Best Practice Quick Base Platfrm Gvernance Overview: Fr all rganizatins with the visin t benefit frm brad use f the Quick Base platfrm, Advantage recmmends a systematic gvernance mdel, fr the reasns utlined belw. The respnsibilities and best practices described here are best managed if assigned t a central Gvernance/Oversight grup. Advantage can als prvide sme r all f this management n an utsurced basis fr an rganizatin s IT r designated Gvernance grup, as needed. Primary Objectives: - Risk Management (data security, legal, sund prject/prgram management and cmpany plicy cmpliance). - Cst Management (licensing, management f redundancy, inefficiency/ineffectiveness in applicatins). - Any rganizatin and categrizatin (using metadata) needed t catalg the ppulatin f Quick Base applicatins, fr better understanding and management (such as: which parts f the rganizatin are using which applicatins, and what is the value these apps are prviding fr the rganizatin? ) - Optimized utilizatin f the Quick Base platfrm fr yur rganizatin (hw much is Quick Base wrth t the cmpany, qualitatively?) - (Optinal Advanced): Optimizatin f value/roi f the platfrm (hw much is Quick Base use wrth t the cmpany, quantitatively?) - Dcumentatin f the plicies, activities and effrts arund this gvernance and management strategy f Quick Base use. High-Level Gvernance Prcess Wrkflw Diagram 1 2016 Advantage Integrated Slutins, Inc.
Initial Steps: Identify, analyze and dcument specific risk elements, IT and ther security and cmpliance requirements fr the rganizatin that apply t Quick Base use. Implement Advantage s Accunt Management Mdule (AMM), if desired, as a central tl supprting the initial and nging gvernance effrts described in this dcument. Review the current envirnment f Quick Base and related systems/prcesses used fr a cmplete understanding f the current state (additinal insight will cme frm an audit prcess, as described belw). Decide n the initial scpe f intended Quick Base use, and btain apprval fr a level f cst fr that level f use. The scpe is likely t grw ver time, as the cmprehensive value and true ROI frm brader Quick Base use is realized. Initial audit and inventry f all Quick Base applicatins (using Advantage s AMM fr Quick Base, if available), creating a library f apps : Capture metadata and categrize current applicatins using such criteria as active/inactive, business unit wner, business need/purpse, cmpliance with IT/rganizatinal requirements, sensitive data, etc. Input frm app managers/administratrs is ften needed t cmplete this prcess. Dcumentatin f such users input and the assciated data can be autmated with a cmbinatin f bradcast emails and grid-edit reprts fr input directly int the AMM. In the AMM, label any missin critical applicatins and/r existing integratins with ther systems, which may create expsure t, r high risk f impact frm, any perfrmance issues. Identificatin f additinal applicatin tuning and/r mnitring may be identified, assciated with such applicatins. Wrk with app creatrs/wners t archive data and delete bslete and inactive applicatins and users. Address and crrect any risk r cmpliance cncerns in the applicatins r user access. This initial audit and cleanup shuld prvide fr basic cmpliance and cst management enhancement. Additinal and/r nging actins will capture remaining pprtunities fr imprvement. Onging Gvernance and Platfrm Management Elements: 1. Oversight and supprt f Applicatin Creatrs/Owners (app creatrs) t ensure quality and meet Objectives upfrnt as much as pssible (details belw). 2. Onging review f existing applicatin inventry and user ppulatin t maintain cmpliance, deletin f inactive apps and users fr cst cntrl and husekeeping. 3. Optinal practive platfrm ptimizatin. 2 2016 Advantage Integrated Slutins, Inc.
1. Supprt Applicatin Creatrs Prviding apprpriate training, directin, app creatin apprval, versight, and help desk supprt t the emplyees wh have user rights t create Quick Base applicatins, is a pwerful tl in management f the use f the platfrm. Best practice is t ensure apprpriate applicatins are being created upfrnt, rather than finding errrs, redundancy, nn-cmpliance and waste issues later. Mre specifically: Create/implement a simple prcess t validate existing creatrs, and apprve and nbard new app creatrs. (Optinal, where apprpriate): Use a Managed Deplyment apprach t intrduce Quick Base t different grups within the cmpany, in an rderly fashin. Identify, qualify and train new app creatrs in an rganized manner fr best results. Create a Center f Excellence and Training apprach fr best practice training and supprt f the ppulatin f authrized app creatrs. Require a level f Quick Base training and understanding f an Quick Base app creatin plicy fr app creatrs (Advantage can assist with best practice training material and prcess implementatin). Create a simple request fr apprval prcess fr creating new applicatins, r at a minimum, request submissin f details arund new apps users create (like business unit wner, purpse, added value, cnfirmatin r request t cnfirm there are nt existing applicatins that culd be used r leveraged, number f intended users, level f data sensitivity, estimated value t the rganizatin, etc.). Nte: these factrs can be captured in a Quick Base app, r simply in a table added t the AMM itself. Advisement f app creatrs n best practices in app creatin, deplyment and use. Referral t a Quick Base Slutin Prvider (QSP) such as Advantage fr assistance with applicatins that are relatively cmplex. Business units may cntract fr such utside help themselves r thrugh the central Gvernance grup. Infrm app creatrs f help desk supprt available frm the Gvernance grup, including wh t cntact fr supprt r questins with their Quick Base apps, and use. Equip and supprt app creatrs/wners t allw them t prvide training and Level 1 supprt t the end users f the apps they wn, as well as ensure they can submit any truble tickets needed arund Quick Base perfrmance t Quick Base itself. 2. Onging Review and Management f the Ppulatin f Quick Base Applicatins and Users Quick Base use is dynamic by nature, and fllwing cntinuing effrts can allw a Gvernance grup t mst effectively manage an rganizatin s Quick Base use: Identificatin and deletin f applicatins and users as they becme bslete. Identificatin f any applicatins that fall ut f data security r ther cmpliance requirements previusly dcumented. Identificatin f underutilized applicatins t update r imprve. Identificatin f applicatins that wuld have mre value with additinal functinality r were best cmbined with ther applicatins, and facilitatin f that develpment. Identificatin f applicatins that culd be mre valuable if additinal users had access, and facilitating that access. Identificatin f redundant applicatins and cnslidatin r standardizatin. 3 2016 Advantage Integrated Slutins, Inc.
Validatin that Quick Base is the best tl fr all applicatins, r recgnitin f any that aren t, fr planned migratin t a better-suited platfrm. Identificatin f any applicatins that wuld benefit frm integratin with ther systems, which can be a surce f value and imprved data integrity. Advantage s Accunt Management Mdule can be instrumental in the executin and dcumentatin f all these effrts and results. This nging review prcess can be a rlling audit, s that peridic scheduled audits f Quick Base use are nt needed t keep an rganizatin s Quick Base use well managed. 3. Optinal: Optimizatin f Platfrm Utilizatin and Value We recmmend these best practice effrts t maximize the cmprehensive value an rganizatin gets frm the Quick Base platfrm. It will imprve the utilizatin f Quick Base, its verall value and ROI, which can be tracked and reprted ver time as a key metric fr management. It is relatively easy t quantify what an rganizatin directly spends n Quick Base simply frm its mnthly licensing fee, but mre challenging and ften mre valuable is t calculate hw much Quick Base use is qualitatively wrth t an rganizatin (and the resulting ROI). Value needs t be measured t be managed and maximized, and practive effrts can ensure that Quick Base functins as ne f an rganizatin s best technlgy tls and investments. Best practice ptimizatin includes: Training and advising the authrized app creatrs t identify and create high value and ROI apps, and supprting the app creatrs s the apps cntinue t deliver their ptential value. Identify develpers in the rganizatin skilled in use f the Quick Base API, r have a qualified Quick Base Slutin Prvider (QSP) such as Advantage available t develp the custm functinality and integratins in Quick Base ften needed fr mre advanced and valuable applicatins. Als, make these experts available t app creatrs, fr mre efficient and effective develpment f their applicatins. Using categrizatin and ther metadata fr analysis t identify what areas f the cmpany are using Quick Base, what they are using it fr, and creating a gap analysis t determine thers areas where Quick Base culd mst valuably be used (leveraging existing applicatins r develping new nes). Use f categrizatins t classify redundant apps fr cnslidatin, and as inf t help avid the creatin f additinal apps that wuld be redundant. Practively identify business needs in the business units where Quick Base wuld be the mst cmpelling slutin. Priritize and facilitate building Quick Base applicatins t slve thse needs. Capture an estimate f the current annual value f existing applicatins, with the additin f an Annual Value field in the AMM and subsequent input frm app wners t estimate the annual value f their apps t the rganizatin. Cmpare this with the subscriptin cst f Quick Base. Simple calculatins and reprts n ROI at the app level can als segment the apps t identify the highest and lwest ROI apps, fr any further ptimizatin n thse. 4 2016 Advantage Integrated Slutins, Inc.
Create a feedback lp with peridic requests t app wners t reprt n the value and usability f their apps, t capture any needs fr supprt, interventin r expert input n existing r planned apps. Wrk with the app creatr grup (and Advantage r ther engaged QSP) t facilitate and accelerate efficient, effective cnceptin, develpment and use f valuable new Quick Base applicatins t meet an rganizatin s dynamic and evlving infrmatin and cllabratin needs. Availability in general, as an advisr t assciated business units fr needs they have that can best be slved with Quick Base. Platfrm Radmap Revisit the prgress, gals and ptential fr Quick Base use n an annual r as-needed basis, t verify at least these cmpnents: - Risk and Cst Management is sufficient - Quick Base use is within current scpe and level f apprval - ROI (if calculated) is high and/r imprving - Advantage r ther QSP engaged is meeting/exceeding the rganizatin s expectatins - Optimal utilizatin f the platfrm is n schedule - Cnfirmatin that authrized app creatrs are adequately empwered and supprted t slve business needs within the current scpe f Quick Base use - Crprate management apprval and funding is in place fr any needed increase in scpe f use - Validatin r the update f the list f utstanding business unit needs where Quick Base is the best slutin and plan fr the slutins t be built next (internally r by a QSP) The Rle f Advantage s Enterprise Accunt Management Mdule fr Quick Base Advantage develped the AMM t help manage brad Quick Base use at ur client rganizatins. The AMM prvides excellent reprting, accunt tracking, analysis, change lgging and dcumentatin, and tls t autmate and save significant time in best practice management f use f the Quick Base platfrm. The AMM significantly imprves mnitring f large and grwing ppulatins f Quick Base applicatins and users, and supprts and facilitates all the best practices utlined within this dcument. The AMM is intended t be indispensable fr managing brad use f Quick Base, and it is highly custmizable and extensible beynd its cre functinality. Vide verview here. When implemented, Advantage s AMM is cnfigured t supprt the way each rganizatin wants t mnitr, measure and manage its brad Quick Base use. Cnclusin Brad use f the Quick Base platfrm can create significant value fr an enterprise. With that brad use cmes the need fr central Oversight/Management/Gvernance t accmplish the bjectives listed abve. These best practices, implemented internally r with Advantage s help, will help ensure ptimum value and apprpriate cntrls ver use f the platfrm. 5 2016 Advantage Integrated Slutins, Inc.