soon be available for general release. RPM is a browser-based dashboard of real-time business data, displayed in customized views.
In addition to continuing to support service departments, this new release of RPM will support an interface to the ProfitMaster Sales Management module. The Sales Management interface allows you immediate access to data on customers, units for sale or on order, sales worksheets, local purchase orders, flooring, open deals, and invoice deals.
The following are just a few of the many enhancements applied to this version of RPM to make your interaction with the software as easy as possible.
Additional improvements have also been made to RPM to enhance your ability to control and customize the program’s appearance. Changes have been implemented to allow you to adjust font sizes, alter or remove grid lines, add your own company image to form table headings, alternate background colors to improve readability, and change column widths.
If you have questions regarding Real-time Performance Monitor, contact your Karmak sales representative, or call 1-800-622-6311.
With pilot testing successfully completed, the GM RIM software interface has been certified by GM for the Karmak Legend system.
RIM is a new module that provides GM dealers with automatic management of their parts inventory. Dealers transmit parts history, daily sales, and inventory data from their Legend systems back to GM, via Karmak, for analysis. GM, in turn, transfers suggested returns and purchase order information, again via Karmak. This makes it easy for dealers to order parts and manage their inventory, and keep that inventory current and relevant to their daily business.
RIM is currently offered only for dealers using the Legend system.
The following are required to run the GM RIM module successfully on your computer:
GM has made it a priority for all of their dealers to implement this software. Contact your Karmak sales representative, or call 1-800-622-6311, for pricing and additional information.
While HP has announced plans to phase out its AlphaServer systems, Legend customers can be assured that Karmak has a plan in place to protect your investment. In preparation for a smooth transition to HP's new Integrity system, we've performed extensive testing on Legend software on Integrity servers. As a result, we will soon be running Karmak's internal accounting with the Legend Accounting system on the Integrity server. We are continuing to test Legend on Integrity, and we will release it to customers in the near future.
In addition, HP is committed to supporting OpenVMS for the long term. New releases of OpenVMS for both the AlphaServer and Integrity platforms are already scheduled through 2010, and support will continue well beyond that date. HP Integrity servers utilize the latest technology from Intel, the Itanium family of 64-bit processors. The OpenVMS operating system is available now for the Integrity family of servers from HP, providing an easy migration path from the AlphaServer platform. Continued>
Karmak website redesigned with viewers in mindThe Karmak corporate website, www.karmak.com, has been totally redesigned to make it easier for visitors to locate specific information on our products and services. The new site features improved site navigation and numerous updates, including these additions:
In addition, you'll find the latest training and conference schedules, online registration, and easy ways to request a demo or contact Customer Support, Sales, and other Karmak staff members. Future plans include major enhancements to the Customer Confidential site.
We welcome your suggestions on how we can improve our website. Use our Feedback Form to send us your comments.
Rob Howes, Regional Manager, and Richard Schien, Chairman, represented Karmak at the Heavy Duty Distributors Council 22nd Annual Business Conference in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada June 3-6. The HDDC serves the heavy duty truck and trailer industry in Canada. Attendance at this year's meeting may have been the highest ever. Rob's ability to speak with members in either French or English was a great asset. The concluding banquet opened with the Quebec Trio—Richard Schien, Al Tucker from HDDC, and Dean Clarke from Tenneco, Inc.—singing "The National Anthem" and "O Canada". For more information on HDDC, visit their website at www.hddc.on.ca.
Karmak was represented at the annual Truck Pride Meeting in Tucson, Ariz. on May 24-28 by Area Managers John Stasko and Jeff Eudy. There were 89 warehouse distributors in attendance. Truck Pride is part of one of the largest auto and heavy duty parts distribution and marketing organizations in North America. The meeting next year will be held in Palm Springs, Calif. For information on Truck Pride membership, visit www.truckpride.com.
The 15th annual ATD/NADA program combined six weeks of classroom instruction with 45 weeks of focused in-dealership work experience from June 6, 2005 to April 21, 2006. The students spent one week out of every two months in class at NADA headquarters in McLean, Va., located about 20 minutes from Washington's Dulles International Airport. The curriculum began with a study of financial management and then proceeded to focus on each of the revenue-generating departments within the dealership. The graduation week addressed successorship and general dealership management topics.
Congratulations from Karmak to these graduates!
Bill Healy
Karmak recently announced that J. Richard Schien, President and CEO, is now the company’s Chairman of the Board. Bill Healy, Executive Vice President of Karmak, has been promoted to President and CEO.
J. Richard Schien has been the driving force behind Karmak since he founded the company in 1981. He initially served as Vice President, and has served as President and CEO since 1984. Over the past 25 years Schien has grown Karmak from 2 customer business systems with 3 locations in 1982 to presently almost 500 customer systems with over 1,800 locations throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. In his new position, Schien will continue to play a key role at Karmak by focusing on strategic planning while continuing to serve as a key company spokesperson.
Bill Healy joined Karmak in June 1986. In 1989, he was promoted to Vice President of Operations, and was then again promoted in 1999 to the position Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. As Executive Vice President, he has been responsible for research and development, sales, marketing and customer support. As President and CEO he will add finance and administration to his responsibilities. Continued>
Karmak recently named Bob Reiher as the new Director of Software Development. In his new position, Reiher will oversee over 25 employees in Legend, .NET, and Liaison and Conversion Development, as well as the Legend Quality Assurance, Internal Training, and Price File departments.
Reiher comes to Karmak from Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation in Alton, Ill., where he served as the Manager of Mid-Range Systems. In this capacity, Reiher oversaw 11 systems administrators for Smurfit-Stone’s medium and large scale computer systems, and focused on project management for infrastructure projects concerning these systems. Reiher has a B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Illinois, and an M.S. degree in Space Science from the University of Houston–Clear Lake.
You won't want to miss our 2006 conference—"Teammates in Technology"—at the Hilton at the Ballpark in downtown St. Louis. We are excited to bring you the latest technology tools, as Karmak celebrates its 25th year as an innovation champion.
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Plus, you’ll learn our game plan for our new ProfitMaster product line, and have a chance to give us your input on future Accounting and Parts/Inventory modules. Watch your mail for the complete schedule and registration information coming soon.
We're now offering training sessions for our newest software line, designed for ProfitMaster users running either Legend or INFO 5 business systems. Currently scheduled Webinars and classes include:
Visit our ProfitMaster Training web page for details and online registration.
Get the most out of your Legend system with intensive classroom training at the Karmak Training Center, or attend cost-effective Webinars from your location. Currently scheduled sessions include:
| Webinars - 10:30-11:30 am Central Time |
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| Visit our Legend Training Center web page for class descriptions and registration information. Out of the office during scheduled Webinars? Not a problem. Give us a call at 1-800-252-7625 and we will schedule one at a time convenient for you. |
Increase your efficiency on the INFO 5 software package with our latest training offerings. Come to the Training Center at Karmak’s Springfield, Mo. office, or attend convenient Webinars from your location for a low fee. Currently scheduled Webinars and Training Center classes include:
| Training Center Classes | Webinars - 10:30-11:30 am Central Time |
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Visit the INFO 5 Training Center web page for class descriptions and online registration. For questions regarding INFO 5 training or to request custom Webinar sessions, please call 1-800-865-8991 or e-mail .
Call the Director Series Help Desk at 1-866-856-4846 to schedule a WebEx training date after Director Series has been installed on your server. For more on other training options, contact Jim Vanderpoel, Director Series Manager, at 1-866-856-4846, or e-mail .
Windows-based ProfitMaster modules available nowThe following ProfitMaster modules are now available for Karmak business systems, and ready to assist in managing your company and improving your profits in the following departments:
| New and used truck sales: Sales Management |
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| Parts sales: Internet Parts Sales |
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| Parts inventory: Bar Code Receiving |
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| Service: Real-time Performance Monitor |
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For more on ProfitMaster, including current and upcoming modules, visit our ProfitMaster web page, contact your Karmak sales representative, or call 800-622-6311.
In response to numerous requests, Salesman Commission/Table Maintenance (AR929) has been enhanced to make commission setup easier than ever before. Mass Copy and Change routines under the Table option have been added to save you time and frustration when maintaining commissions.
The Change routine will now allow you to change the Minimum Profit % and Commission % fields for a record, rather than deleting and creating a new record to make these changes. The Mass Copy routine is even more of a time-saver. You can now copy records from one salesman to another salesman, and this can be done by salesman and vendor. For example, if you have five parts salesmen who each have the same commission setup, you only need to set up that table once, and then mass copy to the other four commission records.
You must be running Legend Version 5.9 to use these enhancements. Contact Shawna Morton at 1-800-252-7625 or to order your Version 5.9 upgrade. If you are already using 5.9, see your DocWizard Documentation CD for details on using these features, or contact the Accounting Support Group at or 1-888-671-6009 for assistance.
Hot tipsProfitMaster Sales Management 1.5 is coming soon. Whether you are currently running a prior version of ProfitMaster or preparing to install the newest version, there are some steps you can take now to make the upgrade or install a smooth process. The following checklists outline the steps to a seamless upgrade/install:
New e-mail for your billing and account questionsTo assist you with questions on your billing statement or account status, we have set up a special e-mail address for the Karmak Accounting Department. This new option offers you an added convenience in addition to regular service. Keep the address below handy for future reference.
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Karmak CompassThe purpose of Karmak Compass is to keep all our customers informed of current activities within the Karmak family. This newsletter is designed for both technical and non-technical readers.
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