Why would a small Drupal shop take on building a big platform? Learn what motivates the co-founder and the newest worker-owner of a 12-years-in-business web development shop to try to steer it in a radically new direction.
Drupal is better than ever, but whether it is more successful is questionable. A pincer threatens Drupal. One side, Drupal's own power and complexity, discourages new users and contributors. The other, proprietary platforms, increasingly squeeze out custom web development through sheer economies of scale. Retreating into Drupal's new fortress, the enterprise, leaves many of us on the outside— and it doesn't escape the pincer, which will continue until there's nowhere left to hide.
I've been running a small Drupal shop for several years now and have experimented with lots of tools and technologies to manage my workflow, contractors, and the financial aspects of my business. It's easy to waste a lot of time chasing the latest and greatest tools.
I'd like to share the tool set I'm currently using, things I've tried, and gaps that I still need to fill. Most of all, I'd love to hear what tools that others have used and why they choose them.
Here are the categories I plan to discuss:
Few things that I would cover in the session:
Unexpected complications will always arise and having explicit goals, positive dynamics, budget, timing, team with balance of skills, access to the information, the right channels to communicate, useful and constant feedback in a collaborative space will grant the ingredients to succeed.
Taking the time to get the essential pieces in place from the start will guarantee the success of a Project; as well as the team´s satisfaction because they are creating something wonderful and meaningful together.
3 T´s are Key factors in the longevity of the relationship with our client.
When a client comes to you, don’t start a project, start a relationship. The goal isn’t to solve individual problems, but have an ongoing conversation to assess client needs and find the best solutions.
Supporting Drupal sites requires attention to not only technical needs but also human. The number one most important element of a support program is to make your clients feel comfortable and taken care of. That requires a team of people who can all bring their own expertise and unique skills.
There’s been a lot of ink spilled about how the RFP process is broken, particularly when it comes to technology projects. This session isn’t going to litigate various viewpoints on that front, because RFPs are not going anywhere anytime soon — especially when it comes to nonprofit, higher ed, and public sector projects.
Ignore the naysayers! Your RFP can be brilliant!
Decoupled Drupal is clearly here to stay, so what does this mean from a business point of view? As we consider all the implications of this change -- a new programming language, new licences, and the technical considerations of how we visualize and build websites -- it’s important to identify how and when adaptations need to be made to our businesses to support all these changes.
We often talk about websites the way we talk about cars. Are you driving a flashy sports car or a stable hatchback? And is yours a lemon, no matter how pretty the paint job? And if you just got one used, what’s going on under the hood? There’s a way to address these questions about your website, and it’s called a technical audit.
Nobody loves writing or responding to a request for proposals (RFPs) but it is often a necessary process. In this session, we will discuss the steps it takes to write a good website RFP, but also how to attract the right vendors to bid and what to do to make this process an educational and meaningful experience.
In this tactical session you will learn:
