February 20, 2022

How Can Your Data Benefit You in Ways You’ve Yet to Even Imagine?

As human beings, we’re so very different in many ways. But there’s one thing we have in common no matter the culture, education level, or language spoken. We often learn best by example. With examples, you have a frame of reference and valuable context. And nothing could help you more when assessing your technology needs.

Technology is challenging enough on its own. So our clients find it quite helpful when we provide some specifics and concrete examples of technology deployment. Remember that Barnes Business Solutions (BBS) can deliver a custom solution. We share these examples to illuminate what’s possible in real terms.

Use Case #1

Two companies that provide cleaning services for consumers and businesses have decided to merge. The company being acquired had a Microsoft Access database. The acquiring company did not know how to maintain it.

As you might expect, this created a need for a Microsoft Access developer but not at a full-time level. Vital technology work was needed upfront and steady, ongoing support where BBS served as a programming contractor.

As a process contractor, BBS saw the issues, proposed solutions, and executed them simultaneously. This consultant contractor role involves far more than just punching code. The end products helped take a platform technology like Microsoft Access to a new level of performance.

Man sweeping a floor in an office

Use Case #2

For a local, family-owned business, the enterprise needed a significant upgrade in modernizing operations. The company ran an old software system with no control over the source code. It wasn’t working, and no one was available to maintain it.

BBS developed new software with inputs from both sales and time-keeping software. The software delivered a valuable ability to correctly compute commissions based on a complex system of business rules.

In addition, the software BBS innovated also provided reports to the business, the sales reps, and outputs that could load into the payroll software. The firm wholly owned the code for the newly developed software.

The added future flexibility gained to “future-pace” was even better as things changed down the road. The software was easy to customize as the business grew and evolved and the rules for computing and commissions changed.

Range of Use Cases

In our experience, technology initiatives segment themselves into two distinct categories: Consulting Services and Managed IT Services.

 

Consulting Services Use Cases

You have a local database that has grown significantly and needs upsizing to SQL server and/or there’s a need to migrate your data to the cloud. There’s even filling a temporary yet vital programming role on a short-term basis because your previous tech support has gone MIA. These types of engagements typically run less than three months in length.

 

Managed It Services Use Cases

The ideal client/technology partner relationship relies on these three tenets: consulting, contracting, and collaboration.

These engagements can take many different forms. Maybe some tech were developed in-house, but the software can’t be taken to the next level to grow the user base. In other cases, companies outgrow their data limit size capacity and require more “enterprise worthy” solutions.

Other needs could include improving existing software, maintaining current apps, or even converting/migrating from one platform to another.

And even if in-house development exists, they would likely benefit from expert help with documentation, streamlining, and fixing issues.

Examples: Microsoft Access databases, Excel, SQL Server, Power Apps

What distinguishes long-term use cases is the level of work performed and the duration, which typically can span months or even years if needed. Some common threads in these situations are that a system is underperforming, help is desperately needed, and the support tech left the company or is not available.

Did you find these sample use cases insightful as you evaluate all your technology options? If you’re like our many successful client engagements, you now understand what we do, how we do it, and for whom we do it.

Contact Barnes Business Solutions today to see if we’re fit to work on your technology needs. And start imagining what the technology innovations can do for you.

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