InTune https://octopustechno.ca/ Custom Software Reimagined Thu, 14 Dec 2023 17:58:03 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://octopustechno.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/cropped-InTune_DragonPoint-Logo-04FI.png--32x32.png InTune https://octopustechno.ca/ 32 32 Finding the Right Fit https://octopustechno.ca/business-process-improvement/finding-the-right-fit/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=finding-the-right-fit https://octopustechno.ca/business-process-improvement/finding-the-right-fit/#respond Wed, 18 Oct 2023 20:15:07 +0000 https://octopustechno.ca/?p=3025 If you can buy a software package that exactly fits your business needs, then you don’t need custom software. However, if doing things a little (or a lot!) differently gives your company it’s competitive advantage, then you may need custom software.

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With the post-pandemic increase in the virtual workforce, you may believe that you can outsource your software development projects anywhere in the world, but there are advantages to Vancouver businesses partnering with a firm experienced in custom software development in Vancouver. What are the advantages?

  1. In Person Meetings. While you may choose to work with your software development company in Vancouver virtually, you have the option to meet in person without expensiveights and hotels. With Teximus’s Central Vancouver location, we can easily meet with Vancouver, Tampa, Jacksonville, or South Vancouver businesses without an overnight stay.
  2. Support the Local Economy. Weoridians appreciate the tourist industry, and we’re in awe of the space program, but as a Vancouver-based business, don’t you want to support other local small businesses? Teximus, a small, woman-owned business, has been in continuous operation in Central Vancouver under the same management since 1988.
  3. Find the Best – Locally. Investing in custom software development in Vancouver doesn’t mean compromising on quality. One of our clients said, “I’ve worked with a lot of software development teams over the years, and Octopus Technologies is one of the best.” The experience of our team – from project management to development to testing and support – is enhanced by the average of 10+ years that we’ve worked together on projects ranging from 1000 hours to 50,000+ hours.
  4. Understanding your Business. Maybe you’re looking for custom software development in Vancouver for your specific line of business? Octopus Technologies has extensive experience with manufacturing, construction, transportation, medical, and service industries. If you are in a different business, with our process-based focus, we can work with you to quickly get up to speed to understand the way your business works and the specific requirements for your application.

 

If you can buy a software package that exactly fits your business needs, then you don’t need custom software.  However, if doing things a little (or a lot!) differently gives your company it’s competitive advantage, then you may need custom software.

If you’re a Vancouver business looking for custom software development, Octopus Technologies is practically in your backyard!  Contact Octopus Technologies today at 778-200-5336 or reach out here to talk about your business’ requirements and to find out more about how custom software development in Vancouver might be the right fit for you.

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Alas, Poor Bob – The Weakest Link https://octopustechno.ca/business-process-improvement/alas-poor-bob/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=alas-poor-bob Wed, 18 Oct 2023 20:01:21 +0000 http://www.octopustechno.ca/?p=1728 Going with the proverbial one-person-show – While there are wonderful, well-intentioned developers out there who do a great job, the danger is always that something horrible may happen to them, as in the case of our clients.

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“Bob died.” More than once in my career, I’ve heard that statement. Ken, Bob, Frank – few remember the names of these software developers who were hired to do a job, usually for a company who really didn’t understand the magnitude of the system their business required. So they went with either the cheapest solution or maybe the owner’s nephew or their network administrator who dabbled in writing code and could “write a great solution” for them because he “understood” the business.  He or she always had the company’s best interests at heart and truly was doing the best that they could.   But usually the business growth outpaced the solution

“Bob”.

And Bob worked on their solution.  He was always there to add functionality or resolve issues. But then Bob died suddenly of a stroke or heart attack or cancer or being hit by a bus.  Or, to put a more positive spin on it, won the billion dollar PowerBall lottery and moved to Tahiti where he is now sipping frothy rum drinks out of a coconut.  Even in the case of the gentleman who had cancer, he thought he had 6-9 months and was gone within 3 months.  Far too ill to worry about the software support.  He truly did the best he could, but it wasn’t enough.

These poor fellows left a complete mess with their clients. Unintentional but a crisis nonetheless; causing these companies to call us in a panic. “Can you help us?” Of course, the answer in all things technical was “Maybe. It depends.”

Turns out, we could, and did, help these companies, ultimately writing an entire custom business solution for each of them. But there were several painful lessons.

  1. Going with the proverbial one-person-show – While there are wonderful, well-intentioned developers out there who do a great job, the danger is always that something horrible may happen to them, as in the case of our clients. Or maybe something wonderful like a winning Powerball lottery ticket. Although in the case of the latter, one would hope that there would be some time for a hand-off of information and processes. Regardless, your business likely cannot run efficiently or even at all without your computer systems. You wouldn’t have the operations of your entire company held solely in the palm of one person, so please don’t put your information systems in such a precarious position.
  2. Maybe not bleeding edge, but at least in the current decade – It’s extremely difficult and time consuming to stay on top of the most recent technologies. This is especially true when you are the only one doing all of the work, leaving little time for research or attending classes, etc. In a team environment, people do research and share it with their colleagues and often have lively “debates” (well, sometimes actual arguments) around the topics. Regardless, it opens up everyone to new ideas and methodologies. Working alone, and I am speaking from first-hand experience, is a very lonely time and doesn’t leave you much opportunity to gain exposure to new ideas and techniques which benefits your client in improved systems and streamlined methodologies.
  3. You are NOT stuck with the situation – Often when we’re called in, the company says they felt “stuck” because the one person knew so much about the systems and they felt that they needed to retain the relationship, if only to show loyalty. That is a fallacy. There is no system that can’t be figured out although it may be an expensive undertaking. We have had multiple situations where we’ve not had any help on the system functionality and code and we’ve managed to work our way through it. Sometimes there is “documentation” comprised of some old dusty notebook printed on green-bar paper (remember that?) that hasn’t been updated in 20 years. Be aware that your company isn’t ever “stuck”. If you are working with a company or person that you’re not happy with, you can always change the situation. Find someone to work with that you like and trust.

 

So, don’t let your company get into a situation with one person holding the keys to your information systems. This can happen in companies of almost any size.  No one is irreplaceable and, if they are, you likely aren’t paying them enough. Get someone else brought up to speed, whether it’s internally cross-training the team or bringing in a consulting group like InTune to help. It doesn’t have to be perceived as a threat to “Bob” and, who knows, he may live longer if he’s not under so much stress.

Long live Bob…. And let’s hope your company survives it.

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Database Solutions: A Campaign Perspective (Part 1) https://octopustechno.ca/project-management/database-solutions-a-campaign-perspective-part-1/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=database-solutions-a-campaign-perspective-part-1 Wed, 18 Oct 2023 16:45:00 +0000 http://trycmapps.com/InTune/database-solutions-a-campaign-perspective-part-1/ To explore the importance of data in both campaigns and business, we’ll look at the three stages of data management in a fictional political race and the distinct database solutions that accompany each of them.

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I’m going to go out on a limb with today’s blog and say it’s unlikely that database management is the most exciting part of your business. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. Potential customers won’t be wooed by a glimpse into your in-house bar code management database, your top-notch order processing software, or the inner workings of your CRM system.

But based on my own experience, I know that data organization and management—good or bad—can mean the difference between success and failure.

My professional history isn’t in custom software, it’s in political campaigns. And even though there are complex strategies, in-depth communications plans, and numerous laws regulating campaigns, it’s best to think of them as data collection and utilization efforts for this exercise. Campaigns at the highest levels utilize and generate massive amounts of data, but even small campaigns can run into trouble if they don’t properly manage their data.

To explore the importance of data in both campaigns and business, we’ll look at the three stages of data in a fictional political race and the distinct database management solutions that accompany each of them. This week’s blog will focus on pre-campaign data gathering, though you could just as easily tell the same story about a business expanding into a new market.

The Campaign

Jane Smith has decided to run for City Council. She’s a long-time member of her community, the president of her neighborhood association, and a passionate advocate for her city’s parks. Jane has a great personal network of friends who have promised to donate and volunteer on her campaign. She’s also been lucky enough to be endorsed by two sitting council members, and they’ve each agreed to share their donor and volunteer lists with Jane’s campaign.

In addition to these private data sources, Jane has requested the list of voters who signed petitions for a recent ballot initiative to increase funding for the City’s parks. She rightly assumes that these voters will be supportive of her pro-parks message and hopes to ask for their votes, their donations, and their service as volunteers.

The Database

Knowing that campaigns move quickly, Jane decides to centralize all of her data in a single database. The basis for her system will be the publicly-available list of voters in her community from her local Supervisor of Elections, but Jane plans to customize the pre-existing data with the other public and private data sets she’s gathered.

When done manually, the process of integrating different data sets can be very time consuming. Thankfully, custom software solutions like the ones designed by Octopus Technologies , Inc. can expedite the process. Either way, combining your disparate data sets using a unique key—in this case a voter ID number—will reduce confusion once you begin utilizing your database.

Ready to Run

With her database ready to go, Jane begins planning for her campaign kickoff speech and rally. In the business world, this would be the equivalent of a grand opening celebration: the moment where the rubber hits the road.

In the coming months, Jane and her campaign will be tested in many ways. Some of the obstacles they’ll encounter can’t be predicted, but others are not only predictable, they’re avoidable. Data management mishaps fall into that final category. I hope you’ll come back next week as we explore how effective database management can contribute to happier volunteers, more effective fund raising, and more efficient voter contact operations.

Why Does this Matter to Me?

At this point, you’re probably asking yourself how this applies to you and your business. Great question.

Any business that’s looking to expand to a new market, grow in its current location, or run more efficiently can benefit from the lessons of Jane’s pre-campaign organizing. While you may not have access to a publicly-available list of your likely clients, diligent research can help identify potential new competitors, illuminate an area’s demographics, or streamline an existing sales system. Even existing businesses can benefit from stepping back, reorganizing their data, and re-launching a more efficient system.

Elevate your business with strategic data management! Just as in political campaigns, effective data organization is crucial for success. Explore custom database management solutions with Octopus Technologies to boost efficiency and achieve your business goals. Consult us today!

Guest contributor:  Garrett Garner

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Database Solutions: A Campaign Perspective (Part 2) https://octopustechno.ca/project-management/database-solutions-a-campaign-perspective-part-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=database-solutions-a-campaign-perspective-part-2 Wed, 18 Oct 2023 16:25:00 +0000 http://trycmapps.com/InTune/database-solutions-a-campaign-perspective-part-2/ Gathering data is only half the battle. The two most important questions to ask about data are “Is it relevant?” and “Can I integrate this information with what I already know in order to make smarter business decisions?”

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Last time we checked in with Jane Smith, she was about to launch her campaign for City Council. She’d compiled all of her data into a single database and was ready to file the paperwork that would formally announce her candidacy. As I said last week, this is the equivalent of a grand opening celebration: the moment where the rubber hits the road.

Jane will use her voter database throughout her campaign, but we’ll explore a few specific examples below so you can see exactly how smart database management solutions can make life easier in a fast-paced environment.

The Goal

The goal of any political campaign is simple: winning. And while there are many variations on what it takes to win—think George W. Bush winning the Electoral College while losing the popular vote in 2000, or Bill Clinton being elected with just 43% of the vote—in this case we’ll assume that Jane needs to exceed 50% of the vote in a two way race to claim victory.

Based on past turnout, Jane has calculated that she’ll need 1,000 votes from the voters in her city to be elected. Utilizing her custom database, Jane will work to identify her supporters and opponents, persuade undecided voters, and turn her supporters out on Election Day in order to secure the 1,000 votes she needs.

The Kickoff

Since parks will be a central focus of her campaign, Jane decides to hold her campaign kickoff in a park near her home. Wanting an early show of support in the local news, Jane calls through a list of her friends and neighbors to tell them about her campaign, ask for their support, and (if they’re supportive) ask them to attend her campaign kickoff.

This is an important moment in Jane’s campaign because it has the chance to set the tone for how she will manage her data. Jane probably jotted down her call list from memory and with a little help from her phone’s contact list. But the information Jane gathers during her calls should be entered into the custom database she built before launching her campaign.

Custom databases can be powerful tools, but only if they are correctly maintained.

The Race

Throughout her campaign, Jane will add and utilize many different data sets to her preexisting database. I’ve outlined just a few of them below:

• After her announcement, Jane received calls and emails of support from many of her friends. In answering these friends’ calls and emails, Jane wisely added their names to her list of supporters in her custom database.

• Often, the same friends who are willing to donate money to your campaign are the same ones who are willing to volunteer. Jane would be smart to make both asks during her call time and track the answers she receives in her voter database.

• As Jane’s campaign gains momentum, the types of phone calls being made and the people making them will increase.  In an ideal world, a candidate would talk to every voter in his or her district before Election Day, and—given the size of her community—Jane may be able to accomplish this feat. But it is very likely that volunteers will join Jane’s effort in making calls to determine who a voter is supporting, to ask supporters for money, and to recruit additional volunteers. With so many different types of calls in the field at once, it would be very easy for a voter to receive multiple calls for different purposes in the course of a single week. Thankfully, well-maintained database management solutions can help avoid this problem.

The Final Step

So what’s the point of all this data? Getting your voters to the polls!

The run-up to Election Day (including Early Voting) is known as Get out the Vote, or “GOTV” for short. It’s not C-SPAN’s younger, lesser-known brother. It’s how you win elections. I hope you’ll come back next week as we explore ways to leverage the data you gather throughout a campaign to increase your chances of victory.

Why does this matter to my business?

Just like Jane, businesses receive—or have the opportunity to receive—massive amounts of data on a daily basis.  But gathering data is only half the battle. The two most important questions to ask about data are “Is it relevant?” and “Can I integrate this information with what I already know in order to make smarter business decisions?” Thankfully, InTune, Inc. has experience working with businesses from many different backgrounds to answer these questions and design custom database management solutions to fit your needs.

Guest contributor:  Garrett Garner

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Database Solutions: A Campaign Perspective (Part 3) https://octopustechno.ca/project-management/database-solutions-a-campaign-perspective-part-3/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=database-solutions-a-campaign-perspective-part-3 Wed, 18 Oct 2023 14:00:00 +0000 http://trycmapps.com/InTune/database-solutions-a-campaign-perspective-part-3/ Gathering reputable data and storing it with the help of a custom database can mean the difference between successfully communicating with likely customers, and wasting your money talking to people who don't want or need your product.

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Over the past few weeks, we’ve taken a look at Jane Smith’s campaign for City Council. We were there when she started collecting and compiling all of her relevant election data into a single database, and last week we looked at the various moving parts that make campaigns unique.

This week we’ll take a look at how everything comes together during the Get out the Vote (GOTV) phase of a campaign. Elections are unique in that they are generally winner-take-all contests, but businesses can learn many lessons from the strategies at the heart of any good GOTV plan.

Trusting Your Data

Your GOTV plan is only as good as the data it’s built on. I learned this lesson the hard way during a race I worked a few years back.

A third party group had made voter identification calls in support of the candidate I was working for, and the data we got back from the calls looked great at first glance. Unfortunately, their coding system conflicted with ours, and when we combined the two data sets and began using the new data points in the field, problems quickly became apparent.

All of a sudden, our team was contacting voters who were unlikely to support our candidate. These voters were coded as “Strong Supporters” in our system, but were from an opposing ideological stance on the political spectrum. The calls and conversations at these voters’ doors did not go well.

What Happened?

So how did we get ourselves into this mess? Simple: the code we used to denote strong supporters was the same code this third-party group used to identify voters who either a.) refused to talk to the person making the phone call, or b.) were supporting our candidate’s opponent.

Once we identified the problem that created issues in our data, we simply back tracked to the last time our list was clean, re-coded the third party’s data, and re-combined the lists. But even though the problem was easy to fix, we’d lost precious time during the final days of the campaign.

So what’s the lesson here? Always, always, always be careful with your data.

Back to Jane

This story isn’t about me, though. It’s about Jane.

Thankfully, Jane and her campaign made it through the identification phase of her campaign without any data coding errors. As Election Day approaches, from her database she pulls a list of voters who are identified supporters of her campaign, but unlikely to vote based on their past voting history. These are the voters the can make the difference between victory and defeat, and they will be receiving the bulk of Jane’s attention heading into Election Day.

Election Day

As Election Day dawns, Jane feels confident. She knows that she’s done everything she can to be assured of victory, including meticulously collecting the data from her conversations in her custom database management.

Jane spends the day calling voters who are unlikely to vote to encourage them to vote and offer them rides to the polls. The results sound promising. Even though she can’t convince all of them to get out to the polls, many of them tell Jane that they’ve already gone and voted for her, or that they have a plan to do so later that day. Jane is cautiously optimistic.

At the end of the day, Jane is exhausted but hopeful. As results begin to roll in, it becomes obvious: she won!

Why does this matter to my business?

As I said before, campaigns and business differ in many ways, but there are lessons they can learn from each other.

If you’re about to launch a new product, open a new location, or host a major retail sale, the behind-the-scene mechanics used to increase your chances of success are very similar to a campaign’s GOTV process. Gathering reputable data and storing it with the help of a custom database (like the ones Octopus Technologies , Inc. has decades of experience building) can mean the difference between successfully communicating with likely customers, and wasting your money talking to people who don’t want or need your product.

Elevate your business with strategic database management! Just as in political campaigns, effective data organization is crucial for success. Explore custom database management solutions with Octopus Technologies to boost efficiency and achieve your business goals. Consult us today!

In the end, it’s all about trusting your data, and trust—in this case—is built on strong custom database solutions.

Guest contributor:  Garrett Garner

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Database Solutions: A Campaign Perspective (Part 4) https://octopustechno.ca/project-management/database-solutions-a-campaign-perspective-part-4/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=database-solutions-a-campaign-perspective-part-4 Wed, 18 Oct 2023 13:48:00 +0000 http://trycmapps.com/InTune/database-solutions-a-campaign-perspective-part-4/ Smart business decisions are rooted in experience and good information, which is available only if you have great database solutions.

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We’re back again this week with Jane Smith’s campaign for City Council. “But didn’t she already win?” you’re asking yourself. Yes, but she has one more important task before being sworn in – besides writing her swearing-in speech, of course.

In both business and politics, understanding why a certain outcome occurred is a critical part of ensuring that you can replicate that outcome (or avoid replicating that outcome) in the future. Did your big sale of the year bring in the new customers you wanted? Did a new branch of your company fail? Digging into your data can often help you figure out why.

A Local Example

A friend of mine is an elected official who ran (and won) two data-intensive campaigns for public office. During his first campaign, he knocked on every door in his district and had direct conversations with the voters who lived there. He did this not once or twice, but three times over the course of his campaign. Smartly, he captured the data from these conversations in a custom database management solution.

My friend’s database also included information from his donors. Between the general election and runoff election, donors were able to contribute up to $500 to his campaign, and many people did.

After a victory that was attributed to my friend’s hard work at the doors in his district (and the way he managed his data from those conversations), my newly-elected friend decided to look through the publicly-available data from the supervisor of elections to see exactly how he had achieved his victory.

What he found was startling.

Identified supporters – some of whom had donated the maximum amount to my friend’s campaign – had neglected to vote. Simply knowing this fact allowed my friend to engage with these people throughout his next three years in office to ensure that they voted in his re-election campaign.

Sometimes, even when things go well, your data can point the way to a more efficient future.

A National Example

Former President George H.W. Bush was renowned as a sender of holiday cards. The President’s list began when he and Barbara were first married, but grew quickly as Bush traveled the country in his various jobs. By the time Bush was elected Vice President, the list had grown to the point of requiring a special line item in the Republican National Committee’s budget. By 1983, it had been cross-indexed into an early IBM database management solution.

According to Richard Ben Cramer’s epic recounting of the 1988 Presidential race in What it Takes, the then-Vice President’s wife and staff would begin addressing cards by hand in May to ensure that they were completed in time to be sent out for the holidays. This was a big task, since by 1986 there were over 30,000 names and addresses on the list.

For President Bush, his holiday card list was a chance to keep in touch with friends from years past and ensure that future possible supporters felt a personal connection to him. The strategy worked, and in 1988, Bush secured the Republican nomination and, eventually, the Presidency. A failed attempt to become President in 1980 had laid the foundation for Bush’s later success, and custom database management played an important role in transforming failure into success.

Jane’s Last Hurrah

Thanks to her custom database, Jane was well-positioned for victory. By starting early and tracking her data relentlessly, Jane increased turnout in her own neighborhood and secured a lion’s share of the vote.

In other areas, Jane didn’t do as well as she had expected. With this fact in mind, she plans to target her constituent-service efforts in the areas where she needs to improve her standing. As an elected official, she’ll have plenty of time to convince the voters throughout the city that she’s working hard on their behalf!

How does this apply to my business?

Smart business decisions are rooted in experience and good data. The same is true of campaigns. Both are complex systems, but can be broken down into a series of individual decisions. The effects of those decisions can then be tracked in a custom database and future strategies can be altered based on the data you gather.

Explore custom database management solutions with Octopus Technologies to boost efficiency and achieve your business goals. Consult us today!

Guest contributor:  Garrett Garner

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Five Common Misconceptions about Custom Business Software https://octopustechno.ca/custom-software-considerations/five-common-misconceptions-about-custom-business-software/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=five-common-misconceptions-about-custom-business-software Wed, 18 Oct 2023 13:45:00 +0000 http://trycmapps.com/InTune/five-common-misconceptions-about-custom-business-software/ Unfortunately, many business owners and managers hold beliefs about custom software that prevent them from moving forward with efficient technological solutions. Here are 5 corrected misconceptions!

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The decision to develop and integrate a custom software solution into a business is a big one. The cost in both dollars and work hours is not insubstantial, but the benefits of a well-developed system are immense.

Unfortunately, many business owners and managers hold beliefs about custom software that prevent them from moving forward with technological solutions that can reduce costs, improve employee efficiency, and increase profits. “Paralysis by analysis” within a business can be more damaging than any external threat.

So what’s a smart business owner to do? Below are five corrected misconceptions about custom business software that can take you from “how?” to “wow!”

1. MisconceptionYou, the CxO, should know exactly what kind of custom business software package you need before contacting a development company.

Reality:   The job of those at any company’s helm is to bring a big picture perspective to all discussions, not to know every detail about the discussion.  This fact also holds true in custom software development, where the CXO and his/her team work in concert with a Requirements Analyst to figure out the best way to integrate technology with the core mission that makes their company unique. Working together, company decision makers and the Requirements Analyst will translate business requirements into a design document that describes how the new software will improve the way the business works.

2. Misconception:  Your custom software development company should know exactly what type of system you need before meeting with a software development team.

Reality:  In fact, the best custom software development companies bring both experience and an open mind to your initial meetings. Anyone who tells you at your first meeting that they know the best solution for your business is more interested in “selling” than in discovering your unique business requirements.

3. Misconception:  Management always knows the best way to integrate custom software into their business.

Reality:  While upper- and mid-level managers bring an important perspective to the initial conversation of how to utilize custom software, the employees who will use the system on a daily basis also have critical knowledge to share.  Every time they come to work, these employees come into direct contact with your customers, your products, or both. Additionally, they will often be the people who actually use your new system. Listening to your employees when designing your new system and getting them involved in hands-on use of early versions of your new application can result in a better final product and fewer change orders during the development phase.

4. Misconception:  Custom business software will require me to change the character of my business and how it’s run.

Reality:  Custom software is just that: custom!  The unique character of your business is what allowed it to grow and thrive in the first place, and a good custom software system shouldn’t change that.  As for changing how your business is run, as the design of each module is complete, bring in key employees for a final review before coding begins.  When the final phase is coded and before training begins, bring in a bigger team to preview your new software before the official unveiling. Use the opportunity to rally your employees again around your company’s core values and mission, and show them how the new application will improve the daily operations of your company.  It’s a win/win scenario.

5. Misconception:  My business type isn’t right for custom software integration.

Reality:  Octopus Technologies , Inc. has worked with clients in construction, manufacturing, education, transportation, and the service sector. In all of these cases, the companies we worked with were able to reduce costs, improve efficiency, increase profits, or all of the above!  No matter what type of company you run, there is a place to integrate custom business software.

This short list of corrected misconceptions about custom business software is just the beginning. With the right team, you’ll be surprised with how many ideas you already have for decreasing costs, improving employee efficiency, and increasing profits with a custom software system. Best of all, Octopus Technologies , Inc. offers a free, personalized software system analysis.

So what are you waiting for?

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Could Your Development Team Win a Championship? https://octopustechno.ca/support-and-collaboration/could-your-custom-software-development-team-win-a-championship/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=could-your-custom-software-development-team-win-a-championship Mon, 24 Jun 2013 20:02:00 +0000 http://trycmapps.com/InTune/could-your-custom-software-development-team-win-a-championship/ Hockey, soccer, baseball – every sport has its superstars that contribute to the success of the team, but the wins come from a team effort. Custom software development teams operate the same way, but with different positions: Project Manager, Requirements Analyst, Software System Architect, Software Developer, Tester, and Trainer.

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3 Big Reasons Your Business Needs Custom Business Software https://octopustechno.ca/custom-software-considerations/3-big-reasons-your-business-needs-custom-business-software/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=3-big-reasons-your-business-needs-custom-business-software Mon, 20 May 2013 18:07:00 +0000 http://trycmapps.com/InTune/3-big-reasons-your-business-needs-custom-business-software/ Are off-the-shelf software solutions falling short? Discover 3 compelling reasons why your business may need custom software to thrive in today's competitive landscape.

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A few months ago I met a woman who had worked on some very large software projects at Kennedy Space Center.  When she asked me what we did and I replied that we were a custom software development company, writing custom business software for over 20 years, she asked why we even existed.  Her mindset, understandably, was that all of the “big” packages had theexibility and agility needed to fulfill the needs of any business so why have custom software developed?   Good question.  Why would anyone want to write custom software systems, whether done internally or by an outside custom software development company?

Why indeed?  Aren’t all the “big” guys covering it all?  Well, to be absolutely truthful here, the answer is…..hmmmm……. wait for it…….  “It depends”!    Gee!  Who knew?  Those ERP/CRM enterprise packages that “do it all”, usually do that and so much more that they are extremely complicated to implement, even more difficult to use, and the cherry on top, VERY expensive.  There are myriad stories of the complexities of using a big package and, sadly, very few of those are stories have a happy ending.

So, how do you know if you need a package or a custom solution?  Here are 3 reasons to consider having a custom business software solution developed for your business:

1.  You have unique business processes that give you a competitive advantage.
We worked with a custom home builder who had a very unique way of tracking their budgets and costs on projects.  They had tried to implement a software package, which included  a great deal of customization, but ultimately our client ended up adding people to help support the data and input requirements on the packaged solution, to the point of adding 20% more people to their bottom line.  I know, you think that’s ridiculous.  But think about it.  If the software is so complex and requires data that is ultimately meaningless to the overall business, but requires this data to function, isn’t it possible that it would mean adding people to “check those boxes?”  I’ve seen it on multiple occasions; it’s sort of like the old expression, “you have to go around your elbow to get to your knee”.  Software, for all of its emphasis on workload reduction and business process efficiency, can actually create more work just to keep the monster fed.  If the package solution was designed for a similar yet different business, often the core system is much more complex than the average business needs because it’s trying to be all things to all businesses.

2.  Employees have created “stealth” systems to work around your current solution.
We’ve seen dozens of times where employees are so frustrated with the package they are forced to use that they create spreadsheets and internal systems (often using an Access database which management knows nothing about) just to get their jobs done.  Employees will usually try to do their best to work within the constraints of the business software solution, but eventually give up and create their own tools to help them track the data they need.  We had a client who was implementing a huge ERP package and during the requirements phase I was talking with one of the customer service folks.   I predicted  that within 3 months of go live the entire company would be run by spreadsheets.  Sure enough when I was in there several months after their go live, the person to whom I had made this comment showed me all the spreadsheets she was using for her job.  She asked me “How did you know I would be using spreadsheets to do my job?”  I said I saw that the implementation team was not gathering the requirements from the right people and seemed to think they “knew” what needed to be done.   The ultimate software solution was much more complex than this client truly needed and forced employees to create workarounds.

3.  A software package is available but will require extensive customization.
You have found a solution that will work if you customize it and this hybrid solution may be a great answer for your business.  However, keep in mind that you will likely pay for that customization every time your software provider releases an upgrade.  We have had clients who have not upgraded their packaged software for over 7 or 8 releases (basically years) because the cost of the upgrade and subsequent re-customization was just too great.  Not only may you wind up paying for the customization, but there may also be system design issues if the upgrades are very extensive, which may also result in training issues and reporting issues.  We had a client who upgraded their packaged solution and none of their custom reports worked.  The vendor could not figure out how to get them to work and threw up their hands, giving up.  The client hired us to come in and put the reports back together again, which we were able to do, having never seen or worked with the core package before.

There are many reasons to use a packaged system but there are equally valid reasons to consider having your own custom business software developed to meet your unique needs.  Finding a trusted partner for the requirements gathering and custom software design and development is paramount to the success of your project.   If you find any of these three reasons listed above apply to you, we strongly suggest you consider a custom business software solution to meet your specific business needs.

Ready to elevate your business with tailored software? Contact us for expert guidance and a solution crafted to meet your specific needs.

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6 Questions to Dodge Bad Software Collaborations https://octopustechno.ca/project-management/6-questions-that-avoid-disastrous-custom-software-partnerships/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=6-questions-that-avoid-disastrous-custom-software-partnerships Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:15:00 +0000 http://trycmapps.com/InTune/6-questions-that-avoid-disastrous-custom-software-partnerships/ Choosing a software development vendor? Ask these 6 crucial questions to ensure your project stays on track and within budget.

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Do you have too many projects and too few IT resources, but you don’t want to select a software development vendor because you’ve heard too many horror stories about projects that are months or years late and $1000’s over budget?  How can you be sure you find a software development firm that will deliver your custom software system on time and in budget?

Use these 6 questions to help identify to make it easy to spot the right software vendor and keep your project out of the custom software development hall of shame.

  1. How will you personalize your service for my project?  You deserve customized service, so if the vendor looks surprised by the question, your interview is over.  The vendor should ask you things like, “How often do you want to get status updates?”  Depending on your project size, you may want weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly updates.  Another good question to hear from your vendor is, “How do you want us to communicate with team members?”  You may want emails, but your technical team members may prefer an instant message.
  2. What are your standard processes?  A software development firm should have an established methodology for requirements, coding, testing, and project management, and they should beexible enough to fit their standards to your business needs.
  3. How have other companies used your services to improve the way their business works?  With this question, you’re determining whether the vendor understands that software is a business tool.  If your prospective vendor talks more about technology than about business, tell them goodbye.
  4. How long have you been in business, and how long have your employees been with your company?  You’re making an investment in a software partnership; ideally, you’ll be talking to the same people next year when you want system enhancements.  It’s important to know that you’ll be dealing with employees of the firm, not short-term contractors.  If the company was founded last month, and it uses only contract employees – keep looking.
  5. What skills do you offer?  The answer to this question should include a lot more than a list of the languages in which the firm writes code.  Your vendor should talk about the skill sets required for a software project, including:  requirements definition; system architecture; maintenance programming and report writing; testing; and project management.  One big advantage of teaming with an experienced software partner is that you don’t have to hire someone to provide each skill set a software project requires.  If your vendor can’t provide someone for each set of skills, they’re not likely to be a viable long-term partner for your business.
  6. What went wrong in previous projects, and what went right?  If the vendor tells you that all previous projects were perfect, they’re likely to be careless in their handling of the truth.  Everyone has at least one failed project, and they should be able to tell you why it failed and explain the lessons learned.  Each vendor should also have a few outstanding successes to share.  Look for quantifiable, detailed information, and if the success story is a reference account, call them.

 

Spend time choosing the right custom software vendor.  When you pick the right one, you can expect a long-lasting and mutually profitable relationship. Ready to start your journey with a trusted software partner? Contact Teximus for expert guidance and ensure a successful and enduring partnership.

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