We all use “workarounds” for one thing or another. A system of some type is broken, has a restriction (like number of users), or was never designed to do what we need it to do, so we come up with a way to maneuver around the issue without actually addressing it. You’ll find plenty of examples of software users taking this approach.
But while workarounds may help you complete your tasks, they can be bad for you and your organization in the long run. The potential consequences run the gamut, from wasted time to work errors to increased security risks.
That’s why we encourage Mazévo users to ditch five common workarounds they may have had to use in the past.
- Sharing Passwords
Some software companies charge customers on a per-user basis. But rather than sticking to that limit, organizations often share passwords so that more people can use the system at once. This is unethical (and if you signed a contract, illegal), of course, but we’re not here to judge!
Mazévo eliminates the need to share passwords by billing organizations based on the number of rooms they define. You need five people to have access to the system? Great. You have 25 people who need to use it? That works, too!
- Sticking With Ineffective Processes
Whenever someone explains why they handle a task in a particular manner by saying, “Because we’ve always done it that way,” you should be skeptical. It’s never a good idea to “force-fit” flawed processes into a system designed to handle them more efficiently and effectively.
Especially when you upgrade a software solution or move to a new one, you should ask yourself important questions about your business processes, like, “Does this method achieve the desired goal?” And, “Does our new technology enable us to do this in a different and better way?” The conclusion you reach when pondering a particular process may be that there’s no other way to handle it. But in many cases, a few minutes of brainstorming can lead to game-changing “Aha!” moments.
- Over-Customizing or Over-Configuring a System
We’ve all heard of the KISS principle: Keep it simple, stupid! Or maybe more kindly: Keep it simple, smiley! It’s good advice for life in general and scheduling software in particular.
Mazévo gives you tremendous freedom in setting up the system to meet your organization’s unique scheduling needs. But we also encourage customers to resist the temptation to configure long lists of things like event types and statuses. In trying to account for every possible scheduling scenario, you make it harder to use the system, not easier. And training new users when you’ve got 75 event types,45 statuses, etc.? Good luck!
- Spoon Feeding Information to Others
Being helpful and providing colleagues, customers, etc., with the information they need is admirable. However, it’s easy for recipients to get used to being spoon-fed when they could—if you encouraged them to—get the details they need on their own. For example, we frequently see Mazévo users send confirmations to service providers (catering companies, etc.) every time they finish putting an event into the system.
Mazévo makes it easy to give stakeholders the type and amount of system access they need to get necessary information themselves and take that task off an event scheduler or coordinator’s plate. And then, all you have to do is explain to them the advantages of a self-help approach, and in no time, you’ll be fielding far fewer information requests!
- Printing Paper Reports
It’s good for your organization and the environment to phase out paper reports. For organizations that use Mazévo, there’s virtually no reason to provide information in hardcopy form. You can share details electronically in a couple of ways.
First, you can define reports that anyone can access simply by clicking a link. This capability is great for people who don’t need to, or want to, log into the system. Here’s an example of the Mazévo Daily Operations Report. Just click the link to see the information!
People who need broader access to data can use the Mazévo mobile app. Designed for operations staff, it’s accessible from phones, tablets, and other mobile devices and can display information on room setups, AV equipment deliveries, catering orders, and much more. Users can even mark tasks as completed so others can see, in real-time, which events are ready and which are still being prepped.
Experience Life Without Workarounds!
What would your scheduling environment and processes look like without workarounds? We can show you in a live, online demo of Mazévo customized to your needs and interests.
Schedule a session today!
