2014 Automation , Development , entrepreneur , innovation , IT , Quality , Small business , Software 0 Comments

Last week, as I was on my way home, the dreaded 'Check Engine' light came on in my car. I managed to slowly limp home, and immediately my wife made an appointment to take my car to a big-name franchise to have the problem found (she's so much better at that stuff than I am - I would have made the problem worse by trying to 'fix' something myself).

The appointment was set for Saturday morning, 8:00am.

I prepared myself for what I was to expect. I was going to get the news that the transmission was almost dead, and would need either a new one, or a rebuild. No matter what, I expected to grab my ankles. Saturday rolls around, I get my car to the garage, stroll up to the desk, and announce my name to Jerry (I know it was Jerry because that was the name on his overalls). It was then that I got my first surprise of the day. It wasn't a huge thing, but having been immersed in software for the past 15 years, I was shocked to see that the appointment book was exactly that: an appointment book! Complete with names and times (written in pen). Appointment changes were done by drawing a line from the original time-slot to the new one. Cancellations: you guessed it; the names were crossed out. I didn't see any, but I'd be willing to bet that there was White-Out in there somewhere.

That got me thinking about how many businesses are still using manual processes? I'm sure they work well provided things stay the same, but what happens as the business expands? What happens if Jerry spills his coffee on the appointment book?

Ultimately, it boils down to one piece of imagery: How many people still beat their laundry on a rock in the river?

The rock worked fine: the clothes were clean. I know what you're thinking. Having washing and drying machines in our homes is a lot more convenient. I can't imagine how many hours are saved by being able to wash laundry at the same time as any other task in our overly-busy lives. Not to mention the quality of the washing itself; beating clothes against a rock definitely reduces its wearable life.

Business processes are no different. Manual processes do work for a short time, but cannot compare to the speed, quality, and reliability of having those same processes automated via software.

Companies seem to view software as a tool for a company to interact with their clients or customers. They focus on their online stores, advertising and selling their products. Business is more than just sales, it's how the processes function as a unit. It is true that more sales mean great things to companies, but saving costs is just as good. There is no greater cost savings than saving time, and that is what automating processes in software does. All systems can be seamlessly integrated.

How do you plan to better your business?

Don't let your business processes fold in on itself because of Jerry's haphazard coffee. In this scenario we would create one system that could schedule appointments and bill clients, as well as contact them in the future for marketing and advertising. All this done seamlessly (and in the blink of an eye).

Randy May
DevOps Specialist | Agile Architect | Sr. Software Engineer
Blaazin Software Consulting Inc.

Since beginning his career in 1999, Randy has become a seasoned and accomplished professional in all areas of Software Development. He honed his development skills at several development organizations, and has embraced a focus on software quality and the speed of development. He has implemented processes and technologies at many software companies to reduce time-to-market, and improve overall quality.
Email: randy.may@blaazinsoftware.com
Website: www.blaazinsoftware.com