Page 39 of The Estate
After pausing for a moment, she logged onto her computer and started compiling the information. She saw that Seth had been going through her notes, adding a few comments and questions. Today’s focus was pulling together White Hall Estate’s financials.It’s hard to see where it could go if you didn’t know where it was.
Seth found her later, hunched over her computer, scowling. His knock on her doorjamb startled her. “Oh hi, Seth. Sorry. I was completely absorbed with something.”
“Seems that way,” he replied. “Sorry to disturb you. I was merely checking in but can come back later.”
“No. No,” she said, rubbing her head, only now realizing the dull throb had blown out into a full-on headache. “Now’s great. I need a break from this, anyway.” She aimed a disgusted look at her computer screen. It wasn’t the computer’s fault, but she was going with guilt by association.
“What are you working on?” he asked.
“I’m trying to pull the financial data from the software used at White Hall.” she said, wondering for the millionth time how in the world Cal got anything done with that damn software.
“I take it, it’s not going well,” he replied, settling into the chair facing her desk.
“No. It’s not. I question whether it’s the software or how it was implemented or the data entry, but whatever the issue is, it’s not giving me what I need. It might be necessary for us to do some manual entry to get the full picture.”
Seth didn’t respond immediately. After thinking through the issue he asked, “Do you think the kludginess of the system hinders the operation of the business?”
When she hesitated, he continued. “What I’m thinking is that Jay and Celeste also wanted suggestions for improving White Hall’s profitability. Can we use this software issue to achieve multiple goals simultaneously? Us recommending new software gets us a quick deliverable to the client and improved access to the data we need.”
“We’d help implement the system?” she asked. That seemed a little out there. The Fitzgeralds asked for recommendations, not an overhaul of the business.
“Yes,” Seth said, raising a finger. “Consider the hours of manual input that would be required to be done to get what we need. Now overlay the potential man hours needed for us to help put a new system in place.”
Rachel nodded. That did make sense when she thought of it that way.
“Of course, this only works if the replacement system is an actual improvement and helps long term," Seth said.
“Well,” Rachel said, thinking through the conversations she’d had with Cal. “Cal mentioned some issues with the invoicing. Now that I am more familiar with the software he uses, I understand what he’s talking about.”
“What other limitations or glitches did you find with the current system he’s using?” Seth prompted.
Rachel thought about that briefly. “Payroll could be easier. Granted there’s only three full-time, and a few part-time or seasonal employees now. But the process, especially in terms of seasonal or casual employees could be far simpler. And I think in terms of growth,” she added, warming to the idea now. “Their current software cannot manage relationships or look at the data strategically.”
“Give me an example of what you’re thinking regarding that.”
“The current system won’t let you search through past events or check the frequency of bookings by a particular person,” Rachel replied. She got lost momentarily in the possibilities, enjoying this exercise with Seth.
“For future growth, it would be important to determine the frequency and type of bookings. And the ability to pull out, say, holiday party clients and target marketing to them for early booking could be highly effective. Once you have a system thatallows for that, then you can look at profit margins based on event type, time of year, or client.”
“Good examples,” Seth replied. “I know we’ve suggested systems in the past. I can touch base with a few of the other client managers and see which ones they like. Even the one we use here in house sounds like it would be a vast improvement.”
Rachel fidgeted with her pen, “I’m sure the client managers will have names of systems that should work. Although the software will have to be well-priced, or possibly offer a tiered approach. The Fitzgeralds shouldn't sink money into the business if there is a possibility of selling. If we could implement the system in stages, that could work. We do the first bit now and then if they keep the business, other pieces like payroll could be added in the future.”
“I like that idea, Rachel.” Seth stood and rapped his knuckles on her desk. “Excellent work. Your recommendation was well thought out and insightful. I’ll get the ball rolling.”
Rachel was too surprised to say anything. She didn’t realize she had been giving a recommendation. She thought they were just tossing around ideas. That said, Seth’s words of encouragement made her do a little jig in her chair. Proving to him that she could handle large accounts was going well so far. She just needed to finish strong.
Turning back to her computer, she closed the spreadsheet she’d been working on. Time to focus elsewhere, if only for her sanity. Diving into the industry information Seth had gathered, she started crafting the report detailing the pros and cons of converting the property to a golf course.
Happy with the progress, she broke for lunch a few hours later. She was heating her leftovers in the break room when Sethwalked by.Seeing her, he backed up and walked in. “Just the person I’m looking for,” he said.
Rachel went on alert. “Oh. I’m sorry. Did you need something?”
“I have great news. I managed to get the Fitzgeralds on the phone and the upgraded software is a go.”
Rachel’s stomach dropped. “What?” she asked, thoroughly confused.What did he mean he’d talked to the Fitzgeralds? Wasn’t he going to research software systems?That’s what she thought he meant.
“I put a call into Jay and Celeste,” Seth explained, his manner upbeat, certainly not picking up any of the dread currently washing over her. “They returned the call, and we had a very productive conversation. They agree with your recommendation about implementing a new system.
