Copywriting for editorial and press releases
Press Release for ETZ Systems
Alternative headlines
Instant invoicing is here
Just a minute – how fast is your invoicing?
Timesheets that take no time at all
The way recruitment agencies handle timesheets and invoicing is about to
undergo a revolution. Thanks to a new concept from ETZ Systems, the whole
process can now be automated, providing massive savings in time and costs.
With Document Process Manager (or DPM for short) there is no need for time-consuming, error-prone transcribing of timesheets into your pay and bill system. No more envelope stuffing and filing. No more phone calls from candidates wondering what the hold up is, or clients querying mistakes. In short, no more hassle!
As the business process outsourcing company, Hydra, found to their delight, there was no financial outlay in expensive new hardware or software either. Their timesheet processing and invoicing has been transformed since they started using DPM. Whereas previously it took days to get the invoices to their clients after receiving timesheets, it now takes just sixty seconds! In other words, the invoicing process is now virtually instant.
As Laurent Drouin, managing director of Hydra, puts it, “The thing we liked about DPM was that it integrated seamlessly with our current pay and bill systems.” In fact, the beauty of DPM is that it is compatible with virtually every front and back office software on the market, and it can be up and running in days, not months. What’s more, it’s all strictly ‘pay-as-you-go’, so there’s no upfront investment in hardware, software or technical staff.
In fact, virtually all you need to take advantage of the unique DPM system is a web browser. That’s because all the processing of your timesheets and invoices takes place remotely in ETZ’s secure data centre. Your candidates log in over the web to enter their hours, send signed timesheets and get an instant email and SMS text message acknowledgement. It will even send them a timely reminder if they’re late.
The invoice is then created automatically and emailed to your client, along with a PDF of the timesheet. Nobody in your business need touch a single sheet of paper.
DPM is set to make a big impact in efficiency for all recruitment agencies, and can do wonders for relations with both clients and candidates, not to mention faster payment and an end to error disputes. In a world where the recruitment sector is constantly bombarded with new business technology, this is one that can really make a difference.
Editorial copy for Lunn Poly In-house mag
Floridaaaaah!
40 very lucky winners of our Lunn Poly/Unijet competition jetted off for a cruise and stay holiday in Florida last December. Pauline Figg of Sheerness, who gives this report, still hasn’t got her breath back.
We all know Americans like things larger than life, but nothing could have prepared us for this.
After an initial night in Florida we boarded the ms Fantasy, our floating home for four nights. It was out of this world. Imagine cruising the Bahamas on a ship so luxurious it matches any 5 star hotel. Our every need was pampered to. There were lavish boutiques, spas and hairdressers, a well stocked library and a games room just in case you got bored with the sun-deck. It may have been Christmas, but we were all determined to go home with tans as well as gifts.
Kids are big business in America and everywhere you go are treated like royalty. The ms Fantasy was no exception with a Children’s Club that parents had trouble tearing their little darlings away from.
Nightlife on board was great. At the Electricity Dance club you could join in Line Dancing with the people who invented it (most of the people on board were American.) Or indulge in a cocktail or too - much more generous than ours - at the Majestic bar or catch a cabaret in one of the themed lounges. Service is superb - American’s expect nothing less. But do note they have rather different views on some things, like no drinking under 21 and, in the case of ms Fantasy, no mixed rooms for unmarried under 25s. Life could be a bit too sober - not to say frustrating - for people in this age group.
Ports of call
First stop was Freeport with its bustling markets and bazaars - ideal for unusual gifts and unbelievable duty free bargains! Our next port of call was Nassau - the capital of the islands - where we took a water-ferry to Paradise Island, which is exactly like it sounds - heaven on earth. The 5T Atlantis hotel here is something else. It even has its own sea-life centre with shark pools in the hotel grounds, and casino rooms if you fancy a flutter. Then it was back to Florida and on to Orlando - the climax of the trip.
International Drive is the main strip for shops and hotels in Orlando. Though not exactly awe-inspiring in itself - all a bit too spread-out for my taste - the individual features have all the panache you’d expect. Gateway Inn where we stayed, just off International Drive, was very friendly, offering good, comfortable accommodation, but though pretty luxurious by British standards didn’t have all the frills we were rapidly getting used to. Ideal though for tourists on a budget.
For those with a few more dollars more, Sheraton World immerses you in American opulence. Kids are well catered for with Daisy Dolphin breakfasts, and there are also four rooms for handicapped guests. Embassy Suites were also excellent with apartments set around a quadrangle overlooking some inspired water features. But I fell in love with Days Inn because this was a real Family hotel with a capital F. Kids even had their own booking-in desk. Shades of Disney here with a brilliant fun fort in the middle of the swimming pool. Highly recommended.
Or for self-catering types, facilities don’t come much better than a Holiday Home in Kissimee. It’s a chance to live like a native American - quite a rich American at that because the homes come with their own pools.
Along for the ride
In Orlando you could end up believing the whole world has turned into a theme park. We sampled a couple of the best, including Magic Kingdom in Disney World and Universal Studios. I’d expected Disney World would make Euro Disney look like a poor relation, but not so. They compare pretty well and with some of the rides, like Space Mountain, Euro Disney actually has the edge. However, one of the best rides in the world for the truly masochistic has to be the awesome Tower of Terror at Universal Studios. But make sure you experience it before lunch, not after!
Of course, Disney really is a force to be reckoned with in Orlando. Even the best night-spot, Pleasure Island, is a Disney production. The night we went the joint was jumping with as many locals as tourists, and the revolving dance floor all added to the bonhomie. It was a tremendous experience, climaxing with glitter cascading from the ceiling.
That’s entertainment
Another must is the Belz Shopping Centre - you could spend a week in here, never mind an afternoon. The price tags on big name items like Calvin Klein and Belz are unbelievably low. It was like an all year round Sale to us Brits. I was wishing I’d bought another suitcase. Then for a great meal it was down to Chinatown. You could believe you’d been transported to the country itself, it was so exotic and different - it even had its own Great Wall and Stone Army, not to mention constant entertainment.
In the end, it’s the entertainment you remember most. The Floridans - if that’s the right word - have it down to fine art. You’re on a high of fun and excitement all the time. The food is superb, the people are so friendly - it all adds up to that overworked phrase ‘the dream holiday’ - but this really was it. So many thanks to Sarah, Wendy and Amanda for giving us such a tremendous educational.
Press Release for Library Trade Magazines
How modern media could revive the traditional book.
We all know the role of the library is changing, and with the easy attractions of internet access, DVDs CDs and the like, it can seem as if the importance of the conventional book is being overshadowed by the presence of newer, more instantaneous communication.
Yet books still matter. They provide a unique experience which most libraries want their visitors to enjoy, and besides, without authors, readers and books, has a library lost its true identity? Yet the question remains: how are traditional books going to compete for attention in the environment of a 21st century library?
In fact, the answer could lie in a new product that works by harnessing the immediacy and impact of modern multimedia to direct people towards the pleasure and interest of simply reading a book. The product is called Wonderwall, and its name is a good indication of what it achieves.
How Wonderwall works
To the casual observer, Wonderwall looks like a fairly normal, though stylish, set of shelves, and it provides libraries with an eye-catching way of highlighting individual titles. But there is more to Wonderwall than meets the eye because as soon as a book is taken it triggers a media event on an LED display housed in the unit.
The potential reader is immediately given an opportunity to find out more about the book they have in their hand. This could range from a simple synopsis to a full multi-media presentation by the author themselves, giving a personalised overview of the title and speaking directly to their target audience.
The birth of a new promotional tool
It was while working with the University of Central Lancashire that the company 2CQR, who were already the market leader in installing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in libraries, came up with the idea of Wonderwall to answer the needs of academic staff who needed a better way to promote their books.
Wonderwall has come a long way since its early beginnings and is now a fully developed product, ranging from large freestanding units to compact desktop models, that can be custom built in a range of colours to suit any library’s requirements.
As well as its primary use as a book promotion tool, it has a host of other functions, such as a catalogue and web searcher, reader guide, picture or movie display and can even be connected to Neilson Book Data. With a little imagination, the Wonderwall becomes a vital element in a library’s communication arsenal, particularly effective for special events or the display of collections.
A glimpse of the future
A fascinating insight of Wonderwall at work ‘in the field’ is at Haringey Public Libraries were they are using it to help children’s literacy and increase their interest in books and local authors.
As Lesley Pink, Haringey’s ICT and systems manager puts it: “the children just love it, and Wonderwall has proved so popular that most of the time we’ve issued all the author’s books and have to use photocopies.” In fact, Wonderwall has proved so much in demand that Haringey have placed an order for three more.
It’s perhaps because the manufacturers 2CQR have over two decades experience of working with libraries on their security and self service technology that they have been able to fulfil a vital need so effectively. For Chris Robb of 2CQR, “the positive feedback we’ve received from users has been incredible and we’re just so pleased that Wonderwall is being put to such great use.”
For more information on the Wonderwall you can contact 2CQR on 0845 88 22 778 or email info@2cqr.com.