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Category Archives: Productivity

How to create actionable business intelligence (in 10 minutes)

Productivity

developmentWhat’s the difference between traditional business intelligence and actionable business intelligence? Let’s break down each one:

Traditional BI: Traditional BI and reporting applications deliver data in an easily consumable format. They display key business metrics using charts, graphs, and tables. If done correctly, traditional BI and reporting apps deliver data that decision-makers need to take action.

Actionable BI: Actionable BI takes things a step further. It offers everything that traditional BI offers with one key difference: It lets you take action on your data from within the application. It lets users analyze their data, update data, and trigger workflows. Rather than simply displaying data, actionable business intelligence also lets you do something about it.

If you think about it, this is incredibly useful in all types of situations. Just imagine what you can do with a report or dashboard that also lets you take action on your data and trigger workflows. The possibilities are truly endless.

The big question: How do you create an actionable BI application? Is it more complex than a traditional BI app?

We just created a video that walks you through the whole process using the m-Power Development Platform. You might be surprised by how easy it can be. You can watch the video below.

Automate a workflow process in 7 minutes

Productivity,

developmentThese days, every business wants to improve productivity. For many, the answer lies right under their nose. While they may not realize it, they’re wasting hours of time every week completing manual tasks that could (and should) be automated.

What types of business processes are ripe for automation? Here are a few of the most common processes that you can automate:

– Invoice processing
– Employee onboarding
– Approval processes
– Support ticket applications
– And much, much more.

How can you quickly automate processes like these? We just released a video that walks you through a simple workflow automation process in just 7 minutes. While we demonstrate a support ticket application workflow, the same process can be used for any type of workflow process. You can watch the video here:

How to create a custom, web-based scheduling calendar in 10 minutes

Productivity,

developmentLet’s be honest: There’s no shortage of web-based calendar tools these days. You’ll find dozens of off-the-shelf scheduling calendars that you can set up and deploy in your business.

The problem is, they’re all generic and every business is different. While these off-the-shelf scheduling applications might fit most of your needs, they won’t provide a perfect fit. They might do some things very well but lack key features in other areas.

But, what if you could create a custom scheduling application…faster than it takes to deploy a generic solution? What if you could create a data-driven, web-based calendar that was 100% tailored to your business…in 10 minutes? It’s possible, and we’ve created a video to show you how it’s done.

Want to try it for yourself? Set up an m-Power Test Drive.

How to create a database front-end in 5 minutes

Productivity

developmentWhat is a database front-end? As a basic definition, it’s a web interface that lets users access, modify, delete, or add data to a database table. They’re simple enough for non-technical users to work with, and typically includes role-based security to limit which users can make database changes. A business might use a database front-end to:

  • Let employees maintain customer data
  • Manage and schedule shipments
  • Maintain product data
  • Manage customer order history
  • Reduce dependence on spreadsheets
  • And much, much more…

In short, it lets you manage data in your database with a user-friendly, web interface.

The big question: How quickly can you create front-ends over your database? I believe the answer to that question should be measured in minutes, and we just created a new video to show you how it’s done. The following video walks you through a start-to-finish process used to create a front-end over any relational database…in just 5 minutes. You might be surprised to learn just how simple this process is.

Want to try it for yourself? Set up an m-Power Test Drive.

9 steps to streamline any business workflow

Productivity, ,

developmentSummary: In the digital age, speed is the name of the game. Any modern business needs efficient processes to operate at their best. The problem: Many are still living in the past. They rely on inefficient or manual processes that slow down their operations. How can you streamline your inefficient workflows? In this article, we explore 9 steps to meet this goal.