Our customers are a big part of a growing class of knowledge workers that are transforming how software is used in the enterprise. Our recent survey revealed that nearly one in five information workers has built or customized a Web app or software for work purposes without support from IT. The results of these tech-savvy innovators? Improved outcomes for their customers, increased productivity and better collaboration among coworkers. Despite this, 35 percent of businesses still do not enable and encourage employees to create solutions independently. We want to let our customers know: we’re right by your side in the quest to build solutions that are right for you and your customers and not just IT.

They fueled a movement,

Last year, our customers impacted the business technology landscape and their own organizations in a big way. QuickBase heroes built 257,819 new apps and welcomed 293,625 new users to the QuickBase community. That’s close to 300,000 custom-built ways to improve productivity! And we’re delighted to be ringing in the new year with almost 300,000 more QuickBase users. We’ll do our best to give these budding heroes the tools and know-how to become change leaders at their organizations. If you’re a user and want the ability to create applications of your own, just ask your account administrator for “create permissions.”

Impacted every facet of the enterprise,

In 2011 our heroes, or application creators, fearlessly crushed inefficiency wherever it lurked, streamlining workflow processes across industries such as healthcare, construction, banking, retail, insurance, telecommunications, education, and hospitality. They made many functional groups dramatically more efficient by creating applications for operations, sales, customer support, human resources, and billing, to name a few.

And empowered those around them.

By inviting 293,625 new users and creators to their applications, our heroes empowered their coworkers to make a difference by either introducing them to our platform or giving them the ability to create their own solutions. If you’re a QuickBase customer (or just a thoughtful person), give your friends or colleagues the opportunity to make positive impacts at their organizations by sending them a free trial using our referral tool.

Needless to say, they impressed their teams – and us – with their ingenuity and initiative. Check out some of their co-workers’ accolades from the QuickBase Hero Search Contest here.

So, here’s to you, our endlessly admirable customers! We thank you for using QuickBase, giving us your feedback, and demonstrating the power of custom apps in the enterprise. Here’s to an even more successful 2012! Happy QuickBasing!

Related posts:

1. Thank You Customers, We Feel So Loved!
2. Special Offer for Dabble DB Customers
3. Nominate a QuickBase Hero to Win an iPad2!

• Selecting multiple users from a user dropdown list
• Easily assigning multiple users to a task
• Sending reminders and notifications to multiple assigned users

The List-User field is also an easy way to associate multiple users with a record in cases where the complexity and overhead of creating a separate resource table and managing the associated relationships are not required.

A Handy New Widget

The enhancement introduces a new and more useful widget to pick users for the List-User field. Here are some key points on user experience of the new widget pictured here:

• With this field type, application users can choose up to 10 users when completing the field.
• List-User fields can be configured to let you select from all users who are in either the default or custom user set for the field.
• Using a Search box at the top of the field, users can narrow the list.
• For a full description of List-User fields and other features in the May 22, 2011 release, visit our release notes.

Why Create a Whole New Field Type?

We decided to go the route of creating a new field type instead of modifying the existing one to address our customer’s requests for a number of reasons. First, creating a new field type allows us to offer our customers deeper functionality. Field types are the basis for distinguishing different kinds of data in web database software, including QuickBase. Different field types like numeric fields, currency fields, user fields or date fields allow us to define specific behaviors for each field type. For List-User field these intrinsic behaviors include imports that understand multiple user values and the enforcement of individual role permissions for each user selected.

Different field types also make QuickBase more useful for our customers by allowing them to use formulas optimized for each field type. For example, we have introduced a new formula called, User List To Emails, that can take a List-User field and return a list of email addresses for the set of users in that field. We can also offer new operators in our reporting language which are unique to List-User fields. For example, we introduced the concept of “inclusions in a set” which allows you to find records where a specific user appears in a list of users.

I would love to hear about how you are using the new List-User field in your applications. For a full description of other features and bug fixes in the May 22, 2001 release, visit our release notes.

Related posts:

1. Design Decisions: A Deep Dive Into the New App Creation Experience
2. Change Leadership 101: Design Solutions for the End User
3. February Release – User Customization and Conditional Dropdowns

It’s hard to avoid the buzz around the new wave of tablets hitting the market this year. With the iPad 2 launch a few weeks ago (I was in line at my local Apple store to get my hands on it first) the excitement is building, and for good reason. For those who follow the consumer electronic circuit, this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas was overrun by all kinds of new web tablet devices from a large array of manufactures. Many won’t ever make it to market but the RIM Playbook, HP TouchPad, and the commodity tablets powered by Google’s Android operating system are sure to pour more fuel on this already roaring fire. They all share something very much in common with the iPad – a full featured HTML5 capable web browser powered by WebKit – allowing almost ubiquitous usage of the sites we rely on to do our business, research, and keep in touch with colleagues, family and friends on the go.

I always believed in the power of the mobile tablet. I suppose my vision of what these things were supposed to be started as a child watching episodes of Star Trek: small and light with big, clear screens; simple but powerful user interfaces, fast startup, never ending battery life, and controlled entirely by touch. Last year, I waited in line with in the masses in front of a Boston area Apple store to be one of the first to get my hands on an iPad. The very first thing that I did once I was able to step foot into the store was to see how well interacting with many of my day-to-day web sites (including QuickBase) was on the device. I sometimes cringe a little at Apple’s hyperbole, but holding the web in your hands is indeed magical. As it turned out, for a very large majority of the work I need to do each day – the iPad browser isn’t only good enough…it has been spot on!

For me, the web tablet is a way to more easily leverage the value of the cloud within my daily routine. It makes the things I rely on the cloud to do for me that much more convenient. The first thing I do when my alarm goes off in the morning is reach for my iPad and quickly scan through the QuickBase users experience reports from the prior day and get myself grounded on what’s important. As I’m walking the halls of QuickBase, instead of just talking about that great presentation I found and promising to email it to a colleague, I can slide my finger across my trusty tablet and share it with them right away. All of my meeting notes are stored and kept in sync and easily shared via the iPad’s note app (I’m exploring other options like Evernote if you have opinions please do share). At QuickBase project stand-ups I can jump quickly into a Project Manager Plus QuickBase and silently enter a thought I’ll need later on a critical task.

It’s clear that the web was meant to be touched. This is great for SaaS products like QuickBase and it’s great for users too. It’s simple, it’s natural, it’s personal, and one thing is for sure…it’s definitely for me!

Do you have a tablet? How has your tablet changed how you utilize cloud computing and/or QuickBase in your daily life?

Related posts:

1. iPad Release – QuickBase is now compatible with the iPad
2. Tip 3 of 7 – Get Customizable Web-Based Software and Get Productive – 7 Tip Series
3. Ten Great Things Bill Heard at the “Startups and the Cloud” Event

We have a special migration offer for Dabble DB customers: Complimentary consulting services and 3 free months of QuickBase. To take advantage sign up for a 30 day free trial.

Related posts:

1. Special Offer for Dabble DB Customers
2. CogHead to QuickBase – Migrating Your Data Webinars
3. Special Offer for InfoDome Customers

At the end of the event (or at least the part before the cocktails) I gave a closing where I recapped ten great things I heard. Several people came up to me afterward to request that I publish the list… so, here it is…(in the order I heard them during the day):

• Vishy Venugopalan from Longworth Ventures set a great baseline for the day with this overview of cloud computing.

• Scott Cook shared some great stories about the early days of Intuit from failed ads and trouble meeting payroll to the breakthrough insights that helped Quicken take off…

Read the entire list…

Related posts:

1. Have You Heard of Formula Variables?
2. How to Do Great Work
3. It is with great pride…

Tip #7 – Anticipate needs for security, service and support
Many SaaS providers have made extensive hardware and software investments that offer an exceptional level of security. That said, not all providers are alike.

When you’re evaluating a potential solution for your Web-based project management needs, consider the following:

Data security
Where is the data hosted? What systems are in place to protect your data? Look for a solution that provides the utmost protection for your business information.

Service and support
What happens when you need help? Who’s available to get you started – and to assist your team as needs arise? Look for service and support policies that can bring rapid relief to your occasional challenges.

Years of experience
Is the provider a new player or a proven partner? Who are its clients and what are their satisfaction rates? Previous history is one of the best predictors of future experience.

Here’s what QuickBase offers in the areas of security, service and support:

QuickBase Data Security
Your QuickBase application data is stored in the same facility that handles millions of tax returns via TurboTax for the Web each year. QuickBase uses industry-standard, 128-bit Secure Socket Layers (SSL) protocol to ensure your information is neither intercepted nor corrupted during transmission over the Internet. In addition, QuickBase uses encryption technology to help protect your data when stored on disk.  Click here to learn more about the security, reliability, and confidentiality of QuickBase.

QuickBase support resources
Whether you are new to QuickBase or have been using it for years, the QuickBase Support Center provides everything from answers to common questions to detailed instructions.

QuickBase support resources include live technical support from the QuickBase Customer Success Team, online product help, live online training, and the QuickBase community forum.

Test drive QuickBase support
When you’re trying out QuickBase during a free 30-day trial you have access to all the same support resources as our customers – that includes live technical support.  Plus, you have assistance from the QuickBase Concierge Team.  Their job is to help you more quickly determine if QuickBase is a fit for your needs.

QuickBase experience
QuickBase is a proven solution backed by Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, QuickBooks and Quicken.  Over 56 of the Fortune 100 and thousands of small and medium sized businesses rely on QuickBase.  And, QuickBase has been serving customers for over nine years.

What do you think?
Please share your thoughts about and experiences with QuickBase’s data security, service and support. Have you worked with the QuickBase Customer Success Team? The Concierge Team?

What’s next?
This is the final tip in this series. It’s time for some reader feedback. Did you find these tips helpful? Do you have a favorite tip? Or maybe a team productivity tip you’d like to share that wasn’t covered?

What other topics would you like to see covered in the QuickBase blog?

Related posts:

1. Tip 3 of 7 – Get Customizable Web-Based Software and Get Productive – 7 Tip Series
2. Tip 2 of 7 – Get Customizable Web-Based Software and Get Productive – 7 Tip Series
3. Tip 6 of 7 – Get Customizable Web-Based Software and Get Productive – 7 Tip Series

Related posts:

1. Intuit Co-Founder Scott Cook Talks with Robert Scoble About Entrepreneurship and the Internet
2. Scott Cook on Leadership in the Agile Age
3. Offer to Coghead’s users, partners and employees from Intuit QuickBase

Tip #6 – Personalize the project experience
Sure, collaborative teamwork is what project management is all about. But your team’s success depends on the integration of individual efforts – each with different needs.

For example, not everyone on your team wants or needs to see all project information, and they definitely don’t all want to see it in the same way.  You may want to assign varying levels of information access to project participants.  And, each member of your team may want to customize the project management application to view just the information that’s most important to them.

Many project teams find the following personalization features very helpful:

Adjustable permission levels
The entire team does not need equal access to project information. Customizable project management applications allow managers to control what information individuals can see – and their ability to modify, share or simply view it – by assigning different levels of permission.  This way, the project manager retains the oversight he needs, while individual participants gain access to just the information they need – no more, no less. And, confidential or sensitive information remains restricted to authorized users.

Customizable dashboards and reports
A “dashboard” is an application’s control center. It’s the first page you see when you open your application, and it puts all the at-a-glance information you need in one place.  From it, you can search, add information, create or access reports, and more.

Project management software should enable individuals to arrange their dashboard to their tastes, allowing them to easily access just the documents, records and other information most important to them. It should also enable individuals to create their own custom reports so they can see information how and when they need it.

Get personal with QuickBase
Did you know that Intuit QuickBase provides many ways to personalize your project experience? They include: roles, groups, field level permissions, dashboards and reports.

Roles
You control access to your application and information by assigning a role to a user. QuickBase roles determine what the user can see or do within your application.

Groups
You can save time when managing large groups of users, by creating a QuickBase group. QuickBase groups are a collection of similar users combined together to grant application access or special permission rights to all members at once.

Field level permissions
There may be times when you want to share your application with many users, but limit access to certain fields. QuickBase lets you choose from three access settings: No Access, View or View/Modify.

Dashboards
With QuickBase you can customize dashboards for your users, including personalized views of the information important to them, buttons to get them going to the right place fast, and information to guide them on what to do or what’s new. For example, you can add a report to the dashboard that lets each user see a list of her own unfinished tasks when she opens the application.

Reports
With seven QuickBase report types to choose from, you can display your data the way you want and interact with your data right through your reports. QuickBase reports formats include: table, grid edit, summary, crosstab, calendar, chart and timeline.

Coming next week – tip #7 – anticipate needs for security, service and support.

How are you using QuickBase’s personalization features?

Related posts:

1. Tip 4 of 7 – Get Customizable Web-Based Software and Get Productive – 7 Tip Series
2. Tip 2 of 7 – Get Customizable Web-Based Software and Get Productive – 7 Tip Series
3. Tip 5 of 7 – Get Customizable Web-Based Software and Get Productive – 7 Tip Series

Tip #5 – Automate recurring processes
The whole point of project management is to make more effective use of everyone’s time. Every hour of busywork you eliminate through automation is an hour liberated for more productive and more profitable use by team members.  Automating recurring processes reduces or even eliminates administrative work while providing more timely and in-depth communication.

Customizable, web-based project management software can help you:

Manage reports:
You can automatically distribute reports on a pre-arranged schedule (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.). Recipients can then interact directly with the real-time information in the report by making on-the-fly changes to the report and sorting information by category, dates, resources and more. Empowering users to create and modify reports saves you the time of creating one-off reports for various team members.

Communicate progress:
As work proceeds on the project, the application can be set up to automatically send status alerts that notify team members when new projects or tasks are assigned to them and update them when information changes – for example, when work is completed or delayed.

Prompt action:
Your web-based project management application can send reminders to notify team members in advance of task due dates to ensure that key dates are met.

QuickBase’s automatic email features streamline communication
Are you familiar with Intuit QuickBase’s automatic email features? They include:

Scheduled report subscriptions:
Creating a scheduled report subscription enables you to automatically email a report to application users on a periodic basis. For example, you can create a report subscription which automatically emails a report of all open tasks to your project team before the weekly status meeting.

Notifications:
QuickBase can automatically send out e-mails to notify one or all of your users – or notify you – when information in a record has changed or when a record has been added or deleted.  For example,  you might want help delegating work, in which case QuickBase can notify a user when a new project or task is assigned to him.

Notifications also let you apply very specific conditions to trigger the email and also target only appropriate individuals for receipt. For example, imagine your QuickBase application tracks deliveries for your company. When a delivery’s status changes to “Ready for shipment” you want QuickBase to automatically send a notification to the person listed in the “Driver” field. No problem. QuickBase can automate communication based on what data a record contains.

Reminders:
Don’t miss another deadline. QuickBase can let you know that a due date is coming up. You can set up your QuickBase application to automatically send an email reminder to you or any user to warn that an important date is approaching.

For example, you could tell QuickBase to email a reminder to each user five days before their task is due. If you want, QuickBase could also send the reminder a certain number of days after a task was due, to jog a user’s memory about a still-unfulfilled (and now overdue) task.

Coming next week, tip #6 – Get personal.

It’s your turn to share.
Do you use QuickBase’s automatic email features?

What kinds of reports do your team members subscribe to? What was your reporting process like before QuickBase?

Related posts:

1. Tip 4 of 7 – Get Customizable Web-Based Software and Get Productive – 7 Tip Series
2. Tip 6 of 7 – Get Customizable Web-Based Software and Get Productive – 7 Tip Series
3. Tip 3 of 7 – Get Customizable Web-Based Software and Get Productive – 7 Tip Series

Tip #4 – Maximize productivity while minimizing IT dependence
A desktop or custom project management solution requires IT assistance for installation, maintenance and support from both a time and hardware perspective. When you turn to your IT department (assuming you enjoy the privilege of having one) to provide you with a project management software tool, you add a burden to its schedule, delays to your implementation and an additional expense to your project.

Customizable SaaS project management solutions deliver the functionality you need without incurring new costs – in time and money – for installing software, adding new features or for maintenance and support.

For maximum efficiency and productivity, your project management software application should provide:

Convenience:
With the right application, your team can access project information over the Web, whenever and wherever they want. They can create and modify reports instantly without IT or developer assistance. And they can update their own task status, fast.

Customization:
Team members can easily change row and column names, create real-time reports, personalize their application dashboard to see just the project information they need, and more – all on the fly.

Speed:
Your project management software should enable you to collaborate right away, without installation or custom development delays or extensive training.

Scalability:
Teams are fluid groups of individuals that form, dissolve and re-form over time. Managing secure access and assigning varying levels of permission for each user should be simple enough for the application administrator (the person who can customize the application and access permission levels) to do without IT assistance. And adding users to the project management software should be as simple as sending an email.

Updates:
Every off-the-shelf software upgrade requires installation on each user’s machine – a time-consuming process. One of the major advantages of SaaS project management solutions is that upgrades are made automatically without imposing any work on you or your IT team.

Coming Tuesday, tip #5 – Automate recurring processes

How about you?
Has QuickBase helped you increase productivity and minimize dependence on IT?

Has QuickBase’s customizable dashboard feature helped your team members focus on the information that’s most important to them?

While commenting on a recent post of mine, one customer, Lou Brothers, shared how “using Dashboards and Notifications has really increased the quality and speed of [project] updates. Since everyone can see the information that pertains specifically to them they can focus on providing updates and ignore the ‘noise’ from everyone else.”

Related posts:

1. Tip 2 of 7 – Get Customizable Web-Based Software and Get Productive – 7 Tip Series
2. Tip 3 of 7 – Get Customizable Web-Based Software and Get Productive – 7 Tip Series
3. Tip 6 of 7 – Get Customizable Web-Based Software and Get Productive – 7 Tip Series