Consider Functionality Before the “Cloud”

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cloudIt seems that in many cases, the issue of “Cloud” based software solutions versus traditional self-hosted solutions has become the primary decision point for companies procuring project management/accounting software.  Unfortunately, this sometimes happens at the expense of what should be the single most important consideration: functionality.

Functionality is the hard part.  It is the hardest for the software company to deliver; the hardest to implement; the hardest for users to understand; and the hardest for purchasers to evaluate.  Getting from functional evaluation through to completed functional implementation means “rolling up one’s sleeves” and doing some very detailed work.  Unfortunately, all too often, the specter of doing this due diligence is more than people want to embark on.  Furthermore, because of all the industry-wide buzz and hype regarding “the Cloud,” people become easily distracted, and end up focusing all of their attention on the Cloud issue.

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Useful Information

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funnel of dataI decided to give into temptation and pick up on Dennis’ thread Beyond the Data.  See, it appeals to the geek in me: I love data and playing with it, even though I know I am not in the same league as Stephen Wolfram.

But, I also like to think of myself as having a pragmatic side.  All that data is only of value if it helps us produce better results. Or make good decisions faster.

So I spent a few minutes and thought of a concrete example of how the data behind a project management system can help people act smarter in construction project management.

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Piles of invoices? No Problem!

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desk full of paperPiles of invoices look different than they did a few years ago when paper cuts were a much bigger risk. These days, invoices often arrive via email as PDF files. Spitfire Project Management System includes some features that date back a decade and were originally designed to handle TIFF files from network scanners.  We don’t think about this feature too often, but it can still offer significant workflow benefits today.

Sales recently shared the needs of a prospect who wants to process a pile of around a hundred invoices and supporting documents a day basically twice, making two passes through the pile.  We told the prospect about our solution, which apparently thrilled them enough that they asked if they could start using it “tomorrow.”

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Avoid the XY Problem

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xyHere at Spitfire Management, we love to listen to our clients’ needs. It’s the first step in a process: first listen, then address the need, and finally write a “You asked for It, You Got It” article for our client newsletter! But, sometimes, what we hear is very muddled because of the XY Problem.

Concisely put, the XY Problem syndrome is when people talk about their attempted solution rather than the actual business need. That is to say, there is an initial problem (X), and the person who tries to fix that problem thinks of a solution (Y), but then runs into a problem with that solution so seeks help from someone else by asking about how to make that solution work instead of asking about the original problem.

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