Heatmaps are a great way to visualize large blocks of data. In this case we are looking at the amount of work a team of individuals worked on completing a project. This is for purpose of an SRED audit.

Objective: The team was attempting to develop an operating system which would be stable on non-durable memory.

WORK PERFORMED
2012 – 2nd half
Programming: Brandon 90%, Chris 90%, Jeremiah 75%
Project Management:  Mike 75%
Support: Mahshed 40%

Heatmap Purpose: Over 50,0000 log entries were made – chatter between the programmers, the project manager, and support. Some of the chatter was superfluous. The “bad” data, plus the sheer size of data, would be difficult to get a suitable summary document for purpose of audit.

Heatmaps helped to show which tests we concentrated on the most, as well as provide a person-by-person breakdown showing each person’s work as it relates to the test locations.

Feb 2012 to July 2012 – Jeremiah

Feb 2012 to July 2012 – Brandon

Feb 2012 to July 2012 – Chris

Feb 2012 to July 2012 – Mike

Feb 2012 to July 2012 – Mahshed

Comments for purpose of audit: We are being conservative with our numbers. During these years we wound down our website business and concentrated nearly solely on attempting to overcome a major technical obstacle. Mahshed Hooshmand worked during office hours mostly on the test sites. We are nonetheless reducing her to 40% to acknowledge she also worked in the evenings on graphic design during 2011-2012. Her revenue, along with investment from our close friends and families provided the cash flow for completing the project.

2012 – 1st half
Programming: Brandon 100%, Chris 100%, Jeremiah 75%
Project Management:  Mike 75%, Taryn 75%
Support: Mahshed 40%

Aug 2011 to Jan 2012 – Brandon

Aug 2011 to Jan 2012 – Chris

Aug 2011 to Jan 2012 – Jeremiah

Aug 2011 to Jan 2012 – Mike

Aug 2011 to Jan 2012 – Mahshed

Comments for purpose of audit: At one point we thought the read/write errors were related to wrong data formats. We brought in a couple of outside experts, Daniel Cutler and Ashley Maclean. They worked specifically on the test locations. We are requesting 75% of their time, recognizing both also worked on our videos and blogs to document the progress. Testimonials from the test sites are available.

2011
Programming: Brandon 100%, Chris 100%, Jeremiah 75%
Project Management:  Mike 75%, Taryn 75%
Support: Mahshed 40%

We pulled the data for the 2nd part of the year in order to show the USB keys were we testing and that each person was closely involved in the project. These were the same test locations for the first part of the year as well. Testimonials from the test sites are available.

Feb 2011 to July 2011 – Taryn

Feb 2011 to July 2011 – Brandon

Feb 2011 to July 2011 – Dan

Feb 2011 to July 2011 – Jeremiah

Feb 2011 to July 2011 – Jeremy

Feb 2011 to July 2011 – Mike

Feb 2011 to July 2011 – Mahshed

Comments for purpose of audit:  Prior to February 2011 we were testing the operating system using CF cards. The USB keys started in earnest in February 2011. The CF card data can also be pulled if required. When looking at the hours worked, the claimed hourly incomes for the team members is extremely low.

Summary: Heatmaps can help organize complex project timelines into a viewable format. Viewing the data in this fashion helped ENS to:

1. Show how each team member was involved.
2. Understand which tests were most emphasized.

The audit indirectly helped our business. It was the catalyst for our discovering heatmaps, which in turn provided better visibility as to which tests garnered our greatest attention. We then obtained testimonials from the most active test sites (and their firsthand experience of the failures) to support the audit. This would have been impossible to otherwise obtain from 50,000 lines in a log file.

Below are pictures from our most recent OK Tire install at Pheus Terrebonne. They give a clear demonstration of a typical installation, including a great view outside the location and of the screen hanging on the wall. The pictures also show the brackets, networking and wiring that is put in place to have a fully operational digital sign.

Check out the link below for the amazing performance from Mindil Beach Markets live on Canada AM on Toronto today! With the launch of their new album , these guys have been going from strength to strength with their cross country Canada tour. You may recognize singer/guitarist Daniel(cool looking guy in blue shirt) who used to work here at ENS. So proud of you and all the guys…you rock!!!!!!

Mindil Beach Markets

Super Villain by MBM on  Canada AM Toronto

For more info about the band, their music and upcoming tour dates check out their website www.mindilbeachmarkets.com

Below are the pictures from the Fit For Life install at 390 Bay in Toronto. The menu boards here are set up in a scheduling storyboard, which allow for the content to change from breakfast to lunch at 11:00am each day…pretty neat!!!

Below are some pictures of a 55inch portrait unit as it was being installed into a hotel this weekend:

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(14 Photos)

TODAY’S CHALLENGE: Install at a QSR (quick-serve restaurant) the day prior to opening.

PERSPECTIVE:
Quick serve restaurant retrofit installations are the most challenging of installs. Often the retrofits are being completed at the same time as a new franchisee is taken possession. Since the sign is a showcase of the brand, having a digital that is inadequately installed or not working to satisfaction is a very stressful experience for all parties involved. The franchisee begins to question whether they’re made the right franchise decision. The franchise in turn questions whether they have chosen the right technology partner to implement the digital signs. They want the issue fixed – ASAP. This request for immediacy has merit; without working menu boards – they can’t open. The longer the business is closed due to a lack of menu boards – the more everyone’s stress increases.

POSITIVES:

-The panels, pole brackets and media players are at location.
-The location has internet. There is power very close to install spot.
-A franchise representative with decision making power (and prior digital sign rollout experience) is onsite.

THE ISSUES:
-Internet was not tested prior to install date.
(we got lucky; turns out they do have in place however 30 foot cat5 run required to reach the router)
-Power source was not noted.
(got lucky; there is already a receptable right in the false ceiling however means extra power bard required)
-Hardware had not arrived. (got lucky; swapped hardware from different location)
-Hardware checklist was not completed.
(Turns out power adaptors for computers were missing which meant rush overnight courier required)
-The site survey didn’t mention requirement to fabricate a mounting surface.

THE OUTCOME:
The installers who did the original site survey – did mention there was a 3 foot to 5 foot drop. They did not however indicate the need to build a mounting surface around the obstructions on the cement ceiling.

The different installation team (at time of install) popped the ceiling tiles and found no mounting surface. They had no hardware in their truck to create a mounting surface. They left unable to accomplish the job. The QSR had already torn out their existing menu boards to accomodate, resulting in the site being left without a solution to operate.

THE SOLUTIONS

1: No project will be accepted by ENS with less than 21 days to completion so hardware is ensured arrived.
2: Site surveyors require premises access to check internet and power. If they are not provided access a trip charge will be applied. ENS will hereafter, at the time of booking site visits, notify locations contacts of this fact.
3: No quote will be provided to the customer without:
-3 pictures delineating the internet plug-in location, power source and suitable install spot, or
-initial area noting who is responsible for providing these 3 requirements – and by what date.
4: ENS be provided a tracking number for all orders (if possible). We will confirm arrival at location prior to booking installers.
5: For jobs considered complex, the site survey team must be used as the install team.
6: ENS be provided the contact details for the installers. We will then provide an introduction email the day prior to the install which will note any custom equipment required to be in the truck.

***********************************************************************************************
Good morning Agent X:

INTRODUCTION:
-A custom built mounting solution needs to be fabricated to accomodate installing 4 pole mounts and panels.
-The challenge is fastening this custom mounting solution to the cement amove (many obstructions).
-The objective of this custom mounting solution it to provide a mounting surface above the false ceiling – but below the obstructions – so pole mounts can be fastened.

IN PREPARATION:
1: Tall Ladder required (9 foot high preferred. 11 foot might not fit in elevator). It is about 10 feet to false ceiling. Then about 4 feet to the concrete above.
2: Long masonry drill bit. Obstructions may provide challenging to get cement fasteners in place otherwise.
3: 2 long power bars to ensure power to panels & computers is possible (only one power outlet currently in ceiling).
4: Crimpers, ends and cabling for 30 foot cat5 run (plan is to have 1xcat5 from modem/router to run to switch in the ceiling). Clear line of sight from the modem/router has been confirmed – no impediments in the ceiling.
5: Double sided tape (to fasten media players and the hard-drives).

CONFIRMED AT LOCATION
-Switch
-4 Mounting brackets (fastening plates, poles, unistrust fastening adaptors)
-4 Panels
-4 Media Players
-4 accompanying harddrives and usb adaptors
-Cat5 cable to run from switch to media players
-VGA 4×6 foot
-unistrut – 10 foot

MISSING:
-2 of 3 unitstruts missing (1 for cement, 1 for levelling the panels. Only one is already at location.)
-Threaded rod and accompanying bolts & washers to span from the concrete ceiling unistrut to the unistrut onto which the pole mounts will fasten just above the false ceiling.
-Concrete wedge anchors.

CUSTOM TOOLS:
-Long masonry drill bit.

WHO TO CONTACT:
Please call ENS at 250-483-4719 or text message to 250-888-3254 immediately once you are onsite.

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Over the last couple of years ENS has been working on developing a new process for sending data to remote devices. The work divided into four parts, namely:

1: Server (to send the data)
2: Data Sync (core focus of the R&D)
3: Operating System (to receive the data)
4: Hardware (to run the operating system)

In order to manage the immense amount of data and source code work that had to be developed and tested – we also worked on developing a project management tracking system (we call it ROCKET) . Here is a screen shot from ROCKET:

Rocket project tracking system screenshot

The above shows we separated SRED milestones from other office activities. We further separated all activities into two categories:
ASSIGNMENTS (meaning client paid work), and
PROJECTS (meaning non-paid internal activities; these were separated into 6 main categories: Concept, SRED, Administrative, Operative, Business project, Tradeshow).

For audit purpose we queried ROCKET for SRED related milestones and produced both a printable GANT chart timeline and an online chronological timeline with video artifacts.

Over 500,000 lines of source code were developed. A master log of all work was maintained, totaling over 25,000 comments each year. Semi-annual heatmaps were developed in order to reconcile percentage of time worked per individual (in printable PDF below):
Aug 2010 to Jan 2011
Feb 2011 to July 2011
Aug 2011 to Jan 2012
Feb 2012 to July 2012

Every once in awhile I come across an interesting quantum leap of bad engineering. Here is one such example from a current digital sign network retrofit.

As far as I can tell, the manufacturer really, really wanted to make a fanless design.

When it became apparent that the objective wasn’t being achieved with their design – what did they do? They just bolted on a fan – with wood screws – maybe hoping a bit of air circulation across the cooling fins would work.

Wow. Yikes. This is something I would have done when younger – in my small Canadian hometown where duct-tape fixes everything.

Only this device was being sold for national digital sign rollouts. Oops. Guess that answers why stability for this client has been an issue… Someone in China tried to sweep this one under the rug…

And today we are happy to announce…

Staged video with gpu acceleration. Yes – it does work in Linux. Thank you Google.

Here is a screenshot for proof. Also review the video below.

Why is this a big deal? It means clients take now take advantage of much better rendering of flash, per below:

(This is 1024×768 so there are bands; we also did testing at 1280×720 with output playing with minimal frame dropping).

It looks like the build can be pushed to existing digital signs remotely. Target rollout start date is Feb 20.

Cheers, Jeremiah ENS 250-438-4719

Below are pictures from a Vancouver install at OK Tire Main Street! Geek squad installer, Wynpaul Ramos, did a great job..nice outside shot of the location too!

OK Tire Main Street

Digital Screen

Internet Supply

Connections