http://news.discovery.com/human/twitter-word-2009.html
http://www.popfi.com/2009/12/01/2009s-word-of-the-year-is-twitter/
I recieved an email yesterday informing me that the 2009 word of the year was Twitter. Twitter is a word that we have been hearing a lot about this year in class, on the radio, on tv, and through word of mouth. Twitter is a popular networking service that has taken off over the last year. Normal people, corporations, and celebrities have jumped on this technology in a very short period of time. Microsoft says that "Twitter" was among the top searches of 2009 on its new Bing search engine. Other words making the list of top Bing searches were "Stock Market", "Farrah Fawcett", and "Patrick Swayze". As for other top words of 2009, Twitter beat out other top words such as "Obama", "Stimulus", "Vampire", and "Deficit". I found this to be an interesting fact since I have been hearing about Twitter so much both in class and outside of class. I've seen advertisements from business to check them out on Twitter and I've heard about various celebrities using Twitter on a daily basis. This social networking site is not just used by regular consumers, but also by companies for advertising and marketing. This site, along with facebook and blogger, is a great way to reach out to potential customers in a new and interesting way. I just thought this was a fun fact to share about this incredibly popular site that we have been hearing so much about.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Tips for Managing Creative People
http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/workforce-management/2975119-1.html
Chapter 12 in our text discusses understanding and managing creative people. There is an article on allbusiness.com that gives 10 tips for managing creative types. The article states that "managing a group of creative people is challenging but rewarding work." Creative and intelligent thinkers are needed for truly new and interesting innovations. Managers need to be able to deal with these kinds of people in order to continuously improve their products and still maintain a healthy work environment. The first steps are cultivating a creativity-inducing space and giving some structure. It is important to provide employees with an environment that is conducive to their creativity but also to provide enough structure to keep creative employees on track and on schedule. Other steps include giving employees time to dream, stressing the importance of balance, trusting the process, and directing them at your actual problems. Employees should have some downtime and also pay attention to all aspects of their work. It is also important to make sure they stay focused on solving the real business problems through effective communication. The last few tips include being generous with praise, allowing employee input, building a team, and being open to new ways of working. It is imperitive that these creative employees feel good about their work and feel like they are making a difference and are really included in the entire process. Managers of creative people have the challenge of being open to new ideas and innovations while also maintaining efficient business practices. Creative people can be a huge asset to a company and can help produce many beneficial innovations. Therefore, it is important for leaders to be aware of effective ways to manage these types of employees.
Chapter 12 in our text discusses understanding and managing creative people. There is an article on allbusiness.com that gives 10 tips for managing creative types. The article states that "managing a group of creative people is challenging but rewarding work." Creative and intelligent thinkers are needed for truly new and interesting innovations. Managers need to be able to deal with these kinds of people in order to continuously improve their products and still maintain a healthy work environment. The first steps are cultivating a creativity-inducing space and giving some structure. It is important to provide employees with an environment that is conducive to their creativity but also to provide enough structure to keep creative employees on track and on schedule. Other steps include giving employees time to dream, stressing the importance of balance, trusting the process, and directing them at your actual problems. Employees should have some downtime and also pay attention to all aspects of their work. It is also important to make sure they stay focused on solving the real business problems through effective communication. The last few tips include being generous with praise, allowing employee input, building a team, and being open to new ways of working. It is imperitive that these creative employees feel good about their work and feel like they are making a difference and are really included in the entire process. Managers of creative people have the challenge of being open to new ideas and innovations while also maintaining efficient business practices. Creative people can be a huge asset to a company and can help produce many beneficial innovations. Therefore, it is important for leaders to be aware of effective ways to manage these types of employees.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Top 10 Auto Innovations
http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=top&subject=innovations&story=pastInns
On Cars.com I found a page that lists the Top 10 Innovations in recent times. This list of innovations goes back about 30 years and ranges from radios to fuel injection. The top 10 innovations are antilock brakes, airbag advancements, key fobs, fold-flat rear seats, electronic stability systems, dvd players, heated and cooled seats, tilt/telescoping steering wheels and adjustable pedals, navigation systems, and hybrid drivetrains. I am doing my research paper on autombile innovation so I found this to be an interesting list. Innovations like the key fobs, dvd player, and heated/cooled seats have helped make the driving experience more convenient and comfortable for consumers. These are the kinds of technologies that, when first introduced, can give a company competitive advantage over other manufacturers. I was especially interested in electronic stability systems, which was one of the focuses in my paper. ESC is a computerized system that can apply the individual breaks automatically when the car is cornering or swerving on the road. People can drive beyond a car's capabilities and end up losing control and crashing. This innovative technology can prevent or assist these kinds of situation and decrease the number of accidents by a large amount. This technology, among many others, is one of the amazing innovations that has been introduced in the automobile industry.
On Cars.com I found a page that lists the Top 10 Innovations in recent times. This list of innovations goes back about 30 years and ranges from radios to fuel injection. The top 10 innovations are antilock brakes, airbag advancements, key fobs, fold-flat rear seats, electronic stability systems, dvd players, heated and cooled seats, tilt/telescoping steering wheels and adjustable pedals, navigation systems, and hybrid drivetrains. I am doing my research paper on autombile innovation so I found this to be an interesting list. Innovations like the key fobs, dvd player, and heated/cooled seats have helped make the driving experience more convenient and comfortable for consumers. These are the kinds of technologies that, when first introduced, can give a company competitive advantage over other manufacturers. I was especially interested in electronic stability systems, which was one of the focuses in my paper. ESC is a computerized system that can apply the individual breaks automatically when the car is cornering or swerving on the road. People can drive beyond a car's capabilities and end up losing control and crashing. This innovative technology can prevent or assist these kinds of situation and decrease the number of accidents by a large amount. This technology, among many others, is one of the amazing innovations that has been introduced in the automobile industry.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Utility Models
http://www.wipo.int/sme/en/ip_business/utility_models/utility_models.htm
http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/ipr/sme_guide_utility_models_bywipo.htm
These are two sites that discuss Utility Models, also know as "petty patents" or "utility innovations", which are used to protect inventions and innovations. A utility model is an exclusive right granted for an invention, which allows the right holder to prevent others from commercially using the protected innovation for a limited period of time. The term of protection is usually around 7 to 10 years for utility models. The requirements for utility models are less stringent than the requirements for patents, but they do vary from country to counrty. These are usually best suited for minor improvements to already existing products or adaptations of them. There is only a small number of countries that currently use them and according to 1000ventures.com, the US is not one of them yet. I think it is important for all companies to be aware of these models, as well as the other types of patents and copyrights, so they can safely protect their inventions and innovations. Innovation can bring great competitive advantage to a company, but that advantage can be quickly taken away if those innovations are not protected properly.
http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/ipr/sme_guide_utility_models_bywipo.htm
These are two sites that discuss Utility Models, also know as "petty patents" or "utility innovations", which are used to protect inventions and innovations. A utility model is an exclusive right granted for an invention, which allows the right holder to prevent others from commercially using the protected innovation for a limited period of time. The term of protection is usually around 7 to 10 years for utility models. The requirements for utility models are less stringent than the requirements for patents, but they do vary from country to counrty. These are usually best suited for minor improvements to already existing products or adaptations of them. There is only a small number of countries that currently use them and according to 1000ventures.com, the US is not one of them yet. I think it is important for all companies to be aware of these models, as well as the other types of patents and copyrights, so they can safely protect their inventions and innovations. Innovation can bring great competitive advantage to a company, but that advantage can be quickly taken away if those innovations are not protected properly.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Eco-Innovation
http://ecoble.com/2009/01/04/top-15-eco-innovations-of-the-21st-century/
I found an interesting page on the the website Ecoble:Stuff for the Green Consumer, Reader and Thinker. It discussed the top 15 eco innovations of the 21st century. Some of these "eco innovations" include a solar aviation, animal waste energy, bamboo, green gadget power and reusable shopping bags. These are not just convenient and exciting new technologies and innovations, they are also very beneficial to our environment. The first solar aviation consists of solar powered airplanes that is becoming more and more of a reality. In 2008, a solar powered Zephr set a record for unmanned non-fueled flight when it flew for more than 83 hours straight. Animal waste energy was another intriguing innovation discussed. In Wisconsin, "Dairyland Power" operates 3 animanl waste to energy plants. This technology, the reusing animal waste to generate energy, is considered one of the greatest eco innovations of the 21st century. Bamboo, although it has been around for centuries, is part of another eco innovation. It is not being used to make skateboards, furniture, biodegradable plates, clothing, and golf tees. 21st technology has allowed this natural resource to be used in a number of different eco friendly ways. There have also been green innovations to keep our electronics constantly charged. These charges can find energy from the wind and sun. The reusable shopping bag is a popular innovation that is a much greener substitute for the plastic bag. Many stores are making these reusable shopping totes available to their customers. I found all of these innovations extremely interesting and eye opening. Creative innovation cannot only benefit a business or provide convenience for the consumer, it also has the ability to help our environment at the same time.
I found an interesting page on the the website Ecoble:Stuff for the Green Consumer, Reader and Thinker. It discussed the top 15 eco innovations of the 21st century. Some of these "eco innovations" include a solar aviation, animal waste energy, bamboo, green gadget power and reusable shopping bags. These are not just convenient and exciting new technologies and innovations, they are also very beneficial to our environment. The first solar aviation consists of solar powered airplanes that is becoming more and more of a reality. In 2008, a solar powered Zephr set a record for unmanned non-fueled flight when it flew for more than 83 hours straight. Animal waste energy was another intriguing innovation discussed. In Wisconsin, "Dairyland Power" operates 3 animanl waste to energy plants. This technology, the reusing animal waste to generate energy, is considered one of the greatest eco innovations of the 21st century. Bamboo, although it has been around for centuries, is part of another eco innovation. It is not being used to make skateboards, furniture, biodegradable plates, clothing, and golf tees. 21st technology has allowed this natural resource to be used in a number of different eco friendly ways. There have also been green innovations to keep our electronics constantly charged. These charges can find energy from the wind and sun. The reusable shopping bag is a popular innovation that is a much greener substitute for the plastic bag. Many stores are making these reusable shopping totes available to their customers. I found all of these innovations extremely interesting and eye opening. Creative innovation cannot only benefit a business or provide convenience for the consumer, it also has the ability to help our environment at the same time.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Nature Inspired Innovation
http://www.treehugger.com/galleries/2009/01/nature-inspired-innovation-9-examples-of-biomimicry-at-work-image-gallery.php?page=1
This was a very interesting gallery that I found on the site treehugger.com. TreeHugger: A Discovery Company is a media outlet for "green" news, solutions, and product information. The site provides various examples of recent innovations that were inspired by something in nature. There is a picture of each innovation along with a picture of the aspect of nature that inspired it. The first innovation is Japan’s bullet train. The nosecone shape of the front is inspired by the kingfisher, a bird that dives seamlessly into water. The goal of this innovation was to eliminate the loud claps that were heard when the train emerged from the tunnel. Another example was Mercedes-Benz’s bionic car, which was inspired by the boxfish. Scientists noticed the aerodynamics of the boxfish’s shape and modeled the car after it. This resulted in a vehicle with a 65% lower drag coefficient than other cars at the time. Another rather interesting example is the innovations in hardwood plywood products which were inspired by mussels. Mussels have a great ability to stick to things, like rocks, and Columbia Forest products took note of this. They looked at the natural adhesive abilities of mussels and found a way to use soy-based formaldehyde-free technology when constructing hardwood plywood products. These and other forms of biomimicry are extremely interesting examples of very creative innovation.
This was a very interesting gallery that I found on the site treehugger.com. TreeHugger: A Discovery Company is a media outlet for "green" news, solutions, and product information. The site provides various examples of recent innovations that were inspired by something in nature. There is a picture of each innovation along with a picture of the aspect of nature that inspired it. The first innovation is Japan’s bullet train. The nosecone shape of the front is inspired by the kingfisher, a bird that dives seamlessly into water. The goal of this innovation was to eliminate the loud claps that were heard when the train emerged from the tunnel. Another example was Mercedes-Benz’s bionic car, which was inspired by the boxfish. Scientists noticed the aerodynamics of the boxfish’s shape and modeled the car after it. This resulted in a vehicle with a 65% lower drag coefficient than other cars at the time. Another rather interesting example is the innovations in hardwood plywood products which were inspired by mussels. Mussels have a great ability to stick to things, like rocks, and Columbia Forest products took note of this. They looked at the natural adhesive abilities of mussels and found a way to use soy-based formaldehyde-free technology when constructing hardwood plywood products. These and other forms of biomimicry are extremely interesting examples of very creative innovation.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Service Innovation: The Next Big Thing
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/mar2007/id20070329_376916.htm
This is an article from Business Week by Reena Jana from March 2007. The focus of the article is the importance of Service Innovation in business today. The focus is shifting from product innovation to service innovation as the next hot area. Service innovation is not a new or unheard of subject; it is simply more hidden and often looked over when thinking of inventions and innovations. The article provides the example of Thomas Edison’s light bulb invention. “People don’t tend to think of the related service innovations—getting light bulbs into houses and schools, setting prices for the electricity services to keep them lit. That’s all service innovation.” IBM has recognized the importance of service innovation in the last few years. To connect with other companies developing service innovation, they contacted the Technology Professional Services Assn. and the Services & Support Professionals Assn. They used the idea that service innovation is not a “one-company thing” but something that can be developed more fully in a community.
The article also discusses the Service Research & Innovation (SRI) initiative, a nonprofit founded by executives of IBM and Oracle. Having an information resource like the initiative will hopefully make service innovation a more common practice in business. The initiative should be more effective than earlier service innovation groups due to its future online social-networking and public archive features. The article does recognize the fact that service innovation will not grow overnight success and that it is a very broad field. Service innovation is the new playing field of business that is receiving a great deal of recognition even in academia. Service innovation is something that all companies should be working to develop, if they have not already, and the SRI Initiative offers up suggested paths of action for companies hoping to jump on this bandwagon.
This is an article from Business Week by Reena Jana from March 2007. The focus of the article is the importance of Service Innovation in business today. The focus is shifting from product innovation to service innovation as the next hot area. Service innovation is not a new or unheard of subject; it is simply more hidden and often looked over when thinking of inventions and innovations. The article provides the example of Thomas Edison’s light bulb invention. “People don’t tend to think of the related service innovations—getting light bulbs into houses and schools, setting prices for the electricity services to keep them lit. That’s all service innovation.” IBM has recognized the importance of service innovation in the last few years. To connect with other companies developing service innovation, they contacted the Technology Professional Services Assn. and the Services & Support Professionals Assn. They used the idea that service innovation is not a “one-company thing” but something that can be developed more fully in a community.
The article also discusses the Service Research & Innovation (SRI) initiative, a nonprofit founded by executives of IBM and Oracle. Having an information resource like the initiative will hopefully make service innovation a more common practice in business. The initiative should be more effective than earlier service innovation groups due to its future online social-networking and public archive features. The article does recognize the fact that service innovation will not grow overnight success and that it is a very broad field. Service innovation is the new playing field of business that is receiving a great deal of recognition even in academia. Service innovation is something that all companies should be working to develop, if they have not already, and the SRI Initiative offers up suggested paths of action for companies hoping to jump on this bandwagon.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Top 12 Areas for Technology Innovation Through 2025
http://changewaves.socialtechnologies.com/home/2007/11/20/top-12-areas-for-technology-innovation-through-2025.html
I found an interesting blog called "Change Waves: Observations on the Future" by Social Technologies. In this particular blog, they are predicting the top 12 areas for scientific and technological breakthroughs in the next 16 years. In order to predict these, Social Technologies' "Technology Foresight" program conducted a global focus group of experts in technology, innovation, and business strategy. The top 12 areas for technology innovation include: Personalized medicine, distributed energy, pervasive computing, nanomaterials, biomarkers for health, biofuels, advanced manufacturing, universal water, carbon management, engineered agriculture, security and tracking, and advanced transportation.
A few of them that I found particularly interesting were the areas of distributed energy, biofuels, universal water, engineered agriculture, and advanced transportation. Distributed energy is predicted to increasingly feature local generators that can be linked when needed for greater output. Possible innovations in this area include advanced batteries and electric storage devices of all sizes, power systems with source-switching ability, and new energy management systems. Being able to better control energy distribution can be beneficial both ethically and financially. I also found the projected innovations in biofuels interesting. The idea that further advances will be made in renewable biomass fuels so that they can supplement and eventually replace gas and diesel is very exciting, especially now. Universal water was another area that was discussed that I never actually realized was an issue until reading this. Water supplies are becoming increasingly strained and it is important that we are able to keep fresh water clean and make more fresh water from salt water. Technologies to improve this issue include ultra-fine filters and new energy sources for desalination and purification. Engineered agriculture was also another intriguing area with potential breakthroughs such as crop produced pharmaceuticals and chemical feedstocks and crops designed specifically for energy content and conversion. One final area that I found interesting and one that will be exciting to watch progress is advanced transportation. Both public and private transportation are believed to experience significant breakthroughs. Personal transportation will be coordinated through wireless networks, information systems, and the internet and on board sensors and computers will be offered for smart vehicles. While this blog was relatively brief, it was a very interesting insight into what the experts foresee as the major innovations in the next 15-20 years.
I found an interesting blog called "Change Waves: Observations on the Future" by Social Technologies. In this particular blog, they are predicting the top 12 areas for scientific and technological breakthroughs in the next 16 years. In order to predict these, Social Technologies' "Technology Foresight" program conducted a global focus group of experts in technology, innovation, and business strategy. The top 12 areas for technology innovation include: Personalized medicine, distributed energy, pervasive computing, nanomaterials, biomarkers for health, biofuels, advanced manufacturing, universal water, carbon management, engineered agriculture, security and tracking, and advanced transportation.
A few of them that I found particularly interesting were the areas of distributed energy, biofuels, universal water, engineered agriculture, and advanced transportation. Distributed energy is predicted to increasingly feature local generators that can be linked when needed for greater output. Possible innovations in this area include advanced batteries and electric storage devices of all sizes, power systems with source-switching ability, and new energy management systems. Being able to better control energy distribution can be beneficial both ethically and financially. I also found the projected innovations in biofuels interesting. The idea that further advances will be made in renewable biomass fuels so that they can supplement and eventually replace gas and diesel is very exciting, especially now. Universal water was another area that was discussed that I never actually realized was an issue until reading this. Water supplies are becoming increasingly strained and it is important that we are able to keep fresh water clean and make more fresh water from salt water. Technologies to improve this issue include ultra-fine filters and new energy sources for desalination and purification. Engineered agriculture was also another intriguing area with potential breakthroughs such as crop produced pharmaceuticals and chemical feedstocks and crops designed specifically for energy content and conversion. One final area that I found interesting and one that will be exciting to watch progress is advanced transportation. Both public and private transportation are believed to experience significant breakthroughs. Personal transportation will be coordinated through wireless networks, information systems, and the internet and on board sensors and computers will be offered for smart vehicles. While this blog was relatively brief, it was a very interesting insight into what the experts foresee as the major innovations in the next 15-20 years.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Innovation in the Air Transport Industry
I found a video titled "Driving Innovation in the Air Transport Industry" and found it very interesting. It begins with discussing how, with personal computers and the internet, IT development has been evolving at greater speeds. They shared a statistic of 3.3 Billion cell phone users and 1.4 billion internet users. They then go on to discuss the "digital traveler" who carry at least one mobile device while traveling and expect information to be available to them on their mobile devices. Innovation will thrive in this environment as it provides many opportunities for innovation. IT innovators aim for travelers to have the ability to research, book, and pay for flights(including excess baggage) all on their phones. Travelers can check in from almost anywhere from their phone while also having access to information on gate closings, rescheduled flights, and assistance on these rescheduled flights. When landing at their destination, biometrics another fascinating innovation) will further streamline the process and guides through the new airport will also be available via mobile devices.
This will not only assist Travelers but also airport employees. IT has the ability to put all persons at the airport in touch with each other in real time. Better communication between airport authorities, operators, ground handlers, and suppliers results in improvements to on-time performance, aircraft turnaround, flight safety, and air worthiness. These developments will also benefit the environment. This effective communication will ensure that aircrafts are performing in the most efficient ways.
The current technological environment and the increasing amount of travelers using mobile devices pave the way for more innovation. The video does mention, however, that there are some challenges with this plan. Innovations does not come free from challenge but we must rise to the challenge and be driven by a passion for innovation.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Innovation
Innovation Definition from Braden Kelley on Vimeo.
Innovation is a word that everyone is somewhat familiar with but everyone may have differing definitions. Our textbook focuses the entire 1st chapter on this subject so it is hard to find one short and concise definition. Since this class is going to focus on innovation, I thought I might try to see how others might define innovation. I found this video on vimeo by a man named Braden Kelley and I thought he described innovation in a clear, understanding way. He defined innovation as a way to "transform useful seeds of invention into solutions valued above every existing alternative". He discusses the example of Quicken, a financial software product that was created through the innovation. He then goes on to say that Quicken, while successful now, needs to keep up with newer products on the market especially those on the internet such as Mint. He elaborates this point by expressing the importance of the consistence of innovation. Innovation is not one single solution that will last forever. Creators and organizations need to constantly use innovation to continue to provide effective and useful products for the world today.
Friday, June 26, 2009
BPM/cfo.com
http://www.cfo.com/chart.cfm/3375840/11?option=12
I found a pretty cool site, cfo.com, which includes a plethora of information on various business intelligence software like business performance management software. At this site, you can choose from a number of different software providers, currently leading the market, to get more information on their products. Some of the providers are ALG Software, Hyperion, Oracle, Peoplesoft, and many more. Once you select one of providers, their information is presented. The information listed includes the following: Headquarters, revenue, data founded, product names, platforms, modular features, key features, key markets, key differentiators, typical price, and other. I thought this site was very useful and interesting because it indicates what types of companies the different software could benefit most.It not only lists what kinds of products and services they can provide but also if there are specific markets or industries that this software is best suited for. I think it is important for upper management to consider this information when choosing a business intelligence software such as business performance management. Size, money, market, and needs of the company need to be considered in determining which provider would be best.
I found a pretty cool site, cfo.com, which includes a plethora of information on various business intelligence software like business performance management software. At this site, you can choose from a number of different software providers, currently leading the market, to get more information on their products. Some of the providers are ALG Software, Hyperion, Oracle, Peoplesoft, and many more. Once you select one of providers, their information is presented. The information listed includes the following: Headquarters, revenue, data founded, product names, platforms, modular features, key features, key markets, key differentiators, typical price, and other. I thought this site was very useful and interesting because it indicates what types of companies the different software could benefit most.It not only lists what kinds of products and services they can provide but also if there are specific markets or industries that this software is best suited for. I think it is important for upper management to consider this information when choosing a business intelligence software such as business performance management. Size, money, market, and needs of the company need to be considered in determining which provider would be best.
Monday, June 22, 2009
KPI
While doing research for my chapter 5 presentation, I found this very interesting video on SAP's KPI wiki. The video starts off with the difficulty of trying to do business when there is little communication due to different languages. Business projects tend to fail because of this lack of communication and the video expresses a hope for a compatible world where businesses can communicate in a common language. This is what the KPI wiki gives us. The video discusses how business KPI's give companies the opportunity to measure and monitor performance by comparing actual KPI values to targets. This can present any shortcomings quickly as well as potential for improvement which is vital for every company. The video also discusses the importance of the common language in business. If everyone uses identical KPIs, companies can compare their performance with market leaders. The purpose of the KPI wiki, the focus of this video, is for everyone to be able to participate and contribute. It is important for all stakeholders to be invloved in the process of defining the common KPI language. The video then provides a brief demonstration of the KPI wiki on www.sdn.sap.com. It shows how users can go to the Business Community KPI Homepage and view all kinds of information such as cash flow. They can simply go to the financial related KPIs, see what results they find for cash flows, and have the ability to change and resave it if they want. This is how the KPI wiki enables full communication and participation for all. I thought this video was a great display of the importance of KPI and BPM and presented it in an interesting way.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
FYI/Data Visualization
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6rh2r_data-visualizationbusiness-intellig_tech
Data Visualization/Business intelligence- FYI Visual
Uploaded by buryou. - Discover more science and tech videos.
This is a brief video concerning FYI corporation's data visualization software. The video starts by mentioning the fact that companies are drowning in their data. Also, because the data is not being presented in a helpful format in a timely manner, the data is not available in time to make important decisions and management is still going with "gut" instincts most of the time. FYI's mission is to create software that tracks real time data against managerial expectations in an easy to read format. FYI is taking data visualization to the next level. When using this software the user sets the expectations. The data is more relevent when it is compared to expected results. FYI's data visualization delivers a new look at business KPIs and creates a visual that is easy to read for all users. It can create a display with tens of thousands of metrics on one screen and can instantly reveal trend patterns. Using this software, a CEO can easily see the performance of an entire organization in real time and everyone else can see how they have contributed to that performance. Data visualization provides users with exactly the data they want at their fingertips. Some common industries that are using data visualization include retail, finance, energy, and healthcare. I felt this was a useful video because it further discussed the benefits of data visualization and, more specifically, how FYI's data visualization can be very helpful for many businesses.
Data Visualization/Business intelligence- FYI Visual
Uploaded by buryou. - Discover more science and tech videos.
This is a brief video concerning FYI corporation's data visualization software. The video starts by mentioning the fact that companies are drowning in their data. Also, because the data is not being presented in a helpful format in a timely manner, the data is not available in time to make important decisions and management is still going with "gut" instincts most of the time. FYI's mission is to create software that tracks real time data against managerial expectations in an easy to read format. FYI is taking data visualization to the next level. When using this software the user sets the expectations. The data is more relevent when it is compared to expected results. FYI's data visualization delivers a new look at business KPIs and creates a visual that is easy to read for all users. It can create a display with tens of thousands of metrics on one screen and can instantly reveal trend patterns. Using this software, a CEO can easily see the performance of an entire organization in real time and everyone else can see how they have contributed to that performance. Data visualization provides users with exactly the data they want at their fingertips. Some common industries that are using data visualization include retail, finance, energy, and healthcare. I felt this was a useful video because it further discussed the benefits of data visualization and, more specifically, how FYI's data visualization can be very helpful for many businesses.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Data Mining Privacy Issues
http://www.cis.unisa.edu.au/~ciskw/WahlstromRoddickSarreEstivillCastro&DeVries2007.pdf
I found an interesting article on Data Mining titled "Legal and Technical Issues of Privacy Preservation in Data Mining." While data mining can be very beneficial to an organization, management must be aware of the social and ethical issues surrounding the topic of data mining. Public surveys on personal privacy show a raised level of concern about the use of private information. Organizations need to make sure they use certain personal data ethically and responsibly to protect people's private information. Ethical and legal dilemmas arise when mining is executed over data of personal nature which is collected and analyzed in huge volumes on a regular basis. Both consumers and businesses need to be proactive with protecting this sensitive information. Also, the sharing of corporate data may be cost-efficient and beneficial to an organization in a relationship but allowing full access to a database for mining may have detrimental results. The article provides suggested measures to prevent unauthorized mining such as limited access to data, anonymisation, and auditing.
In addition to the ethical and legal issues, there are also technical issues involved with data mining. Data mining is not 100% accurate. This is because mining applications involve vast amounts of data that come from diverse and possibly external sources. There is also a great likelihood of errors caused by mining over poor quality data. The errors and poor data increase the costs associated with identifying and correcting these inaccuracies. It is important for organizations to be aware of the legal, ethical, and technical issues associated with data mining. These organizations need to know how to implement and utilize data mining software properly in order for it to be a success.
I found an interesting article on Data Mining titled "Legal and Technical Issues of Privacy Preservation in Data Mining." While data mining can be very beneficial to an organization, management must be aware of the social and ethical issues surrounding the topic of data mining. Public surveys on personal privacy show a raised level of concern about the use of private information. Organizations need to make sure they use certain personal data ethically and responsibly to protect people's private information. Ethical and legal dilemmas arise when mining is executed over data of personal nature which is collected and analyzed in huge volumes on a regular basis. Both consumers and businesses need to be proactive with protecting this sensitive information. Also, the sharing of corporate data may be cost-efficient and beneficial to an organization in a relationship but allowing full access to a database for mining may have detrimental results. The article provides suggested measures to prevent unauthorized mining such as limited access to data, anonymisation, and auditing.
In addition to the ethical and legal issues, there are also technical issues involved with data mining. Data mining is not 100% accurate. This is because mining applications involve vast amounts of data that come from diverse and possibly external sources. There is also a great likelihood of errors caused by mining over poor quality data. The errors and poor data increase the costs associated with identifying and correcting these inaccuracies. It is important for organizations to be aware of the legal, ethical, and technical issues associated with data mining. These organizations need to know how to implement and utilize data mining software properly in order for it to be a success.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Dashboards
http://www.enterprise-dashboard.com/sitemap/
I found this website to be a good resource for corporate dashboards. The site provides many examples of these dashboards as well as a number of posts related to this topic. For example, I clicked on one of the posts titled "1 Place NOT to Have a Dashboard". The author talks about a recent visit to one of the world's top financial firms where they happened to see some dashboards posted in the hallway. These sheets displayed a summary of the performance of various business units. While these dashboards were very useful and available to anyone interested who might walk by, the post comically went on to discuss other locations where dashboards could be found(the restrooms). There were a great deal of these posts found on this site, some more serious than others. Another one I looked at was title "4 Principles for Dashboard Guages". This post was actually a summary of an article on this subject(there was supposed to be a link to the full article but I could not find it). The post states that "The article explores the basic principles of using elements that emulate real analog devices to represent values on digital dashboards. It starts with the acknowledgement that there are both weaknesses and strengths in using such representations." The four principles discussed in the post are: is it a good metaphor, speed of perception, visualisation, and aesthetics. I just thought this was a good site to find a lot of good information on dashboards and scorecards put into less technical more understandable terms.
I found this website to be a good resource for corporate dashboards. The site provides many examples of these dashboards as well as a number of posts related to this topic. For example, I clicked on one of the posts titled "1 Place NOT to Have a Dashboard". The author talks about a recent visit to one of the world's top financial firms where they happened to see some dashboards posted in the hallway. These sheets displayed a summary of the performance of various business units. While these dashboards were very useful and available to anyone interested who might walk by, the post comically went on to discuss other locations where dashboards could be found(the restrooms). There were a great deal of these posts found on this site, some more serious than others. Another one I looked at was title "4 Principles for Dashboard Guages". This post was actually a summary of an article on this subject(there was supposed to be a link to the full article but I could not find it). The post states that "The article explores the basic principles of using elements that emulate real analog devices to represent values on digital dashboards. It starts with the acknowledgement that there are both weaknesses and strengths in using such representations." The four principles discussed in the post are: is it a good metaphor, speed of perception, visualisation, and aesthetics. I just thought this was a good site to find a lot of good information on dashboards and scorecards put into less technical more understandable terms.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
IBM's Business Analytics & Optimization
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spdn1AKbUrM
This is a short advertisement for IBM's new Business Analytics and Optimization service. I found this to be an interesting display of the many benefits of using business analytics. It describes how BA can be use to turn the plethora of information available to us into intelligence. Business analytics can help identify patterns faster, pull insights from the noise, and convert data into action with its ability to analyze huge volumes of data. This software can help organizations manage their people better. For example, BA can help us find a better cure or prevent traffic jams. Business Analytics and Optimization captures vast amounts of data and transforms it into intelligence that helps people predict with more confidence.
This is a short advertisement for IBM's new Business Analytics and Optimization service. I found this to be an interesting display of the many benefits of using business analytics. It describes how BA can be use to turn the plethora of information available to us into intelligence. Business analytics can help identify patterns faster, pull insights from the noise, and convert data into action with its ability to analyze huge volumes of data. This software can help organizations manage their people better. For example, BA can help us find a better cure or prevent traffic jams. Business Analytics and Optimization captures vast amounts of data and transforms it into intelligence that helps people predict with more confidence.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
OLAP
http://oracleolap.blogspot.com/2008/03/olap-workshop-7-creating-calculated.html
http://www.oracle.com/solutions/business_intelligence/olap.html
I found these two sites while researching for my chapter 3 team presentation. I plan on discussing these briefly during my presentation tomorrow but thought I should still talk about them here. The first is Oracle OLAP's blog run my some employees of Oracle OLAP. It contains information about Oracle OLAP such as new features, events, and workshops. I thought this was interesting because it gives a personal view of OLAP from people who work with it every day.
The second is the OLAP section of Oracle's main website. The site states that OLAP is "a calculation engine that supports the entire spectrum of advanced analytical applications including planning, budgeting, forecasting sales, and marketing to help identify key business trends and model complex business scenarios." This site provides the benefits of using Oracle OLAP which including much faster and higher quality information for decision makers and lower IT costs and complexity. This site also provides web support for users and a number of success stories of businesses who have implemented OLAP. The Project Leader and Business Analyst, Siebe Beintema, of Audax (one of the success stories) was quoted saying "We have seen impressive results from our first use of Oracle 9iOLAP multidimensional Analytic Workspaces with the Business Objects front end. The query performance improvements delivered are great, while the calculation functionality is a real advantage. Using the open SQL access of the multidimensional engine of the Oracle OLAP Option will allow us to provide better analysis to more people more quickly that ever before, and, as the cubes can be in the same Universe as other data in our data warehouse, the ease of use and administration is also much easier than if we had to resort to standalone OLAP cubes." It was interesting to see real quotes and success stories from the use of OLAP in addition to those mentioned in the text.
http://www.oracle.com/solutions/business_intelligence/olap.html
I found these two sites while researching for my chapter 3 team presentation. I plan on discussing these briefly during my presentation tomorrow but thought I should still talk about them here. The first is Oracle OLAP's blog run my some employees of Oracle OLAP. It contains information about Oracle OLAP such as new features, events, and workshops. I thought this was interesting because it gives a personal view of OLAP from people who work with it every day.
The second is the OLAP section of Oracle's main website. The site states that OLAP is "a calculation engine that supports the entire spectrum of advanced analytical applications including planning, budgeting, forecasting sales, and marketing to help identify key business trends and model complex business scenarios." This site provides the benefits of using Oracle OLAP which including much faster and higher quality information for decision makers and lower IT costs and complexity. This site also provides web support for users and a number of success stories of businesses who have implemented OLAP. The Project Leader and Business Analyst, Siebe Beintema, of Audax (one of the success stories) was quoted saying "We have seen impressive results from our first use of Oracle 9iOLAP multidimensional Analytic Workspaces with the Business Objects front end. The query performance improvements delivered are great, while the calculation functionality is a real advantage. Using the open SQL access of the multidimensional engine of the Oracle OLAP Option will allow us to provide better analysis to more people more quickly that ever before, and, as the cubes can be in the same Universe as other data in our data warehouse, the ease of use and administration is also much easier than if we had to resort to standalone OLAP cubes." It was interesting to see real quotes and success stories from the use of OLAP in addition to those mentioned in the text.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Business Intelligence
http://www.businessintelligence.com/
Chapter 1 introduces the topic of business intelligence to us. I found this website that is a great resource for business intelligence information. It contains articles, media, events, books, and many other things that all focus on business intelligence. I thought this was a great website because it is very informative and can provide new artcles and new updates on the topic of business intelligence. It is extremely important for organizations to be aware of their business environment and how it is changing and advancing. This website is a great tool to keep up with the environment and also research ways for your organization to improve their business intelligence in order to maintain a competitive advantage. Any manager that is involved in or plans to be involved in business intelligence in their company should regularly visit this site known as "the resource for business intelligence."
Chapter 1 introduces the topic of business intelligence to us. I found this website that is a great resource for business intelligence information. It contains articles, media, events, books, and many other things that all focus on business intelligence. I thought this was a great website because it is very informative and can provide new artcles and new updates on the topic of business intelligence. It is extremely important for organizations to be aware of their business environment and how it is changing and advancing. This website is a great tool to keep up with the environment and also research ways for your organization to improve their business intelligence in order to maintain a competitive advantage. Any manager that is involved in or plans to be involved in business intelligence in their company should regularly visit this site known as "the resource for business intelligence."
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
BI Time is Now
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2009/tc2009032_101762.htm
This is an article titled "Business Intelligence Software's Time is Now" by Rachael King. The story discusses how the recession is sparking interest in BI software because it helps companies analyze the data they collect for sales opportunities and cost-cutting ideas. There is a discussion on food industries since the current economy is pushing customers to eat at home more often and spend less on going out to eat. It is becoming more urgent for companies to make smart use of important information. Business Intelligence software can bring together data from disparate parts of the company and then the companies can do analysis, run reports, and make predictions based on past performance. Using BI software is becoming a top priority for CIOs today because it can even provide external information such as the unemployment rate and gas prices in different regions. BI can help the challenges the food industry is facing by determining how many staff should work certain shifts based on sales. The story goes on to discuss the cost associated with BI and the necessary pains to ensure it works properly. However, about two-thirds of large companies in the U.S. believe they are not spending enough on business analytics and that they need to improve their analytical capabilities.
This is an article titled "Business Intelligence Software's Time is Now" by Rachael King. The story discusses how the recession is sparking interest in BI software because it helps companies analyze the data they collect for sales opportunities and cost-cutting ideas. There is a discussion on food industries since the current economy is pushing customers to eat at home more often and spend less on going out to eat. It is becoming more urgent for companies to make smart use of important information. Business Intelligence software can bring together data from disparate parts of the company and then the companies can do analysis, run reports, and make predictions based on past performance. Using BI software is becoming a top priority for CIOs today because it can even provide external information such as the unemployment rate and gas prices in different regions. BI can help the challenges the food industry is facing by determining how many staff should work certain shifts based on sales. The story goes on to discuss the cost associated with BI and the necessary pains to ensure it works properly. However, about two-thirds of large companies in the U.S. believe they are not spending enough on business analytics and that they need to improve their analytical capabilities.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Hosted Data Warehousing
http://www.dunnsolutions.com/content/Sub-Solutions/Hosted_DataWarehouse.html
Chapter 2 briefly discusses the topic of hosted data warehousing. This is a site on Dunn Solutions Group's hosted data warehousing platform. This BI solution helps companies eliminate large capital expenditures for software and hardware, shortens long deployment cycles and significantly reduces the companies reliance on IT resources for implementation and maintenance. Their hosted data warehouse platform includes: professional ETL tool, dedicated database server, database backup, custom data warehouse database design, universe, reports and ETL scripts, web-based ad hoc reporting, interactive dynamic dashboards, tech support for the technical platform and custom solution, and future enhancements and additions to the solution. The site also lists the number of benefits of Dunn's hosted solution: no hardware or software to purchase, fast implemtantion-complete BI capabilities in weeks, professional management and maintenance, improved reliability and security, and lower entry cost with pay-as-you-go software and services. While data warehousing in general can be very beneficial for many companies, hosted data warehousing can provide an even easier solution. Companies still get the advantages of data warehousing without the hassle and cost of implementing and constantly maintaining the software. Dunn Solutions Group is one of many providers or this useful BI service.
Chapter 2 briefly discusses the topic of hosted data warehousing. This is a site on Dunn Solutions Group's hosted data warehousing platform. This BI solution helps companies eliminate large capital expenditures for software and hardware, shortens long deployment cycles and significantly reduces the companies reliance on IT resources for implementation and maintenance. Their hosted data warehouse platform includes: professional ETL tool, dedicated database server, database backup, custom data warehouse database design, universe, reports and ETL scripts, web-based ad hoc reporting, interactive dynamic dashboards, tech support for the technical platform and custom solution, and future enhancements and additions to the solution. The site also lists the number of benefits of Dunn's hosted solution: no hardware or software to purchase, fast implemtantion-complete BI capabilities in weeks, professional management and maintenance, improved reliability and security, and lower entry cost with pay-as-you-go software and services. While data warehousing in general can be very beneficial for many companies, hosted data warehousing can provide an even easier solution. Companies still get the advantages of data warehousing without the hassle and cost of implementing and constantly maintaining the software. Dunn Solutions Group is one of many providers or this useful BI service.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Data Warehousing
http://www.dwinfocenter.org/
Data warehouses are collections of data designed to support management decision making that sometimes serve as repositories of organizational knowledge. I found this great website that contains a wealth of information on data warehousing. The site's "aim is to give you a taste of the good and (unlike most web sites) the bad in data warehousing and business intelligence." The site is a collection of essays that define data warehousing, give the pros and cons, and provide various other relevant information for anyone who is interested in the subject. An example of the other information is the section on what actions to take for successful data warehousing. For instance, establishing from the beginning that maintaining data quality will be an ongoing joint user/builder responsibility and training users one at a time are both actions that will assist in implementing a succesful data warehouse. Possible errors that users may come across are also available. These errors include data that may be incomplete, incorrect, incomprehensible, or inconsistent. The data that is contained in a data warehouse represents a large part of a company's knowledge. Companies need to have proper processes for gathering and storing information and data warehouses can be used for that purpose.
Data warehouses are collections of data designed to support management decision making that sometimes serve as repositories of organizational knowledge. I found this great website that contains a wealth of information on data warehousing. The site's "aim is to give you a taste of the good and (unlike most web sites) the bad in data warehousing and business intelligence." The site is a collection of essays that define data warehousing, give the pros and cons, and provide various other relevant information for anyone who is interested in the subject. An example of the other information is the section on what actions to take for successful data warehousing. For instance, establishing from the beginning that maintaining data quality will be an ongoing joint user/builder responsibility and training users one at a time are both actions that will assist in implementing a succesful data warehouse. Possible errors that users may come across are also available. These errors include data that may be incomplete, incorrect, incomprehensible, or inconsistent. The data that is contained in a data warehouse represents a large part of a company's knowledge. Companies need to have proper processes for gathering and storing information and data warehouses can be used for that purpose.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
green computing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=350Rb2sOc3U
As I have said in a previous blog, the idea of "going green" is becoming increasingly popular in today's society. The end of chapter 9 briefly discusses "green computing". Green computing is a strategy that many companies have been implementing in order to become more socially responsible. I found a video from explainingcomputers.com which introduces the importance of green computing. The use of computers has had somewhat of a negative impact on our environment. Computer use makes up about 2% of CO2 emissions and manufacturers use many chemicals and hazardous materials to manufacture PCs. The video suggests energy savers for companies interested in green computing. The energy savers include turning off idle PCs, using lower power hardware, server virtualization, hardware as a service, and energy efficient coding. An example of lower power hardware is the Atom created by Intel which uses far less energy than most hardware available.
The video also states that although computers are adding to environmental issues, they can also be used as part of the solution. Computers increase business efficiency and reduce the amount of travel people have to do. Virtual meetings and video conferencing allow people to communicate with others who are far away without having to drive or fly great distances. Also, many people now work from home saving them from having to commute to work daily. These things help reduce the negative affects travel has on the environment. This chapter focuses on companies being ethical and socially responsible and green computing benefits society by conserving global resources. Any company who uses green computing can both reduce their energy costs and become more environmentally friendly.
As I have said in a previous blog, the idea of "going green" is becoming increasingly popular in today's society. The end of chapter 9 briefly discusses "green computing". Green computing is a strategy that many companies have been implementing in order to become more socially responsible. I found a video from explainingcomputers.com which introduces the importance of green computing. The use of computers has had somewhat of a negative impact on our environment. Computer use makes up about 2% of CO2 emissions and manufacturers use many chemicals and hazardous materials to manufacture PCs. The video suggests energy savers for companies interested in green computing. The energy savers include turning off idle PCs, using lower power hardware, server virtualization, hardware as a service, and energy efficient coding. An example of lower power hardware is the Atom created by Intel which uses far less energy than most hardware available.
The video also states that although computers are adding to environmental issues, they can also be used as part of the solution. Computers increase business efficiency and reduce the amount of travel people have to do. Virtual meetings and video conferencing allow people to communicate with others who are far away without having to drive or fly great distances. Also, many people now work from home saving them from having to commute to work daily. These things help reduce the negative affects travel has on the environment. This chapter focuses on companies being ethical and socially responsible and green computing benefits society by conserving global resources. Any company who uses green computing can both reduce their energy costs and become more environmentally friendly.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
BCP
Chapter 8
http://www.csoonline.com/article/204450/Business_Continuity_and_Disaster_Recovery_Planning_The_Basics?page=1
I found a great article on Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning by Derek Slater. In chapter 8, planning for business continuity is one of the activities a manager can expect from the IS organization. A Business continuity plan is an approved set of preparations and sufficient procedures for responding to a variety of disaster events. The article explains what the plan includes and how to succesfully create a BCP. Focusing on systems recovery is very important to a lot of companies. It is very important that after a crisis, a company can restore data or use back-up servers in order to continue conducting business. The article states "Business leaders and IT leaders should work together to determine what kind of plan is necessary and which systems and business units sre most crucial to the company." Mistakes that have been made in disaster recovery are also discussed in the article such as inadequate planning and testing. Sometimes it is difficult to convince higher executives to spend time and money on creating and testing these business continuity plans. Slater suggests addressing the need for disaster recovery or business continuity plans "through analysis and documentation of the potential financial losses". Companies will face extreme losses if they are not able to recover quickly from a crisis. IT systems are extremely important for many companies to continue with day to day business. The greater the impact on the company if a system were to fail or be affected by a disaster, the more money a company should spend to restore a system or process quickly.
http://www.csoonline.com/article/204450/Business_Continuity_and_Disaster_Recovery_Planning_The_Basics?page=1
I found a great article on Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning by Derek Slater. In chapter 8, planning for business continuity is one of the activities a manager can expect from the IS organization. A Business continuity plan is an approved set of preparations and sufficient procedures for responding to a variety of disaster events. The article explains what the plan includes and how to succesfully create a BCP. Focusing on systems recovery is very important to a lot of companies. It is very important that after a crisis, a company can restore data or use back-up servers in order to continue conducting business. The article states "Business leaders and IT leaders should work together to determine what kind of plan is necessary and which systems and business units sre most crucial to the company." Mistakes that have been made in disaster recovery are also discussed in the article such as inadequate planning and testing. Sometimes it is difficult to convince higher executives to spend time and money on creating and testing these business continuity plans. Slater suggests addressing the need for disaster recovery or business continuity plans "through analysis and documentation of the potential financial losses". Companies will face extreme losses if they are not able to recover quickly from a crisis. IT systems are extremely important for many companies to continue with day to day business. The greater the impact on the company if a system were to fail or be affected by a disaster, the more money a company should spend to restore a system or process quickly.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Cultural Differences
Chapter 7
http://www.cyborlink.com/
I found this website which contains cultural information on various countries. It contains information on appearance, behavior, and communication in each country. This is something that is very important for any global company. It is very easy to accidentally insult someone in a foreign country by using a gesture that is common in the United States. Since offshoring is now very popular among companies, this information is needed when dealing with people from foreign countries. I clicked on the link for India and found some very interesting information on that culture. For example, when dressing casual, short-sleeved shirts and long pants are preferred for men; shorts are acceptable only when exercising. Women must keep their upper arms, chest, back, and legs covered at all times. Also, the use of leather products including belts or handbags may be considered offensive, especially in temples. Hindus revere cows and do not use leather products. I found this fascinating because some of these things are worn by americans on a daily basis. A women could easily be controversial in this country if she wore a sleeveless top or carried a purse made of leather, both of which are commonplace in the US. I would hope that anyone who planned on doing business internationally or with employees from a foreign country would research this type of information to avoid any misunderstandings.
http://www.cyborlink.com/
I found this website which contains cultural information on various countries. It contains information on appearance, behavior, and communication in each country. This is something that is very important for any global company. It is very easy to accidentally insult someone in a foreign country by using a gesture that is common in the United States. Since offshoring is now very popular among companies, this information is needed when dealing with people from foreign countries. I clicked on the link for India and found some very interesting information on that culture. For example, when dressing casual, short-sleeved shirts and long pants are preferred for men; shorts are acceptable only when exercising. Women must keep their upper arms, chest, back, and legs covered at all times. Also, the use of leather products including belts or handbags may be considered offensive, especially in temples. Hindus revere cows and do not use leather products. I found this fascinating because some of these things are worn by americans on a daily basis. A women could easily be controversial in this country if she wore a sleeveless top or carried a purse made of leather, both of which are commonplace in the US. I would hope that anyone who planned on doing business internationally or with employees from a foreign country would research this type of information to avoid any misunderstandings.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Agile Processes
http://www.objectmentor.com/resources/articles/agileProcess.pdf
As we all know, the world around us is constantly changing. Organizations need to be able to keep up with this change in order to stay competitive and meet changing customer demands. I found an article that discussed in more detail the importance of agile processes and what it takes to make them work. The article states "It is the ability to respond to change that often determines the success or failure of a software project." There is an emphasis on the ability of a plan to be flexible and adapt to change throughout the process. This whole chapter (5) is about dealing with changing business processes and agile processes, if done properly, are a great way to work through these changes. It is impossible to predict what will happen with a software project far into the future. A detailed plan should be made for the first few weeks only, then the plan should remain rough and flexible for any variables that may come up in the next few months or in a year. I think this article provides great guidelines for successful agile processes. "The principles and values of agile software development were formed as a way to help teams break the cycle of process inflation, and to focus on simple techniques for reaching their goals." As long as the principles and values discussed are followed, an organization should be able to apply the agile process successfully and adapt to change properly.
As we all know, the world around us is constantly changing. Organizations need to be able to keep up with this change in order to stay competitive and meet changing customer demands. I found an article that discussed in more detail the importance of agile processes and what it takes to make them work. The article states "It is the ability to respond to change that often determines the success or failure of a software project." There is an emphasis on the ability of a plan to be flexible and adapt to change throughout the process. This whole chapter (5) is about dealing with changing business processes and agile processes, if done properly, are a great way to work through these changes. It is impossible to predict what will happen with a software project far into the future. A detailed plan should be made for the first few weeks only, then the plan should remain rough and flexible for any variables that may come up in the next few months or in a year. I think this article provides great guidelines for successful agile processes. "The principles and values of agile software development were formed as a way to help teams break the cycle of process inflation, and to focus on simple techniques for reaching their goals." As long as the principles and values discussed are followed, an organization should be able to apply the agile process successfully and adapt to change properly.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Virtual Organizations
Chapter 4
Chapter 4 discusses virtual organizations and how they have changed work environments. Although this comic is a bit extreme, it does portray the convenience virtual organizations provide employees. The flexible hours and lack of commute makes this a benefit to both the employee and the company. For example, I know someone who was able to experience these benefits while working for HP. This person worked for HP in a New Hampshire office for years. Then, he was able to start working from home most days rather than make the drive to NH everyday. Eventually, he moved to the area he grew up in in West Virginia. He only visited his office a few times a year when he was in the area to visit family. Although he was a few states away from his office, he was still one of the most productive people in his department. Being able to work in other locations other than the office has numerous advantages: not having to schedule around or live in a certain area just because work is there; companies save money on real estate by not needing offices for all employees all the time; saving gas and according to this comic, less laundry :) Many companies are using virtual organizations to their benefit and IT has made that possible.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Monitoring Employees
Chapter 3
http://www.resourcenation.com/article/internet-abuse-theft
http://humanresources.about.com/od/rewardrecognition/a/recognition_tip.htm
At one point, chapter 3 talks about how IS allow managers to be able to monitor their employees productivity in the workplace. This can be used to both improve an employees productivity and reward employees that show good results.
I found one article that talks about how employees can sometimes spend a lot of time on the web while at work and how this is considered time theft. The author, Greg Forrer, states "because it’s unlikely an employer can look over the shoulders of their employees all day, employee monitoring software is the answer." IT makes it possible for management to make sure that employees do not get distracted by web browsing and do not 'steal' from their employer. Although some may consider this to be somewhat intrusive or an invasion of privacy, it does avoid the idea of 'theft' among employees and maximizes employee productivity in the workplace.
The other article I found, "Five Tips for Effective Employee Recognition", discusses how important it is to reward employees when they do a good job. The types of employee monitoring discussed in the chapter allows for this type of thing to happen. Managers can use IS to analyze workers productivity and either work with them to improve or reward them for a job well done. Rewarding employees is necessary if management wants them to continue being productive.
IT provides management with the ability to monitor employee activity, both good and bad. This is beneficial for companies because they can avoid time theft, improve productivity, and reward employees for good work creating an even better work place.
http://www.resourcenation.com/article/internet-abuse-theft
http://humanresources.about.com/od/rewardrecognition/a/recognition_tip.htm
At one point, chapter 3 talks about how IS allow managers to be able to monitor their employees productivity in the workplace. This can be used to both improve an employees productivity and reward employees that show good results.
I found one article that talks about how employees can sometimes spend a lot of time on the web while at work and how this is considered time theft. The author, Greg Forrer, states "because it’s unlikely an employer can look over the shoulders of their employees all day, employee monitoring software is the answer." IT makes it possible for management to make sure that employees do not get distracted by web browsing and do not 'steal' from their employer. Although some may consider this to be somewhat intrusive or an invasion of privacy, it does avoid the idea of 'theft' among employees and maximizes employee productivity in the workplace.
The other article I found, "Five Tips for Effective Employee Recognition", discusses how important it is to reward employees when they do a good job. The types of employee monitoring discussed in the chapter allows for this type of thing to happen. Managers can use IS to analyze workers productivity and either work with them to improve or reward them for a job well done. Rewarding employees is necessary if management wants them to continue being productive.
IT provides management with the ability to monitor employee activity, both good and bad. This is beneficial for companies because they can avoid time theft, improve productivity, and reward employees for good work creating an even better work place.
Nike/i2
Chapter 2
http://www.cio.com/article/32335/Five_Lessons_Learned_from_Nike_s_i_Debacle
http://courses.washington.edu/misman/Niked.htm
Chapter 2 includes a section that discusses Risks. One risk is implementing IS poorly and the chapter briefly mentions the fiasco with Nike and the software supplier i2. I have included a couple articles that further explain what went on in this situation and what can be learned from it. Possible reasons for the failure included Nike rushing the implemenation too much or that i2 did not carefully monitor the implementation efficiently enough to make sure it worked. IT can benefit companies a great amount and in many ways. However, if they are not handled properly, they can also cost the company. Nike lost almost $100 million during this ordeal and i2 suffered as well. Nike should have avoided being driven by deadlines and made sure this implementation was done properly. One quote in "Internet Week" I particularly liked was from WWRE CEO Colin Dyer. When discussing that its often not the applications but how companies use them that determine their success he said "it's not the stove that makes the meal but how the chef puts the stove to use." I thought this was a great analogy that and it supports the idea that IT can be very beneficial to businesses today as long as they are implemented in the correct way. Information Resources can be used to gain a strategic advantage but companies need to be aware of risks like this.
http://www.cio.com/article/32335/Five_Lessons_Learned_from_Nike_s_i_Debacle
http://courses.washington.edu/misman/Niked.htm
Chapter 2 includes a section that discusses Risks. One risk is implementing IS poorly and the chapter briefly mentions the fiasco with Nike and the software supplier i2. I have included a couple articles that further explain what went on in this situation and what can be learned from it. Possible reasons for the failure included Nike rushing the implemenation too much or that i2 did not carefully monitor the implementation efficiently enough to make sure it worked. IT can benefit companies a great amount and in many ways. However, if they are not handled properly, they can also cost the company. Nike lost almost $100 million during this ordeal and i2 suffered as well. Nike should have avoided being driven by deadlines and made sure this implementation was done properly. One quote in "Internet Week" I particularly liked was from WWRE CEO Colin Dyer. When discussing that its often not the applications but how companies use them that determine their success he said "it's not the stove that makes the meal but how the chef puts the stove to use." I thought this was a great analogy that and it supports the idea that IT can be very beneficial to businesses today as long as they are implemented in the correct way. Information Resources can be used to gain a strategic advantage but companies need to be aware of risks like this.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Company Websites
Chapter 1 discusses business strategy. A business strategy can include many things and one of those things is usually achieving great customer service at a low cost. One way IS have greatly helped these companies is the use of websites, especially websites on which customers can make purchase or some type of transactions. These websites provide many advantages to many companies. Customers are provided not only with service in stores but also on these websites. For example, a customer could be shopping at store and not find the item they want. Without our current technology, that customer would have to go to another store in order to get that item and the first store would have lost business. Now, the customer can go onto the original stores website and order it from there instead, rather than choosing a different store to buy from. The customer is happy because they got the item they wanted and did not have to drive from store to store looking for it and the seller is happy because they were able to keep that customer from going elsewhere and losing their business. Not only is this a great way to provide customer service to customers but it also cost effective for the companies. Another example of how intereactive websites help companies is online banking. Most banks have this available for their customers. If a customer needs to access their account but cannot make it to the bank during business hours, they can access it online. They no longer have to drive to a bank or atm just to check their balance or transfer money. The ability to manage accounts and pay bills online is an example of a great improvement in customer service for these companies all thanks to Information Systems. Any company that has a website that allows purchases or online banking or other transactions has a great advantage over companies that might not.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
The Advantages of Technology
I've seen and heard how people feel about technology, both positive and negative. I know that there are people who feel that it is somewhat of a curse with kids spending long hours on the computer or on their cell phones, but I feel the need to point out a very important advantage of technology.
As we've all seen lately, the idea of going green is very popular. The effect that technology has on the environment should not be overlooked. The use of online technology has allowed us to use much less paper than before. You no longer need to write out a check to pay a bill, you can do it online. Many companies can now advertise through emails or on websites rather than sending mailouts to thousands of potential customers. This is a benefit of IS that brings us one step closer to a better environment.
I work for citizens bank and they are currently running a promotion having to do with this situation. Citizens bank also wants to use less paper and save money while serving their customers. The promotion is called "Greensense". To promote going green and helping the environment customers involved in this recieve a debit card made out of recycled material. Then, every time that customer does a transaction that saves paper, they recieve $.10 which is deposited straight to their account. This includes paying a bill online, recieving electronic statements, and using a debit card instead of cash. These all save the company from having to use paper and is a less costly transaction. So while there may be some disadvantages to current technology, the fact that it is helping the environment is a definite advantage.
As we've all seen lately, the idea of going green is very popular. The effect that technology has on the environment should not be overlooked. The use of online technology has allowed us to use much less paper than before. You no longer need to write out a check to pay a bill, you can do it online. Many companies can now advertise through emails or on websites rather than sending mailouts to thousands of potential customers. This is a benefit of IS that brings us one step closer to a better environment.
I work for citizens bank and they are currently running a promotion having to do with this situation. Citizens bank also wants to use less paper and save money while serving their customers. The promotion is called "Greensense". To promote going green and helping the environment customers involved in this recieve a debit card made out of recycled material. Then, every time that customer does a transaction that saves paper, they recieve $.10 which is deposited straight to their account. This includes paying a bill online, recieving electronic statements, and using a debit card instead of cash. These all save the company from having to use paper and is a less costly transaction. So while there may be some disadvantages to current technology, the fact that it is helping the environment is a definite advantage.
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