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Managing public transportation is among the more important functions of a town's leadership, but keeping track of, literally, all of the moving pieces can be very difficult. Oftentimes, problems arise from residents that displeased with the routing, stop frequency and operation schedules, but town managers can only make adjustments based on the complaints they receive and feedback from their drivers.

That's why decision-makers in one area of Ohio are coming together to clean up their public transportation systems using special database software. On Tuesday, Mike Paprocki, transportation study director for the Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson (BHJ) Metropolitan Planning Commission, and Shawn Price, senior engineering technician for BHJ, told the Regional Access Mobility Partnership that there would be a training program in place for the parties that will need to know how to use the systems so that it can be used to its full potential, according the Herald-Star, a periodical that reports on news in the Upper Ohio Valley.

With the new software, which is being financed by a federal economic stimulus funds, the collaboration between the cities and towns in BHJ is expected to improve public access between the counties and make schedule planning easier, the source reported.

Cleaning up the public transportation system in the BHJ area now is important if news reported by local NBC affiliate WTOV-9 is accurate. The media outlet said that while drivers in the Steubenville and Weirton, Ohio area were faced with 1.2 miles of congestion per lane of highway in 2003, they are predicted to experience 9.3 miles of congestion per traffic lane by 2030.

It could be reasonably hypothesized that more traffic means a larger demand for public transportation, but at the very least, the increase in travel congestion indicates that the area should be prepared to manage its own vehicles more efficiently.

By now, most businesses have at least heard about others mobilizing part of their operation with custom application development. It might be impractical for some organizations that only have a few employees to use iPads for inventory tracking, but many enterprises are taking advantage of mobile apps thanks to the availability of database software programs like FileMaker Go and the network of developers that use these products to make programs for task-specific solutions.

Maribel Lopez, founder of Lopez Research, wrote in an article for InformationWeek that businesses need to take a better approach when developing their own mobile apps.

"…Developing mobile apps isn't a strategy, and IT will be buried if it takes an 'app at a time' approach to the demand for mobility," she said. "A successful mobile strategy requires companies to evaluate what business processes are working, what needs to be changed, and how mobile can improve how the business runs and executes its strategy."

One of Lopez' suggestions was for business owners to consider mobilizing a process or part of a process, rather than recreating an application. With custom mobile apps, developers can combine the functions of multiple applications into one that can be accessed remotely.

Another of Lopez's tips was to consider if some apps would be more or less helpful when accessed through a mobile device. Luckily, programs like FileMaker Go have interfaces that are optimized to complement a FileMaker Pro-based data center, but still, there may be some tasks best carried out with a larger screen and a keyboard.

The best way to figure out how a custom application can help your business is to talk with FileMaker consultants who can help you brainstorm different solutions to your operations' problems. With their expert experience, they may have a better idea that may streamline your productivity and even provide a solid return on investment.

One of the fundamental differences between large and small businesses are the ways they manage their budgets. Of course, a local retailer has far less financial wiggle room to invest in new technology than a global corporation, therefore, one may assume it's best for the small business to make the most of what it has. President of SurePayroll Michael Alter says, however, that the truth is quite the contrary.

In an article for Inc.com, Alter said that small business owners rely on "organization, a solid business model and an ability to adapt," and while a system that's been in place for years may still be functioning, it could be nearing the end of its lifespan and there's probably a better one available anyway.

Alter explained that there are a few specific processes that small business owners should put serious thought into upgrading. The first is data storage. Many businesses may still be saving their information on a local server, a hard drive or even a filing cabinet, but not only can these options be very pricey and require a lot of maintenance, they don't protect any data in the instance of a fire or theft. Remote storage in the cloud is cost-effective, in that it only requires users to pay for the amount of space they are currently using, and it's safe.

Alter said that small businesses should also look into changing their customer relationship management system. Oftentimes, companies use spreadsheet software to keep track of customer information, but those programs are vulnerable to inaccuracies and are difficult to manage.

If your business stores its important information in a system that is outdated and you think you may be ready for an upgrade, talk to a FileMaker consultant and explain what data your operation relies on. With that information, FileMaker developers can use custom database software to build a user-friendly and reliable program for your business.

Communication and collaboration are two integral pieces of any successful faction, whether it be a family of four or the entire food supply industry. That can difficult without the right means to connect with associates, but developing technology continues to give us more and more methods of accessing each other and working together.

Using an IBM-hosted business-to-business (B2B) cloud service, Gist Limited, a third party logistics company that specializes in distributing chilled and frozen goods, was able to work more efficiently with its clients and improve critical internal operations.

The B2B cloud system allows Gist to exchange business documents with its partners securely and in real time. The IBM service translates the files into the appropriate format or protocol that the receiving party requires, and as a result, Gist’s document error rate has dropped by 20 percent.

“Third party logistics companies deal with a complex network of partners, each with a unique set of requirements, and need real-time visibility into constantly evolving processes,” IBM commerce solutions regional leader Ronald Teijken said in a press release. “With these concerns addressed, Gist can now focus on meeting the stringent standards of the food industry, using cloud services to ensure that goods are delivered on time.”

Gist was able to streamline productivity and improve its overall service by working with its clientele on a large scale, but smaller bodies like retailers and schools can benefit similarly from an in-house system. Using database software, a FileMaker developer can create a custom data system specialized for specific needs of any organization, which can be complemented with a mobile application that can be accessed by all necessary parties directly from their iPad, iPhone or iPod touch.

The amount of data stored, the capacity of the servers in which it's kept, and the ways that it can be accessed and stockpiled have amplified exponentially in the past decade, meaning increasingly more changes for the way both businesses and consumers maintain the storage of their information.

Back in 2001, Apple's first version of the iPod could hold roughly 5 gigabytes of music or about 1,000 songs. Today, their latest MP3 players can hold up to 160 GB or around 40,000 songs. Consumers can easily find hard drives that have storage capacities in the range of 2 terabytes (2,078 GB) at common retailers. Individuals are buying into data storage more and more frequently as different forms of information are increasingly becoming digitalized.

But, what's appealed to consumers has also appealed to the corporate world on a much larger scale. Data storage has become the backbone for many businesses already, but that's only the beginning.

The International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts that the volume of the world's digital information will grow to an astonishing 35 trillion GB by 2020. In 2010 alone, the amount of digital information created and replicated grew by 62 percent to more than 838 billion GB, which the IDC said would fill enough DVDs to make a stack that reaches from the earth to the moon and back.

Businesses that have questions about increasing or improving their own data storage should talk to FileMaker consultants that specialize in developing and organizing custom database software. From there, they can reap the benefits of an accurate, modern information storage system that can even be accessed from mobile devices like iPads and iPhones.

The emergence of the tablet computer has meant big changes for the way both individuals and corporations use technology. Many businesses have found interesting ways to integrate iPads into their operations, but there are still quite a few others that may believe while the new technology may be advantageous in some fashion, the price tag on that kind of tech upgrade is a bit too steep. Along with custom application development, iPads can be a worthy investment if business owners use it for the right reasons.

Making big sales is one of the best functions a company can use a tablet computer for, as long as it has the right software. With the ability to access a remote database right from an iPad, the sales team can update or search for information at the point of sale. This could be also done on a laptop, but the nature of using a tablet during a sale make a conversation more one-on-one, according to an article from InformationWeek.

Using database software, the warehouse can become a streamlined operation with all workers on the same page. The iPad can scan barcodes with its camera, and log that information into a main database using a custom application.

Tablets are great for customer relations, too. Some businesses like Royal Caribbean are actually providing customers with iPads to check schedules, book activities and find promotions, reports the news source. But, other clientele uses could be for waiting room entertainment or for taking service satisfaction polls.

Business owners who are interested in using tablets for any of the aforementioned uses should talk to a FileMaker consultant that can develop a custom FileMaker Go application that's optimized for iPads, iPhones and iPod touches.

Photography studios, like all other businesses, need to keep track of overhead and income financial data. David Kilpatrick, a British photographer, wrote an article for the British Journal of Photography about what management software is the best to use for businesses in his industry.

He said there are essentially just two accounting platforms to choose from: spreadsheets and database software. Based on his experiences, he explained that the better option is rather obvious.

Kilpatrick said that it's easy to accidentally delete data in spreadsheets, which can completely throw off the entire log. One of the most typical mistakes made in spreadsheets is incorrect use of the sort function, he said. The columns are not linked to each other, so if, for instance, you wanted to arrange the first column a certain way, only that column would adjust to the control and the other columns would remain in their original order. These kinds of mistakes can muddle the entire spreadsheet.

Custom databases are built with established rules so that user-created mistakes aren't nearly as common as they are in programs like Excel. What Kilpatrick likes most about databases is their ability to link to each other.

"You can, for example, have a client list held on a smartphone that you update when traveling. Your office computer then uses the updated information," Kilpatrick wrote. "In the past, systems like this mostly worked over office networks; now they work in the cloud… Your worries about a studio PC being stolen or a fire destroying records are gone, because multiple duplicate copies exist thousands of miles away, securely protected from hacking."

Specifically, Kilpatrick recommended FileMaker as the ideal account management program, primarily because of the vast network of FileMaker developers. If you think your business could benefit from database software like Kilpatrick has, talk to a FileMaker consultant who can show you how custom application development can help your specific needs.

Because small business owners typically operate on very tight budgets, they are more likely to settle for a cheaper product or service than large corporations that can afford to invest in better, more pricey ventures. Because of that, they may spend an extraneous amount of time trying to make things on their own or buy a product of lesser quality to make it fit into their financial limitations.

Some of these things, though, may actually turn out to be more costly due to wasted time and a weakened image, according to Susan Payton, president of internet marketing firm Egg Marketing & Communications. In an article for online publication Small Business Trends, Payton explained what investments are worth while for businesses working with a budget.

♦ Business cards – As Payton wrote, the whole reason that anyone hands out a business card is to be remembered and stand out. That said, why would it be in one's interest to have a card that was designed with a free template?

♦ Software – Cheap programs might not have a big price tag at first, but if your business is using spreadsheets to keep track of client information or financial data, you may end up paying for it in the end. On the other hand, database software can be customized to store specific information, and is not only much more secure than a spreadsheet, but it also has a cleaner presentation and can be linked with mobile applications for remote access.

♦ Website – Anyone can build their own website today at a very low cost, but just like the business cards, organizations need their online presence to stand out. There are more pricey website building programs available, but Payton suggested that it might suit you best to do some research and find an experienced web designer.

Businesses rely on technology a lot more than they may believe. That is, of course, until their main office loses power for a week and they don't have a backup plan in place. It doesn't even have to be that dramatic though. If data is only stored on one computer and the hard drive crashes, that data is lost. From tornadoes to short circuits, a company can buy all the insurance policies it wants, but there's no way to salvage data from unrepairable hardware or mend relationships with indignant customers.

In an article for Smart Business Network, Zack Schuler, CEO of Cal Net Technology Group, explained that there are a lot of different ways businesses can falter following a catastrophe. While there are plenty of good methods to stay prepared, there are some poor ones as well.

He referenced one company that had intelligently backed up its servers on tapes daily, which twere stored in the same facility. So when the building went up in flames, both the primary servers and their backups were destroyed, making the business's protective measures obsolete.

Schuler said that businesses can protect themselves from lengthy internet downtime, by having a backup connection in place. In other words, if the office connects primarily through a DSL provider, it should also have a cable connection in place that can be used as an alternate medium to access the web.

To prepare for a complete loss of access to the facility due to a natural disaster or even just a power outage, he suggests implementing a system where employees can communicate with each other and access databases off-site.

If you're worried about protecting your business's data when faced with a similar dilemma, talk to a FileMaker consultant who can explain how FileMaker database software can be optimized for remote access.

Large accounting firms and small retailers alike have learned about the problems with using spreadsheets for data storage the hard way. And, as more and more issues come to light, many organizations are starting to switch their information records to database software. But, are spreadsheets really that awful?

According to global business consulting firm Protiviti, research has shown that 94 percent of all spreadsheets contain errors.

"Not all of these errors will result in financial loss, but organizations won't know without investigating which errors could cause serious issues," Protiviti’s Director of IT Consulting Scott Bolderson said in a statement. "Regulators are starting to apply more pressure on organizations to address the issue, recognizing the level of dependence many organizations place on calculations in spreadsheets."

IT project management service Denizon laid out that some of these inaccuracies can be caused by accidental copy-and-pasting, unintentional cell, column, row or character deletion and omission of mathematical symbols.

In sum, yes, spreadsheets can definitely be more harmful than helpful. However, you can avoid these risks by having a FileMaker developer build a customized database, rather than asking an IT department create a spreadsheet-based log that is vulnerable to mistakes. It's rather simple to switch information from a program like Excel to database software, so there's no need to worry about losing data. In addition to having cleaner and more user-friendly aesthetics, a secure FileMaker-based program can be built to store all sorts of information from pictures to intricate financial records reliably.

Contact a FileMaker consultant that can share more information about the problems you may be experiencing due to inaccurate spreadsheets, and how a custom database can not only solve those issues, but prevent them from happening in the future.