You may never directly see the underlying database structure that holds your company's valuable data but what you can't see may be unnecessarily costing you time and money. Database "normalization" is a technical term which describes how the tables, fields, and data relationships are structured in a database. Databases can be under-normalized or over-normalized and finding the right balance of normalization is essential when designing a custom database solution.

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Many clients do not understand why they should pay for an up-front "scoping" exercise that does not directly result in software being delivered. "Scoping" allows both the software buyer and the software developer to get on the same page by establishing well-defined expectations for the outcome of the project. Proper scoping is crucial to a successful, on-time and on-budget software project.

To begin a scoping exercise, a Project Manager will identify the key people involved in defining and ultimately using the software product. The Software Project Manager meets with these stakeholders, documents the existing business processes, discusses ways in which the processes may be improved as a result of the proposed software project, and identifies any other functional requirements of the software. After the meetings are completed, the Project Manager creates a scoping document which describes the solution to be build based on the information gathered.

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Outgoing messages, automated attendants, out-of-office emails, online customer service - each of these tools is technology automation at its best ... or is it? In my business, it's easy to let technology get out of hand and lose sight of the primary goal: serving the customer! I make it a point to exercise technology, but I don't let it run away with my business.