Emails and tech support (voice messages and texts). Meeting with Bryan and helping him out with some JavaScript tweaks and changes. He is working on the part number line description modifiers. This is a way to quickly change a line item description in the cart based on pre-saved snippets and line description modifiers.

Working on the logic for opening up the next sub. Went in and did some research. Ended up finding the place to add the new logic. Did some conditional statements and looped over the results to help find the next possible sub package. We (Steve and I) made some great progress and even added some code to help open/close the sub if needed. We got to a place where we needed to stop. We'll pick it up tomorrow morning. Brain meltdown... :)

Meeting with Cody to help him out with images on the label builer. We did some light training on using the adilas system and adding images to different places. We had to disable his full group by options inside of MySQL (database engine or database server stuff). That took a little bit. We then worked on some new code to help with the label homepage. I added in a search method and some simple output values. We passed the file back and forth and he got the new code working on his local system. Making progress.

Code review on Chuck's changes to the advanced time sub search results pages (like 6 new report formats). Merged in code to the master branch. Registered for the Adobe ColdFusion Summit event this fall, in Las Vegas.

Quick meeting with Shannon and Abby. We talked about where we are heading and decided to break off and do some work on our own. I mentioned to them about the need for the presentation gallery, if we ended up having a bigger team. Our goal would be to share the core concepts and the vision of where we are heading. We also spent a little bit of time going over the four phases of team building and how each new team goes through these phases. They are: forming, storming, norming, and performing.

Recording notes (8/13/24). Jumped back on with Bryan to help him push up some code. Spent a bunch of time recording some notes from a client meeting we had last week.

Prioritizing projects with Bryan. Looking over a list of projects. We spent a bit of time on the part number description modifiers and how to build that into the mix (it will hit parts, carts, quotes, and invoices). Brainstorming, drawing, and taking down notes. Bryan was writing things down as I was talking and drawing. After that, we switched over and fixed a small QuickBooks API error.

Emails and recording notes. Phone call with Bryan to go over next steps and upcoming projects. Paying bills.

Meeting with Steve. Some of these are random notes as we were jumping from subject to subject. That's how we roll. It's kinda fun.

- Tracking a lot of stuff (that's what people need). Some will, some won't, next. It may sound harsh, but we kinda need to approach things with that attitude. Some people will play... and some people won't play along. We will help those will let us and keeping looking for those types of clients.

- We are chasing so many things. Lots of opportunity and we have already built tons of stuff. Some of it was/is still flapping in the wind. We are picking up the pieces that we can.

- The sales process just takes time.

- Talking about some new settings on subs (child inventory or sub inventory packages). One of them is automatically taking inventory from or out of the next sub (auto open the next one, if needed).

- Taking about the new settings and the look and feel that we did for the mini scan cart. Horizontal form with accordion type sub sections.

- Every one of these companies have different business practices - so many variables.

- There are already some bulk tools to close sub packages.

- Talking about what the clients want to gain by using our platform.

- We (meaning adilas and our clients) are making decisions about who we are (we keep it pretty tight vs super loosie goosy).

- Light talks about MVP options. Minimal viable product, plan, person, etc.

- Talking about investments and/or investments. There is a need for a plan and being and staying efficient (efficiency) for this money that gets invested. Stick to the plan and make it happen. We are in a paradox - having money or having clients with needs.

- One of our problems (internally is) one-liners... - We give out a project based on a one-liner... It really needs more planning, requirements, timelines, budgets, project management, planning, scheduled reviews, etc. Some of our developers can handle the one-liner project name and run with it and others keep falling off the wagon and we have to pick up the pieces. Sadly, it comes down to processes and documentation. We really need more of this. We are just so busy... we have to find the time and make it priority.

- We have pieces that are obsolete (older or not being used), at the time they were make it or break it situations for our customers or potential clients. At some point we need to do some sweeping of the floor and clean-up spots where we have just replicated code over and over again. There will end up being some projects just to help with moving of functions, pages, and other efficiency stuff.

- Changes in the technology cycles and what is available and required. We were talking about Adobe and other companies.

- This was for me, sometimes I wish that I could live on a virtual island and just build the stuff that we want and need (uninterrupted time). Imagine, what would that be like without all of the crazy hustle and bustle, demands, and requirements. That sounds great, but if you fully bail out, you will miss the boat. You almost have to stay in the trenches.

- We can really help multi-locations stores that need our functionality. This is kinda funny, but we have to dumb down the frontend because we have a super deep backend. Other companies have a slick frontend but don't have a deep backend level.

- We are trying to do real-time problem solving.

- ROI (return on investment)

- We were reviewing some of our older projects... the adilas label builder, changes to sub inventory, discount engine, etc. We cycle through version after version. Eventually, we have to re-do things (with a plan or the right person in place).

- Our clients are just expecting us to do their research and maintenance for them. Ideally, we need to off-load some of that back on to the clients.

- We are almost like a sponge (they just throw things at us) and we take it.

- We are seeing more and more clients that really need enterprise level pieces.

- There also seems to be a trend dealing with crazy levels and needs out in ecommerce land. You need good inventory control in order to sell online and do special functions.

- People don't even know what we have (backorders, etc.).

- Education and maintenance - those two are topics that run deep and really go hand-in-hand. A long time ago, I heard that good education and maintenance are sometimes better than new features. That is so true... however, it is easy to get lost in the whirlwind of new features. Education and maintenance are a huge key to sustained success.

- Going over possible disconnects between hardware/software/middleware/etc. For example: We have a client that bought a new deli scale that prints out barcodes and custom labels. Then, they, our clients, just expect it work. So many variables... we just have to real-time problem solve. Getting everything to work together can be a challenge. In a way, we are consultants for our clients - what do you need to do for your business.

At the end of the meeting, we did a small work session to build out some new settings for sub inventory rules. Steve and I were working together. Half building, half training type session. Good stuff. We modified about 5 pages including a new default page, the setting page, the action page, and a couple of pages that help push the settings into the session scope (stored login and settings per user).

ToDo: On sub inventory... we would like to add part_id, part_category_id, and sub_inventory_attribute_id to be recorded per sub inventory record - that would be super cool and could really help speed things up. Future project to circle back around on... eventually :)

Meeting with Abby and Shannon. Went over some client meetings (from the past couple of days) and what is being requested and learned. Good review. Just being silly, our clients are almost saying "I want the Death Star for 100/month" (Star Wars reference).  We then rolled into a good work session on the presentation gallery pages, verbiage, and bullet points.