Seconds Too Late

If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @HousingITguy or LinkedIn here https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy

Back at the start of this century, interfaces were always a continual bugbear. I’ve written many times about integration issues and suppliers. Closed solutions are not helpful, although ones way too open can bring a different type of hazard, such as increased cyber-attack risk.

These days I see more organisations trying to put more eggs in one basket, if that’s practical. That might mean trying to use more of a traditional HMS’s (already integrated) modules or keeping everything within the umbrella of a CRM/product stack, such as MS D365 or F&O etc. This should reduce issues and allow a more joined up approach. Its 2024, we shouldn’t be manually re-keying information or unduly feeding and watering interfaces on a hair-trigger each morning.

Some interfaces cannot be avoided however, such as when using partnering repairs contractors etc. Some of the ways that these interfaces let us down is through poor data. Examples I see are Repair Works Orders completed before they were issued, invalid data-types presented, reasons for cancellation or lateness not supplied, where mandatory for the main system.

Inevitably, some slight attention may be needed each morning, if hundreds of orders are being updated daily, with interfaced solutions, just down to the complex nature of repair scenarios. One scenario I have encountered before is where two server date/times are slightly out or not completely synchronised exactly with time on mobile devices. Thus a few seconds can make the difference between on-time and what looks like a completion in the future (or before something is issued).

One recent interfacing issue I have come across with one Contractor system on an interface, is a problem with calculating if priority KPIs have been achieved or not. ‘The Regulator’ defines a 24 hour or 7 day priority target as exactly that. If a resident logs a repair at 10:11 on Tuesday, anything completed until after 10:11 Wednesday is within target. Similar for a 7 day (urgent) or 28 day (routine) repair priority.

Unfortunately this interface just works on providing a mandatory late reason if completion is after the next day. So, a contractor would have until 23:59 (& 59 secs) to be able to report a job being completed within target. The regulator would not agree however, nor does the HMS raising the client repair. The latter rejects anything properly late that does not have a (late) reason supplied, so as you can imagine, a lot of updates do not update smoothly. Imagine my surprise when I was told its been like this for a long time.

A sad blast from the past

Now I remember even the very earliest calculators when I was at school could manage subtraction, as well as the novelty of making words too. Premature boys were big fans of these, you might recall. So you would expect the top level processors, servers and databases of today could easily manage this feat too & much more. The DateDiff() SQL Server function would be my go-to thing to use in the failing calculation above, although you could always go old-skool longhand.

Now this has been logged on a slow-moving helpdesk for a few weeks already and I have reigned in my sarcasm and not yet pointed anyone to search Google for DateDiff() – well I don’t want to be outed as an IT Geek! It will be funny if this comes back as a chargeable fix to just make software work properly. However, that will add fuel to the fire of the DIY brigade and the folk keen to use D365 to squeeze out the traditional (failing, entrenched?) suppliers. I can see them saying it now, “See Tony, these suppliers can’t be trusted !”. In this instance, I would probably be inclined to agree with them too!

Acutance Consulting would be happy to help you untangle your interfaces, 

please just get in touch, for a chat over a macaroon & a mug of chai ☕😋

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I would be pleased to connect with you on LinkedIn - http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy Message me with any issues or queries, you would like to be explored in this blog. We generally receive a couple of suggestions each month.

Cabaret Voltaire – Seconds Too Late.
(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009


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