FREE Users Group Training!

Live in the Midwest and need some training on purchasing or inventory control? Well, the Eclipse Users Group is offering some, for free! On June 15, the UFO is providing a no-cost, in-person Purchasing Workshop, and an Inventory Control/Surplus Workshop on June 16 near Chicago, Illinois. These full-day classes are recommended for purchasing managers, buyers and inventory managers. Zerion’s Rick Canida will be the instructor.

There are also virtual, fee-based classes available in June, including auto pricing update, spooler upload, sales budgeting, month-end, and a roundtable on Eterm to Solar. To learn more or to sign up for any of these classes, visit eclipseuser.com.

FREE Users Group Training!

The merry merry month of May is bringing us some very merry training from the UFO. Why so merry? Because it’s FREE! That’s right, FREE. The Eclipse Users Group is offering a no-cost, on-site SuperUser 101 class on May 24 and a SuperUser 102 class on May 25 in San Jose, California. This class will overview the different application maintenance programs used to customize or set up your Eclipse system. Zerion’s Susan Chandler will be instructing the classes.

There are also web-based classes available in early May (auto pricing update and spooler upload); and, a mid-month, web-based roundtable on reporting (both for a small fee). To learn more or to sign up for any of these classes, visit eclipseuser.com.

Seven Ways to Rev Up Eclipse’s Reliability

Waiting, waiting, waiting … I could be billing a customer, generating a sales order, or picking an order. But instead I’m thinking about what’s for lunch while I yawn (again), finish off another cup of coffee, and continue staring at E-term’s spinning wheel of death.

Has that ever happened to you? Multiply that experience by the number of users you have on your Eclipse system, factor in the trickle down effect each user’s wait time has on other aspects of the operation, and throw in a bathroom break for good measure. It all adds up to INEFFICIENCY and LOST REVENUE.

As you may know, Eclipse is very resource intensive. Upgrading hardware is a common recommendation when you’re experiencing system issues; but, this is like getting your car re-painted … it may look prettier but it doesn’t necessarily help things run better.

My Dad always tells me that the cheapest car I’ll ever own is the one I already have. I may not always heed that advice; but, when it’s applied to the Eclipse system in a distribution company, my Dad’s really onto something. So the question becomes, how do we make the most of what we’ve got? Just like that car, it’s all about maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. And, if you’re focused on performance, a paint job should always be the last thing on your list, rather than the first. Instead, it makes more sense to invest in things that help your car deal with everyday use, like oil changes, tires, and other preventative maintenance.

Here are seven ways you can increase your system’s speed and up-time:

1. Clean up your system files. The files in your Eclipse system accumulate junk over time. These unnecessary bits of data slow down (and fill up) your server, your system and your users, just like your oil gets crud in it and slows down your car.  Eventually, if you don’t change the oil, you’ll burn up your engine and your car will come to a screeching halt. If your system has ever crashed, you know what this is like and what kind of an impact it can have on your profitability. Cleaning out those system files regularly can keep your system running like it’s supposed to.
2. Review system logs. Behind the scenes, your system has error logs. Users are oblivious to the little gems of information that are being recorded, which could help you find a problem before it shuts down your server or, worse, causes irreparable data corruption. Checking those system logs regularly could save your company a great deal of time and headache.
3. Re-start UniVerse. The UniVerse database that Eclipse runs on organizes and stores your system’s data and then retrieves it when you’re working in the system. This database is touted as being maintenance-free. While this can be true for a time, eventually the system will become unreliable, just as if you didn’t check your tire’s air pressure. You will eventually have a flat, it’s just a question of when; and, depending on your speed, whether it will be a complete blow-out or a slow leak. Truth be told, this kind of database requires regular re-starts to run efficiently and crash less frequently. And, these re-starts can also help expose issues before they get out of control.
4. Get printers running properly. Printing issues are almost always a result of database issues. When the print spooler is acting strange, tickets aren’t printing as they’re supposed to, and printers are dying or running slowly, database maintenance could be all that you need.
5. Manually accommodate for file growth. Your system has to grow to accommodate more data. Eclipse is set up to automatically do this, requiring no human intervention or system downtime (i.e. someone working on the weekend). But, this convenience factor results in a loss of efficiency and performance. If accommodation for growth on your most critical files were done manually, your system’s performance could be optimized.
6. Replenish system resources. Your system’s resources get tied up, and they don’t always get released back completely on their own. This will result in your system being short on resources; and, it will run slower and slower as time goes on. Every so often, your system’s resources need to be replenished, just as your car’s radiator needs more fluids.
7. Refresh your training account. The data in your training account needs to be updated regularly. If a change needs to be tested in your training area, it can’t be done if the information is out of date. And, training employees using old data isn’t a good use of time.

Depending on your particular system make-up and needs, some or all of these seven elements can be part of a sound maintenance program to make your Eclipse system as reliable and efficient as possible. While you can pay more attention to some of these items on your own, Zerion is available to provide you with hands-free performance optimization through our new EZ Performance program.

UniVerse DBA Joins Zerion Team

Monitoring system performance, tracking down printer problems, finding the source of system issues, setting up secure file transfer, refreshing training account data, and forms changes … Would any of that sound helpful to you?

We’ve seen an increasing need amongst Eclipse users for an independent programming and database resource that can resolve costly system challenges and increase up-time. And when our customers talk, we listen.

We’re excited to announce the addition of Susan Chandler to our Eclipse services team. Susan is a certified UniVerse Database Administrator with eleven years of experience in distribution. She comes to us from Hughes Supply/HD Supply where she monitored the performance of the Eclipse system and kept it running as efficiently as possible.

Now her specialized services are available to Eclipse users of all sizes, without the expense of an in-house or Activant resource. Susan’s unique exposure to a large-scale Eclipse environment developed her exceptional ability to understand the inner-workings of the system. She’ll be utilizing this knowledge to help Zerion customers better identify and resolve efficiency issues; and, she’ll oversee our new EZ Performance program.

Susan is a Navy veteran with a degree in Economics and Philosophy from the University of Miami. She is originally from New Mexico, and currently resides near Zerion’s home base in Orlando, Florida. Welcome, Susan!