Keys to a successful BI implementation

Business intelligence (BI) can provide incredible advantages when implemented correctly, such as agility, better decision-making, and even increased profitability. BI is not without risks, however, as evidenced by this article on datamation.com.

How can you implement a BI solution with the greatest chance for success? Let’s take a look at our options. In the past, there were really only two: Build it yourself or buy a pre-packaged solution.

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Leadership lesson: Let go to succeed

I’m curious: If I held an informal survey, how many managers would describe themselves as “micro-managers?” How many of your employees would describe you as a micro-manager? If you are a micro-manager, is that a bad thing?

You might look at micro-managing as an annoyance or a personality trait. But you may not realize just how much harm it causes. I believe micro-managing damages your business in a few ways:

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10 essential BlackBerry apps for travel

Have you been in an airport recently? It’s difficult avoiding the hordes of business people blindly walking around staring at their smartphones. While annoying, it also highlights an important trend: Smartphones are bringing the business anywhere.

For example, if your sales staff needs to check product availability on the road, it should be accessible from a smartphone. Need to send or receive those quarterly reports? Use your phone. Smartphones give companies the opportunity to operate more quickly and efficiently than ever. Here’s a great example of one IT guy taking advantage of his company’s iPhone adoption to empower the sales staff.

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Is going "green" good for business?

I saw a ridiculous commercial the other day. A bank advertised they were "green" because they no longer send paper statements. Really? That’s not green. That’s a cost-cutting measure thinly veiled as a green initiative.

Does anyone not see right through commercials like that? Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for going green. If every company in America committed to bettering the environment, the benefits would be enormous. Unfortunately though, I believe many companies refuse because they don’t believe it will help the bottom line.

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Stop motivating your employees

Do you spend time and energy trying to motivate your employees? According to this article on Forbes.com, you’re doing it wrong. Instead of motivating your employees, you should be trying not to unmotivate them.

The article postulates that we are wired to work hard, but gradually lose motivation in certain work environments. Unmotivation occurs in work environments where employees lack direction, resources, or respect.

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5 low-risk, high-reward experiments for IT

This article on Computerworld.com gives some great advice for IT departments. It gives you ideas of things you can try to make IT more strategic to your business. As long as the business views IT as an order-taker, IT is at risk for outsourcing. When IT starts providing business benefits and technology ideas that help the bottom line, the business will start to see IT as a valuable asset.

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mrc's 2010 Giveaway!

Thank you to all those who stopped by our booth at the recent COMMON Conference and took our short survey. Anyone who took our survey is entered into our 2010 giveaway for two $50 Amazon gift cards!

If you weren’t at the COMMON conference, there’s still time to enter our giveaway. Just take our short 3-question survey and you will be automatically entered!

Your answers do not affect your chances of winning. Make sure you answer every question, as incomplete surveys are not eligible to win. This giveaway is limited to subscribers of the Cup of Joe blog weekly email. If you’re not a current subscriber, you may sign up over on the right hand side of this page. If you currently receive the weekly "Cup of Joe Recap" in your inbox, you're already a subscriber.

New m-Power feature: Pivot-table reporting!

I’m excited to announce m-Power’s newest reporting template: The pivot table reporting template! (If you are unfamiliar with our template/model based approach to application development, please read our "build process" page.)

What are pivot tables? Pivot tables are interactive tables that automatically extract, organize, and summarize data. Pivot tables are usually Excel™-based and most often used to analyze data, make comparisons, and discover trends.

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5 ways businesses can use tech to save money

If I surveyed every business leader in America, 100% of them would say they want to save money. Why then do I run across so many businesses that don’t act like it? They use outdated and wasteful processes. They grossly overpay for consultants.

I don’t think they want to waste money. Rather, I believe they honestly don’t know any better. They don’t realize there’s a more productive way. They don’t realize there’s a cheaper option. For example, if I didn’t know software existed that let me create web applications for my business without any programming knowledge, I’d probably overpay for consultants too.

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Does IT need to please the end user?

Forbes.com has some interesting things to say on this subject.

Is it your job to make sure your end users can use new software or systems? Or, do you find the best solution for your company and hope the end users catch on?

It’s a tricky question, because while you can’t please every single end user, you must find solutions that they can and will use. You must find solutions that are easy for the technical and non-technical employees to pick up.

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Customer alert: End of monthly newsletter

We are ending our monthly customer newsletter because we feel it has become an inefficient method for communicating news. Things are happening so much faster today. We currently have other options in place for communicating the same information as it becomes available, rather than on a monthly basis.

As you know, we update m-Power frequently. Rather than a once a month recap, the best way to stay on top of all the updates is with one of the links below.

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How to attract and retain the best employees

Does your company have trouble attracting or retaining good employees? If so, Techrepublic offers some "food for thought". What are you doing to keep them? Do you cut back benefits to save a few bucks? Do you create an attractive work environment?

Remember, the talented are always the first to leave because they have options. The unmotivated, unproductive employees will typically stick around because they don’t believe they can do any better. Obviously, you don’t want an office full of unmotivated, unproductive employees. So, how do you attract and retain the best? Here are a few ideas:

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How to communicate tech ideas to management

Techrepublic has some interesting things to say on this subject.

Pretend for a moment that you are an IT leader. (If you actually are an IT leader, this will be easy) You know what the company needs from a tech standpoint, but your CEO doesn’t. He/she may be technologically illiterate. How do you communicate your tech needs in a way he/she will understand?

First things first, leave your ego in your office. Don’t throw around big technical words just to sound smart or feel important. While that may make you feel better, it does nothing to help the situation.

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16 Productivity-Enhancing Websites

Many companies place tight restrictions on internet usage for fear of unproductive behavior. While I believe the issue lies more with the employee than with the internet, I understand the need for restrictions.

Word of warning: Try not to go overboard…some websites can actually help productivity. For example, here’s a list of 16 productivity-enhancing websites that I found on PCWorld.com. While I don't agree that all of them are “productivity-enhancing”, there are a few nice sites there.

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Come see what's new with m-Power at COMMON (hint: Pivot tables!)

Are you attending the COMMON conference next week? If so, be sure to stop by booth #413 and say hi to us. Sal and Steve will be there and they're pretty awesome. If that’s not enough incentive, come on by and take our survey to be entered into our 2010 giveaway!

I also heard a little rumor that they will be unveiling a new m-Power feature: Web-based pivot tables! I think they will have a demo at COMMON, so come on by and check it out. (That makes 3 reasons to stop by).

If you’re not attending COMMON this year, don’t worry. You’ll be hearing more about web-based pivot tables in the coming weeks.

Work smarter, not harder

It’s a cliché phrase to be sure, often lacking in practicality. It’s been a Dilbert punchline more than once. It is widely spoken, yet seldom practiced.

Yet, if your business is to succeed, you must figure out how to work smarter on a company level. While there’s no one method that works for everyone, here are some practical examples of what “working smarter, not harder” looks like:

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7 traits of a good leader in a bad economy

Nothing separates the good leaders from the bad like a troubled economy. When times are bad, a leader’s true colors are exposed. Some step up and succeed, while others crumble.

What’s the difference between a good and a bad leader? A good leader brings the best out of his/her team, while a poor leader provides no direction or motivation. A good leader will ultimately have more productive employees, while a bad leader hinders progress.

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5 problems with corporate IT

I just read a great article on techrepublic.com entitled, "5 things I hate about corporate IT." The article comments are also an interesting read…they highlight the rift between IT and the business from the IT professional point of view. If you’re in management (non-IT) and you want to know what frustrates your IT department, read the comments.

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Dare to be different

I’ve noticed an interesting phenomenon. Technological advancement varies greatly from industry to industry, but very little within an industry. It seems like the companies within an industry care more about matching their competition, and less about bettering the competition.

Why?

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4 tips for motivating employees

Did you know that most people in the US are unhappy with their jobs? It’s true. Despite going through one of the worst job markets in history, the majority of those still employed aren’t even satisfied with their job. In my experience, unhappy employees are unmotivated and unproductive employees.

So, how can you motivate your employees and make their work life a bit more enjoyable?

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