In ideal world all projects would have realistic deadlines, enough resources to do the entire features listed in the functionality requirement. However in the real world this is almost never happened. The real world demand compromises and faced with constant changes.

Diagram above illustrates “The Impossible Triangle” showing the relationship between Functionality, Cost and Time. As a software company we’re constantly under pressure to deliver project on time on-budget and fit for purpose but in reality it is nearly impossible to fix all three aspects in a project.

For illustration, it is possible to work on a fix amount of cost and fixed number of features & functionality  (assuming they are clearly defined) but time to complete the project will have to become variable. In many cases with the software development we don’t know the problem until we’re halfway down with the coding work.

On the other hand, it is possible to fix cost and having an exact date on project delivery but there will be some functionality trade-off.

In many cases, throwing additional resources in the mid-project is not as straightforward throwing more bricklayers to build a wall as illustrated by Dilbert:

In my opinion the role of Project Management in the software project are undervalued. A good software Project Manager is incredibly rare. It is disheartening to know that according to research by Dr John McManus, only one in eight IT projects can be considered as truly successful (1998-2005).

On the bright side, In the recent years we’ve seen the rise of Prototyping  and implementation of Agile methodologies, which in Claromentis we’re proudly adopting and continue to learn from mistakes and “Keep Moving Forward”.

Note: “Keep Moving Forward” is a tagline borrowed from Disney Pixars Movie – Meet the Robinsons. There is an interesting scene from the movie when the Robinsons family rejoices and celebrated “failures” more than “success”.

Google claims to have one of the largest and the most secure clouds in the entire industry, we do not often hear they’ve been hacked.

Google Data Centers

How does Google keep the data centers that comprise its cloud so safe and are they the gold standard in data protection?

Adam Swidler, senior manager for Google Enterprise, laid out how the company keeps its cloud safe at the Cloud Control Conference in Boston this week. The measures that Google goes through are quite thorough. For instance, no Google clients or federal regulators are allowed inside of Google’s data centers. When it comes to tough nuts to crack on the Internet, Google’s cloud is about as tough as it gets…. read more

In contrast relying your data entirely in the hand of mighty Google could have disastrous impact to your life. This is what happens exactly to someone’s google account. His 7 years digital life is now vanished and no one at Google can help him.

Something happened to Dylan’s Google account, and it’s been disabled. He doesn’t know what happened to the account, and no one at Google with the power to help him is interested in acknowledging the problem or letting him back in to the cloud-based services where all of his correspondence and much of the digital trail from the last few years of his life is stored. Google doesn’t own Twitter, though (yet), and he has taken to Twitter to try to draw attention to his problem and urge anyone who will listen not to trust Google with their digital lives. read more…

Another news, which shocked the IT world, recently happened in Australia when one of the largest hosting provider Distribute.IT was hacked and around 4800 sites are gone forever.

4800 Aussie sites evaporate after hack

Maybe the solution is what the old saying that we should put all of our eggs in one basket. There is something comforting if you know exactly where your data is stored. Back in the old days to have our data stored in multiple locations just in case and always think of worse case scenario. Do you have good and bad experience with the cloud storage? Or you may have strong opinion about this topic please comments, we would like to hear from you.

It’s a global initiative by launching 7 sites in 7 countries simultaneously across Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK) and North America (Canada, US)

Their goal is to inspire and enable the next generation of explorers by funding non-profit organisations that are working to re-connect children with nature. We believe in the physical, emotional and social benefits of a healthy, active outdoor lifestyle, and that a strong connection with the outdoors will lead to greater support and protection of our natural landscapes.

The Explore Fund will support organisations that encourage youth outdoor participation, focusing primarily on creating more connections of children to nature, increasing access to both front & backcountry recreation, as well as providing education for both personal & environmental health.

Find out more from these sites below:

ExploreFund.eu (Europe)
ExploreFund.ca (Canada)
ExploreFund.org (USA)

Define, Design, Develop, Deploy

A classic waterfall approach which is very easy to understand but in practical this is hardly the ‘right’ process. The biggest drawback with the waterfall process is there is no room for changes and everything has to be perfect from the beginning to guarantee a project success, which is something that almost impossible to achieve in the real world.

The requirement is always ‘hazy’, it’s incredibly hard to visualize final product, there are too many factors to consider and business & technology and budget may change.

Familiar Project Cartoon

Image credit: projectcartoon.com

When it comes to the question “what is the right process?” we always get the lawyer answer, “it depends”.

A good project manager will realize that every project is different and need different methodology.  How about “Agile?” are they good?

The terms of “Agile Methodology” has been greatly abused and there are just too many different variations which sometime company adopting it for the sake of adopting it. “Yes we do Agile!”.

For us the ‘right methodology’ is an evolving process, we understand that we have to think from the customer point of view. We have to welcome changes!

“We shouldn’t put anyone to the dreadful task reading 200 pages of specification and hoping they can sign it off.

We have learned that we shouldn’t put anyone to the dreadful task reading 200 pages of specification and hoping they are having enough understanding to sign it off.  We all know pictures and models are better way to help us understand complex problem. We want the client involve in the process every step of the way, it is not just for us but good for them.  We want to put things into rigorous testing and not turning them into beta-tester. We want to make the entire process fun and constructive.

And we came up with this!

For quite sometime now Claromentis supports Microsoft Active Directory and LDAP to provide seamless Single Sign On to the Intranet. With the rise of Google Apps for enterprises and many organisations are migrating to Google Apps, it is about time that we shake hands with Google.

How we did it?, We start by giving a technical team less than 2 days to complete the challenge and we are now proudly announce that we do have single-sign-on solution for Google Apps.

“it is about time that we shake hands with Google.”

Claromentis Intranet users will be able to connect their intranet account with Google Apps account and login seamlessly between two systems.  For instance, checking email in Google Mail, jump in to read News in the Intranet, navigate away to Google Docs to work on documents and back to check latest status updates in Claromentis with no login interruption.

For the external partners who aren’t part of Google Apps users can simply log-in as normal by using username and password.

It is a first step for more exciting future enhancements, we have start investigating how user details and group can be sync between two system and pushing and pulling information between Claromentis and Google.

We view this partnership with Google as a major step toward the future of enterprise software. Our vision is to build seamless integration of cloud services into your corporate Intranet, making it a truly central hub for information and apps!

Google Single-sign on will be available in Claromentis 6.2

Partnering with Claromentis since 2010 we’ve been working on the highly complex and sophisticated portal deployment for a banking industry, and we are delighted to see the project has been well received by the executives, staff, brokers and their customers.

“I went through the app from start to finish including saving and re-entering to edit. Very slick application and user friendly process. I like it., I want to thank you for the time and effort you put into this over the past week to get it done.”

Peter Flannigan │ Director, Customer Solutions

All Star Broker Portal

All Star Portal is the result of Bridgewater Bank’s commitment to their brokers and their business. Having visited several broker houses in Canada and understanding their day-to-day job provides tremendous insight of what they actually need, instead of just working of the requirement documents. The result is outstanding the broker loves it and the project has been a great success. Here are some of the key features:

• Secure and Robust Permission
• Ease of Access (any browsers, PC, Mac, Smart Phones, Tablet)
• Real-Time update
• Drag-and-drop secure document upload for mortgage application
• Automatic email notification
• Auto-sync with third party Mortgage system

Drag and Drop Document Upload

Broker Information System

Broker Information System is the back-end of central database for Bridgewater Bank ‘s Brokers. We have done complete transformation on what it was difficult to use in-house software into an integrated web app with the portal itself.

Broker Information System - BEFORE

Broker Information System - AFTER

Key Features:

• Broker’s profile database
• Broker-Sub Broker
• Ratings & Super Broker Concept
• Red Flag warning
• Commenting facility
• Integration with Google Map
• History
• Fully integrated with Broker Deal Management

New Website

We are also working with their team giving their tired public website a new live with complete redesign and implementing Claromentis CMS.

Bridgewater Bank Website - BEFORE

Bridgewater Bank Website - AFTER

Smart Applications

For the ‘cherry on top’, we’ve created custom web-form allowing web visitor applying to their products such as Mortgage and Smart eSaving Account through the built-in easy to use web form

Smart Applications

Features:

• Strong Field Validation
• Saving application to submit later
• Auto secure password generator
• Email Notification system
• Real time application status

At Claromentis we believe that user experience is paramount and cannot be compromised, however sophisticated the technology we always put human aspects behind it.

If you would like to know more about this project and find out more on how we can help you. please contact us.

They spent 3 days with us in Brighton Office (UK), having training, workshops about what they can do with Claromentis. Check out their video…

If you ask any hard-core Project Manager who uses Microsoft Project every day they will be able to explain it to you immediately but if you are newbie I can guarantee you will be still confused.

Here are some of the quotes I gathered from numerous forum & blog post:

Project.net

“When creating a task, you have the choice of fixed units, fixed duration or fixed work. Most use fixed work tasks, but what exactly do these terms mean? “

“In order to get my mind around it, I had to rewrite it in my own words and try to work out example cases for each type in order to try to understand it.”

TheDailyReviewer.com

“it is, I now a famously tricky concept to get hold of or to teach”

Tek-Tips.com

“I am confused about Task Types in project planning. I am using MS Project for a requirements project. Up till now we have not utilized any formal project structure to get this job done.”

Take a look at the option of adding a task in Microsoft Project there are 5 tabs and at least 30 options to choose from not to mentioned options within options.

It is a real issue, Microsoft Project is just too complex for most of the projects we’ve undertaken, yes it is a sophisticated tool but you probably need a week course before you can use it.

Recently I read about  “Designing the Obvious” by Robert Hoekman Jr. on my kindle and the principles in designing a software is the fact that the software must be able to

• help users to get started quickly
• hide advance & unnecessary features out of sight
• deliberately persuades users to take a specific action.

We are currently developing a web-based project application, powerful enough to manage complex project yet it must be easy enough to use.

Check out the video below showing how we’re planning to solve the same problem with a simpler solution.

Bookshelf user can now choose from standard available themes, read in full screen, changing font-size in real-time, ease of navigation.

Background

The United Bible Societies is a fellowship of 146 national Bible Societies (NBS).  This fellowship is served by the UBS Service Organisation (UBSSO) that operates from the World Service Centre in Reading, UK and has four area offices across the world.  From time to time the fellowship meets as a World Assembly.  At the last one of these in 2004, it was felt that it would be helpful to have a worldwide picture of the combined resources and work of the whole fellowship.  The Global Stewardship Report (GSR) was developed to meet this need.

Report History

A small trial of collecting the report data started in 2008, followed by the first full exercise in 2009, in which all Bible Societies were asked to participate. Almost all have now sent in their return.

Data collection was in an excel spreadsheet that could print on one A4 page. The form used is included as Appendix 1 and the accompanying notes to explain the data required are in Appendix 2.  Experience from the first round of collection is that not all Bible Societies read the notes carefully and that some information is still missing or obviously incorrect.

The Way Forward

Working together with UBS Service Organisation, Claromentis develop a bespoke Global Stewardship Web-Application within UBS Intranet/Extranet allowing member of the National Bible Societies to fill in the information online on the web.

Using a wizard-style approach, built-in checking, and dynamic currency conversion, users can simply guided through the forms, minimize mistakes and no training is required

All the details are kept in a secure central database from which, at any time, the most updated consolidated stewardship report can be easily be generated online and a hard copy can be printed from a print-friendly view of the report.

Recently we’ve been busy working on revamping the free live demo experience. Using the same username and password generated when you are signing up you can now experience 3 different products:

• Intranet – The most versatile business Intranet
• Quality – Quality Management System & Compliance
• InfoCapture – Business Process & e-Forms Software

All of these products are created based on Claromentis Framework.

This demo also a sneak preview what’s coming in the Claromentis 6.0 Framework.

Universal Tagging
Modular Applications
SOAP Interface
And many other improvements…

As well as our branding exercise which will be reflected on our main site very soon

Stay tuned….

Within many global 2000 companies, the journey to create Social Enterprises (also referred to as Enterprise 2.0) is underway, set against a backdrop of hopelessly outdated methods for employee collaboration & communications.

There’s a lot at stake. Companies that make a smooth transition to a social enterprise can unlock innovation more quickly, capture & share knowledge more effectively and harness their global networks of talent to outwit the competition. But the transition is complicated, requiring not just adoption of new technologies but significant changes in culture and working behaviour.

So how do you set about achieving a smooth transition, preferably before your competition? This is where Microsoft’s Sharepoint looms large, as the intranet collaboration platform of choice across many large enterprises today.

Read more at Knowledge Board

It is the second Public FET Collegae in Gauteng to obtain SO 9001: 2000 certificate from the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) in 2008.

In order to continue maintaining high standards EWC has chosen Claromentis Quality Manager solution. They have developed a Quality Management web portal, which can be easily accessed from all campus location, and it has become a one-stop-shop system to find up-to-date policies and procedures. EWC also uses InfoCapture application to track and manage non-conformances.

Read more about Quality Management  Solution or take the tour

I begin with a little story that the state of my kitchen is dreadful, the look is so dated and it needs total refurbishment and I’ve been promising my wife a trip to IKEA so we can have one of those shinny looking kitchen just like the one in the brochure.

So we take a look on the brochure and we really like this one.  At £860 It’s a bargain! So let’s go and get it!

Then the reality starts to emerge you don’t came out the store with that kitchen; in fact you ended up with these.

All the good things isn’t included, definitely not the coffee and the laptop, but fittings and lighting, all the things that make it looks good.

If you think about isn’t it an elaborate con? They are selling you the picture with the price tag but you ended up with pile of flat pack?

Have we actually factor-in the cost and time required for transport, unpack, build, other fittings, disposal of the old kitchen units, daily disruption, and possible error?
Of course not we are so blinded with the image in the brochure and the low price!

It makes me wonder how many of the proud purchaser that successfully ended up with the picture just like in the brochure. Perhaps the percentage is not dissimilar to the percentage of successful IT projects.

Now back on the software business. I am seeing the similar attitude of “Honey let’s go to IKEA’ to sort out problem within an organisation.  Many of us still believe that to sort out internal communication problem is to go out just buy the software.

How about that “intranet” Dear? It looks sexy and cheap? Surely it’s within our budget.

How about other things, which we need to factor-in? Such as Planning, resources, preparation Check out 10 steps planning your intranet project.

At Claromentis our attitude is always to go for extra miles, we believe unique solution is required for unique problem, the value it’s not in the product but in the complete solution based on our experience that we’ve learnt deploying more than 100 intranets and bespoke web-based software across the world.

The reality is we are only one side of the coin; the other side is you Mr Customer. We can’t solve your problem if you don’t want it to be solved.

No offense to Mr IKEA, I still think your business model is brilliant, and this post is based on my personal view.

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk £105m for 3 years with only around one million unique visitor a month

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk £35m a year

http://www.nhs.uk £21m a year with six million unique visitor a month

Frustrated user

Does it sound familiar? It’s a human reaction when we encounter a system which is difficult to use or doesn’t work as we expected it to.

When usability touches a personal level the effect of a simple usability error feels like it has been multiplied tenfold. This post reminded me of one of the best usability books by Steve Krug “Don’t Make me think”. Usability is simple, it’s just common sense yet it’s also an incredible form of art.
I’ve spent more than 8 years working as an Information Architect, designing complex web-based software and many times I feel that I am still learning. Things that are obvious and logical from a technical point-of-view may be totally wrong from the novice users perspective.

We’ve just completely revamped our holiday planner application and one of our clients is currently running a beta test for the application. From a technical point-of-view the new holiday planner is much better than the old one. Some of the new features include an interactive holiday calendar, overview screen, automatic calculation, and a team/manager dashboard.

Apparently things are not going so well with our users. They don’t appreciate all of these wonderful features, what they care about is one thing and one thing only “Their holiday allowance”.

Here is a snapshot of the screen showing a user booking a half-day holiday.

Holiday request

Taking a closer look you might notice several things:

1. The icon representative a half day holiday is correct, a half red square indicating that the user only booked a half day holiday.
2. Duration is shown as 0.5 day, which is correct but in brackets (1 calendar day) which is causing major confusion.
3. Users are very sensitive to their holiday allowance, when they book a half day they only want to see a half day, without any reference to calendar days.

Here are some reactions from the users:

• “Why is duration showing 1 day, I booked a half day only”
• “What is calendar day? How’s that different to a normal day?”
• “Does it mean if I took a half day off, the system took 1 day from my allocation?”

Again, from a technical point-of-view, the reason we display calendar day is simply to give useful information about the overall duration of a users holiday.  For example you may have booked 2 half-day holidays, which means 1 day has been taken out from your holiday allocation. But you may want to know that you have booked 2 calendar days with each half-day holiday.

I can see this piece of information is actually quite useful but having to display both day types has caused major confusion to the user, after all, when a user books their holiday the only thing they care about is their holiday allowance.

Working on a communication software platform, we want to facilitate this positive feedback culture.

Pages or web pages is one of the largest type of content of an Intranet along side with Documents and News. In Claromentis we already have comments for News as well as Document and to complete the whole picture we are now introducing comments for publish page.

Here is the anatomy of commenting:

As we  all know MySQL is the most popular open source SQL database available until today. If you’re like me – not comfortable with command line SQL – then one of the most popular GUI tools is phpMyAdmin. a MySQL adminstration application which is written in PHP.

Oracle provides an alternative that allow you graphically work with MySQL databases which is called MySQL Workbench. It is a cross-platform GUI tools available for Linux, Mac and Windows.

Anyone has some experience using this tool ? if so please share…

What an interesting point mentioned in the video above, in the business realms we are trained to execute the best possible plan and punish failure, instead of continuously prototyping and learn from mistake as you go along just like what the kindergarten kids do.

It seems we’ve not learnt our lessons that the best possible plans will always have flaws and there is nothing can substitute the reality. In the software world we tend to create the ultimate plan and concept, which looks good on paper so we can secure funding. This is usually leads to either the result is not fit for purpose or we tend to over complex the situation and not get the basic rights.

In Claromentis, we’re now embracing prototyping worlds, create endless revisions until it’s right, even when the software is developed and deployed the project is not finished, deploy early and quickly learn from it. The  whole point is to create a continues improvement, what works in one environment may not works with others, every situation every problem is unique in many ways and we want to create something that fit to that purpose.

Our relationship with Email is a bit like a ‘love and hate relationship’. We love it because we don’t have to go somewhere to fetch or read the information, it is right in ‘my inbox’, and for most of us it is part of morning ritual, breakfast, cup of coffee and check email.

We hate it at the same time because our inbox tends to be very messy; there is no easy and reliable way to separate genuine emails we like, emails we hate, good or bad notifications and spam messages.

Not just quality of the messages, sometime we also have to think about frequency, and volume of information being delivered.

People sometime complain they are not being informed about important information, in our case recently our book keepers insisted that they need to know if any of the managers has approved overtime as soon as possible in real-time so they can authorize the payment immediately, without further delay.

Before it was lack of information but now take a look at this person’s inbox :

OK that’s just too much information, the accountant is now complaining that the system is spamming them.

This issue made them realizes the consequences of their request. Sometime it is hard to imagine but what the differences can be simply by the frequency of the email you receive. Less than 5 a day seem acceptable but 50+ a day is just too much. Is it really ‘too much’ or it is a sign that system is working?

The fact is that each request is now visualized, and they can see what’s going on in real-time. It might be  just a  normal psychology reaction, who likes  to see the work has just piling up ?

The problem is where is the balance? Lets say 20+ a day might be OK for someone but it is too much for others. If we change the method for example using daily digest, then some people might complain they don’t get the information in ‘real time’ when they need it, or is it just our way to make ourselves feels better.

Tell us what you think…