•The ChaosChoir•

Assignment 1 MIS 2

2009-11-27T20:59:00.000-08:00

Think about yourself worthy to be called as IT professional, how do you see yourself 10 years from now, what are your strategies to get there? (at least 3000 words)

IT Professionals meet the challenges of running reliable and flexible enterprises. First you create your "big picture" of what you want to do with your life, and decide what large-scale goals you want to achieve. Second, you break these down into the smaller and smaller targets that you must hit so that you reach your lifetime goals. Finally, once you have your plan, you start working to achieve it.
Remember too that your goals will change as time goes on. Adjust them regularly to reflect growth in your knowledge and experience, and if goals do not hold any attraction any longer, then let them go.

The first question you need to answer is what you really want to be, to do and to have. You need to find out what you really want from life, what you value high and your life's priorities. Career test is a tool that is designed to help find your ideal career.

Ten years from now I see myself as a database specialist. Lots of things to look at, discover and explore as I face the real world. I will do the best of mine and I will succeed in my dreams and goals. After all of this struggles in life, I think someday I will be the central processor of the company that I will be working.

Database Specialist

-to measure your ability to design, implement and maintain databases, build client applications and administer security on databases.

-Database specialists manage and administer databases (large collections of computerized data). The Bureau of Labor Statistics considers database specialists, including administrators and managers, to be one of several computer specialist occupations. Other computer specialist occupations include computer scientist, network analysts, systems analysts and data communications analysts. The prevalence of computers and the growing amount of electronic data has created a favorable job market for database specialists, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job market is expected to continue to grow through at least 2016.

-to provide decision makers with the knowledge needed to find departmental or corporate solutions.

The strategy of designing a custom software solution is to form a sequence of events in the development cycle from vision and scope through Design, Development, and Deployment followed by customer support. Implementing a custom software solution allows the function of the application to provide the essential information you need to excel in the marketplace.

Databases function in many applications, spanning virtually the entire range of computer software. Databases have become the preferred method of storage for large multiuser applications, where coordination between many users is needed. Even individual users find them convenient, and many electronic mail programs and personal organizers are based on standard database technology.

As a database specialist, you'll help develop and maintain a company's database system. A computer database stores information, or data, so that it can be easily retrieved, analyzed, and compared by departments throughout an organization. This data might include sales figures, budget information, or employee files. Widely used databases are Oracle, Sybase, File maker Pro, and Microsoft's SQL Server.

You'll work closely with other technical staff, especially software engineers and database administrators. You'll also spend a great deal of time assisting and instructing non-technical staff about how to use databases as they prepare reports and presentations. A database specialist might also be called a database analyst.

Tasks may include:

Conducting interviews with employees to determine organizational data needs
Assisting with database design and implementation
Troubleshooting and repairing database problems
Determining shortcomings of database system and recommending improvements
Performing backup procedures to protect the information within the database
Coordinating system testing to ensure system security and efficiency

Job Duties

Database specialists include database administers and database managers. Database administrators use database management software, including Oracle, MS Access and other database management programs. They identify the needs of the end user (the people providing and accessing the data) and set up databases to meet the data needs of the user. They assist with the transfer of existing data into new and more efficient database systems. They test the effectiveness of databases, modify and adjust database performance and queries as needed and resolve database problems. Finally, they ensure the security of the database, especially if the database is connected to the Internet.

Database managers oversee the creation of databases and supervise database administrators. They may also manage larger or more complex databases.
Working Conditions
Most database administrators work in office or laboratory settings. They generally keep regular hours but may be required to work overtime or evening shifts to resolve problems that arise. Some database administrators are able to work remotely and telecommute due to the electronic nature of their jobs. Risks include carpal tunnel and eyestrain from spending extensive time working on the computer.

Experience is paramount in the database specialist industry, and individuals with strong work experience may be hired even without the requisite educational background.

Lifetime Goals:

The first step in setting personal goals is to consider what you want to achieve in your lifetime (or by a time at least, say, 10 years in the future) as setting Lifetime Goals gives you the overall perspective that shapes all other aspects of your decision making.

To give a broad, balanced coverage of all important areas in your life, try to set goals in some of these categories (or in categories of your own, where these are important to you):

Artistic:
Do you want to achieve any artistic goals? If so, what?

Attitude:
Is any part of your mindset holding you back? Is there any part of the way that you behave that upsets you? If so, set a goal to improve your behavior or find a solution to the problem.

Career:
What level do you want to reach in your career?

Education:
Is there any knowledge you want to acquire in particular? What information and skills will you need to achieve other goals?

Family:
Do you want to be a parent? If so, how are you going to be a good parent?

Financial:
How much do you want to earn by what stage?

Physical:
Are there any athletic goals you want to achieve, or do you want good health deep into old age? What steps are you going to take to achieve this?

Pleasure:
How do you want to enjoy yourself? - You should ensure that some of your life is for you!

Public Service:
Do you want to make the world a better place? If so, how?

As you do this, make sure that the goals that you have set are ones that you genuinely want to achieve, not ones that your parents, family, or employers might.

Techniques :

1.) Time management skills and techniques

Time management skills are your abilities to recognize and solve personal time management problems. The goal of these time management lessons is to show you what you can do to improve those skills.

With good time management skills you are in control of your time and your life, of your stress and energy levels. You make progress at work. You are able to maintain balance between your work, personal, and family lives. You have enough flexibility to respond to surprises or new opportunities.

All time management skills are learnable. More than likely you will see much improvement from simply becoming aware of the essence and causes of common personal time management problems. With these time management lessons, you can see better which time management techniques are most relevant for your situation.

Just get started with them. Many of your problems gradually disappear.

If you already know how you should be managing your time, but you still don't do it, don't give up. What you may be overlooking is the psychological side of your time management skills, psychological obstacles hidden behind your personality.

Depending on your personal situation, such obstacles may be the primary reason why you procrastinate, have difficulties saying no, delegating, or making time management decisions. The psychological component of your time management skills can also be dealt with. The time management skills information below will point at a relevant solution for your situation.

2.) Planning

What is planning and why I need to plan:

Planning is one of the most important project management and time management techniques. Planning is one of my strategies. Planning is preparing a sequence of action steps to achieve some specific goal. If you do it effectively, you can reduce much the necessary time and effort of achieving the goal. You either spend much time on deciding what to do next, or you are taking many unnecessary, unfocused, and inefficient steps.

How to write an action plan:

When writing an action plan to achieve a particular goal or outcome, you can get much help from the following steps.

Clarify your goal. Can you get a visual picture of the expected outcome? How can you see if you have reached your destination? What does make your goal measurable? What constraints do you have, like the limits on time, money, or other resources.

Write a list of actions. Write down all actions you may need to take to achieve your goal. At this step focus on generating and writing as many different options and ideas as possible. Take a sheet of paper and write more and more ideas, just as they come to your mind. While you are doing this, try not to judge or analyze.

Analyze, prioritize, and prune. Look at your list of actions. What are the absolutely necessary and effective steps to achieve your goal? Mark them somehow. After that, what action items can be dropped from in the plan without significant consequences for the outcome. Cross them out.

Organize your list into a plan. Decide on the order of your action steps. Start from looking at your marked key actions. For each action, what other steps should be completed before that action? Rearrange your actions and ideas into a sequence of ordered action steps. Finally, look at your plan once again. Are there any ways to simplify it even more?

Monitor the execution of your plan and review the plan regularly. How much have you progressed towards your goal by now? What new information you have got? Use this information to further adjust and optimize your plan.

3.) Personal goal setting

-is the wisdom that comes out of a lot of practical experience and psychology research to help you direct your conscious and subconscious decisions towards success, building up your motivation to achieve your personal or business goals.
-Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself to turn this vision of the future into reality.

-The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You'll also quickly spot the distractions that would otherwise lure you from your course. Goal setting techniques are used by top-level athletes, successful business-people and achievers in all fields. They give you long-term vision and short-term motivation. They focus your acquisition of knowledge and help you to organize your time and your resources so that you can make the very most of your life

Goal Setting Tips:

The following broad guidelines will help you to set effective goals:

State each goal as a positive statement: Express your goals positively – 'Execute this technique well' is a much better goal than 'Don't make this stupid mistake.'

Be precise: Set a precise goal, putting in dates, times and amounts so that you can measure achievement. If you do this, you will know exactly when you have achieved the goal, and can take complete satisfaction from having achieved it.

Set priorities: When you have several goals, give each a priority. This helps you to avoid feeling overwhelmed by too many goals, and helps to direct your attention to the most important ones.

Write goals down: This crystallizes them and gives them more force.

Keep operational goals small: Keep the low-level goals you are working towards small and achievable. If a goal is too large, then it can seem that you are not making progress towards it. Keeping goals small and incremental gives more opportunities for reward. Derive today's goals from larger ones.

Set performance goals, not outcome goals: You should take care to set goals over which you have as much control as possible. There is nothing more dispiriting than failing to achieve a personal goal for reasons beyond your control. In business, these could be bad business environments or unexpected effects of government policy. In sport, for example, these reasons could include poor judging, bad weather, injury, or just plain bad luck. If you base your goals on personal performance, then you can keep control over the achievement of your goals and draw satisfaction from them.
Set realistic goals: It is important to set goals that you can achieve. All sorts of people (employers, parents, media, society) can set unrealistic goals for you. They will often do this in ignorance of your own desires and ambitions. Alternatively you may set goals that are too high, because you may not appreciate either the obstacles in the way or understand quite how much skill you need to develop to achieve a particular level of performance.

References:

http://www.time-management-guide.com/planning.html

http://www.mindtools.com/page6.html

http://www.pathwaystotechnology.org/jobs/jb_29.html

Assignment 9 HRM

2009-10-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

Interview a personnel/human resource manager on his concept on the nature, scope and role of human resource management. Do you agree with him? Explain. Is his concept similar to that of the management of his organization? If not, ask him how the differences are settled. (1500 words)

Human resource management is one of the most populer decipline as the days are becoming more and more competitive you need to have the best possible people. apart from hiring retaining and getting the best productivity,industrial relations,compensation,performance appraisal are the specialised aspect and unlike old time it can not be handled by any manager. you need to have a well equipped Human resource department headed by a very senior HR professional.today HRM is as importantas Finance or Marketing and operation

Human Resource Management: Nature

Human Resource Management is a process of bringing people and organizations together so that the goals of each are met. The various features of HRM include:

It is pervasive in nature as it is present in all enterprises.
Its focus is on results rather than on rules.
It tries to help employees develop their potential fully.
It encourages employees to give their best to the organization.
It is all about people at work, both as individuals and groups.
It tries to put people on assigned jobs in order to produce good results.
It helps an organization meet its goals in the future by providing for competent and well-motivated employees.
It tries to build and maintain cordial relations between people working at various levels in the organization.
It is a multi-disciplinary activity, utilizing knowledge and inputs drawn from psychology, economics, etc.

Human Resource Management: Scope

The scope of HRM is very wide:

Personnel aspect-This is concerned with manpower planning, recruitment, selection, placement, transfer, promotion, training and development, layoff and retrenchment, remuneration, incentives, productivity etc.

Welfare aspect-It deals with working conditions and amenities such as canteens, creches, rest and lunch rooms, housing, transport, medical assistance, education, health and safety, recreation facilities, etc.

Industrial relations aspect-This covers union-management relations, joint consultation, collective bargaining, grievance and disciplinary procedures, settlement of disputes, etc.

Human Resource Management: Role

Human resources have two roles in risk management. First, people are a source of risk, e.g., shortage of employees, people doing sloppy work, an employee refusing to take on additional responsibility, or a key employee leaving two months after completion of a one-year training program. Second, people are important in handling risk, e.g., people using their ingenuity to solve unexpected problems, employees going the extra mile for the good of the organization, a key employee redesigning her own job to avoid unnecessary delays in getting work done, or an employee persuading a talented friend to apply for a position in the business.

Human resources include more than regular full-time employees. They include all management and labor personnel, family and non-family members, full-time and part-time people, and seasonal and year-round employees.

Human resources play important roles in farm businesses of all sizes. Orientation and training matter as much for one employee as for 20 employees. A business with just two people can have serious conflicts that jeopardize the business’ continuity and success. No team of people is so small as to avoid the need for leadership or so large as to make leadership impossible.

Risk specialists have traditionally focused mostly on important causes of risk such as weather, disease and natural calamities, and ways to deal with the risk. Risk management has paid little attention to human resources and human resource calamities such as divorce, chronic illness, accidental death, or the impact of interpersonal relations on businesses and families. Including human resources in risk management reflects the fact that people are fundamental to accomplishing farm goals. Human resources affect most production, financial, and marketing decisions. People can help or get in the way of accomplishing what managers have planned.

Assignment 9 MIS

2009-10-01T07:24:00.000-07:00

Identify an information environment of your choice and write an essay to address the following questions: (3000 words)

• What should be your role within this environment?
• How can the principles of information organization and representation help you in performing this role?
• What are the challenges facing you in performing the role? How will you address these challenges?

Introduction

Information technology (IT) has affected our life profoundly – one can work, do shopping and keep in touch with far-away relatives with an inexpensive personal computer. IT has had a major impact on education as well. Firstly,
it has highlighted the importance of continuous IT education that makes it possible to use changing technology. Secondly, IT has introduced new tools for educators and students to be used in the learning process. Thirdly, there
has been an explosion in teaching and learning with new technology. The pace of technological change continues as ever smaller, portable computers are being introduced that make it possible to connect anywhere and anytime. However, it can be argued whether technology is being utilized so that it facilitates learning in the best possible way.
Here we look at the role of information technology in education and continue discussion with a modern learning environment, here called a meta-learning environment. A meta-learning environment is defined as a platform for studying and it should integrate technology into the learning process.The focus of this article is on adult education and distance learning. In this setting mastering the technology and the "media mix" are challenges for all involved in the learning process. Technology can be utilized in education in several ways. This continuum starts
from information delivery and ends with cognitive tools. Information delivery means that technology is used primarily to
access and deliver information that is categorized and stored into digital format. For example, a library system may be considered as an information delivery system. Cognitive tools refer to adaptive technology or systems that are developed to support and improve the learning process . However, the difference between information delivery oriented systems and cognitive tools is not very clear.

For example, Reeves claims that the World Wide Web (WWW) is a cognitive tool because it focuses on creating
knowledge and should therefore not be considered as an information delivery system alone. Both information delivery systems and cognitive tools are part of the learning environment and the learning process. The difference between concepts learning environment and learning process is the same as with words teaching, studying and learning. The learning environment is defined as a place to study, an environment for the learning process.Today many learning environments take advantage of information technology and are built to a WWW-format or they connect to the Internet using a WWW-interface. As a result, a single computer connected to the Internet and running a WWW-browser can be used for ubiquitous access. It is clear that the learning material must be organized within a meaningful structure.

In modern, computer-based learning environments the navigational logic relies on links that bind information together so that it makes sense. This navigational support is also called logistics . Ideally, the logistics system recognizes
the user and delivers only the content that the user needs. The logistics system of a computer-based learning environment may also be seen as an intelligent agent or tutoring system and in a broader sense
it is a human interface to the system. Therefore, the usefulness of the modern learning environment depends
on the navigational logic and the interface to the system. Advances in technology provide new tools for educators and students to be used in the learning process. Today students need to be skilled computer users and able to deal with different types of media in order to study effectively. However, technical expertise alone is not enough – one must know what to study, where to find information, what to do next etc. Therefore special attention is needed to orientate students to use technology so that they learn to study in a modern learning environment.
In this study the focus is on adult students. It is also likely that some adult students may not be familiar with computers and information technology. In addition, they have not been in school for several years and therefore may
not be used to studying. Consequently, adult students need advice and help in both using modern technology in studying, and in the studying itself. Here we argue that a meta-learning environment can help students in the learning
process. A meta-learning environment is defined as a platform for studying and it should integrate technology and resources so that they empower the learning process. In this article we look at the development of a learning environment using the meta-learning environment approach. The theoretical contribution is in the recognition of key dimensions of the meta-learning environment. They provide a promising framework for developing learning environments in the digital age.

What is Meta-Learning?
Definition:
Metalearning in education Originally described by Donald B. Maudsley as "the process by which learners become aware of and increasingly in control of habits of perception, inquiry, learning, and growth that they have internalized". Maudsely sets the conceptual basis of his theory as synthesized under headings of assumptions, structures,change process, and facilitation. Five principles were enunciated to facilitate meta-learning. Learners must: (a) have a theory, however primitive; (b) work in a safe supportive social and physical environment; (c) discover their rules
and assumptions; (d) reconnect with reality-information from the environment; and (e) reorganize themselves by changing their rules/assumptions.

The idea of metalearning was later used by John Biggs to describe the state of ‘being aware of and taking control of one’s own learning’. You can define metalearning as an awareness and understanding of the phenomenon of learning itself as opposed to subject knowledge. Implicit in this definition is the learner’s perception of the learning context, which includes knowing what the expectations of the discipline are and, more narrowly, the demands of a given learning task. Within this context, metalearning depends on the learner’s conceptions of learning, epistemological beliefs, learning processes and academic skills, summarized here as a learning approach. A student who has a high level of metalearning awareness is able to assess the effectiveness of her/his learning approach and regulate it
according to the demands of the learning task. Conversely, a student who is low in metalearning awareness will not be able to reflect on her/his learning approach or the nature of the learning task set. In consequence, s/he will be unable to adapt successfully when studying becomes more difficult and demanding.

Meta learning is the dynamic process whereby a system manages to dissolve limiting dynamics such as point attractors and limit cycles that impede effective action and evolve liberating and creative dynamics represented by complex attractors whose trajectories in phase space, by never repeating themselves, can portray creative and innovative processes.These trajectories have a fractal nature, hence their complex order in which highly creative processes are possible. High performance teams are able to "meta learn" and this differentiates them from the
inability of low performance teams to transcend their limiting behaviors that impede innovation and creativity (Losada, 1999; Losada & Heaphy, 2004; Fredrickson & Losada, 2005).

The meta learning model was derived from thousands of time series data generated at two human interaction laboratories in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Cambridge, Massachusetts. These time series portrayed the
interaction dynamics of business teams doing typical business tasks such as strategic planning. These teams were classified into three performing categories: high, medium and low. Performance was evaluated by the profitability of the teams, the level of satisfaction of their clients, and 360-degree evaluations. The meta learning model comprises three state variables and one control parameter. The control parameter is connectivity and reflects the level of attunement and responsiveness that team members have to one another. The three state variables are inquiry-advocacy,
positivity-negativity, and other-self external-internal focus. The state variables are linked by a set of nonlinear differential equations Losada, 1999; Fredrickson & Losada, 2005; for a graphical representation of the meta learning model see Losada & Heaphy, 2004. When connectiviy is low, there is preponderance of advocacy and self orientation and more negativity than positivity. When connectivity is high there is a dynamical equilibrium between inquiry and advocacy as well as internal and external focus and the ratio of positivity-to-negativity is at least 2.9. This ratio is known as the, because it separates high from low performance teams as well as flourishing from languisning in individuals and relationships; Waugh & Fredrickson, 2006; Fredrickson, 2009.

Assignment 4 HRM

2009-09-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

In this activity, we were tasked to write our own view or opinion on how the university can help us achieve what we want to be in the future. In my previous assignments, I stated there to become a Database Administrator.

Being an IT student of University of Southeastern Philippines is a life-size opportunity for me. This university is equipped with high level standards of education which produces skilled and trained students.

In our department, Institute of Computing had good mentors, teachers, and instructors and a good facility, but there’s a big BUT, one of our problem is our laboratory. Whenever we had a computer laboratory we always had a hard time in choosing a good unit because some units in the laboratory are not working properly especially when you are in the middle of your work. And it can ruin your day because it can affect your grades. Regarding this, if we have good computers in our laboratory it is a big help to us to achieve our dreams in the future, within this we can improve or enhance our skills in dealing with our programs and other matters. I’m not saying this to devastate our department but to imply our government with our problem. In this difficulty, we are challenge to work very hard so that we can graduate on time and become professionals in the future.

God Bless us all..!

Assignment 1 HRM

2009-09-30T20:08:00.001-07:00

We are tasked to identify a local organization/s and to discuss their best practices in Human Resource Department. In this activity, we undergo some actions such as: to choose the company, a letter for approval from our instructor Sir Randy S. Gamboa, and we have to ask some permission from the Human Resource Department so that we can conduct our research to their company. It is not easy to go to their good office because you have to wait for their approval from the Head of the said Department.

My Local Organization is one of the ultimate hotels and has a good ambiance and one of the popular hotels in Davao City. The Apo View Hotel, located at the J. Camus St. here in our City. And also we have to discuss their best practices in Human Resource. We provided some questions in their good office to know some of the good or high quality in their company.

Davao’s most popular address, The Apo View, has through the last 60 years, created a distinct brand of hospitality and excellence in service matched with the perfect blend of amenities for business and leisure.

The Apo View is nestled right in the heart of the city’s business and commercial district and is THE CONVENTION SPECIALIST of the south.

Some of their best practices in Human Resource Department:

1.) What are the Rules and Regulations of the company?

-Fair and equitable implementation of policies, rules &
regulations, open & direct communication with the line
people via daily visitation in their workplaces in the form
of "rounds" to the different operations. In
this way, line people can raise their concerns and problems
in the work floors with confidence and assurance of positive
action. Our HR's practice is to conduct a daily rounds
to all sections bringing an impression of reaching out the
line people. They feel comfortable, important, cared upon,
and guided with this approach. Basically, the HR acts as
mediator that bridges the gap between workers and
management, pacifier when tension, confusion,
misunderstanding arises, acts as disciplinarian to erring
workers by instituting corrective disciplinary action.

2.) What are the Advantages/Disadvantages of your HR management?

- Generally, the HR is always on the advantage side and
seldom being on the disadvantage. The HR office oversee the
general welfare of the workers ranging from employment and
salary status, benefits, privileges, health, inter-personal
relations, working conditions, and training for career
upgrading, work improvement, personality development so as
to achieve the corporate goals and objectives.

3.) What are the HR practices that can help the business?

-As I have said, the HR office acts as the mediator,
implementor, and disciplinarian in the company. No business,
big or small, can ever achieve success without policies,
rules & regulations that governs workers and this
implemented and enforced by the HR department. A company
without HR department will surely end-up divided or ruined.
Workers have different personalities, attitudes, and
characters, that is why managing line workers correctly and
accordingly is very vital to any business
establishment.

4.) What are the risks Human Resource changes in your company?

- the answer to question no 3 can be related to question no 4.

And that were the answers of the Head of the Human Resource Department. They sent these answers through e-mail.

Some of their services:

:BANQUETS EQUIPMENT & SERVICES
ο The GRAND BALLROOM accommodates 1,200 theater style or 800 conference set-up.
ο For Smaller Groups: 5 Medium sized function rooms can accommodate from 40-100 person and 3 smaller function rooms can accommodate from 10-30 persons.

::SPORTS and LEISURE
ο A swimming pool at the 3rd Floor and a concessionaire's area with shops.
ο Golf Packages and arrangements are also available.`
ο Mini Gym.

::ENTERTAINMENT
οLive entertainment at The Blue Room Jazz Bar & Entrée.

::TRANSPORTATION
ο Airport transfers are available for hotel guests.
ο The ride is approximately 20 minutes by car from the airport. Taxis are easily available.
ο Car rental services also available.

::BUSINESS CENTER
ο Photocopying
ο Facsimile
ο Computer Rental
ο Postal Service
ο Email Services
ο Internet Surfing/ Browsing (DSL)
ο Secretarial Services

::HOTEL SERVICES
ο Safety Deposit Box
ο Stand-by Generator
ο Laundry & Dry Cleaning
ο Basement Parking
ο Barber Shop and Massage
ο Gift Shop
ο Car Rental

::GUESTROOMS
ο Direct Dial Tel. (NDD/IDD)
ο Radio
ο Refrigerator
ο Hot & Cold Water
ο Electric Power (110/220 volts)
ο Air Conditioning
ο Cable Colored TV
ο Mini Bar
ο 24 Hrs. Room Service

::AUDIO-VISUAL EQUIPMENTS
ο Overhead/ Slide Projectors
ο Tape Deck
ο Video Equipment VCR/VHS
ο CD/VCD/DVD Player
ο Fixed/Wireless Microphones
ο 29" TV sets
ο LCD

references:

http://www.apoview.com/

http://www.apoview.com/Entree.php#images/Entree/entree_restaurant1.JPG

Assignment 2 MIS

2009-09-30T20:02:00.001-07:00

ABS-CBN Corporation is the company we choose to conduct our Management Information System study.

Company Profile:

ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation. The Group's principal activity is that of a media and entertainment company. It is principally involved in television and radio broadcasting. It also produces television programming for domestic and international audiences and other related businesses. The Group has three business segments namely, Broadcasting, Cable and Satellite and Other Businesses. Broadcasting covers the production of television and radio programs that serve its target audience's needs for news, information and entertainment, and public service. Cable and Satellite develops and produces programs for cable television, including delivery of television programming outside the Philippines through its DTH satellite service, cable television channels and blocked time on television stations. Other businesses include movie production, consumer products and services. The Group operates in the Philippines, in the United States of America, Middle East, Europe and Australia.

ABS-CBN presented us their Information System and not only that thing but also the engineering department. We were accomodated nicely by Mr. Bobby C. Nolasco, engineer manager of engineering’s department, and with the maintenance engineer of it's department. Mr. Nolasco showed us everything in their IS, and described them very well. This things were very important to their company, without this things, we cannot have news in our T.V. from Manila or long distance places from us because these things are the means of data video/media transportation. Below were the different Systems which they use in their company.

•Aspera Enterprise Server
•ENR(Electronic News Room)
•Lotus Notes
•ITS(Issue Tracking System)
•SAP
•Lout

Just a brief description in each system:

-ITS(Issue Tracking System)

An issue tracking system (also called trouble ticket system or incident ticket system) is a computer software package that manages and maintains lists of issues, as needed by an organization. Issue tracking systems are commonly used in an organization's customer support call center to create, update, and resolve reported customer issues, or even issues reported by that organization's other employees. An issue tracking system often also contains a knowledge base containing information on each customer, resolutions to common problems, and other such data. An issue tracking system is similar to a "bugtracker", and often, a software company will sell both, and some bugtrackers are capable of being used as an issue tracking system, and vice versa.

A ticket is a file contained within an issue tracking system which contains information about support interventions made by technical support staff or third parties on behalf of an end user who has reported an incident that is preventing them from working with their computer as they would expect to be able to. Tickets are commonly created in a help desk or call center environment. Typically the ticket will have a unique reference number, also known as a case, issue or call log number which is used to allow the user or support staff to quickly locate, add to or communicate the status of the users issue or request.

These tickets are so called because of their origin as small cards within a typical wall mounted work planning system when this kind of support started. Operators or staff receiving a call or query from a user would fill out a small card with the user's details and a brief summary of the request and place it into a position (usually the last) in a column of pending slots for an appropriate engineer, so determining the staff member who would deal with the query and the priority of the request.

-Lotus Notes

Lotus Notes is a client-server, collaborative application developed and sold by IBM Software Group. IBM defines the software as an "integrated desktop client option for accessing business e-mail, calendars and applications on [an] IBM Lotus Domino server. The Notes client is mainly used as an email client, but also acts as an instant messaging client (for Lotus Sametime), browser, notebook, and calendar/resource reservation client, as well as a platform for interacting with collaborative applications.

-Aspera Enterprise System

Aspera is the creator of next-generation transport technologies that move the world’s digital assets at maximum speed regardless of file size, transfer distance and network conditions. Based on its patent-pending fasp™ protocol, only Aspera software fully utilizes existing infrastructures to deliver the fastest, most predictable file transfer experience. Aspera’s core technology delivers unprecedented control over bandwidth, complete security and uncompromising reliability. Hundreds of organizations across a variety of industries rely on Aspera for the business-critical transport of their digital assets. Aspera empowers individuals and corporations to dramatically increase productivity, minimize operational costs, expand revenues and explore new business models.

-Lout System

The Lout system reads a high-level description of a document similar in style to LaTeX and produces a PostScript file which can be printed on many laser printers and graphic display devices. Plain text output is also available. Lout offers an unprecedented range of advanced features, including optimal paragraph and page breaking, automatic hyphenation, PostScript EPS file inclusion and generation, equation formatting, tables, diagrams, rotation and scaling, sorted indexes, bibliographic databases, running headers and odd-even pages, automatic cross referencing, multilingual documents including hyphenation (most European languages are supported, including Russian), formatting of C/C++ programs, and much more, all ready to use. Furthermore, Lout is easily extended with definitions which are very much easier to write than troff of TeX macros because Lout is a high-level language, the outcome of an eight-year research project that went back to the beginning.

-SAP

I haven't found the SAP System description but as what Mr. Nolasko told us, they use this kind of system.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Issue_tracking_system
http://wrightreports.ecnext.com/coms2/reportdesc_COMPANY_C60862750
http://www.asperasoft.com/en/company_sections
http://linux.maruhn.com/sec/lout.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Lotus_Notes

Assignment 10 HRM

2009-09-30T10:28:00.001-07:00

Look for various definitions of personnel management and human resource management and their authors and sources (minimum of 5). Critique each.

Personnel management:

1.) The function of a personnel manager usually begins with the staffing process.

Critique:

It determines how the company works. It also includes their own policies or procedures on how it works or setting their policies. When we say staffing process it includes the counseling sessions (time).

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-personnel-management.htm

2.) The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has the overall responsibility of administering the state's personnel system and establishing necessary policies, procedures and regulations to ensure system uniformity in accordance with state and federal law.

Critique:

Responsible for managing the organization and to assist. To provide opportunities for employees who are in need of counseling to receive support from the company.

http://www.arkansas.gov/dfa/personnel_mgmt/opm_index.html

3.) Personnel Management is the leader in outsourced human resources management.

Critique:

In all organizations, there should be someone concerned with the welfare and performance of persons who are a part of the operation.

http://www.hrpmsi.com/

4.) The Personnel Management Department mission is to provide efficient and effective personnel management to city departments which empower the users and facilitate the delivery of city services to the community.

Critique:

The needs of the company at each point in its growth, management can readily see to the addition to the Human Resources team over time. The department should provide resourceful or professionals in order to have a good service.

http://www.ci.palm-coast.fl.us/government/departments/employment/personnelmanagement.aspx

5.) Personnel management as simply an at need re-allocation of resources from one place to another according to the demands of the market for the product.

Critique:

As a company grows, it may be necessary to expand from a single personnel manager to a full-fledged personnel management.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070812185853AABvmx4

Human resource management:

1.) HR (Human Resource) Management
This is the science of allocating human resources among various projects or business units, maximizing the utilization of available personnel resources to achieve business goals.

Critique:

It includes the financial resources, inventory, human skills, production resources, or information technology (IT). The efficient and effective deployment of an organization's personnel resources where and when they are needed, and in possession of the tools, training and skills required by the work.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource_management

2.) The Human Resources Management (HRM) function includes a variety of activities, and key among them is deciding what staffing needs you have and whether to use independent contractors or hire employees to fill these needs, recruiting and training the best employees, ensuring they are high performers, dealing with performance issues, and ensuring your personnel and management practices conform to various regulations.

Critique:

Performing the activities that are necessary in the maintenance of that workforce through identification of staffing requirements, planning and oversight of payroll and benefits, education and professional development, and administering their work-life needs.

3.) Human resource management is responsible for how people are treated in organizations.

Critique:

It is accountable for getting people into the business or organization, by helping them in performing their work. And should have the potential to do the work. Organizational change impacts not only the business but also its employees.

http://www.answers.com/topic/human-resource-management

4.) Human Resource Management (HRM) is the function within an organization that focuses on recruitment of, management of, and providing direction for the people who work in the organization. Human Resource Management can also be performed by line managers.

Critique:

It deals with the managing the organization that provides their needs within the business. Also the performances of the organization. Human resources management can also be performed by line a manager that focuses on learning the skills, knowledge, and attitudes required to initially perform a job or task or to improve upon the performance of a current job or task

http://www.managementhelp.org/hr_mgmnt/hr_mgmnt.htm

5.) Human Resource Management has been rapidly evolving to address newly emerging and increasingly complex areas of responsibility within the profession.

Critique:

This is to notify that the human resource management has been rising. The specialists are working with these challenges in the organization. It provides a modern, complete, and practical basis in the most important functions of the human resource manager and prepares students to pursue a professional career in this challenging and rewarding field.

http://www.extension.ucsb.edu/certificates/HR.pdf

Assignment 8 HRM

2009-09-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

On the assumption that you heard/read the SONA of the President last month (July 2009), identify at least 3 areas related to Human Resource Management and explain how these areas can improve our quality of life. (2000words)
HRM means employing people, developing their resources, utilizing, maintaining and compensating their services in tune with the job and organizational requirement.

The following are the areas related to HRM that was stated by our President during her SONA 2009:

1.) Education

Ang magandang edukasyon ay susi sa mas magandang buhay, the great equalizer that allows every young Filipino a chance to realize their dreams.
‘Education para sa Lahat’ pagdating ng 2015
Lahat ng nasa tamang edad ay dapat nasa primary school. Halos walang bansang makakatupad nito. Ngunit nagsisikap pa rin tayo. Nagtayo tayo ng mga paaralan sa higit sanlibong barangay na dati walang eskwelahan upang makatipid ng gastos sa pamasahe ang mga bata. Tinanggal natin ang miscellaneous fees para sa primary school. Hindi na kailangan ang uniporme sa mga estudyante sa public school. In private high schools, we financed half of the students.
Our educational system should make the Filipino fit not just for whatever jobs happen to be on offer today, but also for whatever economic challenge life will throw in their way.

We should not value education as a means to prosperity, but prosperity as a means to education. Only then will our priorities be right. For education, unlike prosperity is an end in itself. .. power and influence come through the acquisition of useless knowledge. . . irrelevant subjects bring understanding of the human condition, by forcing the student to stand back from it.- Roger Scruton

Education is a very important aspect in our life. This is one way in improving our life and to have a better tomorrow. So that, all the children of this country have a chance to education in order to be able to make it in life on their own because when children are supported to understand their strengths and limitations at an early age, they operate from a strong foundation and are better prepared to advocate for themselves. The government should produce a good teaching method. To give relevant knowledge that a student can understand, retain and pass to others. Today, many children are not educated.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education
http://www.famousquotesandauthors.com/topics/education_quotes.html

2.) Cheaper Medicine

Dahil dumarami na naman daw ang pamilyang nagugutom, mamumuhunan tayo ng panibago sa ating hunger mitigation program na sa nakaraan ay napatunayang mabisa. Tulungan niyo ako dito, Kongreso.

Mula pa noong 2001, nanawagan na tayo ng mas murang gamut. Nagbebenta tayo ng gamut
na kalahating presyo sa libu-libong Botika ng Bayan at Botika ng Barangay sa maraming dako ng bansa. Our efforts prodded the pharmaceutical companies to come up with low-cost generics and brands like RiteMed. I supported the tough version of the House of the Cheaper Medicine Law, I supported it over the weak version of my critics. The result: the drug companies volunteered to bring down drug prices, slashing by half the prices of 16 drugs. Thank you, Congressmen Cua, Alvarez, Biron, Locsin.

Cut the costs of medicines. Pass the Affordable Medicines Act Now! Affordable medicines from abroad, and to help generics firms to develop quality and affordable generic medicines. With these affordable medicines, it is a big help to us.
The Senate adopted the bicameral committee report that would, among others, allow the parallel importation of patented medicines from other countries where these were more affordable.
The law, officially the "Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008," seeks to:

• allow the government use of patented drugs when the public interest is at stake;
• strengthen the BFAD so that it could ensure the safety of medicines, by allowing it to retain its revenues for upgrading of its facilities, equipment and human resources; and
• ensure the availability of affordable medicines by requiring drug outlets to carry a variety of brands for each drug, including those sourced from "parallel importation," to give the consumer more choices.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080429-133435/UPDATE-Congress-ratifies-cheaper-medicines-bill

3.) OFW’s

Sa hirap at ginhawa, pinapatatag ang ating bansa ng ating overseas Filipinos. Iyong padala nilang 16 billion dollars noong isang taon ay record. Itong taon, mas mataas pa.

I know that this is not a sacrifice joyfully borne. This is work where it can be found in faraway places, among strangers with different cultures. It is lonely work, it is hard work. Kaya nagsisikap tayong lumikha dito sa atin ng mga trabahong maganda ang sahod, so that overseas work will just be a career choice, not the only option for a hardworking Filipino.

Meanwhile, we should make their sacrifices worthwhile. Dapat gumawa tayo ng mas epektibong proteksyon at pagpapalawak ng halaga ng kanilang pinagsikapang sweldo. That means stronger consumer protection for overseas Filipinos investing in property and products back home. Para sa kanila, pinapakilos natin ang Investors Protection Task Force.
Filipinos are generally hardworking, innovative, and law-abiding. The government should be concern about our workers outside because they are big help in our country. And they should provide a safety of our OFW’s. Because being an OFW is not an easy job, you do not know what will happen to you in the other country, or you don’t know what life will may come to you. We should be proud of our OFW’s; they also help our economic standing to be better in the future. So, we should give them a good treatment.

Source:
http://www.theofwonline.com/

Assignment 7 HRM

2009-09-30T10:24:00.002-07:00

Make a reflection on this statement

"Human beings are the most important, potent and critical, resource of any organization, and yet the least understood and the worst managed of its resources" (1500words)

Human being is the most central or essential of association because they are responsible for the intentional progress of the organization with the help of the other resources.

The Human Truth

In the world of the one great spirit there is no such thing as a single human being for here all humans are all one; we are all enjoined in our spirit being human. In the world we call Earth the human spirit becomes the many minds. The individualized self then strives for identity on several levels: individual, family, community, national, planetary. These points of identity represent the level of purpose that guides the actions of the individual. All levels are necessary for the health of the individual. Thereby the broader a person's world view, the higher one's purpose and the truer the humanness of the spirit being human.
The native peoples have been under attack the last several centuries from the technocratic society. The opportunity in these battles technology is the mingling of the one-hearted and two-hearted peoples. Thoughts and ideas are being exchanged. But this exchange does not have to be made a war; it does not have to be made with Evil battling Good. This exchange can have far more finesse than this. Humans can make this exchange what they want. The Peace Corps or World WarIII the choice is ours. The struggle for a higher level of purpose exists in the constant struggle between good and evil within the human mind and within the human society. The quest for good empowers the spirit while the agenda for evil drains the life force out of the spirit. On the other hand, to relinquish one's thoughts, power, salvation and redemption to an idol, person or idealogy that is outside of one's self results in separating the individual from the rest of life and leaves the soul empty and the mind vulnerable to evil.

Human resource is a term used to refer to how people are managed by organizations.

Human beings has the ability to think, analyze and understand.

Every employee wants to feel as if they are working on the right things - tasks that matter in the larger scheme of their organization. This is so important to employees that failure to provide clear direction is the number one failing of a bad boss. Along with bullying behaviors, the themes of poor direction, little feedback, clueless behavior, and failure to reward and recognize employees are frequently the focus of readers' stories about their bad bosses.

Leaders and managers need to have:

• The capacity to accurately forecast human resource needs in order to deliver services to the public;
• A workforce whose training and education are consistent with client needs and with the management needs of their programs;
• The ability to assign staff to the geographic areas where they are needed;
• Positive relationships with union officials;
• A workforce amenable to change in the workplace.

In the process of working with some of the best run companies in the world, we have learned a great deal about how the world's finest organizations unleash the power of their human systems and how the worst fail to do so.

Human Resource is the most important:

A comprehensive human resource system provides managers with a framework and tools to achieve higher levels of staff performance and employee satisfaction on a systematic and sustainable basis. At the national level, this involves developing health-sector strategies, policies, and practices to ensure a workforce that is balanced in numbers of staff, qualifications, and placement. The term human capital is recognition that people in organizations and businesses are an important and essential asset who contributes to development and growth, in a similar way as physical assets such as machines and money. The collective attitudes, skills and abilities of people contribute to organizational performance and productivity. Any expenditure in training, development, health and support is an investment, not just an expense.
Human Being is the most potent

Each individual in an organization has the ability to expand, in a way of satisfying the organizational purpose. The progress of each individual will promote the individual and the organization. At the organizational level, a successful Human Resources Development program will prepare the individual to undertake a higher level of work, “organized learning over a given period of time, to provide the possibility of performance change” (Nadler 1984). In these settings, Human Resources Development is the framework that focuses on the organizations competencies at the first stage, training, and then developing the employee, through education, to satisfy the organizations long-term needs and the individuals’ career goals and employee value to their present and future employers. Human Resources Development can be defined simply as developing the most important section of any business its human resource by, “attaining or upgrading the skills and attitudes of employees at all levels in order to maximize the effectiveness of the enterprise” (Kelly 2001).

Human Resource is the most critical

Human Resource is a factor that has become part of the very essence of modern business and development, among other important factors. It is the combination of traditionally administrative personnel functions with the acquisition and application of skills, knowledge and experience; the base of this great asset is quite naturally, people.

If competitive advantage is to be defined as something that sets a business and its product apart from the rest, it can be argued that technology and marketing, rather than Human Resources per say, are highly important factors that would determine the uniqueness of the quality of an organisation's product. However, technology and marketing, though initially of quality that is decided by a company's financial status, can in fact only be innovated and developed by Human Resources.
A critical factor is one that implicates it possesses the ability to change the course of ordinary company processes depending on its absence or presence. Despite the fact that a combination of many resources are necessary in order for a system, project or organization to work, it is an undeniable fact that Human Resources have been, or most often still are, an integral part of almost every one of those resources.

Yet the least understood and the worst managed of its resources

They have an individual sense to make their own decision and conclusion. Human beings share similarities but think differently. Human beings hunger for power and pursue it whatever the cost. We make more laws but lawlessness increases. Human beings strive to eliminate hunger, poverty, crime, violence, and suffering by writing more laws designed to solve them but they usually fail in their purpose. Personality is defined as the enduring personal characteristics of individuals. The more laws created, the more atrocities are committed by human beings. Human beings hate to be corrected. We think that we can do everything right in our own eyes. We shun anyone who wants to get in the way. We fight and show our ugly side. We do anything just to prove the other person that we are right even if we are wrong. You have to understand each personality. All of us have a unique mind. Especially in the company, each one of the members has different views and opinion when they are discussing some important matters that will tend to be misunderstood that is why it is hard to manage. An individual's personality is an aggregate conglomeration of decisions we've made throughout our lives.

Human resources management trends and influences

In organizations, it is important to determine both current and future organisational requirements for both core employees and the contingent workforce in terms of their skills/technical abilities, competencies, flexibility etc. The analysis requires consideration of the internal and external factors that can have an effect on the resourcing, development, motivation and retention of employees and other workers. The external factors are those largely out-with the control of the organization and include issues such as the economic climate, current and future trends of the labor market e.g. skills, education level, government investment into industries etc. On the other hand internal influences are broadly within the control of the organization to predict determine and monitor, for example the organizational culture underpinned by management behaviours (or style), environmental climate and the approach to ethical and corporate social responsibilities.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_resources

http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2009/05/31/fin11.asp

http://www.bukisa.com/articles/72313_how-to-understand-human-nature

Assignment 6 HRM

2009-09-30T10:24:00.001-07:00

What do you think will the 21st -century corporations look like? (1000words)

A corporation is created (incorporated) by a group of shareholders who have ownership of the corporation, represented by their holding of common stock. Shareholders elect a board of directors (generally receiving one vote per share) who appoint and oversee management of the corporation. Although a corporation does not necessarily have to be for profit, the vast majority of corporations are setup with the goal of providing a return for its shareholders. When you purchase stock you are becoming part owner in a corporation.

A legal entity that is separate and distinct from its owners. Corporations enjoy most of the rights and responsibilities that an individual possesses; that is, a corporation has the right to enter into contracts, loan and borrow money, sue and be sued, hire employees, own assets and pay taxes.

http://www.answers.com/topic/corporation

From time to time our corporation here in our country grew in larger. In which, it is more improving now. Corporations are, in fact, involved in virtually every type of human activity today, legal and otherwise.

The 21st -century corporations look like are the following:
• Economical power have emerged
• Landmarks are moving
• Trade is global
• Technology is overall
• Economical models are rising
• Innovation is the number one priority
• Foster individual creativity
• Make innovation everybody’s business

How?

• To promote personal and unformed interactions
• To give input and issue proportions
• Multiply interactions opportunities within implement collaborative platforms
• Build and join clusters and networks
• Social networks or networking
• Set up a global vision

The most important aspect of a corporation is limited liability. That is, shareholders have the right to participate in the profits, through dividends and/or the appreciation of stock, but are not held personally liable for the company's debts. Globalisation is the new buzzword that has come to dominate the world since the nineties of the last century with the end of the cold war and the break-up of the former Soviet Union and the global trend towards the rolling ball. The frontiers of the state with increased reliance on the market economy and renewed faith in the private capital and resources, a process of structural adjustment spurred by the studies and influences of the World Bank and other International organisations have started in many of the developing countries. Also Globalisation has brought in new opportunities to developing countries. Greater access to developed country markets and technology transfer hold out promise improved productivity and higher living standard. But globalisation has also thrown up new challenges like growing inequality across and within nations, volatility in financial market and environmental deteriorations. Another negative aspect of globalisation is that a great majority of developing countries remain removed from the process. Till the nineties the process of globalisation of the Indian economy was constrained by the barriers to trade and investment liberalisation of trade, investment and financial flows initiated in the nineties has progressively lowered the barriers to competition and hastened the pace of globalisation

A thousand years from now, our time will be remembered as the Second Dominion of the Corporation. During the early 20th century, enterprises bearing imprimaturs like Corp., Ltd., AG and S.A. gained control of the vast physical wealth in what used to be called the Free World.
Then with the advent of new economic policies in the Soviet Union and China during the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the corporate conquest neared completion. Virtually the entire planet had become organized and regimented -- in short ruled -- by corporations.
This accomplishment is beyond the power of any individual or any other type of organization in human history. It not only overshadows the authority of the world's social, political and religious forces, it transcends them, so that all people may find utility in its embrace. While most business and management schools continue to teach the functions of a corporation separately—production, marketing, finance, personnel—the reality is that for a corporation to endure each division must work with the others to create an effective system.

By the end of the 19th century the forces of limited liability, state and national deregulation, and vastly increasing capital markets had come together to give birth to the corporation in its modern-day form.The well-known Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad decision began to influence policymaking. The decline of restrictions on mergers and acquisitions encouraged a wave of corporate consolidation: from 1898 to 1904, 1800 U.S. corporations were consolidated into 157. The modern corporate era had begun.
The 20th century saw a proliferation of enabling law across the world, which helped to drive economic booms in many countries before and after World War I. Starting in the 1980s, many countries with large state-owned corporations moved toward privatization, the selling of publicly owned services and enterprises to corporations. Deregulation (reducing the regulation of corporate activity) often accompanied privatization as part of a laissez-faire policy. Another major postwar shift was toward the development of conglomerates, in which large corporations purchased smaller corporations to expand their industrial base. Japanese firms developed a horizontal conglomeration model, the keiretsu, which was later duplicated in other countries as well.

http://www.slideshare.net/Jeanyveshuwart/whats-a-21st-century-global-corporation?type=powerpoint

http://www.astonisher.com/archives/corporation_intro.html

Assignment 5 MIS

2009-09-30T09:58:00.000-07:00

Based on our adopted company, we are tasked to identify and discuss barriers in their IS/IT implementation.

Barriers in IS/IT Implementation

Before I gave you these barriers, first i will define what barrier means and its causes to every organizations or companies.

What is Barrier?

a structure or object that impedes free movement
any condition that makes it difficult to make progress or to achieve an objective; "intolerance is a barrier to understanding"
anything serving to maintain separation by obstructing vision or access

I've read this article about some facts in company barriers and I've gathered some informations about this article.
These are some facts and information I've gathered:

The Six Most Common Barriers To Sales Success

There are a variety of reasons and excuses behind poor sales lead management because the $10 to $2000 companies spend to generate each business to business inquiry largely go to waste. I call them Barriers To Sales success. Here are six of the most common which plague businesses today.

1.SENIOR MANAGEMENT DOES NOT CARE

Paid to lead the organization in the big picture issues of market strategy, quality and customer satisfaction, senior managers are tempted to dismiss operational fundamentals and assume all is well. They are not aware of the tactical need for complete lead follow up, rapid inquiry fulfillment, accurate qualification practices or actual measurement of communications and sales performance.

2.SALES PEOPLE REMAIN UNINFORMED.

Unless they understand the potential value of qualified leads, salespeople (an independent minded breed) think they do not need help. Sales managers who fail to insist on follow up imply that leads are at best an option for slow days. Marketing departments that fail to qualify leads in advance will most likely contribute to the problem, giving leads a poor reputation.

3.POOR COORDINATION HOBBLES MARKETING AND SALES

Marketing and marketing communications people frequently have little idea of the quotas salespeople must meet, the timing of their sales contests, their need for seasonal boosts in lead volume, the products needing extra lead support and the geographical balance need to apportion leads sensibly among sales territories. Meanwhile ,the sales force does not understand why lead follow up reports are essential if marketing is to fine tune its advertising, mail and other promotion tools.

4.THE COMPANY MISMANAGES ITS PROSPECT LIST

Inquiries become orphans in a netherworld between marketing and sales. As a result, the company sends wrong information to inquirers, sends it late and does not tailor it to inquirers' specific interests. Marketing collects limited and uninformative data and updates them frequently. Marketing rarely compares separate databases - one for orders and one for inquiries, for example - and even more rarely merges them into a marketing information system.

5.MANAGEMENT DOE NOT HOLD SALESPEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE

Sales management does not insist on follow up and new prospect status reporting, even though it fusses and gripes over detailed expenses and call reporting.

6.MANAGEMENT DOES NOT HOLD MARKETING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE

Chief marketing officers do not hold subordinates accountable for lead handling performance.They do not insist ohm program return on investment reports, for example, evidence that inquiry generation ties in with company sales goals or analyses of inquiry source productivity.

All six barriers are the product of poor communications, inattention, lack of knowledge, human frailties and the sublime dysfunctionalities that lurk within all organizations. None is the result of weak strategies, poorly designed products, sloppy manufacturing, competitive pressures, government regulations or inadequate capital the classic management issues that pre- occupy most companies in the world today.

Sources:

htmlhttp://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/1374/business_and_finance/the_six_most_common_barriers_to_sales_success.html
www.wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Assignment 8 MIS

2009-09-20T01:18:00.000-07:00

As a student, you were invited by the Dean of the Institute of Computing to attend a seminar-workshop on information systems planning with some of the faculty members. In one of the sessions, a discussion of outsourcing came up. You have been asked to present your evaluation about outsourcing the information systems functions of the school.

Required:

You are to take a position- outsource or in-source and justify your position. (3000words)
Given a chance to be invited by the Dean of the Institute of Computing to attend a seminar-workshop on information systems planning with some of the faculty members, I will present an evaluation about Outsourcing. I will discuss to them the benefits about outsourcing, the advantages and disadvantages.

Lets identify first the outsourcing and in sourcing.

Outsourcing vs. In-sourcing

Outsourcing - refers to a company that contract with another company to provide services that might otherwise be performed by in-house employees. Many large companies now outsource jobs such as call center services, e-mail services, and payroll. These jobs are handled by separate companies that specialize in each service, and are often located overseas.

Insourcing - is a business practice in which work that would otherwise have been contracted out is performed in house.
Insourcing often involves bringing in specialists to fill temporary needs or training existing personnel to perform tasks that would otherwise have been outsourced. An example is the use of in-house engineers to write technical manuals for equipment they have designed, rather than sending the work to an outside technical writing firm. In this example, the engineers might have to take technical writing courses at a local college, university, or trade school before being able to complete the task successfully. Other challenges of insourcing include the possible purchase of additional hardware and/or software that is scalable and energy-efficient enough to deliver an adequate return on investment (ROI).
Insourcing can be viewed as outsourcing as seen from the opposite side. For example, a company based in Japan might open a plant in the United States for the purpose of employing American workers to manufacture Japanese products. From the Japanese perspective this is outsourcing, but from the American perspective it is insourcing. Nissan, a Japanese automobile manufacturer, has in fact done this.

Why Outsourcing?.....

Outsourcing in general can be defined as passing of service provision or production to another internal or external party. The chief reason of outsourcing is to reduce capital expenditure over a business process. Also management gets more time to concentrate over core competencies. This also reduces the dependency upon internal resources and increases the flexibility to meet the changing business and commercial conditions.
Outsourcing allows companies to focus on other business issues while having the details taken care of by outside experts. This means that a large amount of resources and attention, which might fall on the shoulders of management professionals, can be used for more important, broader issues within the company. The specialized company that handles the outsourced work is often streamlined, and often has world-class capabilities and access to new technology that a company couldn't afford to buy on their own. Plus, if a company is looking to expand, outsourcing is a cost-effective way to start building foundations in other countries. Outsourcing is an arrangement in which one company provides services for another company that could also be or usually have been provided in-house. Outsourcing is a trend that is becoming more common in information technology and other industries for services that have usually been regarded as intrinsic to managing a business. In some cases, the entire information management of a company is outsourced, including planning and business analysis as well as the installation, management, and servicing of the network and workstations. Outsourcing can range from the large contract in which a company like IBM manages IT services for a company like Xerox to the practice of hiring contractors and temporary office workers on an individual basis.
There are some disadvantages to outsourcing as well. One of these is that outsourcing often eliminates direct communication between a company and its clients. This prevents a company from building solid relationships with their customers, and often leads to dissatisfaction on one or both sides. There is also the danger of not being able to control some aspects of the company, as outsourcing may lead to delayed communications and project implementation. Any sensitive information is more vulnerable, and a company may become very dependent upon it’s outsource providers, which could lead to problems should the outsource provider back out on their contract suddenly.
While outsourcing may prove highly beneficial for many companies, it also has many drawbacks. It is important that each individual company accurately assess their needs to determine if outsourcing is a viable option.
There are many reasons that companies outsource various jobs, but the most prominent advantage seems to be the fact that it often saves money. Many of the companies that provide outsourcing services are able to do the work for considerably less money, as they don't have to provide benefits to their workers and have fewer overhead expenses to worry about.
In this journal, How Outsourced IT Provided Wireless for the Citizens Cut the Crime Rate, and Helped Minneapolis during a Crisis. This explains the relationship's goal was to make IT valuable to the city's agencies and voters. The City of Minneapolis wanted to outsource its IT infrastructure, which eventually included management of its security cameras and 911 applications; everything was past end of life. The city also needed to build a tier-3 data center.
Only a limited number of suppliers responded to the city's original RFP because the city council required the supplier to hire up to 20 of its staff and locate the data center in Minnesota. "Those requirements reduced the number of finalists to two suppliers that could provide the service," says Willenbring.
Outsourcing in general can be defined as passing of service provision or production to another internal or external party. The chief reason of outsourcing is to reduce capital expenditure over a business process. Also management gets more time to concentrate over core competencies. This also reduces the dependency upon internal resources and increases the flexibility to meet the changing business and commercial conditions.
Lessons from the Outsourcing Journal:
• Technology can improve safety and the quality of life in a community. Suppliers become deeply involved in these types of outsourcing relationships because they see the palpable results and take pride in their work.
• Investing in futuristic IT infrastructure helps cities deal with unexpected disasters. Having an outsourcing supplier there to help contributes to a successful intervention.
• Second-generation outsourcing contracts often attack strategic projects after the first generation tackled the tactical issues.

Here are other advantages of outsourcing that go beyond money. Here are the top seven advantages of outsourcing.

1. Focus On Core Activities
In rapid growth periods, the back-office operations of a company will expand also. This expansion may start to consume resources (human and financial) at the expense of the core activities that have made your company successful. Outsourcing those activities will allow refocusing on those business activities that are important without sacrificing quality or service in the back-office.
Example: A company lands a large contract that will significantly increase the volume of purchasing in a very short period of time; Outsource purchasing.

2. Cost And Efficiency Savings
Back-office functions that are complicated in nature, but the size of your company is preventing you from performing it at a consistent and reasonable cost, is another advantage of outsourcing. Economies of scale save money when unit costs go down as volumes increase. External service providers can achieve economies of scale unavailable to individual firms when they combine the volumes of multiple companies.
In manufacturing, for example, an external vendor may have a shop that specializes in a certain type of machining. The machinery represents a significant capital investment. If larger machines are more efficient, and if they can be used to produce any sort of parts for any customer, then this vendor may very well produce parts at a lower cost than a firm could by setting up such a shop internally.
Economies of scale are not limited to physical processes. Other precious assets -- including money, relationships, and people -- may be shared.
The pharmaceuticals industry can be used to illustrate economies of scale in relationships. Clinical trials of experimental drugs require just the right patients -- healthy in most all respects but the one indication being treated, and willing to submit themselves to experimentation. It takes a significant investment of time and money to develop relationships with the hospitals and clinicians (and the triage nurses in their emergency rooms) that supply patients for the trials.
Clinical trials also require just the right medical investigators -- doctors and medical researchers who are well respected in their industries. Again, it takes size to attract the best investigators. The most sought-after investigators look for organizations that can supply them with interesting and publishable research projects and with support services (such as data collection and well-managed processes) that make their jobs easier and their results more reliable.
And so a lucrative outsourcing industry has evolved to manage clinical trials of experimental drugs for pharmaceutical companies. [The author thanks Patricia Seymour, Covance Biotechnology Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, for this case study.]

To be specific, there are three conditions that must be met before outsourcing saves money:
1. Economies of scale must exist. That is, there must be some economic advantage to larger size or greater numbers before outsourcing can pay off; for example, unit costs must drop as volumes increase.
2. The economies must be accessible across corporate boundaries. That is, savings only occur if outsourcers can combine the volumes of multiple clients.
For example, it's easy for many companies to share the huge fixed costs of a telecommunications infrastructure owned by long-distance carriers. Laying one's own fiber or leasing a private satellite channel is unlikely to be economic, so outsourcing is an obvious choice.
However, outsourcing an IT computer center may not work as well, since hardware may not offer significant economies of scale and many software licenses are corporation-specific.
3. The savings must be sufficient to outweigh the additional cost of paying other shareholders a profit.
Some executives have said that at least a 20% savings (after vendor profit margins) is necessary to compensate the firm for the legal costs and the risks of long-term dependence on people you can’t control.

Example: A small doctor’s office that wants to accept a variety of insurance plans. One part-time person could not keep up with all the different providers and rules. Outsource to a firm specializing in medical billing.
3. Reduced Overhead
Overhead costs of performing a particular back-office function are extremely high. Consider outsourcing those functions which can be moved easily.
Example: Growth has resulted in an increased need for office space. The current location is very expensive and there is no room to expand. Outsource some simple operations in order to reduce the need for office space. For example, outbound telemarketing or data entry.

4. Operational Control
Operations whose costs are running out of control must be considered for outsourcing. Departments that may have evolved over time into uncontrolled and poorly managed areas are prime motivators for outsourcing. In addition, an outsourcing company can bring better management skills to your company than what would otherwise be available.
Example: An information technology department that has too many projects, not enough people and a budget that far exceeds their contribution to the organization. A contracted outsourcing agreement will force management to prioritize their requests and bring control back to that area.

5. Staffing Flexibility
Outsourcing will allow operations that have seasonal or cyclical demands to bring in additional resources when you need them and release them when you’re done.
Example: An accounting department that is short-handed during tax season and auditing periods. Outsourcing these functions can provide the additional resources for a fixed period of time at a consistent cost.

6. Continuity & Risk Management
Periods of high employee turnover will add uncertainty and inconsistency to the operations. Outsourcing will provided a level of continuity to the company while reducing the risk that a substandard level of operation would bring to the company. Internal staff has a history with the firm that provides them with a better understanding of clients' businesses, strategies, people, cultures and politics. And with the expectation of continuity, people know they'll be around to deal with the consequences of their actions. All else being equal, this results in improved partnerships, which pay off in both greater client satisfaction and improved strategic alignment.
Example: The human resource manager is on an extended medical leave and the two administrative assistants leave for new jobs in a very short period of time. Outsourcing the human resource function would reduce the risk and allow the company to keep operating.

7. Develop Internal Staff
A large project needs to be undertaken that requires skills that your staff does not possess. On-site outsourcing of the project will bring people with the skills you need into your company. Your people can work alongside of them to acquire the new skill set.

Well-managed outsourcing can enhance the development of employees. Two strategies can accomplish this:
1. Contractors can be used to off-load less interesting "commodity" or end-of-life work, or to handle peak loads. This leaves staff free to pursue new, developmental opportunities.
On the other hand, contractors should never be used to perform new, growth-oriented activities while internal staff is left with obsolescent work. This would deny staff learning opportunities, while building dependence on the vendor. Perhaps worse, it sends a message to staff that the company is not willing to invest in their professional growth.
2. Consultants and vendors can be used to bring in new ideas and to train internal staff.
It might be useful to distinguish two terms: External "consultants" transfer their skills and methods to improve employees' effectiveness; they teach staff, often while working together on real projects. Consultants may be used by anyone whenever justifiable, since the benefits are lasting.
There are many cases that meet these four criteria where outsourcing pays off. But each case must be examined carefully to make sure the fundamentals are there. Remember: Paying other shareholders a profit margin makes outsourcing inherently more expensive. It's only worthwhile if these other benefits compensate the firm for its added costs.
Example: A company needs to embark on a replacement/upgrade project on a variety of custom built equipment. Your engineers do not have the skills required to design new and upgraded equipment. Outsourcing this project and requiring the outsourced engineers to work on-site will allow your engineers to acquire a new skill set.

If the outsourcing disadvantages outweigh the advantages of outsourcing, then you should avoid outsourcing those operations.
Disadvantages of Outsourcing
• Lose of control
• Quality problems
• Slow response time
• Can't understand foreign accents
• >Slow resolution times
• Can't produce desired results
• Reduced sales
• Irritated customers
• >Irritated employees, unions, people within community

1. Loss Of Managerial Control

Whether you sign a contract to have another company perform the function of an entire department or single task, you are turning the management and control of that function over to another company. True, you will have a contract, but the managerial control will belong to another company. Your outsourcing company will not be driven by the same standards and mission that drives your company. They will be driven to make a profit from the services that they are providing to you and other businesses like yours.

2. Hidden Costs
You will sign a contract with the outsourcing company that will cover the details of the service that they will be providing. Any thing not covered in the contract will be the basis for you to pay additional charges. Additionally, you will experience legal fees to retain a lawyer to review the contacts you will sign. Remember, this is the outsourcing company's business. They have done this before and they are the ones that write the contract. Therefore, you will be at a disadvantage when negotiations start.
3. Threat to Security and Confidentiality
The life-blood of any business is the information that keeps it running. If you have payroll, medical records or any other confidential information that will be transmitted to the outsourcing company, there is a risk that the confidentiality may be compromised. If the outsourced function involves sharing proprietary company data or knowledge (e.g. product drawings, formulas, etc.), this must be taken into account. Evaluate the outsourcing company carefully to make sure your data is protected and the contract has a penalty clause if an incident occurs.
4. Quality Problems
The outsourcing company will be motivated by profit. Since the contract will fix the price, the only way for them to increase profit will be to decrease expenses. As long as they meet the conditions of the contract, you will pay. In addition, you will lose the ability to rapidly respond to changes in the business environment. The contract will be very specific and you will pay extra for changes.

5. Tied to the Financial Well-Being of Another Company
Since you will be turning over part of the operations of your business to another company, you will now be tied to the financial well-being of that company. It wouldn't be the first time that an outsourcing company could go bankrupt and leave you holding-the-bag.

6. Bad Publicity and Ill-Will
The word "outsourcing" brings to mind different things to different people. If you live in a community that has an outsourcing company and they employ your friends and neighbors, outsourcing is good. If your friends and neighbors lost their jobs because they were shipped across the state, across the country or across the world, outsourcing will bring bad publicity. If you outsource part of your operations, morale may suffer in the remaining work force.
Another disadvantage is that outsourcing can also prove to be a threat to the security and confidentiality of issues of a company. If your company is outsourcing business process such as payroll, confidential information such as salary will be known to the outsourcing service provider. Therefore one must be very careful in choosing which business process to outsource and which one not.
Outsourcing may also result into the possible loss of flexibility in reacting to changing business conditions, lack of internal and external customer focus and sharing cost savings. Loss of internally generated talent is yet another problem associated with the outsourcing as it may hamper the growth of an employee by depriving him from the experience he would have gained by handling the business issue himself then by passing it over to some other external party.
Thus before a company decides to outsource its business process, it must examine all the factors carefully. It may not happen that outsourcing becomes a reason for company to regret later.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-outsourcing.htm
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci1185946,00.html
http://www.softwareprojects.org/disadvantages-outsourcing.htm
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=disadvantages+in+sourcing&fr=yfp-t-152&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&fp_ip=PH

Assignment 7 MIS

2009-09-20T01:15:00.000-07:00

On the assumption that you heard/read the SONA of the
President last month, (July 2000), identify at least 3 areas related to ICT and
identify how these areas can improve our quality of life.

1.) Kung noong nakaraan, lumakas ang electronics, today, we
are creating wealth by developing the BPO and tourism sectors as additional
engines of growth. Electronics and other manufactured exports rise and fall in
accordance with the state of the world economy. But BPO remains resilient. With
earnings of six billion dollars and employment of 600,000, the BPO phenomenon
speaks eloquently of our competitiveness and productivity. Let us have a
Department of ICT.

Business process outsourcing (BPO)
is a form of outsourcing that involves the contracting of the operations and
responsibilities of a specific business functions (or processes) to a
third-party service provider, it is a distinct from
information technology (IT) outsourcing, which focuses on hiring a third-party
company or service provider to do IT-related activities, such as application
management and application development, data center operations, or testing and
quality assurance.
These outsourcing deals frequently involve multi-year
contracts that can run into hundreds of millions of dollars.

. Outsourcing
can supply an unbending with improved flexibility in its source management and
might reduce times to main environmental changes. An
additional way in which BPO contributes to a company’s flexibility is that a
company is to be able to meet on its foundation without being loaded by the
demands of practical chains.

One of the prime key returns of BPO is the line of attack
in which it helps to boost a company’s flexibility. Still, several sources have
different ways in which identify managerial flexibility. As a result, business
process outsourcing enhances the flexibility of an organization in different
ways.

2.) Sa telecommunications naman, inatasan ko ang
Telecommunications Commission na kumilos na tungkol sa mga sumbong na dropped
calls at mga nawawalang load sa cellphone. We need to amend the
Commonwealth-era Public Service Law. And we need to do it now.

This
issue is common to us because everyone is using cell phones and other gadgets.
Nowadays, cell phone is a major means of communication. But, the problem is the
concern of loss of cell phone loads. As we observe, Telecommunication companies
do have great agreement of promos, they have unlimited text and calls but then troubles
occur when loads unexpectedly loss and end in advance. And it is a good
initiative of our President now that she planned this kind of proposal because
it really helps us in communicating other people in far places.

3.) Isa sa pinakamahirap sa Millennium Development Goals ay
yung ‘Education para sa Lahat’ pagdating ng 2015. Ibig sabihin, lahat ng nasa
tamang edad ay dapat nasa primary school. Halos walang bansang makakatupad
nito. Ngunit nagsisikap pa rin tayo. Nagtayo tayo ng mga paaralan sa higit sanlibong
barangay na dati walang eskwelahan upang makatipid ng gastos sa pamasahe ang
mga bata. Tinanggal natin ang miscellaneous fees para sa primary school. Hindi
na kailangan ang uniporme sa mga estudyante sa public school. In private high
schools, we financed half of the students.

Education is very important to us. It is the process by
which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills and values
from one generation to another through institutions. The government should do
some action about this because in supporting this, it can help our country to
produce more professionals and to avoid jobless or out-of-schol youth in the
future.

http://www.op.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25765&Itemid=38

Visit my blog: http://neilreyniere.blogspot.com/

Assignment 6 MIS

2009-09-20T01:13:00.000-07:00

If you were hired by the university president as
an IT consultant, what would you suggest (technology, infrastructure,
innovations, steps, processes, etc) in order for the internet
connectivity be improved? (3000words)

(1st post):

Introduction:

In the IT consultation world, there are many business skills you need beyond computer skills to succeed. Before you start your own IT consultation firm, you need to become aware of the following required business skills: marketing skills; networking skills; financial skills; written communication skills; and presentation skills. While you don't need to have all these skills initially, you need to be prepared to learn them for the future to make your IT consultation firm work.

Marketing

During the first year, your business will revolve around marketing and sales. You can hire a marketing consultant at the beginning if this is not one of your strong suits and then learn as the IT consultation business develops.

Networking

In the IT consultation business you have to cultivate relationships with other consultants and people that can hire you, but you need to be willing to have a balance. If you push your business too hard, you might breed negativity.
Financial Management Skills
You might be wise to hire an accountant if you are not good with money. You should evaluate your abilities with finances very honestly using a system that will best gauge your money management skills.

Written Skills

You will need to submit written materials often in the IT consultation business. These materials will include proposals, progress reports and contracts, and being good at writing will allow you to work very productively. If you have intimate knowledge of the art of writing, you will be able to turn out proposals and reports quickly and efficiently.

The Art of Presentation

Public speaking will become a large part of your IT consultation business, as clients often need a group presentation before they will accept a project proposal. If you are not good at speaking, enroll in a public speaking class to improve your communication skills and help your future business.
You need to examine all your skills before you start your IT consultation firm and hire consultants or employees that can make up for the weak areas. If you are prepared to learn about skills you might currently lack, you have a better chance at succeeding in the future.

Work of an IT Consultant:

IT consultants may be involved in a variety of activities, including marketing, project management, client relationship management and systems development. An IT consultant works in partnership with clients, advising them how to use information technology in order to meet their business objectives or overcome problems. Consultants work to improve the structure and efficiency and of an organization’s IT systems.
They may also be responsible for user training and feedback. In many companies, these tasks will be carried out by an IT project team. IT consultants are increasingly involved in sales and business development, as well as technical duties.

Task typically involves:
• meeting with clients to determine requirements;
• working with clients to define the scope of a project;
• planning timescales and the resources needed;
• clarifying a client's system specifications, understanding their work practices and the nature of their business;
• travelling to customer sites;
• liaising with staff at all levels of a client organisation;
• defining software, hardware and network requirements;
• analysing IT requirements within companies and giving independent and objective advice on the use of IT;
• developing agreed solutions and implementing new systems;
• presenting solutions in written or oral reports;
• helping clients with change-management activities;
• project managing the design and implementation of preferred solutions;
• purchasing systems where appropriate;
• designing, testing, installing and monitoring new systems;
• preparing documentation and presenting progress reports to customers;
• organising training for users and other consultants;
• being involved in sales and support and, where appropriate, maintaining contact with client organisations;
• identifying potential clients and building and maintaining contacts.

Internet technology has become a dominant factor in business, academia, and everyday life. E-commerce and e-services are fueling a market sea change, with practically any business anyplace nurturing its equivalent on the Internet. The change began with advertisements and news, followed by entertainment (with music and movies) and traditional businesses, such as retail sales, financing, brokerage, and auctions. Now, entirely new businesses and services are created on and for the Internet. As a consequence, Internet service providers and application service providers have created a
revolutionary new model for driving new applications, hardware, and software development.

IT has come to represent virtually anything connected with computers, and nearly everything is connected to computers. If I am hired as an IT consultant by the University President, I would put forward the Infrastructure.

Why Infrastructure?

• Improve the performance, scalability, interoperability of Internet security services.
• Expedite the development and adoption of protection mechanisms for core Internet naming and routing infrastructure services.
• Research and develop techniques to exploit emerging programmable data planes to improve the survivability of Internet infrastructures.

Infrastructure is the basic, underlying framework or features of a system or organization. Can be defined as the basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function. The term typically refers to the technical structures that support a society, such as roads, water supply, sewers, power grids, telecommunications, and so forth. Viewed functionally, infrastructure facilitates the production of goods and services; for example, roads enable the transport of raw materials to a factory, and also for the distribution of finished products to markets. In some contexts, the term may also include basic social services such as schools and hospitals.

Administration

The overall responsibility for managing Internet Protocol address or domain names at upper levels is vested in the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), which delegates the actual administration of most functions to other bodies.
At global regional levels, the principal bodies providing allocation and registration services that support the operation of the Internet globally are:
• RIPE NCC (Réseaux IP Européens Network Coordination Centre)
• ARIN (American Registry for Internet Numbers)
• APNIC (Asia Pacific Network Information Centre)
• LACNIC (Latin American and Caribbean IP address Regional Registry)
• AfriNIC (African Regional Registry for Internet Number Resources)

Internet Operations

Internet operations are coordinated worldwide through the Internet Engineering Planning Group (IEPG), an Internet operational group intended to assist Internet Service Providers to interoperate within the Global Internet. At global regional levels, bodies active in coordinating operations include the:
• American Registry for Internet Numbers
Manages the Internet numbering resources for North America, a portion of the Caribbean, and sub-equatorial Africa.
• Asia Pacific Networking Group (APOPs)
Promotes the Internet and the coordination of network inter-connectivity in the Asia Pacific Region.
Internet Security
Internet network security is significantly facilitated by a number of Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) in eight countries and within a number of service provider operations and private networks. They were formed to continually monitor the network for security incidents, serve as a repository for information about such incidents, and develop responsive advisories. The CERTs are coordinated by the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams.
Internationalisation
• Alis Technologies
Founded in 1981, Alis Technologies Inc. develops standards for Multilingual Information Management Solutions (MIMS )with the IETF (Internet Engeneering Task Force), the Unicode Consortium, W3C and LISA.
• Internationalized Domain Names (IDN) Committee
Working group to study making domain names available in character sets other than ASCII.
• MINC (Multilingual Internet Names Consortium)
A non-profit, non-governmental, international organization. It focuses on the promotion of multilingualisation of Internet names, including Internet domain names and keywords, internationalization of Internet names standards and protocols, technical coordination and liaison with other international bodies.
• CNNIC (China Network Information Center)
(site is in Chinese)
• KRNIC (Korea Network Information Center)
Established the system for managing Internet address resources in Korea.
• TWNIC (Taiwan Network Infomation Center)
The unique neutral and non-profit organization that takes charge of the domain name registration and IP address allocation in Taiwan.
• The Unicode Consortium
Responsible for defining the behavior and relationships between Unicode characters, and providing technical information to implementers. The Consortium cooperates with ISO in refining the specification and expanding the character set.
Internet Connectivity
• Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC)
Database about international networking developments and Internet connectivity providers, with major emphasis on countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Oceania. Information is available on country-by-country basis and includes connectivity providers, networking infrastructure, and other country-specific information.
• Connectivity Table from University of Wisconsin's FTP server.
Lists entities with and without international network connectivity. Shows countries (with ISO two letter country code (ISO 3166)) which have:
o international IP Internet links
o domestic UUCP sites which are connected to the Global Multiprotocol Open Internet, and
o domestic FIDONET sites which are connected to the Global Multiprotocol Open Internet.
o Connectivity Maps
• Internet Hosts Map
Shows the millions of Internet hosts worldwide as of January 1999.

http://ezinearticles.com/?IT-Consultation:--Do-You-Have-the-Required-Business-Skills?&id=290641

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/it_consultant_job_description.jsp

http://www.howstuffworks.com/internet-infrastructure.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_design#Characteristics_of_Service_Design

Assignment 2 HRM

2009-07-08T13:58:00.000-07:00

In this Assignment, we are tasked to think of our future job and provide a description to our desired job. This activity is absolutely caught my attention because we are talking with our future. This time is my opportunity what I want to be in the future. And there’s always a questions that would envision in our mind: What shall I be in the future? Can I make it? Am I a successful person in the future?

In this case, all of us had a dream, a dream to be victorious of all the things that we did. And I have to pursue this dream.

Becoming a Database Administrator is not easy. You have to be trained and have the ability to do the tasks in developing some implementation in database.

This kind of job is expected to grow much faster because many database administrators work in computer system design and related services and one of the fastest growing industries.

. Database administrators must be able to think logically and have good communication skills. Because they often deal with a number of tasks simultaneously, the ability to concentrate and pay close attention to detail is important.
Standard Occupational Description:
Coordinate changes to computer databases, test and implement the database applying knowledge of database management systems. May plan, coordinate, and implement security measures to safeguard computer databases.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES AND TASKS

1. Writing computer programs for various purposes.
2. Using mathematics to solve problems.
3. Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
4. Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Knowledge

1. Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
2. Business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
3. Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Abilities

1. Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
2. Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
3. Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Tasks

1. Develop data model describing data elements and how they are used, following procedures and using pen, template or computer software.
2. Develop standards and guidelines to guide the use and acquisition of software and to protect vulnerable information.
3. Plan, coordinate and implement security measures to safeguard information in computer files against accidental or unauthorized damage, modification or disclosure.

INTERESTED?

When you choose a job in an occupation that matches your own interests you have taken an important step in planning a successful and rewarding career.

Investigative — Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Conventional — Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas.

Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

COMDDAP DAVAO EXPO ( Reflections/Learnings)

2009-07-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

COMDDAP DAVAO EXPO 2009

July 2-4 2009 at Apo View Hotel

Comddap Description

THE POWER OF INTERDEPENDENCE
COMDDAP is an association of the country's top information technolgy businesses. Its primary objective is to promote the sustainable development of the of the country's information technology industry through voluntary collaboration of its member companies. It is the goal of COMDDAP to be able to provide its members general views and updates from different sectors - private and government, and highly regarded individuals to further uplift the morale and knowledge of its organization.

The vision of promoting and elevating the standards of Information technology (IT) in the Philippines fueled a group of prominent computer companies to form the Computer Distributors and Dealers Association of the Philippines or COMDDAP. Its initial member-companies represent the world's leading makers and providers of computer products, solutions and peripherals.

In 1997, the manufacturing sector - represented by industry leaders Hewlett Packard, Epson and Compaq, among others - was integrated into the COMDDAP membership, making the association a more diverse representation of the IT sector and thus the new name, COMPUTER MANUFACTURERS, DISTRIBUTORS AND DEALERS ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES.

http://www.comddap.org/aboutus.htm

Experience

July 2, 2009, in this day me and my classmates attended the first day of Comddap Davao Expo at Apo View Hotel. Upon entering the hall, glimpse the modern gadgets and technological equipments, seeing big time people and also students from different schools, we look around the place, taking some information in every gadgets, computers, printers, digital camera's and many more.
After the look around trip with my friends and classmates, we attended a session about Eric DMS. We enter the session hall, we saw students and big time professionals, the session was conducted by Mr. Celmer L. Santos.

Start of the session:

ERIC DMS
Brilliant Dealer Management System

General Features

•Monitoring Sales Executive Activities
•Sales lead monitoring from initial inquiry to actual close
•Sales quotation processing
•Supports sales of new and used vehicles
•Multiple pricing and discounting schemes
•Financing and Insurance transactions
•Vehicle reservation and deposit collection
•Vehicle Inventory
•Customer Incident and resolution recording
•Interface to manufacturer systems
•Reports and Queries
•Highly graphical technician assignments and loading window
•Customer Appointments
•Repair orders and estimates
•Customer/Vehicle service history
•Technician time in/out
•Parts requisitioning and picking
•Control parts and consumable cost

ERIC- Enterprise Resource Information and Control
DMS- Dealer Management System

Jupiter System, Inc.

Jupiter Systems Inc.(JSI) is a Philippine-based IT company dedicated to delivering business solutions for medium to large companies globally. JSI is one of the most experienced software houses in the Philippines and was one of the pioneers of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) in the country. The company has been delivering business solutions for the past 25 years.

•a 24 year old enterprise software company
•100+ personnel
•100% Filipino owned company
•pioneering enterprise

Their systems made were used by this following automotive dealers:

•Ford
•Mitsubishi
•Mazda
•Honda
•Toyota
and many more....

Service Management General Features:

•Advance Bookings/Customer Appointments
•Operation Maintenance/Flat Rates
•Repair Orders
•Repair Estimates
•Customer Service History
•Service Invoicing
•Warranty Claims and Processing
•Field Service Actions
•Service Reminders
•Customer Feedback

Thin Client

Thin clients are computing devices that function as an access device on a network. These solid-state devices connect over a network to a server where the bulk of the processing takes place. Thin clients have no hard drive, allowing for more secure storage of data and applications on the server. In fact, keystrokes, mouse events and screen images are all that is sent between the client and server. This makes the device much more secure than a standard desktop or notebook computer.
With no hard drive, fan or other moving parts, thin clients have a much longer lifespan than standard computers and use significantly less power. Lower maintenance costs are another benefit as software application updates, virus scanning and patches can be executed on the server. Deployment costs are also reduced as thin clients can be remotely configured and do not need to be set up individually. Break-fix simply requires replacing the thin client.

All of this things were properly discussed, well organized and very creative sessions. Until here for my learning and reflection on COMDDAP DAVAO EXPO 2009.

Let's do I.T.!!!

Assignment 3 HRM

2009-07-08T07:24:00.000-07:00

This is our 3rd Assignment; our mission is to find different on-line job services. This service is directly connected to and controlled by a computer, using Internet Service Provider. We were having a higher-order-thinking skill in choosing on-line jobs. So, these are my list of my prospect jobs:

1.) ERP Business Systems Analyst

Provide expert support to business end-users on use of SAP in Operations areas (e.g. manufacturing, planning, inventory management, warehouse management, product costing.

Responsible for end user support within the SAP environment, specifically with functionality in the Materials Management (MM) & Warehouse Management (WM) modules.

The ERP Business Systems Analyst will provide expert support to SAP users, and work to resolve application problems efficiently to minimize business disruption. This person will work closely with the full ERP team and other IT functions to ensure proper implementation of the application, including ensuring that design documents are complete and accurate, testing is appropriate and complete, business process procedures are accurate from the technical perspective and all configuration and validation standards are adhered to.

1) Perform SAP Systems support

• Act as backup support for SAP - PP/PI (Planning & Manufacturing)

• Assist users with system problems

• Assist users in understanding information needs

2) Provide Analytical Support

• Perform root cause analysis on reported issues

• Work with Business users to deliver changes / improvement projects in line with business priorities

3) Support all Computer System Validation processes

http://jobview.monster.com/getjob.aspx?JobID=81988342&cy=US&vw=b&AVSDM=2009-07-06+08%3a01%3a00&pg=1&seq=5&fseo=1&isjs=1&re=805

2.) MIS ADMINISTRATOR

To support the implementation of EQUALLS2 M&E strategic plan with focus on database system management and maintenance and technical support to users. A subset of the overall internal controls of a business covering the application of people, documents, technologies, and procedures by management accountants to solve business problems such as costing a product, service or a business-wide strategy.

http://sens.inquirer.net/jobmarket/job/details/full/28935/MIS_Administrator

3.) Information System Analyst III

Computer systems analyst job duties also vary by organization. But, generally, they customize computer systems to meet specific information-technology needs.
Broadly, computer systems analyst job duties include:
• Planning, designing, installing and developing new computer systems
• Revamping existing computer systems for new tasks
• Networking computer systems with others
• Preparing cost-benefit and return-on-investment (ROI) reports for management
• Testing and debugging new or revamped computer systems and the networks on which they communicate
A computer systems analyst typically performs his or her job duties by coordinating with other information-technology professionals, such as network-security specialists, programmers and software engineers.

http://jobsearchtech.about.com/od/computerjob13/a/systems_analyst.htm

4.) Database Administrator

Develop standards and guidelines to guide the use and acquisition of software and to protect vulnerable information. Modify existing databases and database management systems or direct programmers and analysts to make changes.

Test programs or databases, correct errors and make necessary modifications.

Plan, coordinate and implement security measures to safeguard information in computer files against accidental or unauthorized damage, modification or disclosure.

Approve, schedule, plan, and supervise the installation and testing of new products and improvements to computer systems, such as the installation of new databases.

Train users and answer questions. Establish and calculate optimum values for database parameters, using manuals and calculator.

Specify users and user access levels for each segment of database.

Develop data model describing data elements and how they are used, following procedures and using pen, template or computer software.

Develop methods for integrating different products so they work properly together, such as customizing commercial databases to fit specific needs.

The Internet and electronic commerce (e-commerce) generate lots of data. Computer databases that store information on customers, inventory, and projects are found in nearly every industry. Data must be stored, organized, and managed. Database administrators work with database software to find ways to do this. They ensure that systems perform as they should and add people to the system as needed. Database administrators often plan security measures. Data integrity, backup, and security are critical parts of the job.

http://www.bls.gov/k12/computers01.htm
http://www.careerplanner.com/Job-Descriptions/Database-Administrators.cfm

5.) SOFTWARE ENGINEER (FOR THE FASTEST GROWING ONLINE GAMING COMPANY)

Computer software engineers are one of the occupations projected to grow the fastest and add the most new jobs over the 2006-16 decade.
Computer software engineers apply the principles of computer science and mathematical analysis to the design, development, testing, and evaluation of the software and systems that make computers work. The tasks performed by these workers evolve quickly, reflecting new areas of specialization or changes in technology, as well as the preferences and practices of employers.

Game client software development

• Work in concert with production & design to satisfy functional requirements
• Provide innovative technological solutions within the constraints of the platform
Software design architecture & implementation
• Ownership of overall architecture and functional design for feature implementations
• Tuning and optimization of rendering and physics engine

http://jobs.gamasutra.com/jobseekerx/viewjobrss.asp?cjid=17625&accountno=47273

From the above works that I mentioned I want to be a Database Administrator. I don’t know why I chose this kind of profession, as of now, I am interested with this job because in this duty we must be able to think logically and this job requires highly skilled and educated employees. This job needs to estimate time to accomplish project. And I am looking forward regarding this job in the future. And I will do my best to accomplish this goal to be one of the famous Administrators. Very Happy

Smile Thank you and God Speed Sir. ^_^

Assignment 4 MIS

2009-07-06T02:52:00.000-07:00

Green computing is the study and practice of using computing resources efficiently. The primary objective of such a program is to account for the triple bottom line, an expanded spectrum of values and criteria for measuring organizational (and societal) success. The goals are similar to green chemistry; reduce the use of hazardous materials, maximize energy efficiency during the product's lifetime, and promote recyclability or biodegradability of defunct products and factory waste.

Modern IT systems rely upon a complicated mix of people, networks and hardware; as such, a green computing initiative must be systemic in nature, and address increasingly sophisticated problems. Elements of such a solution may comprise items such as end user satisfaction, management restructuring, regulatory compliance, disposal of electronic waste, telecommuting, virtualization of server resources, energy use, thin client solutions, and return on investment (ROI).

The imperative for companies to take control of their power consumption, for technology and more generally, therefore remains acute. One of the most effective power management tools available in 2009 may still be simple, plain, common sense.

The 3 url's about "green campus computing":

http://ecenter.colorado.edu/energy/projects/green_computing.html

Green Computing Guide

The growing use of computers on campus has caused a dramatic increase in energy consumption, putting negative pressure on CU’s budget and the environment. Each year more and more computers are purchased and put to use, but it’s not just the number of computers that is driving energy consumption upward. The way that we use computers also adds to the increasing energy burden.

Research reveals that most personal desktop computers are not being used the majority of the time they are running and many personal computers nationwide are needlessly left on continuously. Every time we leave computers or lights on we waste electricity. Burning fossil fuels generates most of our electricity and it also emits pollutants, sulfur, and carbon dioxide into the air. These emissions can cause respiratory disease, smog, acid rain and global climate change.

Computer Operating Costs

Over the last fifteen years, computers have transformed the academic and administrative landscape at the University of Colorado. There are now over 18,000 computers on campus. Personal computers (PC) operation alone may directly account for nearly $550,000 per year in University energy costs.

Computers generate heat and require additional cooling which adds to energy costs. Thus, the overall energy cost of CU’s personal computers is more likely around $700,000.

Meeting computer cooling needs in summer (and winter) often compromises the efficient use of building cooling and heating systems by requiring colder fan discharge temperatures. In the summer, these temperatures may satisfy computer lab cooling needs while overcooling other spaces.

Given CU’s commitment to energy conservation and the environmental stewardship, we must address the issue of responsible computer use. By adopting conserving practices, annual savings of $300,000-400,000 are possible.

How Much Energy Does Your Computer System Use?
A typical desktop PC system is comprised of the computer itself (the CPU or the “box”), a monitor, and printer. Your CPU may require approximately 100 watts of electrical power. Add 50-150 watts for a 15-17 inch monitor, proportionately more for larger monitors. The power requirements of conventional laser printers can be as much as 100 watts or more when printing though much less if idling in a “sleep mode.” Ink jet printers use as little as 12 watts while printing and 5 watts while idling.

How a user operates the computer also factors into energy costs. First let’s take the worst case scenario, continuous operation. Assuming you operate a 200 watt PC system day and night everyday, direct annual electrical costs would be over $125 (at $0.075/kWh). In contrast, if you operate your system just during normal business hours, say 40 hours per week, the direct annual energy cost would be about $30 – plus, of course, the cost of providing additional cooling.

Considering the tremendous benefits of computer use, neither of the above cost figures may seem like much, but think of what happens when these costs are multiplied by the many thousands of computers in use at CU. The energy waste dollars add up quickly.

http://technologysource.org/article/campus_computing_project/

The Campus Computing Project: An Interview with Kenneth C. Green

What prompted you to initiate the Campus Computing Survey?

The Campus Computing Project, including the annual Campus Computing Survey, was launched in 1990. At that time there really were no national data about the issue of information technology (IT) planning and policy in the context of instructional and scholarly technology.

The mission of the Project has always been to serve the campus community by providing information that will aid and inform campus IT programs, planning, and policy-making. The model has been to follow "the Gretsky rule": as you may know, Wayne Gretsky once commented that as a hockey player, what made him successful was that he skated to where the puck is going, not to where the puck is currently. The Project's activities have been to understand where the puck is and to collect data that helps us all understand where the "digital puck" is going.

Where is the puck going with the use of information technology tools on college and university campuses?

The puck is going in several directions. In one sense we are coming to the end of an era—what I would call the initial phase of a two-decade long initiative focused on IT and instruction.

If you think about the recent history of technology in higher education, the current cycle really began around 1984 when some campuses, working with Apple and IBM, began computer resale programs in their bookstores, selling desktop computers—microcomputers—to students at a significant discount. By doing so these campuses, in essence, made an implicit promise to undergraduates about the role of technology in the curriculum. The resale programs, coupled with other early campus investments to support IT in the curriculum, were a significant policy statement that computers were not just for computer science or engineering students, but in fact a resource for all students in any and all majors.

The survey data indicate that instructional integration has been and remains a key IT issue for all institutions. The 2002 survey data document the growing use of technology in the curriculum across all sectors of the campus community (Figure 1). This year's survey data also confirm the role of Course Management Software or Learning Management Software (CMS/LMS resources) as a key component of the IT infrastructure across all sectors of American higher education (Figure 2). The data also document the emerging role of wireless technologies in campus IT planning and services (Figure 3).

We are also seeing a subtle but important shift in current campus IT priorities, suggesting that this is a time when campuses are trying to consolidate some of the continuing instructional IT activity but not launch significant new initiatives. Instead, many campuses seem focused on the administrative side of the house as the campus community experiences the transition of what we used to call "administrative computing" towards a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) model that involves fully integrated information systems: student databases, financial information, human resources, alumni data, donors and development, and the like.

For example, I think it is significant that this year, for the first time, our respondents in public and private research universities identify "ERP upgrade/replacement" as the "single most important IT issue confronting my institution over the next two-three years." In contrast, for the past four years, across all sectors, the leading response to this question on our annual survey has been "instructional integration," followed by "user support".

http://greencampus.winserve.org/greencampus/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=40

PUTTING YOUR COMPUTER TO SLEEP

When you're not using your computer, you can save energy by putting it to "sleep." When your computer is in sleep, it's turned on but in a low power mode. It takes less time for a computer to wake up from sleep than it does for the computer to start up after being turned off.

You can put your computer to sleep right away by choosing Apple menu > Sleep. You can also choose to put the computer to sleep automatically when your computer has been inactive for a specified amount of time. You can also set only the display to sleep. If your computer is in the middle of a task that you want to let finish while you are away (for example, burning a DVD), you should set only the display to sleep.

Let's do I.T.!!!

Assignment 3 MIS

2009-07-06T02:13:00.000-07:00

Automated Election in the Philippines

All of us has the right in giving thoughts in every presentations that were presented in our country, 1 of this is the automated election for 2010's election. For me I think this process of election may be a confusing and I guess this type of election must be discussed well to everyone of us for further information and so that the election will be process well, no problems that may happen.

I have here some information regarding this type of election, all of us must be conscious and liable to know this type of election for the progress of our country.

Automated Election

In all the years that Automated Election Services has been doing business, no two elections have been alike. We don't expect that pattern to change. There are always unique circumstances and special problems which require extra attention. This is true of Native American tribes, cities, counties and even states. But that's okay. AES had built a strong business and formidable reputation around an ability to mold our expertise to the most oddly shaped requirement that a customer can have. We call it Total Process Management. We're the only company in North America that provides this service.

Equipments or components that are being used for Automated Election:

1. Counting machine - a machine that uses an optical scanning mark-sense reading
2. Data storage device - a device used to electronically store counting and device of any similar advanced technology to count ballots; canvassing results, such as, memory pack or diskette;
3. Computer set - a set of equipment containing regular components, i.e., monitor, central processing unit or CPU, keyboard and printer;
4. National Ballot - refers to the ballot to be used in the automated election system for the purpose of the May 1998 elections. This shall contain the names of the candidates for president, vice-president, senators and parties, organizations or coalitions participating under the party-list system;
5. Local Ballot - refers to the ballot on which the voter will manually write the names of the candidates of his/her choice for member of the House of Representatives, governor,vice-governor, members of the provincial board, mayor, vice-mayor, and members of the city municipal council.
6. Board of Election inspector - there shall be a Board of Election Inspectors in every precinct composed of three (3) regular members who shall conduct the voting, counting and recording of votes in the polling place.

Automated Election Services

Simply put, AES approaches each election as an individual project. We break down the election into its management components. Each component is analyzed and woven into the final project. The result of the Total Process Management approach is a successful election of the highest integrity. No matter what unique set of circumstances you have, we've seen their basic components and we can organize them into a systematic process that gets the job done.

AES(Automated Election Services) is able to provide each customer with the following products and services:

* Election Law/Ordinance
* Training & Education for:
Election Administration
Poll Officials
Technicians
Support Staff
* Voting Equipment
* AutoVote BallotPak Absentee Mailing & Tracking System
* Prepackaged Election Supplies
* Election Ballots:
Optical Scan
Pictorial
Color Coded
Security Features
Specialty Numbering
Bar Coding
Direct Access Imaging
* Election Results Tabulation
* Election Results Analysis
* Election Night Results Reporting
* Presort Mailing

Smartmatic

Smartmatic is a multinational corporation founded in 2000 that specializes in the design and deployment of complex purpose-specific technology solutions.

It is organized around three business areas: Electronic voting systems, integrated security systems, and biometric systems for people registration and authentication for government applications.

Electronic voting is a term encompassing several different types of voting, embracing both electronic means of casting a vote and electronic means of counting votes. Electronic voting technology can include punch cards, optical scan voting systems and specialized voting kiosks (including self-contained Direct-recording electronic (DRE) voting systems). It can also involve transmission of ballots and votes via telephones, private computer networks, or the Internet. Electronic voting technology can speed the counting of ballots and can provide improved accessibility for disabled voters. However, there has been contention, especially in the United States, that electronic voting, especially DRE voting, could facilitate electoral fraud.

Total Information Management

Total Information Management (TIM) Corporation is a wholly Filipino owned Information Technology (IT) company with nationwide operations offering varied products and services. It considers itself as "The Filipino IT Company" competing in a field dominated by multinationals.

Profile of TIM (Total Information Management):

Established in 1985 initially as the leading supplier for re-certified and refurbished IBM mainframes and peripheral equipment, TIM has grown into the Philippines' leading technology services company providing the full range of solutions for the IT needs of the country's largest enterprises. Our partnerships with technology suppliers such as HP, SUN, & EMC² and solutions suppliers such as Oracle, Microsoft, Infosys and CA to name a few, have allowed us to consistently develop highly successful and loyal relationships with our customer base. Our best references are our customers and the benefits that they have enjoyed from working with us.

Our proven track record has enabled us to bring the benefits of our highly skilled and experienced pool of technical resources to the global I.T. services industry, particularly in the more complex areas of Remote Data Center, and Network Management. We have invested in developing two of the largest fully equipped Data Centers in redundant configurations to ensure fault tolerant 24/7 support operations for our Outsourcing and Business Continuity Services.

References:

http://www.electionpeople.com/aes.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartmatic
http://www.timcorp.net/main/index.php?pg=about.tim
http://hubpages.com/hub/Automated-Election-Are-we-ready

Let's do I.T.!!!

Assignment 1 MIS

2009-06-25T03:38:00.000-07:00

Our first assignment in MIS(Management Information System) we were asked to choose a local organization or any company and we must study there best practices about Information System and Information Technology. The local company that i chose is 1 of the big retailer industry, National Book Store.

National Bookstore is the largest bookstore chain in the Philippines with 92 branches in the country.[1] It was set to open its first overseas branch, in Hong Kong, in September 2007.

Luck is only a small part of National Book Store's success. Through the hard work and powerful leadership of Socorro Cancio-Ramos and the late Jose Ramos with their family, the company has evolved from its humble beginnings into the biggest and strongest bookstore chain in the Philippines.

Before I start to describe there best practices in IS/IT, I'll give some information about the company and just a brief history about this company.

The first National Book Store started as a stall shop in Escolta before the Japanese occupation selling supplies, GI novels, and textbooks. When war broke out, strict book censorship forced them to shift their trade to soap, candies, and slippers. They bought their merchandise from wholesalers and peddled them to smaller retailers.

Liberation came, but the whole Escolta area was burned to the ground. Having all their stocks reduced to ashes left the couple with nothing but determination and an undying drive to succeed. And their persistence paid off. They were able to rebuild a barong-barong in the corner of Soler and Avenida Rizal in time to catch the post-war business boom. They went back to business using their door as a counter for selling textbooks, notebooks, pad paper, and pencils. Business went very well because during that time, there were only a few stores that sold school supplies and books. National Book Store's opening was strategically timed to welcome the first postwar school year.

Information System (IS) refers to a system of people, data records and activities that process the data and information in an organization, and it includes the organization's manual and automated processes. In a narrow sense, the term information system (or computer-based information system) refers to the specific application software that is used to store data records in a computer system and automates some of the information-processing activities of the organization.

National bookstore began practicing their IS/IT as for now, because of this practices, there company become very popular in every place here in Philippines. As they use technology for their means of selling some of there products, it became efficient on handling each of their succeeding projects. It will be more productive and may easy to convey clients.

National Book Store ONLINE
-a web application that manages activity information about every products and news for everything. The administrators are able to enter activity information (including contacts, new franchise stores, collective books and everything) and provide reports on the progress of there company throughout the year for their grants.

Network Management
-this is consider as the best practices of this company, this manages the company and there network as the system launches enhancements for there work. Another thing to consider is the High-end computers, sophisticated software, and other devices are being used to speed up everything which involves the online processes of the company.

As the company acquired Information System in there work spaces, it's totally visible in the company because as what I've research, the growing of National Book Store franchised stores speeds up to higher level. From a simple, not too big company to a productive and progressive one.

more about this topics in my blog...

http://neilreyniere.blogspot.com

Let's Do I.T. !!!

Managerial Roles by Henry Mintzberg

2009-06-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

Managers must wear many different hats in formulating and implementing task activities related to their positions. In an attempt to understand the diversity of hats managers must wear, Henry Mintzberg examined managerial activities on a daily basis. His study enabled him to identify ten different but, coordinated sets of behavior, or roles, that managers assume. These ten roles can be separated into three general groupings: interpersonal roles, informational roles, and decisional roles.

The following are the 3 managerial roles by Henry Mintzberg:

INTERPERSONAL ROLES

Three of the manager's roles come into play when the manager must engage in interpersonal relationships. The three roles are:

Figurehead
Leader
Liaison

The figurehead role is enacted when activity of a ceremonial nature is required within the organization. A baseball manager attending a minor league all-star game, the head chef of a prominent restaurant greeting customers at the door, and the president of a bank congratulating a new group of trainees are all examples of the figurehead role. While the figurehead role is routine, with little serious communication and no important decision making, its importance should not be overlooked.

The second interpersonal role, the leader role, involves the coordination and control of the work of the manager's subordinates. The leader role may be exercised in a direct or an indirect manner. Hiring, training, and motivating may all require direct contact with subordinates. However, establishing expectations regarding work quality, decision-making responsibility, or time commitments to the job are all outcomes of the leader role that are indirectly related to subordinates.

The third,the liaison role is enacted when managers make contact with other individuals, who may or may not reside in the organization, in order to complete the work performed by their departments or work units. An auto assembly plant supervisor may telephone a tire supplier to determine the amount of inventory available for next week; a prosecuting attorney may meet with the presiding judge and defense attorney to discuss the use of motions and evidence in a libel trial

INFORMATIONAL ROLES

Monitor, disseminator, and spokesperson are the three informational roles that a manager may assume. These informational roles are created as a result of enacting the set of interpersonal roles already described. A network of interpersonal contacts with both subordinates and individuals outside the work unit serves to establish the manager as an informational nerve center of the unit, responsible for gathering, receiving, and transmitting information that concerns members of the work unit.

Occasionally, a manager must assume the spokesperson role by speaking on behalf of the work unit to people inside or outside the organization. This might involve lobbying for critical resources or appealing to individuals who have influence on activities that affect the work unit. A top manager asking the board of directors to keep the work unit together during a reorganization period or a corporate president speaking to a college audience on the role the company plays in education would both constitute engaging in the spokesperson role.

DECISIONAL ROLES

Both interpersonal and informational roles are really preludes to what are often considered to be a manager's most important set of roles: the decisional roles of entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, and negotiator.

The entrepreneur role comes into action when the manager seeks to improve the work unit. This can be accomplished by adapting new techniques to fit a particular situation or modifying old techniques to improve individual or group activity. Managers usually learn of new or innovative methods through information gathered in the monitor role. As a result, a supervisor purchases a new kiln which will shorten the drying process for ceramic tiles; a director of a youth club trains staff in the use of personal computers to increase file access; or a president establishes a new pension plan to improve employee morale.

Effectively managing an organization is a demanding task. Managers not only must develop skills related to the functional areas of management but also must learn how to integrate these activities. What makes this process demanding is that events and activities external and internal to an organization can radically change the techniques and methods managers must use in order to arrive at successful outcomes. Managers cannot afford to be limited in their view of management, nor can they simply rely on how things were done in the past.

Even the most seasoned and successful managers are prone to mistakes. However, a more complete knowledge of the managerial process can reduce the chances of mistakes that will have dire consequences for an organization. Such knowledge may help managers to better plan, organize and staff, direct, and control organization activities within the context of their organization.

source: http://www.en.articlesgratuits.com/managerial-roles-id1587.php

•The ChaosChoir•

2009-06-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

LEADERSHIP Roles:

1. Chief Architect. The chief architect designs future possibilities for the business. The primary work of the chief architect is to design and evolve the IT infastructure so that it will expand the range of future possibilities for the business, not define specific business outcomes. The infastructure should provide not just today's technical service, such as networking databases and desktop operating systems, but an increasing range of business-level services, such as workflow, portfolio management, scheduling, and specific business components or objects.

2. Change leader. The change leader ochestrates resources or archieve optimal implementation of the future. The essential role of the change leader is to orchestrate all those resources that will be needed to execute the change program. This includes providing new IT tools , but it also involves putting in the place teams of people who can redesign roles, jobs, and workflow, who can change beliefs about the company and the work people do, and who understand human nature and can develop incentive systems to coax people into different behaviors.

3. Product developer. The product developer helps define the company's place in the emerging digital economy. For example, a product developer might recognize the potential for performing key business processes (perhaps order fulfillment, purchasing or delivering customer support) over electronic linkages such as the internet . The product developer must "sell" the idea to a business partner , and together they can set up and evaluate business experiments, which are initially operated out of IS. Whether the new methods are adopted or not, the company will learn from the experiments and so move closer to commercial success in emerging digital markets.

4. Technology provocateur. The technology provocateur embeds IT into the business strategy. The technology provocateur works with senior business executives to bring IT and realities of the IT marketplace to bear on the formation of strategy for the business.The technology provocateur is a senior business executive who understands both the business and IT at a deep enough level to integrate the two perspectives in discussions about the future course of the business. Technology provocateurs have a wealth of experience in IS disciplines, so they understand at a fundamental level the capabilities of IT and how IT impacts the business.

5. Coach. The coach teaches people to acquire the skillsets they will need for the future. Coaches have basic responsibilities: teaching people how to learn, so that they can become self-sufficient, and providing team leaders with staff able to do the IT-related work of business. A mechanism that assists both is the center of excellence - a small group of people with a particular competence or skill, with a coach responsible for their growth and development. Coaches are solid practitioners of the competence that they will be coaching, but need not to be the best at it in the company.

6. Chief operating strategist. The chief operating strategist invents the future with senior management. The chief operating strategist is the top IS executive who is focused on the future agenda of the IS organization. The strategist has parallel responsibilities related to helping the business design the future, and then delivering it. The most important, and least understood, parts of the role have to do with the interpretation of new technologies and the IT marketplace, and the bringing of this understanding into the development of he digital business strategy for the organization.

•The ChaosChoir•

According to the Computer Science Corporation (CSC) here are the Information System

Reflections.. My Learnings...

2009-06-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

June 18, 2009, Thursday was the first meeting of our subject in Management Information System (MIS) with our facilitator MR. Randy S. Gamboa. The first meeting started with a prayer and ends with a prayer, it stands that our facilitator is faithfull from top to buttom. Every students knew him as a simple remarkable person because he's intelligent and known in PSITE as the president. Sir Randy introduced first himself and also the new faces from USEP Tagum. He asked every new student to stand and state who they are,they also sang some song for some ice-breaker. After which, formal class started, everyone was very attentive listening to what sir Randy is delivering. The class haven't justify the question of sir Randy so he gave us this assignment which is to post in our own blog site and also in his site. The question goes like this, "Is the description MIS (Management Information System) approriate on it?Justify your answer.

This blog reflection is my own understanding towards the course description, if it is wrong or right, i think you will learn a little bit in this simple entry i made.

Before I begin my reflections on this subject, I will give u first the meaning of every words compromising MIS. First, Management, basing in DMT(Development Management Thought) management is the process of getting activities completed efficiently and effectively with and through other people. The 4 key activities under management are planning,organizing,directing and controlling. Second, Information, as a concept has a diversity of meanings, from everyday usage to technical settings. Third, System, is a set of interacting or interdependent entities, real or abstract, forming an integrated whole. Lastly, Information System, it refers to a system of people, data records and activities that process the data and information in an organization and it includes the organization manual and automated proceses.

For my learnings and reflections about the topic, Management Information System is therefore a structured and planned system of imparting, retrieving, storing and processing the data in the form of information vital to carry out the functions of management. In a way that the enhancement projection or simply the development of management will assist and execute the general workforce of the process such that it will relate to the enhancement of information. We can see here how the two (Management and Information System) words interact with each other, they seem to be not a subject to be argued because we knew that each other interact well based on the given facts above.

General reflection about the topic, Management Information System is covered with the applications of the people and there procedural thoughts which is transformed into Information System. It was justify by some facts about MIS and come with an appropriate details. MIS deals with planning for information technology and management to help every users in performing some works related to management.

This are my learnings and reflections joined together regarding our subject MIS and i think i gave all my best words here for my assignment.

•THE CHAOSCHOIR•

But it's better if you do.. ^_^

2009-06-19T01:30:00.000-07:00

Now I'm of consenting age to be forgetting you in a cabaret
Somewhere downtown where a burlesque queen may even ask my name
As she sheds her skin on stage
I'm seated and sweating to a dance song on the club's P.A.
The strip joint veteran sits two away
Smirking between dignified sips of his dignified peach and lime daiquiri

And isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety
Oh, and isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety

Oh, but I'm afraid that I
Well, I may of faked it
And I wouldn't be caught dead in this place

Well, I'm afraid that I
Well, that's right, well, I may have faked it
And I wouldn't be caught dead in this place

And isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety
Oh, and isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety

Well, I'm afraid that I
Well, I may of faked it
And I wouldn't be caught dead in this place

Well, I'm afraid that I
Well, that's right, well I may have faked it
And I wouldn't be caught dead in this place

And isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety
Oh, and isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety

Praying for love and paying in naivety
Praying for love and paying in naivety, oh