Blog

Spreadsheets (Part 3 of 3) - You can't manage, what you can't measure!

2012-10-23T16:24:51Z

One of the biggest problems that the clients we serve face is not being able to get the information they need to know out of their data. This is a serious problem because you can’t manage, what you can’t measure. They know that there is something wrong with a part of the business, but do not know the causes of the symptoms. Often a large part of this is due to the running of complex business processes with spreadsheets.

Spreadsheets (Part 2 of 3) - What's in A Name?

2012-05-16T18:29:57Z

The task of putting a name onto something is an extremely important matter. As humans we name everything – people, animals, buildings, companies, software. Naming is not simply putting a tag on a ‘thing’ but it is a powerful way of prescribing character and purpose. When we were trying to name our little corner of the universe, we thought long and hard about the character and purpose we wanted to bestow onto the world. What did we have to offer? What did QuickBase have to offer? Within this context it was easy to see why we used the term ‘collaborative’ in our company name – it’s not just because we like really long names!

Avoiding overwhelming information or just Getting Things Done

2012-05-09T18:10:09Z

“If you don’t have a clear sense of the totality of your obligations, you will always overcommit. And commitments occur on multiple levels, from ‘why I’m on the planet’ to ‘need butter.’ But the elevation most amorphous for most is the plane just above your physical activities—your projects. I have a radical definition of a project: Anything you’re committed to finish within a year that requires more than one action to complete it. Given that broad designation, most people have between 30 and 100. Where’s your list? How complete and current is it?”

-David Allen, of Getting Things Done (GTD)

I like spreadsheets. But not for everything (Part 1 of 3)

2012-03-29T03:01:11Z

I like spreadsheets. I really do. I don’t have a love affair with them as some people do, but they can be used for so many different things to help you get the job done. And if I knew half as much as my sister-in-law (who trains others at CP in her excel expertise), I could do even more. Of course, the best problems they solve are ones where you need numbers crunched.

As I learn about different businesses and the way they work, so many of them are managing an astounding amount of their business-critical work using spreadsheets. On one hand, this makes perfect sense on a number of different levels: spreadsheets are very familiar as everyone has virtually used one; they are inexpensive and there is usually no incremental cost to use them; and they can be quickly setup by a project manager – and changed just as fast.

But (and it’s a big but),

Every business is a people business – including software!

2012-03-15T19:40:32Z

A management consultant friend of mind always says, “every business is a people business.”

Now I find myself in an industry where most people, based either on their perception or their experience, would not believe this to be true: software. It is easy to point to industries like retail or health, and tell stories about how a personal interaction either gave us a great or terrible experience. But what about software? I have had, and heard, my fair share of frustrating stories.

Some could point to the sales department or customer service of a software company, and argue that those fulfill the people aspect of the company. But there has to be more than this, right? Aren’t applications designed, in the end, for people?

Life by Design... And Databases, Too?

2012-03-12T14:26:16Z

This year I had the opportunity to be introduced to the concept of design thinking. Design thinking is what architects use to ‘bring into existence that which was once not there’. Design thinking challenges us to know the problem we face (what ‘is’), know the purpose or telos where we are headed (what ‘ought’ to be), and then, by asking how to get there, to form alternative realities to what already exists (design options).

illustration by Blanca Gomez

The beautiful thing about design thinking is its focus on the freedom to work without a script and to dream up imaginative new approaches to problems that have stymied others. This, as opposed to analytical thinking, which has obviously been very helpful to society, but is based on a structured logic.

How To Work Better by Working How You Want to Work

2012-02-29T15:38:48Z

I recently bumped into an old friend who works at Telus, who told me that for her role and many others, employees at Telus can work flexibly from any location they choose. From home, from a coffee shop, or in my friend’s case, for a few weeks from a beach house in Kelowna.

It’s not the first time I’ve heard lately about working differently.

Journey to a Website

2012-02-21T01:31:25Z

In a previous job position, I was a part of a painfully slow (and until now, 3 years later, still unfulfilled) website project. Taking on a new website creation can be overwhelming or uninspiring, or anything in between…

Thankfully, our experience of creating the Clearstream Collaborative website has been unexpectedly easy, fun, and [sigh of relief] totally slick.

44% of Information Workers Use Online Databases – What About Your Business?

2012-02-15T20:47:39Z

A recent Intuit QuickBase survey of information workers revealed the bottom line when it comes to customized web apps/software: faster help for customers, improved productivity and better collaboration among employees.

See more of their findings in this lovely infographic by Column Five (click to enlarge):

via: Intuit QuickBase Report: D.I.Y. Apps in the Enterprise [INFOGRAPHIC]

Why Systems Integration Makes Sense for Your Business

2012-02-13T04:04:15Z

There are so many fantastic technologies available, but do they play nicely with each other? Here are your Top 5 frustrations when stuff isn’t working together:

Email attachments. Is this the latest version? Where should I save this? When I review my email, should I re-open the attachment from there, or open it from my saved folder. Did I remember to attach that file to my email?
Too many files. Mac OS’s Spaces and Windows’ Flip 3D have made it easy enough to manage multiple open windows, but why do you even have to? 10 different spreadsheets, document templates, vcards, and more, simply waste extra time scanning for what you need.