Reporter's Notebook

Fuel-saving, time-saving technology

The price of gas has gone down, but there’s as much chance of it staying below $2 as there is of a Northwest drought. So to cut down on travel time and costs, long-term care financial specialist Philip Shields introduced Glance software to his Battle Ground employees.

Glance is a tool that lets users see and access each other’s computer desktops from separate offices (with permission). Shields showed me how Glance works during a recent phone call. After a few mouse clicks, I could see his desktop at my own computer and I watched his mouse click through presentation slides while he explained it all to me over the phone.

It was a little spooky watching a phantom take over my monitor, but the effect was complete. I viewed Shields’ sales information, we communicated effectively and we didn’t have to drive anywhere to do it. Shields used to drive as many as 50,000 business miles per year, but now he’s down to almost zero while reaching clients as far away as Alaska.

“My sales haven’t suffered any, but my gas bill suffered” before, he said.

This post isn’t a Glance endorsement, but I am pleased to hear that such technology is helping local companies save money, make sales and serve clients. What new tools and strategies are you using in your business?

--Charity Thompson can be reached at cthompson@vbjusa.com