Changes

If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @hotpixUK
or LinkedIn here uk.linkedin.com/pub/tony-smith-bsc-hons-acih/a/979/351/

If there were any doubt that Microsoft were out of touch with their 1 billion users, that was backed up this week by two users I made very happy by restoring their Office 2003 menus to them via a little extra provided by http://www.ubit.ch/software/ubitmenu-languages/

It was worth a jam doughnut in one case and a hug and a kiss(?!) in the second situation. Don’t tell ‘er indoors.

But why on earth do that?

While wrestling with that question I was looking into an upgrade of Access from 2003 to 2010 when I read this on Amazon from Ian Pearson from Beds UK, who I would wholeheartedly agree with:

From the manufacturer's description:

"With its improved interface and interactive design capabilities that do not require deep database knowledge ... "

The terms "improved" and "interactive" clearly have a broad definition. The Access 2007 interface is actually intrusive and unintuitive. The core of a great product is still there (see Access 2003) but I can't see many persevering long enough to find out. Oh yes, there is also a new feature (multivalued fields) which controversially breaks a critical database design rule.

After a bit of time with the new Excel 2007 interface, you realise it works, but why oh why did they then apply it to everything else in the Office suite.

Don't buy or upgrade unless you have to.

Five stars for the best PC database product, minus 4 for a truly awful interface and multivalued fields.”

Why mess with something that works, have Microsoft been listening to the geeks? Apple don’t appear to do this, nor do Adobe?

Another review from Mr. A. Jawed "E Jawed" (Greater Manchester, United Kingdom) – (he got my attention right there!)

This review is from: Microsoft Access 2007 (PC) (CD-ROM)

I am a prolific user of MS Access with VBA with 15 years programming experience. I've been through all the versions since Access 97/2000/2003, and know them inside out. I am at pains to finally admit after extensive use of 2007 that the graphical front-end on this piece of dung is absolutely awful!

Microsoft have (as usual) gone a step backwards by reducing the customisability of the object views. To make matters worse, where it was extremely easy to set the options of the database to hide all the menu bars, navigation bars etc, they have now made that task incredibly difficult too. You have to create new system hidden tables with 'XML ribbons' to hide the usual navi-bars to get you DB to look like a regular app. Migrating existing 2000/03 databases will also give you new nightmares. A lot of old VBA functions don't work, and your database will be ridden with bugs upon migration from an older version - like sub-forms that become un-editable Read-Only for no reason if created previously in pre-2003.

Also gone are the regular text menu bars in place with these wacky looking graphical icons. All the regular features have been shuffled around and I can't tell what's gone where.

I hate Access 2007 and hate Microsoft for their regular conventional screw ups. Microsoft's HQ's retarded logic dictates that you should create something good to start off with, then every 3 years ruin it step by step with worse versions.

Well you sort of have it there. If like me, you are a bit like me, you probably need http://www.ubit.ch/software/ubitmenu-languages/ In fact I would go as far as saying make the payment to these guys, straight away. You will save that in the first hour, just with one user.

It makes you want to move to Apple. I don’t think they would be so stupid to make that schoolboy programmer type mistake. 

Read on to Word Up,

http://tonysmiththathousingitguy.blogspot.com/2014/01/word-up.html

Sugar knew the meaning of changes.



(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk

File Under: 360,1stTouch,4Js,Aareon,Academy,ActiveH,Alignment,ALMO,Anite,Apex,ArchHouse,Archouse,asbestos,Asprey e-state pro,Asset Management,Aurora,Average IT Costs,BO,BPR,Browser Applications,Business Objects,Business Process Review,Business social networking,Castle,CBL,Cedar Open Accounts,Change,Cheaper Housing IT,Chics,

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Brass In pocket

If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @hotpixUK

You might be like me in that you try to check or at least take an active, passing interest in your supermarket checkout bill, making sure that you did get that 3 for 2 offer etc. Let’s face it too, it pays to check.

This time of year is generally when you will be billed by all your IT system, support and application suppliers for their annual maintenance. So, it’s probably the most crucial time to check your billing, as once you have paid it, you may well have to wait another year to resolve any issues. Hopefully reading this post you might find a few hundred pounds in savings, if you find any more, I wouldn’t ask you for a cut, but please do contact me or comment, with what you discovered.

As often we find in everyday life, situations change. That gym membership may not be working for us if it’s dropped off to just a visit a month. Maybe we find we didn’t need all those Sky Sport channels after all... You know the drill! In these times of austerity we are all looking down the side of sofas for savings too, aren’t we?

It’s the same with some support contracts, particularly hardware. They can rollover from year to year, with nobody really questioning the benefits or in fact the risk of that support ever being required. For example, in the current climate of virtualisation, I have encountered RSL’s still paying hardware support on one or more servers, that are now virtualised and on the physical server where it now sits. Madness. Although something that can easily be overlooked, bringing in possible savings of several hundred pounds.

Going back ten or more years, it was often prudent to have printers, PC’s, workstations etc under some form of maintenance contract. These devices (the ‘tin’ as they are often called), have become little more than mere commodities. From a supplier viewpoint, they are generally supplied in bulk with ultra-thin margins. Profit is generated from adding value with configuration days or on-going maintenance contracts.

As these devices are now so cheap and fast to source, it can often be more prudent to keep a few on hand as spares, rather than shell out for annual maintenance. As annual maintenance also generally includes some annual RPI element too, over ten or more years it can easily have doubled, under weight of compound %ages. From a technology viewpoint it is also relatively simple to setup follow-me or wireless printing. This can reduce the number of devices considerably, with many organisations often opting now for just one printer per floor. Pence per print is reduced and so is overall cost, increasing ROI.

Carefully examine each of the items you are being billed for and reassess if you still need that service. In some cases, some services should be extended as well as others dropped. For example if virtualisation has meant that there is greater risk concentrated in specific areas.

Annual software maintenance is often one of the biggest outlays. This generally covers access to a reliable, accessible and efficient helpdesk and often access to upgrades etc for application areas such as your housing management system (HMS). If your IT staff or user teams question the quality of service you receive, or there are a number of outstanding issues, that are felt to not being resolved in a reasonable timeframe, this is an ideal time to bring it to your suppliers attention. There is no greater lever than holding up a £55K invoice in your accounts department, to help get some of your long standing issues some much needed attention.

HMS suppliers are always keen to declare modules ‘live’ or ‘signed off’. That does not mean that the housing organisation’s definition is quite the same as the supplier! In some cases, modules might be billed that realistically are not and have never been live from the customer viewpoint. Two that often come up are Planned Maintenance and Development. A couple of notorious areas for staff preferring spreadsheets and little local Access databases. If you have any doubt that any modules are actually live or not, look internally, (or engage outside help to), before discussing this with your supplier. Often the latter will only be pleased to offer some ‘free consultancy days’ to move the situation along, if annual maintenance for the module may continue at some point in the future.

Modules that require some aspect of setup can also suffer from this issue. Reporting can often be one. Business Objects could take many years before an appropriate universe was created and useful reports roll off the end. If there is evidence that you are being charged for modules or applications that are not live or not being used, assess if they can be dropped from your maintenance schedule.

Historic modules that are being supported as ‘read-only’ can also generate quite a bit of annual maintenance. Consider how many times a year they are being accessed. If annual support is £8K and the read-only system has just five enquiries a year, that’s costing an eye-watering £1,600 per query. In a case like that it might be better to have internal IT or a legacy database specialist strip out the data to a little SQL or Access database, making significant savings. Check if you still need these and drop what’s no longer needed, making alternative arrangements.

Lastly, RPI can really increase annual maintenance charges considerably. Often it can seem that you are buying the system again every three years. If you are happy with your system and current supplier, approach them to discuss a discount. Alternatively, a possible a donation of a discount to neighbourhood improvements or specific charitable projects. You will be surprised how far some suppliers will go on this. It’s a good news story for all parties and importantly, your residents and communities benefit.

If you are less than happy with your suppliers, do let them know. Having the opportunity to be flexible can be far cheaper than going to market, possibly in a tender situation. On the whole, I am sure that suppliers try their best to satisfy their customers. If they didn't, they would not be able to continue trading.

Read on to: How does your organisation interact with tenants/customers on Twitter?

Possibly, you would prefer to have the brass in your own pocket.




(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk

File Under: 360,1stTouch,4Js,Aareon,Academy,ActiveH,Alignment,ALMO,Anite,Apex,ArchHouse,Archouse,asbestos,Asprey e-state pro,Asset Management,Aurora,Average IT Costs,BO,BPR,Browser Applications,Business Objects,Business Process Review,Business social networking,Castle,CBL,Cedar Open Accounts,Change,Cheaper Housing IT,Chics,

CHR,Citrix,Civica,Clearview,CMS Template,COA,Coactiva,Codeman,Comino,Competitive Dialogue process,complex IT procurements,Component Accounting,Consilium,Consolidation,Consultancy,Consultant,Contact Manager,Context,

Contractor Systems,CORE,CorVu,Cost Reductions,Covalent,CRM,Crystal Reports,CTI,CTX,Customer Relationship Management,Deeplake,Development Systems,Document Management,Documotive,ECMK,EDRMS,England, English,EnterpriseBI,ERP Systems,Finance,Financial Systems,Getting best from,Grasp,Grip,hardware,HG,Housemark survey,Housing Blueprint,Housing Group,Impact Response,implementations,In House,In4,Infoflow,Information Technology,Informix,inHouse,in-house workforce,Innovation,Inside Housing,Internet Portal,Invu,Ireland,Irish,IT Budget,IT Training,iWorld,Keylogic,Keystone,Kirona,Kypera,management reporting,Measuring Change,Mebus,Miracle,mobile functionality,Monopoly board images and pictures, Montal,MS Dynamics,MS Dynamics CRM2011,Neighbourhoods and Communities,Northgate,Notice,NROSH,OA,OGC Buying Solutions,Ohms,OJEU  Limits,OmFax,Omniledger,Open source software,open tender,OpenHousing,Opti-Time,Oracle,Orchard,Outsource and outsourcing,Paloma,performance management systems,PfH,Pick,PIMMS,pimms4communities,Planned maintenance,Plus,PM,Progress,Promaster,Proval,Pyramid, QL,QLX,Registered Providers,Registered Social Landlord,Rent Increase Freezes,Repairfinder,Reporting,Reports,gotonysmith,ROCC, Rocket,RPs,RSL,Saffron,SAP,Scots, Scottish,Scotland,SDM,sector,Server Virtualisation,servicing, Servitor,Servitor,Sharepoint,Simdel,Simdell,Slash and Burn,Social Media,Software,SQL Open Housing,SQL Reporting Services,SQL reporting services,SQL Server,Star rating,Stores and Stock,Strategic Asset Management,Sunguard ,Surveys,Sx3,System alignment,Task,Terminal Services,Three Star,Today,Total repairs,Tribal,Twitter,U2,UniClass Enterprise,Unidata,Universal Housing,Universe,Unrest,Van Stock,Voice and data,Wales,Welsh,Windows Server,Workflow and tasking,Xmbrace,XML, 07854-655009 , 07854655009 , 07854 655009 , "07854 655009" , tonysmith , thathousing , thathousingit , thathousingITguy, guy