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An internal Back-office tool for your company or startup; build or choose?

An internal back-office is a term used to refer to a company’s internal operations that are not directly related to interacting with customers. These operations might include tasks such as accounting, human resources, data management, and other administrative functions. The back-office is typically not visible to customers and is often thought of as the “back end” of a business. An internal back-office tool is a software application that is used to support and automate these internal operations. It is designed to be used by employees within a company, rather than by customers or external stakeholders.

You NEED to have a reliable and extendable back-office to support your current operations and be ready for future evolutions.

I have been there where you need to add a feature to your back office tool used by 47 people, but the tool would crash because of bad coding … :D

There are several considerations you should take into account when choosing an internal back-office tool:

A. Functionality: What do you need the back-office tool to do?

Make a list of the specific tasks and features it needs to support.

The most important features and functionalities for a back-office tool will depend on the specific needs of your company and the tasks that the tool is intended to support. However, here are some common features and functionalities that might be included in a back-office tool:

  1. Data management: The ability to store, organize, and access data related to the company’s internal operations.
  2. Collaboration: Tools to facilitate communication and collaboration among employees, such as file sharing and group chat.
  3. Automation: Features to automate repetitive tasks and processes, such as scheduling and workflow management.
  4. Reporting: The ability to generate reports on various aspects of the company’s internal operations, such as performance metrics and financial data.
  5. Integration: The ability to integrate with other systems and tools that the company is using, such as accounting software or customer relationship management (CRM) systems.
  6. Security: Measures to protect the company’s data and ensure that only authorized users can access it.
  7. Customization: The ability to customize the tool to meet the specific needs of the company.
  8. Scalability: The tool should be able to handle an increased workload and user base as the company grows.
  9. Ease of use: The tool should be intuitive and easy to use, so that employees can quickly get up to speed and be productive.

B. Integration: Does the tool need to integrate with other systems or tools that your company is using?

If so, you’ll want to ensure that it has the necessary APIs or integration points.

It is important that a back-office tool has integration capability because it allows the tool to work seamlessly with other systems and tools that the company is using. This can help to improve efficiency and streamline processes by eliminating the need to manually transfer data between systems or to perform duplicate tasks.

For example, if the company is using a customer relationship management (CRM) system to manage customer interactions, it would be useful to have the back-office tool integrate with the CRM so that customer data can be easily accessed and shared. This would allow employees to get a complete view of the customer’s interactions with the company and make more informed decisions.

Additionally, integration can also help to ensure that data is consistent across different systems and is kept up to date. This can reduce the risk of errors and improve the accuracy of reports and other data-driven decision-making.

C. Ease of use: The tool will be used by your employees, so it’s important that it is intuitive and easy to use.

Ease of use refers to how easy it is for employees to learn and use the back-office tool. A tool that is easy to use can be learned quickly, allowing employees to be productive with it more quickly. It also means that employees are more likely to use the tool regularly and consistently, which can help to improve efficiency and the overall effectiveness of the tool.

There are a few factors that can contribute to the ease of use of a back-office tool:

  1. Intuitive interface: The tool should have an interface that is easy to navigate and understand, with clear labels and instructions.
  2. User-centered design: The tool should be designed with the user in mind, taking into account the tasks that they need to perform and the ways in which they work.
  3. Help and support: The tool should provide appropriate help and support resources, such as documentation and tutorials, to help users get up to speed and troubleshoot any issues they encounter.
  4. Customization: The tool should be customizable to meet the specific needs of the company and its employees, so that it fits into their workflow and processes.

Overall, the goal of ease of use is to make the tool as simple and straightforward as possible, so that employees can focus on their tasks and not on figuring out how to use the tool.

D. Scalability: As your company grows, you’ll want a tool that can scale with you.

Consider whether the tool can handle an increased workload and user base.

Scalability refers to the ability of a back-office tool to handle an increased workload and user base as the company grows. It is important for a back-office tool to be scalable because it ensures that the tool can continue to support the company’s needs as it grows and changes.

There are a few factors to consider when evaluating the scalability of a back-office tool:

  1. Performance: Can the tool handle an increased number of users and transactions without slowing down or experiencing errors?
  2. Capacity: Does the tool have the necessary storage and processing power to handle an increased volume of data as the company grows?
  3. Integration: Can the tool integrate with other systems and tools that the company is using, even as the company grows and the number of integrations increases?
  4. Customization: Can the tool be customized to meet the specific needs of the company as it grows and changes?

Overall, it is important to choose a back-office tool that is scalable so that it can support the company’s needs now and in the future.

E. Security: Make sure that the tool has the necessary security measures in place to protect your company’s data.

Security is an important consideration when choosing a back-office tool because the tool will likely be handling sensitive data related to the company’s internal operations. It is important to ensure that the tool has the necessary measures in place to protect this data and prevent unauthorized access.

Here are a few security considerations to keep in mind when choosing a back-office tool:

  1. Data encryption: Is data encrypted in transit and at rest to protect against unauthorized access?
  2. User authentication: Does the tool require users to authenticate their identity before accessing the system?
  3. Access controls: Does the tool have fine-grained access controls in place to ensure that only authorized users can access specific data or perform certain actions?
  4. Auditing: Does the tool have auditing capabilities to track and log user activity, so that any security incidents can be quickly identified and addressed?
  5. Vendor security: Is the vendor that provides the tool reputable and do they have a track record of maintaining secure systems?

Overall, it is important to ensure that the back-office tool has strong security measures in place to protect the company’s data and prevent unauthorized access.

F. Cost: Determine your budget for the tool and consider whether it is a one-time purchase or a subscription.

Cost is an important consideration when choosing a back-office tool because it can have a significant impact on your company’s budget. There are a few factors to consider when evaluating the cost of a back-office tool:

  1. One-time vs. recurring costs: Some back-office tools are purchased outright, while others are subscription-based and require ongoing payments. Consider which pricing model aligns best with your budget and needs.
  2. Initial vs. ongoing costs: There may be initial costs associated with purchasing or implementing the tool, as well as ongoing costs for things like maintenance, updates, and support. Consider the total cost of ownership over the lifetime of the tool.
  3. Licensing: Some tools charge per user or per seat, while others offer unlimited users for a flat fee. Consider how many users the tool will need to support and how this will impact the cost.
  4. Customization: If the tool needs to be customized to meet the specific needs of your company, there may be additional costs associated with this.
  5. Integration: If the tool needs to integrate with other systems or tools that your company is using, there may be additional costs associated with this as well.

Overall, it is important to carefully consider the costs associated with a back-office tool and ensure that it aligns with your budget and business needs.

What are my options?

There are a few options for acquiring an internal back-office tool:

  1. Build it in-house: You can hire an engineering team to build the tool from scratch. This can be a good option if you have specific and unique needs that can’t be met by off-the-shelf solutions.
  2. Buy an off-the-shelf solution: There are many commercial tools available on the market that you can purchase and customize to meet your specific needs.
  3. Use a SaaS (Software as a Service) solution: Instead of purchasing a tool outright, you can subscribe to a tool that is hosted and maintained by the vendor. This can be a good option if you don’t want to worry about maintaining the tool yourself.

My recommendations:

Use an off-the-shelf solution like Appsmith (or equivalents), having a strong community of engineers and users, making it future-proof.

Appsmith is a low-code application development platform that allows users to build custom internal back office tools quickly and easily, without the need for coding. It provides a drag-and-drop interface for designing and building applications, as well as integration with a variety of data sources and APIs. Appsmith is designed to be used by business analysts and other non-technical users and is intended to help companies build and deploy custom back-office tools faster and more efficiently.

Appsmith is open-source and you can host it on any cloud (AWS, GCP, Scaleway, Hetzner…) or on-premise via docket.

It is very easy to deploy, use, scale and onboard.

You can find more info on self-hosting a production-grade Appsmith instance on Avnox.com’s open-source infrastructure stacks.

There is also Retool, a market reference and a pioneer in no-code back-office creation.

Retool is a low-code platform that allows users to build custom internal back-office tools quickly and easily. It provides a visual interface for designing and building applications, as well as integration with a variety of data sources and APIs. Retool is intended to be used by developers and other technical users, and is designed to help companies build and deploy custom back-office tools faster and more efficiently. It offers a variety of pre-built components and integrations to help users get started quickly, and also allows users to write custom code to extend its functionality.

Categories
Security Technology

Windows Delayed Write Failed Error – Solutions

Window Delayed Write Failed ? Solutions are here!


This topic is researched, tested and written by Amir Hossein Moradi.
harddriveicon
This is the third article on the Windows Delayed Write Failed error occurring with hard drives (mostly external ones with USB/Firewire/Network connections). On 28th December 2007, I wrote the Windows – Delayed Write Failed – Solved! article which had more than 190,000 views, and helped many users till date. On 9th June 2008, the second article on this topic – Windows Delayed Write Failed – Latest Solution – which had more than 34,000 views till date, was out and is still getting many users out of trouble.

Now, it’s time to write the 3rd article and sum up all possible solutions for the Windows Delayed Write Failed error.

about_write_delayed_failedAbout Delayed Write:

Windows uses a special subsystem for certain disk functions, which caches write operations and performs them when the system is idle. This can improve system performance, but it’s typically turned off by default. The term for this kind of operation is “delayed writing”.

You can see how write-caching is handled for a particular volume by right-clicking on the icon for the drive in the “Disk drives” subtree of the Device Manager and selecting the Policies tabs. The options typically are “Optimize for quick removal” (everything is written to the drive immediately) and “Optimize for performance” (writes are cached).

about_write_delayed_failedAbout the error:

“Windows Delayed Write Failed” error occurs usually when the caching process gets interrupted or the files to be cached get corrupted, either because of a drive failure, a cable failure, or a USB interface fail!
This error might happen to brand new drives as well as good working old ones.

write_delayed_causeCause:

This error might be caused by several factors:

  • Cache settings
  • System Restore settings
  • Device drivers
  • Media error, drive failure
  • USB/Firewire host controllers
  • Drive overheating
  • Mis-configured BIOS settings
  • Ultra Direct Memory Access (UDMA) mis-configuration
  • Unmatched cables
  • Faulty cables
  • Memory parity conflict
  • Power management drivers

 

write_delayed_solutionResolutions:

Here are different resolutions to the problem, I’ve arranged them in such a way that the most probable and easy to apply is at the top of the list. Read all resolutions carefully before any attempt on your drive(s) and/or computer(s).

1. System Restore Settings:

Users reported that Windows might try to write system restore data on the external drive, or try to monitor the drive in case of a system crash. This procedure might be a cause for the Delayed Write Failed error. What to do is quite simple. Just follow this photo tutorial:

Open your Control Panel:
click-control-panel

Open System:
control-panel-windows-xp

Go to System Restore tab, choose your external drive, and click the Settings button:
System-restore-settings-windows-xp

Check the Turn off System Restore on this drive checkbox and click OK:
system-restore-monitoring-settings-windows-xp

Now, you need to restart your computer, and if System Restore configuration was the issue, it should be solved.

2. Device drivers:

Some older RAID device drivers are known to cause the Write Delayed Failed issue, so do check with you hardware manufacturer for the latest device drivers.
I suggest that you check for:

  • latest RAID drivers for your hardware,
  • latest BIOS for your motherboard,
  • latest chipset drivers,
  • latest USB hub (host controller) drivers,
  • latest graphics card drivers.

 

3. Overheating:

First thing to try is to see if your drive is not over heating!
According to Seagate, “the operating temperature range for most Seagate hard drives is 5 to 50 degrees Celsius”.[5]
This is true for most of hard drives on the market, either you have a Maxtor, Seagate, Samsung, Western Digital or other brands of hard drive, you should keep it under 50 degrees Celsisus ( equivalent to 122 degrees Fahrenheit)

4. Faulty cables:

Check your cables!
Old USB (or FireWire) cables, can be faulty and cause packet loss. Faulty cables can cause severe damage to your hardware, so check your cables and it’s recommended that you buy some new and good quality cables.

5. Unmatched cables:

Check your cables, again!
If you got an IDE drive, then you should check the connector to be the right one! You are using a 40-wire connector cable to connect the UDMA drive to the controller instead of the required 80-wire, 40-pin cable! Fix this and you should be finished.
Read this article from Microsoft:  You receive an error message when you save or move documents in Windows XP: “Delayed Write Failed”

6. Mis-configured BIOS settings:

When your computer starts, click the “Del” button (or F2) to go to the BIOS Setup of your motherboard. (Check your motherboard documentation  for a detailed how-to).
“This error typically occurs when the “Enable write caching on the disk” feature for your hard disk is turned on.
However, if the “Enable write caching on the disk” feature is turned off, this error can occur because the Ultra Direct Memory Access (UDMA) hard disk controller may be configured in either of the following ways:
– You are using a 40-wire connector cable to connect the UDMA drive to the controller instead of the required 80-wire, 40-pin cable.
– The BIOS settings are configured to force faster UDMA modes.” [6]
so, check for Ultra Direct Memory Access (UDMA) mis-configuration!

7. Cache settings:

As described in my previous article, Windows Delayed Write Failed – Latest Solution , incorrect cache settings may cause the Write Delayed Failed error to occur, so you should check the cache settings for your computer and controllers. Read the article to find out all the details.

8. USB/Firewire host controllers:

After a lot of research on the Write Delayed Failed issue with different types and brands of hard drives on different PCs, I’ve come to the conclusion that, this error is usually caused by the USB/Firewire Host Controller, which is usually built-in on the motherboard.
To rectify this error, you should buy a recent PCI USB expansion card and add it to your PC. These cards cost around 20$ and are easy to install and need usually no specific configuration. But you should know that once you installed a PCI USB card, you should connect your hard drive only to this card’s USB ports.
Remember to not connect your drive to a faulty USB hub, and avoid external USB hubs without power supply adapter.

9. Media error, drive failure:

This is one of the worst case senarios. As hard disk drives are mechanical parts of your computer, they may go faulty and fail some day. You might want to do a hard disk check to find out the overall health of your drive. Checking a drive for bad sectors, or checking with the Spin Rite tool (https://grc.com/), and also using the S.M.A.R.T. technology to determine the overall perfomances and  health status of a drive are recommended.
Use your favorite search engine, to find a free S.M.A.R.T. monitor tool which will tell you about the drive’s health.

10. Memory parity conflict:

Even if this is one of the most rare causes to the Windows Delayed Write Failed error, but it should not be left out. In older motherboards, if the error message appears after you’ve inserted a new RAM, the incompatibility of the new RAM with the older one(s) might cause this type of errors. In this case, I would recommend that you check for memory compatibility and use the same BUS when matching RAMs. You may want to consider upgrading to recent hardware.

11. Power Management drivers:

As mentioned by some users, in some cases, disabling the Power Management feature of Windows, solves the issue. To do so, go to “Control Panel”, go to “Power Options” and set the “Turn off hard disks” to “Never”. Disable Power management softwares if you can to see if that solves the issue.

References:

1- Great comments from Gibni’s Visitors!
2 – https://gibni.com/technology/windows-delayed-write-failed-solved/
3- https://gibni.com/technology/windows-delayed-write-failed-2/
4- https://searchwinit.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid1_gci1041334,00.html
5- https://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/page-261614_10_0.html
6- https://support.microsoft.com/kb/330174

Special Thanks to:

You, dear visitor, for spending your time reading my articles,
My friends and family for supporting and motivating me,
and all people who contributed to this article with their comments, experiences and critics.