You know the place in your office where people always end up hanging out to discuss ongoing projects? The coffee might be there, or the message board, or the file drawer everyone goes to for the information they need.
A company called 37 Signals has a product called Basecamp, which could be thought of as a virtual version of this meeting place. Basecamp is a project management tool. With it, you can store your to-do lists, project milestones, messages, files, and associated information in the cloud, so that all the people on your project have access to everything needed.
The effect is a lot like having a file drawer in a shared office, with conversations among members of the team taking place around the images, spreadsheets, and calendar.
Basecamp is central to our workflow at Clevertech. We choose the most talented people from all over the world, so it’s essential that we can work together smoothly without direct contact.
We also want our clients to be able to see what we’re doing on their projects in their own time and space. Our approach is not to create something behind the curtain and then produce it with a flourish. We work directly with businesses to make websites and applications that will mesh with their workflow and streamline their processes.
Hanging out at the Basecamp forum one day, we found that users were frustrated with an aspect of the program. They wanted to be able to move to-do lists from one project to another.
Sometimes a project enlarges and needs to be broken up into sub-projects, for example. Manually replicating the to-do list isn’t good use of time. We saw that this was a problem that needed fixing, and we have the know-how.
We built an add-on, and we call it CopyBasecamp. Try it out for yourself. Then come back and tell us what you think.
We always look for ways to make off the peg solutions work better. This particular Clever Tool is one we’ve decided to share with the world. We’d like to have your feedback.
Permalink | Published in Technology Tactics
A while back Clevertech developed Foxstocks, a Firefox add-on that tracks your stocks for you, and now we have a new one: Clever Contacts. This add-on makes it easy to add information to your Google Contacts from any page.
Explore the functionality of Clever Contacts in the video. Then download Clever Contacts for Firefox or for Chrome.
Once you’ve installed it, you’ll see the Clever Contacts button on your toolbar. When you’re looking at a page with contact information you want to save, you simply select that information on the page and click the Clever Contacts button.
That’s all there is to it! Your Google Contacts list contains the information you wanted to save.
Permalink | Published in Fun Technology, Technology Tactics
We all want growth for our business. Sometimes fast growth gets exciting. We may have to work extra hard to keep up with changes, demand, and the exhilarating pace of the opportunity. We may need new people, processes, and systems.
Here’s what we don’t need: having to call the webmaster or the IT department every time we want to make a change at our website.
When we’ve got company news, an idea for a new service, a new product rolling out fast, new staff coming on board — we shouldn’t have to wait for months to get to the top of somebody else’s list. And we don’t really want to pay an arm and a leg every time we need changes, either.
Here’s a real-world example: MD Skincare, a company that started with one product made and sold by a dermatologist from his office.
When we met them, they were earning $40 k a year. They were accelerating, though, and it was becoming a heady experience. Errors were on the increase as the doctor tried to make his old system work with the new pace of business. Clevertech built a new ecommerce site with back-end functionality that made things work better.
Another example: Progressive Promotions, Inc.
CEO Julie Levi was recently named a 2010 WBENC Women’s Business Enterprise’s Star. She wanted to get that information onto the web site fast. And the fact that they were featured in a Bloomberg news webinar. And that picture of Marcia Cross in her PPI apron. Something’s always happening at PPI these days. Unfortunately, the cost of getting the constant updates on the website was out of line with PPI’s plans. So Clevertech gave them control over their own business website.
That’s a basic for us: empowering you to run your business the way you want. You shouldn’t feel stuck, waiting for someone else.
The secret to these two websites’ success is WordPress. If you thought WP was just for blogs, you’re behind the curve. WP has been downloaded more than 10 million times, and plenty of current WP sites are a far cry from being “just another WordPress blog.” It’s a very well-designed content management system, and that’s the key to being able to update your site on your own.
Here’s what’s so great about WordPress:
There’s much more to this idea than we’ve been able to include in this single discussion. Call Clevertech at (888) 494-1260 to explore the ways that a WordPress conversion or a new WordPress website could benefit your company.
Permalink | Published in Business Strategy, Technology Tactics
The Clevertech website once looked like this.
A little more than a year ago, we updated to the design above.
But the look of a website isn’t the only thing that needs to keep up to date. As our business grew and changed, we found that we wanted our website to convey a different message and to play a different role in our business.
We changed the wording. We redesigned our blog. We did some deep thinking about the new directions in which our company was headed and wrote a lot more pages.
We recently changed to a third design, the one you see above — and on our current site.
We’re still making changes. We have exciting things going on that we want to share.
Now, here’s the takeaway for you: it’s great to be able to update your site whenever you want to or need to.
When we build a site for a client, we make sure that the client can get in and make the changes they need to make. Whether it’s a Content Management System that allows the client to update text without calling upon the IT department, or a database system that lets clients update their inventory or accounting processes, we want to empower our clients by making it easy for them to do their own updates.
One example is the e-commerce solution we created for a Brazilian swimwear designer. They were using a catalog with category listings which were just plain anchor links. Click on “bikinis,” and you’d go to a page of bikinis. We decided to treat the category listing as a dynamic and multi-level set of master-subordinator or parent-child relationships. This allows the client to add items and categories freely, without having to bring us in each time to create a new category for them.
Multilevel child entries can sometimes create problems in report building and listing. What’s more, the use of custom orders can take extra time in database processing and code development. We created a Coldfusion process to streamline the system. It works for the swimwear company, and it also works for another client of ours — a company that manages unclaimed assets.
Their database has hundreds of millions of records in it. Not only does it grow each year as more unclaimed assets are added, but they also store each and every salesperson touch of each asset. Big database. Critical data. Clevertech provides database expertise and business process improvements resulting in a more efficient staff.
The key to this kind of success is to design the site to work in the way that your company needs it to work. A single off the shelf solution wouldn’t have worked for both these clients, but our ability to take their expert knowledge and accommodate it in their websites’ design process worked perfectly for each of them.
Permalink | Published in Expert systems, Technology Tactics
Creating invoices can be complex:
It doesn’t have to be complex. Follow us through an Invoice Builder to see how simple the process can be. Click on any image to enlarge it for a better view.
Clevertech has created Invoice Builders for a number of clients. With our Invoice Builders, creating invoices is streamlined. The example here, developed for Passover Grand Getaways, starts with a simple overview page, which you can see above. The tour operator can see at a glance the number of rooms already booked, the number of invoices and quotes delivered, the amount of money to be collected, and any alerts — such as individuals who need a reminder about a payment, or who haven’t responded to a quote.
Typing in the first few letters of a guest’s name brings his or her information page up. All the details, from name and address to relationships with other guests, are on that page. There’s no need to shift from one program or file to another. To create an invoice for the customer, the operator simply clicks on “Create Invoice,” bringing up the worksheet at left.
There’s no need to type in the type of room or price, either. Using a drop-down menu, the operator can quickly select the room type, and the price is automatically filled in.
For the hotel in this example, there are a number of different kinds of rooms. The operator can set these up and change them as needed, to fit the specific details of a given hotel or package. In this case, the operator has chosen a connecting room for children under 12 — any level of detail needed can be accommodated by the program.
Clicking on “Add Room” allows the operator to add additional details about the guests, including the names and ages of all family members, special needs such as a crib or rollaway bed, or handicapped accessibility.
Some of these elements affect pricing and availability of special additions. For example, it’s important for the hotel to be aware of the number of cribs needed, and not all rooms may be equally accessible to people with disabilities.
It’s also essential, in case of emergencies, to have complete information readily at hand. With the Invoice Builder, one program maintains all the information. All the details are immediately accessible at any time. Since this is an online program, the information is also accessible from any place with a computer — no problems arise with time zones, office hours, or access to files in a particular drawer or a particular computer.
The Invoice Builder automatically prices all the items in the guest order, and the operator can quickly generate an attractive custom invoice, ready to be printed and mailed, or to be emailed to the guest.
Since all the necessary data is resident in a single program, it’s just a matter of clicking an icon on the guest’s page.
Once the invoice is sent, the Invoice Builder will automatically alert the operator at pre-selected intervals: in this case, after 7, 14, and 21 days. Follow-up is automatic, so no one has to carry around thoughts like, “I’d better follow up on that” or “Has everyone paid?”
One of the important side effects of an efficient system is that workers are freed not only of repetitive tasks, but also of the need to keep myriad details in mind. The system will do that, so stress on human workers is significantly reduced.
The operator can run reports of many kinds. It’s easy to see how much money needs to be collected, for example, and how many rooms are still available.
Another side effect of highly efficient systems is that your company looks reassuringly efficient to customers and other stakeholders. A question about any of the data in the system can be answered with speed and certainty.
Clevertech designed this Invoice Builder specifically to meet the needs of a client in the hospitality industry. We’ve done the same for companies in a variety of other industries. The key is the way we can user our business training and acumen to understand your business completely, and then use our technical skill to create the technological systems that will completely meet your needs.
Permalink | Published in Business Strategy, Expert systems, Technology Tactics
Preparation for Passover requires meticulous cleaning not only of the kitchen and dining room, but of all spaces that might have contained food — it’s like spring cleaning on steroids. An alternative is the Passover program or Passover getaway: a visit to a hotel which has been specially prepared for Passover. Rabinically supervised cruises, hotel stays, and resort visits require complex preparations on the part of the tour operator or company that makes the arrangements.
Not only are there rooms to book, but there can be complex relationships among the rooms, as families travel together and one invoice may cover a number of rooms. Additional guests not staying at the hotel may join the Passover meal, and there may be special needs, from allergies or accessibility issues to birthday cakes and seating preferences at meals. There are multiple activities from golf to religious studies, and different price points for different ages and room arrangements.
Organizers of Passover programs also have to be able to accept deposits and payments and keep track of them. They have to have information for the hoteliers and for the guests. And naturally they want to be sure to have continued contact with their satisfied customers, in order to plan for next year.
This used to be a matter of sheaves of paper. Not any more.
We thought it was high time for an online system for Passover program operators. So we created one, initially for Grand Getaways.
The advantages of web-based systems for arrangements of this kind are impressive:
Clevertech developed an integrated system for the Grand Getaways Passover vacation at the Waldorf Astoria in Orlando, Florida. The system includes project management, accounting, and customer relationship management elements, all combined into a single, highly user-friendly admin site.
The system has a number of special features:
While the specific functionality of the system is designed for optimum workflow and efficiency — that’s what we at Clevertech do, after all — the online nature of the system gives it a level of usefulness that simply wouldn’t be possible with a software package that lived in a single computer.
Is an online system what your business needs? Meet with me at one of my favorite coffee shops to discuss your particular needs. I’ll buy you a cup of coffee and we can begin the conversation that will lead to improvement in your workflow and your bottom line.
Permalink | Published in Business Strategy, Expert systems, Technology Tactics
Hall Street Storage has been a Brooklyn landmark since 1931, when the multi-building warehouse, nearly a city block in size, was built. They’ve remodeled and updated in some exciting ways. They’re now the biggest green business in New York City, using 100% renewable energy for their self-store division and taking recycling to new heights, but one thing stayed the same until very recently.
There was one woman who knew everything. When a delivery arrived at the warehouse, she would sit down with the customer, a calculator, and a piece of paper, and work out all the details and the costs. Without her, that process couldn’t be done. Even with her, it was a lengthy process, but it was part of the experience.
Hall Street used a computerized system, a DOS program that required that everyone key in commands. Again, only the experts who knew the commands could use it, and it was a lengthy process, but it worked well enough.
Until February 15th. The system stopped working, and Hall Street couldn’t send out the February bills. They called Clevertech.
We went to visit them. We looked at their operations, listened to their concerns, got to know their business thoroughly, and in less than a month we built them a warehouse management system that takes care of their inventory and accounting.
Now, when a delivery arrives, anyone can key in the details on the warehouse receipt form. The shipment is assigned a lot number and a location according to its need for refrigeration or freezing or dry storage, the weight or number of items is entered, and the costs are automatically calculated. When customers come to collect their inventory, a delivery ticket shows how many items have been removed, and automatically recalculates the charges. Recurring costs are automatic, too, and every customer has an account with a running total.
Hall Street can check on a given item, on a particular room, or on a customer. If there is a recall of an item, they can easily see where each item is and when it arrived. They can see how much space is available in each room so deliveries can be routed to the best place for optimum use of their storage. Customers coming to examine their inventory or to retrieve their goods can be directed to the right place immediately.
The process was painless. We met with them weekly during development to get their feedback and to move the system ever closer to their ideal. We replicated what was familiar and comfortable: “Things are called what they wanted it to be called, ” as developer Brad Newman puts it.
We fixed what they didn’t like. For example, it used to be impossible for Hall Street to see a customer’s account information without printing out a statement. For this green company, the waste of paper was an extra frustration added to the time spent. Now, they can pull a customer up on the screen.
We fixed some things, too. Better reporting has made a difference for Hall Street already, and will continue to do so. Clevertech was able to export the historical data from the antique software system and migrate it into the new one, so Hall Street now has a wealth of data which they can analyze in ways that haven’t been possible before. The expert’s intuitions are still important, but now data-driven decisions are possible.
Hall Street Storage is a perfect example of a case in which an expert’s specialized knowledge could be incorporated into a custom software solution, thereby adding value to the business. Processes are more efficient and less frustrating, costs are reduced, and the entire workflow is streamlined in ways that improve life for the staff and for the customers.
As for the expert, her intensive knowledge of the business can be directed toward more creative tasks, instead of the routine business of calculating the costs of each delivery. Clevertech worked with her to get her knowledge into the warehouse management system, where it now constitutes valuable capital for the business, and she is freed up for more challenging work that takes better advantage of her years of experience.
Clevertech can do this for you too. Call us to begin the conversation.
Permalink | Published in Business Strategy, Expert systems, Technology Tactics
Businesspeople, according to a recent post at the Harvard Business Review’s blog, don’t like to work with IT.
Here’s proof:
Is it really that business leaders dislike IT? We think that the negative feeling toward technology stems from not knowing how to work with it.
Here’s another number for you: only 27% of business leaders feel smart about IT. How much do you enjoy doing things that make you feel stupid?
At Clevertech, we have tech people with top business school degrees. We know how rare it is to be equally proficient with both. Our marginal utility is in translating the management and financial speak into technology.
We do this for our clients with custom software and systems. But we’re planning to share our proven abilities in this area in a seminar in the near future.
We’re currently preparing the seminar, “How to Get More Out of Your IT,” for the New York City area.We’ll be focusing on both personal productivity and business productivity, through technology.
First, we’ll be looking at ways that readily accessible technology can increase personal productivity, reduce stress, and improve your work life:
Then we’ll be looking at business technology — whether you do it yourself or go to your IT department and say, “Why don’t I have this?” — that will supercharge your company’s productivity:
And much more. If you’d like to stay in the loop on the details of this event, contact us and we’ll make sure you get the word.
Permalink | Published in Business Strategy, Technology Tactics
One of the things that is most challenging for the human brain is to keep track of situations in which there are a lot of interdependent variables. We can really only keep about seven things in our minds at one time. So, give us something like a wedding reception, with the need to keep the menu, all the participants, the space, the flowers, the music, the photographs, the drinks, and the thousand and one tiny details all straight in our minds at once, and the result can be extreme stress.
Put the wedding reception onto a calendar filled with similarly complex and important events, add a large staff and numerous different venues, and you have the situation faced by RAM Catering, an elegant kosher caterer in Manhattan.
We’ve said that this is a challenge for humans, but the truth is, in many ways it’s more difficult for a spread sheet. No wonder many caterers rely on a barrage of Post-It notes, files bristling with notes, and a lot of extra time to sort everything out.
Ram took a different approach: they called Clevertech.
We built them a rich interface application that solved the problem. The interface has multiple screens that suit the way RAM’s managers like to work. Each manager has a dashboard — you can see an example at the top of this post — that shows the events coming up and has a project management element allowing a quick check that the contract has been sent, the contract and deposit have been received, etc.
From this dashboard, the manager can go in and set the menu:
The menu screen contains all the necessary details right where they’re needed, and it has drag-and-drop functionality connected with RAM’s extensive database of recipes. The manager can see at a glance how the dishes work together and how they’ll be served. A sudden change from chicken to lamb is no emergency: a click to bring up the lamb dishes and the manager can drag a new option into the menu.
Details of the arrangements are available from the dashboard.
Beyond the individual events, it’s also easy to pull out particular information RAM often needs, from the newest dishes to the valet info for the upcoming week’s events.
There are lots of little extra touches in this RIA that make it fit perfectly into RAM’s workflow. The calendar screen below highlights a few.
At the upper left, you can see that it’s possible to filter the events by location. At the upper right, notice that you can print the calendar, and choose to filter what’s printed in some useful ways. These features prevent information overload and allow staff to zero in on the information they really need.
The calendar shows the current month at the top, and the following two months in thumbnails. On the lower right, the search box — like all the search boxes — gives suggestions. Type in the first few letters of a client’s name and choices pop up.
There’s a lot of information on this one screen, but since it’s been designed and arranged with the specific company’s workflow in mind, it makes the whole process easy. Even so, the Legend at the side reminds users of the color coding so the learning curve stays gentle.
While this looks like a luxurious solution –and it is — the reality is that the savings in time, reduction of errors, and increased staff and customer satisfaction give an excellent return on investment for a custom solution like this one.
A RIA may be just the solution for your business, too. Call Clevertech at (516) 869-4970 to discuss the challenges your business faces. You may find that our technology offers the perfect solution.
Permalink | Published in Business Strategy, Technology Tactics
David Allen’s GTD (Getting Things Done) system is designed to bring peace of mind as well as productivity. Recently, after sharing this information with a client, I got the most interesting phone call. “Kuty,” he said, “I’m sitting on the train and something amazing is happening. My mind is at peace. I’m juggling tons of tasks, but my mind feels unburdened.”
A phenomenal benefit of this system allows you to free up your mental bandwidth and as a result handle more with less stress.
GTD step by step
By this time, you have nothing left but action items. You don’t want an enormous to-do list to plow through, so you’ll need to identify contexts for your actions. The context of an action is its setting. Some things need to be done at home, some at the office, some online, some by phone, and so on. Sort your action items according to their context by labeling them “@office,” “@computer,” as the requirements of the task demand. Labeling them with @ means they’ll be listed and sorted together automatically if you use electronic tools for this step.
Here’s the beauty of the context sort: next time you’re waiting somewhere, with your phone but no computer, you can check your @phone list and take those essential next actions, instead of getting stressed over having to wait. Next time you’re doing intensive work online and need a break, or have to wait for a response before continuing, you can choose an item from the @online list.
You can use web 2.0 tools to make this process accessible and practical wherever you are. Remember the Milk is a tool that we like. Here are a few of the benefits of using RTM for GTD:
RTM and GTD fit with the big picture of how we do things at Clevertech:
Recently, we’ve been working on a system that allows companies to have hundreds of people input data immediately for processing by Sage accounting systems. Instead of sending data from multiple users to a central user who then has to input that data — with multiple points along the way at which miscommunication, human error, and data loss could take place — we’ll allow ubiquitous capture and regular processing. It’s like the difference between carrying buckets from a well and having central plumbing. But a little higher tech.
In other cases, we’ve added sms texting functionality to allow access on our client’s terms, improved user interfaces to streamline the GUI experience, and created rich applications that are aesthetically pleasing. In every case, we’re making the systems work better for the people who use them.
Contact Clevertech to discuss how we can bring these principles to your company, to make life better for your staff, stakeholders, and clients.
Permalink | Published in Business Strategy, Technology Tactics
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