Pointless Announcements

That's obvious. He's wearing a Leafs jersey.

 

It's reasonable to procrastinate on writing a lit review by writing fanfiction, yes?

 

It's FRIDAAAAAY!!!!

 

Seriously...gotta get JT outta my head.

 

Amazing friends are those people that you connect with no matter how long it's been. --my best friend.

BESTIES UNITE!!!

 

Well, currently we're on an ancient version of CostPoint, expensive and inflexible...and they're using Microsoft Dynamics CRM online,
which is also not as flexible as necessary for the unique CRM solution we're building nor does it have the security granularity we need.
So, I was initially considering the on-premise version of MS Dyn CRM, so at least I'd be able to fully customize it.

But when it came down to what they were asking me and my staff to do, I determined we needed a platform fully flexible, integrable with existing apps,
and dynamic workflows for project existing from A to Z, womb to tomb. And have the necessary security granularity. (need to know and all that...)

Not wanting to go into unestablished platform that don't have market volume support or potentially won't be existing long...so not many free open source.
And we have the criteria of being a Federal Government contractor with it's billing requirement, (subcontractors, DCAA, FAS, CMMI, ISO, etc...)
I found a vendor that had developed a version of Microsoft Dynamics NAV specifically for govt contractors.
This way I wouldn't have to worry about config with the complex business rules of that all from the get-go. (and part of my selling points for switching)

So now I have one that is open-sourced to a certain extent, customizable...allows me a known backend on MSSQL 2012, a known reporting tool in SSRS
I can build in our new company CRM with capture planning and proposal writing, which I'm now prototyping...
forward pricing, flowing into accounting, with the ability to archive, rebid, manage projects, etc...all in one platform.
Oh yeah, build out their advanced HR component even further to have it fully structured, with all the HR bells & whistles. (benefits, performance, etc...)

But it's been a bitch, not technically...but politically. Because we've got a bunch of old-school execs who've been on the old one for over a decade.
The CFO is wishy-washy, wanting it all...but not wanting the inconvenience of change. (oh and god forbid increase productivity)
The VP of HR is driving me crazy, being nit-picky about HR workflow being there from the start...and all the HR items she wants. (not existing now)
And they all talk to each other without me, where their biases, agendas and warm & fuzzies all alter the facts and skew the perspective and CEO's desires.

But I've been slowly getting them to switch their mindsets...as CTO that's one of the real challenges, not execution or planning, but just getting buy-in.
I had some sideways luck, as the VP of HR called her retired CIO friend on the sly to re-enforce her agenda and arguments...
and she got the surprise of him making very positive perspective, results & experiences with both NAV and the vendor I recommended.
(god forbid, I should be right and know what I'm talking about...)

Sorry to spout off, but you hit an oil well in my mind.

 

Awesome.

Now, if only we could make "covered in motor oil" one of those things.

 

It always feels good to put a 100 miles or so on the bike.