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Thoughts and ideas on how to build tools, automate workflows and speed-up the workplace.

Top 5 Free Field Service Management Software Tools

Field service management can be a mission-critical process for a wide range of businesses, from large enterprises to small contractors. Therefore, the tools that we use to handle this are central to our bottom line. Today, we’re looking at a range of options for free field service management software. However, this is a slightly tricky question. As we’ll see, there are a few approaches to handling field services without incurring big licensing costs for a COTS solution.

Ronan McQuillan

May 21, 2024

Throwaway Prototyping | In-Depth Guide

Throwaway prototyping is an alternative way of thinking about building applications. Prototypes play several vital roles in the development process. For instance, providing proof of concept, fleshing out NFRs, experimenting with ideas, or simply gathering feedback. There’s an innate tension here though. On the one hand, prototyping obviously drains resources. Namely, development hours and the labor costs that come along with them. On the flip side, this expenditure can be hugely beneficial, or even completely central to a project.

Ronan McQuillan

Mar 19, 2024

What are the Components of an API?

Knowing the components of an API is obviously important for setting them up to do what you want. Otherwise, how can you ever expect to use them correctly? Today, we’re covering everything you need to know. We’re going to take each of the constituent parts of an API in turn and explain exactly what they are, what they do, and how you can use them. Along the way, we’ll think about real-world examples of why each one is important, and the specific scenarios where they’re useful.

Ronan McQuillan

Mar 14, 2024

Top 7 Rapid Application Development Tools for 2025

Choosing the right rapid application development tools for your team is a tricky prospect. Most software procurement decisions come down to finding the most cost-effective way to perform a specific task. RAD is a little bit different. It’s not so much concerned with what you do, as how you do it. So, yes, RAD tools enable your development team to build software solutions, but more importantly, they allow them to do it quickly.

Ronan McQuillan

Feb 19, 2024

What is PoC Software?

Building PoC for software development projects is an effective way to validate our ideas without going to the effort and expense of building the real thing. Not only does this enable us to prove that our approach to the problem at hand is viable - it also gives us a valuable opportunity to gather real-world input from potential users, developers, target audiences, and other business stakeholders. But, achieving this can be more challenging than you might think.

Ronan McQuillan

Sep 29, 2023

What is a Containerization?

Containerization is one of the decades’ biggest shifts in the way businesses manage their internal IT - with huge implications for how we develop software, manage existing tools, handle business data, and much more. So much so, that containerization has become a top priority for IT leaders in all industries. Today, we’re checking out everything you need to know about working with containers - from what they are and what they achieve - to the challenges you might encounter and the specific tools you can use for successful implementation.

Ronan McQuillan

Jul 28, 2023

ITOM vs ITSM

ITOM and ITSM are both fundamental to the way we provide technical resources, assets, and services to colleagues across all departments. But, there are important differences between the two that can come into conflict if we’re not aware of them. Confusingly, there’s also a lot of overlap. Today, we’re going to cover everything you need to know. Specifically, we’ll check out what each one is, what it achieves, the challenges you’ll encounter, how they differ, and how you can align them with one another.

Ronan McQuillan

Jul 21, 2023

ITOps vs DevOps | What's the Difference?

Comparing ITOps vs DevOps is a tricky one. On the one hand, they’re clearly two distinct fields, with their own goals, priorities, responsibilities, and daily workflows. On the other, there’s a huge degree of overlap - with both ultimately aiming to use technology to make your business more efficient, secure, and agile. Oftentimes, they might even involve the same people. Today, we’re un-muddying the waters. Specifically, we’re going to guide you through everything you need to know about what ITOps and DevOps mean, what they achieve, who is responsible, and how you can use both to create sleek, performant solutions for your team.

Ronan McQuillan

Jul 7, 2023

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