5 Key Moving Parts of the RFP Response

After two late nights polishing up responses to RFPs for technology projects, it felt like writing a de-brief of the process and key takeaways would be a cathartic thing to do. Let’s find out.

There are skeptics (like me at times) who believe that the RFP process is really just an administrative checks and balances activity and that procurement has its mind made up on the vendor of choice long before the RFPs are received and reviewed. We’ve all thought that one of the “big-guys” had it in the bag before the RFP was issued once or twice, and sometimes, that may be the case, but I don’t believe always, and for one key reason: most projects are highly specialized and sometimes the big guys can’t build as compelling a case or team as a smaller, more nimble and highly specialized firm. […]

An Operational/Financial perspective on the Business Intelligence space

Recently I corresponded with a Seattle based strategic Financial and Operational professional, Gary Beebe Jr, who currently serves as a Sr Program Manager for Finance at NCSoft, a global MMO gaming company with a big presence in the Seattle area. Gary and I were talking about BI and he summed up his view quite eloquently Read more about An Operational/Financial perspective on the Business Intelligence space[…]

Do business leaders favor direct communication?

I send a lot of emails each day to partners, prospects, and clients, and often find myself sprinkling my messages with all kinds of formalities.  It’s what I see as the icing on the cake (you wouldn’t dare serve a birthday cake without all of that tasty icing, would you?) but I often wonder if it isn’t an unnecessary layer that clouds my messaging and makes it hard for a time-pressed recipient to get to the heart of my message.  I also wonder if it doesn’t water down my points and slow down the sense of urgency I am trying to convey. […]

Defining Business Relationship Management

CIO’s at some of the top companies are recognizing the value implementing a Business Relationship Management framework can have on an IT organization.  After all, the concept was actually created by CIOs as the solution to a recently definable problem that the business side of things sees a barrier to the use of IT in companies mostly because they (the business, not IT) do not understand what can and cannot be done with IT. […]

Office365 Migration will give your small business serious muscle!

Office365 Small Business Admin Portal

A couple of years ago, I bought a Dell server with the intent of installing Windows Small Business Server (SBS) 2008 and running my own Exchange, SharePoint, and Internet Information Services (IIS). Although not a server or a networking expert, I was confident my geeky tendency to pick up new software technology quickly would get me to a point where I could run my small business like a big enterprise but on a limited budget.

Complimentary Office365 Migration Assessment

I looked forward in excitement to the day one month later (okay, maybe two; I was a one-woman show!) when I would have my system up and running, all stable and seamlessly connecting me to enterprise-quality email with shared contacts and calendars to wow my clients. I dreamed of the day when I would be able to collaborate online with my team members across the globe using all the bells and whistles that came with SharePoint.  I rushed to the Microsoft store to borrow four books on Windows Small Business Server 2008 installation and configuration and like a girl about to go out on her first date, I couldn’t wait for the weekend to come so I could start working on my server.

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