Not sure if this has been mentioned (havnt been through ALL the posts in this thread..) but perhaps a custom quick bar could be made?
Have a bar at the top of the screen which a player can put links to certain shops, factories, farms etc... If you have a shop you want to keep an eye on constantly, instead of clicking on Buildings, then shops, then finding the building, just have the option when visiting the shop to 'Add to Quick Bar' then it is just one click away! Could also add favourite players, links to favourite items on the market, maybe even favourite wiki pages?
Just an idea!