Category: You Asked, We Answered
What Software Does, Software Solutions Explained
Before I started working at a software company, I would drive down the freeway flying by billboards advertising some sort of techy product or past industrial complexes sporting a name like “Blah Blah Software Solutions”. But one day I finally paused and asked myself, “What exactly are software solutions”. I know what software is and I also know what a solution is (I assumed in this case the term “solution” referred to a fix for a problem rather than one of those soapy liquids people spill in chemistry class). Simply put, a “software solution” is when a computer app is used to to do a task.
The Vegas Waiter and Software Solutions
A software solution is a little more involved than the above definition, but I have a really good example. I use to be a server in a restaurant in Las Vegas. I would jot our guest’s orders onto a paper pad and then I would take that paper over to a computer and I would enter it into a “software solution”. The name of our software solution was “Aloha”. Aloha was great. Using this software I could see all of the tables in the dinning room. The software enabled the computer to show me which tables had guests seated, which tables were closed out and which tables were being worked on by another server or manager. Not only could I see the status of tables, but I could enter a table’s order, call for refills, split the check, close the check, clock in, clock out, enter my tips and activate gift cards. There was so much I could do with Aloha.
Chaos Hits
When the pandemic hit in March 2020 and the whole world screeched to a grinding halt, software solutions were employed to get the world moving once again. Technically, we had the technology, long before the pandemic, to work remotely, however it was utilized in full force during the outbreak in an attempt to keep people home and slow the spread of disease. At the time, and still today, employees are using software solutions like Zoom to conduct quasi face to face meetings and other products to complete reports and send data right from the comfort of their own homes.
Nothing Exotic
Before I actually stopped and thought about it, I would hear terms like software solutions and automatically think I’d need a degree in software engineering in order to understand what it was. But a software solution is nothing exotic and usually isn’t even difficult to use. What is a software solution you use on a daily basis? What are some software solutions you think need to be invented? If you have an idea for a useful app, contact us and let us help you build it!
What Are Story Points Used For?
The Developers Kept Saying Story Points
I sat in a meeting recently, with a group of developers discussing what we had accomplished at work that week. We went around the room, dishing out numbers for different projects we were working on and I noticed something strange. The developers kept on telling the group how many “story points” they had done. I think I should point out that I am not a developer and their lingo is still somewhat foreign to me. I was intrigued. Part of me knew a story point probably wasn’t very interesting, but another part of me imagined the developers putting together plots and storylines for a Dungeons and Dragons quest. So what are story points used for?
Story Points are a Strange Unit of Measurement
I guess anything new can be a little strange, and story points were strange to me. I talked with David Sutherland, one of our awesome developers, and asked him what story points were. (We actually made a video about them. I’ll post it at the end of the blog). Anyway, David told me that story points are a way for developers to measure the amount of work they need to do. Before the developers start building an app for a client, they need to be able to give the client an estimate of how much the app will cost to make. Apparently, as I found out in my research, estimating how much time it takes to develop an app, is a notoriously difficult thing to do. Difficult enough, in fact, that app developers worldwide have adopted story points as a unit to measure the work needed to build apps.
How are Story Points Calculated?
It’s easier for developers to estimate the number of steps it’ll take to make an app, than it is to estimate the amount of time it’ll take to build said app. They’ll break the project down into smaller steps and assign those steps (or tasks) a number. A task with a higher number, will most likely take longer to complete, than a task that is assigned a lower number. It gets trickier though. There’s a level of uncertainty associated with any task that needs to be completed. This means that when a developer is working on a step, they won’t know how long it will take to complete, until they’ve actually started working on it. The reason for this is because unforeseen challenges can arise that will slow down the process. I should probably note that a task or step with more uncertainty is given a higher story point value. Different development teams attach different time lengths to story points, but it can work something like this: 1 story point = .5-2 hours, 2 story points = 2-4 hours, 3 story points = 4-8 hours, 5 story points = 8-20 hours.
Why do They do This?
So why then, do developers spend so much energy trying to accurately estimate work? The answer is money. In the video David and I made, I had already figured out why this was important, but I asked him anyway, why these estimates were so critical. He told me, that underestimating the time needed to build the app, would result in the client spending more money on the app than initially budgeted. On the other hand, if the project was overestimated, the higher price could scare customers away. Hence, being able to accurately estimate the amount of work/time needed to build the app is entirely necessary to make sure we don’t overcharge the client.
Our team of developers are highly skilled in both programming AND estimating story points, so they can build your business a quality app at an affordable price. If you have an idea for an app you’d like us to build, contact us.
3 of the Best Apps for Sales
The job of a salesperson is known for being cutthroat and uber competitive. So it makes sense that any person working in sales will want to equip themselves with the strongest tools to give them the best chance possible at making sales. Afterall, high-performing sales teams tend to use about 3 times more tech than their under-performing counterparts. Here at Matraex, software and apps are our thing, so we’d like to point out 3 apps every salesperson should be using to give them a more competitive edge.
1. LeadSquared Mobile CRM
If you’re new to sales, you maybe wondering “what the heck is CRM”. CRM stands for “Customer Relationship Management”. A CRM is a robust system that centralizes information about clients and prospective clients, such as name, age, contact info, order history, contact history and even their personality traits. In the past, the CRM was confined to the office, leaving the field reps out to dry, as they didn’t have access to the information when they weren’t in the office (a field rep can only bring so many papers and lists with them while they’re hitting the pavement around town). Now however, mobile CRMs are a thing, so the field reps have access to all valuable client information even when they’re out of the office. LeadSquared is currently one of the best in the industry when it comes to CRM systems. With all the information their system holds, they do a great job displaying it all, even in an easy to read format.
2. DocScan
This is a big one. There are countless times that important documents need to be scanned, sent and verified before a sale can go through. If you’re in the office with a copier handy this isn’t a big deal, but if you’re in the field it’s a problem. First you have to get the document from the client. Then you have to take the doc all the way back to the office to be scanned. Then of course the document needs to be returned to the client. It’s time consuming and you’ll probably need to be holding on to multiple documents from different clients at the same time, increasing the chances of mix-ups and human error. Also, can we just point out that anything can happen in between the field and the office, papers can get wet, wind can blow it out of someone’s hand, the car could break down. DocScan is a lifesaver and eliminates all of these problems, while saving time and increasing productivity. With DocScan, the client shows you the document, you can scan it and send it with your smartphone back to the office immediately. How easy is that? Plus, get this, the app is free.
3. Keynote
As a sales person, you’re frequently making pitches and presentations. Sometimes words aren’t enough and in order to really sell your product you’ll need to present it with visuals, enter Keynote. Keynote is pretty much powerpoint for tablets and phones. You could literally do a presentation (with visuals and animations) at your table during a business lunch. What’s more (and super cool) is that you can cast your screen onto a smart TV and do a presentation straight from your handheld device, no desktop needed.
The Best Apps for Sales: Concluding Thoughts
Yes, the sales world is fast paced and competitive (which if you ask us, is kind of the thrill of the job) but there’s never been a better time to be a salesperson. We just mentioned 3 apps that every salesperson should be utilizing, but there’s a lot more than three. Arm yourselves with some impressive apps/tech and see how much your sales will improve.
If you have an idea for an app you’d like us to build for you or your business, contact us.
What to do When Apps Stop Working
Your app stopped working, now what?
Picture this. You’re in the middle of your favorite TV Show and the episode is hitting the most climactic moment of the series, then all of a sudden your app freezes. What do you do now? (the below is assuming your internet is working just fine)
1. You could try refreshing the app
In some cases dragging from the top of the screen down the app will refresh. Not every app is coded to do this, however.
2. You could close and re-open the app
If a refresh didn’t work or it wasn’t possible, you could simply close the app and re-open it. This is done by going to your home screen and shutting down the app. If your video still won’t play you may need to jump to desperate measures.
3. Restart your phone
Sometimes your phone encounters a bug that cannot be resolved until you completely shut down your phone and boot it back up. It’s the common IT Solution to most problems, “did you restart it?”. Upon booting your phone and app back up it’s still not working, you may need to go one step further.
4. Restart your internet
The software behind your video player might be experiencing connectivity issues. If this is the case restart your modem.
5. Delete the app
When push comes to shove you may need to delete the app and reinstall it. We’re hoping you haven’t reached this point because one, you’ve taken a lot of steps already, and two if this doesn’t work the odds of it being an issue on your end are low. If you reinstalled your app there may be a bug in the app that is causing a break in its functionality. If this is the case, leave a review on the app store or directly contact the developer.
We’re hoping you can get back to your show or whatever kind of app you were using quickly. In our experience, this isn’t always the case, but most often a restart will solve the problem.
To find out how we handle bugs and errors feel free to give us a call! (208)344-1115
How Apps Help Businesses
From time management, account management, to money management, apps can help your business in a variety of ways.
Here are 4 Ways Apps Can Help Your Business
- Time Management Apps
Whether it’s tracking your employees’ time or tracking your own, keeping track of tasks can help you save time and money. Let’s break it down.
Let’s say you are a grocery store owner. Each employee in any department has a variety of tasks that they complete each and every day. How long does each of those tasks take? Are they adding value or simply costing your grocery store money?
From the time that an employee clocks in at the main punch-in machine to the time that they punch out, what did they accomplish?
Did they spend a lot of time doing department cleaning? Did they spend a lot of time helping customers find items? How long did your baggers spend collecting carts from the parking lot?
These are all tasks that can be tracked but in most cases they aren’t. The benefits of tracking time are clear and are laid out plainly right here: https://biz30.timedoctor.com/time-tracking-statistics/
They include increased morale, more money saved, and overall a more cohesive team.
2. Account Management Apps
Businesses have thousands of interactions with clients and prospective clients each year. How do you track those interactions? Do you have a paper ledger? Do you use an electronic spreadsheet? These things may work just fine, but using actual account management software could save you time and money.
You receive an email or you find someone that would make a good contact for your company, you then open your ledger or electronic spreadsheet and manually enter all of their data. Before you know it, you’ve spent 5-10 minutes just adding in one contact.
Wouldn’t it be so much better if this process could be automated? Or at least most of the process? Here’s the thing, it can. We use an account manager system that we developed for our own use and it saves so much time. Whenever we get an email from a new contact, that person is automatically added to our contact list. This allows us to easily update newsletters and be able to filter our contacts.
We don’t just swear by account management apps, we live by them.
3. Money Management Apps
If you use a mobile banking app you probably have recognized by now that it automatically sends you updates when you’ve added funds or are low on funds. Wouldn’t it be nice if apps could automatically bill your clients at the press of a button? Well, they can.
Business owners often miss an invoice and fail to bill a client. This often results in lost revenue. Using a money management app that is coded specifically to help you invoice clients can help you make the hard-earned money that you deserve.
4. Security Apps
One of the deterrents of crime nowadays is the installation of cameras and security locks for office buildings. While these are beneficial to keeping unwanted visitors out, they can introduce a headache for people that need access in.
With a security app, you can select who gains access to the building, which doors they get access to you can even give access to the cameras. This can all be done by providing access by job title or credentials. As a business owner, having instant access to your building in the palm of your hand can be extremely helpful and can reduce a lot of unneeded stress.
Having a security app can also help you identify the intruders in the case of a break-in or a once-loyal employee gone rogue.
Thinking of More Ways an App Can Help Your Business?
You may be thinking about how an app can help your business. A great resource for you will be speaking to software developers. Choosing a software developer for any project can be difficult. How do you know if they will be the right person for the job? Will they actually care about your project? How will you know that things are getting done? These are all questions that we answer in the free guide which you can download by clicking the image below.
How Do Apps Work?
What powers an app? Where are apps stored?
So you’ve scrolled through the app store and finally found an app that you want to download. You hit the download button and square with rounded corners appears on your phone’s homepage. You tap the app icon and your app loads. How does this happen? What allows the app to even load? Where is all of the information stored and how does it get updated? These are some of the questions we will try to answer in this blog article, but as always in a way that anyone will be able to understand!
Apps are more than a fancy icon.
If you go into your phone’s settings>storage> It should show you how much space each individual app requires or is using. For example check out this screenshot.
All of the megabytes on the right side of the image are how much storage those apps are using on your device.
You’re probably thinking wow that’s a lot. Actually, no it isn’t. Think about Facebook and consider the fact that there are nearly 3 Billion users. How many videos and pictures do you think there are with that many users? Your little app with 300-400MB of data being used has access to all of that info. But how?
Applications Use Servers to Communicate
Have you heard of AWS? The Cloud? These are tools that enable information to be stored without overloading devices. Let’s start with servers.
Servers are individual computers that can be connected to the internet all day every day.
The Cloud is multiple interconnected computers that talk to eachother remotely.
You’ve probably heard “it’s ran on AWS”. This is essentially Amazon’s Servers. It actually stands for Amazon Web Services. It’s a pay to use cloud computing service.
How Do Apps Talk to Servers?
The answer is API’s, or Application Programming Interfaces. Generally there are four different types of API’s.
- Public- available to anyone to use
- Partner- accessible only when given access by the developer most likely for a client to use
- Internal- a company will use this for their work processes for example a budgeting software the company built
- Composite- a combination of two or more of the above
Put simply API’s allow a computer to operate your app.
Where Do Apps Store All of the Data?
Take a guess as to what database this is.
If you guessed Facebook’s database you are correct! It turns out that all of these macines process 4 Petabytes of data per day (that’s 1,000,000 Gigabytes!)
We’re not going to say that every app out there uses a database like this. However, a lot of apps are powered by AWS. You can find some images of thier database through a Google Search and it is impressive!
Breaking It Down
We know this is a lot of information and it is all very complex. In a nutshell, Programmers (this si to mean developers, coders, app builders, etc.) develop an app and code it to speak to a server. That server then stores information in a database.
If you can learn API’s you will be well on your way to understanding how applications even work. As always we like to keep our information simple and easy to grasp. If you find yourself needing more information about how apps work, feel free to give us a call at 208 344 1115. We’d love to get you in touch with a developer that can explain how all of this works.
If you have more questions about apps be sure to check out our other blog posts where we answer other questions people like you have had about apps and application development!
How Do Apps Make Money?
Apps can be a source of revenue. Here’s how.
So you have an idea for an app that you think will be downloaded by millions of people and make tons of money. How does it make “tons of money”?
“I’m gonna charge everyone a dollar for it!”- well if that’s the case, then why are there so many free apps on the apps stores? There are far more free apps (they say “get”) than paid apps advertised. If simply charging a dollar was the answer to getting your app downloaded don’t you think there would be more listed on the app store?
Don’t get us wrong there are A TON of apps listed for $0.99 but just look at this screenshot from our iPhone:
We had to scroll past some apps we already downloaded for free so that you could see just how prevalent the “get” apps were. Considering the number of free apps, it begs the following question.
How Do Apps Make Money If They’re Free?
Here’s a shortlist of ways apps that are listed for free actually make money:
- They have ads
If you’ve ever played a free game on your phone you’ve probably noticed you spend quite a bit of time watching ads in between levels or maybe just to get one more shot at completion. On average, if your app is hosting ads it can make about $0.02 per impression (viewed ad). So if relying on ads alone, how many ads do you need to have viewed to make a living? Well we can’t really tell you how much money you need to live so we invite you to do the math!
2. Selling User Information
This is probably our least favorite way to make money with an app on our list. People don’t like to know that they are a product. Essentially putting a price on your info is putting a price on you and we just don’t like it. If you’re curious to know how much your data is worth to people visit Invisibly. We found it kind of depressing actually. We thought we might be worth more! Everything has a price as long as people are willing to pay. Your email, your phone number, even your address can all be bought. Sad right?
3. The Price Itself
Remember how we discussed putting the app for sale on the store for $0.99? This itself can be a way for you to generate a return. Make an app that adds enough value to people, or a game that is fun enough, and you might just get enough people to download it to make money. Just remember in order to get people’s eyes on your app you may need to do some marketing for it. You can see some of the marketing we’ve done for our own app PopVideo in the videos below:
4. Upsell (In-App Purchases)
Another way to generate revenue from an app is by incentivizing a purchase. For example, oftentimes apps will offer the ability to turn off ads through a purchase. Or maybe you’re playing a game and want to purchase upgrades for your character. Or maybe you want access to certain app features that aren’t available in the free version. There are lots of ways to incentivize a purchase within your app.
5. Making Money By Adding Value
Let’s say you own a business that improves other businesses’ compliance. Let’s say you’re a compliance consultant. When companies partner with you or utilize your services they are provided access to an app that digitizes workplace processes such as ensuring the building is locked or granting employee access to cameras remotely. Maybe there’s a cleaning checklist within the app. Whatever type of compliance consultant service you offer, if your app is the selling point for clients and is bringing in more business, then, in turn, the app is generating revenue.
We hope this list has answered some questions and that you found the article insightful. Please consider checking out our other blog posts below.
- What Happens When You Allow an App to Access Your Photos?
- What is a Developer Account on the App Stores?
- Marketing Firms in Boise, Idaho
- What is a user story?
- When Should I Update My App?
If you ever have more questions about apps you can also contact us at hello@matraex.com or give us a call at 208 344 1115.
As a bonus for sticking around here’s a link to our app pitch guide which hopefully helps you come up with some clear and clever ways to share your app idea.
Can Apps Steal My Photos?
That depends, did you give the app access to them?
Apps Seeing and Stealing Your Photos
When you first download an app or go to import any kind of photo into the app, by default you will be asked if you want to give the app access to your photos.
By selecting “all photos” you will give the app access to all of your photos.
By selecting “select Images or photos” you will be able to choose specific images that you want to share with the app.
If someone can see your images what stops them from downloading them? Hackers are able to access information without even knowing seeing what information is available. Compare that with anyone that can see your photo via the server that you allow your photos to be uploaded to most assuredly can download them.
How Do I Protect My Photos From Apps?
If you have given any application access to your photos whether it be web or mobile you have already provided the opportunity for them to be published to the internet. That’s not to say that just because you gave an app access that they have done so, there certainly are honest developers out there. Again, the opportunity for them to be published is there if the application has access.
In order to best protect your photos be careful about which applications you give access to them. You’d only give the keys to your house to the people that you want to visit. Don’t just give your access to your photos away freely. There’s a lot of data that can be gathered from photos, personal things that you probably wouldn’t tell a stranger.
Ever taken a photo of your Drivers License to send someone? Your social security card? Taken pictures at your favorite restaurant? Do you take cute videos of your kids? Did you take a picture of your house when you first moved in? Or how about yourself at the hospital that you go to?
All this is information that you give up freely to complete strangers when giving access to “all photos”. Be careful about who you give access to. You don’t know what kind of person is sitting on the other end of that device.
Don’t want your pictures seen or stolen? Don’t give the access.
Can Apps Be Hacked?
Are the apps on your phone secure?
Security today is a huge concern and has been since the technological shift from Y2K. There is often a false sense of security when it comes to mobile and web applications. They can be hacked. So what can you do to prevent your apps from being hacked? Whether it’s your own product that you’ve created you’re concerned about or an application on your phone there are measures you can take that will make your applications more secure.
Applications on Your Phone
- Be mindful of your surroundings
When using your phone in public there are most likely people within your close proximity. Think airport, on a train, on a bus, or any other setting where you might have someone close to you. Your phone’s screen can be seen. If the screen can be seen then what you are typing and the application that you are using can be seen as well. Ever thought about why some banking apps allow you to hide your credentials and account balances? Because the sheer fact that they can be viewed may put you at risk (especially if you’re fortunate enough to have a lot of zeroes!). Just be aware of your surroundings and keep your phone away from prying eyes.
2. Password Security
It goes without saying that password is not a password. While they may be difficult to remember, using a password similar to the secure passwords that Google generates are probably the most secure types of passwords out there. Even two-factor authentication these days is questionable. Many apps require some form of email sign-in. As a user when you put your email credentials into an app, how can you be sure that the application developer/owner isn’t able to view those? It actually is a pretty big concern. We recommend using apps that are reputable as far as having a good track record of users and reviews. If you question it, don’t your info out there. Going with your gut can save you a lot of heartaches.
3. When it’s out of your hands
Application developers are supposed to put in certain securities that can keep hackers out (we’ll discuss this more below). When apps are not secure in the backend you as the user may have no idea. You might have the most secure password in the world that no one knows except for you. If the backend of the app is not secure and you enter your information it could become compromised at no fault of your own.
Product Security For Your Own App
How can a product owner know if the app is secure?
Pentesting is a shorter term for penetration testing. This is a test to find vulnerabilities in your applications or network. Developers will create simulated attacks on the app to expose where the cracks are in security. If the app doesn’t keep the intruders out in the test (considered a fail), the developers can then view what information by the “user” was accessed and potentially stolen.
Without doing these vulnerability tests, no one can use an application with confidence that their information is safe. The app stores do an excellent job of vetting application developers but to say the process is perfect would be inaccurate. There will always be someone trying to hack software which means they believe that there is a way in.
If you want to learn more about application security consider chatting with one of our developers today!
Drop us a line at (208) 344-1115