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Productivity

Case Study: Learn how this non-profits meets development challenges…without developers

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Picture this: You’re running an IT department, and everyone’s asking for custom applications. The catch? You don’t have a single programmer on your team. What do you do?

Well, that’s exactly what Lifeskills, a Kentucky-based non-profit, was dealing with. But instead of pulling their hair out, they found a secret weapon: The m-Power Development Platform.

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Case Study: Learn how the AICTP outperforms larger companies

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The American Institute of Certified Tax Planners (AICTP) is a not-for-profit corporation that trains and licenses tax professionals in the expertise of advanced tax reduction.

Shortly after the AICTP was founded, Dominique Molina (President and Founder) noticed a problem: There was no technical solution for this discipline. Everyone used different methods rather than one, standardized approach. This created a problem: When everyone’s doing things in different ways (and getting different results), it’s nearly impossible to effectively teach and lead them.

The solution: The AICTP partnered with mrc’s services team to help them develop a solution for their industry. With Molina providing the tax expertise and mrc’s consultants providing the development, they created a solution that perfectly fits their industry’s needs.

The result: The AICTP offers an industry-leading solution that outperforms solutions from much larger companies. According to Molina, “We’ve been at this for many years. In that time, other competitive solutions have entered the marketplace from some really well-known, well-funded organizations. Their solution is not as effective as ours. That helps us stand out with our clientele because they know that our solution can give them results that other off-the-shelf applications can’t deliver.”

To learn more, you can watch the interview below or read the whole case study here: https://www.mrc-productivity.com/customers/aictp.html.

How to create a database front-end in 5 minutes

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development

What 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.

Video: Create a database CRUD application in 5 minutes

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analyticsWe just released a new video that shows you how to create a database CRUD application in 5 minutes using a low-code development tool. If you’re not familiar with CRUD, it stands for Create, Read, Update, and Delete, and it’s a fundamental concept in database management.

A CRUD application lets you perform these four basic operations on a database table. I know…this might not sound very exciting. But CRUD applications are the backbone of most modern software applications.

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Case Study: How to get the most out of low-code

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When most companies look at low-code software, they’re trying to fix a specific need. Maybe they get it to create a specific web application or system, speed up development, or help their end users create the applications they need. Of course, it’s great for all of that. But…it can be so much more.

The fact is, most companies aren’t getting the maximum value out of their low-code investment. If you’re only using it to solve one problem or help in just one area of the business, you’re missing out.

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5 (unique) ways to improve business productivity with technology

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trendsIn this article, we’ll explore actionable ways that your business can improve productivity. Since this is such a broad topic, I’m focusing only on improving productivity through the use of technology.

In the spirit of productivity, I don’t want to hide these tips behind a long intro. Rather, let’s get straight to the point with a couple of notes before we dive in.
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Case Study: Low-code doesn’t mean low customization

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developmentThere are many myths floating around about low-code software. One of the most common myths: Low-code means low customization. There’s a general belief that low-code tools offer limited customization and functionality. Many believe there’s no way to add features or customize the output to perfectly fit their organization’s needs.

The reality: Every low-code platform is different, especially when it comes to customization. The problem is, when people use a basic low-code tool that limits their options, they assume that all low-code tools are similar. This isn’t the case.

The fact is, many enterprise-class low-code tools won’t have these limitations. You can customize applications however you wish. You can add custom logic or features if needed. You can even edit at the code level on some tools.

Here’s a case study that provides a great example of this. An automotive service company needed a way to create web applications and workflows that could be:

  • customized to their exact business needs
  • integrated with their existing systems
  • used to securely capture, share, and manage data across distributed locations
  • created and delivered quickly

After trying other low-code tools that lacked important features and customization options, they discovered the m-Power Development Platform. Read the whole case study to learn how m-Power addressed their needs and why they say, “m-Power owns the space on customization in terms of how well it integrates into what you’re doing and how easy you make it.”

How to create web-based reports with a database reporting tool

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analyticsBusinesses collect and have access to more data than ever before. It’s a huge opportunity. They can analyze this data and use it to guide their strategic decisions.

The problem is, many businesses aren’t taking advantage of this opportunity. I see them making a couple of common mistakes with their data:

  1. First, they don’t use it. Their data just sits in their database (or in spreadsheets). As a result, they get no value from their data.
  2. Second, other businesses do analyze their data, but…do so very slowly. Often, reporting is still an IT function and there’s a backlog of report requests. Other times, they just don’t have the right tools to create web reports quickly. Whatever the reason, they’re stuck waiting around for their reports, which means they’re analyzing outdated data.

If you’re dealing with either of these issues, here’s a video to check out. It shows you how easily you can create web reports using a database reporting tool. In just under 7 minutes, you’ll see 3 different reporting types created…all without coding!

Want to learn more? Set up a demo here: Set up a demo.

5 canned reports that take the reporting burden off of IT

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analyticsIf end-user reporting is a burden on your IT department, you’re certainly not alone. The question is…how can you reduce the amount of time your IT department spends creating end-user reports?

One way to fix the problem: Create canned reports with run-time options for end users. This lets your users quickly access the data they need, while reducing the time your IT department spends creating reports.

Here’s how it works: Your IT department creates the initial reports with run-time filters for the users. The users can select which data to display, or filter their data however they wish when they run the report. With the right run-time filters, users can use a single report in many different ways. …

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