Software Outsourcing Can Be The Only Way To Get It Done

You know those little jobs that you keep on a list that never seem to get done? The piece of paper turns up every now and again in the office; you look at it and think 'oh there is that list'. Then you quickly scan the page realise that some of the jobs are becoming increasingly overdue and you resolve to do them whilst placing the piece of paper in a new location that this time you are sure you will see every day and get them done.

Then you inadvertently cover up the piece of paper with another file or project and it gets buried until the next desk clearing day. So what is on that list and why is it so difficult to get the jobs done? Well in our office the list contains jobs that whilst they are very important they contain activities that no one in the office is actually qualified to do but with a little research could be done by anyone. In our case, writing little pieces of code to function in the office as tools to the main tasks of every day.

What we have done recently though is to take this particular bull by the horns and solve the problem by using a software outsourcing company. What a relief - those jobs took a professional coder less than 2 days to finish. We had one meeting at the beginning and one interim one and a handover one at the end. Total time expenditure was four hours and writing the design briefs, which took a little under 2 hours. End result was that all of the outstanding list has been crossed off and completed. Moreover the office now actually runs smoother as we all use these tools everyday and that increases our productivity.

So what was the catalyst for this change i hear you ask? We had a workshop on lean management from a lean consulting practitioner. The time we all spent studying these techniques highlighted the inefficiencies in our working practices. The workshop itself became a hive of activity as each of us put forth processes that were felt to be slow, boring and inefficient. This then led to a plan of immediate action that was implemented over the next week. Hence the software outsourcing contract.

So for all of you with a list like ours i say, stop, take stock, plan and buy in any necessary outside help. Use this valuable resource to solve the broken or inefficient functions in the office and implement solutions. The total disruption to our office lasted just under two weeks and the costs of everything we reckon will be re-cooped within three months as our rate of project completion rises. This has reduced our overheads to the point that now we can charge slightly less - an unexpected surprise for our clients and have a higher profit margin. Our accountant like that!

We love shortcuts! They make our lives easier and our computing more productive. For those of us whose hands ache from over using the mouse, shortcuts can add hours of pain-free computer time.

Along with the new window management features in Windows 7 comes shortcuts for those features to completely bypass the mouse. This makes the new features more user-friendly, and solidifies the hope that Microsoft really is listening to their customers. Well, at least the share our affection for shortcuts.

Windows Logo + Right Arrow: Sends the window to the right half of the screen. This is a new feature in Windows 7—usually, you must drag the window all the way to the very bottom right corner for Windows to recognize you want to dock this window on the right. This shortcut sends the window there with just a button click.

Windows Logo + Left Arrow: Sends the window the left half of the screen. When used with the shortcut above, you can see your windows side by side. This is great for comparing products online or fact checking with the internet in one window and a Word file in another.

Windows Logo + Home: Minimizes or restores everything but the current window. Windows 7 allows users to “shake” the current window to minimize all other windows. This shortcut takes the place of the awkward shaking.

Windows Logo + +: Hitting this shortcut will zoom in. Windows 7 has a magnifier that works with almost any window. This shortcut activates the magnifier.

Windows Logo + –: Conversely, this shortcut allows you to zoom out. It should be easy to remember—plus zooms in, minus zooms out.

Windows Logo + G: Displays gadgets in front of other windows. So, if you are making use of the gadgets and want to see what they are doing behind your current windows, just quickly hit this shortcut and the gadgets appear on top of your current windows.

Windows Logo + Up Arrow: Maximizes the current window.

Windows Logo + Down Arrow: Minimizes the current window.