263: Unstuck Yourself from Spreadsheets: Driving Collaboration and Productivity – Control with Quickbase

This is the second episode of our mini-series in partnership with Quickbase. Last week in Episode 1,  I was joined by Peter Rifken to take a closer look at people. We talked about the workers on the front line of the industry right now, the challenges, the opportunities, and exactly how Quickbase can optimize and automate to connect people and workflow together. Today,  I'm joined by Alex Pederson to talk all about the solar industry. We'll be discussing the increasing importance of generating renewable energy sources, the challenges of ensuring efficiency and connectivity, while meeting high demand, the power of low-code development in complex industries, and exactly how Quickbase can centralize scattered workflows to help scale your operations quickly, safely and securely.   IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [01.46] An introduction to Alex, his background and role at Quickbase. "I ran into Quickbase… and it blew my mind – how customizable it was, how flexible the platform was and what you could do with it." [03.05] A snapshot of the main challenges facing the solar industry right now. [05.23] The huge range of stakeholders involved in solar projects, how they have typically been connecting and the positive impact of collaboration and bridging those gaps. "Most of the time, customers are emailing an Excel doc back and forth, or even shooting text messages." [07.24] The popularity of Excel, and how we get people out of spreadsheets. "If you're using Excel, you're going to absolutely love using Quickbase – it's a very easy transition over and… you now have that ability to customize roles and permissions, governance, dashboards… everything that's important for you and your role." [11.03] A closer look at Quickbase's Solar Management Software, how the solution can benefit solar brands, and address their key challenges. "Wherever there are gaps in your current process, that's where Quickbase can fit in and be that agility layer." [14.09] Keeping on top of the moving parts in complex solar projects. "It really comes down to making sure you have the correct data... then you're able to start to see trends and make predictions." [17.00] How to better predict project delays, amidst industry-wide disruption, and improve communication. [18.05] The importance of control and custom solutions when it comes to efficiency and scaling at speed. "If you think about needing a software that fits for your project, or fitting your projects in to a software, there's a difference between the two." [19.00] How Quickbase software has helped customers save weeks on their installation times, and what we can learn from other countries, like Africa, that are running successful solar programs. [21.15] The sustainability trends to look out for, and the future of solar technology. [22.42]  Alex's key takeaway around the importance of control when it comes to efficiency, productivity and simplifying complex processes.   RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:   Head over to Quickbase's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Alex and Quickbase in order to keep up to date with the latest. Head to LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube. Check out our other podcasts HERE.