I’m the pitmaster of a competitive BBQ team named “The BBQ-tioners”. The competition is fierce, so we’re always looking for that extra edge. Sometimes you need a fresh perspective to generate or inspire new ideas. That’s why I frequently post questions to BBQ forums to get suggestions and feedback on our strategy. These forums, in essence, are similar to the Qvidian Customer Community. The Qvidian Customer Community is just one of several ways Qvidian strives to give its customers that extra edge in the proposal world. They provide plenty of on-site and online trainings, open weekly Question and Answer sessions and a rockin’ customer conference each year. What they’ve discovered is that Qvidian customers approach similar problems in very different ways, and often times, their differing perspectives result in short-cuts, insight and true inspiration.
Fresh Perspectives
This is an example of dynamic feedback and there’s hard evidence it helps uncover improvements in techniques and processes. An excerpt on the matter from someone much smarter than I:
“Scientists are frequently most productive a few years after they have crossed over from one specialty to another. New ideas in science frequently emerge, not from paradigm shifts at the heart of the discipline, but when scientists run out of interesting research questions—and new ideas emerge in the conflict of perspective, the clash of disciplines, the murky waters at the edge of a science, the technology that doesn’t quite work, on the boundaries of old knowledge.” (Leonard-Barton, Dorothy 1996 Wellsprings of Knowledge. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.)
Well said, but what the heck does that mean? Gaining a fresh perspective helps create innovative solutions. Which is, in my humble opinion, the most valuable feature of the Qvidian Customer Community.
“The important thing is not to stop questioning” – Albert Einstein
As a knowledge manager, I support the content requirements of our proposal writers. I realized the need to improve how we retain new request for proposal (RFP) questions and answers (Q&As) that have been deemed reusable. Using the Qvidian Customer Community forum, I posted this issue and within a few days I had many suggestions from other experienced Qvidian administrators.
I have over 5 years of experience with Qvidian. I would consider myself a seasoned administrator yet I’m continually surprised by the suggestions and creative ways others are using Qvidian. The Community has helped me refine our reporting, manage our permissions, and leverage metadata enabling me to access even more of the functionality inside Qvidian. I’m frequently amazed by the number of ways in which other Community users apply features familiar to me.
It’s also worth pointing out that the Community has more to offer than just the user forum. There’s a wealth of searchable information including quick reference guides, training videos, and helpful articles.
Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned Qvidian user, anytime you encounter an issue, need input, or just flat out don’t know where to turn next – use the Community. It will open doors you didn’t know existed and enable you to see new solutions in something familiar.
Jim Cunningham has been working with Qvidian for over five years and currently holds the position of Knowledge Manager at Fifth Third Bank. He presented “Nine Neat Tips for Novice Admins” at Connect 2016.