HomeBASE Live

Spread the love

Chapter 1 was my 25 years in the Corporate setting

During this time, I developed my skills and and experience. Then, having spent several years in development, I created a suite of personal and business applications, i.e. HomeBASE Checkout my appearance  a  special TV Special shown in ’92.

Besides package solutions, I had spent years doing feasibility studies and consequentially custom applications. Even today, I enjoy doing feasibility studies and presenting our Cost/Benefits. Typically, the studies are done in a matter of weeks, depending on the scope of work. While many are related to customizing our applications, some were done for major corporations.  Checkout our page Feasibility, for more info.

Today, the needs of the users have evolved. The development process is similar, but the environment is dramatically different .. companies are outgrowing their applications and demanding more, distributed locations, incorporation of smartphones and iPads, and migrating to different IT platforms. Today Window and tomorrow Mac, etc .. etc .. etc.

Online, and Integrated thru Browsers and portable devices.

From Basic Needs for more “Sophisticated” Applications (Click here to see the difference)

Back in the early days, it was enough to provide an application that everyone sat at their desk and fed the terminal.

Today, people need their notebooks, iPads, iPhones, etc and do personal and business whereever they are. Some are still at home/office and are using Windows, Mac and Linux, while others are using the web to do it all.


Each user needs his needs met but it has to work with other areas and people .. not connected directly. They also need to share and synch their data, ie. orders, inventory, accounting, etc.

Many need their applications available over the Internet and from different locations outside the main office.

There is also a side function we generally call “Project Development, Tracking and Administration“. Simply stated everyone needs to see how their projects, orders, etc are proceeding.  There is also a more fast paced need for Appointment/Meeting Scheduling to be scheduled immediately, and for tech support to react as soon as the problem or issue is created. 

These needs, as well as many more like electronic payments, staff training, Ad-hoc reporting, built in faq’s and automation of user privileges which need to be included to prevent others from seeing the data, as well as many ofter functions and features are among the users needs.

The scope easily extends to other areas, like Accounting who uses Quick Books and needs adjustments made asap for their management reports.

Yesterday, estimators went out and brought back the needs so that a project proposal could be prepared and mailed to the prospective customer. Well, today the same person can do the estimate on his iPad, get the signed order, scan the signature, and print it at the site .. while the order is available to others immediately for “order fulfillment”.

Finally, there’s the need for a team approach even in development for a medium sized project, i.e. the feasibility and Cost Justification, the Project Plan, the team members, as well as weekly status reports and online viewing of the work by, well everyone.

My experience has evolved to include a thorough approach for anything beyond the simple, 1 person project. And, so we’re creating our own online/webinar courses to allow for a more practical approach to developing websites and web based applications. 

Hope this helps with the introductory overview of our “changing times”.

John