Fractional Executive | ETW Digital

Observability and Monitoring Are Closely Related. Do You Know The Difference?

Mike Flanagan — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 19:25:31 +0000

NOTE: This is our 2nd post in a series on #observability. You can find the 1st post here.

Monitoring your systems has become commonplace for SMBs. Monitoring involves regularly checking and tracking the performance and behavior of a system or application to identify any issues or potential problems. It typically involves collecting and analyzing data about key performance metrics (KPIs), such as response times, error rates, and resource usage, to ensure that the system is operating as expected.

Observability (O11y) refers to the ability to gain insights into the behavior of a system or application from the outside by collecting and analyzing data about its internal state and interactions. It involves providing visibility into the internal workings of a system or application and allowing for the efficient identification and resolution of issues that may arise.

The Google Trends chart below extenuates the need to educate SMBs on the need and benefit of observability.

Google Trends: IT Monitoring vs. IT Observability

Reread those last two paragraphs. Observability and monitoring are closely related but not the same thing. Monitoring is the process of collecting data and information about a system to understand its behavior and identify any problems that may be occurring. On the other hand, Observability is the degree to which the internal state of a system can be inferred from its external outputs.

In other words, monitoring involves collecting data and information about a system, while observability is using that data to understand and infer what is happening inside the system. Monitoring is an essential part of observability but not the only aspect. Observability also includes analyzing and interpreting the data collected through monitoring to understand how a system is functioning and identify any issues that may be present.

Observability is essential in various contexts, including engineering, computer science, and other fields, because it allows people to understand how a system is functioning and to identify and troubleshoot problems when they arise. Monitoring is also an essential aspect of observability, as it allows people to collect the data and information needed to understand a system’s behavior and identify any issues that may be present.

Observability Enhances Monitoring

Observability can enhance monitoring by providing a more comprehensive understanding of a system’s behavior and performance. Monitoring involves collecting data and information about a system to understand its behavior and identify any problems that may be occurring. On the other hand, Observability involves using that data to understand and infer what is happening inside the system.

By combining the two approaches, organizations can get a complete picture of how their systems are functioning and identify any issues that may be present. For example, an organization may use monitoring to collect data about the performance of their systems, such as the amount of traffic being handled or the number of errors being generated. This data can be used to identify any issues that may be affecting the system’s performance, such as bottlenecks or resource constraints.

However, monitoring data alone may not be sufficient to understand the root cause of a problem entirely. Observability can be used to complement monitoring by providing additional context and information about the internal state of a system. For example, observability can be used to identify specific components or processes within a system that may be causing problems or to understand how different parts of a system interact and affect one another. By providing a more detailed and comprehensive understanding of a system’s behavior, observability can enhance monitoring effectiveness and help organizations identify and troubleshoot problems more effectively.

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Are You Up to Speed on WCAG 2.1 & ADA Compliance?

Mike Flanagan — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 20:33:43 +0000

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are designed to ensure that web content and facilities are accessible to people with disabilities. Here are some key points and specifics of these compliances:

For WCAG 2.1:

WCAG 2.1 is a set of guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities.
The guidelines are organized around four principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.
WCAG 2.1 includes 17 guidelines and 61 success criteria that provide specific requirements for making web content accessible.
Some of the specific requirements of WCAG 2.1 include providing text alternatives for non-text content, making content scalable and resizable, providing alternative ways to navigate the site, and ensuring that content is structured correctly and labeled.

For ADA:

The ADA is a federal law that prohibits discrimination based on disability in several areas, including employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, and commercial facilities.
The ADA requires that web content be accessible to people with disabilities, including individuals who use assistive technology such as screen readers or magnifiers.
The ADA applies to state and local government agencies and private entities considered “places of public accommodation.”
To comply with the ADA, web content must meet specific accessibility standards, such as those outlined in WCAG 2.1.

In summary, WCAG 2.1 provides guidelines for making web content accessible to people with disabilities. At the same time, the ADA requires that web content and facilities be accessible to people with disabilities and prohibits discrimination based on disability in certain areas. By following these guidelines, organizations can ensure that their web content and facilities are inclusive and accessible.

What are the ramifications of non-compliance?

Non-compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) can result in legal and financial consequences for organizations. Some of the potential ramifications of non-compliance include:

Lawsuits: Non-compliance with the ADA can result in lawsuits being brought against an organization. These lawsuits can be costly, time-consuming, and damaging to the organization’s reputation.
Damages and penalties: If an organization violates the ADA, it may be ordered to pay damages to individuals affected by the non-compliance. In addition, the organization may be fined by the government.
Loss of business: Organizations not accessible to people with disabilities may lose out on potential customers or clients who require accessible web content or facilities.
Negative reputation: Non-compliance with accessibility standards can damage an organization’s reputation and lead to negative publicity.

By being compliant with WCAG 2.1 and the ADA, organizations can avoid these legal and financial consequences and demonstrate their commitment to making their web content and facilities accessible to private entities and those with disabilities.

High Profile Lawsuits

Many notable lawsuits have already been related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 compliance. These include:

Domino’s Pizza v. Robles: In this case, a blind individual sued Domino’s Pizza because its website and mobile app were not accessible to screen reader users. The case reached the Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case, but the decision was widely seen as a win for accessibility advocates.
Gil v. Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.: In this case, a blind individual sued Winn-Dixie because its website was not accessible to screen reader users. The court ruled in favor of the plaintiff, stating that the website was a place of public accommodation under the ADA and must be accessible to people with disabilities.
National Association of the Deaf v. Netflix: In this case, the National Association of the Deaf sued Netflix because its streaming service was not captioned, making it inaccessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, stating that Netflix must provide captions on its streaming content.

These cases and others like them demonstrate the importance of WCAG 2.1 and ADA compliance and the potential legal and financial consequences of non-compliance. Organizations are encouraged to make their web content and facilities accessible to all users, including those with disabilities, to avoid these types of lawsuits and to demonstrate their commitment to inclusivity and accessibility.

How have small businesses been affected?

A small bakery in California was sued by a blind individual who could not access the bakery’s website using a screen reader. The bakery was found to violate the ADA and was ordered to make its website accessible to people with disabilities.
A small hotel in Florida was sued by a deaf individual who was unable to use the hotel’s website to make a reservation because the site was not accessible to screen reader users. The hotel was found to violate the ADA and was ordered to make its website accessible to people with disabilities.

Let us know how we can ensure that your business has the proper requirements covered.

The post Are You Up to Speed on WCAG 2.1 & ADA Compliance? appeared first on ETW Digital.

You’ve Embraced Digital Transformation. What’s Next? Observability

Mike Flanagan — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 19:13:04 +0000

NOTE: This is our 1st Post in a series on #observability.

Digital transformation uses digital technologies to fundamentally change how an organization operates and delivers value to its customers. This involves integrating digital technology into all business areas, including operations, product development, customer experience, and business models. Digital transformation can help organizations become more efficient, agile, and responsive to changing market conditions. It can also enable them to create new revenue streams, enter new markets, and better serve their customers. Overall, digital transformation is about using technology to drive business growth and innovation.

But how can you tell if your business has become organizations become more efficient, agile, and responsive?

Enter Observability.

Observability (O11y) has been used in engineering and computer science for many years to monitor and understand the behavior of physical and software systems, respectively. In recent years, observability has become more widely recognized and adopted as a business tool as organizations increasingly rely on complex, interconnected systems and applications to support their operations. These applications are usually built separately and lack the true interconnectivity desired.

Observability can be an essential tool for enhancing digital transformation efforts, as it allows organizations to monitor and understand the behavior of their systems and identify any issues that may be affecting the performance or effectiveness of their digital initiatives.

Digital transformation involves adopting and implementing new technologies and processes to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of an organization. Observability can help organizations understand how these new technologies and techniques function and identify any problems or issues affecting their performance. By providing visibility into the behavior of systems, observability can help organizations identify and fix problems more quickly and effectively and ensure that their digital transformation efforts are successful.

In addition to helping identify and fix problems, observability can also help understand how a business’s systems are functioning under normal conditions and identify potential improvements or optimizations that can be made to increase the efficiency or effectiveness of a business’s operations. Observability can help organizations identify and address bottlenecks or resource constraints affecting their systems’ performance and identify opportunities for optimizing their operations to achieve better results.

Overall, observability can be a valuable tool for enhancing digital transformation efforts by providing organizations with a better understanding of the behavior of their systems and the potential issues or opportunities they may face and by helping them to identify and address problems more effectively.

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Could Your Business Use A Fractional Executive?

Mike Flanagan — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 00:16:30 +0000

We can’t get through the nightly news without hearing about the latest layoffs and inflation’s effect on the economy. We can expect to hear more of this as we enter 2023. Businesses of all sizes continue to find ways to reduce expenses, and the concept of utilizing fractional executives is catching on. Let’s face it, the cost required to find, hire and assimilate C-Suite talent is beyond the reach of most businesses. Cost pressure does not eliminate the business need for these executives to bring to the table. The many advantages have become apparent, including depth and breadth of executive expertise, an objective perspective, and a measurable, faster return on investment.

What is a fractional executive?

A fractional executive takes on an executive role at a company for a “fraction” of their time, working more like a consultant and eliminating the need for lengthy interviews, long-term commitments, and high-end salaries. Fractional executives come seasoned with prior experience as full-time executives within their career spans.

How do fractional executives work with companies?

Contract fractional executives for part-time or full-time work, virtually or in-person, for a short time or for as long as owners need to meet their objectives. Fractional executives bring expanded leadership capacity and develop company employees through a transition or the next stage of company growth. There are typically three business models for fractional executives:

Full-time at the start of the engagement to set direction, processes, policies, and procedures, followed by a scaled-down role as the business and staff mature into their daily routines. In the scaled-down phase, the fractional executive takes on more of an advisory/mentor role.
A small business or startup typically cannot afford a seasoned executive. They may plan to have a fractional executive on a long-term contract (12-18 months) due to the high cost of an in-house, salaried, C-suite executive. The owner/operator can focus on growth with the confidence that an experienced partner is in place to consult.
In some instances, a full-time person is not necessary. A company can get what they need with one or more fractional executives to sit in on regular management meetings, ensure the staff is adequately trained, and handle any high-level projects. In this situation, the fractional executive may allocate 10-15 hours weekly to the engagement.

Types of fractional executives

Fractional executives come in all shapes and sizes and plug holes where a full-time resource is not needed. Fractional executives typically have 15 to 25 years of practical C-suite experience and exposure across multiple industries. Most have previously been CEOs, CFOs, COOs, CMOs, CTOs, and CIOs and can lend their expertise to your business.

Benefits of hiring a fractional executive

There are some areas where fractional executives can help your business. After all, they may be more experienced in the business world than many other people on your team. Because of that, they can add unique and knowledgeable input to these areas.

Leadership, Coaching & Mentorship

Being a great leader doesn’t come naturally to many; many business owners may need help. Owners can count on fractional executives with prior experience that can supplement and advise the current state of their business. As business owners bring on necessary traditional employees, they may need some form of coaching or mentorship while coming on board. The owner may not have the functional expertise to handle the task.

Scalability

One of the biggest things that elude many small business owners is when to scale up their business and how fast they should do so. However, since many fractional integrators have already been where your business is, they would be more capable of knowing when you should scale. Not only do they know when you should or shouldn’t begin scaling your business, but they’ll also have a more precise input on how fast your business should scale. After all, business isn’t a one size fits all scenario. A fractional integrator will bring experience to help you make the right decision and increase the efficiency of your business.

Financially

There are multiple reasons to hire a fractional executive, but the most obvious is cost savings. C-suite executive salaries average $250,000 annually plus 31% to 47% in benefits, equipment, office space, bonuses, and PTO employer taxes. This expense is not feasible for many small- to mid-sized businesses, and that high cost might not make sense for some positions at larger companies either.

Fresh Perspective

When solving problems many business owners can hit a wall when finding solutions. After all, you can only come up with many ideas to help your business grow. Not only can fractional executives offer a fresh perspective, but their opinion can be better informed than a business owner. After all, they’ve already been in your position and have a similar perspective.

Your company will need to consider whether adding a fractional executive is the right move. For small and mid-sized companies and, most notably, startups, bringing on someone temporarily to lend an outside perspective and support executive tasks that may not be a strength of anyone within the organization can be a very efficient way to build your growing business.

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