To certify or not to certify? That isn’t the question at all.
Certifications are a necessary evil in the world of software development. The question is whether a certification means anything, and if our clients should care about them. So we asked our FileMaker Pro-certified developers to give their two cents about certifications and the certification process.
“Certification is, at its core, a metric used to gauge competency among the competencies of all other prospective hires,” said Ken Moorhead. “In and of itself (as with most metrics), it does not provide a complete picture.”
“The reality is that certification for software development is the same as a lawyer passing the bar or a physician passing medical boards,” said Levi. “It demonstrates a minimum measured body of knowledge. It is no guarantee of competence.”
“There are far too many ‘educated idiots’ in the world who have studied, passed a test and then go out proclaiming their expertise,” said Michael Rocharde. “The only thing that really counts is experience and a track record.”
Kurt Knippel, VP of Production at Excelisys, agreed, but also sees some value in the certification process. “Certifications are a dime a dozen, they are easy to get and mostly meaningless. They are also very important to have. Often times it is what you gained during the certification process that is the important part…the journey, not the destination.”
“Taking a manufacturer’s certification course and test, and attaining their certificate or degree, helped accomplished three tasks,” said Scott Mosher, Business Development. “One, it assured me I knew as much as I thought I did. Two, it ranked me with the manufacturer and, in many cases, allowed special privileges in their support systems. Three, it showed my clients I was recognized as a specialist in my field by the manufacturers themselves, allowing me to ride on their credibility coattail.”
“It’s the first line of defense when choosing a development partner,” said Andrew Persons, FileMaker/FLEX Developer. “Certification can’t guarantee expertise, but it does serve to verify that the developer has at least memorized the basic facts, grasped the basic abstract concepts and possesses a baseline commitment to the technology.”
So how would we advise our clients to view certifications? As a necessary evil. Portfolios, past experience and personal recommendations speak louder than any certification can.
Standards and consistency are two important elements in the development of any software. As a developer, I employed many different types of standards over the years, including no methodology, waterfall, spiral and now agile, just to name a few. As the VP of Production for Excelisys, I saw the need to have a common methodology for developing all of our projects, regardless of the specific development tools or the people involved. With multiple project managers, an array of developers and an infinite variety of clients and projects, having a single development methodology streamlines operations across the board.
There are, as you may or may not know, so many methodologies from which to choose, the three most common of which are “waterfall,” “spiral” and “agile” development. Waterfall development, much like the image it evokes, is a “top-down” methodology best utilized when the developer and the client both know all of the details of the project up front and expect little change along the way. There is minimal back and forth between client and developer. Instead, there is an initial gathering of force and a rush of uninterrupted, full-steam-ahead development activity.
While waterfall development sounds great in theory, it is in fact unrealistic and idealistic, especially when creating custom solutions. Often times, clients are unaware of what they don’t know. They’re not sure what details to gather or what the scope of their solution could entail. In a waterfall development scenario, they are the blind leading the visionaries. As a result, instead of a Niagara Falls solution, they’re left with a trickle down the mountainside.
Spiral development is a modification of the waterfall methodology that accounts for continual feedback and revision, but still relies on a great deal of solidified details up front. So instead of an uninterrupted rush of water, spiral development includes a series of plateaus where the water can collect, spin and then fall to the next level. Metaphorically, that is.
We at Excelisys employed a spiral development process until we found that it could no longer accommodate both our talents for troubleshooting and our clients’ needs. What’s more, we found that we often did not possess enough information up front to utilize either of the aforementioned methodologies to their fullest potential. So I chose to adopt the third, waterfall-less agile development methodology.
Agile development is a lean development methodology that involves constant delivery and communication between developer and client.
The work is completed in pre-determined chunks that are presented and reviewed with the client before proceeding to the next stage of the solution.
Best of all, within the agile process, we develop against a defined set of features, written from a user’s perspective. These features are intended to be as specific as possible, and refer to a single distinct task that a user would perform, such as “print a report showing the monthly sales totals by clicking a button and specifying a date range” or “click a button on a form view to add a new invoice and go to the invoice data entry form.” Once all features are listed, they are prioritized, and assigned to specific stages of client review called releases and iterations.
It is important to reiterate the fact that in agile development, you only deliver as much as is necessary to complete the feature and nothing more. This eliminates loose ends and focuses the development. And, if better solutions arise along the way, the agile method allows for and assumes that a certain amount of re-factoring of code is going to be a part of the process.
We at Excelisys have found agile development to be an efficient and effective approach to solving our clients’ custom software needs. It allows us to begin developing right way, without the long discovery and specification time required by the waterfall and spiral methodologies. It affords us the opportunity to work closely with our clients to develop the solution that is perfect for them. Finally, agile development encourages open communication and collaboration, as clients have a great deal of input into the functionality and design of the solution, and we have the ability to quickly adapt the development to suit the needs of the client.
Ultimately, the agile development process best reflects Excelisys’ organizational strengths and talents, as well as our approach to building strong, collaborative relationships with our clients. In The Agile Manifesto, the creators of the agile development process might have said it best when they outlined the values system of the agile approach:
• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
• Working software over comprehensive documentation
• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
• Responding to change over following a plan
“While there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.”
We couldn’t agree more. And that’s why we’re agile developers.
Author: Kurt Knippel – VP Production/Project Manager, Excelisys, Inc.
Excelisys, Inc., a database solutions and consulting organization specializing in quality custom database application design, development, and consulting, is pleased to announce the promotion of Rick Middleton to Vice President of Sales. In addition to his new role as VP, Rick will become Excelisys’ fifth partner, joining Christo, Kurt Knippel, Greg Furry and Geoff Ryle.
“It’s been a pleasure working with Rick for the past few years, he has shown a true knack for sales and been a real asset in client relations,” said Kurt Knippel, Vice President of Production. “His dedicated service to the team makes this promotion a win-win for everyone.”
Middleton joined the Excelisys sales team in 2006 as an account/business manager. Before he began securing new business for Excelisys, he served in the United States Marine Corps, where his main duties included security forces, counter terrorism and information technology. After leaving the Marines, Rick ran his own business, installing security cameras for clients ranging from Gander Mountain to 7-Eleven. “In my own company, I was everything: sales, accounting, purchasing, etc. Here at Excelisys, we have a team approach, which works great for me. If one of us needs any help, someone else is there to assist and keep us moving.”
“Rick has been an incredible asset to our team,” said Christo, CEO and Co-Founder of Excelisys. “This isn’t one of those political internal promotions. Rick worked his way up and has earned his current position.”
“Rick knows the value of good communication and following through,” said Geoff Ryle, Co-Founder and President. “With him, nothing ever falls through the cracks. His promotion is indicative of his dedication, because he really gives a damn about his job.”
“Rick is always looking at ways to make the sales process easier for our customers before the sale and throughout the entire project lifecycle with Excelisys,” added Greg Furry, Vice President of Technology.
As Vice President of Sales, Rick will oversee the Excelisys sales team and their international client base. As Excelisys’ fifth partner, he will join the strategic leadership ranks of one of the world’s premier database solutions and consulting organizations.
“Taking over the reigns as VP of Sales and joining the other four partners here is a great honor. These guys are the best. They care about our clients and they care deeply about our developers and sales staff. Without them, we are nothing.”
About Excelisys, Inc.:
For over 9 years, Excelisys, Inc. has been helping companies become more efficient, reliable, and profitable by providing solid, integrity-driven consulting and development software services. From custom FileMaker® Pro database development, consulting and eX-File products, to Web Site/Application design, development and consulting services, Excelisys is your first strategic partner of choice for all your company’s technology needs.
Contact
Excelisys, Inc.
South Bend, IN 46635
Phone (sales): 866-592-9235
Media Contact: 574-273-5805
Email: info@excelisys.com
Web: http://www.excelisys.com/
Copyright 2011 Excelisys, Inc. All rights reserved. FileMaker Pro is a registered trademark of FileMaker, Inc.
OPPORTUNITY: Remote Skilled Individual Sub-Contractor, 20-30+ Hours a week.
Excelisys Inc., is an international organization of talented, self-motivated individuals that specializes in consulting services and custom software development. We have provided a variety of companies, organizations and industries worldwide with innovative and diverse custom development services.
But let us cut to the chase: The solutions we create on behalf of our clients are really good. We have won the hearts of many, and they have told their friends about our fine work. As a result, we are currently experiencing growth and demand for our services. That’s where you come in.
We are seeking entrepreneurial self–starters to join our expanding team of professionals. If you like setting your own hours, working from a hammock on the beach, or from a cabin overlooking a snow-capped mountain, or whatever idealistic work-from-home scenario you currently envision, Excelisys might be the perfect fit for you.
In addition to retaining your independence and your right to work in shorts from your living room couch, you will become part of something bigger than yourself: a collective of like-minded, talented programmers, developers, project managers and sales gurus. You’ll find that, despite our autonomy and our unique individual talents, abilities and personality quirks, we share a common goal: to foster long–term technology partnerships with our clientele, and to provide a creative and positive environment for our team members that empowers each with the confidence to thrive and do his or her best.
We are looking for talented, experienced, charming, cunning, take-no-prisoners web application developers and designers who can hit the ground running; who can take a project from concept to deployment; who can please every client with solutions that blow minds, win hearts and exceed expectations.
Experience in any and all web technologies are welcome, but we are specifically looking for individuals well–versed in the following areas:
Web Application Developer: HTML, PHP, CSS, Java, JavaScript, MySQL, MS SQL Server, *AMP, strong understanding of application design, relational database theory.
Web Application/Page Designer: HTML, CSS, strong design skills, color theory, page layout, typography, understanding of web application design. Other technical skills as above are a huge plus.
The individuals we’re looking for can handle projects of all sizes and posses strong analytical and creative problem–solving skills. In addition to being well organized, efficient, and able to work with limited supervision, you must possess strong communication skills, have your own computer equipment (really, if you apply for this position and don’t have Mac and PC capability, it would be like an axe-less lumberjack looking for work), 24/7 high speed access to the internet and your own stress-free and comfortable work space.
This is an excellent opportunity for a seasoned and self-motivated individual. You can focus on what you are good at (we hope creating amazing web applications) and not have to worry about sales, marketing, bill collection, invoicing or a soul-sucking commute!
Responsibilities
Yourself
Report to and work closely with Project Manager & Client
Provide build progress reports and deliverables to Project Manager and Clients
Writing and debugging code for custom solutions
Meeting or exceeding deadlines set by Client and/or Project Manager
Compensation and perks
Hourly compensation at a % of the billable hour
End-of-year profit bonuses
Potential lead generation commissions
Remote or telecommute working arrangement
Base % compensation rate is determined by skill set and proficiency
Samples of your work will be reviewed as part of the interview process. If interested, please send cover letter and résumé in PDF format to (opportunities at excelisys dot com).
It’s that time again for the FileMaker Excellence Awards nominations. Every year at the annual FileMaker Developers Conference (August 15-18), FileMaker honors those individuals and companies who have made a difference. FBA members received their voting instructions this week. And finally, in all the years Excelisys has been sponsoring DevCon and never winning an award, it finally dawned on me… It must be because I’ve never VOTED! ;-)
Apparently, voter turn-out hasn’t been what it should have in the past. So this year, I’m doing my part and participating. If you’re an FBA member (which you should be) and going to DevCon in San Diego this year, definitely take a moment to cast your ballot. And when you do, think of Excelisys! Here’s what I submitted.
I hereby nominate EXCELISYS for category #2 (Contribution to the FileMaker community), and for category #3 (Solution of the Year) for the Excelisys Business Tracker. Here’s why:
Excelisys enjoys being ranked among its peers as exemplifying professionalism in every aspect, raising the bar on innovative FileMaker techniques and being regular contributors to the developer community. Frequently a past sponsor of the annual FileMaker Developer Conference as well as providing some of its speakers over the years, Excelisys is a symbol of longevity and prosperity even despite a down-turned economy and a world of fly-by-night consultancies. Every week, dozens of FileMaker developers try to join the Excelisys team, because they know about the reason for our success. Not all make it, but we help those that don’t understand why and point them in the direction they need to improve their skills.
The Excelisys Business Tracker is a free, unlocked solution given away to the FileMaker community to understand the true power of FileMaker in a workgroup environment. Hundreds of hours of development work have gone into creating a jump-start solution that scales well and is easily expandable. We’ve had thousands of downloads, and received lots of compliments from FileMaker developers around the world for being so generous providing a tool that teaches them real-world applications of FileMaker’s impressive feature set. We appreciate the opportunity to give back to the development community from which we have received so much support over the years.
So don’t forget to go out and VOTE! And we’ll see you in San Diego…
A well-built FileMaker Pro database will have the ability to maintain its speed and usability over time while managing an ever-increasing number of records. When best practices are not applied, they can slow a database to a crawl under the most modest circumstances. This is the concept known as scaling.
So today a client comes to me saying they decided to use the Music Library starter solution that ships with FileMaker Pro to track their production department’s immense CD vault. It’s a simple template featuring a typical parent/child relationship between albums and tracks.
The problem was that every time they added a new record and entered the artist and title, it ran a replace upon exiting the field that was taking longer and longer – we’re talking up to 10 seconds and growing – with the dialog box indicating there were 96 records remaining. That was very interesting, since they’d only entered 40 album records thus far, each with a multiple number of tracks.
Upon close examination of this start solution, I was shocked to find the reason behind this. The “Artist” and “Title” fields have script triggers that execute upon exiting, both pointing to the same script. That script had two steps: replace all track records’ IDs with themselves, and then commit records.
Each time they exited a field, each and every track record was being updated. This was totally unnecessary, and was causing the solution to buckle under its own weight.
So first, we have to understand why the related track records need updating at all. In this template, some of the data fields for an album are copied to its child tracks. This may or may not be necessary for their particular purposes, but it’s just how this template was built. Now, two of those things that a track record grabs from its parent album when entered is the artist and title. If one should later change the album’s artist or title details, the child track records normally would not be updated automatically without some sort of mechanism in place, such as a script. So they would potentially contain different information than their parent record, when they should be identical.
So really, there’s no reason why EVERY track record should be updated when a title or artist is entered, just the tracks (if any) for the current album being edited. By adding a few script steps, we were easily able to speed up the data entry process and still satisfy the need to keep track records up to date. The modified script now first tests to see if any track records exist for the current album, and if so uses a GTRR step to find those records and runs the replace step just on those records, then commits and goes back to the original layout. So entering records is now as fast as you’d expect. And if they modify an artist or title for an album that contains track records, there will be only a slight pause that is barely noticeable. The best part is: no matter how many records are entered, that occasional pause will never increase in duration.
So the lesson here is: just because you saw it in a FileMaker Starter Solution, doesn’t mean it represents best practices. Of course, there is a whole separate issue here about whether the Replace function should be used in this situation or not due to record-locking implications in a multi-user environment. But that’s for another time…
Excelisys is proud to announce that President and Co-Founder Geoff Ryle is among the first to pass the new FileMaker 11 Certification just released this week. Geoff has been a certified FileMaker developer since the exam was first created way back with FileMaker Pro 7. The certification is an indicator of Geoff’s broad knowledge and experience across the FileMaker 11 product line. Congratulations, Geoff!! Well done!
Excelisys, Inc. is now a member of the worldcloud.com consortium of FileMaker developers and consultants.
Worldcloud.com provides dedicated servers and data-centers for experienced administrators and developers. They have various nodes of presence around the world allows your solution to be deployed into our global Internet cloud.
Developers can select from several pre-built servers and operating systems or they can provide you with your own virtual data-center. With our virtual data-centers developers can build and control multiple servers within their own resource pool.
Worldcloud.com provides the infrastructure to many of the leading FileMaker businesses, developers and hosting companies.
Excelisys is proud to announce that eX-Team member Jeff Drake has passed his FileMaker 10 Certification exam, which was just released this week. Jeff has been certified in every version of FileMaker (7/8/9/10), since the exam was first created. The certification is an indicator of Jeff’s broad knowledge and experience across the FileMaker 10 product line. Congratulations, Jeff!! Well done!
At Excelisys we see this sort of behavior all the time. We prefer to think of ourselves as partners, not vendors. We are on your side trying to reach the same goal for the best possible price in a timely manner. Sometimes that takes longer and costs more than you would like. Sometimes you find a gem in the bargain bin.
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