New web site content/feel

We recently added a new "products" section to our Web site that works a lot like the "hover" feature we've added to our web 2.0 servlets.

To check it out, first, go to http://www.mrc-productivity.com/products/

There's a new navigation in a menu bar directly below the main menu that now reads: Overview, Benefits, Demos, Testimonials, Specs, Pricing, Trial, and Contact.

If you want to find out more about what's on the screen, roll your mouse over the small gray icons.

Easy as pie.

If you'd like to incorporate this cool "hover" feature into your own applications, it's easy with m-Power. Just fill out this form for more information.

5 Innovations the CIO shouldn't miss

Here's a short list of five innovations that the CIO shouldn't overlook.

Note the fifth: AAA (Anytime, Anywhere, Anybody)and its expectation of pervasive mobility.

Really Simple Syndication - made simpler

If you use Yahoo, Google, or even a proprietary portal to subscribe to information on your favorite sports team, news, stock lists and financial information, or whatever interests you, that information is probably being put out there with an RSS feed.

Have you thought about how you can use RSS feeds to improve your business? Posting information about sales promotions, new products, technical support, and the like in a way where your customers, vendors, or employees can subscribe to it, can really help you get the word out quickly.

And now that is even easier. This document will show you how you can publish RSS information with your m-Power servlets.

If you would like to subscribe to our RSS feeds (which were built as described in the above document), click here to see how.

Three separate solutions in one.

One of our customers that had attended an ERP solution's user group event with the intention of finding one basic solution...found not one, but THREE different solutions to three very different business needs.

• They found a reporting solution that fit all of the criteria they were looking for over and above all of the usual players. Here's what they were looking for...Do you have the same reporting needs?
  
  
• They then created a series of wireless applications to allow their floor workers to quickly gain access to the information they needed from their blackberries.
  
  
• And, the icing on the cake was the shopping cart application they built with m-Power, like this one, that was custom to their wants and needs, that was less expensive (and took less time to implement) than the "canned" software package they were considering.

Fill out this form if you're interested in solving any of these problems in your business.

IT's top 5 training mistakes

While IT's relationship with end-user training has always been ambivalent, the pressure to get users more comfortable and productive on new tech systems is an ever-present challenge--particularly when facing corporate emphasis on information security, compliance and return on investment.

A good training program can count as a competitive advantage, but management isn't always sold on the business benefits of effective tech training.

Here are five reasons why they should be»

Using CSS to manipulate the look of your Web applications

CSS, or Cascading Style Sheets, free up a lot of design issues, and encourage a uniform look to Web sites, giving developers an easy way to maintain their sites.

And, as such, CSS has many capabilities. Recently I came across this interesting article on using CSS to manipulate your background image.

The article also gives you greater exposure to the syntax of CSS, and how its used. If you're an mrc customer and you'd like more information on using style sheets, here's another stylesheets article in our documentation and this CSS post in mrc's forum as well.

Is IT recession-proof?

According to this article in CIO Magazine, it is. Average IT spending growth is down and pressure to rein in costs is rising, but money is still available to fund IT projects and critical technologies.

There are five areas of high growth that fit this bill of recession-proof IT: Virtualization (servers and storage), Customer self-service applications, Open Source applications and systems, Collaboration software, and storage equipment.

m-Power fits three of those five areas: Customer self-service applications, open-source applications and collaboration software.

Considering DB2 Webquery? Here's a quick quiz.

This brief questionnaire may help you determine if DB2 WebQuery's free price tag is actually free...for you.

Testing your Web applications for the color blind.

1 in 20 people have some form of color vision deficiency, and if you're not one of them, it's probably difficult to picture how much color plays a part in day-to-day life, and in business. Pie charts? Graphs? Inventory dashboards with red or green indicators? When developing Web applications, it's important to keep these things in mind.

This article also links to a cool Web link that shows you what your site looks like to someone who is color blind.

Top six free BlackBerry downloads

One of the best things about BlackBerry smartphones is their ability to download and install external applications adding new levels of value and customization to the devices. Here are six free downloads»

Of course, even better than a download, is the ability to run applications via the Web. Applications accessed via your Blackberry, won't have a security breach if the phone is lost, and customizations are always at the ready, with no need to upgrade, or redownload, giving your mobile workforce advanced solutions with which to do their job. Here's an example of one such application.

Getting to the Web can be as easy as knowing what you want.

Sometimes the most difficult step of application development is figuring out what you need in order to build what you want to build.

Here's an easy-to-follow form to help you clarify your needs».

Once you've determined the elements of your application, we can produce the application for you for free, so you can see it come to life. Or if you could use some pointers on getting started, just fill out this form and put "Request Web App Build Form" under project description.

PHP v. Java: Understanding the difference and staying relevant.

After getting caught "running in place" during a corporate consolidation, this RPG developer and iSeries author lost his job, and it caused him to take a serious look at the benefits of staying relevant, remaining marketable, and the fundamental differences between PHP and Java. From iSeries Network's latest issue, here is his take»

If you want to see just how quickly you can get up to speed, create a Java application in minutes with this quick workshop.

Surviving when there aren't enough IT workers.

Last week, 60% of CIOs surveyed said IT worker shortages are becoming a major issue. As workers shrink, it becomes increasingly important to help them focus on mission-critical projects, and to reduce the amount of time they are spending managing and tracking internal help-desk and user support issues.

Having faced similar issues in the past (on a larger support scale) we created a customer portal that allows users to report help desk/support questions, and gives us a way prioritize, track, and communicate support issues in real time.

Here's an example of what we built: Just go here. Then, sign in as: 10DKS10 as both your ID and your Password.

If you'd like to build your own support dash, let us know.

How to Bring your Business Applications to the Web

This white paper covers the techniques available for bringing your business applications to the Web, pitfalls to avoid, and best practices for making long-term technology choices in today's markets.

You can download this white paper (and others) from our white paper library.

Updating your email settings: mrc Whitelists

With the new changes we recently made to how we send email comes a new method to make sure you are receiving your emails.

To ensure that you have no interruptions receiving our weekly mailings, you'll want to make sure we're on your corporate Spam Filter's white list. Here's how»

Build-A-Web-App Workshop

Creating powerful enterprise-level Web applications doesn't have to be complicated, but now you can judge that for yourself...

Here, you can create a custom, live, lightning-fast, portable and flexible database-driven Web application in just a few minutes with your current skill set.

Enter our Build-A-Web-App Workshop»

Putting application modernization losses into actual time and dollars

According to Gartner, “...it might take an enterprise 12 months and cost an average of $67,000 to retrain a COBOL developer in Java. It’s a combination of training costs, software costs and lost productivity...”

However, it goes on to say...“You can drastically impact these numbers with RAD [rapid application development] tools,” for example, Blechar says. Companies can decrease the complexity of moving to SOA in other ways, including:
1. use of architectural RAD tools,
2. purchasing some outside components of an SOA,
3. using packaged products or
4. outsourcing the most complex development aspects of a project."

Here's the full article.

Multi-member physical files and m-Power

At first glance, you might think that since there is no way to define physical file members to m-Power, that you cannot use them.

But you would be wrong. This post shows you how easy it really is.

Aging ERP gets makeover, shuts the door on outdated views.

Northwest Door, a large door manufacturer based out of Tacoma, Washington had a multi-faceted dilemma...multiple plants with multiple data servers, an aging ERP (Frontier), a need for centralized reporting and BI via the Web and a staff of developers who had no background in Web development.

Here's what they did».

Why enterprise software must be sexy

There is a raging debate among technology pundits, and it boils down to one question: Does enterprise software need to be user friendly let alone sexy?

This has become more and more a debate as growing numbers of non-technical executives are calling the shots on solutions. Some say sexiness is key. Others say that consumer software needs to be sexy and user-friendly, while enterprise software must be secure and reliable.

Why the debate? It's easy to have it both ways. Here are just a few of the easy to use (and secure and reliable) enterprise solutions available.

Announcing new email methods

As of this mailing, mrc has changed its methods for sending out emails.

To ensure that your emails are getting to you week in and week out, we have (as of today) hired an outside resource to help us with this.

This change should mean that you consistently receive the emails you have requested, and you can more easily maintain your own accounts.

Please let us know what you think if you have any issues at all, or questions about these new emails, or problems clicking through. We'd love your input.

Web Application Tip: Must-haves for your online order system and shopping cart.

For those of you who want to make it easier for your current customers to spend their money with you...one way is to create a well-designed online order-entry system and shopping cart. Here are the top must-haves to include.

You may also find that creating your own custom order system or a shopping cart may actually be faster, easier, and much less expensive than going with a package "bolt-on" solution.(As counter-intuitive as that may seem.) Just consider this story»

IT spending directly affects your productivity: Get the facts.

According to a recent report from the London School of Economics, studying the productivity of US-multinational companies, and non-US multinationals, there is robust evidence that it is IT capital that has contributed the most to US-multinational gains.

This is even the case comparing US firms in the UK who consistently got more productivity out of their IT than other comparable firms in the UK.

And, this finding holds in the cross section when including fixed effects and even when examining a sample of companies taken over by US businesses. The data remains consistent. So what does this mean for your business?

Read the abstract and and conclusion of this paper»

Read the full academic paper»

B2B Mashup: New (and better) ways to pull together business data

One hurdle often mentioned by frustrated executives and IT managers alike is the problem of pulling together various data resources, particularly when it means including data from smaller "mom and pop" systems into a working database. Here are two ways to overcome this:

1) Create applications that simultaneously pull data from multiple data sources together side-by-side simultaneously in one dashboard view or portal.

2) Create BI applications that can analyze data from various databases behind the scenes, and present it in one report.

Many companies manage problems rather than solve them. How does yours stack up?

I read the most fascinating comment recently on System i News in response to one of their articles: “In many companies, managers want to manage problems, not solve them. It makes them look more important if they have many issues before them.”

Do you feel that that is the case in your organization? Are your managers encouraging problem-solving, or do they look to simply manage the problems that are there? What are the challenges you face? Share your experience here and see what some of your peers and colleagues are facing.

(Just sign in as Marcy/Marcy if you wish to remain anonymous.)

7 steps to a highly effective mobile strategy

In a recent interview on wireless in the enterprise, a number of CIOs said securing the data on wireless devices was the biggest challenge. "Nothing can get on [wireless devices] unless we put it on," said one executive. "We lock it all down and keep it inside the enterprise and decide what goes out."

Of course, this puts a limit on the whole notion of the freedom wireless provides. And what happens if you lose the device with all that crucial data on it? Or it's stolen?

Here are 7 steps to a highly effective mobile strategy.

And here's Emhart Glass's Alan Batchelor's practical and effective solution he achieved with m-Power.

Widget Explosion--Gadget Flurry

A widget is a tiny software program that allows for collaborative information sharing, and can be as useful as photo data-sharing and as silly as throwing a sheep at someone on Facebook.

But, if you think these techniques are flashes in the pan...think again. Here's a great article on the widget boom. According to this article "corporations are viewing widgets less as frivolous gadgets, and more as business tools to boost traffic and ad revenue on their sites."

And here's an article on quickly making your applications into gadgets to work in a B2B setting.

Gartner predicts Top IT Technology in 2008

Note the "real world web" entry as well as Web applications on the list:

'Real world Web' uses the comparison between printing out directions from a Web site and going on a trip, and using a GPS device. The printed out directions can't change based on construction or traffic. The GPS device is live, and therefore can. The same applies to your business.

Being able to access your data, as it changes and evolves, and provide snapshots of that data to your employees, is crucial. And, providing these types of solutions using your current system is not as difficult as you might think. Let us know what your ideal application is and we'll show you how to build it.

How to get your creative juices flowing. What haven't you thought of yet?

You know you have to modernize. That isn’t the question. The question is, where do you start?

We may be able to help you find the path that makes sense to you. Just fill out this form and tell us some areas where things need to change, but you're not sure where to begin.

And, if you’d like to get your creative juices going, see what you can build here»

The gods must be Web Crazy: See all the cool new stuff that you can do.

There are so many new benefits to data-driven Web applications now that we built a whole new Crazybikes Web site to demonstrate what you can create with m-Power. Check out the applications you can build. (Roll your mouse over icons, click to drill down, play around.)

Interested in seeing how to apply these capabilities to your business? We can create these same features over your files in minutes for no obligation. Let us know here which ones you might like to see.

What kind of ship never sinks?

mrc is kicking off 2008 with new partnership initiatives and incentives:

Are you a consultant?
Are you an software vendor or re-seller?
Are you in marketing or sales and want to expand your leads?

For a $500 set up, this distributor made $100,000 in one month...and learned Java as he built.

This customer wanted to create a secure online order system for business partners that was written in Java. Only they didn't know Java.

See how they were able to bypass their language limitations, begin learning Java, and create this lucrative ($100,000 in online sales in its first month alone) Linux-hosted B2B Web site in a matter of weeks.

Northwestern Wildcats tame 'old school' facility scheduling.

Keeping Northwestern University's athletics program on track with scheduling facilities for changing game and practice times is no easy task. And, their paper-based system was slowing them down. So, the 'Cats built a centralized Web-based scheduling system where:

• Users maintain their own accounts.
  
• Facility managers are notified via email with any changes for their individual facility.
  
• System administrator assigns authorization to determine which menus and facilities are shown to individual users, so users only access the functions they have clearance to use.

Here's Northwestern's Java and Web-based Facility Scheduler application. (Roll over menu items for more information.)

If you'd like to build one of your own, fill out this form»

Wrestling with tech demands of younger workers: Why you need to take notice.

Young people entering the workforce today have an entirely different way of using technology, so it's crucial to provide more and more collaborative Web 2.0 applications.

But collaboration doesn't stop there. The intellectual property and tried-and-true business experience of the older members of the workforce, coupled with the techno-savvy new generation, can give your business the edge if you harness it properly.

Younger users are often surprised to find systems and technologies they have never encountered (like the AS/400) have a stronghold in the long-term. And older workers may be surprised when such younger workers can help them erase age-old Business Intelligence problems using solutions like m-Power to rapidly create Web 2.0 applications.

Participate in 2008, and still keep your anonymity.

If you have questions, or comments, that you would like to ask...but wish to remain anonymous, there's an easy way to do that in the mrc forum.

Just sign in as "Marcy". So, simply go to the forum and sign in as User ID: Marcy, Password: Marcy. (NOTE: Both the Password and ID are case sensitive.)

Then, click on the 'New Topic' link at the top, and let us know your question!

What is the most commonly used BI tool? Is it true in your organization?

At 67% of the companies surveyed in this recent Business Intelligence survey, it's the spreadsheet.

But, that's not good news if you've invested tens of thousands of dollars in a Business Intelligence system. It usually means end-users can't quickly access the information they need and spreadsheets are the only way of controlling their productivity.

But, you can change that. Here's one easy way»

2007: A look back at the predictions. How true for you?

Now that the champagne is chilling and we begin to look ahead to next year, let's take a quick look to see what the predictions were for 2007.

Did any of them come true for you?

Happy Holidays from all of us at mrc!

Click on the image below to watch the movie and get a holiday cookie recipe!

CIO Tip: Bringing Web 2.0 into your Enterprise

This article gives a quick snapshot into ways you can start thinking about Web 2.0 methods to improve your business. Your customers are talking about you. Here's how to join their conversation»

And, if you are interested in learning more about how m-Power can help get you to Web 2.0, here's an article we did recently on understanding Web 2.0 and how to make it work for you.

How to keep your skills sharp and relevant.

As growing trends point to businesses shedding IT staff and farming out noncore competencies, CIOs and IT managers must learn to adapt fast in order to keep their departments (and their skills) relevant.

This article gives good tips on how to move forward, evaluate core competencies, recognize outsourcing risks, and what that implies for IT management.

BI Indigestion?

The most important component to Business Intelligence is how it's digested. This survey shows how users both receive BI and...(more importantly) how they prefer to receive their BI.

Are you providing Business Intelligence in the ways your users prefer?

10 keys to a successful BI strategy

Business Intelligence is more than just a buzzword. It can be daunting. It can be expensive. It can sink IT departments below ground for months and longer.

And, with the IT world aflutter with articles about it, it can be easy to forget that Business Intelligence is more than technology.

Here are 10 key principles to help you develop a successful BI strategy (even if you are in the midst of BI hell.)

Understand all the benefits of portals to your business? Here's a crash course.

How does a portal fit your business needs? Let's see if it does.

Here is a new straightforward overview of portals and portlets and what they can mean for your business.

And, creating a portal like this one (Sign in as 10DKS10 as both user and password to view it) can be accomplished very quickly and cost-effectively. For more information, sign up here.

Web application tip: Variable data sources

Oftentimes large companies have a problem with Web architectures because they might want their code to execute over variable data sources. A variable data source may be as simple as a library list in a System i environment, or as complex as information coming from a different server(IP) and different database(e.g. Oracle, DB2, etc).

In many cases a company's choice becomes either A)make multiple copies of an application for each specific data source (which can quickly become unwieldy to manage), or B) find a non-Web architecture way to deliver the application (which keeps you relying on legacy).

m-Power's web 2.0 templates eliminate this Hobson's choice by making it possible to point one Web application to your variable data sources. Here's how to do it.

Worried about the Cognos-IBM merger? Don't be.

Delivering BI applications while they sort out their platform/database discrepancies isn't any big deal--especially when you are creating applications in minutes that can work with either system.

Testing that out online is easy enough, but if you want to really put it to the test with your own files, drop us a line and we'll show you how.

Congratulations to our iPod Touch winner!

Congratulations to Lionel Halvorsen of the City of Farmers Branch, TX who won our Fall giveaway of the brand new iPod Touch!

And, thank you again to those of you who went the extra mile and participated in our mpowerment quiz to identify the kinds of topics, industry news, and product information you'd like to see from us in 2008.

It's not too late! Just take this two minute mpowerment quiz and tell us what kinds of information you could use to be even more successful in the coming year!

Web Application Tip: How to hang with the big boys

Small and midsize companies can use basic technologies and outside service providers to collaborate seamlessly with larger partners, and do it for very little. Here's how»

And, if you'd like to see a real life example of how one customer has been able to improve collaboration with their partners, take a look at this case study.

Give us your insights--win an iPod Touch.

We're drawing the winner of an iPod Touch, Wednesday, November 21.

Take this two minute survey to help us stay "in touch", and enter to win this iPod Touch. (Get your surveys in before 11:59, CST, November 21 to be eligible.)

Leftover Modernization: Homemade Turkey Pot Pie

It's time for that age-old question. What to do with all of that leftover turkey? Here's a great way to turn it into something fresh and new!

Here's our closely guarded recipe for Homemade Turkey Pot Pie

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at mrc!

Best face forward: The importance of Web design.

If you do not enlist the aid of a qualified graphic designer in developing your web applications, you need to take a look at this forum post.

Top 10 mistakes of creating self-service Web applications--and how to avoid them

This CIO magazine article is one of the most useful Web articles I have read recently. It's targeted to developers creating self-service Web applications for suppliers, partners, customers, and prospects...but the underlying advice is universal.

Here are the top 10 mistakes companies make in introducing self-service...and how you can avoid them.

Web Design Tip: Taking advantage of white space in your Web apps: A quick how-to.

When you're putting together the graphical elements for your Web applications, one of the most important elements is one that you probably take for granted...Space.

What Every Manager (IT or otherwise) Should Know About Feedback

Here's an interesting article from CIO magazine that every IT leader, and really every manager should read about sharing information and communication...including the three elements of effective feedback.

Modernize your applications: 8 different ways.

This white paper, as you might gather from the title, offers eight ways to modernize the applications you use with your enterprise software packages, and it breaks down the pros and cons to each.

It also includes a handy checklist that you should keep by your side when selecting your solutions. Access the "8 Approaches for Modernizing your ERP" white paper here»

Development Tip: Copy files from one database to another in one step

Sometimes even little changes can make a big difference in business productivity and profitability. What was the world like before calculators? Post-it notes? Staples? Staple-removers?

There have been lots of inventions over the years, but here is one that can make a huge difference if your company copies data files from one database to another.

What used to be a tedious set of time-consuming steps (and error-prone) can now be done in one step, with one command. Here's how»

What do you do when software packages fall short? Here's how one Movex customer got out of a bind.

Sometimes, when your enterprise software falls short, it can feel like you're in an endless cycle of inefficient stop-gap measures.

General Binding Company had just that problem.

The company's Movex software package didn't have the reporting capabilities they needed, and their IT department was forced to continually create ad-hoc reports to fill the gap. They knew they needed an operational reporting system that could tie directly to Movex, but also one that wouldn't actually make changes to the underlying core software package.

Here's what they did»

Are your users sharing data by emailing Excel docs? There's a safer, better way.

Every day end-users across the globe spend a large amount of time pulling data into spreadsheet programs like Excel, and then using pivot tables and the like to analyze data. This wastes a lot of time, is insecure, inefficient, and often inaccurate.

But, there's a new way you can help your end-users save time, do away with security issues, AND create their own Web reports. Here's a short presentation on how»

What is the one thing you wish you could fix on your enterprise system?

Ever found yourself in the tough situation of needing better applications for your users, but not having the time (or budget) to start making changes to your enterprise system?

UK-based Stannah Group, the largest stairlift manufacturer in the world had that problem. Then, they created an entire system of Web applications for their customers in just two weeks...fully tied to their ERP, without touching it.

Here's what they did.

Expanding on your "Imports": How to import HTML from other applications.

A few weeks back, I showed you how to use web 2.0 servlets to import html from other servlets.

That generated lots of interest and some questions that I try to address here.

Don't panic over Rogue IT when you can do something about it.

The Boston Globe reports that half of employees feel "more empowered than IT to control their personal IT environment," according to a new Yankee Group report (You'll need to register with their Web sites for the full articles.)

Here's the gist: Your employees look at IT as a bottleneck or a barrier to solving their problems rather than a means. So, they try solving their own problems by downloading desktop applications or e-mailing information in spreadsheets. This puts you at risk for viruses and security breaches.

However, giving users a set of centrally located Web tools, under your oversight but in their control, dramatically changes those dynamics. You can create web solutions like executive dashboards to give them a place to go, and even let them create Web reports from spreadsheets»

For a free sample application over your own files, to show your colleagues, just fill out this form to get started.

Get the latest how-to development articles, updates, and tips--here's how»

If you haven't been to the m-Power User Forum recently, there are a number of brand new useful tips, tricks, and technical documents. And, now it's easy to stay on top of the updates. If you'd like to subscribe to a topic thread, or the forum itself, to be notified when new articles are posted, it's easy to do!

Here are the steps:
1) Click here to go to the m-Power forum and sign in, or register.
2) Click on a link to one of the forum topics...for example, "Tips and Tricks"
3) Now, in the top left corner just above the forum box, there is a link called "Forum Tools". Click on that, and two options appear, Mark this Forum Read, and Subscribe to this Forum. Select 'Subscribe to this Forum.'
4) There's a drop down window that lets you select daily or weekly updates (Your choice), and then hit subscribe. (You can click on Control Panel link, then subscriptions, to view your subscriptions or unsubscribe.)

Use Gadgets to share your servlets with the world . . .

... or just your close friends, customers, vendors, sales force - whoever you deem appropriate.

This post will show you how you can share servlets you've built through iGoogle gadgets.

This can be another way to keep your information in front of those who need to see it on a daily basis.

Eye on Useful ResearchTools: Stumbling onto the Web

This new blog feature is to make you aware of new Web sites and services that might help you stay at the top of your game without a lot of extra research/work.

Today's featured Web helper is called StumbleUpon.

The premise of StumbleUpon is that you select the topic you are interested in, and the StumbleUpon toolbar shows you unique topic-related sites, often sites you might not find using your normal everyday search engine.

It may seem a little random, it IS a little random, but it's a great way to broaden your awareness of the Web, and develop a great little cache of go-to sites in topics that interest you, both personally and professionally.

Could you build a sophisticated Web-based reporting system in 3 weeks? IT Jungle shows how Boise Cascade did it, and well.

Last May, when Boise Cascade's management told them to develop a complex and comprehensive Web-based reporting system that could interface with multiple host systems...and then to do it in three weeks time...they just about fell over. Boise Cascade's application development team thought the deadline would be impossible to meet.

However, despite being short a developer, the group persevered and managed to meet its deadline.

Here's how»

Development Tip: Get into the "Import" Business with web 2.0 servlets

This may be just about the easiest way you will ever find to build dashboards and put building block servlets together into comprehensive applications.

And what's better? It's less than a two minute read. Click here to see for yourself.

What you should consider in your BI - Part 3 : Separating the players from the pretenders

Most BI tools fall down when it comes to allowing data-entry.

If we can't add or modify important data to include the full picture of new customers, or products, or plants...then BI becomes virtually useless. And, if we're not going to be able to see the accurate or whole picture, what is the point?

Here are 2 demos showing you three easy (and different) ways you can enter/update your data with m-Power. This example shows the benefit as it pertains to creating budgets/projected sales:

Method 1: Mass (Fast) Budget Entry

Methods 2 and 3: Work With Budgets and Budget Additions

Then, you can see the final report with all of the changes when you visit Budget Report and you make your selections and hit return. (In this system our budgets are by year, month, customer, and product.)

If you are looking to build a BI system, give m-Power a look. If you'd like to see how easy it is to build an application using m-Power, visit our online trial today and test it out via the Web!

Is SOA a reality, or a myth?

This recent article from IBM's e-Server Magazine sets out to answer this question. I'll give you a hint...it's not a myth.

What it is, is a useful implement, one you should have in your arsenal, but one of many implements you should include in the ongoing battle to not only modernize your systems, but to remain relevant in a global marketplace.

Recently, our friends at Bimba Manufacturing deployed an application to SOA in a matter of seconds, giving life to a portal application, and integrating it with an outside system. You can read about it here»

Collaboration for Innovation: How partnering up can be good for you.

While partnerships are nothing new between companies to develop new product lines or services...partnerships often get overlooked when it comes to internal innovations and departmental problem-solving. And that's a mistake.

This article examines two separate, and very unlikely, business partnerships that led to major savings, and incredible financial gains. And, with their tips for winning over management, colleagues, and staff, approaching your current business problems with a collaborative spirit might be the solution you've been searching for.

What you should consider in your BI Part 2 - For the Power User

Power Business Intelligence users don't always want everything laid out for them. They often want the ability to pick and choose what they are going to look at. Something like this:

Sales By Year : Ad Hoc Query

Or they may want a combination where this is linked to some of the views we presented in Part 1. (See September 10th Post) That's all very easy to do with m-Power.

But to really separate the men from the boys (so to speak) with respect to tools used to build your Business Intelligence system, stay tuned to Part 3 . . .

Educating Non-Tech Execs about Tech (In 5 Hours or Less)

IT departments have a vested interest in keeping their counterparts on the business side informed about technology, and technological opportunities for business.

Why, you ask?

Well, keeping your senior management informed is a win-win when it comes to getting your pet projects pushed through. If you can convey to them the benefits of IT applied to your business, and make them see why technology is invaluable, you might just be considered invaluable yourself.

Here's a short article on how to teach your Non-Tech Execs about Technology.

Web Tip: Put practical wireless apps into action.

Wireless (with all its gadgets and spaceage beaming) can be hard to envision practically applied to your business. But you might be surprised.

How many steps are involved in orders? How can a field rep look up product availability from the road? How can a manager get sales numbers when they are stuck in a snowstorm in Dubuque? How can you reset a server when you are poolside yourself?

Here's how this UK manufacturer put real warehousing solutions in the palm of their users hands...literally.

What you should consider in your BI Part 1 - Endless views: Try to keep count.

Business Intelligence - Everyone does it in one form or another. Here are three examples of the more traditional approach, with all the data pre-sliced and diced for the BI user:

Sales By Year: YTD
Sales By Year: Full-Year Data
Overall Monthly Sales

These examples were built with m-Power, but even cooler than that is the versatility of Java servlets behind the examples. To see what I mean, click through all the links in each application and note the URLs as you go. Can you count how many times servlet I00610s is re-used, and all of its different looks?

Does it ever show you the same data twice? That's the object-oriented power you get when you build your applications with m-Power. One build will bring you a multitude of views for your users, each with a different purpose.

(If you'd like to build something like this, just fill out this form and tell us what you need. We'd be more than happy to build you a live proof of concept.)

7 Ways to Protect Legacy Systems When Boomers Retire

The fact that a generation of some of IT's most experienced and knowledgeable professionals will be leaving over the next decade has been discussed for years, yet most organizations have done little to prepare for this exodus of talent, especially as it concerns maintaining all-too-important legacy systems.

Here are 7 recommendations on how to retain this know-how to preserve your company's assets.

Take the datamart challenge: Integrate your data for all (authorized users) to see.

With more than 15 million records in their datamart and more than 600,000 records being added each month, Bosselman had a huge BI challenge on their hands. How to analyze that amount of information, and distribute it in useful, meaningful formats among fifteen different companies representing 8 different industries.

This was no small BI task. It was a datamart challenge. See how they rose to meet it»

The most versatile "Top 10-style" reports you've ever seen

Our Web 2.0 reports make doing "Top XX" reports (e.g. Top 10 sales offices, Top 20 products sold) so easy and versatile.

This post will take you through some quick examples of just how easy and versatile.

In coming weeks, I'll show you how to combine this versatility with the "Import" features of our Web 2.0 reports to build dashboards in a snap.

Mobile business: Why it's barreling over the horizon, and what you can do to prepare.

Everyone agrees the future of global business is mobile, but America has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to adopting mobile devices and strategies.

Why that is, why that's changing, and what to look for to get your business up to speed.

If you'd like to begin, our consultants can give you a free evaluation and a place to start. Just let us know »

Application Tip: Fun with SQL

Our Web 2.0 templates now allow you to modify the servlet data base work (SQL statement) through m-Painter.

This quick tip shows you how and when you might want to do so.

Love your legacy code...it's okay. We did and do!

This article from Computerworld covers a topic near and dear to many of our hearts: legacy code, with its wonderful merits and problematic future.

It is also worth noting that there are ways to retain its power while safely moving forward. m-Power users incorporate their own time-tested legacy code such as that written in COBOL or RPG, and integrate it into their new Java applications seamlessly.

And, because the code is time-tested, your new applications are faster, easier for users, and more flexible. We know because we had to do it ourselves. Here's what we had to do (PDF)»

10 best practices for IT-business alignment that you can adopt today.

With all of the constant chatter about how IT is becoming more of a commodity, and how CIOs need to become better business analysts, one area that is often left to our imaginations are actionable ways to accomplish this feat.

Here are 10 best practices that you can address to begin gaining notice on the business end of IT.

New Web feature: Submit your applications to our live tour

You may have noticed our new demo section featuring m-Power'd Web sites. In this new section, we are trying to showcase various application types built with m-Power.

If you've created a Web application with m-Power that you are particularly proud of, we might want to help showcase your work.

In some cases, these sites are live and can actually accept orders.

This can not only serve as a great way to promote you and your company, but it can increase sales and exposure. (Might want to forward this on to sales or marketing.) If you'd like to find out more, just drop us a line, so we can consider you in our demo tour right away!

And remember to check back regularly as we begin to add more sites to our demo area.

Road to CIO Tip: How to Foster Teamwork Between Insulated Groups

The importance of building and managing strong teams in IT, and business in general, is often considered essential to success. But, sometimes this can backfire. Particularly when teams are asked to collaborate on projects. But, collaboration is essential to success as well.

So, how can you get two strong teams to work together without facing an "us vs. them" mentality that can reduce your project to a squabbling mess?

Here are some great tips from CIO magazine on balancing that tightrope.

For good BI (Business Intelligence), IT needs to get out of the middle.

In a recent survey respondents predicted that within two years over 50% of their company's employees will use business intelligence software...even though less than 10% do now.

Why the lag? One reason is that many BI products still require a great deal of IT intervention. As one Gartner analyst says, "If you're going to roll out BI throughout the company, you've got to get IT out of the middle."

It takes empowering both end-users and developers to create BI solutions, and you need tools such as m-Power have to be both intuitive and comprehensive. If you have a few minutes now, you can test drive m-Power right now (via your Web browser) to get a better idea of what we mean.

How to Spot a Failing Project So You Can Save It.

Often, spotting critical early warning signs that a project is in trouble can make all the difference between success and failure. Here are a few ways to identify the symptoms.

Tip: Customize enterprise applications without blowing up your TCO (total cost of ownership.)

I just read this article in CIO magazine about how modifying new enterprise applications is not a good idea, and increases your TCO or Total Cost of Ownership.

Each of the author's concerns are true...but only when done incorrectly. This article addresses each of these concerns...and gives you some viable options for customizing your business applications

4 Ways your technology direction can Impact the Bottom Line

This report from Gartner outlines the four crucial areas where you can start developing projects and ideas to generate new revenue streams for the business.

2007 Trends--How do they fit you so far?

At the beginning of the year, Intelligent Enterprise released their predictions for the 7 top Trends of 2007 and ran the gamut from adopting Web 2.0 (now dubbed Enterprise 2.0) applications to creating better information flow for manufacturers, to full-scale integration in industries such as healthcare.

How do these match up with your concerns so far this year?

The 4-hour workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich (and other summer must-reads for IT)

It's that time of year, time to pack your beach bag full of SPF 50 and that hot new beach book, and hit the sand and surf.

But along with that spy thriller, you may want to tuck a few of these picks into your tote. Here are the top summer reading recommendations for Tech Professionals from eWeek's editorial staff. Check them out»

Web Design Tip: Wrapping text around an image

This quick and simple tip, can really come in handy when you are creating a Web page and an image and it's corresponding surrounding text is not fitting the way you need it to fit.

Here's how to wrap text around an image»

Enterprise 2.0: Why you should champion Web 2.0 technology, and how.

One essential promise for Enterprise 2.0, or Web 2.0 for the enterprise, is making important information available to the people who need it, in large part by using blogs and wikis to capture and store institutional knowledge.

Here are a few insights as to why you should be championing these causes in your organization, and how to get heard.

Simplifying travel - for you and your co-workers

With summer here, and travel imminent, your laptop may start racking up the miles alongside you.

Of course, creating a system of wireless applications with m-Power that allow you to do work through your cell phone, means you won't need that bulky bag. Alan Batchelor, at Emhart Glass, did just that by creating a wireless application with m-Power that allows him to send commands from his cell phone even when he's poolside. Learn what else he built»

But, grudgingly, I will admit that laptops themselves can come in handy on your trip--even if you're just trying to find the latest attractions--and that means lugging them around. So, what's the best one? Here's what one writer says is the "perfect" laptop bag»

Web Design Tip: How to avoid Email Spiders

There are very few cons to having a Web presence, but today we're going to talk about one...and how you can avoid it: email spiders.

Email spiders or spammer spiders, unlike search engine spiders, are out there for malevolent purposes. They are sent out to crawl the Web and scan Web sites for email addresses that the owner can either use themselves, or sell to other spammers...often both.

Here's how to avoid them while still remaining reachable!

How secure are mid-market companies? Where does your company fit?

It's a fact that small companies may report fewer intrusions simply because they often lack the means to detect them, and often are at greater risk because they lack security measures.

SMBs are responding by increasing the level of security spending from last year, but if these IT executives really want to sleep better at night, they should also focus on the tough task of changing the behavior of their employees.

Here are three findings about the state of security in the small-to-midsize business marketplace»

3 things you should always fake

This is an interesting column on three areas (email, phone and search engine) that you might want to fake.

Here's why»

IT Innovation. What top CIOs recommend - and how it can help you.

What's in store for IT, and where are we going? Sometimes the best way to gauge that commitment is to take a look at what other innovative people and companies are doing.

Here's what 5 of the most innovative CIOs are saying about IT innovation and where your focus needs to be»

Web design tip: A guide to color associations and how they help your web site

The colors you choose when designing your Web applications can make a difference between whether someone can read the text easily, whether it's a printable screen, even whether it puts them in a good mood.

Colors affect us in all sorts of ways, and the choices you make can be crucial to the success of your project.

Here is a basic guide to color associations that may help you when selecting a palette for your site.

Don't let large data files stymie your staff.

Large data files don't have to hurt performance or stymie your staff as one company discovered recently.

In trying to bring improved Business Intelligence to its end users they faced many challenges, not the least of which was the fact that their POS system was running outside their JD Edwards system, and the data wouldn't be combined until it hit general ledger. Additionally, they didn't have any developers on staff.

How could they bring Web reporting to their users, and do it effectively, when their datafiles were growing at 600,000 records a day? Here's how they did it»

5 Strategies you can use to have a world-class IT organization

After analyzing benchmark data from more than 2,100 companies including all but one of the 30 Dow Jones Industrials, a research group found that world-class IT organizations-those that achieve peak efficiency and effectiveness-spend 7 % more per end-user on IT operations than typical companies, but on average, earn that amount back fivefold in lower operational costs.

Here are 5 key IT strategies to allow you to gain that maximum impact»

Application Tip: Create powerful Web application from desktop spreadsheet

What company doesn't have users working on desktop spreadsheet programs? They help make users more self-sufficient and productive, which is great, and they take the pressure off of IT. It's a win-win.

But, when it becomes impossible to secure data or to know if the spreadsheet information you are viewing is as accurate and up-to-date as your neighbor's, it loses its luster.

But, now there's a new way end-users be self-sufficient and share information while doing away with security issues. Here's a quick presentation on how to give your people an easy way to turn that spreadsheet data into a powerful Web app.

Best Practices: The right way to secure wireless applications.

In a recent interview on wireless in the enterprise, a number of CIOs said securing the data on these devices was their biggest challenge. "Nothing can get on [wireless devices] unless we put it on," said one executive. "We lock it all down and keep it inside the enterprise and decide what goes out."

Of course, this puts a limit on the whole notion of the freedom wireless provides. And what happens if you lose the device with all that crucial data on it? Or it's stolen?

Emhart Glass's Alan Batchelor has a better solution.

The Top 10 dead (or dying) computer skills...

This Computerworld article has compiled the top 10 dead (or dying) computer skills. Where are you in the mix?

What if the most effective way to harness your current skills means achieving the end result without the painful means?