Building a Windows 8 Application: Lessons Learned from a Developer
I have been working on a Windows 8 app for a while. Given that creating a Metro Style app is new territory for us, there has been a bit of a learning curve along the way. One place this was especially true was when I started dealing with SQL queries. Prior to this project, I had certainly […]
How Oil and Gas Compliance Issues Start
If your company has issues managing compliance, the good news is you’re not alone. In oil and gas, there are many causes for the consternation around compliance. Here are a few common causes lurking behind compliance issues. Information Siloes Compliance, no matter whether it be regulatory, safety, tax or any other type, almost always requires […]
What is a Hydrocarbon?
Hydrocarbon Hydrocarbons refer to a group of organic compounds which consist entirely of hydrogen and carbon. The oil and gas industry focuses on the discovery and recovery of a particular set of hydrocarbons from deposits in the earth. Hydrocarbons are refined and used as a combustible fuel source, or used in creating plastics, paraffin, waxes […]
Key Performance Indicators: Where to Start?
Key performance indicators are metrics that let you know how your business is doing. Most people are collecting this information already somewhere within their company. But generally it is not broken down by department or in a place where key stakeholders can access it and take action. Is your company currently trying to tackle this issue, or […]
Human Resources the big squeeze in oil and gas today
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Entrance recently attended the Rice Energy Finance Summit (REFS), and there were two big topics of discussion, the need for personnel and chronically low natural gas prices. According to REFS speaker Ken Hersh, CEO of the NGP Energy Capital Management, the only way that any company can possibly compete is to focus on three things: Low […]
Movember!
There are a lot of furry faces at Entrance, what with all the guys we have working as consultants (22 at my last count!). This month, in honor of Movember, a few of our awesome men are growing mustaches to raise awareness for prostate cancer. Our president, Nate Richards, will also be making a donation in their […]
Rice Energy Finance Summit: mergers and acquisitions a key play in the oil and gas business
Entrance attended the Rice Energy Finance Summit (REFS) this week to get a closer look at how the finance world is viewing the effects of oil and gas on the economy and our businesses. Across the board, all the speakers focused particularly on how the “Shale Gas Revolution” is working to change the economy not only of the US, but of the whole world. Where before the US appeared to be facing an energy shortage and mass imports of fossil fuel from foreign countries, 100 year or more reserves of natural gas, all from within our border, has changed that landscape. Some reports say that the U.S. will reduce imports of non-Canadian oil, perhaps eliminating all Middle Eastern suppliers by 2020. And we have vastly improved drilling technology to thank for it.
Entrance Wins Enterprise Champion for the Fast Tech 50 HBJ Award
Entrance got the news today that we ranked number 20 on the Houston Fast Tech 50, in addition to winning the Enterprise Champion award. This award is given to the company that stands out to the Houston Business Journal “in areas of community service, innovation, corporate culture and overcoming challenges, as determined by a panel of sponsor judges.”
Knowledge Management Panel at the Houston City Club
Entrance’s director of consulting, Chad, participated in a panel discussing knowledge management this week at the Houston City Club. The main driver of the conversation was a central issue that most companies are grappling with today: how can organizations capture the valuable mind share housed within their employee base, whether in the situation of an aging workforce, a merger or otherwise?
Most companies are busy just keeping their operations moving, so oftentimes they just forget that all their employees won’t always be there. When an employee moves on, it is very important to capture what is needed to accomplish the job, no matter who is sitting in that desk.
What is software modernization, anyway?
We talk a lot about software modernization. Other terms for the “modernization” concept include: rewrite, re-architect, re-engineer, retool, rework, re-implement, rethink, update and others. But what exactly is happening to your software, and what does modernization mean for your business? How Software Ages In order to understand how software ages, we have to understand first that software is not […]
Halloween 2012
Entrance celebrated Halloween this year with a potluck and costume contest. Just to name a few, we had some visitors from the popular show Archer, a loofa, and a robot from South Park that won not one, but two prizes.
Windows 8 Tips Give Insight Into UI Needs
Would you believe that the list of the “12 Windows 8 Starter Tips and Tweaks” from Maximum PC includes, wait for it, bringing back the start button? “If you want to bypass the Windows 8 Start Screen, remove your ability to accidentally pull up its sidebars, and restore your Windows Start Button to a place […]
Software Modernization Pitfalls
The idea of using software to run a business has been a reality for multiple decades. In fact, many businesses could not exist in the modern economy without the productivity enhancements and competitive advantages provided by custom business software. While a great library of software product options have emerged, many mid-market and enterprise businesses maintain […]
Nate Richards M&A panelist at the President’s Forum
Entrance’s president, Nate Richards, participated in an a panel focusing on mergers and acquisitions this week with a group of professionals related to the topic, including a lawyer, CPA, valuation consultant and an attorney. Each of the panelists had a slightly different perspective on the topic, but the main driver of the panel was this: there are no mergers and acquisitions without data.
The panel discussion covered the life cycle of an M&A purchase, from valuation to close. Here are a few points related to different points in the process:
Entrance Moderates Panel on Measuring Success through Dashboads
Today, Entrance’s president Nate Richards presented a session for The Entrepreneur’s Institute (TEI), “Measuring Success: Executive Dashboards.” The hands-on workshop covered key performance indicators (KPI), and how they can help answer questions that all executives face when running a business, such as: Where do your KPI’s come from? How do you monitor them? What do you do when […]
Compliance as an Opportunity
Last week I wrote about what makes compliance a dirty word in Oil and Gas, as well as the drivers behind its current urgency in the industry. As we dive deeper into compliance, what’s interesting is that everyone agrees on the goals behind compliance – protecting our safety, the environment, royalty owner interests etc. In […]
Entrance Launches Software Portfolio Assessment!
If your company is anything like ours, the release of Windows 8 has gotten you wondering what the ramifications are for your company. The question becomes not if you should switch, but when? If your company is using Vista, Windows 7, or some similar operating system, certainly you need to be aware of Microsoft’s plans for sun setting support for those products.
More importantly, the question you need to ask yourself is, do we have a road map that both maintains the status quo of existing IT systems and plans for change and improvement in the future? Are your systems even performing at par currently?
If not, Entrance is here to help! We have recently launched a new service, called a software portfolio assessment, where we will help answer questions like:
Four Windows 8 Tips from a Senior Software Architect
The Windows 8 buzz just goes on and on, and you may be wondering, “Is this operating system even appropriate for an enterprise situation like mine?’ The answer is, maybe, depending on what you want to use it for. Here are four tips that you should consider from a software architecture perspective:
Windows 8 Launches Early: “Swiping is Believing”
We were excited to hear today that the long awaited Windows 8 operating system launched a day early. The reports have been rampant from early adopters of the product detailing the good- increased functionality and attractive interface, to the ugly – namely, the Start-less home screen that contributes to an unaccustomed learning curve for a […]
Entrance Featured on the Best Places to Work Recap!
Entrance had a great time at the HBJ’s Best Places to Work lunch last week. And our own little mascot, Nate’s son, attended as well. In the HBJ’s recap of the event, a picture of the cute pair was part of the slideshow. Check out the full article here.
