[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"services-list":3,"blog-posts-list":454},[4,82,159,233,307,381],{"id":5,"sort_order":6,"icon":7,"title":8,"slug":9,"tag":10,"tag_color":11,"headline":12,"description":13,"details":14,"image_url":20,"is_active":21,"created_at":22,"outcome_statement":23,"problem_heading":24,"problem_points":25,"benefits":30,"process_steps":43,"differentiators":56,"faq_items":66,"risk_mitigation":79,"testimonial_id":80,"secondary_image_url":81},"804df37c-c81d-4d70-8f61-e74f8ff19404",1,"🏗️","Tech Product Development","tech-product-development","Core Service","#4368fa","Turn your proven expertise into a market-disrupting platform.","We take the knowledge, processes, and IP that make your business exceptional and engineer it into a scalable tech product your customers can access directly - without you having to be in the room for every delivery.",[15,16,17,18,19],"Full-stack product engineering across web and mobile","Scalable cloud architecture designed for licensing and growth","UX & UI design that converts and retains users","Multi-year product roadmaps aligned to your commercial objectives","Ongoing iteration based on user behaviour and market feedback","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fservices\u002F1771581940383_Joey_Divya_Hoodies.png",true,"2026-02-20T09:57:49.133845+00:00","Turn your proven expertise into a market-leading SaaS platform that generates recurring revenue.","Sound familiar?",[26,27,28,29],"Your revenue is capped by the number of people you can hire and the hours they can deliver","You've tried no-code tools or spreadsheets and hit a ceiling","Clients keep asking for a platform but you don't know how to build one","You know there's a product in your business but every conversation with dev agencies leaves you more confused",[31,34,37,40],{"label":32,"value":33},"Recurring revenue","Move from project-based billing to a scalable subscription model that compounds over time",{"label":35,"value":36},"Reduced founder reliance","A product that delivers value without business owners being personally involved in every engagement",{"label":38,"value":39},"Exit optionality","Tech businesses exit at 5–12x revenue vs 2–5x profit for service businesses",{"label":41,"value":42},"Market leadership","A platform their competitors can't easily replicate, built on your unique domain expertise",[44,47,50,53],{"label":45,"value":46},"Product architecture","We design the technical foundation - data model, integrations, user experience - so it scales from day one",{"label":48,"value":49},"Iterative build","Focused development sprints with regular demos. You see real progress every two weeks, not after twelve months",{"label":51,"value":52},"User testing","Real users on the platform early, giving feedback that shapes the product around actual behaviour",{"label":54,"value":55},"Launch & scale","We help you launch, onboard early adopters, and build the feedback loops that make the product get better over time",[57,60,63],{"label":58,"value":59},"B2B product specialists","We build B2B SaaS platforms - not websites, not apps. This is all we do and we're very good at it.",{"label":61,"value":62},"Outcome-obsessed","We measure success by your success metrics, not by lines of code",{"label":64,"value":65},"Long-term partner","We don't disappear after launch. We stay with you through scale, iteration, and growth.",[67,70,73,76],{"label":68,"value":69},"How long does it take to build a product?","A first release is typically 3–6 months after Discovery. We prioritise getting a valuable product in front of users fast, then iterate.",{"label":71,"value":72},"How much do I need to invest?","It depends on complexity, but we're transparent about investment up front. Discovery gives you a clear budget before you commit to Build.",{"label":74,"value":75},"Do we need a CTO or technical co-founder?","No. We act as your fractional product and technology team. You focus on the business and the market.",{"label":77,"value":78},"What technology do you use?","We have a highly scalable and proven stack that's already serving millions of users - this is Laravel, Vue & AWS, highly tuned by Wubbleyou to deliver performance. Our focus is on proven, scalable technologies that won't paint you into a corner.","We build iteratively with fortnightly demos - so you see real progress at every stage. Combined with Discovery, you never invest in Build without a validated plan. If something isn't working, we catch it in weeks, not months.","f111406d-2d2e-43d5-9d90-fd8ab1b2d95e",null,{"id":83,"sort_order":84,"icon":85,"title":86,"slug":87,"tag":88,"tag_color":89,"headline":90,"description":91,"details":92,"image_url":97,"is_active":21,"created_at":98,"outcome_statement":99,"problem_heading":24,"problem_points":100,"benefits":105,"process_steps":121,"differentiators":134,"faq_items":144,"risk_mitigation":157,"testimonial_id":158,"secondary_image_url":81},"5f0aedc2-2c9f-4ec4-b7a7-8f5d7f7560bc",2,"🧭","Discovery Journey","discovery-journey","De-risk First","#1fcce8","Shape the right problem before you spend a penny on building.","Our intense 6–8 week discovery process is designed to give you absolute clarity on what to build, for whom, and in what order. It's the most important thing we do -  and it typically saves clients 5 figures on product builds by eliminating the wrong assumptions early.",[93,94,95,96],"Stakeholder and user research interviews","Product blueprint and feature prioritisation","Technical scoping and architecture recommendations","Commercial model and pricing strategy validation","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fservices\u002F1771551490383_1721753344239.jpg","2026-02-19T21:21:26.524359+00:00","Building the wrong product is an expensive mistake - before investing a single penny in development.",[101,102,103,104],"You know there's a product in your business but you don't know where to start","You've had conversations with agencies before and left more confused than when you started","You're worried about building the wrong thing at the wrong time","Your team is too busy delivering to step back and think strategically about product",[106,109,112,115,118],{"label":107,"value":108},"Validated opportunity","A clear, evidence-based assessment of whether your product idea has legs - before you commit budget",{"label":110,"value":111},"Clear blueprint","A detailed product specification and technical roadmap you can take to any development partner",{"label":113,"value":114},"A prototype product","A product that you can actually use, showing how the user journey and product works",{"label":116,"value":117},"De-risked investment","Confidence that you're building the right thing for the right market, with the right approach",{"label":119,"value":120},"Aligned stakeholders","Everyone in the business understands the vision, the plan, and what success looks like",[122,125,128,131],{"label":123,"value":124},"Deep-dive sessions","We immerse ourselves in your business - your expertise, your clients, your operations - to understand what makes you different",{"label":126,"value":127},"Finding Value","We understand the value in your business, and work out what assets\u002FIP you have which translate well into productisation",{"label":129,"value":130},"Product definition","We define the core product - features, user journeys, technical architecture - in enough detail to build from",{"label":132,"value":133},"Blueprint delivery","You get a comprehensive blueprint: product spec, roadmap, and usable prototype - ready to act on",[135,138,141],{"label":136,"value":137},"Strategic, not just technical","We think about your business model, your market, and your exit - not just the technology",{"label":139,"value":140},"Founder-focused","We've guided dozens of service-led founders through this exact transition. We speak your language, not tech jargon",{"label":142,"value":143},"Genuinely de-risked","Discovery exists to protect you from the most expensive mistake in tech: building the wrong thing",[145,148,151,154],{"label":146,"value":147},"How long does Discovery take?","Typically 6–8 weeks. Intensive enough to be thorough, short enough to maintain momentum.",{"label":149,"value":150},"What do I get at the end?","A comprehensive product blueprint including specification, usable prototype, and a phased roadmap we can jointly act on immediately.",{"label":152,"value":153},"What if we already know what we want to build?","Even experienced founders benefit from Discovery. It pressure-tests assumptions, uncovers blind spots, and ensures you're building for your market - not just your instinct.  There can be a difference between what a founder wants, and what they need.  We are productisation experts, and we listen - you will see significant benefit when we take your ideas and thinking, and distil them with our own ability.",{"label":155,"value":156},"Can we skip Discovery and go straight to Build?","We always recommend it, but if you have an existing spec or have completed a thorough discovery elsewhere, we'll assess it honestly and tell you if it's ready. Our experience is that others do not do discovery as well as us for B2B tech products - we are very good at it.  If your existing spec has issues, we will be up front - if we like it, we'll be equally as up front!","Discovery is designed to be the lowest-risk entry point. You invest a fraction of a full build investment and together we create a validated plan - if you learn during discovery that this is not a viable strategy, we pivot - you're not locked into an expensive build","82fa0220-2d70-4be2-aca5-0c1e603086e2",{"id":160,"sort_order":161,"icon":162,"title":163,"slug":164,"tag":165,"tag_color":166,"headline":167,"description":168,"details":169,"image_url":175,"is_active":21,"created_at":98,"outcome_statement":176,"problem_heading":24,"problem_points":177,"benefits":182,"process_steps":195,"differentiators":208,"faq_items":218,"risk_mitigation":231,"testimonial_id":232,"secondary_image_url":81},"d6c3eb2c-929d-4662-8ad3-cdce5fe36bfe",3,"🤖","AI Augmentation","ai-augmentation","Competitive Edge","#22c55e","Implement AI, which actually works","We build AI that actually works inside your business and your product, and solves real world problems. We have a unique 'building block' approach, which means we start by solving small problems quickly, and build in time into safely solving big things.",[170,171,172,173,174],"Custom AI agent design and development","LLM integration (OpenAI, Anthropic, and others)","Internal workflow automation and intelligent routing","AI-assisted product features for your B2B platform","AI strategy and implementation roadmap","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fservices\u002F1771551565494_Mark_Divya_Emily_Joey.png","Embed AI into your product or operations to unlock efficiency gains your competitors can't match.",[178,179,180,181],"You know AI could help your business but you're overwhelmed by the hype and don't know where to start","You've seen competitors talk about AI and worry you're falling behind","Your team spends hours on repetitive tasks that feel like they should be automated","You're nervous about getting AI wrong - the wrong investment, the wrong approach, the wrong timing",[183,186,189,192],{"label":184,"value":185},"Competitive advantage","Capabilities your competitors don't have - embedded into your product or workflow, not bolted on",{"label":187,"value":188},"Operational efficiency","Automate the repetitive, high-volume work that consumes your team's time and energy",{"label":190,"value":191},"Scalable intelligence","AI that gets better as your data grows - a compounding asset, not a one-off tool",{"label":193,"value":194},"Practical, not theoretical","Working AI in your product within weeks, not a research project that never ships",[196,199,202,205],{"label":197,"value":198},"AI opportunity audit","We map your processes and product to identify where AI creates genuine value - not where it just sounds impressive",{"label":200,"value":201},"Proof of concept","A focused prototype that proves the approach works with your real data, before you commit to full integration",{"label":203,"value":204},"Production integration","We build the AI into your product or workflow properly - secure, scalable, and maintainable",{"label":206,"value":207},"Optimisation & learning","We monitor, tune, and improve the AI based on real usage data so it keeps getting better",[209,212,215],{"label":210,"value":211},"Practical, not hype-driven","We only recommend AI where it creates measurable value. If a simpler solution works better, we'll tell you.",{"label":213,"value":214},"Integrated, not bolted on","AI is built into your product architecture from the start - not a fragile add-on that breaks",{"label":216,"value":217},"B2B context experts","We understand B2B workflows, compliance requirements, and the practical constraints of real businesses",[219,222,225,228],{"label":220,"value":221},"Do we need a data scientist?","No. We handle the technical complexity. You bring the domain expertise and business context.",{"label":223,"value":224},"What kind of AI are we talking about?","It depends on the problem - document processing, intelligent automation, natural language interfaces, predictive analytics. We match the technology to the outcome.",{"label":226,"value":227},"Is our data good enough for AI?","Often yes, even if it needs work. It's the first thing we assess - as it's important we avoid a \"garbage in \u002F garbage out\" problem - if we believe a project will fail for this reason - we will be up front.",{"label":229,"value":230},"What about data privacy and security?","We take this seriously. All AI implementations follow data protection best practices, and we work with you to understand your needs to find the model and provider to provide the level of protection you need.","We start with a focused proof of concept using your real data - so you can see actual results before committing to full integration. Whilst theory is a part, it's not the result - our focus is on execution that makes a positive state change in your business. If AI isn't the right answer, we'll tell you before you spend a penny on it.","cb026b97-f41e-4d15-b17b-6d095fc36a47",{"id":234,"sort_order":235,"icon":236,"title":237,"slug":238,"tag":239,"tag_color":240,"headline":241,"description":242,"details":243,"image_url":249,"is_active":21,"created_at":98,"outcome_statement":250,"problem_heading":24,"problem_points":251,"benefits":256,"process_steps":269,"differentiators":282,"faq_items":292,"risk_mitigation":305,"testimonial_id":306,"secondary_image_url":81},"b195ddb0-5fc4-4b21-80b0-5ebf5d081fa2",4,"📊","Business Intelligence","business-intelligence","Clarity","#f59e0b","See your product performance, and make better decisions, faster.","What numbers must improve to achieve your 3–5 year goals? We create that clarity, build the integration layer to unify your data, and surface it in real-time dashboards that make the right decision obvious.",[244,245,246,247,248],"KPI definition and metric framework design","Data integration layer connecting your existing systems","Real-time executive and operational dashboards","Adoption and performance tracking for your tech product","Reporting infrastructure that scales as your business does","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fservices\u002F1771551590260_divya_joey.png","Get the visibility you need to make confident decisions - without waiting for someone to pull a report.",[252,253,254,255],"You're making important decisions based on gut feel because you can't get the data fast enough","Your numbers live in five different spreadsheets and nobody agrees on which one is right","You only find out about problems after they've already cost you money","Your board or investors want reporting you can't currently produce without days of manual work",[257,260,263,266],{"label":258,"value":259},"Real-time visibility","See how your business is performing right now - revenue, pipeline, operations - in one place",{"label":261,"value":262},"Confident decisions","Make strategic choices backed by data, not instinct. Faster decisions, fewer regrets.",{"label":264,"value":265},"Early warning systems","Spot problems before they become crises - pipeline drops, churn signals, delivery bottlenecks",{"label":267,"value":268},"Investor-ready reporting","Professional, automated reporting that tells the story your board and investors need to hear",[270,273,276,279],{"label":271,"value":272},"Data audit","We map your data landscape - where it lives, what shape it's in, and what questions you most need it to answer",{"label":274,"value":275},"Architecture & design","We design a data architecture that brings your information together and makes it queryable and reliable",{"label":277,"value":278},"Dashboard build","We build the dashboards and reports you actually need - focused on decisions, not vanity metrics",{"label":280,"value":281},"Training & handover","We make sure you and your team can use, trust, and extend the system independently",[283,286,289],{"label":284,"value":285},"Designed for founders, not analysts","We build dashboards that answer business questions, not ones that require a data degree to interpret",{"label":287,"value":288},"Actionable, not academic","Every metric we surface is connected to a decision you can make or an action you can take",{"label":290,"value":291},"Integrated into your workflow","BI that lives where you work - not another tool you have to remember to check",[293,296,299,302],{"label":294,"value":295},"What data sources can you work with?","Almost anything - CRM, accounting, project management, spreadsheets, databases, APIs. If it holds data, we can likely connect it.",{"label":297,"value":298},"Do we need a data warehouse?","Sometimes, but not always. When we build a product with you, we handle this by default, so it's not something you need to worry about.",{"label":300,"value":301},"How long until we see results?","First dashboards are typically live within 4–6 weeks. We start with your highest-value questions and build outward.",{"label":303,"value":304},"Can our team maintain this themselves?","That's the goal. We build for handover, not dependency. Training and documentation are included.","We start with your highest-value questions and build outward - so you get actionable insights from day one, not after a six-month data warehousing project. If your data isn't ready, we'll tell you honestly and help you fix it first.","b05514e7-0f31-409b-8291-e25115729052",{"id":308,"sort_order":309,"icon":310,"title":311,"slug":312,"tag":313,"tag_color":314,"headline":315,"description":316,"details":317,"image_url":323,"is_active":21,"created_at":98,"outcome_statement":324,"problem_heading":24,"problem_points":325,"benefits":330,"process_steps":343,"differentiators":356,"faq_items":366,"risk_mitigation":379,"testimonial_id":380,"secondary_image_url":81},"cd8895d6-704d-48d2-adad-7c1afc0d80fb",5,"⚙️","Internal Platform Layer","internal-platform-layer","Foundation","#8b5cf6","Build the internal engine that powers your external product.","Productisation without an internal layer creates new chaos. We build the automation, workflow standardisation, and internal tooling that supports your external product - so that as volume grows, your team's effort doesn't grow at the same rate.",[318,319,320,321,322],"Business process analysis and workflow mapping","Automation of repetitive internal operations","System integration across your existing tech stack","Internal tools purpose-built for your team's workflows","The foundation that makes your external product financially viable at scale","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fservices\u002F1771551603740_Emily.png","Replace the spreadsheets and manual processes holding your business back with a platform that scales with you.",[326,327,328,329],"Your operations run on spreadsheets, email chains, and tribal knowledge that only you understand","You can't delegate confidently because there's no system - just people who know how things work","Every new hire takes months to get productive because nothing is documented or systematised","You've looked at off-the-shelf tools but nothing fits how your business actually operates",[331,334,337,340],{"label":332,"value":333},"Operational clarity","A single source of truth for your core processes - visible, measurable, and not dependent on any one person",{"label":335,"value":336},"Confident delegation","Systems that let your team deliver to your standard without you being in every decision",{"label":338,"value":339},"Scalable operations","Grow your business without proportionally growing your headcount or your stress levels",{"label":341,"value":342},"Founder freedom","Step back from day-to-day operations knowing the business runs to the standard you set",[344,347,350,353],{"label":345,"value":346},"Process audit","We map how your business actually works - not how it should work on paper, but how it runs in reality",{"label":348,"value":349},"Platform design","We design an internal platform that fits your workflows, your team, and your growth plans",{"label":351,"value":352},"Build & rollout","We build iteratively and roll out in phases - so your team adapts gradually, not all at once",{"label":354,"value":355},"Training & embedding","We make sure your team actually uses it. Training, documentation, and ongoing support until it's second nature",[357,360,363],{"label":358,"value":359},"Built for service businesses","We understand the operational challenges of service-led businesses - because that's all we work with",{"label":361,"value":362},"Designed for operators","Built around how your team works, not how a software vendor thinks they should work",{"label":364,"value":365},"Pragmatic, not perfect","We build what you need now and design for what you'll need next - no over-engineering, no bloat",[367,370,373,376],{"label":368,"value":369},"Is this like an ERP system or CRM?","It can be, but it doesn't have to be. We aren't interested in re-inventing platforms which already do a good job.  We recommend those platforms instead, and focus on building a layer which connects it all together, or solving problems those tools don't.",{"label":371,"value":372},"How disruptive is the transition?","We design for minimal disruption. Phased rollouts, parallel running, and hands-on training mean your business keeps operating while the new system beds in.",{"label":374,"value":375},"What if our processes change?","They will - and that's fine. We build flexible systems designed to evolve with your business, not lock you into today's way of working.",{"label":377,"value":378},"Can this integrate with tools we already use?","Yes. We build to integrate with your existing tools wherever it makes sense - no rip-and-replace required.","We design for how your business actually works - not how a software vendor thinks it should. Phased rollouts mean you never risk your entire operation on a big-bang switch. And because we build iteratively, you see and approve every step before it goes live.","0cf87d40-6d19-4a7d-b2e0-fe82d42107dc",{"id":382,"sort_order":383,"icon":384,"title":385,"slug":386,"tag":387,"tag_color":388,"headline":389,"description":390,"details":391,"image_url":397,"is_active":21,"created_at":98,"outcome_statement":398,"problem_heading":24,"problem_points":399,"benefits":404,"process_steps":417,"differentiators":430,"faq_items":440,"risk_mitigation":453,"testimonial_id":380,"secondary_image_url":81},"f4bf1e19-4a12-4e43-8d60-bb1d6ca9f9ab",6,"🛡","Support & Maintenance","support-maintenance","Long-term Partnership","#64748b","Your product in safe hands, permanently.","Business-critical products need business-critical support. Once your platform is live, our team stays with it - handling security, scalability, disaster recovery, bug resolution, and the ongoing technical care your users rely on.",[392,393,394,395,396],"Continuous security monitoring and vulnerability management","Performance optimisation and scalability management","Disaster recovery planning and incident response","Bug resolution and quality assurance","Infrastructure and hosting management","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fservices\u002F1771551647029_Lee_and_Mark_CA.jpg","Keep your product secure, stable, and evolving - without building an in-house dev team.",[400,401,402,403],"Your product is live but the agency that built it has moved on - and you're not sure who's looking after it","You worry about security vulnerabilities but don't have the technical expertise to assess them","Users are requesting features and fixes but you can't iterate fast enough to keep them happy","You're spending more time managing your technology than growing your business",[405,408,411,414],{"label":406,"value":407},"Peace of mind","Know that your product is monitored, maintained, and secure - without it being your problem to manage",{"label":409,"value":410},"Continuous improvement","Regular updates and feature releases that keep your product competitive and your users engaged",{"label":412,"value":413},"Security confidence","Proactive security updates, vulnerability monitoring, and best-practice infrastructure management",{"label":415,"value":416},"Expert on call","A technical team that knows your product inside out, available when you need them",[418,421,424,427],{"label":419,"value":420},"Technical audit","We assess your current codebase, infrastructure, and security posture - whether we built it or someone else did",{"label":422,"value":423},"Support agreement","A clear, transparent support plan tailored to your product's needs and your budget",{"label":425,"value":426},"Ongoing development","Regular sprints to ship fixes, features, and improvements - keeping your product moving forward",{"label":428,"value":429},"Quarterly reviews","Strategic check-ins to assess product health, plan upcoming work, and align on priorities",[431,434,437],{"label":432,"value":433},"We built it or we'll learn it","Whether we built your product originally or inherited it, we take full ownership and accountability",{"label":435,"value":436},"Proactive, not reactive","We don't wait for things to break. Monitoring, updates, and improvements happen continuously.",{"label":438,"value":439},"Strategic partner, not helpdesk","We think about where your product should go next - not just what's broken today",[441,444,447,450],{"label":442,"value":443},"What are your response times?","It depends on the support tier, but critical issues are typically acknowledged within hours. We'll agree SLAs that match your needs.",{"label":445,"value":446},"Can you work on code someone else built?","Yes. We regularly take over products built by other teams. The technical audit gives us - and you - a clear picture of what we're working with.",{"label":448,"value":449},"What's included in support?","It varies by plan, but typically: bug fixes, security updates, performance monitoring, minor feature work, and regular communication. We'll tailor it to your needs.",{"label":451,"value":452},"Is there a minimum commitment?","We typically work on rolling quarterly agreements. Long enough to be effective, flexible enough that you're never locked in.","We start every engagement with a thorough technical audit - so we understand your codebase before making any changes. No surprises, no guesswork. And our rolling agreements mean you're never locked into a long-term contract that isn't working.",[455,469,481,493,503,513,523,534,544,555,565,575,586,596,607,617,627,637,647,659,669,678,688,698,708,718,728,739,749],{"id":456,"slug":457,"title":458,"description":459,"hero_image_url":460,"hero_image_alt":458,"body_html":461,"category":462,"author":463,"published_at":464,"reading_time_minutes":383,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":467,"updated_at":468},"ee5ec0a8-c32e-4d0f-8fd4-a62b8a803f51","why-it-costs-you-more-to-use-wordpress-for-complex-web-platforms","Why it costs you more to use WordPress for complex web platforms","Whist this is a dream approach, let us consider how your product might change over time, and how the assembler and artisan bakers reacted to that.","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002Fab60d67d1cb5.png","\u003Cp>Let’s face it, there is more than one way to bake a cake, If the cake is your product idea, and the baker is your development team, there are lots of ways to get the end result.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Imagine you’ve got 2 bakers:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The assembler\u003C\u002Fstrong>, they make high quality cakes using pre-bought bases & icing. They have a massive catalogue of components from which they can buy to decorate their cakes, and they put it all together.  They can’t always find exactly what is required, but they can usually get close enough\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The artisan, \u003C\u002Fstrong>although they reuse recipes, they create high quality and complex cakes by custom baking all the complex bits. The easy bits are reused from known recipes, and the custom decorations are hand made to perfection\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>Although software products are very different to cakes (and less delicious), consider the following:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Hello baker, we’ve gotten feedback from our audience, people are more likely to buy orange cakes, can we change the blue icing to be orange?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Cbr>o   The assembler: Yea sure, I can get that icing!\u003Cbr>o   The artisan: Yea sure, I’ll change the dye!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Hello baker, you know the chocolate buttons baked into the cake? Yea we need to remove those, we’ve got to keep the calorie count down because of this new regulation\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Cbr>o   The assembler: Hmm, it’s not in the catalogue, how about we use the base with chocolate drops instead, or strawberries?\u003Cbr>o   The artisan: Yea sure, I have that recipe!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Hello baker, we want to try brownies, can we make that work?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Cbr>o   The assembler: Well, if we buy this base and cut it into squares, it’ll probably work\u003Cbr>o   The artisan: Sure! I’ll use my new recipe with some different baking trays\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Hello baker, I know we are using eggs, but veganism is getting a lot of traction, how do we ditch the eggs?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Cbr>o   The assembler (sweating profusely): The catalogue doesn’t have that sort of base, Uh Oh!\u003Cbr>o   The artisan: Sure, I’ll make a new recipe to substitute that!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>Although some of these are extreme, if your cakes must evolve over time, they could be valid requests, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Sometimes you might have to change fundamental parts of your cake to cater for changes in customer requirements\u002Fbehaviour, or regulation in your industry.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The artisan builds knowledge in their own recipes over time, and can move quickly to react to trends.  Nothing stops them from making these changes.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If the assembler has invested everything into the catalogue approach, and customers start demanding cakes which can’t be assembled from the catalogue, they’re in trouble – they might even need to abandon the assembler approach all together.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cstrong>What has this got to do with WordPress?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>\u003Cstrong>“WordPress is open source software you can use to create a beautiful website, blog, or app.”\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>WordPress has several advantages which allow someone to quickly set up a web platform:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>A community with over 55,000 plugins\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>A powerful content management system for managing a website\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>A massive library of prebuilt templates to theme the website\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>It can be extended, a developer can add their own features\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>In theory, this sounds like a great springboard for a new web platform:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>\u003Cstrong>“I can get 80% of the way there with plugins & a theme, I just need someone to tie it all together!”\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Whist this is a dream approach, let us consider how your product might change over time, and how the assembler and artisan bakers reacted to that.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>You must consider:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Are you 100% sure your long requirements will not grow beyond the scope you’ve set now?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>If it will be outgrown, are you confident WordPress (or a combination of plugins) will cater for these requirements, without issue? How doomed is your product if you hit a limitation?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>If you are not going to leverage WordPress’s plugin library, then why use WordPress at all?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Ch2>\u003Cstrong>When to be an assembler, and knowing if WordPress is a good solution\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>If you’re building something which is a solved problem, be an assembler:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>You are building something which has been done lots of times before, like a blog\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>You are building a website which only needs to serve content, requirements are not that complex and there are no custom workflows\u002Fprocesses which WordPress doesn’t handle out the box\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>The requirements are known from the start, and are unlikely to change very much\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>If you know you’re building a Throwaway Prototype, it’s also OK to be an assembler – it’s a cheap way to prototype.  You know your requirements will likely change rapidly, but you’re able to get most of the way there by meshing together plugins. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>You know this will not last long and will begin to fail eventually, but it doesn’t matter as you’ll be taking what you’ve learned and starting again as an artisan later.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cstrong>When to be an artisan, and build a custom web platform\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>If there is no clear off the shelf solution, and if WordPress would require cobbling together plugins, this is your best route:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>What you want to build is not common, or has not been done before\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>You have big ideas for the platform which go beyond simple content management\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>There will be complex workflows\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>There will many different types of user accessing the platform\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>The requirements are likely to change frequently\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>To accomplish your task in WordPress, you will have to mesh together lots of plugins, building a bit of a Frankenstein’s monster\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Ch2>\u003Cstrong>What will happen if I use WordPress anyway?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Be ready to throw away this product and start again later.  If you know you’re building a Throwaway Prototype, then it is probably OK.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Otherwise, if have complex requirements, and use the ‘assembler’ approach with WordPress plugins, it may start well, but it will likely cost you more in the long run. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>It will likely devolve into a situation where you use more resource firefighting and keeping the platform held together, rather than investing in further development to improve the platform.  You’ll probably see that changing one thing seems to impact a completely different feature, it’s like whack-a-mole with bugs.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>What can seem like a simple change on the face of it, requires a lot of time and consideration given a number of outside factors.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>This is usually caused by the following:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Plugins are ‘duct taped’ together to make them all co-exist, and this can be quite flimsy. Simple changes take a long time, and complex changes are out of the question\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>A plugin update causes havoc as it now no longer interacts well with your carefully duct taped solution. Updating the platform is a stressful and risky experience\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Although WordPress itself may be a secure platform (although it has had its share of issues), the plugins are plagued with security vulnerabilities. Typical situations involve your data being stolen, or your users redirected to an adult website\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>This causes the following:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Slow performance\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Increased cost over time\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Increased frustration\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Increased chance of a security incident\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Ch2>\u003Cstrong>Can I have my cake, and eat it?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Yes!  WordPress is a strong content management system used by more than 60 million websites worldwide, including 33.6% of the top 10 million websites.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Problems occur with WordPress when you try to make it do things outside of that strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>To fix this, consider how you can split the responsibilities:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>If you need a website, use WordPress purely as a marketing tool, it acts as a website\u002Fblog\u002FCMS which you’re able to update, and only serves marketing content. If you build a custom platform, it’s kept totally separate.  The job of the WordPress website is to refer users to your custom-built web platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>You have a custom-built platform which is your product idea. A development team contributes to this regularly with new features, without any other constraints\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Ch2>\u003Cstrong>How do I be an artisan with my budget?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>The assembler approach looks attractive due to the up-front cost differences between that and the artisan approach.  But if you have to throw away the assembler approach later, and start again from scratch anyway, which one actually carries the higher cost in the long run?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>There are three key considerations to make when understanding a software project:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Is the value understood if this project is delivered successfully? If so, is that value a comfortable Return on Investment on the budget required?\u003Cbr>o   E.g., if the project investment is £50k but saves £150k a year in operating costs, it is a no brainer at a 300% return in year one!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>What does your Minimum Viable Product look like? How do we test your assumption with the least time and resource possible?\u003Cbr>o   E.g., what is the minimum you need to build to make this work? Build that\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>If you need to work on a tight budget to secure more funding, would and MVP or a Throwaway Prototype allow you to achieve this?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Ch2>\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>The artisan and assembler have equally valid approaches, their strengths shine depending on the project requirements.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>WordPress is great as a Content Management System, when you try to use it to do more than this, it’s costly in the long run\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>If your platform has even moderate complexity, do not use WordPress to Frankenstein together a bunch of plugins unless you are building a Throwaway Prototype, use software developers to build this platform from scratch to create long term value\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Wubbleyou are artisans, we work with you to understand the problems you face, and if there is no viable off the shelf solution, we work with you to build this. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We are value driven, in that we work with you to understand the Return on Investment the project would generate using an evidence driven approach, so we all understand why this project is worth undertaking, and how we will work with you to be a better business.\u003C\u002Fp>","Security & Risk Management","Divya Behra","2025-05-06T00:00:00+00:00",false,0,"2026-05-05T23:46:54.534132+00:00","2026-05-05T23:46:54.528+00:00",{"id":470,"slug":471,"title":472,"description":473,"hero_image_url":474,"hero_image_alt":472,"body_html":475,"category":476,"author":477,"published_at":478,"reading_time_minutes":309,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":479,"updated_at":480},"99055313-2768-4bd2-917e-4e807d12e60b","ensure-roi-is-a-priority-for-your-software-project-by-using-this-software-development-brief","Ensure ROI is a priority for your software project, by using this software development brief","When scoping a software project, communication is extremely important. Lets delve in more detail about that today.","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F10a2bb201271.png","\u003Cp>When scoping a software project, communication is extremely important.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>From our perspective, scoping out a project consists of developing an in depth understanding of your situation and pain points, and then working with you to identify how to generate the maximum return on investment by solving those pain points.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>However, at the start of every conversation, there is naturally a knowledge gap. Naturally we understand tech and you understand your business and pain points, we must bridge that gap!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Based on over a decade of experience, we’ve put together a template detailing how to prime a development agency like us, with the information we need to understand your project.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>Why write a software development brief?\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Simply, it lets you and your team evaluate the problem at hand, and give that to solutions providers like us in a consistent and detailed way.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>If done in the right way (see our template!), it ensures proposals are geared to solve your problem and generating ROI\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If the conversation is only orientated towards a solution, how are you able to guarantee that a proposal:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Generates ROI for your business\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Solves real pain points in your business\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Has a measurable\u002Fpositive impact on the business\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>Detailing the objectives, measures and values up front in a software development brief, allows you to assess proposals against these and answer the above questions\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>It makes it more likely quotes you receive are comparable\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Consider engaging with multiple solution providers without this, will all of them have the same information? If all solutions providers have different information, will they all be providing proposals for the same problems?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>It should provide wider context of your business and objectives, but also laser focus on the problems at hand\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>It’s important that a project has clear objectives which are measurable, and that the value of the project is understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>At the same time, sight of the wider context allows a solution provider like us to recommend strategic decisions which provide more value now, or make decisions for the solution which deliver more value in the long run.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>It may sting if a solution implemented now has to be changed in consideration of your wider objectives – knowing these earlier allows us to make informed decisions.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Want the template in Word format?Download the ROI focussed software brief template belowDownload\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fkit.com\u002Ffeatures\u002Fforms?utm_campaign=poweredby&utm_content=form&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=dynamic\" target=\"_blank\">Built with Kit\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>How should you describe your business in the software brief?\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>About you\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Firstly, it’s important to know about your business, who you are and what the ambitions are.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>You likely have this information already – just copy and paste this from your website!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Consider adding to this with information on the business ambitions and objectives:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>What made you want to start this project?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>What are your business objectives over the next 12 months and 5 years?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Where have you been as a business? Are you growing rapidly? Have you recently had any major changes?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>How many people do you employ right now? How has this changed over the last 12 months and how will this change going forward?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>What problems do you want to solve?\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>List 3 to 5 high level pain points which are important to solve\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>What are the most important pain points, in order, which you are looking to solve during this project?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>How do these translate to key objectives?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>E.g.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>E.g. We have to manually move lots of data which is time consuming and error prone\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>E.g. We use Excel, and constantly muddle up and overwrite each other’s work\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>E.g. We are not able to make reports which make sense, and can’t make data driven decisions\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>Consider how solving these problems will generate an ROI for your business. Please see our article\u003Ca href=\"\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-to-fix-repetitive-and-costly-mistakes\"> 21 Indicators that lack of tech is slowing scaleup growth, for inspiration on these.\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Why are these problems worth solving? What does that mean to you and the business?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>How do we ensure that we aren’t solving problems for the sake of it?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>How do we ensure that solving a problem has a positive impact for the business?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Ensuring that solving a pain point generates a return on investment, or empowers the achievement of strategic objectives make a problem worth solving.  Do the problems you want to solve generate enough value to make it worth the investment of time and money?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Summarising why these problems are worth solving helps gauge the value of completing the project, and allows us to set measures of success – how do we know it was done correctly?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Consider answering the following questions\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>What growth opportunities are unlocked by solving the pain points above?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>How will it either save you money, or allow you to generate more revenue?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>How will this project better allow you to achieve business objectives?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>How will you measure the success of this project?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Why is solving these problems, and this project valuable to the business?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What has been tried so far?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>You may have already tried to solve some of the pain points in this software brief. If so, what have you tried? What worked well and what failed?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Understanding this allows us as solution providers to learn from your previous work, and rule in\u002Fout solutions going forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>For example, have you tried any off the shelf software to solve the problem? If so, why didn’t this work? Did aspects of it work? How would you implement a better solution?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If you have documentation for the processes at hand, also consider including those here.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What other software are you using right now which relates to this problem?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Understanding what else is in play ensures we don’t get tunnel vision, and that we consider the wider landscape.  Consider listing the following:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Current software you use which you believe should be replaced\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Current software you think might be impacted by this project\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Current software you want to keep, and integrate into this solution (e.g. we use accountancy software X, and want invoices to be created automatically)\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Software you’ve seen and think would be beneficial for your business\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Ch2>What do I need to add to understand the solution?\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What key features do you see being present in the solution?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>You may have already ideated a solution, if so, feel free to bullet point how you see this working, or attach any documentation, mind maps etc you’ve put together.  E.g.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>We want this to integrate with our accounting software, so that we don’t need to manually create invoices\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>We need our clients to log into a portal and see information about their account without having to contact us\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>We need to have a reporting suite to we are able to see real time information on the use of the system and the revenue generated through it at any one time\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Budget: What are you willing to invest to solve this problem?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>This can be tricky, most people don’t know how much software costs!  Why would you? It’s like someone knowing how much a cake factory costs.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>It’s important to assess a budget against the Return on Investment the project will generate for the business, so it’s an investment and not a blind cost. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>For example, “It will cost £50k” might look scary with no context, however, “The project will create £150k in cost savings for a £50k investment” is a much clearer decision!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>In any case, consider a budget, even if it’s just how many 0’s the investment level has.  A good solution provider will bring up budget before proposal, and an open and honest conversation should ensue.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Timescales\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Timescales must align between your business, and those put forth by a solutions provider.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>For example, a solutions provider will likely already have a pipeline of work and will not likely be able to start the project immediately – it has to be scheduled in.  Knowing that in advance allows for an alignment of expectations before a proposal is put forward, and saves everyone time.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If you have key dates which must be met, add these here.  Consider the following:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Financial year & budgets\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Marketing campaigns\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Key stakeholders, e.g. if you must onboard your clients, are the clients themselves on a cycle which could line up with a launch of software\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Stakeholders\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Consider who is important to engage with for the solution.  We advocate that the following people are involved in the process:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Who ever is making the final decision, this is generally the managing director, or someone from the leadership team if that decision is designated.  Involving them too late is likely to lead to a situation where they do not have the information they need to make a decision\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Who will be managing the project day to day from your perspective? Ensure they are involved from the get go\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Who are the key users of the software to be implemented? Ensure they are a part of the process when defining the problem and the solution – having these people invested and bought into the process makes it easier to implement the software into your business later\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Decision Criteria\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>It’s important to decide what you’re looking for from a proposal, and how you will choose the best proposal for your business.  This makes it clear internally from the outset what you’re looking for, and makes it easier for you to communicate that with suppliers throughout the buying process.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>For example, you may feel that one of price, ROI, experience, timescales or quality of the solution are important.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If a supplier puts forward a proposal focussing on the shortest timescale, but you actually care about the highest ROI, the process with that supplier may not have been the best use of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Having these also makes it easier for you to score proposals objectively, meaning you are able to pick the proposal best for your business.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>What are common mistakes I must avoid?\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Lacking detail\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>It’s common for us to see a one page software development brief summarising how a solution might look, with a request for a quote on that solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>It’s great that effort has been made to document the project, but in this form it’s generally not informational enough to go straight to a proposal.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>You will likely receive a proposal with lots of assumption, and detailing a solution which will not fit your needs as a business.  You may also receive proposals which are solving different problems (as they are assumed), so it’s hard to compare them like for like.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Designing a solution, without detailing\u002Funderstanding pain points, objectives or ROI\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>When bypassing these steps and looking straight at a solution, how are we sure that the solution actually solves your problems?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>How do we sense check it to make sure it hits business objectives?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>How do we assess the investment required for the solution and check that there is a positive Return on Investment?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>How will we mutually be confident the project is worth doing?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Without answering these questions, you may not feel confident making a decision once you have proposals, simply because it’s ambiguous whether the project is even worth doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Answering these questions first, ensures the project is viable before jumping into designing a solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Providing a software brief which is the solution\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We always think it’s great when this has been thought through, but we will still advocate that we go through our process to understand the problems and ROI.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If we do not, you face 2 key risks:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>How do we ensure we understand the problems and value? How do we ensure that the solution you’ve design fixes these?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>How do we ensure that the solution is the best solution possible?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>It’s also worth considering why you are engaging a solution provider in the first place.  Is it because they are technically competent and experienced? If so, are they the best people to design the solution alongside you, based on problems you’ve put forth?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Pushing for a proposal\u002Fcost before understanding ROI and value\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The problems this causes have a lot of cross over with the above.  This generally involves short cutting the process and putting forward a proposal without answering key questions about the project.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>When we’re put in this position, we will always bow out rather than put forth a proposal, as it’s morally better for us to shake hands and call it a day, rather than putting forward a solution which we simply cannot justify.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We must follow our process to ensure we have a mutual agreement with you that the project has value.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If a project is started under these circumstances, it makes it hard at the end of a project to understand whether it was a success or not.  The software may have been delivered successfully, but has it actually had a positive impact on the business?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Equally, it may be discovered that a project is actually not worth doing or the ROI doesn’t stack up, and this is also fine!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>A good solution provider will discover this early in the process, and will not want to spend your money on a project which does not generate ROI.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Assuming a project is able to start immediately after contract award\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Solutions providers like us generally have carefully managed project plans with multiple ongoing projects, it’s rare that we’re able to start immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>For example, we’re generally able to start planning, discussing and designing the solution fairly quickly, but we typically have a lead time of weeks, at any given time, before core development on a project can start.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>It’s worth assuming that a lead time of 8 weeks may be typical, but this will vary amongst solution providers.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>Conclusion\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Technology can be hard.  Most businesses don’t have anyone in the leadership team who are professionally qualified to understand it.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>However, what you do know are your business, your objectives, and the problems you face.  Writing a software development brief which highlights these, along side your objectives, allows a solutions provider to design a technical solution which solves these, and for you to assess the best provider.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>In summary:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Focus on the problems & objectives, the value solving these generates, and how that should be measured\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Summarise this as an ROI for the business, how much money is saved, or revenue is generated by achieving this?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Putting thought into a solution is great, but making this the sole objective must be avoided, to ensure the solution providers are able to put forth a solution which they believe solves your problems and generates ROI\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>If you use this software development brief, please feel free to also submit it to us to start a conversation around your project!\u003C\u002Fp>","Process Improvement & Automation","","2025-03-12T00:00:00+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:03.427422+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:03.518+00:00",{"id":482,"slug":483,"title":484,"description":485,"hero_image_url":486,"hero_image_alt":484,"body_html":487,"category":488,"author":489,"published_at":490,"reading_time_minutes":309,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":491,"updated_at":492},"2422cebb-a6f1-49c3-be96-c698acaeb418","how-much-excel-is-too-much-excel","How much Excel is too much Excel?","Excel is great. It's hyperflexible. It allows us to create forms, processes and to-do lists. For a time this works.... until it doesn't.","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F715fc111b45a.png","\u003Cp>Excel is great. It's hyperflexible. It allows us to create forms, processes and to-do lists. We can use it to model and forecast. Scaling businesses manage complicated and multi-step processes using one excel spreadsheet. For a time this works....\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>... until it doesn't.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>It starts when an Excel limitation prevents you from doing something at a critical point. You work around it, but it's a little bit annoying. Then it happens again. And again. These issues compound, leaving you with an irritating spreadsheet management process.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If you have a spreadsheet with several contributors, the limits to Excel become clear.  Let's say you manage the core delivery process of the business in one spreadsheet. Many people interact with this document everyday.  People begin to over-write each other. Key information starts to disappear. There isn't a way to limit what people are seeing.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>With every update, there is a new sheet, or a new column. For example, each row needs comment or a weekly update. You end up either with a column with tonnes of text in it, or you start a new column each week.  Another example would be a report which needs to be done weekly. This results in one Excel document with a million sheets in it. And this duplicates every week to generate the new report.  The result is masses of data, with duplication, inaccuracy... and because it's Excel, a million more sheets.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Reporting with Excel is a nightmare, namely because it doesn’t connect with other software. A business director with two bits of software or two reports gets confused. This is even more the case if the reports are painting different pictures. The director wastes time trying to figure out which is correct (if either are!). If you have two figures for gross profit- one from an Excel spreadsheet and one from accounting software- which do you believe?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>What once was there great innovation for the business becomes a burden. It causes business pain. With this in mind, is it a good idea to produce reports in Excel?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>To start with, absolutely. Tools like Excel are a great way to test or prototype a solution, using the skills available to you. When working with straightforward, small amounts of data, Excel does the job. But there are better tools to achieve the same thing. Software like Smartsheets or Airtable offer largely the same benefits, but they remove the headaches at the same time. A lot of this software can integrate with other tools, so you can connect up your CRM to your delivery process for example. Or automate your project kick-off process when you win a deal. Or automatically generate invoices.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We’ve worked with several businesses this way. Businesses are turning over between £2-10 million a year, yet they manage their delivery process via excel. It's not uncommon to see businesses of this size wasting a 5-6 figure sum over a three-year period by managing a process inefficiently. Their businesses were transformed by using better software, both in efficiency and value. It's typical to observe return on investment of somewhere between 325% and 800%, using a mixture of off-the-shelf and custom software. This reduces business pain at every level. People spend less time fixing the things that are going wrong, or wondering why the data is bad. The management team gets better data. This enables them to make data-driven decisions with information they can trust.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>There is a life beyond Excel, and we’re telling you it’s a happy one.\u003C\u002Fp>","Digital Strategy & Scaleup Growth","Anoushka Badola","2025-03-04T00:00:00+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:07.304468+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:07.414+00:00",{"id":494,"slug":495,"title":496,"description":496,"hero_image_url":497,"hero_image_alt":496,"body_html":498,"category":488,"author":489,"published_at":499,"reading_time_minutes":500,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":501,"updated_at":502},"92e19b09-917b-43fb-914e-8e66173342a0","10-things-a-scaleup-business-could-do-right-now-to-improve-business-security","10 things a scaleup business could do right now to improve business security","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F6fb90844680c.png","\u003Cp>Almost half of businesses (46%) and a quarter of charities (26%) report having cyber security breaches or attacks in the last 12 months, and the \u003Cstrong>average cost to a small business when this happens is £3,230 in direct costs for each occurrence\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>With an increase in home working, we assume that the most common breaches will be more effective as we communicate as teams more remotely and asynchronously.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>Common Attacks\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>According to the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2020, these are the most common attacks\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F2d852e4d0946.png\">\u003Cp>Credit: gov.uk\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>86%\u003C\u002Fstrong>: Fraudulent emails or being directed to fraudulent websites\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>26%\u003C\u002Fstrong>: Others impersonating organisation in emails or online\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>16%\u003C\u002Fstrong>: Viruses, spyware or malware\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>9%\u003C\u002Fstrong>: Hacking or attempted hacking of online bank accounts\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>8%\u003C\u002Fstrong>: Ransomware\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>6%\u003C\u002Fstrong>: Unauthorised use of computers, networks or servers by outsiders\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>3%\u003C\u002Fstrong>: Unauthorised use of computers, networks or servers by staff\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Below are a set of easy steps you could take to better protect yourself, and your business, or highlight areas of risk to mitigate with further information.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>1.     Add external email warning banners\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F3816d164ba8c.png\">\u003Cp>It’s fairly simple for a malicious actor to send you an email pretending to be one of your colleagues.  An example of this is a CFO or financial controller getting an email from the ‘CEO’ asking for urgent payment of an invoice, or other valuable information.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>A quick way to make this scam obvious is to automatically add a warning to all incoming emails which are not from within the organisation.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>A banner like this is hard to miss, and a clear warning to be careful.  Backing this with the education of staff members on how to spot phishing attempts, will help you mitigate 86% of reported attacks.  NCSC have a great article on spotting and mitigating these attempts, this should be circulated to staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Recommendations:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Set up an external recipient\u002Fsender warning\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Gmail external recipient reply warning\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Office 365 external sender warning\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>2.     Check email security and anti-spoofing is configured correctly\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>You may check this yourself here, all you need to do is add your website address (from which your emails are sent), and submit it.  If you get a red banner back, speak with your IT\u002Femail provider about correctly configuring SPF, DKIM and DMARC, more info here.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Good\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F2a1ffa3b311e.png\">\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Bad\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F4135c91f79e9.png\">\u003Cp>If you have a Gmail account, you may also send that an email from the email account you want to test, and follow the instructions below to ensure your anti spoof protection (SPF, DKIM and DMARC) are set correctly.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002Fdece692103dd.png\">\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F08139d137b1b.png\">\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Recommendation:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>- Check that this is configured correctly, and if you get an error back, speak with your IT provider and ask them to rectify it\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>3.     Use Stack or Teams for internal communication, rather than email\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002Fb0c4f9d73c3d.png\">\u003Cp>Credit: Slack\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If email is not used for internal communication, it can be ruled out completely as an attack vector.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Slack and Teams provide hubs for real time internal communication, leaving email just for interfacing with the outside world.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Recommendation:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>- Consider using a different tool than email for communicating internally for day to day acitivities, reserving email for speaking with the rest fothe world\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>4.     Make sure you are alerted if you, or your staff, have an account which is compromised in a data breach\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002Fd64c1fc67f69.png\">\u003Cp>Credit: HaveIBeenPwned\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Chances are you and all your staff members have had account details compromised.  If you have a LinkedIn, Dropbox or Adobe account it’s almost certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>HaveIBeenPwned is a free service which allows you to monitor your personal and work emails, and gives you a detailed summary of which services have leaked account details linked to you.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>You may also use this to configure notifications for your personal\u002Fwork email addresses, or to automatically alert you if any of your staff have been compromised.  This ensures they are able to change their compromised passwords quickly to minimise impact.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Recommendations:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Set up monitoring for your own personal email addresses\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Use the Domain Search feature to receive notifications if any of your staff member email addresses are compromised\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>5.     Use a password manager to securely store and share passwords, and sensitive information\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F458e280f0671.png\">\u003Cp>Credit: LastPass\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Password reuse across services, and using weak\u002Fguessable passwords, are a major reason why accounts are compromised.  If HaveIBeenPwned has flagged a compromised account, and you’ve used the same password for that as other accounts in other services, you’re at high risk of compromise there too.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>All a malicious actor has to do is copy your known email\u002Fpassword combination from the breached service, and try in on other services, like LinkedIn, your bank account or your email account.  This is called Credential Stuffing, and it’s dangerous because it’s easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The easiest way to prevent this, is to use a unique password for every service you use.  The best way to manage that is with a password manager.  Then, you only need to remember one strong password (for your password manager), and the password manager will automatically create and save very strong passwords for all your other accounts. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If you’re not using one already, set a target to start using one.  As a brucey bonus, you’ll be able to share passwords amongst your team securely, no more sticky notes or emailing passwords.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Recommendation:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Use one of the following services:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>https:\u002F\u002Fwww.lastpass.com\u002F\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>https:\u002F\u002F1password.com\u002F\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>https:\u002F\u002Fwww.dashlane.com\u002F\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>https:\u002F\u002Fwww.okta.com\u002Ftopic\u002Fpassword-management\u002F\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>6.     Enable Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) for everything\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>MFA means that to log into a service, you need a password, and \u003Cem>something else\u003C\u002Fem> to prove you are you.  This is normally a phone app,  physical device, or a code SMSed to you.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>MFA is a second line of defence, an attacker must compromise your password and a physical device to break into your account, which would be highly targeted and difficult.  This looks like: \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F68471ba74f07.png\">\u003Cp>Credit: NIST\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Nearly every major service has this option, and this should be enabled ASAP.  It will most likely be in your account settings, there is a LinkedIn example below:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002Fce146d007846.png\">\u003Cp>You can pair this with a phone app like Authy to automatically generate codes for your accounts, these change every 30 seconds:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002Fa077b9433e62.png\">\u003Cp>Credit: Authy\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>When you pair this option with a physical YubiKey (which you plug in and press), you’ve got a really solid process for securing all of your accounts in a convenient way, especially combined with a password manager.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F2b0f81f5379b.png\">\u003Cp>Credit: Yubikey\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Recommendations:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Protect all services with MFA\u003Cbr>undefinedundefinedundefined\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Use Authy (or a similar app) to generate MFA codes\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Use YubiKey as a physical alternative to Authy (great if you lose access to your phone), and usually quicker than Authy\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Make it policy that all staff must do this for every service, naming business critical accounts which must be protected\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>You may read more on MFA at NIST here.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>7.     Enable device encryption for all devices\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002Fbb0a190d3cd5.png\">\u003Cp>If a laptop was lost or stolen, what data\u002Faccess\u002Fcredentials would be on it which would cause you sleepless nights?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Mitigate that risk by encrypting anything which leaves the office, and preferably everything which stays there too.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Recommendation:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Microsoft, Android and Apple have made it super easy to encrypt devices, you may follow the guides below to achieve that:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Android\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>iOS\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>MacOS\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Windows\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>8.     Ensure all key files are backed up regularly and stored safely\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F4f7499293fd9.png\">\u003Cp>Credit: Dropbox\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Ransomware is an attack whereby the malicious actor encrypts all your data on your computer, and then blackmails you, usually restoring the data when you pay up. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The internet is rife with horror stories, such as ‘Hackers steal data for 15 million patients, then sell it back to lab that lost it’ - imagine explaining that to your customers!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If you have a shared network drive with no backup capability, and then one user with access is compromised, you are all toast.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>A quick way to resolve this may be to migrate your shared file system over to a cloud storage provider such as Dropbox, One Drive or Google Drive.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Dropbox business provides 180 days version history, and the rewind feature allows you to revert whole files and folders to a previous point in time, so reversing the damage of a ransomware attack may be a trivial activity, if configured correctly.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>It should be noted that a cloud storage system in itself is not a backup solution, but if you have nothing now, this will be better than that.  It will depend on your tolerance for risk, but if the data is business critical, consider backing that up into Amazon S3 or Backblaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Recommendation:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If you have no backup solution in place, start with a cloud storage provider for a quick solution, and seek advice from a professional IT company.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>9.     Avoid public Wi-Fi, or Wi-Fi networks you do not trust\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F58c2341a7aad.png\">\u003Cp>Credit: NCSC\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Open Wi-Fi networks create an easy opportunity for other parties to snoop.  Under the right conditions, it is possible for another user to see everything you do.  Sitting on airport or café Wi-Fi creates risk.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Recommendations:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Only connect to networks you trust, and never a Wi-Fi network which requires no password\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>If you must connect to unsecured Wi-Fi, use a VPN which you trust\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Prefer tethering your phone, and connecting to the internet via 4G\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>10. Ban all removeable storage devices\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F56ba6eeae98e.png\">\u003Cp>USB storage creates 2 key risks:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Transmission method for viruses\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>A loss of control of the data which is stored on them, who knows where it will end up. Edward Snowden famously ransacked the NSA with a USB thumb drive.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>In today’s world, it’s easy to securely share data using cloud storage services, and they generally provide logs for auditing purposes.  You could still encrypt this data before sharing when using cloud storage, to offer similar privacy as an encrypted USB.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Recommendation:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>- Ban the use of removable media throughout the business\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>Other Considerations\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>This article only tackles the easy wins, there will be value in also considering the following:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Ensuring all devices have firewalls and Anti-Virus enabled\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Ensure all key services are protected by a Virtual Private Network or Zero Trust security\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Ensure only trusted devices are used in your business. Staff working from home using personal devices creates risk, they are not likely as secure\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Establish what your ‘Crown Jewels’ are, what data\u002Fservice MUST you protect at all cost, and what do you need to do to protect that?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>If you have any internally created software, pen test this on a schedule\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>Will Working from Home change things?\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>It’s a sensible assumption that the answer is ‘Yes’.  There are several avenues to consider:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Changes in climate create tension, and tension creates exploitable opportunities\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>NCSC has flagged an increase is COVID-19 related scams and phishing emails, scaring recipients to open malicious URLs and file attachments.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Working from Home may be new territory for some, security has been weakened\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Businesses new to this way of working, may not have mature policy and process for securely allowing staff to conduct their day to day activities from home.  It’s a reasonable assumption that some businesses may have weakened their security to allow for this, such as bypassing VPNs or allowing use of personal devices.  Businesses which have not before needed to securely share data in a remote way, may now need to.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Risk in these areas must be considered, and mitigated, or businesses create avenues for exploitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>We are communicating less in person, and more asynchronously and online\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>This creates opportunity for malicious actors to impersonate people of authority and socially engineer others into doing things they should not.  A common scam right now is to trick staff into paying rogue invoices or handing over data, this may trend up.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>Conclusion\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Cyber security is hard.  To be compromised, you only must get one thing wrong, and an attacker, one thing right.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>However, with some quick and simple steps, you’re able to help mitigate a lot of risk.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>In summary:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Reduce impact of phishing\u002Fspear phishing attacks\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Cbr>undefinedundefinedundefined\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Reduce impact of account hijacking\u002Funauthorised access\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Cbr>undefinedundefinedundefined\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Reduce chance of unauthorised use\u002Faccess of devices\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Cbr>undefinedundefinedundefinedundefined\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Reduce impact of ransomware\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Cbr>undefinedundefined\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What next?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Has Cyber Security become more of a focus in your organisation?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Feel free to reach out to us to send us your thoughts!\u003C\u002Fp>","2025-02-25T00:00:00+00:00",10,"2026-05-05T23:46:53.253267+00:00","2026-05-05T23:46:53.3+00:00",{"id":504,"slug":505,"title":506,"description":507,"hero_image_url":508,"hero_image_alt":506,"body_html":509,"category":488,"author":489,"published_at":510,"reading_time_minutes":309,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":511,"updated_at":512},"d403a672-c69a-4a1e-aa35-cbdd3cc9a9fa","business-automation-roadmap-tool","Business Automation Roadmap Tool","We’ve realised that a lot of businesses have the same challenges. We look into some of those through this article","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F91b963c3b9bb.png","\u003Cp>At Wubbleyou, we empower scaling businesses to scale quicker. We empower growth and solve challenges through technology. We do that largely through software development and technical consultancy.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We’ve realised that a lot of businesses have the same challenges. Businesses understand that tech can help, but they don't really understand how. For that reason, we've built a Business Automation Roadmap. After answering a quick set of questions, the tool will generate a business automation report specific to you and your business. The report will contain a raft of recommendations, orientated around reducing stress in the business and generating return on investment. This might even be through increased profits or increasing revenue.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>There are 34 questions to answer. You select the answer to the question and the stress level associated with the activity. An example of a question might relate to budgeting. Do you use spreadsheets? Or are you not forecasting at all? How stressful is it? The process takes about 10 minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Once this a complete, you will receive a summary of the situation in the business. This will include the things which are going well and a list of things which could be improved. With every question you've answered there will be a recommendation on what to do next. The idea is to gain an understanding of the following:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>· The pain points of your business, and how they are affecting your business profile\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>· The easy wins that will improve your business\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>· What you don't know and give you some recommendations to carry those things forward\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>· Some actions to take over a 12 to 24 month period.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>For example, the report might highlight eight easy wins to carry forward. It will show how these easy wins would affect the profile of the business. Crucially, it will also detail how does the stress profile of the business change if we implement the easy wins.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Not everyone is going to have the skills and the resources within the business to carry this forward. We see that a lot with our clients. We work with our clients to deliver a plan like this in partnership. We act as a technical director to support you at a director level. This means we can inject tactical support, to push that plan forward. The tool enables us to pull recommendations from the report, and work with you to complete in the next quarter to improve your business!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>You can try the tool \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fscaleup-hub.wubbleyou.co.uk\u002F\">here\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>","2024-12-31T00:00:00+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:08.269222+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:08.382+00:00",{"id":514,"slug":515,"title":516,"description":516,"hero_image_url":517,"hero_image_alt":516,"body_html":518,"category":488,"author":477,"published_at":519,"reading_time_minutes":520,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":521,"updated_at":522},"9314a783-3048-4925-8d4c-783e3dbcd422","how-to-use-the-mvp-approach-to-develop-your-product-or-software-what-is-a-minimum-viable-product","How to use the MVP approach to develop your product or software What is a Minimum Viable Product?","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F5293ee8e90c6.png","\u003Cp>“The version of a new product which allows a team to collect the maximum amount of validated learning about customers with the least effort”.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>~ \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Cem>\u003Cstrong>Eric Ries\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> “A development technique in which a new product is introduced in the market with basic features, but enough to get the attention of the customers. The final product is released in the market only after getting sufficient feedback from the product’s initial users”.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>~ \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Cem>\u003Cstrong>The Economic Times\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The MVP approach helps you to learn which ideas (assumptions) work and what doesn’t work very early in the development process, making the MVP approach important to follow when creating a product for the first time, or if you create alternative versions of a product.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>The history of MVP\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>The term Minimum Viable Product was invented in 2001 by the CEO of SyncDev, Frank Robinson. Since the term was self-explanatory and the approach made sense to project managers, it went viral immediately and it started to appear in popular books, such as \u003Cem>The Lean Startup\u003C\u002Fem> (which pushes MVP software development) and the \u003Cem>Business Model Canvas\u003C\u002Fem>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The MVP approach was created to encourage project managers and start-up businesses to work smarter, not harder. This is to develop a product to test within the market with the least amount of effort, reducing the risk of working on additional features that don’t work, or features which customers simply don’t care about.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Here are just some of the big-name companies that got started by following the MVP approach:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cem>\u003Cstrong>Dropbox\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fem> – They released a video containing a demo of Dropbox, rather than releasing a physical product.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cem>\u003Cstrong>Uber\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fem> – This was once a very simple version that was only used by the founders and their friends, practicing MVP software development.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cem>\u003Cstrong>Airbnb\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fem> – This was set up by creating a website to rent out a living room filled with mattresses.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F001fe7044add.png\">\u003Ch4>Why should I build a MVP\u003Cstrong>?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>Whether you’re creating an MVP software application, a physical product, starting a business, or undertaking any other project involving a venture into the unknown; it’s always beneficial to adopt the MVP approach to reduce risk, learn quickly and importantly, save money. Here’s why:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Col style=\"--list-style-type: none;\">\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Minimal Waste\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Fol>\u003Cp>The MVP approach allows for a product to be created with only the essential features to let the product serve its intended purpose. By leaving the non-essential features for future development, we can test each additional feature to analyse whether it would improve the performance of the initial product, or whether it would be classified as waste (features that aren’t relevant to the audience).\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>This is a fantastic approach to use, for example, if the customer decides that they no longer want or need the product – only a portion of the time and money spent creating the product would be lost, as opposed to being in this very situation after completing the entire product.  It’s common to get caught up in the excitement and jump into developing a feature rich and comprehensive product, but this can be a fatal mistake.  It’s important to test your assumptions with the least waste possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Col style=\"--list-style-type: none;\">\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>It Saves Time\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Fol>\u003Cp>Imagine creating an entire product from start to finish that you think your customers will like, you release it and you hope to achieve a high level of success. It turns out that your customers are against the idea of using a specific feature, but you don’t know which one.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The above scenario happened to IMVU, which is now an extremely successful instant messenger that lets you meet, chat and play with people around the world through avatars in a 3D environment. The initial assumption was made that the users wanted to connect with their ‘real life’ friends online, but as it transpired, users wanted to interact with strangers and make new friends instead. All that effort developing a feature rich product was wasted, and IMVU had to go back to the drawing board and discover what their customers really wanted. They then started practicing MVP software development, and made only the minimal changes needed to test their assumptions - this paid off.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If you choose to create a feature rich and polished product on your first attempt, you risk having to undo all your hard work, painfully redeveloping it with evidence and then re-release it. You could prevent this by developing the product using the MVP approach and delivering the project in stages (also known as working agile).\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Col style=\"--list-style-type: none;\">\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Build-Measure-Learn\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Fol>\u003Cp>The Build-Measure-Learn feedback loop is a technique all project managers should follow to continuously improve their product. This is achieved by testing various assumptions, measuring performance and learning how to improve based on evidence.  This reduces waste and increases the momentum of your development.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Here’s how to perform the feedback loop:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Build\u003C\u002Fstrong> – Choose one assumption to test that either yourself or the customer has thought up when visualising the ideal outcome of the product and then incorporate it into the product. It’s important to ensure you’re able to learn from this, so make sure that if you’re running several tests, they don’t interfere with each other.  If you’re unsure whether you’re able to do that, start by testing one assumption at a time to examine exactly what works and what doesn’t work.  You must also determine how the assumption will positively impact your product, so you’re able to measure and learn.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Measure\u003C\u002Fstrong> – Analyse the metrics when testing that assumption. Did the consumer attempt to use the feature? Did the consumer use it correctly? Did the consumer provide a positive or negative review of the feature in the App Store\u002FPlay Store? Did sales increase or decrease when you added the new feature? These are just some of the points you must consider to learn if it was a valid assumption.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Learn\u003C\u002Fstrong> – After incorporating the assumption into the product and measuring its progress, you must then make the decision to pivot (change the feature’s\u002Fproduct’s course of action) or persevere (continue on the same path). The simplest way to do this is to determine whether it met your goal or positively impacted your product.  After making the decision, you’re able to dig deeper by iterating the feature, or proceed to test a new assumption by going through the loop again by doing MVP software development.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Col style=\"--list-style-type: none;\">\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Allows for Pivoting\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Fol>\u003Cp>From the research conducted during the creation of this blog, we discovered that many companies speculate that working MVP leads to the failure of the product, for example:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>“Having just the minimum is no longer a way to attract attention from would be customers”\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>“If you underwhelm or disappoint this early group of users, in many cases they won’t give your product another chance”\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>A lot of products fail for various reasons, it’s what you do next that matters. The idea of the MVP approach is to eliminate waste by testing assumptions, and therefore failure is a positive experience as long as you’re able to learn something useful to move closer to your goal. In other words, you must ‘fail forward’ to achieve success, and the faster you do this the better.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Eric Ries mentioned in his book that even after a company achieves initial success in the product developed, the company must continue to pivot its products. He believes that pivoting is a permanent fact of life for any growing business and great results are achieved when you pivot your product or company message.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Contrasting to this, pivoting is also a great idea when you’ve reached the end of idea generation for a particular product and you find that your target audience aren’t fully connecting with the product as much as you initially thought. You must expect failure along the route to achieving your goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Pivoting doesn’t mean you change everything about your product; you simply make changes to the current course of action to achieve success.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>Summary\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>Some of the main benefits of the MVP approach are minimal waste, saving time, the Build-Measure-Learn feedback loop and making the conscious decision to pivot regularly.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We get that adopting the MVP approach within your organisation brings impact on morale, fear about branding risks and competitors stealing your approach to implement the solution faster than you. However, these fears can be overcome by starting your project as small as possible to only include the essential aspects and using the MVP approach to make sure you get the project right first time.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Let’s consider what’s worse:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Building only the essential aspects of the product to make it functionable to the target audience, releasing it when it is half completed to find out if it’s something the audience would use, then receiving a wealth of feedback to continuously improve the product?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>OR\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Creating an entire product from start to finish to overcome the fear of branding risk, then spending a lot of time promoting it and helping it reach a large target audience, only for no one to use it?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>When creating a product using the MVP approach, it’s important to never give up hope when you release it and you find that not every idea works out. Commitment goes a long way and it’ll all pay off when you’re left with a fully functioning product that your target audience is extremely satisfied with. It's extremely important to practice MVP software development when you're in new territory, to ensure that money is not wasted on assumption.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If you would like to learn more about how the MVP approach can be adopted within the practices of your company, we recommend that you read \u003Cem>The Lean Startup\u003C\u002Fem> by \u003Cem>Eric Ries\u003C\u002Fem>. Although the title of this book is tailored towards start-up businesses, it’s also highly relevant to businesses that are looking to adopt the MVP approach into their existing strategy. You can purchase the book here.\u003C\u002Fp>","2024-11-07T00:00:00+00:00",8,"2026-05-05T23:46:44.049684+00:00","2026-05-05T23:46:44.136+00:00",{"id":524,"slug":525,"title":526,"description":527,"hero_image_url":528,"hero_image_alt":526,"body_html":529,"category":530,"author":463,"published_at":531,"reading_time_minutes":383,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":532,"updated_at":533},"e48259cb-a907-46ed-88a5-68fe3d362816","case-study-franks-portlock","Case Study: Franks Portlock","This case study looks into our collaboration with Franks Portlock, established in the North East in 2006.","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002Fac0002277aa7.png","\u003Cp>Franks Portlock was established in the North East in 2006, providing asbestos inspection, testing and consultancy services. Since then they’ve expanded significantly and have a nationwide footprint, with regional offices in Rosyth, London and at Sellafield in Cumbria. They have also moved into water hygiene services.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The company began working with a business consultant in 2019 to help them to restructure and put in place a model for scaling up the business, increasing both turnover and profitability. We were recommended to the company through a local funding initiative, and we had a chat with Phil Franks, the Director about the working with us.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Challenges:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>“As an organization, we are very service driven and focused on quality over quantity. The latter often being the downfall of similar companies. As part of this process of working with the business consultant, it became apparent that we were being held back somewhat by the software we were using, both in terms of operational efficiency and the quality of management info it could provide to help us achieve our goals.”\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We held several sessions with Phil and got to know the business. It became clear that there were some key pain points in their operations.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>·        \u003Cstrong>Reporting\u003C\u002Fstrong>- There wasn’t any way of pulling Management Information from the system safely to analyse the profitability of the projects\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>·        \u003Cstrong>Processing\u003C\u002Fstrong>- Purchase orders, invoices and payments were all done manually, which was inefficient for the business\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>·        \u003Cstrong>Current software\u003C\u002Fstrong>- we were confident that there was off-the-shelf software that would work better for them\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>·        \u003Cstrong>Augmented Reality\u003C\u002Fstrong>- this was a subject of interest to the business and we wanted to look at it.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Phil gave an example of the pain which they were experiencing:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>“We were using an prominent off-the-shelf solution for our day-to-day service delivery, however it was very operationally focussed and offered little from a commercial perspective. As such, we ended up with a patchwork quilt of distinct software packages, each operating in their own data silos, to gather the management information we needed. A fully integrated and utilised CRM was an obvious place to start and would allow us to better serve our customers, however it needed to fit in an around our current processes and procedures as efficiently as possible”\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>To address the challenges at Franks Portlock, we focused on the following areas:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>·        \u003Cstrong>Reporting\u003C\u002Fstrong>- To create an understanding of what data would empower business growth and a reliable reporting system around it.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>·        \u003Cstrong>Innovative Technology\u003C\u002Fstrong>- How this could be used strategically to empower growth\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>·        \u003Cstrong>Processing\u003C\u002Fstrong>- How we could improve and automate core processes to empower growth\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>·        \u003Cstrong>Custom Software\u003C\u002Fstrong>- Based around a technical specification to innovate the business\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>One example of the custom software we used was to address the issues around the CRM:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>“Wubbleyou worked with us to implement Hubspot as a CRM system. This meant we had accurate customers sales and communications records, which meant we could plan our marketing in a more targeted way. The customer records are easily and instantly accessible, making it easy for anyone answering the phone to be informed of their activity and sales history and act accordingly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>As we were working on this project during the pandemic, we had to make the business agile. We wanted to ensure that the employees could work remotely:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>“The CRM system actually integrates with phone, so inbound enquiries are linked to the CRM, which is very useful. It also means that if anyone is working remotely, all they need to do is plug their phone into the router, and they are connected.”\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The changes and suggestion we made have had a measurable impact:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>1. \u003Cstrong>Franks Portlock have a clear ROI driven data strategy\u003C\u002Fstrong>, with clear next steps on how MI reports will be generated using data automation\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>2. \u003Cstrong>Franks Portlock have an ROI driven technical innovation strategy\u003C\u002Fstrong>, with tactical projects and known ROIs for implementing these projects\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>3. \u003Cstrong>Franks Portlock with have documentation and process diagrams for the key processes in the business\u003C\u002Fstrong>, and an understood ROI for optimising and innovating these with software. Understanding lifecycle of a 'job' from lead to delivery, and make these more profitable\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> Phil explains how it has helped:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>“We’re still working through the implementation of all our planned software, but we’re already looking at time and efficiency saving through applications that integrate with our accounting software. That alone will greatly reduce the administrative effort required at the top level of management in the company, and reduce the potential errors generated through the duplication of data.”\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Finally, we wanted to know what we were like to work with:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>“We were working mainly with Mark, and his ability to absorb and then patiently interrogate our narratives when describing our existing processes and procedures was very impressive! His enthusiasm for the project and the desire to make an impact was apparent throughout. He’s also very clear and concise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What’s next for the business?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>“We’ll continue to work through our roadmap to improve procedures through development and off the shelf software integrations at each stage of the company’s operation. There is a definite sea-change in the outlook of the senior team to move away from manual effort toward better automation, wherever practicable to do so.”\u003C\u002Fp>","Company Updates & Case Studies","2024-09-28T00:00:00+00:00","2026-05-05T23:46:06.71329+00:00","2026-05-05T23:46:41.903+00:00",{"id":535,"slug":536,"title":537,"description":538,"hero_image_url":539,"hero_image_alt":537,"body_html":540,"category":476,"author":463,"published_at":541,"reading_time_minutes":235,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":542,"updated_at":543},"845ee811-1393-4334-968d-c1f3d968196e","how-to-systemise-your-business","How to systemise your business","Before we begin, let’s discuss what it means to systemise your business.","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F9b5d57fe5408.png","\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Before we begin, let’s discuss what it means to systemise your business. \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Cem>\u003Cstrong>Dynamic Business\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fem>\u003Cstrong> explains that “systemising is the process of documenting everything you do in your business – from answering the phone and opening the mail, to pricing work, and after-care service”. The following definition shared by \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Cem>\u003Cstrong>Sweet Process\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fem>\u003Cstrong> explains a few of the benefits of having a systemised business, “[it] will enable you to release more control to your employees, give you the freedom you truly want and also make sure that you get your desired results from your employees all the time, even when you are not around!” \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We believe a step-by-step documentation process of all of your repetitive business tasks is a good first step to systemising your business because many of your employees may need to follow the same procedure. A systemised business will not only hugely benefit your company, but it will also benefit your employees and yourself in many ways. Join us while we whip through some of the key benefits of how a systemised business will be the ‘holy grail’ for your company, your employees and yourself.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cstrong>How Business Systemisation Benefits Your Company\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Systemising your business brings many benefits to the performance and the status of your company. Here are just three of the key benefits it will bring…\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>Your tasks show great results each time\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>Imagine having a step-by-step process in place to ensure a task is completed correctly and to your company’s standard? In a business that has focused on systemising the majority of its processes, this can happen. Your employees will generally know what outcome is expected from completing the task after following the process for the first few times.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Make sure that when you create your step-by-step processes, it highlights in detail exactly what the employee should be doing so that it is easy to follow and no part of the task is missed out or misinterpreted.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>New recruits can easily start working on tasks\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>Like the previous point, when you hire a new employee, you will no longer have to spend a full day or two to talk them through how to use each system you currently have set in place in your company and how to complete basic tasks in their role. Business systemisation generally helps the new recruit to learn about the foundations of your business at a faster pace, while allowing you to focus on your own tasks so you don’t fall behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>This is also beneficial for when an employee leaves your company. The general rule is that when someone leaves, all of the critical business knowledge that was undocumented and inside of your employee’s head leaves your company too. To prevent this situation from happening, make a point for your employees to record the procedure they use to complete a task and encourage them to frequently update and improve that procedure.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>Your company will survive and thrive\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>With tried and tested step-by-step processes in place for your company, this allows yourself and your employees to continually think about how an activity can be improved, from saving time when completing a task to generating better results every time. By regularly repeating this method, your company will become more efficient in its activities and therefore thrive in the industry in which it operates.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cstrong>How Business Systemisation Benefits Your Employees\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Not only does business systemisation benefit your company, it also benefits your employees in various ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>Tasks can be easily passed onto other employees\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>With a documented process in place, your employees can share their workload if one employee finds that they have too many tasks to complete by a deadline and another employee has already completed their tasks. Basically, the employee who issued the task will only need to briefly explain the nature of the task and what outcomes are expected initially; the employee who is also skilled to successfully complete the task is then able to carry out the work with minimal guidance.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>This benefits employees in a number of ways:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Stress, anxiety and worry are kept to a minimum\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>A good work\u002Flife balance is maintained\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>It builds a stronger team bond\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>The employee maintains high motivation when they don’t have to think of how to complete a high volume of tasks by an unrealistic deadline date\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Ch4>No time wastage on figuring out how to complete a task\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>When a task contains a step-by-step process, it becomes very unlikely that aspects of the task will be missed out and forgotten about. This is especially useful when the same task is carried out numerous times and by multiple members of staff; with a step-by-step process in place, each member of staff responsible for completing the task will know how to do this within the least time possible. Employees will also no longer need to have in depth discussions about the task to gain an understanding on what to do as this will already be documented.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>Enhanced control and satisfaction in the role\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>Business systemisation will undoubtedly enhance control in the roles of every employee within your company. The reason for this is because there will no longer be any need for verification from other members of staff in terms of finding out if a task is implemented in the correct way and if it meets the company standard. Without the need to verify tasks, future tasks won’t be blocked, and a fast work pace is often maintained.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>When utilising a step-by-step process to complete a task, employees have the opportunity to regularly revise the process in place and therefore provide valuable contribution to continually improve the process. This often increases employee satisfaction in their role because they feel like they are being listened to and they are heavily involved in improving the success of the company.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cstrong>How Business Systemisation Benefits Business Owners\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Now that we’ve covered the ways in which systemisation benefits your company and your employees, it’s time to discuss how systemising your business can benefit business owners.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>Others can do your tasks when you’re unavailable\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>Have you ever been in a situation where you’re worried about the pile of work you’ll come back to if you take time off work to go on holiday, take a sick day or by simply attending a last-minute meeting? A systemised business will reduce the amount of work you have to catch up on by being able to offload your most critical tasks to other members of staff in the same discipline. You no longer have to worry about an unmanageable workload, leaving you stress free and ready to work on your remaining tasks, all whilst maintaining a strong team bond.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>You won’t be pestered with task uncertainties\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>Once a documented process has been created and tested and a brief explanation of the task has been given, employees will have a clear understanding about what it is they have to do in order to successfully complete the task.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Since the systemised process acts as a replacement tool for lengthy team meetings taking place to explain the task in full, this enables you to get on with your own tasks without constant distraction, putting you in a better place to reach important deadlines and to focus on additional tasks that you never previously found the time to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>Can forecast how long a task will take\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>As mentioned previously, by following the same process to complete a task that is done regularly in your company, it will soon become easier to determine roughly how long that task will take to complete. From this point, it would be beneficial to regularly review the process and to modify it in a way that it will improve the overall result of the task and to find ways to save time without affecting the quality of the result.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>It would be worth using the lean methodology when reviewing the process by trying out new approaches to maximise the value and make improvements on the process. The idea of the lean approach is to maximise value while minimising waste; meaning more value is created when using fewer resources. This approach helps to maintain productivity within your organisation when whittling out the negative areas that haven’t performed as well as you hoped.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cstrong>Understanding how to systemise your business\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Now that you have read through the nine benefits of a systemised business, you may be wondering how you can adopt this approach within your business practices.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>Some tips\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>Start by simply adopting some online tools to manage your workload, your available time and other areas of your business. Tools such as Trello and Harvest help you to keep track of the tasks you must complete and how much time is spent on completing such tasks. There are many other tools that can benefit different areas of your business that can be viewed \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wubbleyou.co.uk\u002Fblog\u002Farticles\u002F10-essential-paperless-tools-that-will-save-your-business-time-and-money\">here\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Another tool you can use to help systemise your processes is called Sweet Process. Sweet Process allows you to note down all of the processes you wish to systemise into a set of documented processes stored online. You can also choose which team members you wish to view these processes by creating departments and adding the appropriate members; this is important when sensitive information is included in a process that shouldn’t be available company-wide. It also helps to keep the procedures organised and easy to find by employees in different functions – saving them time when finding the correct procedure to follow and it maintains high relevancy to their job role.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Start by documenting all of the repetitive tasks in your company into Sweet Process, it would then be useful to document the processes that are not carried out often, but it may be referred back to in the near future. Learn more about Sweet Process \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sweetprocess.com\u002F\">here\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>Additional things to consider\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>In addition to your new business systems in place, it is very important that you listen to your team and encourage organic thinking and fresh ideas regularly. New suggestions will massively benefit the reviewing of the processes in place which will aid innovation to allow your company to thrive against its competitors - ultimately, this helps you work out how to systemise your business more quickly. This can be achieved by hosting regular team meetings and brainstorming sessions to focus on a specific process each time in order to achieve maximum output; this allows for identified problems to be solved and a better process to be followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If you have already begun use systems and tools to benefit your business, that’s great! But, have you thought about automating some of those tools to save even more time? Once a business process is systemised, you could save even more time by automating the process altogether, which will free up time for you and your employees to focus on other tasks; this encourages you to become more productive and therefore thrive in your industry. Here are some benefits your business will gain when you automate your processes:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>a more enjoyable workload by eliminating repetitive and manual tasks through business systemisation\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>a more challenging workload that will help team members to develop additional skills when working through new tasks that were not possible before the system was set in place\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>if you choose to sell your business, it will be a much more attractive purchase if you have systemised your business and and used business automation\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>new employees will onboard quickly and easily, and current employees can be easily promoted\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>We will help you automate your business processes by carrying out a digital review of your company. We will spend around half of a day in your business and examine each department to find ways in which we can automate your processes to save you and your employees more time in your average workday. Call us on 0191 259 1272 for more information on how to get help in systemising your business.\u003C\u002Fp>","2024-09-12T00:00:00+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:11.861071+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:11.992+00:00",{"id":545,"slug":546,"title":547,"description":548,"hero_image_url":549,"hero_image_alt":547,"body_html":550,"category":476,"author":551,"published_at":552,"reading_time_minutes":235,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":553,"updated_at":554},"2ddba1fd-1772-430d-b4d4-a26ccbf74e8f","software-is-part-of-the-strategy-not-the-strategy","Software is part of the strategy, not The Strategy","As a tech specialist, we have to emphasise the importance of knowing your pain points. We look into a few examples to illustrate this.","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F89dc37986296.png","\u003Cp>As a tech specialist, we have to emphasise the importance of knowing your pain points. Clients want new software to achieve their goal. In actual fact, software is only part of the solution, designed to improve something or solve a challenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We can give a few examples to illustrate this.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>You’re an accountant and you want to increase your customer base. Instagram is a platform that you aren’t utilizing and you want to try something new. You approach a marketing consultant with a brief to set-up an Instagram account. You set a schedule to post on it three times a week and a budget to sponsor a post every month.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The issue is, you expect five new sales leads from Instagram every month. And the marketing consultant isn’t aware of this.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Instagram is a photo platform: it’s great for food pictures and landscapes. So the questions is: can you reproduce what you do in engaging photography? What kind of audience will you attract on Instagram? How can you make posts useful to your audience? The metrics are also an issue: the client may see an increase in following, but what will that mean? How many of these clients will convert?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The marketing consultant was unaware of the accountant's objectives. Instagram is a huge platform, but it wasn't the correct one. LinkedIn and Twitter would have been more appropriate for their sales goals.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Instead, the conversation will happen 6 months down the line. The client has invested £1500 in the agency. They still only have 500 followers and they have no new leads. The agency haven't delivered on the objectives they were being measured against. The issue is that the agency were unaware of the objectives, and neither party is happy.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The same applies to tech. But the budget is bigger and it’s vital that we do things right.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Software is often seen as a solution. But if the tech partner isn’t sure what the problem is, then what are they solving? Software needs to link to your strategy and not be its own entity. It’s especially dangerous with software development. Clients ideate solutions and create a spec without involving tech people. The brief\u002Fspec becomes the aim and the client forgets the goal. If the tech partner doesn’t know what the final goal is, they may be implementing or building a new piece of software for something redundant.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Say for example a client wants to increases their revenue by £100k that year. They decide to ask a tech specialist to build them an e-commerce site. This would create a new revenue stream.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> If the tech partner is doing their job right, they want to look at the bigger picture. An e-commerce site would be a huge investment, so the tech specialist has deep dive into their processes. There is no reporting software. Their stock managing software is poor, it doesn’t allow for product wastage. Their margins are all over the place.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The tech specialist wants to first concentrate on their processes. With better reporting, the business can make better decisions about their business. This has less risk than jumping into a new revenue stream without being well informed.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>A good tech specialist needs to be asking the right questions. It’s important to ground any software project with 3 things:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The objectives\u003C\u002Fstrong>: what will the business achieve if we build this software? How will it contribute to the end goal?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The measures\u003C\u002Fstrong>: how will we know if we meet our objectives?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The value\u003C\u002Fstrong>: how will the business be better if we install this software? Will we see more profit, scalability and less business risk? Can we quantify it?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If we look at the example of a sales platform; you’re looking at the website to generate £100k of sales in its first year. The tech team can build a great platform with superb functionality. But if your product isn’t suitable for online sales, the delivery charge is eating into your margins and you haven’t got anyone on the team to market it, then what’s the use?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>A great tech partner will challenge your idea of a solution. They will use their experience to strengthen it or ditch the bits which won’t help. If the right questions are being asked and we can align our objectives, your software project becomes a quantifiable investment with business outcomes. And not a project leaving you wondering why you’re spending money on it....\u003C\u002Fp>","Mark Renney","2024-07-18T00:00:00+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:05.815587+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:05.919+00:00",{"id":556,"slug":557,"title":558,"description":559,"hero_image_url":560,"hero_image_alt":558,"body_html":561,"category":488,"author":551,"published_at":562,"reading_time_minutes":235,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":563,"updated_at":564},"437d0e1a-b7c6-4fd9-b989-c977f8fa9272","the-future-for-scaleup-businesses-is-remote-first-here-s-why-office-space-is-now-optional","The future for scaleup businesses is ‘remote first’, here’s why office space is now optional","We have detailed below data around remote work and what this may indicate for the future. Read on to know more","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F49e35bf9e0d0.png","\u003Cp>On the 16th March 2020, many of us were sitting at home awaiting statements from central government.  This was followed by a series of televised statements, where Boris Johnson, and his team, resolutely asked us to stay at home to save lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>After 5 months, there is now a wealth of data which indicates business readiness and response for remote working.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We have detailed below what this data shows, and what this may indicate for the future.  I’ve tried to separate the impact of Working from Home (WFH) from COVID, but it is tricky!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>Operational Impact\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>An ONS report shows a breakdown of occupations and what percentage of those people are working from home:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>It states \u003Cem>“Occupations requiring higher qualifications and experience were more likely to do some work at home”\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F7446fb481879.png\">\u003Cp>This could indicate that roles 5-8 involve tasks which are far harder to complete remotely (e.g. working machinery), or sectors with these roles are less ready for remote working.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>However, it does seem that some portion of these roles allow working from home, or entire roles in these occupations. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>So the question is: Do the roles\u002Ftasks which are theoretically completable remotely, have other barriers which prevent someone doing this remotely?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>E.g., Does a reporting element require the use of onsite paper or computers?  Would eliminating that requirement through automation generate a cost saving for your business?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>ONS data from 2019 suggests that many industries are capable of working remotely:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002Fe49de58df003.png\">\u003Cp>Given that many industries and roles have people which work from home, does that suggest an office is not essential to the way we work?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Could there be other barriers which create operational challenges aside from not using an office?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We believe so.  In our post 21 Indicators that lack of tech is slowing scaleup growth, we detail that a number of prevalent operational challenges our clients have, are solvable by improving the following areas:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Adoption of technology & automation of processes\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Use of data to drive decision making\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Continuous Digital Improvement\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Process documentation\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Restrictions include:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Using onsite software, like Sage50 (consider migrating to cloud software like Xero)\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>“Adding more people makes it slower”, is likely inadequate process documentation, and this may be made worse when the team is remote\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Physical interaction is required, but could be avoided – like collecting wet signatures\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>If this is done correctly (whilst also considering cyber security), we believe working from home vs in the office becomes a cultural choice, not an operational restriction.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>By properly digitising the business and its processes, remote working as a possibility becomes a natural side effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>How do I know people are working?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>A common reaction to remote working is ‘how do I know people are working?’.  It’s a valid question, and the truthful answer is, that at any given moment, you don’t.  But, is that different when you’re in the office?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Would a better question be, “how do I track people’s output?”\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Would there be more mutual trust if it is mutually understood whether or not someone is hitting objectives?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>It’s important to collect data on output & performance, to allow for this assurance, and understand business performance as a whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>Recruitment\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>A recent report shows that 32% of office workers expect to at least partially work from home after lockdown, with 44% of Londeners wanting to make that shift.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>This is up from just 10% the year before. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Before lockdown, less than third of people reported they had worked from home, and in April this increased to half of people.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>With a growing number of people working from home, and a growing expectation that it be permitted, will scaleup businesses which do not offer this be at a recruitment disadvantage?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Gitlab’s report in March 2020: The Future of Work is Remote \u003Cstrong>suggests that 36% of remote workers would search for a new role elsewhere\u003C\u002Fstrong>, if remote working was no longer possible.  \u003Cstrong>Will businesses that offer remote during COVID, and then revoke that, see staff leave?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>With hiring, we’ve brought in two new people since being remote (hi Jonny and Phil!) – it went well.  It was different, but not worse.  We’d see bigger improvements by evolving our process, rather than mandating in-person meetings.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F262af65bcc2e.png\">\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F4ec6991c3bce.png\">\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>Wellbeing & Performance\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>As wired puts it:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>“\u003Cstrong>The UK workforce is in the grip of a mental health epidemic\u003C\u002Fstrong>. At the beginning of this year, global consultancy Deloitte estimated that a sixth of UK workers were experiencing a mental health issue at any one time, costing UK businesses between £42-45 billion a year through lost days and reduced productivity. Thanks to the coronavirus-imposed lockdown, that figure – already 16 per cent higher than the one identified in the landmark Stevenson-Farmer review into mental health in the workplace conducted in 2017 – is expected to continue to grow.”\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Regarding returning to the office:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>“A survey carried out by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) as lockdown measures started to ease, found that \u003Cstrong>one in four employees was experiencing anxiety about returning to work, while one in three was anxious about the daily commute\u003C\u002Fstrong>”\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Our friends at Art Health Solutions have reported that:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Over a quarter of employees (26%) reported feeling isolated\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>24% found that being able to collaborate with their team was challenging\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>21% of employees reported that they enjoyed the flexibility that working from home afforded them\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>25% reported not having to commute to the office as a big benefit of home working\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Increased sleep quality and memory performance\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Art Health Solution recommend gathering this data for your organisation now, to empower decision making later.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Do these metrics align with your business? Would this adjust your thinking on office space and the way you operate?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Is mental health a larger concern with\u002Fwithout the office?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Gitlab’s report in March 2020: The Future of Work is Remote displays the following around challenges and feelings:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F19d95f4c6c2c.png\">\u003Ch2>Collaboration\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>There is nothing like being in the office, with a pot of filtered coffee, fruit, pastries, and an arguably excessive number of whiteboards and sticky notes – this we will miss.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We ran our show and tells (product demonstrations) and discovery sessions largely in person with local clients.  Jumping on the train to London was a blessing and a curse, but finishing the day with some food and a few drinks makes it worthwhile.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Whiteboarding software Miro, and Teams for video calls makes this functionally possible remotely, and it works well.  Is it as good as physically being there? No, I don’t believe so.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Is remote collaboration more time efficient? We no longer need to travel, thus it seems so (anecdotally), but how might that impact the relationships of the people communicating?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>Communication\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>It has been argued (and criticized) that when communicating feelings, words and tone account for only 55% of the message.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Are we at a significant communication disadvantage with no video? What about without a physical presence, and unable to see body language?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Does video cut it? Trello summarises how to be better at video, and why it is especially important for difficult or complex conversations.  Critical feedback (meant to be constructive) may appear disparaging and not useful when done via chat or voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Are 1-2-1s less effective remotely? Do teams lose something if they can’t have lunch together, or a few beers?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We have a daily morning standup which last 15 minutes (say what you did yesterday and will do today, and what’s blocking work), as well as an optional catchup call in the afternoon (no work chat allowed!), just to keep in touch, which does help with the isolation.  Skribbl is a regular occurrence during the catchup to unwind a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Are there benefits?\u003Cbr>\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Absolutely.  I believe the asynchronous element of the communication is more efficient for all involved, especially for who ever is on the receiving end. How frustrating is it to be mid task and be interrupted?  Communicating via online chat like Slack first, and moving to video chat if that develops into something more complex reduces opportunity for interruption.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>What is remote first?\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Remote first instils that working remotely is the default, where other means of working are secondary and optional.  Processes, technology, and culture align with this and support it.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Remote first doesn’t mean ‘remote only’, just that it’s the default choice.  It means that if some people are together, and others are remote, the people who are remote are still able to be involved.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The data collected for this article suggests improvements across multiple business functions when remote working is utilised.  However, we’re human after all, remote only has its drawbacks regarding wellbeing and communication.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Remote first strikes the balance.  It means:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>\u003Cstrong>“work remotely by default, collaborate in person when it’s better”\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Office space could then be orientated towards collaboration, rather than pointless congregation.  People might go in simply to be around other people, but the key being that it’s entirely optional.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Scaling businesses like Gitlab class themselves as all remote, and have a team of 1300+, and were doing this before it was cool, as were these other businesses.  Of all remote workers, employees of tech businesses make up the biggest segment.  This indicates that it is not only possible, but businesses have scaled massively using the practice.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Remote first may be less forgiving of lack of documentation than being around each other in an office, and it requires the correct cloud software in place to digitise these processes.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>What will Wubbleyou do?\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Before COVID, Wubbleyou was ‘remote friendly’, we had a policy which staff exercised a couple of days a week.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>During COVID, we went ‘remote only’, we terminated the lease for our offices, having not used them for 5 months.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Our future is ‘remote first’.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We will in the future create new space for our people.  The space is to be used because people want to be there, or because they see a benefit in face to face communication (or whiteboards and coffee). \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>People are free to work and collaborate in that space, but only when it’s better than working remotely.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>Conclusion\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>The tech sector has been moving in this direction for some time, with an increasing number of techies seeing remote working as an expectation and not a benefit, and why not? It works.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Has COVID turbo charged that direction of travel? Are other industries likely to see similar expectations from their clients and staff?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>It seems likely.  Given the data, businesses which are not adopting remote working as a standard post COVID, could be at a severe operational, commercial and resourcing disadvantage against those which do.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Scaleup businesses which are already pushing hard against boundaries in all directions may see a slow in growth, or see themselves outcompeted.  Some of the same operational challenges faced by a scaleup are the same which make remote working harder (e.g. lack of tech and process documentation).\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>This is also not a new concept, with some tech businesses embracing this as early as 5 years ago. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Thinking beyond COVID. now is the time for the rest of us to catch up and embrace this dynamic for the long term. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Scaling businesses already have the advantage, they’re already used to moving quickly and with agility.  Is this another opportunity on which to capitalise?\u003C\u002Fp>","2024-07-17T00:00:00+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:01.628144+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:01.274+00:00",{"id":566,"slug":567,"title":568,"description":569,"hero_image_url":570,"hero_image_alt":568,"body_html":571,"category":488,"author":463,"published_at":572,"reading_time_minutes":161,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":573,"updated_at":574},"d3d99ef8-b264-4572-a7c1-d0bfe2ae5715","how-to-fix-repetitive-and-costly-mistakes","How to fix repetitive and costly mistakes","In business it's common to be fire-fighting. It’s easy to neglect the problems when the business is growing quickly, today lets look into that deeply.","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F4b08072f2744.png","\u003Cp>In business it's common to be fire-fighting, especially when you're scaling. It’s easy to neglect the problems when the business is growing quickly. But more and more problems occur. If you leave this unchecked, fire-fighting might become all you do. You're making no progress: all you are doing is running around with a fire extinguisher putting out smouldering fires.You need to turn this around and get the level of fire-fighting under control before it becomes a critical issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>List the problems and their impact\u003C\u002Fstrong>Make a list of all of the things going wrong in the business right now. Estimate how much time it consumes fixing these things every week. Look at their impact on the business: on a scale of one to five how risky would it be if this was left unchecked? Rate the problems according to their urgency.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Resolve the easy wins\u003C\u002Fstrong>Work through this list and identify any easy wins. An easy win is something that can be permanently resolved quickly. An example of this might be a lack of coordination in a team.\u003Cem>Everyone might be completing a key process in a different way. Get everyone round a whiteboard and map out the best way to complete that process step-by-step. With everyone's agreement, finalise the way that the team is going to execute the process. In time, evaluate the procedure. See if you need to modify any steps to mitigate any issues occurring in the future.\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Timings\u003C\u002Fstrong>Make a judgement call on: what is going to be the quickest way to free up more time for improvement? For example, if you think one of the priority items is going to take 10 hours to resolve, it's going to free up 5 hours a week in time within two weeks, which could be put into continuous improvement. You’ll quickly see a return on investment.\u003Cstrong>Desk research\u003C\u002Fstrong>Use Google to find information on the challenges you have. How have other people have solved the issue? Most business functions are the same, so it's likely that you're not alone. There is plenty of good off-the-shelf software out there, designed to solve very specific business challenges. They can offer a high return on investment. It is another easy win.We would always recommend joining local scaleup programmes and groups, to share thoughts and gain tips.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Protect time for Continuous Improvement\u003C\u002Fstrong>Calculate the minimum amount of time your team is able to invest into continuous improvement and resolving issues. It’s important to get that toe hold to fix challenges and use the freed up time to snowball the effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Track your progress\u003C\u002Fstrong>As more time is released, set a business level KPI for the amount of time which is reinvested in continuous improvement. Monitor that on a quarterly basis. Allow anyone in the business to put a case forward for dedicating time to resolving a challenge or testing an opportunity. Make sure that it is definable what the return on investment is going to be.\u003Cem>Create a template where someone is able to summarise the challenge of opportunity and the resources required to execute it. Include the return on investment in terms of money or time. This allows the management team to quantify why the continuous improvement effort is valuable to the business. An alliance everyone's thinking ensures that continuous improvement has both positive and material outcomes. You could even think about linking it to a company wide bonus structure so everyone wins!\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Make sure that you’re all on the same page\u003C\u002Fstrong>Everyone in the business needs to be clear on the challenges that the business is trying to solve. Put the issues into a framework, where they are tracked as part of quarterly objectives. Every member of staff can now see what to solve this quarter. They can then work towards solving those challenges themselves.It is also vital to execute this plan from the top. The management team need to lead the change. They have to demonstrate how it's making peoples lives easier, so that it becomes a cultural initiative within the business. It's important to understand that this effort is a marathon not a sprint. You are likely to see rapid improvements in the first quarter for example, because there are a lot of easy wins. However, the number of easy wins will probably dry up and the challenges may get it harder to solve. This is natural and it shouldn't be disparaging. It just means that you've prioritised your difficulties correctly.There needs to be a consistent effort around continuous improvements, as well as protected time invested every month and every quarter. This ensures that progress marches forward. Doing this will prevent an increase in fire-fighting and you will reach a point where things become manageable. Why? Because the business is prioritising and solving issues every quarter, rather than letting these things build up.Fire-fighting is a natural part of business and you can't eradicate it. But it is controllable. It can be even be used as an accelerant of growth!\u003C\u002Fp>","2024-06-28T00:00:00+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:06.726857+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:06.839+00:00",{"id":576,"slug":577,"title":578,"description":579,"hero_image_url":580,"hero_image_alt":578,"body_html":581,"category":582,"author":551,"published_at":583,"reading_time_minutes":235,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":584,"updated_at":585},"447724ef-d522-40d3-99ab-d9648c13c125","employee-insight-senior-software-developer","Employee Insight: Senior Software Developer","We hear from Phil, who has recently been promote to a Senior Software Developer with us.","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F637e4fe3f42f.png","\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What is your current position and how long have you worked at Wubbleyou?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>I have worked for the company since March 30th, 2020, so just over 2 and a half years now. I started as a mid-level developer and as of this month, I have been promoted to be a senior developer.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Can you describe an average day?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>I usually start my working day early around 8am. In the two hours before our first stand-up, I usually check my emails and look at my priority list from the project manager and start working on my tasks. I try to pick a task that I can achieve within those two hours, so I have something to show by stand-up. Or one that’s going to take the whole day so I can start early. At 10am I have my first stand-up with the developers, followed by a second stand-up at 10:15am with the wider team. After stand-up usually I jump on with another developer to either code review, QA or just assist them with any issues. Then I focus back on my task which can be anything really; we have so many great projects here. I then go out for a walk around 2pm to clear my head before finishing my day up.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What has been your favourite project to work on?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>I think for me my favourite project was the first one we did for CPP. I really led the project and found that exciting. I had to overcome some interesting challenges with the project and came up with a solution that has been implemented for other clients since.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Also, it was the first project that the company hosted on Microsoft Azure, this lead to some interesting challenges that I overcame and created a template for any future projects that might be undertaken on Azure.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The best thing about working for Wubbleyou?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Wubbleyou listens. In the time I’ve been here I have been vocal about aspects of the business or things I would like to see improved. I have a space where the I feel comfortable to express what I like and dislike. It really is listened to.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>I must mention flexibility too, I’ve been able to work on so many amazing projects and I’ve been able to work remotely which for me is amazing. It's opened up so many opportunities.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Something people might be surprised to hear about your job?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>I guess it depends, if you are within the tech space it might be the way we manage infrastructure through code which is really cool and has so much potential.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If you aren’t a techy, I think it would be the fact that you can create some amazing, wonderful software projects with not a lot of experience. Anyone who is thinking about a job in software should go for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What’s coming up for you?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>I’m about to start a project using some technologies i've never used before and languages that I haven’t used since university. I’m excited but also nervous. It's already a project that I talk to my friends about and I hope once it's finished I will be able to talk about its success!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C\u002Fp>","Employee & Team Insights","2024-05-15T00:00:00+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:09.796207+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:09.92+00:00",{"id":587,"slug":588,"title":589,"description":590,"hero_image_url":591,"hero_image_alt":589,"body_html":592,"category":476,"author":463,"published_at":593,"reading_time_minutes":383,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":594,"updated_at":595},"8099ca9a-caf4-45de-a3c0-7148682ac87b","10-essential-paperless-tools-that-will-save-your-business-time-and-money","10 Essential Paperless Tools That Will Save Your Business Time and Money","Hold tight while we run you through the top 10 online tools you should be using to make your business more efficient.","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F34d8f0537894.png","\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>We have all been in a situation in which we begin to think about the tools we currently use in our business and we ask ourselves, \"is there a similar tool out there that we can use to manage this better?\" or \"is there an alternative online tool we can use to help reduce or eliminate paper based documents?\". Well look no further!\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We’re always looking for ways to make our business and our clients’ businesses more efficient; these tools can do just that. Hold tight while we run you through the top 10 online tools you should be using to make your business more efficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>1. LastPass - A password management system\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F458e280f0671.png\">\u003Cp>Ah, LastPass. The King (or Queen) of password management.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>LastPass is an internet-based password management system that keeps all of your passwords safe and secure for any online account. The key benefit here is that you only have to remember one password and LastPass does the rest. Don’t worry though, LastPass stores your password in a way that makes it technically impossible for even them to see it. It has also been heavily audited and is trusted by some of the largest organisations in the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Here’s why LastPass is beneficial for your company:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>You will never have to write down important passwords in books or on sticky notes again, overall making it a safe and secure environment to store your passwords and working your way towards an environmentally friendly workplace\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Your business and even your clients’ businesses will be better protected by storing passwords safely\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Your clients and colleagues can easily share account details with you via LastPass, so you will reduce the risk of being hacked, and better comply with GDPR\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>It ensures you are using secure passwords, and remembers them for\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Saves time by reducing the number of forgotten passwords\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>Find out more about how LastPass can work wonders for your business by visiting \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.lastpass.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">https:\u002F\u002Fwww.lastpass.com\u002F\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>2. Dropbox Business - A file hosting service\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F4f7499293fd9.png\">\u003Cp>Dropbox is a popular file sharing system which securely stores your files and makes it easy to share them with colleagues and clients. Dropbox Business includes everything your team needs to be productive, including storage to back up files, collaboration tools, version histories for all files, a central hub for team content and advanced security and sharing controls. Dropbox Business is famous for its ease of use and has over 500 million users!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Here’s why Dropbox is beneficial for your company:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>It helps you to get rid of those overflowing filing cabinets that take up unnecessary space in your workplace\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Both you and your team can constantly update and edit files without wasting so much paper when doing so\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>It is a timesaving and moneysaving alternative to printed documents\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Dropbox is available across all major devices and platforms, so users can view, upload and update documents inside the workplace, in meetings and even on the go via the Dropbox mobile app\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>All documents can be automatically uploaded to and synchronised in Dropbox, so this will prevent your business from being in the \"Which computer is that file on?\" situation. You’ve also got added protection when computers fail, and if you have no backup solutions at all, this is a quick and easy way to get some protection\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>If you think Dropbox Business will benefit your business, follow this link to try it free for 30 days \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.dropbox.com\u002Fbusiness\" target=\"_blank\">https:\u002F\u002Fwww.dropbox.com\u002Fbusiness\u003C\u002Fa>. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>3. Harvest - A web-based time tracking tool\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>Harvest is a simple time tracking tool that the whole team can use to keep business projects on time and on budget. Importantly, it allows you to see how much time has been spent on a project, how much money the project has cost you and then how profitable the project was. Having this data ensures you can find ways to automate time consuming tasks or stop doing the things that do not benefit your business. This helps you to save time and money immediately, rather than by implementing a trial and error process and reaching the same result in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Harvest’s timesheets are accessible on all major devices from computers to smartphones, so your team doesn’t have to wait until they are next at work to input the additional time they spend working on a project elsewhere. The timesheets can also be viewed in two formats; on a day-by-day basis in which users can see how much time they have spent on different projects throughout the day, or on a weekly basis which shows current projects and how much time was spent on each one throughout the week.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F0e9c6bf9d057.png\">\u003Cp>Here’s why Harvest is beneficial for your company:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>You don’t have to print out a document that states the estimated times given to complete each task\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>It acts as a timesaving tool, so your team is well aware of how long it actually takes you to complete the project, therefore eliminating the confusion and miscommunication when a task takes longer than anticipated\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>You have full visibility on how much time is spent on each task or project\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>It’s super easy to then bill a client, and you have exact timesheets to back this up\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>It gives you the information you need to make better decisions and allocate resources to profitable activities\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>Find out more about how Harvest can benefit your business here \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.getharvest.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">https:\u002F\u002Fwww.getharvest.com\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Harvest users can also take advantage of the Forecast tool which allows team members to schedule the estimated time it would take them to complete a project and it indicates the date and time by which the project would need to be completed. Forecast also shows the team’s availability so team members will know whether to assign additional or fewer tasks to a team member.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>4. Xero - An online accounting platform\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>Xero is an online accounting platform which gives you real time insight into your cashflow, bank balances, P&L statements and much more. If you feel like you need more visibility with your business finances, this is the tool for you.  Xero makes it easier for you to run your business and it provides you with peace of mind by automatically backing up your data, provides integration with many other tools to automate workflows and allows you to access all of this on the go.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Here’s why Xero is beneficial for your company:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>It helps you to reduce manual data entry of your payroll and accounting, making it a very convenient timesaving tool\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Once created, custom purchase orders can be emailed and copied to bills for payment, therefore reducing the amount of unnecessary paper used in the workplace\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>It helps you to eliminate the time spent chasing unpaid invoices by providing an online payment service, and it recently partnered with GoCardless to automate collection of these payments\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>You can stay productive on the move by being able to run your business from the palm of your hand\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>It provides a clear financial overview on the dashboard to easily identify how much money is coming in and going out of your business, allowing you to stay in control of your finances\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>If that’s not enough, Xero also throws in features such as easy invoicing, payroll and claiming expenses into all of their plans, all from as little as £10 per month. If you would like to know more about what Xero can offer your business, simply follow this link \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.xero.com\u002Fuk\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">https:\u002F\u002Fwww.xero.com\u002Fuk\u002F\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F842c39808116.png\">\u003Cp>Source: Xero 2017\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>5. Trello - A web-based project management tool\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>If you’re the type of person who hates clutter in your workspace, keeps losing important sticky notes or has multiple ‘to-do’ lists then you’re going to love Trello!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Trello is a project management tool which helps your team to organise work projects, keep on top of upcoming deadlines and find out which stage each project is currently at. The best way to use Trello is to view the project as a journey; start by placing a card in an ‘activities’ column and keep moving the card through the columns as you make progress, until it reaches the ‘done’ column at the end. You can create additional columns and delete or edit any of the existing columns to match your preferences.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F49f4ae5cebab.png\">\u003Cp>Source: Trello 2017\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Here’s why Trello is beneficial for your company:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>It eliminates the time spent sending emails or paper messages on sticky notes and scrap paper to your colleagues to update them on a project\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>The progress of your project can be viewed all in one place, so you can see what other people have worked on and how they have contributed to the project\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Any member of the team can attach pictures, files (even from Dropbox!) and hyperlinks to any of the cards, as well as project information and the option to provide additional comments on the activity. Each task can become an independent discussion, removing the need for horribly confusing email chains\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>You can select members of your team to be made responsible for cards to ensure the task is completed by the deadline date\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>You can instantly evaluate the status of a project without pestering team members\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>Above all, Trello provides a simple version of project management which is particularly useful if you have multiple projects on the go, all at the same time. Now it’s time to throw away those sticky notes and give Trello a try at \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftrello.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">https:\u002F\u002Ftrello.com\u002F\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>6. Slack - A professional messaging service\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002Fb7bd5953c9ce.png\">\u003Cp>Slack is the foundation for teamwork and it is designed to make the workforce more productive with a reduction in stress when communicating with one another, both inside and outside of the workplace. With the ability to create different channels for each project, all slack conversations are focused and kept in one place which makes it quicker and easier to find files, calls and messages.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Slack allows colleagues to create and participate in both group and private conversations so they will no longer need to use multiple platforms to get in touch. Slack is free to use, and you can add as many team members as you need.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Here’s why Slack is beneficial for your company :\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Like Trello, you no longer need to pass notes through the office or produce a long email chain in order to complete a project - Slack keeps all of your notes and discussions organised and in one place for easy reference\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>In addition to note sharing, you can attach images and documents to your slack conversation to assist with getting your point across\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Allows staff to keep in touch when working remotely, or even at the other side of a huge office\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Keeps discussions relevant with channels, and create more relaxed channels so your staff can socialise and build relationships\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Discuss a specific topic without distracting others from their work\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>Make your business communication more efficient by downloading Slack here \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fslack.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">https:\u002F\u002Fslack.com\u002F\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>7. Hootsuite - A social media management platform\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>Are you wasting time posting individual updates on different social media platforms each day? Use Hootsuite instead!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Hootsuite is a fast and efficient tool used to schedule or instantly send all your social media posts onto different online platforms, all from one place.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>When using Hootsuite, simply select which social media channel(s) you would like to post an update to, and start writing your message. If you select your preferred social media channel beforehand, Hootsuite will tell you how many characters you have left before the character limit is exceeded - this is particularly useful for platforms such as Twitter and their reduced character limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002Fb95065503f29.png\">\u003Cp>Source: Hootsuite 2017\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If that’s not enough, you can check your social media analytics at any time and over any duration by using Hootsuite Analytics. This will tell you how many tweets were posted, your engagement for those tweets, traffic accumulated on your selected platform, inbound messages and other useful features such as likes, shares and retweets.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Here’s why Hootsuite is beneficial for your company:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>You can schedule your social media posts for any time in the future, allowing you to work smarter\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>See insightful reports and statistics from one place, showing you how well your marketing activity is performing\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>It helps you to avoid printing out documents that include future posts for other team members to verify. Instead, they can log into Hootsuite to check over posts before they’re released\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Be more efficient with your marketing, allowing you to spend more time on idea generation rather than the drudgery\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>You can find Hootsuite here \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhootsuite.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">https:\u002F\u002Fhootsuite.com\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>8. Pipedrive - A cloud-based sales software company\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002Fc95706005dce.png\">\u003Cp>Pipedrive is an easy-to-use tool which is designed to keep your sales organised. This tool is particularly useful for individuals who are new to sales, as Pipedrive provides the basic knowledge to get started. It is a platform that pushes you to succeed. It is also useful for established businesses with sales teams, as it produces handy reports on sales performance, broken down per month and per staff member.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Here’s why Pipedrive is beneficial for your company:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>You can receive activity reminder emails so, like Trello, you get notified during the process of an activity instead of relying on your co-workers to update you\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>There is a mobile app version of Pipedrive, so you can potentially work from anywhere that suits you. This also acts like an alternative to printing the information you need, because your mobile is always with you\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>See which deals are going stale, ensuring no deal falls through because of lack of contact\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Pipedrive works in a way that requires minimum input but you receive maximum output when using the software, therefore you save a lot of time and the team becomes much more productive\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>Pipedrive is used by well-known companies - such as Amazon, SkyScanner and Vimeo to keep track of their sales and it gives you the option to try out Pipedrive completely free of charge. If you think Pipedrive is for you, there are multiple plans to choose from so you can find the best plan that suits your business.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Follow this link if you would like to give Pipedrive a try \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pipedrive.com\u002Fen-gb\" target=\"_blank\">https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pipedrive.com\u002Fen-gb\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>9. Mailchimp - A marketing automation platform\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>If you haven’t heard of Mailchimp until now, today is your lucky day!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Mailchimp is an email marketing tool which allows you to create and automate email campaigns, so you can keep in touch with your clients and prospects more efficiently - all while being GDPR friendly. Mailchimp is designed to save your business time and money by allowing you to schedule or launch a campaign with just a click of a button, on a free and easy-to-use platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F1cb0b0acd969.png\">\u003Cp>Source: Mailchimp 2017\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Follow this link to find out more about Mailchimp or to create an account \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmailchimp.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">https:\u002F\u002Fmailchimp.com\u002F\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch4>10. Canva - A free graphic-design tool website\u003C\u002Fh4>\u003Cp>Canva is designed for professionals who have little to no graphic design experience, but they still need to post frequent updates with great images on social media. It is free to use and you can create images for all purposes, all in one place. Choose from flyers, to social media posts, to email headers and everything in between and take advantage of the easy-to-modify existing templates, or just create your own!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Source: Canva 2017\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>All of your images are saved in Canva - or you can create up to two folders if you wish - and they can be easily downloaded and saved to your cloud based file sharing platform. If you need more than two folders, simply upgrade your account to ‘Canva For Work’ where you can create as many folders as you need. You can even add multiple team members to your account which is very beneficial if you are part of a small online marketing team and you all need instant access to the images without using a memory stick.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Here’s why Canva is beneficial for your company:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Once you have completed your Canva design, you can instantly share it on any social media platform as it will already be the right size for you to do so\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Canva is free to use, with no limit on how many designs you can do, so you can create as many as you wish\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>You can save money by creating your designs yourself. A professional marketer generally uses platforms such as Canva to create content for their social media posts, but they outsource their major design work to an experienced graphic designer\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Canva is great for social media managers to use when they need a simple design to be created instantly for their posts\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>Give it a try at \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.canva.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\">https:\u002F\u002Fwww.canva.com\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Summary\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Now that we’ve given you a quick rundown on what we think are the 10 best business tools that help you to save time and money and to eliminate paper-based processes, which ones are you raring to try? Are you currently using any online business tools that we haven't already mentioned?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Whether you are a new business, or you’ve been operating for quite some time, we’re confident at least one of the 10 great tools will make a positive impact on your business. Each tool has very different benefits that are utilised to improve your business processes. This will allow you to provide a better product or service to your customers.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Need some professional help, or have a problem that can’t be fixed by a tool above? Call us today on 0191 259 1272 for more information about our digital reviews.\u003C\u002Fp>","2024-04-18T00:00:00+00:00","2026-05-05T23:46:16.054694+00:00","2026-05-05T23:46:41.993+00:00",{"id":597,"slug":598,"title":599,"description":600,"hero_image_url":601,"hero_image_alt":599,"body_html":602,"category":476,"author":603,"published_at":604,"reading_time_minutes":309,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":605,"updated_at":606},"69f798ec-c627-4d74-a276-9a88a519d890","no-code-complementary-not-competing-with-custom-software","No Code: Complementary, Not Competing with Custom Software","Because there is a high barrier to entry, software development has traditionally been a realm for developers only.","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F2fc0161d3825.png","\u003Cp>Because there is a high barrier to entry, software development has traditionally been a realm for developers only. It’s also worth mentioning the tech skills shortage in the UK at the moment.. but that’s a subject for another time.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>No Code (and Lo Code) e.g. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbubble.io\u002Ffeatures?ref=index-header\">Bubble\u003C\u002Fa> or \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.glideapps.com\u002F\">Glide\u003C\u002Fa>- with a drag and drop system enabling the user to populate sites with functions- empowers individuals of all technical backgrounds to build apps and workflows. This can only be a good thing, right? Read on…\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cstrong>What works\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch3>\u003Cstrong>Accessibility\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh3>\u003Cp>No Code enables people without coding experience to dip their toe into software development. These programmes allow you to drag and drop onto a screen to build an app. For example, if you were hosting an event, you could create an app with a registration form, which would allow you to issue tickets. You could then add an email option, which would update the user of the event via email. This would be straightforward to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch3>\u003Cstrong>Speed\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh3>\u003Cp>No Code is a great, fast way to test a product in its first iteration. Traditional coding often needs a developer to write complex lines of code, which needs an intensive testing period. However, no-code apps allow individuals with very little technical background to design applications rapidly. With a drag-and-drop format, the development process is remarkably quick.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch3>\u003Cstrong>Lo Code\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh3>\u003Cp>Lo-Code gives you a little more flexibility- you can customise a product a little further. You would still need involvement from a developer, but it would be on a much smaller scale.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We have used Lo Code in our business. We were tracking weekly status reports in PowerPoint. We had been using Excel, but we had PowerPoint presentations all over the place. So we prototyped our own PSR dashboard in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.zoho.com\u002Fcreator\u002F\">Zoho Creator\u003C\u002Fa>. Every week a project manager could go into the app and update the status reports, the budget, what the projected finances were. Then at the touch of a button, the app would generate a graph illustrating the health of our business, how the project was performing, but also a projected revenue. We prototyped that in a week, and it solved a huge problem in the business. It’s only now- two years later- that we’re starting to outgrow it, and we’re looking at custom building something.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>However, we need to talk about challenges. Why? Because the ability to write good software isn’t just about code.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong> \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cstrong>The Challenges\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch3>\u003Cstrong>User Journey\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh3>\u003Cp>A developer will understand what a good user journey looks like. Developers are used to taking concepts and translating them into a positive experience for a user. Software ultimately needs to solve a problem. But a developer can tell you whether that problem is worth solving and validate your idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch3>\u003Cstrong>Complexity\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh3>\u003Cp>If you want to build something simple, you can do it very quickly. The challenge comes where there is nuance. Looking at the events example again: if you want to do something relatively straight-forward, you can probably manage that in No Code. However, if you wanted the app to suggest future events to the customer on the basis of their previous purchases, No Code would not be able to handle that.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If you’re using Lo Code, then- as we said- developers would be involved on a small scale. But you have to ask yourself whether it’s worth using something that requires developers anyway?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch3>\u003Cstrong>Third Challenge: Data\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh3>\u003Cp>As always: if you’re handling data and you’re using a third party provider, there is always a security risk. You don’t ultimately have control of the data and its handling.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Lo-Code and No Code have their place. And the technology is improving all the time. By recognizing the strengths and limitations of No Code and Lo Code, you can make informed decisions about the most appropriate approach to app development based on your needs. But for now... complexity still requires custom software.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C\u002Fp>","David Johnson","2023-12-27T00:00:00+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:25.142492+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:25.203+00:00",{"id":608,"slug":609,"title":610,"description":611,"hero_image_url":612,"hero_image_alt":610,"body_html":613,"category":582,"author":551,"published_at":614,"reading_time_minutes":383,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":615,"updated_at":616},"5d25f603-da75-4d78-a97a-6bf7329fd26d","interview-with-emily-her-new-role-as-ops-manager","Interview with Emily: her new role as Ops Manager","Emily challenged us in all the right ways as a project manager & that focus and challenge in ops will make us a better & stronger business","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F8e7444068c57.png","\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Welcome back Emily! How has your role changed since you returned from maternity leave?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Before I went on leave, I was working as Project Manager, but there was always the plan that I would progress to an Operations Manager on my return. I’ve had Keeping In Touch Days throughout my maternity leave to support this progression.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>At the moment, I’m straddling both roles. I’m doing training with Divya, with the aim to be fully on the operations side of the business next month. But I’m also looking at a lot more on a strategic level. I’m taking a step back and looking at business as a whole, rather than the day-to-day challenges. I’m trying to make incremental changes in the business at a macro level than granular level.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>I have more responsibility for accountability over the business. But because the team has grown, there is more support.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Have there been any changes to the business?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>As I just mentioned, the business has grown: we have more clients. But the staff footprint has also got bigger. The management structure has changed; before I left, it was just Mark and I and the developers. Now we have more operational support. This means the communications flow has changed a lot.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What does having an Ops Manager mean for the business?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>It means that we’re growing in the right way. The fact that we have the opportunity to put someone in the role is a luxury that we’re now in the position to have. I hope it’ll take a little pressure off Mark too.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Do you have new challenges in your role?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>It’s the first time I’ve been in an Operations role, so there’s been a lot to get to know. It’s vital that mine and Mark’s expectations are aligned, and that requires good communication.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>I have to make the team work in a coherent way, and there are more communication flows. But I also need to keep an eye on bigger picture. Profitability, billability, velocity are now at the forefront of my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We have always reflected on lessons learnt after a project, but we didn’t have the capacity to do much with them. The intention was there… but I can now do something with it.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What do you hope to see for the business in future?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>I want maintain a happy workforce! We can achieve this with the team all communicating in the right way. I obviously want to see growth too.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>How can employers support working mothers, in your opinion?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>I work 4 days, which makes a difference to my childcare arrangements and gives me balance. I also think businesses need to appreciate that we have to be flexible; if my child is unwell and needs picking up from nursery, I don’t have a choice over it. But it makes it less stressful if leaders are prepared to be flexible and let parents make up their time, rather than take sick days.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Mark Renney, our Director is delighted with the promotion:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>“Wubbleyou is scaling, and I am a sole director – it has been a challenge keeping one eye on operations and another on the commercials. I think the businesses are healthier with they have dedicated people for each, and businesses should do this as soon as they can.  Emily challenged us in all the right ways as a project manager, and that focus and challenge in ops will undoubtedly make us a better and stronger business. It was great to see Emily enjoy 12 months of Mat leave with her daughter, but also come back into this role!”\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>","2023-12-06T00:00:00+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:13.868451+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:13.971+00:00",{"id":618,"slug":619,"title":620,"description":621,"hero_image_url":622,"hero_image_alt":620,"body_html":623,"category":582,"author":463,"published_at":624,"reading_time_minutes":84,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":625,"updated_at":626},"02764dcf-0bf7-4ac2-bfdd-ede9675ffaeb","employee-insight-associate-business-analyst","Employee Insight: Associate Business Analyst","We speak to Vincent about his expereince at Wubbleyou as an Associate Business Analyst, we understand more about his role and insights","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F9c8fe4513063.png","\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Introduce yourself and tell us how you got into tech...\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>I'm Vincent, and I recently joined Wubbleyou as Associate Business Analyst. I transitioned into analytics due to my passion for tech and a desire to be part of the tech revolution. With my knowledge of business and processes, business analytics is a path I am fascinated about and aligns with my career aspirations.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Can you describe what your journey has been like so far?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>My career so far has been really diverse, from working in Real Estate to Tech Sales, Customer Service and now Tech Consulting. All of them have contributed to the knowledge and experience I have today. As varied and diverse as it has been, one thing remains constant- my desire to improve and develop.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>I'm also learning to enjoy the journey and trust the process as I advance and progress.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What skills are you hoping to develop?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>My role requires that I have a good understanding of business objectives. I also have to think critically to prioritise business requirements, and I have to have the ability to negotiate. These are skills I am hoping to develop further to help the team to continue to deliver great value to our clients and stakeholders.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What's the best thing about working at Wubbleyou?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>These diverse range of projects we work on is amazing. We always work at our very best to deliver solutions and ensure return on investment for our clients.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>There are also many personal development opportunities available, so we can always learn and improve. This includes mentoring, coaching and support from the team.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What might people be surprised to hear about your job?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Even though we're a team of Techies, we regularly have time blocked off for fun activities- both virtually and in-person.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What's coming up for you?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>I've got some client projects that I'm really looking forward to. I'm also preparing to take some certification exams.\u003C\u002Fp>","2023-11-24T00:00:00+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:13.008785+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:13.126+00:00",{"id":628,"slug":629,"title":630,"description":631,"hero_image_url":632,"hero_image_alt":630,"body_html":633,"category":530,"author":634,"published_at":624,"reading_time_minutes":235,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":635,"updated_at":636},"f5f36d66-adee-446d-a095-d16e85662de1","common-tech-mistakes-that-you-can-t-afford-to-make","Common tech mistakes that you can't afford to make","Common tech mistakes cost scaleups big. Fix Excel reliance, align tech with strategy, and build iteratively with user feedback.","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F4cb6cad45bdc.png","\u003Cp>We work with a broad range of clients. But we have noticed that there are tech mistakes which keep coming up. These are easy fixes, that will make scaling easier… and save you money!\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\u003Cstrong>Mistake 1: Building business processes in Excel. \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>It's easy at the beginning. But it results in a disjointed hellscape costing the business 4-5-6 figures through unproductive time.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🚀 Solution: Ditch Excel.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Find off-the-shelf software to replace it. If none is available, go to market with your challenges in a brief and work with a tech partner to build a solution. As a part of your brief, make sure you work with your team to understand the cost of continuing with your current tech (time, direct costs, opportunity costs etc)- replacing Excel will likely generate ROI but it needs to stack up for you.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\u003Cstrong>Mistake 2: Tech becoming the objective: \"What's the best software which does X?\"\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Implementing tech shouldn't be the objective. Solving a challenge or achieving a given business objective should be the focus.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>🚀 Solution: Tech must do something to empower your strategy or it will fail. In this example, 'Replace our Excel sheet' shouldn't be the objective. You need to list all the challenges around using it, then look at what you need to do to address those.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\u003Cstrong>Mistake 3: Not including tech in your strategy\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>90% of scale-ups have no tech expertise in the leadership team. This means that no one is there to ask \"how will tech empower us to meet our financial\u002Fbusiness objectives?\"\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🚀 Solution: When business objectives are set at board\u002Fleadership level, you need to have someone in the room who has a professional background in tech, whose remit is to understand \"How will tech be used to empower these objectives?\". If that person doesn't exist in the business, hire\u002Foutsource them.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\u003Cstrong>🚫 Treating product development as finite\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>38% of tech start-ups run out of money. If you want to change the world with a product, or do something that's never been done before, budgeting for one iteration will be painful.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🚀 Solution: Change your mindset. Product development is a constant journey of learning and iteration to balance commercial viability and what customers will pay for. Understand how many 'iterations' you have before running out of cash. Product development never ends (just look at Google; they are always developing their products).\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\u003Cstrong>🚫 Perfect a product without customer feedback\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>35% of tech start-ups fail because there is no market need for their product. Perfecting a product without user feedback can be fatal. You’re potentially wasting time\u002Fmoney building a shiny product that no-one wants to use.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🚀 Solution: Make the first version for an innovation low effort. Demonstrate it to people who understand the vision and potential. If they provide positive feedback and want to use it, you can develop it further. This doesn't mean purposefully make something shoddy- it means getting feedback at the smallest step before investing significant resources.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>7-figure businesses who are not adopting these approaches probably have 5-6 figures per year of undiscovered efficiency. This is also holding back growth.  \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>But… as a tech partner, we can help businesses achieve all these things! Get in touch if you need some guidance.\u003C\u002Fp>","Anastasia Solovyova","2026-05-05T23:47:23.293389+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:23.341+00:00",{"id":638,"slug":639,"title":640,"description":641,"hero_image_url":642,"hero_image_alt":640,"body_html":643,"category":476,"author":551,"published_at":644,"reading_time_minutes":309,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":645,"updated_at":646},"bbedea88-9f61-43c4-9844-3e96209de043","how-using-lean-methodology-saves-you-time-and-money","How using Lean Methodology saves you time and money","Got a big software idea? Test it first with lean, no-code tools—it’s faster, cheaper, and smarter than diving in headfirst.","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F0b14d2495fd6.png","\u003Cp>You have a challenge within your business, and you want to tackle it with tech. You have an idea for a software project; it might be a new platform, it might be automation, or it might be something completely bespoke. You write a spec, you get some quotes and your big idea is executed. All sounding ok? We just want to stop you there a second.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Because new software implementation takes a lot of time and investment, sometimes we recommend testing first. Imagine meeting a friend for a drink. They’ve been stressed at work for a while and they’re a bit down. You’ve not even taken a sip, and they tell you they’ve decided to pack it all in and move to Mauritius. Mauritius is obviously a beautiful destination, you venture. But mate: you’ve never even been there on holiday?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Your new software idea like moving to Mauritius; it’ll probably be amazing, and relieve some of the stress you’re experiencing. But it wouldn’t it be safer to go on holiday there first, before committing to emigrating? See what the opportunities are, scope out job prospects and consider if you can see yourself living there?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>There’s a few routes you can take with this, but we’re fans of lean methodology. Lean methodology dictates that we must invest the least amount of resource possible to test a hypothesis. It allows you to make an informed decision. Much like going on holiday, there are platforms to help you visualize your new project. With no Code technology for example, you can test your idea before making a bigger investment. There are two apps we can recommend:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002Ff870e69ec1d1.png\">\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Glide:\u003C\u002Fem> This is a drag and drop feature-rich No Code platform, which allows you to build a shopfront. If you’re selling a product and you want to test the market, this program is perfect. You don’t need to invest a huge amount of time or money into your site, and you can see how things go. There are plenty of features in the store front and user profile creation. The format is drag and drop, which allows easy set-up.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Proto:\u003C\u002Fem> We use this program a lot. It allows you to prototype what a product looks like and how it will function, without writing any code. This won’t function as a web platform, but it allows you to visualise and understand user journeys, which is vital at the ideation stage. You can customize lots of features, including buttons and headers. Once you’re happy, then we go into custom code.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Both of these programs are a good precursor to building custom software:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>It’s cheaper to fix issues at this stage than after we’ve written code for something bespoke\u003C\u002Fstrong> - Some problems and challenges simple don’t need custom software, and the ROI isn’t there to justify it.  If the problem can be solved using no code, then great,: we’re happy to use it. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Speed\u003C\u002Fstrong> - No Code is great for smaller challenges; we can solve it in days\u002Fweeks, rather than a 3 month software project.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Visualisation\u003C\u002Fstrong> - We want to do the right thing for our clients, and having tools to demonstrate the functionality and the aesthetic of a produce before coding means we’re singing from the same hymn sheet.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If you’ve got a big idea, consider testing it first. It will likely save you time and money in the long-run.\u003C\u002Fp>","2023-11-23T00:00:00+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:20.429569+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:20.485+00:00",{"id":648,"slug":649,"title":650,"description":651,"hero_image_url":652,"hero_image_alt":650,"body_html":653,"category":488,"author":654,"published_at":655,"reading_time_minutes":656,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":657,"updated_at":658},"509b0020-8770-4ea2-b5f0-14d1026131c0","how-to-get-your-product-to-market","How to get your Product to Market","You have a fantastic idea for an app, everybody think it’s brilliant. You approach a software partner to develop your app. Their response?","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F5590901fb8ea.png","\u003Cp>You have a fantastic idea for an app that you’re sure will do well. Your colleagues think it’s brilliant and so does your partner. You approach a software partner to develop your app. Their response?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>❌‘Great. We estimate that to cost £XX-£XXXk. We’ll present the product in Y.’\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>✅‘Have you researched this product? Who is your audience? What are their needs? What does success look like for you? How are you commercialising it? How have you validated the idea?.’\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Getting your product to market is a \u003Cstrong>three-stage\u003C\u002Fstrong> process:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>1.        \u003Cstrong>Validate your idea\u003C\u002Fstrong>: do some market research, understand your audience, can you manually deliver your product to a small audience and get them to pay for it? Common examples- if you want to develop a service, can you deliver it completely manually to one person?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>2.        \u003Cstrong>Develop a clickable prototype.\u003C\u002Fstrong> It’s likely to be scrappy and clumsy, but this gives you an opportunity to test your idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>3.        \u003Cstrong>MVP (Minimum Viable Product):\u003C\u002Fstrong> An MVP is the minimum required to get a high-quality production-ready product to market that people will pay for and achieve the objective.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Example:\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Someone wants to develop a tool to analyse a blog, then find related content to ensure that the idea hasn’t been written before.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Step one:\u003C\u002Fstrong> \u003Cstrong>Define your product. Find one customer who would be an example of your target market, and deliver the product to them manually.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>In the blog example, this would involve taking a blog, then finding related blogs through google trawls. It would take ages. But it would give you an example to present to your customer and you can get their opinion.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The first phase of validation probably won’t be scalable- and that’s fine. The minimum will look different to everyone. An engineer might build something in Excel for example. A tech company might build something with No Code. But it doesn’t matter how scrappy your first iteration is- as long as it allows you to test your concept.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Once you’ve proved that your product has value to your target audience, then you’re much better placed to speak with a development partner – sure, some situations dictate software is the first iteration, but there is typically always step before.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Step two:\u003C\u002Fstrong> \u003Cstrong>Development of a clickable design prototype.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We work with our clients to understand your target audience and how they feel in the customer journey. The product must be built around the customer using emotional intelligence. At this point we want to be designing a high-quality product which is the minimum they need to get the product to market. The plan would be to intensely research and create this prototype over approximately 6 weeks.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Step 3: Look at the minimum you need to build to take this product to market (MVP).\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>At this point, we focus on the core purpose of the product. We focus on creating a high-quality MVP, rather than the number of features. MVPs with too many features are victims of dilution of purpose, the focus can become quantity over quality . They are risky for two reasons- you risk the quality, but you can also cloud the core concept and distract the user. In addition, if you need to pull those features out, it’s expensive.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>You’re excited about your product and you’re impatient to launch it. But don’t do it quick: do it right.\u003C\u002Fp>","Olena Kucherenko","2023-11-22T00:00:00+00:00",7,"2026-05-05T23:47:17.512177+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:17.586+00:00",{"id":660,"slug":661,"title":662,"description":663,"hero_image_url":664,"hero_image_alt":662,"body_html":665,"category":582,"author":463,"published_at":666,"reading_time_minutes":84,"featured":21,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":667,"updated_at":668},"d690b436-9e1c-462f-8aae-a5ef2c8de01b","crafting-exceptional-user-experiences","A Year as an Associate Project Manager","It's Divya's one year anniversary with us! Since she began last year she has become an asset. This blog looks into her experience so far!","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002Ff08949dcc07c.jpeg","\u003Cp>\u003Cem>It's Divya's one year anniversary with us! Since she began last year, she has become a hugely valued member of the team. As Mark our CEO says: 'Divya is a great member of the team, with a clear passion for learning. Divya joined us with no project management experience, and has over the last year navigated a steep learning curve around project management, and the complexity business critical software projects.   Divya is super smart, and has a strong career ahead of her – I’m glad she’s on that journey with Wubbleyou, and I’m glad that we’ve been fortunate enough to employ Divya and sponsor her under the Skilled Worker Visa!'\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What is your current position and what lead you to working for Wubbleyou?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Currently, I am working as an Project Manager at Wubbleyou. Its been a wonderful year working here. After finishing my Masters in business management at Northumbria University, I got this fantastic chance to work as a Project Manager at Wubbleyou. The job fits perfectly with what I studied, and I love how the company values align with my career goals. The work culture is super positive, and it's great to be part of a place that matches my vision for where I want to go in my career.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>How has your role evolved since you began a year ago?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>My role has evolved significantly over the past year. Initially tasked with supporting project activities and managing smaller tasks, I have taken on more responsibility and now oversee more projects. My skills in project management, communication, and understanding with in projects have developed, allowing me to handle complex challenges more effectively. I now find myself more involved in client interactions, ensuring their needs align with project objectives. Additionally, I've embraced a more strategic role, contributing to the overall planning and alignment of projects with the organization's goals. This evolution reflects my commitment to continuous learning and adapting to the dynamic landscape. Overall, my evolution involves a combination of increased responsibility, skill development, client interaction, and team leadership in the dynamic field of project.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What has been your biggest achievement this year?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>My biggest achievement this year would be implementing effective strategies to improve project delivery. By closely analysing and addressing bottlenecks, improving communication channels, and introducing more efficient project management processes, I gave my best in turning the tide with the help of my Ops manager, Emily Don who always helps me with continuous motivation and improvements wherever needed. These process improvements not only showcased but made me felt confident in my project management skills and also contributed to the overall success and satisfaction of both internal team and clients.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What has been your biggest challenge?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>One of the most significant challenges I faced as a project manager was navigating unexpected changes in project scope. Adapting to new requirements, managing stakeholder expectations, and ensuring the project stayed on track amidst evolving goals demanded careful communication and strategic planning. It required balancing flexibility with maintaining project timelines and resources, emphasizing the need for effective risk management and proactive problem-solving throughout the project.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>How has the business changed since you began? What would you like to see in the future?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>At Wubbleyou, things are always changing, and it's a good thing! We've been making big improvements, like changing how we do things within projects and within business growth. The best part is that we're not just waiting for things to change – we're actively looking for ways to get better and try new improvements.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Looking ahead as a project manager, I would hope for continued integration of streamlined communication tools, and an increased focus on sustainable practices. Additionally, fostering a collaborative work culture and investing in ongoing professional development for project teams would contribute to the overall success of future projects.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Has there been any particular project\u002Faspect of your job that you have enjoyed?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>I have enjoyed each and every project as there are a lot of new learnings and thinking process which is quite interesting to learn from all the projects. Seeing a project come together successfully due to the collective efforts of the team brings a great sense of accomplishment. This collaborative spirit not only enhances the quality of our work but also creates a supportive and engaging work environment, making each project a unique and rewarding experience to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Has there been any particular project\u002Faspect of your job that you have enjoyed?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>I have enjoyed each and every project as there are a lot of new learnings and thinking process which is quite interesting to learn from all the projects. Seeing a project come together successfully due to the collective efforts of the team brings a great sense of accomplishment. This collaborative spirit not only enhances the quality of our work but also creates a supportive and engaging work environment, making each project a unique and rewarding experience to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What's the best thing about working for Wubbleyou?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The best thing about working for Wubbleyou is the fantastic team environment. Everyone is supportive and collaborative, creating a positive and enjoyable workplace. Additionally, the company prioritizes professional growth, providing ample opportunities for learning and development. The innovative projects we tackle here make every day exciting, and the emphasis on work-life balance adds to the overall satisfaction of being part of the \"Wubbleyou family.\"\u003C\u002Fp>","2023-11-15T00:00:00+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:15.475223+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:15.564+00:00",{"id":670,"slug":671,"title":672,"description":673,"hero_image_url":674,"hero_image_alt":672,"body_html":675,"category":488,"author":603,"published_at":666,"reading_time_minutes":161,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":676,"updated_at":677},"fdecf858-6c3b-42cb-bd2a-04a4f66187d2","how-to-kickstart-your-software-project-for-maximum-roi","How to Kickstart Your Software Project for Maximum ROI","Answer? Build an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) First thing to say about an MVP is it means something different to everyone.","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002Fafe25edbb40d.png","\u003Cp>Answer? Build an MVP (Minimum Viable Product)\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>First thing to say about an MVP is it means something different to everyone. People struggle with the terminology, because it’s subjective. Different businesses will have different thresholds for an MVP.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>But it always comes down to this: what functions do you NEED the software to perform and what are your priorities?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Step 1: Minimum\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Firstly: who are your target market? Have you defined that?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Build a character profile, and go find them. Speak to them to really get to the root of their pain points. You want to conceptualise a product which allows them to solve their challenges and unlock opportunities. What’s the minimum level of functionality you need to alleviate their pain points?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Talking to your audience is a massively undervalued part of software development. And yet it is a vital step many scaling businesses miss out. You might have designed an app around a feature which your audience aren’t bothered about.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Step 2: Viability\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Viability is multi-facetted. It comes down to three main areas:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>·        How it looks and feels\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>·        The quality and completeness of interface and the benefit it offers\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>·        Robustness, security, and integrity. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Consider the points above in relation to your audience, and weight your effort according to what’s important to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Sense check what is the minimum required to include in your product to attract your target audience to use it. For example: if your business is in a safety critical industry, security (and an element of robustness) is a requirement for an MVP. If you’re a start-up bringing a new product to market that doesn’t have those kind of implications, MVP will mean different things for you. It can be a bit scrappy and buggy, because there aren’t dangerous repercussions.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Remember that if your MVP addresses a legitimate pain point, your audience might be willing overlook issues of functionality of the product, and the aesthetic of the interface etc.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Step 3: Product\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>This is where we come in.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We will work with you to list the features and benefits of your MVP and make sure it’s a problem worth solving. We often work with the 80\u002F20 rule. When we’re evaluating any feature, if 20% of the requirements require 80% of the effort, then you need to think about whether or not it’s essential. It might be a rogue criterion.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>This avoids tech debt. Building features that aren’t essential cause harm; it’s more work for the developers, more cost for you, and if it goes t*ts up, you’ll have to pay to remove them.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We build features that align to benefits. These features and benefits are then split into phases (or sprints). We then build a clickable prototype. It’s the step we use to demonstrate how the MVP will look and work.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>In summary:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>An MVP allows you to get a product out far earlier for less money:\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>1)        Because the product goes to market faster, you receive custom feedback more quickly, and this can generate revenue.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>2)        Reduces risk- you’re testing the concept, and the less you build, the less risk. It’s much more appropriate to build something that isn’t enough and customers demand it, rather than over build\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>3)        The more focused your MVP, the more focused the delivery partner is on building high quality functionality\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>","2026-05-05T23:47:16.236214+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:16.318+00:00",{"id":679,"slug":680,"title":681,"description":682,"hero_image_url":683,"hero_image_alt":681,"body_html":684,"category":582,"author":603,"published_at":685,"reading_time_minutes":383,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":686,"updated_at":687},"3949c93a-07e6-4f01-9ade-d7bd4774a816","interview-with-vincent","Interview with Vincent","This month our Business Analyst Vincent Odinakachukwu Onyeabor celebrates one year at Wubbleyou. Today we speak about his time with us.","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F1f17973af12a.jpeg","\u003Cp>This month, it will be one year since our Business Analyst \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fin\u002FACoAABCtI4sBTQ9M0H8qFQ7Eni72vohOvFgs4js\">Vincent Odinakachukwu Onyeabor\u003C\u002Fa> joined the team. He's written some of his insights from this time with us. It's fantastic to have Vincent with us, as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fin\u002FACoAAAWJzBQBAojaNRNjA7VA5ysFXvj34QKJqBc\">Mark Renney\u003C\u002Fa> says:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\u003Cem>\"Vincent has had a huge influence on the business, and is a force recognised by clients and the team alike – Vincent is a source of boundary pushing, continuous learning and eternal empathy, and a total hustler when it comes to axe throwing. We’re lucky to have Vincent in the team!\"\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>How has your role evolved since you began a year ago?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Since I joined a year ago as an associate business analyst, my role has evolved substantially in multiple ways. Initially, much of my time was dedicated to understanding the intricacies of our projects and aligning myself with the company's methodologies and processes. However, as I settled in, I quickly found myself diving deeper into the complexities of the software development consulting. My responsibilities spanned diverse areas, including stakeholder\u002Faccount management, requirement gathering, software testing, and strategic deliberations. Each of these roles converged towards a singular goal - fostering collaboration between our clients and internal teams to ensure seamless project delivery and clarification of ambiguities.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Furthermore, completing my master’s while simultaneously working, allowed me to bring fresh insights to the team, which not only deepened my expertise but also bolstered my capacity to contribute to projects in more profound ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Lastly, being exposed to diverse projects, each with its unique challenges and requirements, has refined my skills, making me a more versatile and effective business analyst. My journey over the past year has been marked by continuous learning, adaptation, and an expansion of responsibilities, positioning me for even greater contributions in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What has been your biggest achievement this year?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>This year, in addition to executing my duties as a business analyst, I completed my Masters in Information Science (Data Analytics), and was honoured to achieve a distinction. Balancing the rigorous demands of both my professional role and academic pursuit was no small feat. The challenge required me to develop and hone skills in time management, effective prioritisation, and multitasking.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Undertaking my academic programme while working at WUBBLEYOU LIMITED provided me with a unique vantage point. I could immediately apply theoretical knowledge from my studies to real-world scenarios at work, enhancing the depth and quality of my work. This synergistic relationship between my studies and work not only facilitated my academic success but also enriched my contributions to the company.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>I am immensely proud of this achievement. It was made possible not just through personal perseverance, but also with the unwavering support of my teammates at Wubbleyou. Their understanding and encouragement played a pivotal role in my journey, and I am deeply grateful for the collaborative and supportive work environment we share.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What has been your biggest challenge?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>One of the biggest challenges I faced this year was balancing my professional responsibilities at Wubbleyou with my academic commitments as I concluded my Masters degree. Managing the simultaneous demands of a fast-paced role and a rigorous academic programme required meticulous planning, adaptability, and resilience.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>At work, ensuring that I am consistently at my best and delivering solutions for our clients while dedicating ample time to my academic research was a continuous juggle. However, this challenge also became an avenue for immense personal and professional growth. It instilled in me a heightened sense of discipline and honed my multitasking abilities. Reflecting on this journey, I recognise the invaluable skills and insights I have gained from navigating this challenge, and it has been a testament to my determination and ability to thrive under pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>How has the business changed since you began? What would you like to see in future?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>In the rapidly evolving landscape of our industry, change is not only constant but also swift. New advancements in technology, coupled with the continuous quest for optimised processes, underscore the dynamic environment we operate in. Since joining Wubbleyou, the company has embraced this dynamism wholeheartedly. We have undergone significant transformations, from process overhauls to the creation of new roles, and even shifts in our strategic direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>What is commendable about Wubbleyou is our proactive approach to change. We are always on the lookout for avenues to improve, innovate, and adapt. These not only ensures that we remain at the forefront of industry advancements but also opens a plethora of opportunities. For those of us already within the business, it offers avenues for growth, learning, and taking on exciting new projects. Simultaneously, for prospective employees, it promises a vibrant and forward-thinking environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Looking ahead, I excited about the many growth opportunities that the future holds, as we continue in this growth trajectory and providing innovative solutions to our current and future clients.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Has there been any particular project\u002Faspect of your job that you have enjoyed?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Each project I have been a part of at Wubbleyou has always offered unique and enriching experience. However, what I particularly relish is the valuable impact of my contributions. I have had the privilege of contributing to delivering solutions that meet clients’ expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Stakeholder management stands out as one of the most fulfilling aspects of my role. The process of understanding diverse perspectives, aligning various interests, and ensuring that the final solution resonates with all involved parties is both challenging and rewarding. It is gratifying to see a project come to fruition, knowing that I have played a pivotal role in bridging the gap between our clients' visions and the technical prowess of our development teams.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>In essence, the satisfaction derived from knowing that our clients genuinely benefit from the solutions I have been a part of is unparalleled. It underscores the essence of my role and keeps me passionate about what I do.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What is the best thing about working for Wubbleyou?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The best thing about working for Wubbleyou is the people, the fact that we are encouraged to bring my authentic self to work, and the culture of continuous learning. The emphasis on professional growth is further augmented by the exciting and varied projects we undertake, which provide a platform to apply new knowledge and challenge oneself.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Also, the synergy and mutual respect shared among my teammates significantly enhance our work environment. Activities ranging from routine social gatherings to badminton games – a commendable initiative spearheaded by Divya vani Behera – keep our interactions lively and engaging. Beyond mere relaxation, these interactions play a pivotal role in team bonding, ensuring our collective efforts on projects are harmonious and productive.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Above all, there is genuine concern for the well-being of employees. This ethos translates into tangible actions and initiatives that prioritise our mental and physical health, reinforcing the sense that we are truly valued.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>In essence, working for Wubbleyou is a combination of professional growth, personal wellbeing, exciting challenges, and a sense of community. And that is just the tip of the iceberg!\u003C\u002Fp>","2023-11-05T00:00:00+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:16.918825+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:16.992+00:00",{"id":689,"slug":690,"title":691,"description":692,"hero_image_url":693,"hero_image_alt":691,"body_html":694,"category":530,"author":489,"published_at":695,"reading_time_minutes":383,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":696,"updated_at":697},"6c931c11-8181-4938-a5e9-23a435ba012d","one-mistake-tech-startups-make-while-developing-software","One mistake tech startups make while developing software","Many tech start-ups make a huge mistake developing software, here is why. We get many enquiries at Wubbleyou which begin like this:","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F4448d33d4057.png","\u003Cp>Many tech start-ups make a huge mistake developing software, here is why.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>We get many enquiries at \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fcompany\u002Fwubbleyou\u002F\">Wubbleyou\u003C\u002Fa> which begin like this:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🚀 Startup: We would like to develop a product which does X, Y, Z to solve {Insert very hard problem here}\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🧙 Wubbleyou: Great, that certainly sounds like our type of partnership. Bear with us while we ask some questions. What have you done to test {Insert very hard problem here} so far? How do you know it can be solved? Is there the demand?\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🚀 Startup: We anticipate testing that once we've built the MVP- it's the only way to test it\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🧙 Wubbleyou: It sounds like a hard problem. We agree it would be easier with bespoke software. But have you tried delivering it manually and testing demand? Have you tried cobbling something together in Excel or No Code?\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🚀 Startup: No, because we don't want to put potential customers off with something poor\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🧙 Wubbleyou: What if you invested time and money to build something amazing and they still don't want it? Does your business have the runway to invest in multiple iterations at this stage?\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🚀 Startup: Yea, that would be an issue..\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🧙 Wubbleyou: Can you think of any early adopters who would overlook issues in your prototype because they see genuine value in your idea?\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🚀 Startup: Yea, now that you mention it!\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>The reality is unless you can write code, building software without testing the core concepts is wasteful. It can be life threatening for your business. The first version should be scrappy and a bit embarrassing. But by using early adopters, you can test that the idea is commercially\u002Ftechnologically viable. What can be achieved in your team with 40-80 hours of time to test core assumptions?\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>I don't want clients:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>❌ To go insolvent\u003Cbr>❌ To whom we can't deliver value\u003Cbr>❌ With whom we won't build a long-term relationship\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>If we build software for clients with critical assumptions, the risk of one of these occurring is high.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>The best approaches from customers who succeed have built something scrappy to test it. They have then exhausted its lifespan before building a software product. They know it sells. They have customers crying out for changes they want to see. These started as:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>💡 Excel spreadsheets which make your eyes bleed\u003Cbr>💡 WordPress websites so overburdened with plugins, it's a miracle it even loads\u003Cbr>💡 Extremely manual process which works but doesn't scale\u003Cbr>💡 Using a no-code platform to make a prototype (We do this as a service!)\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>What do they all have in common? They're cheap to execute and can be improved rapidly until they reach their natural limitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>When their first iteration is generating revenue, and their customers require changes which are undeliverable in its current state? Then talk to us.\u003Cbr>We can create a custom platform with clear need\u002Fconfidence to unlock the next level of scalability.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>Do the absolute minimum to validate that {Insert very hard problem here} is worth solving before doing anything else. Your chance of success will be much higher.\u003C\u002Fp>","2023-11-03T00:00:00+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:26.132331+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:26.196+00:00",{"id":699,"slug":700,"title":701,"description":702,"hero_image_url":703,"hero_image_alt":701,"body_html":704,"category":582,"author":551,"published_at":705,"reading_time_minutes":656,"featured":21,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":706,"updated_at":707},"50b4f556-8d72-4535-8496-a503cf8b871d","who-is-your-digital-champion","Who is your Digital Champion?","Every team has a Victoria; someone who sees a better way and acts on it. What happens when you empower them?","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F2448f8e582dd.png","\u003Cp>“We haven’t got an IT Manager. But Victoria was getting really frustrated by our process and software, so she took ownership of it. She runs our software now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Sound familiar?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>When speaking with head honchos of successful scaling businesses in the 50-100 people range, it’s not uncommon to hear about a Victoria (in this example, there actually was Victoria! She was a junior staff member in a business of 10 people, which has grown into the 50-100 range).\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We want to tell you why every business needs a Victoria. A Victoria will challenge the status quo, and recognise when a process or software isn't effective. She will decide that there must be a better way of doing it, then take it upon herself to look for a better solution. She will find a better way of executing a process, and then bring that to the team.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The first time they do this, the option they pitch might receive a varied response. But it doesn’t matter: it’s the action they have taken which counts.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Victoria has struck the flint over the kindling, and if that ignition is fostered, if the team feed it with oxygen, it has the potential to ignite positive change through the rest of the business.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Victoria has recognised things could be better. There is a vision for the future which trumps the here and now. They have the motivation to enact that change within your business.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The typical challenge is that a person recommending improvement for process\u002Ftech likely does not have a technical background, so whilst they are motivated, they are more likely to fail than someone who has a technical\u002Fbusiness analyst background. This can create a troublesome scenario. You have someone who is aligned with the business and wants to create improvement. However, they may not have the ability to undertake  your digital transformation. So the question should now be: how do we empower them?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>You may be familiar with the following graphic:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002Fee553f9484e1.png\">\u003Cp>The ideal route would be to create space, protect time and empower and encourage your Victoria. Ideally, she would move from the bottom right into the top right quadrant. Over time, you might then create a role for Victoria which is solely related to digital adoption and empowering growth through technology. If they don’t receive that support, they continue to be frustrated by the issues, with the added resentment of not having being empowered to make the changes.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Businesses, by the volition of one digitally minded employee, have achieved amazing tech transformations. What businesses achieve without an IT manager is incredible. If you have a Victoria, do everything you can to support them in their role: you can’t afford to neglect tech, and if someone is interested in it, they are worth their weight in gold. Who is your Victoria?\u003C\u002Fp>","2023-10-12T00:00:00+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:27.653671+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:27.721+00:00",{"id":709,"slug":710,"title":711,"description":712,"hero_image_url":713,"hero_image_alt":711,"body_html":714,"category":582,"author":463,"published_at":715,"reading_time_minutes":520,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":716,"updated_at":717},"606d14da-9897-45c6-894e-cc7478de0b24","employee-insight-associate-project-manager","Employee Insight: Associate Project Manager","We indulge in a conversation with Divya, our Associate Project Manager to take us through a day in life ay Wubbleyou","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F1b71b3e6f0fb.png","\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What is your current position and what lead you to working for Wubbleyou? \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>I recently started working at Wubbleyou as an associate project manager and I am very excited about this opportunity. I firmly believe that essential leadership skills, communication, and team building are particularly important in simplifying the work. Because of my skills and passion for it, I believe I have the knowledge to succeed in this role and at the company. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>I am the kind of person who likes to see how the complex problems can be solved using technology and that is what exactly Wubbleyou does and I really like the work culture and support I receive from my team and these are the driving factors for me to join Wubbleyou.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Can you describe an average day? \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>I basically start my day at 9am and will check all the emails or slack channel and attend the stand up call at 10:15am with the team. Then I directly jump onto the tasks I need to finish. I attend few client meetings (maybe like 3-4) with the Business analyst and make notes on them. Then I focus back on the tasks that I was dealing with and if unsure about anything, would ask for help to the managing director and business analyst. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What are you most looking forward to? \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>I am looking forward to be a part of every amazing project that Wubbleyou has. In fact i'm looking forward to successful completion of project within timescale, meeting requirements and budget, collaborating with clients as well as colleagues.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What is your favourite thing about your job?\u003C\u002Fstrong> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>My most favourite thing about the job is the opportunity to work alongside my colleagues who are really being sweet, helpful and cheerful at each phase even though they're dealing with hell lot of things. Secondly, the flexibility it provides, which maintains the work-life balance. And lastly, meeting in person that creates work environment to focus on qualitative output and have some chit-chats in between and planning for some outdoor activities once in a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Something people might be surprised to hear about your job? \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>As an Associate Project Manager, I do have to manage the timescale, budget and the project to get better outcomes for client and our company. I also need to be a tech head to understand the process of developing, testing and delivering the project.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What’s coming up for you? \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Hopefully numerous projects to work with the lovely team and learning new skills\u002F certifications for improving teamwork and trying to adapt to new upcoming challenges.\u003C\u002Fp>","2023-09-23T00:00:00+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:14.952019+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:15.045+00:00",{"id":719,"slug":720,"title":721,"description":722,"hero_image_url":723,"hero_image_alt":721,"body_html":724,"category":488,"author":551,"published_at":725,"reading_time_minutes":235,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":726,"updated_at":727},"6192e8cb-90db-436a-b86b-9c790d4f34a8","why-scaleup-businesses-are-hurt-by-a-lack-of-technical-digital-strategy","Why scaleup businesses are hurt by a lack of technical\u002Fdigital strategy","Today we look into why scaleup businesses are hurt by a lack of technical\u002Fdigital strategy","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002Fc52d4a0ef197.png","\u003Cp>Close to one-third of IT decision-makers (32%) say that digital business has already helped their organization achieve revenue growth (with an average of a 23% increase) – according to IDG.  Are businesses which are not taking care of this missing out on a substantial increase in revenue? LinkedIn Sales Navigator suggests that there are ~360k MDs\u002FCEOs in the UK, but only 32k Technical Directors\u002FCTOs\u002FCIOs.  Based on this, back of the napkin maths creates an assumption that up to 91% of businesses have no one in the leadership team with a technical background.  The same search for businesses with a headcount of 11-500 people suggests that 87% of scaleups\u002FSME businesses suffer the same problem.How does this impact a business? Well, technology can be a complex subject.  As businesses, we outsource legal and accountancy services for the same reason.Businesses likely use accountancy software like Xero or FreeAgent, and on occasion use online software to generate lower risk legal documents (like a website privacy policy), but when it matters (like filing yearly accounts, or reviewing contracts), we use experts.Does the same happen with technology?It’s common for scaleup founders to understand their business, and the business strategy they have to drive it forward.  However, who is looking after the tech? Who is driving forward a digital strategy to empower your business strategy? Is this creating opportunity cost for the business? Is it important to have a technical strategy to align with business strategy?According to Adobe, digital-first companies are 64% more likely to achieve their business goals than their peers. That’s a hard figure to ignore.  Would accelerated digital transformation better able you to hit your objectives? If you already are, would higher adoption allow you to set more ambitious objectives?How is a competitor likely to compare who is doing this successfully? How will that impact your business? Warning signs that not doing this is negatively impacting business right now:In terms of day to day problems you may notice, we’ve compiled a handy list of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wubbleyou.co.uk\u002Fblog\u002Funcategorised\u002F21-indicators-that-lack-of-tech-is-slowing-scaleup-growth\">21 Indicators that lack of tech is slowing scaleup growth\u003C\u002Fa>, some of these are:Slow, manual and error prone processes rely heavily on paper or spreadsheet softwareReports are not accurate, not trusted and are slow\u002Fmanual to createData is not used to make evidence-based decisions, key decisions are made on assumption and not evidenceAdding more people just makes things slowerManual admin work leads to repeated mistakes Zooming out, we generally see these problems:There is no technical expert within the business, meaning tech is not an informed consideration when the leadership team make decisionsThere is little to no coordination amongst active projects (different people running projects with no coordination). There may be competing solutions\u002Fsoftware in the business (e.g. 2 reporting tools), or solutions which can’t talk to each other, making automation harderTechnology is put into place to fix current issues, without thinking longer term. Thus, this technology reaches a natural limitation and must be replaced later, after it’s already embedded into the business – this is painfulThe ROI generated, nor the problems solved by technology implemented, are not understood, meaning it’s not clear if it was worth doing or notProblems reoccur and build up over time, meaning more and more time is spent firefightingCompetitors are more competitive and innovative, and are accelerating this gap What should a technical\u002Fdigital strategy achieve?Ultimately, your business objectives. It is important that a technical strategy empowers the business, to ensure that the execution of this strategy leads to paddle strokes which match the drum beat of the business. Lack of coordination increases chance of failure.What should be empowered\u002Fachieved?Remember that digital & software are a conduit, not the objective. A technical strategy must demonstrate how it will enable business objectivesWhat are the key objectives in the business strategy? How will technology either empower or achieve these?\u003Cbr>undefinedAn understanding of where the business is now, what will need to change to allow this transformation?What does success look like? How do we measure whether the execution of the strategy is working or not?A digital strategy \u003Cem>\u003Cstrong>must not\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fem> act as an enabler of the blind adoption of technology because it seems like the right thing to do.  It \u003Cem>\u003Cstrong>must\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fem> empower business objectives.We recommend in our DIY Digital Transformation document an approach which considers at least the following:Adoption of technology & automation of processesUse of data to drive decision makingContinuous Digital ImprovementProcess documentation How do I do it?We have detailed in our DIY Digital Transformation document an approach to achieve this.Below we’ve listed some excerpts as questions:What are your business objectives, and how should tech be used to drive those forward?What does success look like? How will you measure that?What are the current pain points in your business?What will your business look like if you eliminated these pain points?Do you have your current processes mapped & documented? Is this documentation used? Would automating these generate a ROI?Are your processes enforced via software? Is it easy to make a mistake in any of your processes, or bypass key gate checks? Who should be involved?Less than 30% of a company’s technology vendors are actively involved in their digital transformations.A business implementing technology without an overall strategy, and lack of coordination between staff\u002Fsuppliers, is like a rowing boat where everyone paddles in different directions.  It is common in this situation to see the following pitfalls:Technology implemented for the ‘now’, not the long term, leading to problems later. e.g. duplication of effort and wasted time\u002FresourceA lack of communication, resulting in staff\u002Fsuppliers making decisions which negatively impact other solutions managed by other staff\u002FsuppliersNo single person has a top down strategic view of the whole tech landscape in the business, reducing coordination and increasing the chance of failure and surprises To reduce that risk, it’s important the following people are involved:Someone from the leadership team to steer at a high level & provide strategic input (e.g. a Technical Director\u002FCTO\u002FOperations Director\u002FCOO)Someone reporting to that person to manage the day to day execution of the planKey technology suppliers who manage key software\u002FinfrastructureFrom here, if there is someone overseeing all projects, and if everyone is aware of the plan, it reduces the changes of failure.It’s also worth considering who is able to champion this as a day to day activity from within the business?  Does anyone have the skillset, or is coachable?\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>Empowering a person to drive this forward day to day, ensures that it's not just thought and strategy, but that there is action driving the plan forward.We have no one with the technical experience to execute this, what next?It’s important that there is someone present who understands technology from a strategic perspective, and who is able to bridge that gap between business strategy and technical strategy.Relatively few SMEs have a CTO\u002Ftechnical director in the business, that person would normally fit the bill.If that is the case, the following are options:\u003Cstrong>Hire a CTO\u003C\u002Fstrong>“The median salary in 2019 for the job title CTO was 80,000. A chief technology officer in the bottom 10% of the salary range made 49,000” – CTO AcademyThere will be a natural point at which employing a CTO makes sense.  If you’re a technology business by nature, that is likely to be relatively earlier in the journey, especially if you’re looking to raise investment.\u003Cstrong>Hire a Virtual CTO\u003C\u002Fstrong>This may be a good bridge with a lower cost than a full CTO, but you’re paying consultancy rates, so expect to pay around £1-2k per month.\u003Cstrong>Use an existing technology partner\u003C\u002Fstrong>Providers like Wubbleyou strive to be more than just a software\u002Fsolution provider.  We often input (or lead) on wider technical strategy, simply because we’re the most technically capable entity involved with the client. We’re able to provide further value, as understanding and shaping long term technical strategy ensures we consider that when executing shorter term projects.When taking this approach, it’s important that you build a strong relationship with your solutions provider (like us) to ensure everyone is aligned.  It’s important to:Ensure that mutual trust existsEnsure everyone is honest & transparent. The strategy naturally involves solution provider (as they are probably delivering key elements) Why don’t businesses do it?IDG lists the biggest obstacles in achieving success with digital business as:Lack of sufficient budget (39%)lack of staff and\u002For correct skill sets (36%)the need to replace legacy systems (34%)cultural issues (33%)We also don’t know what we don’t know.  Without the technical expertise in the first place, how do business owners know what is possible?Let’s face it, it’s hard – but it has high reward when done correctly.  We recommend following a crawl, walk, run approach.  At a high level, this looks like:Understanding high level objectives (business strategy objectives), and create understanding of how tech would support this, create objectives for a multiyear technical strategy which align with business strategyUnderstanding easy wins, what are the painful\u002Fcostly processes in the business which if resolved would see an immediate Return on InvestmentUse this momentum to learn and create confidence\u002Fbuy in throughout the team, and free up budget for further reinvestment. This starts to become culturalIncrementally undertake more ambitious projects to increment closer to strategic objectives, by creating 90 day and 12-month objectives ConclusionTechnical\u002Fdigital strategy is hard, but rewarding when executed correctly.  Technology is a way to leverage your business strategy, and must be used to empower and accelerate the business towards the achievement of your business objectives.Digital-first companies are 64% more likely to achieve their business goals than their peersScaleups with no technical expert in their leadership team, are not likely equipped to create and execute a technical strategyScaleups who are using an external software\u002FIT provider, should involve them in technical strategyWhat are your barriers to creating and executing a technical strategy, and how could we help?\u003C\u002Fp>","2023-07-07T00:00:00+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:02.526673+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:02.613+00:00",{"id":729,"slug":730,"title":731,"description":732,"hero_image_url":733,"hero_image_alt":731,"body_html":734,"category":488,"author":551,"published_at":735,"reading_time_minutes":736,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":737,"updated_at":738},"13d73b99-e756-4cd2-8ea5-403df07d9967","21-indicators-that-lack-of-tech-is-slowing-scaleup-growth","21 Indicators that lack of tech is slowing scaleup growth","To help you identify the causes of these issue as they arise, we’ve listed below the most common we see & mitigate across our clients.","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F9d31ef01c7b0.png","\u003Cp>The only way you are going to have success is to have lots of failures first.\" – Sergey Brin, co-founder, Google\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Scaling a business is understanding that once a set of problems and pain points are resolved, there is another set behind that standing between you and further growth.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If these problems are not solved quickly enough, the business naturally becomes less efficient over time, less scalable, and less profitable.  For example, you may notice that as you grow your customer base, you require more customer service agents, but those customer service agents are able to service a decreasing revenue per agent as the your business scales.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>As Stephen Covey articulates in Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, if we spend all our time firefighting, and invest no time fixing the things which create the fires, we’ll always be firefighting.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>In your business, these indicators likely create a measurable decrease in revenue.  To help you identify the causes of these issue as they arise, we’ve listed below the most common we see & mitigate across our clients.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>1. Slow, manual and error prone processes rely heavily on paper or spreadsheet software\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Problem\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Probably the most identifiable issue.  It is common for a business to build their own process\u002Ftools using paper or Excel, as it’s an easy DIY approach.  This may seem great in the early stages, as it’s quick, easy and cheap to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>However, as you scale, you will hit natural limitations:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Reporting is difficult, time will be spent pulling data from lots of paper files or Excel sheets\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Reporting on this data is inaccurate if data captured is low quality, suffering from Garbage in, Garbage Out\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Data lost\u002Fdestroyed by accident, people overwrite each other’s work or there are competing versions of the same files\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>It becomes more manual and time consuming as you grow\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Solution\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Understand which key processes use paper\u002FExcel, and improve the process to use process driven software instead\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>If these processes are not documented, document them\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Understand which steps of the process create risk, and use software & automation to force the correct completion of a process (e.g. a user cannot move onto the next step of a process until they’ve completed the last step)\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>2. Reports are not accurate, not trusted and are slow\u002Fmanual to create\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Problem\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Bad reporting is usually caused by either bad input data, or the process to collect data being slow and manual.  For example, if you manage projects from Excel spreadsheets, this will be error prone in itself, and aggregating data from many sheets to generate one report is slow.  This means that:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>When these reports are scrutinised, you notice errors, such as it does not line up with data in accounting software\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Reported data is not trusted, and leads to surprises\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Time is wasted collecting this data to generate the reports\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>This increases stress, as reports are seen as inaccurate, and can sometime provide data at odds with other sources. It’s not known what to believe\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Solution\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Identify and resolve key issues which enable the collection of bad data, e.g.:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Col style=\"--list-style-type: none;\">\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>If data can be validated on input, make sure it is (like a postcode, or a date)\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>If data collection is slow or involves slow manual steps, automate it\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>If data is collected from lots of sources and merged (like suppliers), provide an easy way to collect that data from them, and automate validation of the data\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Fol>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Automate report generation by implementing a Business Intelligence dashboard like Metabase, Alteryx or Microsoft Power BI\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>3. Data is not used to make evidence-based decisions, key decisions are made on assumption and not evidence\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Problem\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Without accurate reports, we are not able to make evidence-based decisions.  When decisions made are not based on evidence, it is not possible to assess whether they had a positive impact over the situation you are attempting to influence.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>A common situation is intuitively knowing that a process consumes more time\u002Fmoney than it should, or noticing direct costs occurring because of mistakes, but not knowing exactly how to better the situation. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Having the capability to measure the situation before and after a change gives clarity on whether the decision created a positive or negative result.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>This means that:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>KPIs may exist for high level objectives such as net margin, or revenue, but it is not clear exactly what actions contribute to that goal, positively or negatively\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>It is not known which improvements will lead to the highest Return on Investment if completed, or the order to best implement improvements\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>When changes in process are immortalised, it is not clear to all involved exactly why this change is required – this could lead to lower buy in\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Solution\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Understand what contributes to a KPI, e.g. for Revenue and Net Profit:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Col style=\"--list-style-type: none;\">\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>If data can be validated on input, make sure it is (like a postcode, or a date)\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>If data collection is slow or involves slow manual steps, automate it\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>If data is collected from lots of sources and merged (like suppliers), provide an easy way to collect that data from them, and automate validation of the data\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Fol>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>4. Adding more people just makes things slower\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Problem\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>In software, there is an observation called Brook’s law, which is that adding more resource to a project actually further delays it, as it creates extra overhead in terms of communication and collaboration which also decreases the efficiency of those already on the project, leading to a net loss in productivity.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Similar issues can occur when scaling a business, where adding more people creates an organisational wide drop in productivity.  Common reasons for this are:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Lack of process documentation, meaning more mistakes occur, and a high level of time investment from veteran staff required to train newcomers\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Lack of software which enforces the ‘right’ process, allowing mistakes to occur, creating friction in the existing team\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Using non-scalable methods to manage workload, e.g. paper or Excel, which increases in complexity as more people are added to the process\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>This can create a negative feedback loop if not addressed.  If the people with knowledge trapped in their head leave the business before it is documented, new staff have even less to work with\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Solution\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Identify key processes, and document them (We have a handy guide to document processes as part of a digital transformation here), allowing others with minimal training to follow them\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Identify business critical knowledge which is only held in people’s heads, document that, and ensure others may now complete this process\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Implement scalable software which enforces the correct process. Do you have key steps, or documentation\u002Finformation which must be collected? Ensure a user cannot proceed unless they complete this correctly\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Identify and log issues which happen over and over, and then adjust the process\u002Fsoftware to prevent these occurring again\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>5. Manual admin work leads to repeated mistakes\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Problem\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>When a process is not enforced via software, it’s possible to deviate from the process, and make mistakes in doing so.  Manual repetitive tasks such as data entry or report generation are error prone, and may create mistakes which are hard to spot. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If data is moved around manually, or there is a reliance on data entry, there is likely room for automation.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Common reasons for this are:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>It’s boring!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>We get complacent. As workload increases, less time may be spent per repetitive task just to get through them all quicker.  There isn’t the time to be thorough\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Shortcuts are possible because it’s not enforced,\u003Cem> “I don’t have the postcode? I’ll just write ‘N\u002FA’”\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Solution\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Use our guide to understand your Return on Investment through automation, allowing you to understand what to automate first\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Use software to automate admin work which generates the highest ROI\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>6. Data is not validated when inputted, leading to 'garbage in, garbage out'\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Problem\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Paper forms and Excel spreadsheets generally have a poor capability to validate the data recorded within them.  For example, what is stopping an invalid postcode being recorded, or someone recording a date in the future for a date of birth?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>When data is not recorded correctly, this creates friction in several areas:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>If this activity is audited later, especially by a 3rd party.  This creates stress, especially if work must be re-done\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>This creates issues when reporting on data. If this data itself is low quality, the reports based on this will also be unreliable\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>If the data is important, you’ll have to rectify it later on\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Without this enforcement, staff will have their own way of doing things, and the data will be ‘inconsistently inconsistent’, where it’s not even predictable what inconsistencies will occur\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Solution\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Use software to validate data on input, against your validation criteria. For example, a form which collects email addresses would validate that the field is a valid email address before allowing the form to be saved\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>If data is submitted by 3rd parties (e.g. suppliers, customers etc), provide an online portal to allow them to do this securely, and validate the data on input\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>7. Reacting to surprises, rather than proactively course correcting, & there is no technical strategy\u002Fplan\u002Froadmap in place to resolve these issues as they occur\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Problem\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>An inability to use data to forecast creates a situation where you’re mostly firefighting rather than tackling issues before they manifest into larger problems.  An extreme example of this would be to generate financial reports only at year end, meaning you have no information on revenue\u002Fprofit until the end of the year.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>This can create a negative feedback loop where firefighting is the only thing you have time for, reducing the time spent on long term development which solves the underlying issues.  7 Habits of Highly Effective People details this prioritisation as First things first.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Typical examples here might be a report showing an overspend or a loss after it has occurred, so that it is now not preventable.  This means:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>There is increased stress\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>The time firefighting this issue reduces the time you may spend on longer term growth\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Unless the underlying issue is resolved (e.g. regular reporting), it will likely happen again\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Firefighting usually requires a larger time investment than minor course corrections, and is normally performed under duress\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>If this problem is not done, typical issues involve:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Seeing the same problems occur over and over\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Reduced profitability due to decreased efficiency over time\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>A high degree of frustration amongst the team\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Time spent firefighting increases over time\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>You will not immortalise these learnings into process\u002Fnor software, making it highly likely to reoccur\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Solution\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>You may have ideas how you would improve aspects of the business, especially when those surprises which keep reoccurring.  It’s important to capture these issues, understand the cost when they occur, and then perform a Root Cause Analysis to understand all the factors which allowed this to happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Once this is complete, you will have a priority list (which you can order by Return on Investment if resolved), and an understanding how to churn through these.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Begin tracking reoccurring problems in a tool like Trello, and quantify the cost per occurrence in time & money, every time it occurs\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Prioritise this list of reoccurring issues, and understand if solutions exist for these in this blog post\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>8. Duplicate of effort across many systems, and they all say different things\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Problem\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>It’s common to use different methods\u002Fsoftware to track the various stages involved when you deliver your product\u002Fservice.  E.g., you may use accounts software like Xero to track finance, but use Excel spreadsheets, or project management software to track service delivery.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>When this data is moved around manually, it’s common for data entry issues to occur, leading to inconsistencies in reporting between the two.  Which do you trust?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>This leads to the following:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Distrust in the data\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Time spent ‘learning the truth’\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Increased stress. You could be looking at a large cash discrepancy, and you need to learn ASAP how that has happened and why, only to learn an invoice was recorded twice by accident\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Friction in the team and increased stress\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Competing, and\u002For inaccurate reporting\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Solution\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Document the process so that it is understood how, and why you move data in this way\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Ensure each key step is managed by a competent and fit for purpose piece of software (e.g. Xero for accounting)\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Create automated integrations between the software you use, to ensure that data flows manually, mitigating the need to manually move data\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>9. Lack of process documentation, not improvement\u002Fautomation of processes based on documentation\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Problem\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>A business naturally starts out with no documentation, and arguably, needs very little in the early stages.  As a business scales, lack of documentation will create inefficiency and mistakes which build up over time.  This creates inconsistency & confusion as more people are added, and when key people leave and take that knowledge with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>When there is no documentation, it is also not easy to understand how to automate or make this more efficient.  When we are evaluating this from a development point of view, one of our first tasks is to work with the client to document the process for this reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Without this, there are several key issues which usually occur:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>It’s hard to hold someone to account when they’ve done something wrong, if it’s not clear what the right way is\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>It’s not easy to understand how a process could be improved if it’s not documented, how do you evaluate a process and tweak it for the better?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Different staff do it in different ways, creating unpredictability\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Onboarding new staff is harder, and they are less likely to be able to work autonomously, as they cannot follow a documented approach\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>As you scale, it’s harder to sub-designate your responsibilities as they are probably stored in your head\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>It’s harder to understand how to use software or automation to make the process more efficient\u002Feffective, as there are no documented processes to evaluate the software against to be sure it caters for the existing process, or an improved version of the process\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Solution\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Implement software to store your documentation Examples in our DIY Digital Transformation document (section 3.2.2.3)\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Lead from the top, document key processes, and encourage the team to follow, review and improve these continuously, whilst they follow them\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>10. People have their own way of doing things, a process is not enforced through software\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Problem\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>When a completely new activity is to be undertaken within a business, it’s reasonable to allow someone stewardship over this, in that you only care about the results, not how the task is completed.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>However, when scaling an existing process, or sub designating one, it would be wasteful and messy to not develop a consistent and repeatable process for all to follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Typically, when this happens the following problems occur:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Recurring problems you thought you’d solved are now reappearing, as that knowledge was not documented and is not available to newcomers\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>The results are unpredictable\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>The unpredictability creates friction and frustration “Why was it done like that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>If you output a product\u002Fservice for your clients, the outputted quality may vary, causing friction with your clients\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>If software is not enforcing this process, key steps\u002Fdeliverables may be accidently missed. g., what would happen if you delivered a service\u002Fproduct to a client without first signing a contract?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Solution\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Document the key processes so that it’s understood how and why activities are undertaken\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Enforce the process via software to ensure that the process is followed correctly\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>11. A physical presence is required to complete certain tasks, whereas theoretically, that could be done remotely (e.g. collecting a wet signature)\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Problem\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>COVID-19 is a great example of this.  Suddenly, many businesses who theoretically could operate remotely were either forced to do so (albeit with difficultly), or faced increased difficultly operating at a physical location.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If this involves a non-fixed location (e.g. client offices), at best it is inefficient, and at worst, the process is completely blocked as you are not permitted to visit a client’s office.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>For one business, we recently worked out with them that visiting client locations with paperwork carried a chunky 6-figure cost over 3 years, whereas it was possible to deliver this automatically and remotely with custom software – a fantastic return on investment for software!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>This usually carries several other problems:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Remote working is likely to become the norm, businesses not allowing this may be at a recruitment disadvantage\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>There is a time penalty when travel is involved, if these activities could be done remotely (or better, completely automated), there is likely a high ROI by doing so\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>A physical location required may indicate that other risks are present. For example, does the process require access to a physical server or paperwork located in the office? What would happen if these were destroyed in a fire?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Solution\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Document the key processes, understanding which elements currently require a fixed location, and redesign to remove a physical location as a requirement\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Identify steps in a process which rely on paper\u002Fexcel and wet signatures, and understand how these could be replaced\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Where possible, utilise off the shelf software to replace physical alternatives (e.g. Adobe Sign for digital signatures, or Teams and Miro for online consultations)\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>12. It has not been assessed how much a key process costs in terms of staff time & money, so it is not understood how to prioritise future improvement\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Problem\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Where the cost of key activities are not known, it can not be known the benefit of improving these, nor if the cost is increasing over time.  If you intuitively know that a process is inefficient, you will benefit from understanding the true cost to back up your assumption with evidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The best way to assess this is to simply add up the time required in hours, and multiply it by your employee’s hourly salary cost, and add in any direct costs with this.  Simply multiple this cost with the number of times this occurs per year to understand the yearly cost of this process.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>This may surprise you, some manual processes will consume thousands of hours per year, which could be automated, equating to the salary of several people.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>In a business of 20 people, we often see that the equivalent of 1-2 roles per year are automatable\u003C\u002Fstrong>, allowing those businesses to scale more efficiently and allow current staff to deliver more value with their time.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Without this, the following become apparent:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>You may have lots of ideas on how to improve efficiency, but no measurable way to understand how to do this, or the order in which to tackle these problems\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>It’s not known which elements of a process profit are generating. Is an activity costing more than it generates in revenue?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>It is harder to forecast future revenue as you scale. If you want to grow revenue by 50%, what does that mean in terms of required resource, and also net profit?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Solution\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Collect data which allows for the evaluation of the cost of sale and the cost of delivery of a service\u002Fproduct\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>If possible, collect this in a more granular way, using a time tracking tool like HarvestApp. Understanding the time tasks\u002Fprojects takes in aggregate allows you to quickly see what the biggest time sinks are\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Use this data to unveil surprises, and assess what would generate the biggest ROI if improved and completely automated\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>13. Processes\u002Fsoftware is 'not easy', and is a source of frustration\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Problem\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>It’s usually self-evident when a process is inefficient, it likely has lots of manual steps, and mistakes are made which create frustration across all level of the business.  The process may also have lots of work arounds which make sense to people who’ve been in the business for some time, but are strange to newcomers who see it as a strange way to work.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Sometimes it may appear that a particular person is the source of these problems (which may be the case), but the root cause could also be that the process is weak and not documented correctly.  This creates differing expectations between yourself as a manager\u002Fdirector, and the person who is executing the process. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The one Minute Manager articulates that “Good performance begins with clear goals and expectations”.  When expectations differ, friction occurs.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Common causes for this are:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>No\u002Fweak documentation\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>There is no documented expectation of what the successful outcome of a process is\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>No easy way to measure a KPI, and thus, no easy way to measure success\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Using paper, excel or software which has not been updated for some time to run the process\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>There are many work arounds, and the experience when completing the task feel disjointed\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Lots of multi-tasking “I need to open this, and this, then go back to that, then into this” etc\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>The software\u002Fprocess was created some time ago, people say “We don’t know what that is\u002Fdoes so we don’t touch it”\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Solution\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Improve documentation to state for the processes in question, why it is done, what a successful outcome looks like and what the next steps\u002Factions are\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Ensure that KPIs linked to a process are easily exposed\u002Fcalculated, so that it’s obvious quite quickly if the process has gone off track\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Where there is lots of multi-tasking, assess how to implement software which is capable of handling the whole process, or use automation\u002Fintegration to connect multiple pieces of software\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Ensure that software is either actively maintained, or replaced if it is no longer fit for purpose (e.g. sage 50 met end of life in 2013, but still used by many organisations)\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>14. The leadership team\u002Fdirectors are wasting valuable time firefighting or manually piecing together information, e.g. reports in excel\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Problem\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The director’s time is arguably the most valuable and sort after time in the organisation – it’s a commodity which must be protected.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>However, when scaling an organisation, you will likely find yourself tackling new sets of problems, or generating different types of reports as you grow.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Because of this, it’s crucial to fix underlying issues to problems, and automate report generation as it becomes known what is useful.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>On the reporting front, it’s useful for you to be able to easily ask questions and generate reports without a high manual time penalty.  This becomes possible if you connect your key software with Business Intelligence tools such as Microsoft Power BI or Metabase.  If reporting is not automated, the following issues generally occur:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Reports generated have a high time penalty sourcing data\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Manually managing and merging data creates risk of mangling the data, and making the report inaccurate\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>If you believe there is an inaccuracy, it can be difficult to know why. You may spend longer understanding what has caused the inaccuracy than it did to create the report\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Solution\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Automate report generation by implementing a Business Intelligence dashboard like Metabase, Alteryx or Microsoft Power BI\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>15. You are scaling your team proportionately faster than your customer base\u002Frevenue, leading to a reduced net profit over time\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Problem\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Non-revenue generating elements of this are natural and justified, for example, a management structure or an accounts\u002FHR element are required once certain milestones are reached.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>However, when assessing the revenue per head of those directly in delivery, if this is decreasing over time it could indicate that the business as a whole is less efficient when discounting the new required business functions. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Solution\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>When this happens, it’s important to assess:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Is the true cost to deliver the product\u002Fservice understood? Is it possible to identify directly the causes of the reduced efficiency?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Are the correct reports\u002Fmetrics generated automatically and monitored in a way to tackle issues proactively rather than reactively?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Are the root causes for issues tackled, with permanent solutions created and enforced via software and strong documented process?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Is automation leveraged correctly?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>16. Spot checking is constantly revealing issues, or quality lower than expected.  Audits are stressful because confidence in previous work is low\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Problem\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>This creates stress as spot checking leads to an exercise of frustratingly seeing the same issues reoccur, and direct reports being held to account on this.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>This is an even more stressful issue when you must submit yourself to an external audit (e.g. as a part of a contracted delivery), and they then raise the issues which you must resolve.  In this case, not only are you reacting to fix issues, there may also be an element of reputational damage control.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Solution\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Although other issues may be at play, it’s also worth assessing whether the following are contributing to this:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Are expected outcomes for a process documented in a way which identifies pitfalls and success factors, so it’s understood what the correct outcome is?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Are Root Cause Analysis’ performed on reoccurring issues, with fixes identified and implemented for these issues?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>When a root cause is identified, is a change of process made and followed to prevent this from happening?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Are these changes in process enforced via software, with the correct safeguards in place to prevent harmful deviations in process?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Is the correct reporting in place in an automated way to ensure your direct reports are able to see for themselves when something is going off track, so they are able to proactively course correct before it’s an issue for you?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>17. Customers require a high level of management via phone\u002Femail, often with staff responding manually to the same queries across the customer base\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Problem\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If your services\u002Fproducts evolve to become more complex, and you also grow your customer base & staff count, your customer service requirement becomes exponentially more complicated.  Providing high quality customer service will become more difficult over time without the capability to adapt to this. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Common issues are:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>An agent is not easily able to see a single source of truth on a customer, containing all of their information and history\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>An agent is manually calling\u002Femailing a customer to provide updates, when these could be easily automated\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Key parts of the customer journey are not automated, which create a high manual time requirement for your business (e.g. customer submits information in a Word document, and one of your team manually transcribes that into some other software)\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Customers cannot easily solve their own problems through an online helpdesk\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Solution\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Customer service management software like ZenDesk or FreshDesk may mitigate this, unless your requirements are more complex and require a very unique process. In such a situation, you’d approach a custom software provider like Wubbleyou to help.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>18. Culturally, people within the business prefer to 'do it the way we always have', there is apprehension to exploring or using new technology\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Problem\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Apprehension around changing something which works is understandable, and it’s important to understand and address these concerns.  Change creates risk for that particular person and may push them outside of their comfort zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>It’s important to work with these stakeholders to alleviate their legitimate concerns, and help them buy into an improved way of working.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>However, if not addressed, lack of change or continuous improvement leads to stagnation, and stagnation is falling behind if your competition is marching on.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If this involves a core system in your business, this may now form a chokepoint which holds hostage potential improvement across other areas.  For example, older businesses may still use Sage 50 as accounting software, which has not been supported since 2013, and is also very difficult to integrate with.  Because you can’t integrate with it, you’re likely manually moving data in\u002Fout of the software, creating risk and inefficiency.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>In reality, migrating to cloud accounting software like Xero or FreeAgent will make everyone’s lives easier, and it means that the integration capability opens automation possibilities which weren’t on the table before.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Common problems caused by this are:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>A mindset of ‘we cannot do that’, vs ‘what if we did that?’\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>A fear by staff that increased efficiency might lead to reduced opportunity or redundancy\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Lack of sustained continuous improvement, leading the business being outpaced by competition over time\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Other areas of the organisation which could be improved by automation & efficiency are held hostage by this\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Technology does not keep pace with the growth of the business, causing it to become less efficient over time\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Solution\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Start with ‘early adopters’ within your business, find the people who are excited and motivated by this positive change, and start by empowering them to achieve it\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Work with the team to understand how this creates win-win situations for the business, and them as people. What is boring\u002Fstress for them? Is there cross over between those activities and a positive ROI for the business if changed?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>19. Data is 'siloed’, software is not connected so we move data around manually which is slow and error prone\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Problem\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>As you scale your business, it’s natural to find software to fulfil particular business functions.  For example, you may use Xero for accounting, Microsoft 365 for email & an office suite, and then project management software (or excel) to manage your day to day workflows.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>You may then find that ‘nothing talks to each other’, and that your team are spending a lot of time moving this data around manually, creating some of the problems mentioned earlier in this article around this.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>It also means that reporting is more difficult, as data must be pulled from several sources to get a complete picture, and generate the reports you require.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Common problems with this are:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Pressing ahead with new software without assessing how this will work in the longer-term plan creates risk if it needs to be replaced later\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Moving data around manually creates risk and inefficiency, and makes reporting harder\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Solution\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Zapier is a good off the shelf tool to connect various apps and begin to automate workflows. However, you may notice that this has limitations and may not achieve exactly what you need.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Further to this, connecting these apps to a business intelligence solution may help reporting requirements, but may also be a complex process.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Creating a wider digital strategy will help you avoid these issues in the future, as once you’ve set out the problems you want to solve (inline with your wider strategic objectives), it becomes clearer what software you require to solve these problems. It’s then easier to assess this as a part of a wider roadmap, and understand how you want this to all connect in the future.  Understanding this will allow you to disqualify software which does not align with this in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Wubbleyou are integration & automation experts, and are able to assist with this strategy if required.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>20. You don't know what you don't know, how do you fix these issues?\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Problem\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Sometimes we aren’t even aware that an issue exists until someone points it out to us, hopefully this article has helped you with that!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Setting out a roadmap and turning this into a technical strategy which supports your business objectives will help unearth the intricate issues which are reducing scalability, that could be solved by technology.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Problems if this is not done:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Problems\u002Fsolutions may be short sighted and not consider the longer-term objectives.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>There may be opportunity cost by not solving issues simply because nobody has identified that they exist in the first place\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Solution\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Hopefully, this blog post has helped a little!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Engage with a business like us to further unearth problems. A business like ours which is good at what it does, will likely unearth items during a consultation which would generate a positive ROI when resolved\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>21. There is a vision, but it's not known how to turn that into a technical strategy to achieve the vision\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Problem\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Turning a ‘why’ and a ‘what’ into a ‘how’ can be difficult, especially if it is an area like tech, which is not in your area of expertise.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>This may mean that progress is sporadic and inefficient, especially if you have to back track as projects completed in isolation do not work together.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Solution\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We have detailed how to DIY a digital transformation plan as a white paper\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We are also able to assist you directly with this, and work with you to identify problem areas in your business which could generate a positive Return on Investment by developing scalable software to solve these problems to empower customer growth, automation and efficiency.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>Conclusion\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>These issues can be categorised into 4 main areas (detailed in our DIY a digital transformation plan):\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Adoption of technology & automation of processes\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Use of data to drive decision making\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Continuous Digital Improvement\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli data-preset-tag=\"p\">\u003Cp>Process documentation\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Levelling up your business in these areas will allow you to resolve problems faster, and increase profitability over time through automation and efficiency.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>How many of these resonate with you? Do you feel that some of these are slowing your growth?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>We’re here to help! Get in touch to talk these through and discuss how you could solve these problems.\u003C\u002Fp>","2023-05-12T00:00:00+00:00",11,"2026-05-05T23:46:56.192718+00:00","2026-05-05T23:46:56.234+00:00",{"id":740,"slug":741,"title":742,"description":743,"hero_image_url":744,"hero_image_alt":742,"body_html":745,"category":488,"author":489,"published_at":746,"reading_time_minutes":161,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":747,"updated_at":748},"202908ef-ef5c-4fa5-9d55-426ed93488cf","wubbleyou-12-years-on","Wubbleyou 12 years on","We speak to Mark Renney the Managing Director about how the landscape for Software Development has changed, & his learnings with scaling businesses.","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002F4275e2f20710.jpeg","\u003Cp>Wubbleyou was founded on the 5th of March 2010. 12 years on, we chatted to Mark Renney the Managing Director, about how the landscape for Software Development has changed, and his learnings with scaling businesses.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What did Wubbleyou look like 12 years ago?\u003C\u002Fstrong>Wubbleyou was 2 people, my business partner Mike and I (whom I bought out in 2020).  We started the business during a gap year at Northumbria Uni in 2009 and incorporated in 2010, during the ‘great recession’.  We were given lots of support by the Northumbria uni incubator (which still exists today under Graham Baty!), including office space.We did small bits of software development, but focused more on website design.  This was around the time ‘mobile friendly’ websites were becoming a thing, which presented opportunity for us.From a business perspective, literally everything was new to us and we were pretty naïve, but we were confident in our abilities!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>How are things different now?\u003C\u002Fstrong>Much has changed. In 2017 we decided to scale the business and as part of that we pivoted away from website design into pure software development as this was where we added the most value. This seemed scary at the time as web design still made up around 50% of our revenue and our plan was to axe this revenue stream within 6 months, but it remains one of the best decisions made in the business. We’re now 10 people and focussing on custom software development and technical consultancy, partnering with scaling businesses (our clients) to empower their business objectives and solve their challenges with technology.We also have a team who are the business, and it’s also our job to empower the people in that team to reach their own objectives in their career (and sometimes life). \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What's been the most exciting project that you have worked on?\u003C\u002Fstrong>Flaky answer but I genuinely enjoy them all – all our clients have ambitious missions and strong visions, supporting them is exciting.If I had to pick, it would be the work we do with the Department for Education on the National Apprenticeship Awards – we built and maintain complex software to manage the process, and the DfE orchestrate many stakeholders in a frankly awe-inspiring way to make it work every year.A favourite would be a phone app we built for the University of Southampton as part of a study to track the movement and behaviours for 1000s of freelancers across the UK.  During internal testing our team had this on our phones to test efficacy, and the morning after a team night out I submitted a bug report as it was showing we were at a pub for 30m that I could not remember – the team swiftly corrected me as turns out we were there and that I even bought a round: the app was right 🤷. \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What has been your biggest challenge and have you overcome it?\u003C\u002Fstrong>Not in a bad way, but I’m always acutely aware of the amount I’ve personally had to change and adapt throughout the growth of a business.  Like many others, I started the business because I was good at something (software development), but it is a completely different skillset running a scaling software development business.  The development skills are super useful, but layering on top of that finance, people, operations, sales etc was not expected at the outset.Self-awareness around my own limitations, what I can learn and what I must find better people to do, has helped.  Lots of reading and trying to turn ‘I don’t know what I don’t know’ into ‘I know what I don’t know’ helps too. I’m always learning.The business itself faces new challenges every day, as we’re solving complex technological problems with our clients and at the same time facing our own as we scale.  But we have frankly, a class team of people and we do our best to empower each other to successfully solve these challenges.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Where would you like to see Wubbleyou in 5 years' time?\u003C\u002Fstrong>I want Wubbleyou to be a significant value contributor to the north-east, through the ROI we deliver for scaling businesses, the knowledge we give back and the people we empower.  Pragmatically, we’re executing a plan to scale to 25 people to increase the scale at which we deliver our value.\u003C\u002Fp>","2022-03-05T00:00:00+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:10.67543+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:10.807+00:00",{"id":750,"slug":751,"title":752,"description":753,"hero_image_url":754,"hero_image_alt":752,"body_html":755,"category":582,"author":756,"published_at":757,"reading_time_minutes":235,"featured":465,"is_active":21,"sort_order":466,"created_at":758,"updated_at":759},"a05416aa-e55f-48d4-a533-738c438f7741","employee-insight-project-manager","Employee Insight: Project Manager","We're recruiting for a Project Manager for Maternity cover, so we chat with Emily about her job and what we're looking for in a future candidate","https:\u002F\u002Fnqvtgsnvkuompyhdclct.supabase.co\u002Fstorage\u002Fv1\u002Fobject\u002Fpublic\u002Ffiles\u002Fblog\u002Fb75f2dcd155b.png","\u003Cp>In this blog, we are talking to our current Project Manager Emily. We're recruiting for a Project Manager for Maternity cover, so we thought we would use the opportunity to chat to Emily about her job and what we're looking for in a future candidate...\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>How long have you been working at Wubbleyou?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>I’ve been at Wubbleyou since May last year. I had worked as a Project Manger for 3 years before then at a large company.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What does an average day look like?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>There’s no such thing as an average day! We have a Standup meeting every day at 10am with all of the developers. From there, everyone gets to work. For me, that can be talking to clients, consulting budgets, looking at support desks, looking at action projects and where we are in sprints, or liaising with Mark (our Managing Director) on upcoming projects. Because it’s a small company, there’s a requirement to wear a number of hats, so I’m in charge of Service management too! I also look at Recruitment. Mark and I work together on strategic operations too.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>I also explore future projects with existing customers- we always want to build lasting relationships with our clients. That’s crucial.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What would really impress you about a candidate for the PM role?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>As a company that’s scaling, we need someone to drive that change forward. We would like someone who would get stuck into our processes, and bring about positive and meaningful improvements. We have achieved such a lot in the time I’ve been here, so it’s a really exciting time to join - I’m really looking forward to seeing what further successes the company can make.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Something that is essential in the candidate?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Because Wubbleyou is a small company, You have to be confident in your own abilities and decision-making, as you would be the only project manager. This would suit someone who is used to working autonomously.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What has been your favourite project to work on?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The National Apprenticeship awards were really fun. We do it every year, and it’s always a great project. It runs from April to December. The team is really supportive, and because we had a lot of involvement- from the website, to streamlining the application software, to live-streaming the event- it was a really good varied project to work on. And we attend the event every year; so it’s always fun to go to London!\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What’s the best thing about working for Wubbleyou?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The best thing about working for Wubbleyou is the ability to get things done. Because it’s a small company, there is no unnecessary red tape or bureaucracy. It’s a very transparent place to work, and it’s easy to get everyone on board and implement change. There is no blame culture at Wubbleyou; if something goes wrong, the focus is on fixing the problem. Mark and the team are always looking at the best ways to improve things, so challenge is welcomed and ideas are always discussed.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>If you're interested in this role, please see our \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wubbleyou.co.uk\u002Fcareers\u002F\">careers\u003C\u002Fa> page for more information.\u003C\u002Fp>","Emily","2021-01-12T00:00:00+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:04.935032+00:00","2026-05-05T23:47:05.035+00:00"]