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The Fusion Glossary

By Jennifer Fujimori

Take a moment to recall your first job in a professional environment. Did you enter the workforce knowing the definitions of terms like OOO, B2B, SWOT, and EOD? How many times have you heard someone say they’d circle back, touch base, drill down, or get the ball rolling? We’re willing to bet most working professionals have at some point caught themselves saying things like “leverage” or “alignment” during work conversations.

The redundancy of corporate jargon may be maddening at times, but before you write it off, consider the values of using a commonly accepted lingo. It can be efficient, allowing you to deliver information using shorter messages; and it builds camaraderie between you and your coworkers, functioning much like an inside joke. In addition to those benefits, reducing ambiguity and the potential for misunderstanding can have an invaluable impact on business operations.

In business settings, this tends to happen easily and naturally. Even the term “lingo” has several different synonyms or words that mean essentially the same thing – jargon, slang, vernacular, lexicon, buzzwords – the list goes on. But it isn’t just universal business terms that tend to seep into workplace dialogues. Google, for example, refers to new employees as “Nooglers” and to their annual employee survey as “Googlegeist”. Trader Joe’s store managers are called “Captains” and assistant managers “First Mates”. Disney employees are guided by a “compass” with four points, one of which is a customer service approach they refer to as “Guestology”. And in medical and military fields, where precision and speed are critical, the use of shared and abbreviated terminology is not just a convenience but a necessity.

Here are a few examples of some of the jargon, some universal and some company-specific, that you might hear around the Fusion of Ideas office.

Mockup – high-quality images of several devices and design options, provided at the beginning of each client conversation about our customization services.

Asset Tagging – the process of scanning the barcode and serial number of each device so our system can track them.

Kitting – Fusion service that involves adding in (“kitting”) additional items to a package to be shipped neatly together. Examples include insert cards, charging cables, cases, and other device accessories.

Proof – final design file that is sent to the client for approval after our design team has finished making any requested revisions.

Production File – a production-ready file that has been prepared according to the specs of the specific device we’re customizing. The file is created by our design team and sent to our customization team.

Hybrid Etch/Print – combination of visible laser etch and color print. One of our most popular customization options.

Stealth Armor – protective, industrial grade film that can be customized and heat bonded to a device or product for style and protection.

Break/Fix – a replacement/repair service for damaged or broken devices. Under this program, Fusion will ship out a replacement device, then repair the damaged device and place it into the client’s inventory.

Digital Content – custom content that can be pre-loaded onto devices. Examples include apps, home and lock screens, videos, music, photos, and PDFs.

Device Depot – a client-specific inventory of devices which are stored and managed at Fusion and can be pulled from upon the client’s request. For example, we might pull from the inventory to replace a client device that was broken, lost or stolen, or the devices might be kept on hand and ready to ship to a new employee upon request from a client.

Mobile Device Management (MDM) – service that allows businesses to manage specific content, programs, apps, and settings on their devices. Updates and changes can be pushed remotely to the devices.

DCS (Dynamic Content System) – simplified custom mobile app option for displaying and updating content. Can be continuously managed by the client using admin portal.

Ordering Portal – A client-specific, easy-to-use web or app portal that allows clients order, ship, and manage their devices. The front end provides information about the program and device options. The back end allows for the client and Fusion to manage all orders and reports.

HQ – the “headquarters” of all our projects and related data, HQ is Fusion’s custom Client Relationship Management (CRM) software and project management database program. HQ houses all projects, proposals, client contact information, and notes.

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Simple Content Delivery with DCS Apps

By Jennifer Fujimori

The mobile application landscape in 2018 is saturated with a dizzying array of apps, ranging from straightforward and simple to complex and colorful. Business owners are faced with the challenge of building an app that is visible, user-friendly, and detailed all at once. At Fusion of Ideas, we’re aware of just how easy it is to gravitate towards a “more is more” solution. After all, there are countless technologies and functionalities available in the app development world. But we also know that an excess of options can lead to a chaotic and overly complicated final product. That’s what pushed our app development team to come up with a much simpler app solution for clients: the Dynamic Content System.

Imagine that you are the owner of a small consulting business. You have a well-designed website with sections to address every topic of your business. But you’ve noticed that most of your competitors have mobile apps in addition to their websites, so you decide to seek out an app development firm. Your mobile app checklist might look something like this:

  • Simple design
  • Easy to use
  • Menu of 6-8 sections, each covering a service your business provides
  • Sections featuring photos, videos, and text
  • Ability to add, remove, and change content on an ongoing basis

The DCS approach, our version of what’s known as a CMS (content management system), can check all of those boxes without breaking the bank or overly complicating your app. It’s customizable yet simple – the general concept of displaying content using a list or menu view does not change, but the format, fonts, colors, designs, and logos can all be customized. As the client, you’re equipped with an easy-to-use web admin portal where you can continuously make changes to the content on display. This gives you a streamlined way to create and manage an app without having to hire a dedicated developer. After an initial design and development period with the Fusion team, the app is entirely yours to control. The end result: a cookie-cutter setup process with unique, personalized results.

This is the user view of the Kidd’s Kids DCS App.

One of our clients, Kidd’s Kids, is a nonprofit group that strives to bring joy to kids who are dealing with life-altering conditions and their families by sending them on an annual trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The organization was looking for a way to display event information as well as a photo of each child with their name, hometown, and favorite Disney character. The finalized app features the Kidd’s Kids branding and logo as a backdrop, with a simple menu of options to choose from. Each of the families received an iPad equipped with the app, so they could easily open it up and scroll through the photos or look for event details. The app placed important information at their fingertips, and gave them a simple way to learn about the other recipients on the trip.

This is the admin view of the Kidd’s Kid DCS App.

Fusion of Ideas strives to meet a higher standard than most other companies that offer a CMS-type service. Because our development team (which is entirely based at our headquarters in Lake Forest, California) have gone through several iterations to perfect our DCS solution, your app can be delivered in just a two week time frame. Our designers will also build a custom application icon with your company’s branding, logo, and/or artwork, depending on your aesthetic preference. Your app icon will be yours – not that of a third party app development company. You won’t see any Fusion of Ideas branding within the app either. The focus is completely on your company and your content.

Check out the complete list of what’s included in our DCS package below.

  • Custom application icon
  • 1 platform (iOS, tvOS, or Android)
  • Multiple groups and users (5 groups and up to 100 users)
  • Initial product training
  • Access to web admin portal to manage content being displayed to groups and users
  • Fusion customer support

Fusion can also provide additional design and functionalities, along with full custom development services outside the scope of the DCS solution. Contact us today to get started!SaveSave

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Fusion of Ideas Featured in Construction Executive

Fusion of Ideas was recently featured in Construction Executive, the magazine for the business of construction. Because we’ve developed several mobile applications for construction industry clients, we were asked to write an article about the ways our clients have used technology to solve business problems and to save time and money. The article details some of the types of tasks a custom app can accomplish, and the satisfaction that comes from embracing technology and moving in a positive, future-minded direction.

To read the article, please visit:

http://www.constructionexec.com/article/custom-mobile-apps-save-time-and-money

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Great Projects Start with Mockups

By Jennifer Fujimori

If you’ve ever hired a company to customize a product for yourself or to give as a gift, you might understand the anxiety that stems from not being able to see your finished product until it’s done. Or worse, the disappointment you feel when you’ve paid and waited patiently, only to come face to face with a result that’s not what you’d hoped for.

A vast and growing number of retail industries are placing an emphasis on custom products, from bespoke wedding dresses and men’s suits to vitamins and skincare. In theory, this is a great thing for consumers. But many companies require a deposit or even payment in full before providing their customers with a visual of the planned design, and that can be a recipe for disaster and disappointment.

Our mockup service at Fusion of Ideas aims to alleviate that risk. When we start a conversation with a client about customization and branding services, we take the time to gather as much information possible about the client’s business needs. Armed with that information, along with any artwork, logos, or images that the client provides, our creative design team gets to work. We then present a mockup of several realistic, high-quality images that showcase some of the device customization options for the client’s unique brand. “Mockups give us a chance to show a prospective client what we can do,” says Bryan Underwood, Creative Manager at Fusion of Ideas. “We pull ideas from the client’s website, logo, branding, and existing artwork and come up with several design concepts that compliment the devices we’re showcasing. In many cases, the client ends up going with one of our designs instead of their original request.”

In our experience, this paints the clearest possible picture of what a finished custom device might look like. The mockup sent to the client is formatted as a polished, elegant image that sets the tone for the Fusion experience. And because Fusion is committed to providing a truly elite service experience, the first mockup is always free of charge. Our Senior Business Development Manager, Jacob Sarabia, can attest to the effectiveness of mockups. “The initial mockup is our first visual impression on a client. It’s a great way to settle any fears or apprehension about our customization services, and to present a sneak preview of the quality of service you can expect to get from Fusion.”

Take a look at some of the examples in this post. Each mockup displays six customized service offerings. Our creative team incorporates the look and feel of your brand into each different device, which gives you multiple options to choose from. When you are investing in a high-value item such as a mobile device, you need assurance that anyone altering that device will treat it with meticulous care and attention to detail. Fusion of Ideas establishes that level of service from the start by putting diligent thought and effort into every individual mockup.

The Chicago Bulls pre-production mock up.
The Chicago Bulls actual completed project before shipping.
Pepsi Co. Mountain Dew pre-production mock up.
Pepsi Co. Mountain Dew’s actual completed project before shipping.

 

KUIU’s Mockup pre-production.
KUIU’s actual completed project before shipping.

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(Not-So) Humble App Beginnings

A question we get a lot at Fusion: “You’re a well known customization company – what made you get into app development?”. We decided to take the time to answer that question and provide some history of how Fusion’s app development service came to be.  

“As with all truly successful innovative companies, Fusion is always looking out for the needs of our customers,” said Russ Taylor, CEO of Fusion of Ideas.  “We stay on top of technology, development, and our product offering so that we’re not only keeping up with trends, but offering truly custom solutions based on what our customers need.  Our app development service was born out of repeated request from our customers. The iPhone App Store opened in July 2008, and soon after that, our customers began inquiring about custom apps in addition to hardware customization services. We decided that if we were going to do this, we were going to do it right, so we set out to create create applications that reflected the same high-level reputation of our customization services.”

That’s when Taylor brought on Tyler Harmor, someone with extensive development and leadership experience, as CTO of Fusion of Ideas. Harmor was given the task of creating a team of developers and designers with the ability to understand the client’s vision, map it out in detailed a statement of work, and then produce each custom application on time according to their specific deadlines.  

Harmor was asked to do all this while adhering to the Fusion of Ideas commitment to being a one-stop-shop for all service offerings, which means all of our work takes place under one roof in Lake Forest, CA.  At that time, many companies were outsourcing their app development overseas. But clients were becoming increasingly frustrated with the disconnect, language barriers, and long waits for communication and updates.  Hiring all of our iOSdevelopers to work in one location would provide a high level of customer service in which clients could easily communicate directly with their application’s developers. Comprehensive details could be communicated with minimal miscommunications, and any questions or requests for app updates could be answered in minutes, rather than hours.  

So Harmor hired a team of the best developers in Southern California, and app development quickly became one of Fusion’s cornerstone product offerings.

“From the moment we let our clients know that we were offering application development, we were inundated with several exciting projects,” says Taylor.  “Our clients had experienced a high level of quality with our customization projects, and knew that we would produce the same high-quality work when it came to app development.  We truly value our clients and strive to give them our absolute best, so the decision to hire Fusion to develop applications was an easy decision for many of them.”

Less than two years after mobile applications were introduced to the world on a consumer and business level, Fusion had entered the app development industry.  Fusion’s first three clients were the New York Public Library, Jack Nicklaus, and California Pizza Kitchen, in that order.

“We came from not-so humble app development beginnings,” said Tyler Harmor, CTO of Fusion of Ideas. “We didn’t have to start small and build a reputation from scratch.  Because of the high level of quality in our customization projects, Fusion was poised for success when we began developing apps for some big names. And we were ready to show them what we could do.”

The first Fusion of Ideas app development client was New York Public Library (NYPL). NYPLneeded an internal application for their librarians that would serve as a liaison between their database of library assets. NYPL had worked with Fusion of Ideas on some other projects, and knew that Fusion would produce a top-notch product for them.

Integrating the outdated system into a custom application presented many technical challenges and required a significant amount of work for Fusion, but the end result was an app that successfully tied into the NYPL database and enabled librarians to search for publications and other assets. With the release of the new app, Fusion helped the NYPL step into the mobile age.

Following the NYPL app, in 2011, Fusion created an application for Jack Nicklaus, who was actively looking for investors for new golf course projects. They wanted to create a custom application that would loaded onto iPads and given as a gift to potential investors. The app would invite the recipients to learn about the business and potential investment opportunities.  Fusion created an application that housed information about the golf course, videos, brochures, and other marketing collateral. The “wow factor” of the project brought them back to Fusion for additional applications and services over the years.

California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) wanted to create an easy ordering app that would be used to test a Spanish language menu in some of its locations.  The application housed an ordering portal and detailed menu information, and was utilized in several CPK’s across the nation.

“These three initial app development clients, though several years ago, were early adopters, using apps at a time when other businesses didn’t even have an inkling of the importance of mobile technology,” said Harmor.  “Looking at our app development clients in 2018 – they vary quite a bit in shape and size. We have clients who are doing smaller projects, such as Dynamic Content Solution (DCS) applications, which includes a custom interface to house specific information like videos, apps, presentation and marketing materials, PDFs, etc.  We also have clients who are creating huge framework applications that run their business. We do it all, and we love the variety and the challenges of creating technology solutions for these companies.”

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