Joe Stoddard is an industry consultant and the director of builder operations for Dynami Solutions; www.joestoddard.com.
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For remodelers, digital photography has less to do with cameras and more to do with communication. Using a digital camera and the Internet, issues that used to take days or weeks to resolve with meetings and site visits can now be handled in minutes.
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The more you depend on technology, the more important it is that your systems stay up and running. Recently, in this column, I talked about safeguarding your data with a basic maintenance and backup routine, but what about protecting the equipment itself?
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Just like a customer in week seven of a six-week kitchen remodel, the desire to be “done” with a technology project can be so overwhelming that you back off the throttle when you're only halfway down the runway.
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The more dependent on computers you become, the more precautions you must take to ensure that everything stays up and running, and that your data is always there for you. Here's a simple schedule you can follow:
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If it's just you with a desktop and a laptop, a simple peer-to-peer network to share files is probably OK, but as soon as you put another user or two in the mix, you should be thinking about a real Windows server to control traffic and secure your data.
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I recently took an in-depth look at Compu-Tool, one of the most focused “front-end” systems — not surprising, because it was developed largely for Alure (www.alure.com), one of the largest remodelers in the United States.
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Thinking about getting a “SmartPhone” and wondering if it's worth the extra money?
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Thinking about some mobile technology for spring? Here's my short take on your choices.
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We're dealing with so much information these days that it's become a game of hide-and-seek to find files, e-mails, photos, or Web shortcuts on our computers. Try one of these great search tools.
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The year 2005 is upon us, and the odds are pretty good that you'll be shopping for some software to remodel your own operation. Here are the steps we use to make sure that our clients' shiny new software doesn't become next year's “shelfware.”