Business and Strategy

For years, the EPA used Domino Lotus Notes to create and publish its News Releases. Domino was slow, inefficient, and hard to customize. The Drupal "platform" afforded the EPA the opportunity to streamline and move its News Releases publication process into the Agency's Drupal WebCMS. It wasn't easy: we needed to find all of the technical boundaries, and we were also expected to match (and exceed) existing functionality. The project has two phases: a new content type with a multi-faceted search front end (lots of views) and a migration phase (it can be hard to extract data from Domino).

As Drupal has grown so have the companies that provide its services.  Almost all Drupal providers have started out as passionate development focus companies.  In this session I would like to talk about my experiences helping bring operations and business processes to a technology led organization.  Most Drupal companies were founded in passion for the technology.  As they have grown, there has been an increased need for passion in the business & operations roles that help convert Drupal Companies into Agencies.

Everyone has been given a 2 paragraph document listing the "scope of services" for a potential project.  The client would like an estimate in 48 hours and there are no more details to help you deliver that required fixed bid contract.  At the same time, many teams have also been given (or created) a detailed PRD or backlog document and still had a project budget balloon out of control.  

A case study on roadblocks and solutions for setting up Drupal development environments and connecting to cloud-based services from Federal government workstations.

Websites are never done; and the longer we keep a site relevant, the more we get out of the huge investment initial in designing and building a new one. We present strategies for site owners and developers to address the technical and logistical challenges of maintaining sites and managing smart growth over the long haul.

Manage or support a website?  This session is for you!

Managing your content with Drupal is easy. However, creating great web content can still be a challenge for many, especially for those in the Federal Sector who may do web content as “other duties as assigned.” This session will discuss simple ways to create great content as well as improving your existing content. We will also discuss some simple ways you can simplify mundane tasks using Drupal (and how to write them up as requirements for your Drupal developers). 

Well, that's the harsh way to say it. But the truth is, the user doesn't care about you. They care about how your product is going to solve their problem or make their life better. This tiny distinction is often hard for a client to comprehend.

Drupal is quickly becoming the de facto standard platform for governments websites, from small towns to the White House. 

In this session we’ll explore how government agencies are using Drupal to connect citizens, streamline internal operations, increase communication, release open data, lower costs, improve security, and further their missions. Additionally, we’ll dive into the unique challenges and opportunities that exist in working with government agencies.

Culture is the most essential element in building healthy and high-performing teams. 

A positive work environment makes team members feel appreciated, builds a sense of community, and helps foster overall job satisfaction.

However, all too often, company culture is considered an after-thought, and addressed way too late after the "core" business needs are met. 

Drupal 8 is coming. When we reach “Issue Queue Zero,” your business or organization needs a sensible strategy for upgrading your sites to D8. There are variety of questions to consider including available talent, budgets, goals, and aspirations