Archive for September, 2009
Our users asked us for more easy ways to get information into Mumboe. The Dropbox feature allows users to email information and documents directly into Mumboe. Each user has a personal Dropbox with four unique email addresses that allow for a variety of options:
- Dropbox – Using the generic Dropbox address you can send emails and attachments to your Mumboe account. Within Mumboe at a later time you can use the email and/or attachments to add new Agreements, add new Documents on existing Agreements from email attachments and add Notes on existing Agreements.
- Add New Agreements – Use this Dropbox address to add a new Agreement record in Mumboe. Email attachments will automatically become Documents in the Agreement Record. The subject line of the email will be the Agreement Title. The email itself will become a Note for the Agreement. You can also specify the Agreement Type in the body of the email by including for example “Agreement Type: NDA” (where NDA is the name of your Agreement Type).
- Add Documents – Use this Dropbox address to add new Documents for existing Agreement records. In the subject line of the email include the Mumboe ID for the Agreement record, and any attachments to the email will become new Documents.
- Add Notes – Use this Dropbox address to add new Notes for existing Agreement records. In the subject of the email include the Mumboe ID for the Agreement record, and the email will become a new Note.
Click on My Dropbox in the upper-right corner on the application to see your personalized Dropbox addresses and information on using the feature.
September 28th, 2009
Author: Bill
Based on user feedback, we’ve changed the name of Advanced Search to Reports. The Advanced Search link has been removed from on top of the main navigation bar and replaced with the Reports link on the main navigation bar. You’ll still have the same great functionality, but now it will be more obvious and intuitive for users.
Our users also asked us to modify the scope and layout for Search Results. Previously, a search would present the results in a report format with results only coming from data related to agreements. In our new format we have included search hits related to Agreements, Contacts and Templates. The results are presented in a format more similar to a Google search. Relevant data is displayed and you can filter the results to limit them to Agreements, Contacts, Templates, or choose to have all results displayed. You’ll always have the option to turn a search into a report with a single click (see right sidebar for options).
September 27th, 2009
Author: Bill
CIO had a great article last week that is a must-read for anyone thinking about or in the process of buying software. I’m sure for people in the software industry this article will come as no surprise, but for those purchasing software, spending 5 minutes reading this article could save you a lot of pain.
- The Magic Demo: Canned demos seem to work flawlessly and you’ll hear the word “absolutely” as an answer for every question and feature request. And there’s always a great slide presentation extolling the virtues of this perfect solution to all your problems.
- Underbid, then Overcharge: Total cost of ownership and return on investment is almost impossible to calculate when speaking to some vendors. At first, the prospects look great, then you get hit with implementation fees, service contracts, and system integrator costs. They blow your budget out of the water, as well as diminishing the chance for a positive ROI.
- The Customer Headlock: Vendor lock-in can happen in two very different ways. Hopefully the application exceeds your expectations, the value and benefits are obvious, and the customer service is fantastic. You want to stay by choice. You are extremely satisfied. The second scenario is more common: trap the clients’ data, make switching costs impossibly high, and make the pain of moving your data too great. The author gives some examples of embedded contractors within the client organization which can lead to relying on them too much or having them sabotage any efforts to change vendors. You need to know the exit strategy before ever entering the contract.
- The Billing Mistake: Aberdeen Research reported that 7% to 12% of all charges in the telecom industry are mistakes. This article lists some horrifying examples of what appear to be systematic, intentional overcharges by vendors. After reading this part, I’m guessing you’ll be calling your accountant or comptroller.
- The Forced Upgrade: You buy version X today and then next week the vendor calls and says “hey, I know you just bought version X, but we released version Y today and I can cut you a great upgrade deal.” Isn’t this something he could have told you last week?
- The Clueless Customer: Bottom line here is do the proper diligence. Make sure the vendor understands your requirements and is selling you what you need. If not, you’ll end up with extra costs for change orders and additional features to get the system you originally thought you were buying.
Fortunately this article ends on a positive note: with SaaS, customers can see how applications really work, and they can back out of a bad fit without sacrificing a huge investment. I whole heartedly agree. Try the real product on-line at some point without a sales person. Make sure the cost is obvious, simple, and transparent with no surprises. Reduce your risk, try it before you buy it and make sure there’s a simple, painless exit strategy.
September 22nd, 2009
Author: Bill
This is for all the Apple fan boys at Mumboe who are charter members in the iCult. I’ve seen this list published a few times and I find it both interesting and useful. Not sure which book it’s from but I believe it’s one by Jeffrey Young.
- Do what you love to do. Find your true passion. Make a difference. The only way to do great work is to love what you do.
- Be different. Think different. Better to be a pirate than to join the navy.
- Do your best at every job. Don’t sleep! Success generates more success so be hungry for it. Hire good people with a passion for excellence.
- Perform SWOT analysis. As soon as you join/start a company, make a list of strengths and weaknesses of yourself and your company on a piece of paper. Don’t hesitate to throw bad apples out of the company.
- Be entrepreneurial. Look for the next big thing. Find a set of ideas that need to be acted upon quickly and decisively and jump through that window. Sometimes the first step is the hardest one. Just take it. Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
- Start small, think big. Don’t worry about too many things at once. Take a handful of simple things to begin with, and then progress to more complex ones. Think about not just tomorrow, but the future. Put a ding in the universe.
- Strive to become a market leader. Own and control the primary technology in everything you do. If there’s a better technology available, use it regardless of whether or not anyone else is using it. Be the first, and make it an industry standard.
- People judge you by your performance, so focus on the outcome. Be a yardstick of quality. Some people are not used to an environment where excellence is expected. Advertise. If they don’t know about it, they won’t buy your product. Pay attention to design. We made buttons on the screen look so good you’ll want to lick them. Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.
- Ask for feedback from people with diverse backgrounds. Each one will tell you one useful thing. If you’re at the top of the chain, sometimes people won’t give you honest feedback because they’re afraid. In this case, disguise yourself, or get feedback from other sources. Focus on those who will use your product-listen to your customers first.
- Innovate. Innovation distinguishes a leader from a follower. Delegate. Let other top executives do 50% of your routine work to be able to spend 50% of your time on the new stuff. Say no to 1,000 things to make sure you don’t get on the wrong track or try to do too much. Concentrate on really important creations and radical innovation. Hire people who want to make the best things in the world. You need a very product-oriented culture, even in a technology company. Lots of companies have tons of great engineers and smart people. But ultimately, there needs to be some gravitational force that pulls it all together.
- Learn from failures. Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.
- Learn continually. There’s always “one more thing” to learn. Cross-pollinate ideas with others both within and outside your company. Learn from customers, competitors and partners. If you partner with someone whom you don’t like, learn to like them-praise them and benefit from them. Learn to criticize your enemies openly, but honestly.
My favorite is “better to be a pirate than to join the navy.” I know what he means, literally. Our developers will say “wait, you flew in the navy” but something they may not know is that my old squadron was the Jolly Rogers.
September 15th, 2009
Author: Bill
Nobody knows the benefits of Mumboe better than our users and your stories about saving time, improving visibility, increasing control and catching costly oversights are really resonating with potential users. We recently introduced the Mumboe Referral Program to encourage our users to share the value and benefits of Mumboe. All you have to do is refer a prospective client to us, and if they upgrade to Mumboe Pro, you will receive a $25 gift card of your choice. You can refer as many people as you’d like; there are no limits on what you can earn.
Get started by filling out this simple form. If you have questions, please contact us. We know that you’re busy and we truly appreciate your help.
Thanks for spreading the word!
September 10th, 2009
Author: Bill
