Original Document was created on 9/28/13

We found this document and used it as a resource for working on the new school accounting section of the User Guide (Section 11) on 7/3/19

Tools that we use:

Features, advantages, and benefits

Limitations and how do these tools break

Build & Break, Build & Break, Build & Break

1. Head and mind

a. Always on, not limited, imagination, switch at will, creative, huge capacity.

b.  Think through things, process clear to the end without actually committing, different scenarios, multi tasking even while doing other things.

c. Unlimited capacity to learn and process.

d. Start here and translate to other processes.

e. Limitations – Recall, searching, memory, what you do know, knowledge, affected by outside sources.

f. Break the mind – Sleep, eat and intake. Volume and number of transactions.

g.  Complexity

2. Paper and pencil (pen)

a. Write things down to remind you, categorize things, you can do all sorts of stuff.

b.  Draw, make it up quickly, written hard copy, plan, play with options, you can flip pages, you can have huge, tiny, massive, erase, mobile, searchable.

c.  Limitations – Searchability but not centralized.

d.  You have to have it. Potentially dangerous with loss or damage – outside sources or personal neglect.

e.  Not centralized – no one else has it. Hard to share unless you send or copy it.

f. Only one original.

g. Break pencil and paper – Searching, stacking, organizing, auto calculate, create relationships, nothing is automatic, everything is manual.

h.  Physical problems with the paper, run out of ink, pencil breaks, if you loose the original, you have to start all over again.

i. As it spreads, it becomes harder to get back to what you are looking for. No record of who touched anything. What date/times something happened.

3. Computer Based – word processing or a text document.

a.  All the creativity of paper and pen but you can now search it, print it, save it, send it, centralized, easy access, looks nice, readable, formatted, spell check, copy & paste, speed.

b.  Graphics, links, insert things, create columns and rows, email it, go back and change (small amounts to full pages of new content), take things away (delete).

c.  Limitations -  Structured, certain rules, learning curve (learn the tools), the program itself (does it even offer what you are looking for).

d.  Your skill level. Electricity and a computer or device. Dishing things off to outside sources (printers, faxes, email, Internet).

e. Things that break it:j If it is not centralized, it doesn’t do anybody any good. Run out of space to save it.

4. Spreadsheets (rows and columns)

a.  It does the math for you. It can do calculations. Searchable, organize it, show/hide columns and rows, color, graphs, add graphics, block in cells, lock cells, connect certain things.

b.  Ability to reference to specific cells. Ability to sub divide and expand.

c.  Good structured look and feel.

d.  Export and Import data because it is already formatted in rows and columns.

e.  Changing sizes and merging data cells.

f.  Limitations – Volume. It maxes out at a certain level.

g.  No history – once you replace it with something, it is gone.

h.  Higher skill level in order to play.

i.  Limited to rows and columns.

j.  It is not centralized. It is on your machine.

k.  Static layout – If your data is different or variable, it breaks.

l.  Break a spreadsheet – Volume, you have to see the whole thing all at once.

m.  Formulas and moving and inserting columns and rows. It may break all of the formulas and references to other cells.

n. Electricity, computer, you have to buy it.

o.  Spreadsheets are not the most compatible for touch screens.

p.  Manual filters and always looking at a full screen of data. You can get lost very easy if the columns and/or row headings are not shown.

q.  You can overwrite things very easy.

5. Databases

a.  Unlimited structure, storage in the billions, relationships, histories, you can link things, search things, you never look at the whole database all at once.

b.  Return and report, call back, dynamic level for storage (one-to-many). Scalable.

c.  Different types of databases. There are file share databases (limited number of connections) or server databases (unlimited number of connections). What are the open connection options.

d.  Calculations, filter things, pull back certain rows, you can query things (asking it for things), loop or play in bulk – multiple tasks at once.

e.  Storing and cataloging things. Modular or ability to compartmentalize.

f.  Limitations – Where is the database located at? Location is very important.

g.  Computer problems such as electricity, hardware issues, connection issues, multiple variables.

h.  Security issues.

i.  Skill level – who sets it up? Who is going to work on it? How easy is it to get the data in and out?

j. Break a database – Volume (usually traffic vs. size)

k.  Deleting or dropping information. Losing integrity between pieces of the one-to-many.

l.  Too big or too cumbersome.

6. Software Packages and IT (information technology)

a.  Package or packaged. Pre-built, on your own computer. Industry specific scope or niche.

b.  Keep coming out with new upgrades or versions. Improvements are being made.

c.  Thousands and thousands of choices.

d.  User friendly (general statement), support, manuals, well used and communities, training, etc. Lots of resources.

e.  You feel like you own something – even if it is older – you still own it.

f.  You can customize it for yourself. Create your work flow.

g.  Networking and everything can be hard wired. Established different connections.

h.  It is a tool that is meant for a specific job. It is a catered tool box.

i.  It has a version number that relates to a historic level of the software.

j. There are freeware, shareware, and different pricing structures. Bundles, packages, suites, downloadable or on a hard copy (disk).

k.  Limitations – Price or cost. Same with IT (information technology). $0 to Millions and millions.

l. Implementation and delivery. How do you get it? Install? Download it? Served up to you? How do you consume it?

m. Versions and computers – they don’t always match. Upgrades. Static and constant need for upgrades. Once you make it, it is that version until the next upgrade.

n.  Licenses – How many do you have and how many do you need? Bottlenecks or limit output by not having the right tools.

o.  Niche specific – but then you have to try to marry non compatible products together. The average is between 4 – 6 software packages. Maybe more.

p.  Skill set and use of the tools.

q.  Break software – Viruses, outdated, cost, volume, traffic and hardware issues, not support or non user friendly, natural disasters, computer crashes. 

r.  Newer products with more features. Constant leap frog of features.

s. Having multiple systems running at once & having to try to mix & match & hodgepodge things together.  Sometimes having multiple systems requires double, triple, or more entries into the different software packages. 

t. Changing requirements and changing technology can break software. 

7. Web & Cloud

a.  Great when it is fast, personal, any one can access it with a device, centralized, unlimited as far as storage capacity, versatile.

b.  Use outside pieces, tons of features, graphics, links, forms, buttons, animations, video, sound, print, you can search like crazy.

c.  If hardware crashes, no problem. Switch device.

d.  Cut your IT (information technology) costs to almost nothing.

e.  Mobile. From your car, on the go, multiple things connected to the same piece of data, collaborate from anywhere, any time, multiple people can share tasks and work on projects.

f.  Conditional logic (if, then). No updates, no waiting for the next upgrade (it gets pushed to the server).

g.  ADILAS – All Data Is Live And Searchable, Secure, Serviceable, Scalable, Sustainable.

h.  Go paperless. Scans, images, files, and other content tied into the system.

i.  Skin things (look and feel and flow and processes)

j. Cut steps, speed up processes, customize things to a huge level.

k.  Younger generations are getting more and more tech savvy.

l.  Future??? Where is going? Currently pioneering some of these fields and places. How deep is the rabbit hole? Potential!

m.  Limitations & how it could break – Have to have Internet access (somewhat of a diminishing problem). More and more places are getting it and it is becoming more and more free. Free is good!

n. Travel if Internet is down – have to get to a signal. Server issues, global blackouts, hack attempts, filters,  

o.  Security or un-secure (hacks and stolen data). Semi unknown??? Brings up question because you don’t physically have it or can’t touch it. Where is it? Movies almost create this hype or scare on vulnerability.

p.  How adilas.biz uses security – HTTPS – the “S” is very important. This deal with a thing called SSL (secure socket layer) – encryption. Check logins – 3 strikes your out policy on failed logins. Each corporation (aka virtual world) has user assigned. Each page in the system checks for a three-way tie or code. Corp to User – User to Permission on each page. System history or virtual surveillance system. 75% of the entire adilas.biz application deals with validation and security.

q.  Skill set – certain requirements.

r.  Interoperability – meaning playing with outside players and services. Everything has to work together. Adilas – uses a “System Thinking” type model. Cause and effects, consequences, tell the story, connections and relationships.

s.  Custom needs. Load balancing and potential internet traffic. Adilas tries to be an e-Business buffet – you dream it up we’ll wire it up!

t.  Play with both old and new technologies. Browsers, computers, operating systems, unknowns. 

u. Languages - for US markets things are typically created in English but there may be needs for things to be translated into other languages.

v. Trying to keep up with technology - finding people with the skills and talents. We're trying  to keep up with a the constant moving wave of technology. Hard to keep up. It takes lots and lots of money to keep up and keep developing. Trends, aesthetics, expectations of users, user interfaces, user experience, access to tech support and service for clients. 

w. The amount/quantity of data and the time required to calculate or crunch that data. 

x. Can be difficult if that site is not compatible with devices (mobile apps vs. normal web)

8. API Sockets or Custom (application programming interface)

                       a. An API socket is a way to plug into data without having to use a specific webpages or interface. You have data you can push and pull wherever is needed. You can take whatever is in the cloud and instead of having to interact through a specific webpage you can have access to raw data that you can then format, display, use, or do whatever you want with it.

                        b. You can technically mix & blend data from multiple different sources into one single location or feature - it just give you so many potential options! This could be dashboards, reports, interfaces, comparisons, stats, etc. 

                        c. You can tap into what are called data warehouses, where you take transactional data (day by day activities) and then aggregate the data to get pre-calculated sums, averages, totals, etc. 

                        d. API sockets can have their own security and can potentially bypass any permissions or add any permissions for access. So it can totally change the permission structure for what is being asked for or pushed back and forth. 

                        e. Usually APIs have documentation or samples that help speed up the development cycle. 

                        f. With custom work the sky is the limit. You can literally rewrite a process, change processes, show/hide specific values, reorganize things, make it completely niche specific, make it very intuitive, etc. 

                        g. One of the advantages of custom is that you can pay for exactly what you want without altering the core functionality. This could even be done by using outside developers to program something that may become a part of the core or a one-off job (custom mimic of core functionality).

                        h. If you deal with custom often you get to directly interface with the developers instead of just submitting to the general user request line. You  have to pay for it but you get to work with a developer directly and get to say this is what I want. What is the cost, timeline, what are the project deliverables, project mile markers.

                        i. Often when we think of custom we think of adding new pieces and functionality. That is great and well but custom could also be removing or hiding things that seem unnecessary or confusing, simplifying things.

                        j. If you are dealing with custom all of the sudden you are not limited to what the original developers created for database tables, columns, rows, etc. You can create your own structure for your data needs. 

                        k. Limitations: If it is custom you may not know what you may not know. If it is full custom you may not know where to get started. Unless you have a clear vision it can be challenging on the starting side. 

                        l. Another limitation of web API is that if you don't have enough documentation or access to the data then you have difficulty accessing the data you need. 

                        m. A possible limitation is that there may communication issues on wants, needs, availability, getting data pushed out, filtered, documented from the entity you are working with. 

                        n. It is also a possible limitation could be scripting language. One of the benefits is that anyone can talk to anything but one of the limitations is that each language has it's own quirks. It can be worked out but there are quirky things along the way when dealing in different languages. 

                        o. Because you have data, logic, and presentable pieces that may all come from different sources. You may have to determine where is your hybrid combined piece going to live. 

                        p. How it breaks: One of the most common things that happens is that a change occurs and no one lets you know. So what worked yesterday may not work today and there may not be any documentation. 

                        q. If the internet goes down, electricity out, too much web traffic, or other computer issues arise you may be back to paper and pencil again. I hope you have a good back up plan.

                        r.  You can actually custom things to death. Sometimes you can get into a never-ending cycle of trying to refine the feature which sometimes can cause over-analyzing, over-building, and over-complicating the system. 

                        s. New documentations, help files, SOPs, education, training, etc. 

                         t. Cost

9. World Building (digital story telling – ultra custom/hybrid level)

                        See sub notes below - we ran out of room