At RedCloud, we believe in the transformative power of education and technology. As part of our ongoing mission to empower local students, we are proud to partner with Toys for Kids - an outstanding organization dedicated to helping children from all socioeconomic backgrounds prepare for school and life. Through this collaboration, and aligned with RedCloud’s broader approach to supporting our community , we aim to bridge the gap in educational resources and ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed. Giving Back: A Core Value Giving back is at the heart of RedCloud’s mission. Even amidst the challenges of navigating the pandemic and adapting to remote work, our commitment to community support remained unwavering. We recognize that it’s up to each of us to extend a helping hand, whether through big initiatives or small gestures. Every act of kindness contributes to building a brighter future for our community. A Milestone Year for the RedCloud Scholarship Award This year marks a significant milestone for the RedCloud Scholarship Award as we introduce a renewing four-year scholarship for the winner. Starting with our 2024 recipient, Le’Asia, we aim to provide continued financial support and encouragement as they embark on their educational journeys. This change reflects our commitment to fostering long-term success for the talented students we support. Previous Scholarship Winners Over the years, the RedCloud Scholarship Award has recognized and celebrated remarkable students. Here are some of our past winners: 2024: Le’Asia Le’Asia has a wide array of interests, including art, psychology, and environmental science, reflecting her passion for contributing to the world around her. 2023: Alan Alan is determined to be the first in his family to attend university, motivated by his family's sacrifices and his desire to create a brighter future. 2022: Desmond Desmond was recognized for overcoming adversity and plans to pursue a nursing career, driven by a commitment to compassion and kindness. 2021: Emma Emma, a standout student with over 300 hours of volunteer work, was accepted to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where she plans to study forensic accounting. 2020: Ana Ana plans to pursue playwright studies and emphasizes the importance of education as a gift accessible to everyone. Each of these talented individuals exemplifies the values we cherish at RedCloud: perseverance, community involvement, and a drive for success. By providing financial support and encouragement, we hope to empower these students to reach their full potential. Looking Ahead As we continue to grow and evolve, our commitment to supporting education and empowering local youth will remain front and center. The RedCloud Scholarship Award is more than just financial assistance; it’s a promise to nurture the next generation of leaders. We are excited to see how our renewed scholarship initiative impacts our recipients and helps them achieve their dreams. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of young people and contribute to building a brighter future for all.

Getting the most out of Geospatial Power App Features with the help of Bing Maps and the wonders of U.S. National Parks! As developers, we always get excited when we work with certain capabilities and features during a project. Maps, routing, and geospatial features are certainly one of those! Believe it or not, Power Apps has a robust set of built-in features that allow for working with and visualizing location data such as addresses and coordinates. Here is a fun example of geospatial Power App features based on U.S. National Parks. And if you’re really interested, a copy of the app is available below. About the App This simple Power App has a few very cool features baked into it, which we’ll discuss in more detail below. But put yourself in this situation: You have a desperate desire to get outside and see nature and realize that you spent $85 on an annual national parks pass that is going to expire in a month, so you need to get your money’s worth! That’s where this app saves the day. Based on either your current location or a specific address, you can then see all national parks in order of how far they are from you! But perhaps you also want to see some specific type of natural wonder or filter down to a specific state. From there, just select the parks that you want to visit, and Power Apps will work with Bing Maps to automatically order the destinations using the most efficient route. From there, you can see how long of a journey you have ahead of you in terms of both miles and drive time. Tying it to Business Now, admittedly, the business value for most companies and users is low (hence why you can download the app for free below 😊). However, the same principles and geospatial features can be extremely valuable in other scenarios. For example: Delivery routing and other supply chain logistics Finding nearest locations Field service optimization Field data collection and inspections Sales territory management Facilities management Real estate and property management Environmental compliance And guess what? Our team would love to help bring these capabilities to life for you! Digging into Features Sorting By Distance You can use relatively simple math to sort coordinates by distance from a point. Unfortunately, there’s not an out-of-the-box feature in Power Apps, but with new, user-defined formulas and functions, we can make one ourselves! DistanceBetweenCoordinates ( Latitude1:Number ,  Longitude1:Number ,  Latitude2:Number ,  Longitude2:Number ) :Number =     With (         {             earthRadius: 6371 ,             radianFactor: ( Pi ()   /   180 )         },         ( 2    earthRadius )               Asin ( Sqrt ( 0.5  - Cos (( Latitude1 - Latitude2 )    radianFactor )/ 2   +   Cos ( Latitude2  radianFactor )   *             Cos ( Latitude1  radianFactor )     ( 1  - Cos (( Longitude1 - Longitude2 )    radianFactor ))   /   2 ))     0.62137119     ) ; By creating the function under the App’s Formulas, we can now use it everywhere in the app where we want to compare coordinates. Bing Maps With the Bing Maps component, you can quickly see how useful it can be if you’re running an operation that involves driving to multiple stops. As we did in the demo, multiple destinations were selected and entered into waypoints. Then, the map automatically optimized the route to find the best one. Even better, you get details for each leg of the journey, which is how we were able to aggregate to show the total time and distance. Address Bar The address input bar may be something we take for granted in our everyday lives due to the prevalence of Google or Apple Maps, but often, in the business world, you require entering address information for a customer, a store, or a delivery. The address bar greatly increases the user experience by validating/searching for the address as you type. From there, the street, city, state, and zip code information can be saved more reliably. Hopefully, this fun demo inspires you to think of ways that the Power Platform’s geospatial features can make your organization run more efficiently. If you’re interested in trying the app yourself, the zip file is available below. Of course, we’d like nothing more than to help you with your Power Platform needs. We’re flexible and easy to work with, so please reach out!

At RedCloud, we are dedicated to empowering students through education and fostering a brighter future for the communities in which we work and live. It is with immense joy and excitement that we announce the recipient of our 2024 RedCloud Annual Scholarship Award, Mercer Island High School senior Le’Asia Lane. We were honored to present Le’Asia with a renewable, $5,000 per year scholarship, alongside our long-time friend and partner, Rick Rizzs, the voice of the Seattle Mariners and founder of Seattle Toys for Kids. Le’Asia's Bright Future To be considered for the scholarship, Le’Asia submitted a heartfelt essay answering the question, “How does continuing your education make you smile every day?” In her essay, she eloquently articulated how the pursuit of knowledge brings her joy and fulfillment. Her words reflect her desire to impact the world positively and highlight her determination to make a difference. Le’Asia has a wide array of interests and hopes to study either art, psychology, or environmental science in college. Each of these fields reflects her passion for understanding and contributing to the world around her—whether through creativity, exploring the human mind, or advocating for the environment. We are excited to see how she will combine her passions in her future studies and beyond. See a short video  from Mercer Island High School of the scholarship award presentation. A New Chapter in Our Scholarship Program This year marks a significant milestone for RedCloud as we introduce a renewing four-year scholarship for the winner of our annual award. Starting with Le’Asia, we aim to provide continued financial support and encouragement for our scholarship recipients as they embark on their educational journeys. This change reflects our commitment to fostering long-term success for the talented students we support. RedCloud’s Commitment to Education Over the years, RedCloud has proudly invested in the futures of exceptional students like Le’Asia. Our scholarship program has distributed more than $30,000 in awards, empowering young minds to pursue their educational dreams. Le’Asia’s scholarship further solidifies our mission to promote academic excellence and positively impact our communities. She now joins a distinguished group of scholarship alumni who have gone on to achieve remarkable success. Their stories serve as inspiring examples of the transformative power of education, and we invite you to explore the journeys of past recipients Alan , Madeline , Desmond , Emma , Madison , and Ana . At RedCloud, we are incredibly proud to support talented individuals like Le’Asia Lane, who remind us of the immense potential within every student. We congratulate her on this well-deserved scholarship and look forward to witnessing her continued success and contributions to her community. Together, let us celebrate the transformative power of education!

If you haven’t experienced it yet, Microsoft Copilot is revolutionizing the way we work by integrating AI-powered assistance into your favorite Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel and Outlook. This short, informative (and, dare we say fun!) tutorial will guide you through using Microsoft Copilot effectively in your work environment, helping you boost productivity and streamline your daily tasks. Getting Started with Microsoft Copilot Availability: Microsoft Copilot is available in various Microsoft 365 applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. Ensure your organization has the necessary licenses and that Copilot is enabled for your account. Accessing Copilot: In most applications, you can access Copilot through a sidebar or a dedicated button. Look for the Copilot icon or option in the ribbon menu. Basic Usage: Here's how to start using Copilot in different applications: Word: Use Copilot to draft, edit, or summarize content. Ask it to rewrite paragraphs or generate ideas. Excel: Ask Copilot to analyze data, create formulas, or explain trends in your spreadsheets. PowerPoint: Generate slide ideas, create outlines, or suggest design improvements. Outlook: Draft emails, summarize long threads, or suggest meeting times based on your calendar. Teams: Summarize meetings, create action items, or get context on project discussions. Copilot in Specific Work Scenarios Report Writing: Use Copilot in Word to help structure your reports, generate summaries, and even suggest data visualizations. Financial Analysis: In Excel, Copilot can assist with complex calculations, trend analysis, and creating financial models. Presentation Creation: Let Copilot in PowerPoint help you brainstorm ideas, create slide outlines, and suggest visually appealing layouts. Email Efficiency: Use Copilot in Outlook to draft responses, summarize long email threads, and manage your inbox more effectively. Project Management: In Teams, Copilot can help track project progress, summarize discussions, and create to-do lists from meeting notes. Advanced Copilot Techniques Natural Language Queries: Copilot understands natural language. Frame your requests as you would to a human colleague. Example in Word: “Draft a proposal from yesterday’s meeting notes.” Content Generation: Use Copilot to generate initial drafts or ideas. In Word or PowerPoint, you might say: "Create an outline for a presentation on climate change impacts" Data Analysis: In Excel, Copilot can provide insights: "What are the top-selling products this year, and how do they compare to last year?" Meeting Assistance: In Teams, use Copilot during and after meetings: "Summarize the key points from this meeting and create a list of action items" Email Management: In Outlook, Copilot can help manage your inbox: "Draft a polite response declining the invitation to the conference" Best Practices for Using Microsoft Copilot Be Specific: The more detailed your request, the better the output. Provide context and specifics when asking Copilot for assistance. Iterate and Refine: If the initial output isn't quite what you need, refine your request or ask Copilot to modify its response. Maintain Critical Thinking: Always review and validate Copilot's output. It's an assistant, not a replacement for your expertise and judgment. Respect Privacy and Confidentiality: Be cautious about inputting sensitive or confidential information when using Copilot. Combine with Human Creativity: Use Copilot as a starting point or to handle routine tasks, allowing you to focus on higher-level thinking and creative problem-solving. Microsoft Copilot is a powerful tool that can significantly enhance productivity across various work tasks. By understanding its capabilities and following best practices, you can leverage Copilot to streamline workflows, generate ideas, and focus on higher-value work. Remember, while Copilot is an impressive AI assistant, it's designed to augment, not replace, human intelligence.  Your expertise, judgment, and creative thinking remain crucial in producing high-quality work and making informed decisions. As this technology continues to evolve, staying informed about its capabilities and limitations will be key to effectively integrating Copilot into your professional life, ultimately leading to more efficient and innovative work practices.

It's that time of year again, and at RedCloud, we love nothing more than catching up with our past scholarship winners to see how they've been making their mark on the world. Today, we're thrilled to check in with Madeline Lambert, who previously won the prestigious RedCloud annual scholarship. As we embark on this "where are they now" journey, we're excited to hear all about Madeline's latest endeavors and accomplishments since receiving our support. Her journey thus far has been nothing short of remarkable, and we can't wait to share her inspiring update with our community. I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Babson College in May. I was so fortunate to go to Babson and wouldn't have been able to do so without the help of the Dave Henderson Scholarship. Some of my Babson highlights included being the Vice President of Finance for the Student Government, where I managed $1.8 million, going to El Salvador on a Habitat for Humanity trip, virtually teaching entrepreneurship to children in Tanzania, and starting two clubs (figure skating club and a cheese society)! During the summer between my Junior and Senior years, I had a corporate finance internship at Target. After graduating, I started working as a Corporate Banking Analyst at Scotiabank in NYC. I live a few blocks away from work and get to walk down Wall Street, past the 9/11 memorial, NYSE, and One World Trade every day. I also have a view of the Hudson river and the Statue of Liberty from my office, so I love where I live and what I do so far. Currently my goals include growing my networking and moving my way up the corporate ladder. When I received the scholarship, I dreamed of being the CFO of a Fortune 500 company. While I would still love to do that, that goal honestly seems a little lofty now. I also have dreams of someday becoming an event planner or starting my own event planning company. If I could solve one problem in the world, it would be closing the wealth gap. Living in NYC and being a Wall Street banker, I see the wealth gap play out every day. I am surrounded by incredibly wealthy individuals at work every day and see countless people experiencing homelessness on the streets and subways. This is a very difficult problem to tackle, but I believe it begins with providing equal opportunities, ending discrimination, closing the gender wage gap, and providing more mental health resources. I have so much advice I would love to share with other young people pursuing education, but if I could pick one thing, it would be that your network is your greatest asset, and the only way to get better at networking is by doing it and being confident in yourself.

Scott Ekman, a long-time RedCloud veteran and dedicated Client Engagement Director, recently completed his first triathlon at the annual Lavaman Triathlon in Waikoloa, Hawaii. Known for his strategic vision and leadership skills, Scott embraced this personal challenge to push his physical limits. The triathlon not only tested his endurance but also offered valuable insights that he now applies in his professional life at RedCloud.  Let’s hear directly from Scott about his journey and the lessons he learned along the way. My goal was to finish my first triathlon, and why not do it in a beautiful, sunny, warm location like Waikoloa, Hawaii? The annual Lavaman Triathlon race, held in April, is Olympic length (1.5k swim, 40k bike, and 10k run). As we age, finding an exercise motivator becomes essential, and this triathlon sounded like the perfect plan. I grew up a competitive swimmer, so I wasn’t too concerned about the swim. I’ve completed century-length bike races in the past, so I wasn’t worried about that leg either. However, I’m not a runner! My plan was to shuffle/jog as much as possible just to complete the race. Preparation included mile-long open ocean swims at local beaches like Hapuna and Mauna Kea, as well as biking through local communities and highways that paralleled the ocean. Putting them all together back-to-back on race day was definitely a challenge! Everything went well, and I had enough energy to ‘shuffle’ across the finish line about halfway through the 1000-person pack. Would I do it again? Absolutely – I signed up for next year one week later. This race has given me a new motivator to routinely exercise, putting my gym membership to better use and also giving me improved energy and a clear mind to tackle each day with more vigor. I aim to improve my bike and run times next year and sign up for a few more races in between Lavaman’s annual event. The Impact of the Lavaman Triathlon on My Professional Journey at RedCloud Similar to how I try to lead inside RedCloud and how I work with my teams, I started with the end in mind: finishing. Never veer from that vision – put it on the board, work backward, and just plan on it happening.  My family/peers wondered if that was achievable given I’ve never done one, getting older, and wasn’t swimming, biking, and running every day, but they gave me the benefit of the doubt and some encouragement along the way. In any business setting, there will always be challenges similar to those I had going into my race….budget, resources, timeline, etc., but just as in our team’s daily project work for our clients, the work you put into achieving that goal will help you overcome challenges and accomplish your goals, just like it did for me!   Reflecting on my journey from training to crossing the Lavaman finish line, I also learned (or maybe better said, remembered and reinforced!) valuable lessons about perseverance and resilience. These insights mirror my approach to leading and motivating my team through demanding projects or tough times in the business environment. It literally and figuratively is a marathon, not a sprint, so it is critical to have a holistic approach to any project, or in my case, a daunting physical challenge.  If this motivates you at all and you are looking for your first (and fun) triathlon, I highly recommend Lavaman. And hey, why not spend another week or so on the island after the race to recuperate and explore?

At RedCloud, we're dedicated to empowering our clients’ businesses with the tools and technologies they need to succeed in today's competitive landscape. While these days it feels like there is a new platform every day to help streamline business, every day, our team of experts research, evaluate, recommend, and leverage today’s leading tech platforms to drive success for our clients. In fact, we use many of these platforms for RedCloud’s own operations - so we certainly practice what we preach! Whether it's streamlining operations, gaining insights from data, or boosting productivity, we're here to help businesses thrive. Harnessing Leading Technologies At RedCloud, we understand that every business is unique, with its own set of needs and challenges. That's why our technology-driven practices are focused on harnessing the power of cutting-edge platforms  to drive success for our clients. With expertise in a range of platforms, including Amazon Web Services, Dynamics 365, Google Cloud Platform, Power Apps, Salesforce, and more, we offer tailored solutions designed to meet each client's specific requirements. Some Of The Platforms We Leverage Microsoft Azure:  As a trusted Microsoft partner, we leverage Azure's cloud computing services to help businesses scale, innovate, and succeed in the digital age. Power Platform: With Power Platform, we empower businesses to automate processes, build custom apps, and analyze data to drive productivity and efficiency. Tableau: Our expertise in Tableau enables businesses to visualize and understand their data, empowering informed decision-making and driving business growth. Microsoft 365: With Microsoft 365, we provide businesses with the tools they need to collaborate, communicate, and innovate, all within a secure and integrated environment. Google Workspaces:  Our proficiency in Google Workspaces enables seamless collaboration and communication, helping businesses stay productive and connected. Case Studies Optimizing Resources with Visualized Business Analytics A multinational software company faced the challenge of tracking and solving real-time issues across a suite of products. RedCloud implemented Tableau's data visualization tools, enabling the team to gain insights and optimize resources. By visualizing complex data sets, the team streamlined operations and addressed critical issues promptly, enhancing product performance and customer satisfaction. Managing Sales Leads with Salesforce A medical device company needed to improve sales lead management. RedCloud delivered a customized Salesforce CRM solution, enhancing efficiencies and growth strategy. By optimizing Salesforce, the sales team efficiently managed leads, tracked opportunities, and closed deals, leading to accelerated revenue growth and improved customer relationships. At RedCloud, we're committed to driving success for our clients through the strategic use of leading platforms and technologies. Contact us today  to learn more about how we can help your business thrive in the digital age.

This month, RedCloud’s Digital Solutions  practice, led by Benny Swedberg, was honored by Consulting magazine with the 2024 Leaders in Technology: Firm Excellence in Technology Application  award. This prestigious accolade recognizes our team’s ability to empower businesses to streamline operations, elevate customer experiences, and embrace innovation, enabling our clients to adapt and thrive in today's rapidly evolving marketplace. The award specifically recognized RedCloud’s implementation of a comprehensive managed service for Digital Transformation for clients at an industry-leading, international retail corporation. In this ongoing engagement, our team devised a robust internal framework targeting multiple workstreams that were formerly manual, reliant on physical paperwork, or plagued by inefficiencies stemming from the integration of enterprise systems.  Our Digital Transformation team developed an integrated program encompassing marketing, triaging, project management, development, and support. The project accomplishments include a substantial reduction in the risk of data security breaches, a noteworthy decrease in workstream effort hours, and a substantial increase in net sales attributable to innovative merchandising assistance applications, resulting in seven-figure sales growth.   A big thanks must go out to our clients for their trust and partnership, and to our talented team of consultants working on the Digital Solutions practice for their unwavering passion and ingenuity, creating specific solutions to meet our clients’ most pressing challenges. Here’s to continued innovation and many more milestones ahead!

During 2021 our team is so excited to offer yearlong support to Solid Ground’s Broadview Shelter & Transitional Housing through donation of new technology such as tablets and mic headsets, but also by sharing the time and expertise of our employees. As part of our ongoing community efforts, RedCloud’s recruiting team will hold a monthly career day with Broadview to offer in-kind career coaching, job searching assistance and employment support for parents to re-enter the workforce. Knowing that the residents of the shelter are going through the toughest times of their lives, we’re grateful that we can offer our professional expertise and wisdom to them to help guide them in a positive direction. Solid Ground recently organized a virtual "Lunch and Learn" session for our volunteer team to enhance our understanding of the residents' healing processes. By collectively grasping how to best support and communicate with them in light of their experiences, particularly those emerging from domestic violence situations, we aim to interact with them respectfully and acknowledge their journeys. With their invaluable insights, we feel prepared and eager to begin offering assistance. To disseminate information about a widespread issue like domestic violence, which affects numerous individuals in our communities, here are some essential insights that aided our team in gaining a better understanding of our new acquaintances at Broadview: Domestic abuse can occur in many ways outside of physical abuse, including control over finances, control over technology, and even isolation from family and friends According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence’s 2019 National DV Counts Census, in just one day, 77,226 adults and children received services from a domestic violence agency Approximately 50% of women who are homeless report that intimate partner violence was the immediate cause of their homelessness Homicides due to domestic violence nearly doubled in 2020 in King County Women and families of color, who are more likely to live in poverty, have fewer resources available to help them leave violent situations or to seek care for the violence they have suffered Most survivors do not feel safe calling the police (NDVH Report, 2015) Domestic violence can affect many aspects of the victim’s life, including physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social health Given all that we learned with Solid Ground’s wealth of expertise presented, we feel empowered with these tools: The best way to speak to a victim is to listen, not judge Respecting boundaries when a resident says “no” is important, and giving them options is the best way to navigate where they prefer to go next Validate their experiences and let them know it’s okay to feel frustrated or uncomfortable, always offering a break if needed Residents will vary in readiness to work, so we will be prepared to meet them where they are In closing, we’re sharing the National Domestic Violence Hotline in case you or anyone you know needs resources, knowing that domestic violence occurs at all economic levels in all areas of the country: 1.800.799.7233

Delve deeper into our learning series with Yusuf's latest video, where he unveils 5 productivity-boosting tips using Microsoft’s tools. From leveraging stock photography in PowerPoint to implementing email templates and power automate flows, Yusuf shares his favorite go-to tricks in this insightful tutorial. Our newly launched fall series is packed with valuable tips straight from the experts at RedCloud. Discover their tried-and-true methods for streamlining tasks and optimizing efficiency. Explore the full series for more invaluable insights!

We’re kicking off the New Year with another helpful post from our Digital Solutions experts! In this latest video, Yusuf, our Power Platform Senior Associate at RedCloud, shares his top tricks for crafting a table-like gallery in Power Apps Canvas Apps. Watch as Yusuf demonstrates on-screen navigation, making it simple for you to replicate the process yourself. Don't forget to explore more educational videos in our collection !

Ready to learn more about HTML labels? Join Yusuf in this informative video as he guides you through reducing controls with HTML labels in Power Apps. Learn how excessive controls can impact app performance and discover tips to optimize your app for better user experience. With HTML labels, you can streamline controls and enhance app efficiency, ensuring a smoother experience for your users. Our helpful videos and how-to’s (all cataloged here ) include insights straight from RedCloud’s experts to help you be more efficient in your business practices.