One of the things I’m really loving about this new job is how I get to spend time with some really wonderful people. I bumped into Jeff Lewis at the AIA Convention in San Antonio. His firm, LTC Associates, purchased 15 seats of ArchiOffice last year after the AIA Convention in Los Angeles but really has had difficulty implementing it. They received training from our Support staff, but really needed more attention. I can’t tell you how much it hurts to hear of firms that have our software - but just aren’t using it properly. It occured to me that I should just spend some time working with his office to help them understand not just HOW ArchiOffice works - but WHY.

So, like any good “Southern boy,” Jeff offers not only to take care of my travel expenses, but recommends I have my wife come so we can use his condo in Myrtle Beach over the weekend. Having never been anywhere in South Carolina, I did the only responsible thing - and accepted his generous offer. It doesn’t stop there. Jeff and his colleague, Kathy Taylor are waiting for me at the airport. My own wife doesn’t even pick my up at the ariport! I was expecting to get right to work. But no-no. That’s not how it’s done down South. First: drinks (my usual - iced tea), at a tavern near the hotel, and dinner at the wonderful Garibaldi Cafe - where I had the famous Crispy Flounder (glazed with an apricot-shallot sauce), it’s not just a unique dish - but totally memorable! Thanks again, Jeff.

Between the fabulous lunches and dinners, I even snuck in a few hours to work with his office today. And what a great office it is. Good Architects understand the importance of the quality of our environment and LTC’s office, both in its design and atmosphere - is a place anyone would be happy to work. “What? It’s 5pm already. Do I have to go home?”

Tomorrow, I’ll spend another day working with some folks from the office to help them really understand the integration of ArchiOffice with their accounting software, how to set up the document notebook/tab system and templates to match the way their firm does business. You don’t have to change your business to work like ArchiOffice. It’s the other way around.

Bottom line: if your firm, is like Jeff’s, and you know that ArchiOffice isn’t really being put to its full potential in your firm, please contact me. I’d like nothing more than to visit your office, learn about how your firm operates and help you tweak ArchiOffice to work for you.