September 18, 2017

User Support Isn’t Always a PICNIC

in: Developers, Programming, Software Tagged: Developers, software development, softwares, tech support, technical support, testing, user support

It’s easy to assume that someone needing user support is not using the application correctly. What if there really is a bug? We’ve all seen the acronyms from user support techs: ID-10-T errors, PICNIC, PEBKAC, and so on. On the one hand, they’re pretty mean-spirited (but kinda funny). On the other hand, who can blame user […]

September 5, 2017

Keep Asking Why

in: Business, Developers, Programming, Software Tagged: business analysis, consulting, custom software development, solution design

DISCLAIMER – this article applies to mainly to Organizations without business analysts and programmers on staff. A few years ago, we were asked to quote a small automation for an existing, repeat client. They wanted help streamlining a spreadsheet-based process that took about 1/2 day of a high-level employee’s time each week. Client: Can you help […]

August 4, 2017

How to QA for a Consulting Firm

in: Business, Developers, Programming, Software Tagged: QA, quality assurance, software development, testing

ONE:  Don’t just “break the system” I remember my very first QA task when I started here three years ago.  I was testing a client’s internal employee management system.  I had never tested anything before, so I asked my project manager, “How should I QA the software?  What does that mean?”  He answered simply: “Do […]

May 30, 2017

Emergent Workflows Part 1

in: Data, Programming, Software Tagged: custom software, data tag, database, emergent workflows, Programming tag

What is an Emergent Workflow? I’m not sure if there’s any consensus on the definition of an emergent workflow.  It’s a term that I use to describe a pattern I have witnessed in business software.  To me, an emergent workflow is a workflow that was not designed explicitly into a piece of software, but slowly […]

May 16, 2017

Naming Things is Hard

in: Programming, Software Tagged: computer science, Programming tag, software development

So What? “There are only two hard problems in Computer Science: cache invalidation and naming things.” – Phil Karlton. The above quote, while somewhat tongue in cheek, wears the ring of truth.  Naming things is hard.  Even when you put enormous effort into consistent and clear naming, you will invariably end up with some muddy […]