5 new rules of productivity

Forget everything you know about productivity. This article on positivesharing.com really challenges our preconceived notions of what is (and isn’t) productive.  An interesting and thought-provoking article, though I don’t believe that everything mentioned is entirely feasible.

For example, the points about missing deadlines if you don’t feel like working on a project made me scratch my head. In most companies these days, missing deadlines is not an option. If you consistently miss deadlines, you will be replaced.

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Interactive reporting is now available!

I wrote about our new Interactive reporting template a couple weeks back, and received many inquiries as to when it would be available in m-Power. I’m happy to report the wait is over! m-Power users just need to download the latest update from the customer portal.

For those unfamiliar with m-Power templates, here’s a quick two-sentence explanation. We create a wide variety of web application templates with all the features built right in. Then, m-Power users simply need to select a template, point it at their data, make necessary tweaks or adjustments, and they have a new application. If you can find a more efficient build process, I’d like to see it.

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Keep your skills current and stay productive

Are you struggling to keep up with tech trends? Are you finding a declining demand for your aging skills? I understand the dilemma. How do you pick up a new skill or programming language and remain productive at the same time?

This story on ITJungle.com is inspiration for all those struggling to keep up with the ever-changing tech trends.

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10 tech messes that need fixing

Technology is a great time-saver and productivity booster…most of the time. However, technology isn’t perfect. With the benefits, come risks that might just waste time or hinder productivity. Why just last weekend, my wife and I were very late to an event because our GPS routed us to the wrong address. I had to talk my wife out of tossing it out the window. True story.

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The real-time revolution

Do you still offer "24-hour turnaround?" Do year-end reports require days of analyzing spreadsheets? Do you enter the same data into multiple systems? Do you still request reports from IT?

If you answered "yes" to any of those questions, you're not operating in real-time.  If you're not operating in real-time, you're wasting time.

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Why the 12-month budget is bad for business

The budgeting process used by businesses today is fundamentally flawed. No, I’m not against budgets, far from it. However, the idea that a budget should refresh every 12 months wastes money, prohibits progress, and compromises decision-making. Let me explain:

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5 ways to start your business day right

A good start to your business day is the key to productivity. However, there’s no magic bullet. What works best for you may be completely ineffective for me. For example, some people get themselves going with a jog in the morning. I never got into jogging…it’s always been boring to me. It’s all about figuring out what works best for you and sticking to it.

I like to start my day with a good sense of my business. This usually begins with my dashboards. I have all the data I want to see in one place, providing access to information such as: What changed from the day before? Are there any trends over the past few days I should pay attention to?

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4 keys to a successful project

According to a study from last year, 1 in 4 IT projects fail completely, and only 32 percent of IT projects were considered a success. If you’re starting a new IT project in the near future, that has to be a bit unsettling. The question: What must you do to ensure success?

For example, pretend that your company needs a new reporting solution, and you’re in charge of the project. What factors are most critical to the project’s success? I’ve identified 4 of the most important factors:

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Better tools are no match for a bad strategy

Let me tell you a short story: Mr. Smith wants to build a treehouse for his son. However, he has never built much of anything before and isn’t very handy. So, he runs out to the hardware store and buys all the best tools. He visits the lumber yard and buys the best wood. He then brings everything back home to build a treehouse. What are the chances Mr. Smith will successfully build a (safe) treehouse?  What are the chances that he just wasted a bunch of money on expensive tools?

Of course, this example sounds ridiculous. Who in their right mind would buy all the tools without mapping out a plan first?

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10 technology traps to watch out for

I recently read an article on Techrepublic.com, entitled "10 technology traps to watch out for." While the article contains some good tips, I’d like to add a particularly important technology trap that should have been included: Multi-user spreadsheets.

Spreadsheets are great when used correctly by one person. The spreadsheet was never meant to be a multi-department or even multi-user tool, yet many companies use it in these ways.

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A few cost-reducing tips

The economy may be improving, but it’s always a good time to lower costs. But where do you start. My advice: When looking for areas to cut costs, always start with technology. Technology changes quickly, and technology prices change right along with it.

Analyze your processes and systems every few years or so. Chances are there’s now a better and cheaper way to do things. You never know how much you can save unless you look around. For example, this company saw 6-figure savings by upgrading their outdated systems.

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Solving problems or making sales?

I usually buy car parts at Autozone. No, they’re not paying me to say that. And yes, I do have a good reason which very much applies to running a business.

Let me explain: A few years back, my car had a minor problem that I could fix on my own. A small plastic part had cracked and needed replacing. Not too difficult. I took the cracked part to an auto parts store, but no one in the store could identify the part. Instead, they tried to sell me a similar part and convince me it would work.

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Top 10 tech trends for the next decade

I had an argument with a friend the other day. I believe that technology is critical to the success of a business, but he disagrees. Technology, he said, is overrated, and many successful businesses are quite “behind the times” from a technology standpoint.

You know what? He’s right...to a certain extent.

You don't have to keep up with technology in the business world. Keep the fax machine. Keep manually entering your data. Offer 24-hour turnaround. You can run a business and avoid technology.

But...at what cost?

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Don’t drive with your eyes closed

Over the past few years, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend across many businesses. They have data, lots of data, but have no way of easily accessing that data. Some have to request reports from IT, which can take days to receive. For others, analyzing data from the past months or years usually involves spreadsheets and can take up to a week to complete.

How can you direct a company if you can’t easily access real-time business data whenever you want? It’s like driving with your eyes closed.

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Are you complaining or doing?

The business landscape is changing for many industries, driven largely by the internet and new technology. Many companies are realizing something: What worked a few years ago no longer works today. What works today may not work in a few years.

My question is this: What is your company doing about it?

I’ve heard many people, even high-ranking executives, complain about the changing business climate. “If it wasn’t for (fill in the blank), we would be successful,” is the common refrain.

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The 5 best products of CES 2010, for business users

Every year, I pay attention to the Consumer Electronics Show, looking out for new technology that might affect business. Although it’s aimed at consumers, I always run across a few items with the potential to increase business productivity.

Obviously, you’d have a hard time justifying 3D TV for the business, which was one of the show’s biggest products. Other gadgets, however, like the coming wave of tablet computers, could very well find their way inside the business world this year.

If you’d like to see other CES products aimed at business users, here’s a nice list on techrepublic.com. How about you? Did you see any products at CES that could affect our business lives?

3D web apps

If there’s one thing a country struggling with obesity doesn’t need, it’s more interesting televisions. From the news coming out of the recent CES show, that’s exactly what we’re getting: 3D TV is coming!

If you’ve never experienced 3D TV, you may not understand the hoopla. Doesn’t regular TV work fine? Why do I need 3D? I’ll warn you though…when you try it, you won’t want to go back.

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Moving forward: JDK upgrade

In order to take advantage of newer technologies and allow us to continue to keep m-Power on the leading edge of technology, we are changing our minimum JDK requirement. In the past, m-Power customers were required to run JDK 1.4 or later. The minimum JDK requirement has been raised to version 1.6.

We’ve written up some instructions for making the upgrade to JDK 1.6, which can be found below:

Windows users: Click here

Linux/AS400 users: Click here

Please contact our support desk if you run into any problems.

Budget tips for 2010

The big question surrounding 2010 is this: How much will the economy improve? Some predict massive improvements. Most predict a gradual change. I agree with the latter.

How will the uncertainty surrounding the economy impact IT spending budgets, if at all? I believe the spending mentality is changing, and companies aren’t willing to write out the big checks like they were in the past. Two reasons drive this change: First, the uncertain economy will lead to a cautious approach to spending. Second, companies have more options than ever before. Why spend 6-figures for enterprise software when they have 10 other viable alternatives for a fraction of the price?

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The cheapest outsourcing destination

It's not China, or even India. Nope, not Africa either. Give up? Look around you. Given the right tools, the cheapest outsourcing destination is right inside your office.

If that sounds crazy, take a look at this company. They needed Java web-based portals, but no one had any experience with Java. Rather than outsource the project or hire consultants, they did it themselves.

The result: They completed the project faster and cheaper than any outsourcer or consultants could have.

How to run a meeting like Google

Chances are you've attended an unproductive meeting. You've probably even attended an unproductive meeting in preparation for another unproductive meeting. Many complain that they could accomplish so much more if they didn't have so many meetings.

Meetings are not inherently unproductive. Whether or not a meeting is productive falls squarely on the meeting leader’s shoulders. If the leader allows attendees to stray away from the main topic, the meeting quickly becomes a waste of time. However, if the leader keeps the attendees focused, meetings can actually solve problems and increase productivity.

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4 technology trends for 2010

Technology holds the greatest opportunities for businesses wishing to save money or increase productivity. However, technology’s rapid rate of advancement often leaves companies struggling to catch up. If you want to get a leg up on the competition in 2010, pay attention to these 4 tech trends:

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Unplug and give your mind a break

We live in a very “plugged in” age.  At work, we sit in front of a computer.  On the road, we listen to music or talk on the phone.  At home, we have televisions, computers, game consoles, etc….  The point is, how much time do you spend completely unplugged from outside distractions?  Probably not much.

Your brain is a muscle, one that needs a break once in a while.  Sometimes we need to unplug--turn everything off, and just think.  While I have no science to back this up, I truly believe this improves productivity.  I’ve noticed it to be true for me--when I give my mind a break, my productivity increases.  Try it sometime, you might surprise yourself.

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Free money-saving tips

In a struggling economy, everyone wants new ways to save money. Sure, you could hire expensive consultants to come in and show you how to save money...but that kind of defeats the purpose.

Or, you could learn from others. Here's a good example for you: One of our customers had a staff member who spent half of his time collecting, sorting, and distributing data with Excel. Realizing that this wasn't the best use of his time, they created an automated web application that did everything for him, allowing him to spend time on more mission-critical tasks.

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7 Steps For Making a New Year’s Resolution and Keeping It

The beginning of a new year is always great. We get to put the old year in the past and start a new one with a clean slate. Then, by the end of January when we’ve broken all of our new year’s resolutions, we get to look forward to the start of the next year…in 11 months.

Do you have trouble keeping your resolutions? Join the crowd. If you’d like to correct the problem, here’s a good article on lifehack.org entitled, “7 steps for making a new years resolution and keeping it”.

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Customer service is good business, but difficult to track

The other day, my wife complained to me about a certain company who didn’t care about their customers. She couldn’t believe their poor customer service and their unwillingness to help her, a longtime customer.

My response: Many businesses don’t believe customer service will generate revenue, so they don’t invest much money in it. Until they see that bad customer service hurts business or good customer service helps business, they won’t change.

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Attitude and productivity

What effect does a bad attitude have on productivity?  Answer: More than you can imagine.  According to this somewhat dated, but still very applicable article, negativity costs the US economy between $250 to $300 billion a year.

While I can't begin to imagine how they came up with that number, it provides a little insight into the effect a bad attitude has on the bottom line.  Even if the real amount is closer to half of $300 billion, it's still a huge number.

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The future of business

The future of business is real-time.  Customers don’t want to wait for answers.  Executives don’t want to wait for data.  No one wants 24-hour turnaround anymore.  Everyone wants everything instantly, right now. 


Who can blame them?  The business world has been trending towards real-time for a few years now.  Technology that makes every aspect of your business operate in real-time has existed for some time now.  Those that have fallen behind the real-time technology curve will stand out like a sore thumb in the coming years. 

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Happy holidays from your friends at mrc

This holiday season, I have a special treat for you. I’ve managed to wrestle a previously unshared cookie recipe out of the hands of one of our employees here at mrc. While often requested, this recipe has never before been given to anyone…until now.

Word of warning: While I can attest to the deliciousness of these cookies, I can’t speak for the nutritional information. In fact, if you’re at all concerned with nutritional information, you probably shouldn’t make these cookies. But, what’s the point of the holidays if not for breaking a diet or two? So, if you want a great cookie recipe this holiday season, you can find it in our forums.

I would like to personally thank each and every one of you for reading my blog this past year. From all of us here at mrc, we wish you happy holidays and safe travels!

The government's modernization mistake

I’ve written many times about the importance of modernizing your outdated systems.  Those that rely on old technology find themselves at a disadvantage, unable to keep up with the rapidly changing world of technology.  Even worse, they appear behind-the-times to their customers and may even leave their data or company at risk.

The U.S. Government just learned that the hard way.  As it turns out, Iraqi insurgents have been stealing video feeds from their surveillance drones using $26 software readily available online.  Even worse, now that the government knows what’s happening, they’re having trouble fixing the problem because the network is more than a decade old and runs on proprietary software.

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10 ways to reenergize your staff

I’m sure the business world isn't very sad to put 2009 behind them. It wasn’t a good year for many companies. Many employees lost their jobs. Many who who still have jobs are stressed out and worried about the 2010 economy.

Chances are, morale is lower going into 2010 than it was a year ago, and nothing drains productivity like low morale.  So, how can you re-energize and motivate your employees? How can you provide a great, low-stress work environment in a bad economy? Jon Gordon, a workplace motivation expert provides some great tips that can be applied in just about any company. You can check them out at CIOInsight.com.

Order Entry as it should be

I speak to lots of companies about application modernization and what it can, and has done for their business. Often, they are afraid to try and modernize their order entry application. The reasons vary.

Many consider screen scraping and bringing their character based order entry application to the browser sufficient. I'm not sure that I agree.

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Why I won’t ever buy a GPS unit again

I’m never buying a standalone GPS unit ever again, for the same reason I’ll never buy a pager, Peek, or PDA. Why? Because I recently upgraded to the Droid, which performs all of the tasks I mentioned above…eliminating the need for devices built for a specific purpose.

It’s a simple concept: I don’t want to purchase or carry around four different devices, so I bought one that does everything. This is a concept that should be carried over into enterprise software purchases, but seldom is.

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The key to a successful business plan

We’re nearing the end of another year, which can only mean one thing: It’s time to plan for 2010. It’s time to take a look back at the last year, analyze the data, and make a plan for next year based on that data.

But what if you’re doing it wrong? What if you’re missing a vital step in the process? According to this article on Forbes.com, successful companies focus their planning efforts more on the future and less on the past.

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Save money, listen to your customers

AT&T and Verizon have been doing a bit of bickering lately, which has attracted plenty of media attention. Verizon has run ads disparaging AT&T’s network, and AT&T filed a lawsuit against Verizon (which was later dropped) and run counter-attack ads.

What AT&T needs to understand is this: Verizon didn’t say anything that people didn’t know already. Ask any iPhone user what their biggest complaint is, and 9 times out of 10 you will hear, “The network.” In fact, consumer reports just verified the general consensus in their latest “Cell-phone service” survey, in which AT&T came in dead last. Verizon simply listened to AT&T’s customers and broadcasted the message.

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The overwork cult is alive and well

Suppose you have two companies that are the same in all aspects except one.  In the first company, everyone works 12 hours every day.  In the second company, everyone puts in a regular 8-hour day.  Which company is more likely to succeed?

While I’m sure most would choose the first company, this article provides an alternate point of view that flies in the face of common thought.  While many connect working overtime with success, it may actually have the exact opposite effect.

If your company encourages employees to work overtime, check it out…it’s a very interesting read.

7 productivity tips for people who hate Getting Things Done

Considering the sheer amount of productivity advice in existence today, it’s a wonder that anybody is unproductive.  There are articles, books, and entire methodologies devoted to the subject (Getting Things Done).

Despite all the advice, the two most important productivity tips were things that I had to figure out myself.  First, I’ve learned that I'm infinitely more productive with a good night's sleep.  That is the single most important productivity factor for me.  Second, I concentrate better in the morning.  Therefore, I work on tasks that require greater concentration in the morning.

Want some more productivity tips?  Check out this article on zenhabits.net entitled, "7 productivity tips for people who hate GTD”.

The "Pimp my Ride" effect

Have you ever seen “Pimp my Ride” on MTV? In every episode, they find the worst looking car possible, and make it look flashy. This usually involves chrome, video monitors, lots of speakers, and obnoxious paint jobs.

Now in the very few episodes that I’ve seen, the outside of the car was completely overhauled, but nothing under the hood was touched. In other words, the old beat-up 85’ Yugo now looks glamorous, but inside it’s still an old beat-up 85’ Yugo. The way I see it: Garbage covered in chrome is still garbage.

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User guide improvements

The PDF version of the m-Power manual was recently enhanced to include a very nice table of contents for easy navigation. If you prefer reading on good old-fashioned paper, I’m sure you’ll be quite pleased with the improvements.

However, I must warn those who prefer the printed manual: Due to the sheer quantity of updates we push out to m-Power, a printed manual will typically be out-of-date within a week or so.

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16 declining tech salaries for 2010

I don’t think I have to tell anyone that 2009 was a bad year for the economy. Positions were eliminated, jobs were shipped overseas, and salaries were trimmed, as detailed by this article on Eweek.com entitled, “16 declining tech salaries for 2010”.

The workload, on the other hand, hasn’t changed. Many companies have critical projects on the table, but can’t afford to hire consultants or bring on new staff with the necessary skills. If you’re in that boat, here’s a bit of information you may not know: You might be able to use your current employees.

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Celebrate Thanksgiving with Smoked Salmon

Is it just me, or has 2009 just flown by? I can’t believe it’s already Thanksgiving week again.

This Thanksgiving I'd like to share a recipe for smoked salmon (from foodnetwork.com) and a few humorous holiday quotes.

Thanksgiving, man. Not a good day to be my pants.
- Kevin James

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How to train your employees on the cheap

Keeping employees up-to-date with current trends and technologies is critical for any successful business. The only problem: Training costs money, and money is in short supply for many companies these days.

If your company is in that situation, you’re in luck. Thanks to the internet, we have many training options at our fingertips…absolutely free. While the internet can’t replace a training class dedicated to a specific subject, it’s a viable alternative when money is tight.

Here’s some advice for department or company leaders with limited training budgets:

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5 ways to be more effective with your time

How many of you have ever wished you could manipulate time?  I sure have.  I would get everything checked off my to-do list and maybe even sneak in a nap or two when I get tired.  It would be great!

Unfortunately, we’re stuck with just 24 hours in a day and it’s up to us to use that time as effectively as possible.  If you struggle with effective time use, or just want some tips, check out this video on Techrepublic.com.  It covers 5 ways you can be more effective with your time.

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Build web apps in minutes

Did you know anyone - not just programmers - can build web applications in minutes with m-Power?

If you want to see it for yourself, check out the all new m-Power demo video. In this short video, you will see m-Power in action as we take you through the creation of a maintenance application.

Integration and ease of use vs. features

A couple of weeks ago, I stressed the importance of user adoption in the software purchase process. Software that users don’t use is useless, however full-featured and powerful it may be.

Similar to user adoption, I believe that integration often takes a back seat to features in the buying process. Companies become so blinded by functionality, they lose sight of the more important aspect - software integration.

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CIO priorities for 2010

I am a technology bigot.  I believe technology provides the greatest potential for businesses to boost productivity and save money.

Many companies already look to their IT department for cost cutting measures, and according to a survey conducted by the Society for Information Management, that will only increase.

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Changes...they are a coming

An important announcement for readers of the Cup of Joe Blog:
I'm making a few changes to the blog, which will take effect this week. First, the look has changed slightly, which you've probably already noticed. You also may notice the images in each post. These are for scanning purposes and represent the topic covered by that post.

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How To: Initiate batch server jobs from a browser

Have you ever wanted to initiate a batch job on your server from a web application? For example, you might want to:

• send a group of reports via email, or
• send a group of reports to a network printer, or
• execute a month-end function, or
• begin a backup procedure, or
• start an MRP run.

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5 ways IT wastes money

I believe technology provides the most opportunity for businesses to save money. At the same time, technology can turn into a major budget drain if not managed correctly.

Want to see the most common “budget-drainers”? Here is an interesting video on techrepublic.com, entitled, “5 ways IT is probably wasting money.” While it contains some great points, I want to add one more for consideration: Failure to use the proper tools.

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User adoption under 50%?

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about user adoption and how critical it is to the success of your software. I just saw an insightful survey on CIOInsight.com that really drives this point home.

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