RowHouse, LLC

#RowHouseLLC is a boutique #smallbusiness #consulting firm that specializes in #operations, #businessprocesses, #businessautomation, #digitalmarketing, and #businessmanagement #services.

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#Repost @fotility ・・・ Had the opportunity to capture some amazing custom cabinetry work from REHAB Kitchen & Bath the other day. Follow them @rehabknb if your in the market for custom or semi-custom cabinets! #cabinets #photo #sandiego #vista #realestatephotography #realestatephotographer #interiordesign #photographer #design #cabinetry #kitchen #remodel

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#Repost @mytinyhousetrip ・・・ I love the simplicity of this cool little tiny house! Sometimes I get caught up with so many different ideas, I forget to KISS.. 👉👉 #Follow @mytinyhousetrip as I gather ideas and concepts for my tiny house build! 👈👈 #tinyhouse #tinyhome #tinyhouseonwheels #kiss #keepitsimple #minimalism #livingtiny #Repost @highdesignexpo ・・・ Pensando em design no domingo? 😎 Dá para continuar pensando e desfrutando, com o pé na estrada e vista para onde você escolher. Este trailer de 12m2 é uma minicasa: todo feito com materiais reutilizados, por ser rebocado por um carro, com design contemporâneo e funcionalidade completa.Tem cozinha equipada, banheiro na parte traseira com aquecedor a gás, pequeno escritório e escada para o mezanino onde fica o colchão de casal. É vedado e isolado com espuma térmica, tem janelas de vidros duplos e esquadria de vinil. Este modelo é feito no Colorado (EUA), vendido pela Tiny House Listing. #highdesignexpo #trailer #minicasa #penaestrada

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#Repost @fotility ・・・ Had a blast shooting the FAST paced sport of ice hockey yesterday! #photo #sportsphotography #sandiegophotographer #photographer #hockey #iceskating #hockeyplayer #sandiego

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Gorgeous aerial sunset photo of LA! 👉👉 #Follow @sunsetairtours for more aerial photos and videos! 👈👈 #sunset #la #losangeles #aerialphoto #aerial #pilotlife #pilot #photo #Repost @copterpilot ・・・ Enjoy The View of LA. By @k4la_ #Copterpilot #losangelesaerial #DTLA #discoverla

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#Repost @fotility ・・・ The beginning of my first wedding shoot for my good friend @dville08 ! This is just a quick shot with my iPhone 6. What a beautiful day, and so excited to be a part of it! #weddingday #wedding #makeup #bride #bridesroom #photo #photographer #weddingphotographer #teamnikon #nikon #innatthepark #balboapark #sandiego

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#Repost @ukulelebeats ・・・ Here's a different way to play your ukulele! 👉👉 #Follow @ukulelebeats for more ukulele images, covers and originals! Hashtag #ukulelebeats for your chance to get featured! 👈👈 #ukulele #music #strummin #jammin #cover #Repost @_kikidj ・・・ Don't strum your ukulele 😜👌🏻👍🏻 Sometimes uke can make a beat like a percussion #ukulele #ukuleles #pelemukulele #ukuleleforlife #ukuleleguru #ukuleleplayer #ukuleleforlife #ukuleleoftheday #ukuleleinstrumental #ukulelebeats #ukulelejakarta #ukuleleindonesia #ukulelemelody #ukuleleboy #ukuleletime #ukuleletenor #tenorukulele #percussion #acoustic #canttakemyeyesoffofyou #lovesong

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#Repost @sunsetairtours ・・・ Love that golden hour! 👉👉 #Follow @sunsetairtours for more amazing sunset photos! 👈👈 #sunset #goldenhour #photo #amazingphoto #sunsetphoto #Repost @antoniopolicriti ・・ #sun #sky #nature #winter #canon #country #myland #like4like #likes #likeforlike #vscocam #instalike #instagood #photo #photooftheday #picoftheday #pic #polistena #calabria #italy #world #instagram

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#Repost @fotility ・・・ Me in my trademark yellow windbreaker doing a family photo shoot this morning at Scripps Pier in La Jolla. My clients never have a problem spotting me! #photographer #photoshoot #photo #familyportrait #beachphotos #nikon #portraitphotography #portraits #scrippspier #lajolla #sandiego #followme #clickabout 📷 by @dville08

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#Repost @bearstires ・・・ Nice form, better facial! Here's @kash_fit showing off the brand new Evolution snowboard with Falken graphics she won from Bear's Tires! #bearstires #Falken #snowboard #evolution #winner #winnerwinnerchickendinner #sweepstakes #giveaway #prizes #sandiego #Repost @kash_fit ・・・ Won a #snowboard from @bearstires and already showing off my sweet moves in my fresh @fitwall_solana_beach (@fitwall ) threads!

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#Repost @aculief ・・・ Did you know that Aculief won the Best New Product Award at the 2013 Natural Expo West? Aculief is wearable acupressure for active lifestyles. Follow @Aculief for free giveaways of our award winning product coming in November 2015! #Aculief #acupressure #painrelief #activelifestyle #wearable #pain #relief #lifestyle #giveaway #freestuff #prizes #follow #newproduct #bestnewproduct #naturalexpowest (at Aculief)

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#Repost @fotility ・・・ Into the sunset. Had a great time doing a promo shoot on the tarmac for Sunset Air Tours yesterday! 📷 #Follow @fotility as I feel, capture & share moments! #photo #photooftheday #photograpy #sunset #airplane #flight #sunsettours #aerialtours #tarmac #nikon #cessna #palomar #sandiego #promoshoot #airport

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#Repost @bearstires ・・・ Best Black Friday Deal! WIN A BRAND NEW EVOLUTION SNOWBOARD! Entering is EASY, just do the following: 1. Follow @bearstires 2. Take a selfie with a bear (preferably teddy, but any bear will do!) 3. Use ALL THREE hashtags in your image comment: #bearstires #sandiego #falken Contest ends Nov 30, 2015. Good luck! 👉👉 #Follow @bearstires , proudly serving San Diego for over 30 years! 👈👈 #blackfriday #bearstires #sandiego #falken #snowboard #snowboarding #giveaway #contest #prizes #freestuff #instacontest #instagram #follow #promo #promotion #hashtagcontest #hashtag #miramesa #miramar #scrippsranch #lajolla #poway #penasquitos #delmar #sorrentovalley (at Bears Tires, Inc.)

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If you've ever wanted to experience San Diego from above, check out our new client @sunsetairtours ! #Repost @sunsetairtours ・・・ Sunset Air Tours is getting ready to launch! Come fly with me and experience real beauty from above! #sunsetairtours #airplanetours #airplane #cessna #skytour #tours #sandiego #socal #catalinaisland #catalina

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Five Key Takeaways About Cloud ROI

Clouds represent a fundamentally different way to conduct business. Traditional ROI measures may not apply.

Over the last couple of years, as cloud computing has drifted into the mainstream of the enterprise, the conversation has shifted from whether to deploy clouds to how to use them strategically and maximize return on investment (ROI). To be sure, clouds present very different CAPEX and OPEX models. In fact, a 2014 survey conducted by Unisys in conjunction with IDG Research found that nearly one-fifth of senior IT executives view ROI as a hurdle to cloud implementation. Although the figure was down from 34 percent a year before, it’s clear that clouds introduce formidable challenges for IT and line-of-business leaders. “It’s very difficult to clearly identify and measure all the benefits of the cloud,” said Agatha Poon, research manager at 451 Research.

Here are five key factors that CIOs and other senior executives should focus on in order to fully gauge the value of clouds:

The cloud isn’t just about the numbers. When it comes to the cloud, “You cannot view return on investment as strictly a money issue,” said George Mendel, senior director for Networks Systems and Operations at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), a not-for-profit organization that represents the interests of independent schools and serves as a clearinghouse for information and best practices. It uses Veeam Cloud Connect (VCC) to manage multiple private clouds that speed information delivery and replicate data for backups and disaster recovery.

“It’s important to understand how cloud capabilities change your business model and enable new features and capabilities–but also create new or different risks,” Mendel said. “It’s also important to structure cloud services effectively and efficiently because they can range from very cheap to extremely expensive. You really have to understand what your business model dictates and how they fit in strategically.”

Focus on processes, not technology. It’s tempting to view clouds as a way to introduce leading edge systems and software while simplifying IT administration. But, as Poon of 451 Research explained: “The cloud isn’t really about technology, it’s about business processes and making them more efficient.”

Organizations that achieve outstanding results typically identify how the cloud can rewire processes, workflows and tasks in a far more efficient way. This includes connecting multiple digital technologies–such as mobility, social business and big data, for example–and perhaps plugging in connected devices via the Internet of things. The end goal is to streamline tasks, processes and operations.

Yet, in order to maximize results, an organization must break down silos and, as Poon, put it, “develop a more systematic approach that includes regular feedback and collaboration.” While ad hoc point solutions deployed by specific departments or groups such as marketing or human resources may pay dividends, organizations that take a more holistic approach realize significantly bigger benefits–even if it’s not always possible to quantify the ROI.

Not all clouds are created equal. In reality, the term “cloud computing” is used to describe a vast array of tools, technologies and services. Although many think about clouds in a somewhat monolithic way, it’s important to remember that clouds can range from niche SaaS plugins that add analytics or marketing capabilities to highly complex infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and development platforms, otherwise known as Platform as a Service (PaaS). They can also range from pricey private clouds to far less expensive public or hybrid offerings. Moreover, companies in the same managed services space can offer significantly different delivery and pricing models.

Not surprisingly, the returns associated with different approaches and vendors can vary significantly–and even the way an organization or vendor measures results can skew ROI numbers. Rohit Antao, a principal at consulting firm PwC, said “It’s important to conduct due diligence. Some organizations are looking to transform IT service delivery and reduce total cost of ownership. Others are hoping to transform business operations and customer engagement through mobility, apps, social business and other tools. How you measure the return under these different scenarios can be very different.”

Find the right vendors. It’s not exactly a bulletin that vendors deliver promising marketing pitches that focus on business transformation and cost advantages. But, as NCIS’s Mendel explained, “Sometimes you can end up getting a Cadillac when all you need is a Volkswagen. If you overpay or a vender under-delivers you negatively impact your return on investment.”

Mendel also pointed out that it’s wise to look beyond basic pricing models and understand the type of firms a vendor caters to and why. “Some cloud service providers target big corporations and other vendors focus on small firms. In order to achieve optimal ROI the service offerings and pricing levels must be in sync,” he said.

Finally, pricing doesn’t always correlate with offerings and quality of service. Poon said that some cloud vendors are willing to assist with systems integration, data migration and various other tasks. These ancillary services can shorten ROI windows and boost other gains not directly related to numbers.

Use metrics and measures but don’t overweight them. Conventional ROI formulas don’t always work in the cloud. Applying these methods leads to confusing, if not deceptive, results. Gartner Managing Vice President and Fellow Daryl Plummer noted in a 2012 Forbes article: “With cloud computing, stipulating that a hard-money ROI will be achieved, in the form of savings, is likely to net you more heartache than cost break.” He and other experts say it is much wiser to focus on overall value rather than dollars. Among the factors that may provide “soft” ROI: agility, flexibility, scalability, improved processes, streamlined development platforms, and more strategic use of IT resources.

In fact, an overemphasis on ROI can place the focus in the wrong place. After all, Poon said, the ultimate goal is to improve customer relationships and drive gains that transcend a spreadsheet or dashboard. Yet, some metrics may be valuable. For instance, Mendel at NCIS said that the organization constantly solicits feedback from members about systems performance, the usability of Web analytics and the value of other tools and technologies. “Using this data we are able to gauge the value of systems and understand how they change interactions. We are able to understand where clouds actually improve the business.”

In the end, Poon said that it’s important to think strategically and look for ways to improve processes that deliver business gains. This requires broad input from across the organization, a different relationship between IT and line-of-business users, and an understanding that costs and ROI must take a back seat to value–and an ability to become a faster, better and more competitive enterprise.

Written by Samuel Greengard. To read the full article, click here. For more information on operations and information technology management, please visit us at www.rowhousellc.com and follow us everywhere @rowhousellc.

Five Key Takeaways About Cloud ROI was originally published on RowHouse, LLC

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Sales CRM Set Up: 10 Questions and Answers

etting up a Sales CRM can seem a daunting task. Many people see it as such a scary exercise, that they keep putting it off and end up not starting to work with a Sales CRM. And that is a big shame, because really it should not have to be that complicated. What follows is a short checklist of things you will need to get started. If you are in the process of setting up a Sales CRM, hopefully this will get you up to speed in no time.

1. Where do I even start?

Answer: you need to gather a couple of things on your side. These are:

your current contacts list (if you have one)

a list of special info that your company gathers about customers

your users and how they work together

2. OK, what about my contact list?

Answer: Almost all Sales CRM systems allow import of data. The thing to do is to get this list in Excel and save it in a special format called .CSV. From there on, importing it is straightforward in most Sales CRM systems.

3. And that info we gather from our customers?

Answer: You need to create some Custom Fields. Sales CRM systems come out of the box with standard fields. These are they typical ones for your customers’ address etc. But you will have your own things you want to record. Most systems allow you to do this in Settings.

4. I have several users, what do I need to do?

Answer: two things; think about Permissions and Sharing. The first thing is to consider who should have permission to do what. For example, certain users may not have permission to delete all kinds of information. The second thing is Data Sharing. A Sales Manager may be able to see data from the whole team. But perhaps the individual team members should only see their own stuff. These things can be configured in Settings. It may take some time, but it is something you only need to do once.

5. We have stuff in other systems, can I see it in the CRM?

Answer: many Sales CRM systems allow integration with other systems. Either plug-and-play or customized. But in both cases, the best is to take it easy: ‘learn to walk before you run’. There is almost never a need to have everything on day one. Start working with the CRM, import some stuff you really need manually if you have to. And once everything is up and running start working on integrations.

6. Will my data be safe?

Answer: most systems are moving toward the cloud. That means your data is stored on a managed server in a data centre such as Amazon Web Services. Frankly, the security measures in these data centres surpass the safety levels that most individual companies could ever hope to have. See here for an example. There are some cases such as financial institutions and legal firms, where rules and regulations oblige them to have all data on-premise. There are still some CRM providers who offer this, but it is usually a costly option.

7. How will I get my people to use it?

Answer: many people have been ‘burned’ with some kind of CRM system in the past. They got lost in endless and complicated procedurs and don’t want to try again. Luckily today we have mobile. Many people enjoy simple and quality Apps which bring real improvements in their daily life. The best CRM systems offer Apps which do the same thing. They are easy to use and allow a user to do all necessary jobs. Together with a good mobile device, these CRM Apps should get even the most sceptic user to at least give it a try. From there on, good support is key. Quick answers and help in case of questions will go a long way. And last but not least, Management should not stay behind. They should also be active users and be involved.

8. How do I track progress?

Answer: a good Sales CRM system will offer some kind of reporting module. The better ones are not hard to set up. Start with just one report. For example; ‘New Opportunities created per User per Week’. And take it from there. It should be a question of selecting the relevant data fields. Again, most of this, is a one-time process.

9. Do I have to get a tablet for everyone?

Answer: Sales CRM systems are going mobile. There is no question about that. But that doesn’t mean everybody should have to have a tablet. Some people work at their desk exclusively, so they should be fine with a web access. Some of the better CRM systems offer mobile access on many platforms: tablets, mobile phones, iOS, Android, Windows.. With today’s enormous offer of devices, it should be feasible to get cost efficient mobile access for most organizations.

10. Maybe I won’t like my new CRM, will all this work be for nothing?

Answer: almost always, the biggest step is to gather your data and way of working (custom info, users). Once that is done, it is relatively easy to migrate. You don’t want to do it every week, but really it is not like in the past where you were married to your system for life. And with most CRMs charging as a service (by month or year), the financial cost of switching is usually quite low, since there is no big up-front investment.

Originally posted on Salespoint.com. To read the full article, click here. For more information on operations and information technology management, please visit us at www.rowhousellc.com and follow us everywhere @rowhousellc.

Sales CRM Set Up: 10 Questions and Answers was originally published on RowHouse, LLC

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Is TCO Still Relevant in the Cloud?

There are some who would say that total cost of ownership (TCO) is no longer relevant.  After all, information technology is now firmly grounded in a service management mode, and cloud billing is based on “pay-as-you-go” by level of resource consumed.

TCO was the norm in the days when capex spending involved multi-year commitments. Today’s IT’s strategy is to provision quickly, creating a highly agile environment, and to decommission just as quickly when resources are no longer needed.

However, those who jump immediately to the service-costing concept are denying the place TCO holds in sound cost management. TCO is not just about project life cycle, it is about creating a holistic view of operational costs.

This view of costs is critical in conducting comparative analysis of provisioning alternatives, especially important when considering using a public cloud. TCO also adds credibility to unit costs or rates created for service catalog offerings, including the creation of service bundles.

In reality, TCO still creates the best basis of cost compilation that can be used, even in assessing cloud alternatives. Most IT organizations are undertaking a transformation to a hybrid environment, one that uses a mix of traditional IT, public, and private cloud resources. The business cases these organizations create must include a life-cycle view that reaches across the entire operation.

Creating the Base Operations Costs

TCO emphasizes considering costs of end-to-end operations from project inception, design, and implementation, to operation and decommissioning.  For many, the effort to identify these costs is viewed as too time consuming and overly complex.

Here are a few ways to execute your TCO compilation more effectively and still produce quality cost figures:

Hardware acquisition costs. Check asset records, recent purchase orders, or vendor price lists.

Hardware maintenance. Apply a percentage to hardware acquisition costs based on average maintenance levels.

Software. Since it’s often difficult to find costs under MLAs, develop a ratio of hardware to software based on general levels experienced for the operation.

Technical support, connectivity, power, facilities, security, disaster recovery, and other administrative costs. Again, develop a ratio of costs based on general operating expense levels.

If actual costs are available, those should be used. However, in most cases, when assessing the cost alternatives for a discrete workload to be moved to either a private or public cloud, using ratios will prove adequate.

With the base costs collected across the projected useful life of the hardware (depreciation schedule), the resulting multi-year cost can be easily expressed as an annual cost. These costs represent the base costs of operation.

Assessing One-time Costs

There are a number of one-time activities to consider when moving a workload to the cloud. These costs include the costs of both commissioning and decommissioning existing equipment. In some cases, the move may provide the opportunity to clean up areas that have been neglected due to lack of funding or resources. Be cautious and do not over-burden the cost model with those kinds of costs.

Some one-time implementation costs and shut-down costs include:

design;

architecture;

data migration;

porting data;

data cleansing and archiving;

user and technical support training; and

Standardization, upgrades, and customization.

Often overlooked are penalties for early termination of licenses or leases, expenses to write off assets if not redeployed, and staff costs to wipe hard drives and disks, as well as packing, shipping, and junking.

Determining New Recurring Costs

There are some new kinds of functions and costs that will result from a move to a cloud environment. The best way to estimate these costs is to run a cloud pilot using data from the existing environment as the base. The goals of the pilot should be carefully defined in advance, with timelines and measurable success criteria clearly stated.

Cost impacts from a cloud environment include:

expanded network capacity;

vendor invoice (if using public cloud);

administration of invoices from cloud vendor; and

staff to manage vendor and client relationships.

A final item to check before ending your collection of public cloud costs is the contractual cancellation terms. While the cloud is advertised as offering greater flexibility and choice, there are still potential penalties associated with various price points, particularly if you leave the provider on short notice. Those costs would be included in the final year of your analysis, if applicable.

A public cloud is normally billed on a usage basis rather than a fixed contractual amount.  In some cases, a reserved instance may be used as an option for resources; however, this option is less common for an initial deployment. The variability and size of the targeted workload will determine if this option is preferred.

The invoice from a public cloud provider will be treated as an operating expense from a financial perspective. These costs will most likely have an impact on the way costs have been budgeted and funds allocated to the IT budget. The long-term impact of the shift between capex to opex is actually a wash. In fact, the pay-as-you-go model may end up being less expensive when considering the benefit of not carrying excess hardware for multiple years.

Conclusion

The benefits of creating a mix of traditional IT support with a cloud environment are great. Whether looking for increased agility, reduced time to market, improved productivity, or accessibility, organizations are eager to reap the benefits of using cloud resources to create a more innovative approach to providing services.

With costs for the current environment and estimated costs for the new environment, comparisons can be preferred for a variety of options.  Calculating Total Cost of Ownership does not need to become onerous.  Accurate numbers are an important part of your overall analysis of deployment to a cloud environment.   Knowing where to find numbers and how the cloud pricing structures can be estimated can make this effort straightforward.

Penny Collen is the senior financial solutions architect at Cloud Cruiser. The IT Financial Management Association (ITFMA) recently named Collen IT Financial Educator of the Decade.

Image: Cloud Cruiser

Written by Penny Collen. To read the full article, click here. For more information on operations and information technology management, please visit us at www.rowhousellc.com and follow us everywhere @rowhousellc.

Is TCO Still Relevant in the Cloud? was originally published on RowHouse, LLC

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Recruiting IT Pros Harder Now

Recruiting T Pros now is much more difficult.  Given that the good news is that unemployment rate dipped to 5.5% – the bad news is that CIO are now having a harder time finding experienced IT Pros.  In industries ranging from retail to health care to business services, CIOs would be well-advised to look back at how they recruited and retained workers in 2005, when the unemployment rate landed at 5.1%.

Suggestions for keeping a mindset of abundance in an era of scarcity:

Focus advertising dollars for targeting job-hunters. CIS need to advertise on the Internet, not only on job boards and social media but also using banner ads, which appear when someone is searching for an IT position.

Communicate you are a quality employer. Make the impression that you are a quality firm both in your office to your web presence. You want to work for a place that’s successful and physical and virtual presence are important.

Offer benefits that matter most to employees. Health insurance is a big deal to people, it hurts the bottom line in the short term. However IT Pros are more likely to come -and stay – if he or she doesn’t have to switch insurance plans every six months.

Written by Victor Janulatis. To read the full article, click here. For more information on operations and information technology management, please visit us at www.rowhousellc.com and follow us everywhere @rowhousellc.

Recruiting IT Pros Harder Now was originally published on RowHouse, LLC