Articles
38 practical articles by topic: the answer first, then the method, dated official sources and the matching tool.
Building automation (BMS / BACS)
- BMS specification template: the chapters a work-package spec must contain · What a BMS/BACS specification template must contain: numbered requirements, points list, network and cybersecurity, testing, documentation.
- BMS cybersecurity requirements: a checklist for specifications and acceptance · A BMS/BAS cybersecurity checklist: network segmentation, remote access, accounts, hardening, logging, updates.
- France's BACS decree: who must install a BMS, and by when · The French BACS decree in English: above 290 kW by 1 January 2025, above 70 kW by 1 January 2030, required functions, ten-year payback exemption.
- BMS points list template: columns, point types and naming rules · How to build a BMS points list in Excel: columns, point types (AI, AO, DI, DO, bus), one naming rule, an air handling unit example, link to tests.
- BACnet/SC in a specification: what to require and how to accept it · How to specify BACnet Secure Connect in a BMS work package: certificates, primary and failover hubs, coexistence with BACnet/IP, acceptance tests.
- BMS commissioning and acceptance checklist: tests, evidence and documents · Factory checks, point-to-point tests, functional scenarios, seasonal fine-tuning, as-built file: the checklist to accept a BMS work package.
NIS 2 cybersecurity
- NIS 2 compliance checklist: the 10 measures of Article 21, in plain words · A NIS 2 compliance checklist built on Article 21: the ten risk-management measures, what evidence each one needs, and where SMEs usually start.
- NIS 2: essential vs important entities, what actually changes · The difference between essential and important entities under NIS 2: how entities are classified, supervision, fines, and what it changes in your…
- NIS 2 incident reporting: the 24-hour, 72-hour and one-month deadlines · NIS 2 incident reporting under Article 23: early warning within 24 hours, notification within 72 hours, final report within a month, and who to tell.
- NIS 2 Article 21: the risk-management measures explained one by one · The ten NIS 2 risk-management measures of Article 21 explained: policies, incidents, continuity, supply chain, MFA, with the evidence to keep for…
- NIS 2 and management bodies: approval, training and personal liability · What NIS 2 Article 20 asks of management bodies: approve the measures, oversee them, follow training; what liability means; a board pack outline.
- NIS 2 supply chain security: what to ask your suppliers, and what you cannot · How to meet the NIS 2 supply chain requirement: supplier register, criticality, contract clauses, evidence you can request, and reviews over time.
- NIS 2 gap assessment template: how to score 56 controls in Excel · How to build a NIS 2 gap assessment in Excel: control list, scoring scale, weighted gaps, rate per domain with formulas, top priorities, 90-day plan.
French e-invoicing 2026-2027
- France's e-invoicing mandate: what applies in 2026 and 2027 · France's e-invoicing mandate in English: receiving mandatory since 1 September 2026, issuing and e-reporting from 1 September 2027 for SMEs and…
- France's e-invoicing rules for foreign companies: when you are in scope · Are foreign companies affected by France's e-invoicing mandate? The cases: French establishment, VAT registration without establishment…
- Accredited e-invoicing platforms in France: how to choose one · How to choose an approved platform (plateforme agréée) for e-invoicing in France: the official list, eight criteria, questions to ask, three-year…
- Factur-X explained: a PDF with embedded XML, and when to use it · What Factur-X is (a PDF/A-3 with embedded XML), its profiles, how it relates to EN 16931, UBL and CII, and how to check a file you receive.
- E-reporting in France: what data you send, and how often · E-reporting sends transaction and payment data to the French tax authority for sales outside e-invoicing: B2C, cross-border, payments.
- EU ViDA and e-invoicing: the timeline for businesses · The EU VAT in the Digital Age package: what it changes for e-invoicing and digital reporting, the dates adopted, and how France's mandate fits in.
IT budget and PMO
- IT budget template in Excel: CapEx, OpEx, committed and forecast at completion · How to structure an IT budget in Excel: one line per item, CapEx/OpEx, revised budget, committed, monthly actuals, forecast at completion and alerts.
- IT project portfolio dashboard in a spreadsheet: the one-tab model · A project portfolio model that fits in one spreadsheet tab: one line per project, priority, phase, progress, delay against the original date.
- Steering committee deck template: the five slides that get decisions · A SteerCo deck template in five slides: status in one page, budget, risks, decisions requested, next milestones. How to run the meeting in 20 minutes.
- Project RAG status: criteria you can compute instead of a feeling · How to define Red, Amber and Green with objective criteria: schedule delay, budget drift, open risks, pending decisions. Excel formula and example.
- CIO dashboard KPIs: twelve indicators with thresholds · Twelve KPI examples for a CIO dashboard: budget, portfolio, risks, delivery, capacity. Definition, formula, amber and red thresholds.
IT vendors and contracts
- IT contract register template: the columns and the notice-date formula · How to build an IT contract register in Excel: columns, renewal and notice dates computed, owner, value, criticality, alerts.
- SLA service credits: an example with thresholds and caps · An SLA example with availability, response and resolution targets, service credits and caps, and how credits are computed on a fictitious worked…
- IT vendor exit plan template: what to agree before you need it · What an IT exit (reversibility) plan must cover: data return formats and deadlines, documentation, knowledge transfer, duration, costs, assistance.
- RFP scoring matrix template: criteria, weights and total cost · How to build an RFP scoring matrix for an IT purchase: criteria families, weights, scoring scale, price on multi-year total cost, example on three…
- Auto-renewal notice periods: how to track them and never miss a date · How to read an auto-renewal clause, compute the last day to give notice in Excel, keep a register and set reminders. Fictitious example.
- Vendor governance meeting: agenda, indicators and minutes template · A vendor governance meeting template: frequency, six-point agenda, SLA indicators, improvement plan, minutes. Example filled with fictitious data.
Mileage, leave and personal trainers
- HMRC mileage log spreadsheet: approved rates, the 10,000-mile threshold and the formula · How to keep an HMRC-compliant mileage log in Excel: approved mileage rates, the 10,000-mile threshold, passengers, what to record, and the formula.
Home building and property
- New home construction budget spreadsheet: trades, bids, change orders and draws · How to build a new-home construction budget in Excel: budget by trade, three-bid comparison, change orders, draw schedule, contingency.
- Self-build budget spreadsheet (UK): trades, quotes, variations and stage payments · How to set up a UK self-build or renovation budget in Excel: budget by trade, three-quote comparison, variations, stage payments, snagging, VAT notes.
Household budget
- Free monthly budget template for Excel: the 15-minute method · A free monthly budget template for Excel: income, fixed bills, flexible spending, savings, what is left.
- Household budget planner (UK): council tax, energy, bills and sinking funds in one sheet · How to set up a UK household budget planner: monthly and yearly view, council tax instalments, energy, subscriptions, sinking funds, savings.
Retirement
- Retirement planner spreadsheet (UK): State Pension, NI record, pots and budget · How to build a UK retirement planner in Excel: State Pension age and forecast, National Insurance record, pension pots, before/after budget, dated…
New baby
- Baby budget for the first year: the categories and a month-by-month sheet · The spending categories of a baby's first year, purchases to spread out, benefits and deadlines to check, and a month-by-month budget sheet.
Careers and study
- How to choose a career: a 12-question worksheet that actually narrows it down · A 12-question career choice worksheet: interests, constraints, work style, money, training length, tests to run before deciding.