In addition to hardware, network and a building, cloud service providers offer a rich range of software functionality
How does a cloud computing environment compare to an on-premises computing environment? Are the benefits of cloud computing overhyped? Isn’t the cloud just someone else’s data centre? What topics should chief information officers (CIOs) consider when deciding whether to adopt more cloud computing services for their organization? Functionality In addition to hardware, network and a…
The success of any organization or team hinges on the strength of the relationships of its employees
Xerox Corporation, in the 1980s, was looking for a way to boost the productivity of its field service staff. An anthropologist from the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) travelled with a group of tech reps to observe how they did their jobs – not how they described what they did, or what their managers…
Emails, newsletters, blogs and articles all have a place in your marketing mix. But when you talk to people, your success rate skyrockets
Recently I trained a new sales professional. His job was to find leads for his company, but he had never worked in sales before. After a couple of weeks of learning about his company and coming up with a plan, the time for action was upon him. In our coaching session, he realized that he…
Software is everything. It’s the glue that makes every application work
Do you love those interactive maps that report United States election results on television? I loved the GIS map interface, the effortless drill-downs and rollups, the comparison of this election to previous ones, the simultaneous display of multiple measures and the rich touch-screen navigation. There are no blue screens of death. Never does a pesky…
For this episode of Amplify Your Business, we’re joined by Matt Hill – Program Manager of Business Link. Today, he speaks with us about the Digital Economy Program and how his team empowers even the smallest local businesses to move over to and thrive in an online marketplace. Amplify your Business is produced by Amplomedia…
With the right systems and people in place, we can step back as owners and do what really needs to be done
In 2014, one of the professors in my MBA program asked: “Why are you here?” As he went around the class, people responded: “To further my career.” “To earn more money.” “To get a better job.” When he came to me, I said: “I’m here to learn how to work less and make more money.”…
Critics say that agile benefits are over-hyped because devotees can’t demonstrate full implementation
Is agile software development delivering enough value? Or is agile an exaggerated buzzword that conveniently obscures all attempts at performance measurement of software development teams? The Agile Manifesto was published a little over 20 years ago. Why have agile concepts not been universally adopted if they are so valuable? Or is agile a fad that…
Building trust and consistency can improve your sales and increase your profits
“If only our customers would buy more from us.” This resounding phrase is heard throughout many businesses as the demand for sales increases in order to offset rising costs. While we may wish to create more revenue by selling more, our customers are facing rising costs at the other end of the spectrum. They’re looking…
Without the right tools, we can’t build a house. Without the right people, things will get broken
“You are fired!” John yelled at me as I was lying on the ground after falling off the roof of the house. John was mad because his sawhorses had been broken in half because of my stupidity. I was stunned and just wondering if I had broken anything in my body as a result of…
Jerry reached out to us because he wanted to get out of his business. The business, he said, was “too stressful,” and he “was tired of struggling.” During our discussions with Jerry, we discovered that while the business was doing several million dollars in sales, it was only marginally profitable. Jerry had to work extra…
How does a cloud computing environment compare to an on-premises computing environment? Are the benefits of cloud computing overhyped? Isn’t the cloud just someone else’s data centre? What topics should chief information officers (CIOs) consider when deciding whether to adopt more cloud computing services for their organization? Functionality In addition to hardware, network and a…
