In previous development methodologies there was a very clear focus on rigid development processes. Clearly outlined and structured to be carried out sequentially- this was the standard for a while.
However, many had begun to question whether such ideas still worked.
This led to a series of new development methodologies which were more flexible and lacked the standardised approach, but still, they were pretty rigid. Of course, some still use this traditional methodology but many realised projects could not be blanketed together.
Each project needed to have a different goal or focus in order to be successful.
And so many of the developers, during the coming years, set about to create dynamic methodologies where development could still reach the desired goal but in a tailored fashion.
Aquima leads the way in this fashion for your organisation.
Long gone are the days where software development is ruled by complex coding processes and extremely long implementation times. With Aquima you can set the standards for your models- you can create the systems that will support your organisation.
But how is this possible?
Isn't Aquima a package in itself?
Aquima is a software package much like many other BPM packages but with one key difference- dynamic flexibility.
This is our design methodology. To create with the information you use, for you, in your way and to your specification. Through this we can destroy the old stereotypes of "long implementation time" and "rigid project structure" as you, the business user, or the IT user, can define how it works for you.
Also because of a few key features on Aquima's side (incredibly high success rate, real time updating, lack of re-implementation costs etc.) you can get even more from this, and the design methodology, to propel your organisation into a brighter technological tomorrow.
So think about your current design methodologies. Do they work? Can they be improved? What do you require from them?
Thank you for reading, as always, and we hope that you have found this to be informative. If you have any comments, suggestions or questions feel free to comment!
All information presented here is © copyright Carkean Solutions Ltd., 2010 - Not to be used without our permission - The views expressed here are the views of an idividual not the corporation
Showing posts with label Topics for Discussion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Topics for Discussion. Show all posts
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
Monday, 15 November 2010
People or Skills?
Employment is a fun time for all- jobs for the unemployed, a new member of staff for the employer and less stress on the government. But what do most employers look for? People or simply suppliers of skills?
It's arguable that they're one and the same.
Any decent employee would have a decent blend of both, but in the age of graduate-required jobs are we looking at people anymore?
Skills are the bread and butter of what makes an organisation flow.
If you look at any large organisation you will see there are a number of skilled and experienced employees in key positions. This is because, quite frankly, over the years, they have built up the knowhow and the necessary expertise to be the best at what they do.
Not to mention, skills are something that everyone can use to their advantage and can learned by others with dedication.
Although, in fairness, not everyone is an academic so adjusting to the idea of learning new skills and new opportunities, well, it doesn't suit everyone- and that's fine- because some people aren't that way inclined.
People, however, are also the bread and butter of an organisation.
As is often the case with graduates; they have the skills and they can do the job, but they just aren't the right type of people. They don't have the experience or the required outlook.
Best in their class and very good at what they do, but they aren't at the level (yet) to lead groups and supervise others. Because, to be honest, some people are born leaders and some people are born marketeers etc. Some people are just good at what they do and that can never be replaced by skills.
As skills can be learned, over time, and with effort, but the fundamental groundwork of being that type of person cannot.
You can't change someone that much that they will become someone entirely different. But you can influence and help them, to teach them new things that they will use to become better people.
For instance, using myself as an example, I'm not one of these people that can stand up in front of thousands and present. Never have been. I get nervous with so many people paying attention to me- probably because I'm not used to it- but in any case, it's not something I would be employed to do.
I have learned to become a better person when it comes to presentations after many years, but still, even with that knowledge- you're not getting me up on that stage.
I also have a wee problem with being thanked for things/getting recognition. I don't do things because I like to be recognised/loved/adored/thanked- I do things because they help people. Which, all in all, means you're never going to get me in a position where I'm going to present and be recognised.
I could, quite possibly, play the role but I wouldn't be able to do that as well as I could one-to-one speak and encourage someone. Or to sit behind my laptop doing nerdy things all day.
From that we can see that, despite my ability to- I'm still not the best person for the role and perhaps in time I will be. But, you're rather playing a wildcard there in comparison to say asking me to design or find some fiendish coding thing.
It also highlights that while I may have the skills required for the role and can use them adequately, I'm not the best user when it comes down to it.
Thereby, the original question still stands: people or skills?
Personally, and in my opinion, I'd rather have a bit of each and have someone that not only possesses the skills but the right mindset for the task at hand.
I've always felt differently about people in that they can't be managed, but only lead, rather than allocated, for they are people and that gives them one thing that most managed situations don't have- unpredictability.
You never know what someone is capable of and sometimes you can be pleasantly surprised because "I didn't think they were that kind of person." Well, sometimes people are and sometimes they are beneficial for that reason. But, at the same time, you need to balance that with a great deal of skills in order to make someone that not only inspires but works to their goals efficiently.
Again, this is just something to think about. Food for thought.
Thank you for reading (as always) and I hope you've enjoyed the content. You're free to comment, retweet or perform any other gratifying action- we'd love to hear from you!
All information presented here is © copyright Carkean Solutions Ltd., 2010 - Not to be used without our permission - The views expressed here are the views of an idividual not the corporation
It's arguable that they're one and the same.
Any decent employee would have a decent blend of both, but in the age of graduate-required jobs are we looking at people anymore?
Skills are the bread and butter of what makes an organisation flow.
If you look at any large organisation you will see there are a number of skilled and experienced employees in key positions. This is because, quite frankly, over the years, they have built up the knowhow and the necessary expertise to be the best at what they do.
Not to mention, skills are something that everyone can use to their advantage and can learned by others with dedication.
Although, in fairness, not everyone is an academic so adjusting to the idea of learning new skills and new opportunities, well, it doesn't suit everyone- and that's fine- because some people aren't that way inclined.
People, however, are also the bread and butter of an organisation.
As is often the case with graduates; they have the skills and they can do the job, but they just aren't the right type of people. They don't have the experience or the required outlook.
Best in their class and very good at what they do, but they aren't at the level (yet) to lead groups and supervise others. Because, to be honest, some people are born leaders and some people are born marketeers etc. Some people are just good at what they do and that can never be replaced by skills.
As skills can be learned, over time, and with effort, but the fundamental groundwork of being that type of person cannot.
You can't change someone that much that they will become someone entirely different. But you can influence and help them, to teach them new things that they will use to become better people.
For instance, using myself as an example, I'm not one of these people that can stand up in front of thousands and present. Never have been. I get nervous with so many people paying attention to me- probably because I'm not used to it- but in any case, it's not something I would be employed to do.
I have learned to become a better person when it comes to presentations after many years, but still, even with that knowledge- you're not getting me up on that stage.
I also have a wee problem with being thanked for things/getting recognition. I don't do things because I like to be recognised/loved/adored/thanked- I do things because they help people. Which, all in all, means you're never going to get me in a position where I'm going to present and be recognised.
I could, quite possibly, play the role but I wouldn't be able to do that as well as I could one-to-one speak and encourage someone. Or to sit behind my laptop doing nerdy things all day.
From that we can see that, despite my ability to- I'm still not the best person for the role and perhaps in time I will be. But, you're rather playing a wildcard there in comparison to say asking me to design or find some fiendish coding thing.
It also highlights that while I may have the skills required for the role and can use them adequately, I'm not the best user when it comes down to it.
Thereby, the original question still stands: people or skills?
Personally, and in my opinion, I'd rather have a bit of each and have someone that not only possesses the skills but the right mindset for the task at hand.
I've always felt differently about people in that they can't be managed, but only lead, rather than allocated, for they are people and that gives them one thing that most managed situations don't have- unpredictability.
You never know what someone is capable of and sometimes you can be pleasantly surprised because "I didn't think they were that kind of person." Well, sometimes people are and sometimes they are beneficial for that reason. But, at the same time, you need to balance that with a great deal of skills in order to make someone that not only inspires but works to their goals efficiently.
Again, this is just something to think about. Food for thought.
Thank you for reading (as always) and I hope you've enjoyed the content. You're free to comment, retweet or perform any other gratifying action- we'd love to hear from you!
All information presented here is © copyright Carkean Solutions Ltd., 2010 - Not to be used without our permission - The views expressed here are the views of an idividual not the corporation
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Keeping in Touch.
With social media networking taking off as it has done, new smartphone techology, worldwide internet access and much more- it's never been a better time to keep in touch. But we're not talking about Facebook, or Twitter, we're talking about corporate contacts.
Services like LinkedIn make it easy to keep all of your corporate information and contacts under one neatly packaged roof. You can access a wealth of information just by logging in, not to mention find others who share similar interests/industry experience to work with.
But, at the same time, there's the looming issue of privacy.
One thing that seems to put a lot of people off and something that we have actually spoken about before. Privacy is, and will always be, a big issue amongst organisations but as we've discovered recently while looking at cloud computing there is a lot of focus on it. This is important with any information but perhaps moreso with corporate information- you wouldn't want your competitors knowing sensitive information, would you?
But we're not really looking at privacy today. Nor, are we keeping a list of sites/services to keep in touch with- we're talking about why.
Most of time people give you heaps of what and where, but never why.
And that's a good question. Why should I keep in touch? Why would someone who I worked with ten years ago care what I'm doing now? And so on.
Well, have some easy to digest bullet points that explain why:
And that is one of the stronger reasons why it's good to keep in touch. Organisations sometimes would prefer to employ someone they know will get the job done, or that has experience, even if you don't advocate that experience at every given opportunity. Equally, partnerships in large corporations add a lot of combined power and bring heavier bartering rights.
Not to mention, sometimes, it's just good to know someone you can rely on to get things done and who will deliver time after time.
I think if you look at the largest organisations and the most profitable, they are such because they have contacts. Clients, fellow businessmen, customers, stakeholders or whatever else. Point is- they have them. You should too!
Never pass up the opportunity to make a new friendship- who knows where it may lead?
And that's all for today.
I hope this has been interesting and more of a consideration, than an information, post. Thank you (as always) for reading!
All information presented here is © copyright Carkean Solutions Ltd., 2010 - Not to be used without our permission - The views expressed here are the views of an idividual not the corporation
Services like LinkedIn make it easy to keep all of your corporate information and contacts under one neatly packaged roof. You can access a wealth of information just by logging in, not to mention find others who share similar interests/industry experience to work with.
But, at the same time, there's the looming issue of privacy.
One thing that seems to put a lot of people off and something that we have actually spoken about before. Privacy is, and will always be, a big issue amongst organisations but as we've discovered recently while looking at cloud computing there is a lot of focus on it. This is important with any information but perhaps moreso with corporate information- you wouldn't want your competitors knowing sensitive information, would you?
But we're not really looking at privacy today. Nor, are we keeping a list of sites/services to keep in touch with- we're talking about why.
Most of time people give you heaps of what and where, but never why.
And that's a good question. Why should I keep in touch? Why would someone who I worked with ten years ago care what I'm doing now? And so on.
Well, have some easy to digest bullet points that explain why:
- Friends in high places has never been so true when it comes to organisations and job opportunities. Many of you reading this will be (hopefully happily) employed and won't worry about job opportunities- but what about tomorrow? In this economy, for nothing else besides financial security, it's good to have people in the know you can contact and who can personally recommend you.
- Ever had one of those moments where you know someone who would absolutely love something but...you don't know how to contact them? Well, this is no different in business. Having contacts can be mutually beneficial if you have a product that they can use as they get something useful and you get revenue. Win/win.
- The best business is a strong business. Working together, in any capacity, is the underlying focus of many organisations- so why not use your contacts to strengthen alliances with other organisations? This way, you can approach new opportunities with more funding, support and backing. Success in the making!
- And when you're not using your friends (I jest) you can actually just send them a message asking them how things are, what they're up to and you may just meet up with them somewhere down the line.
And that is one of the stronger reasons why it's good to keep in touch. Organisations sometimes would prefer to employ someone they know will get the job done, or that has experience, even if you don't advocate that experience at every given opportunity. Equally, partnerships in large corporations add a lot of combined power and bring heavier bartering rights.
Not to mention, sometimes, it's just good to know someone you can rely on to get things done and who will deliver time after time.
I think if you look at the largest organisations and the most profitable, they are such because they have contacts. Clients, fellow businessmen, customers, stakeholders or whatever else. Point is- they have them. You should too!
Never pass up the opportunity to make a new friendship- who knows where it may lead?
And that's all for today.
I hope this has been interesting and more of a consideration, than an information, post. Thank you (as always) for reading!
All information presented here is © copyright Carkean Solutions Ltd., 2010 - Not to be used without our permission - The views expressed here are the views of an idividual not the corporation
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
The Importance of Corporate IT
As a management consultancy who specialise in innovation through technology it's not surprising we value IT. But, you know, you should too. It does a lot more good than it is given credit for.
As we mentioned yesterday when we spoke about cloud computing- lots of organisations and individuals use that without realising it.
This is true of most IT. Most people will have frequent dealings with Microsoft Office or something of that ilk, but more people will have worked with online communication or storage without realising it. For instance Skype, that is a great example of how (on a corporate level) that IT can be entirely beneficial to organisations.
Free calls to internal numbers, done through computers, using headsets and without having to leave the office or have pesky ringtones going off. What more could you ask for?
In the same way, online technology is boon to most organisations we just don't appreciate it when we use it. Any of us who use social media networking (e-Networking) will practically rely on technology alone. With that one service, that one application- we can connect to millions of people at a time.
It's partly the fault of this being such a common occurance in the modern age.
Even when I was growing up there wasn't as much technological integration as there is now, and I'm not that old. (They're not grey hairs, that's just...flair. My hair has flair.)
These days we are constantly connected to all forms of technology from news streams to online RSS feeds, to 24/7 news broadcasts via sattelite technology and not to mention the benefits of Microsoft Office and so on.
Therefore, now, more than ever, there is a greater appreciation for IT but the gap is widening between those who use it and those who don't. If you're not an avid or even casual user, you get left behind a lot with the fancy bells and whistles that come with it. In one way, were I to say I spent the afternoon working on a PHP based form for a HTML website- well, I think I lost you at "P" if you're not technologically savvy.
And I think that, sometimes, is why more organisations don't embrace IT- they get lost with a lot of it.
Too many grifters and hustlers on the market trying to tell you that one piece of wonder software will make you more powerful than Microsoft, in half the time, and with better benefits.
But, on the optimistic side of technology, it has a very useful and advantageous quality in that it doesn't replace but augment the initial traditional processes. Software doesn't instantly make you a better organisation- it makes you do, what you do, better and faster than before by stream lining processes and taking care of all those niggling leftovers.
All in all, with a decent IT system you can't go much more wrong than you could by putting your faith in people.
That's all for now. Consider it, well, food for thought.
If you have anything you'd like to share or would like to know feel free to comment. And as always, thank you for reading!
All information presented here is © copyright Carkean Solutions Ltd., 2010 - Not to be used without our permission - The views expressed here are the views of an idividual not the corporation
As we mentioned yesterday when we spoke about cloud computing- lots of organisations and individuals use that without realising it.
This is true of most IT. Most people will have frequent dealings with Microsoft Office or something of that ilk, but more people will have worked with online communication or storage without realising it. For instance Skype, that is a great example of how (on a corporate level) that IT can be entirely beneficial to organisations.
Free calls to internal numbers, done through computers, using headsets and without having to leave the office or have pesky ringtones going off. What more could you ask for?
In the same way, online technology is boon to most organisations we just don't appreciate it when we use it. Any of us who use social media networking (e-Networking) will practically rely on technology alone. With that one service, that one application- we can connect to millions of people at a time.
It's partly the fault of this being such a common occurance in the modern age.
Even when I was growing up there wasn't as much technological integration as there is now, and I'm not that old. (They're not grey hairs, that's just...flair. My hair has flair.)
These days we are constantly connected to all forms of technology from news streams to online RSS feeds, to 24/7 news broadcasts via sattelite technology and not to mention the benefits of Microsoft Office and so on.
Therefore, now, more than ever, there is a greater appreciation for IT but the gap is widening between those who use it and those who don't. If you're not an avid or even casual user, you get left behind a lot with the fancy bells and whistles that come with it. In one way, were I to say I spent the afternoon working on a PHP based form for a HTML website- well, I think I lost you at "P" if you're not technologically savvy.
And I think that, sometimes, is why more organisations don't embrace IT- they get lost with a lot of it.
Too many grifters and hustlers on the market trying to tell you that one piece of wonder software will make you more powerful than Microsoft, in half the time, and with better benefits.
But, on the optimistic side of technology, it has a very useful and advantageous quality in that it doesn't replace but augment the initial traditional processes. Software doesn't instantly make you a better organisation- it makes you do, what you do, better and faster than before by stream lining processes and taking care of all those niggling leftovers.
All in all, with a decent IT system you can't go much more wrong than you could by putting your faith in people.
That's all for now. Consider it, well, food for thought.
If you have anything you'd like to share or would like to know feel free to comment. And as always, thank you for reading!
All information presented here is © copyright Carkean Solutions Ltd., 2010 - Not to be used without our permission - The views expressed here are the views of an idividual not the corporation
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Risky Business
If I learned anything while studying business it was that risk is an inherent part of any corporate activity. It's there. It's always there but it can sometimes be a good thing.
How can risk be a good thing?
Well, most people avoid it like the plague so doing the complete opposite will open up a lot of opportunities. However, at the same time- it could be detrimental and costly if done without thought.
Capitalising on risks takes a few things and they're not too overbearing, they just take time and thought:
I know especially since the global recession people have become even more risk averse but there's a lot of potential in risks. Startup organisations are considered to be incredible risks- but some are amazing popular and profitable.
Look at Twitter, for instance.
When it was set up most people did not appreciate the depth of micro blogging and sharing snippets of information. Today it has millions of users! You really can't afford to be shy in the field of infinite potential that is business. If you can think of an idea, a product or even a service that you can market- then you should give it a go!
Better to give it a go than never know, right?
Thank you for reading and feel free to share some of your corporate risk stories! It's always good when we show each other what we've been through, so that, in the future, others can realise we can succeed even in the most bleak of times.
All information presented here is © copyright Carkean Solutions Ltd., 2010 - Not to be used without our permission - The views expressed here are the views of an individual not the corporation
How can risk be a good thing?
Well, most people avoid it like the plague so doing the complete opposite will open up a lot of opportunities. However, at the same time- it could be detrimental and costly if done without thought.
Capitalising on risks takes a few things and they're not too overbearing, they just take time and thought:
- Analyse why others are avoiding the risk. Is there any potential benefit in it? It is a one-shot idea? If you can't feasibly create something out of it- don't take it just for taking it.
- What kind of market is it in? Is this an over-saturated market? High barriers to entry? Intensly competitive? Sometimes there's a sure fire idea...it's just in the most difficult place.
- Does it have potential? A good idea is a good opportunity but it could fall on hard times if, after the initial idea, there's nowhere to develop further and you're left with a good but dwindling profit product.
- What's the cost? Today, tomorrow and the next day you're going to be focused on costs- how much will this cost? How many times? Even great (and profitable) ideas can prove to be too much of a cost.
I know especially since the global recession people have become even more risk averse but there's a lot of potential in risks. Startup organisations are considered to be incredible risks- but some are amazing popular and profitable.
Look at Twitter, for instance.
When it was set up most people did not appreciate the depth of micro blogging and sharing snippets of information. Today it has millions of users! You really can't afford to be shy in the field of infinite potential that is business. If you can think of an idea, a product or even a service that you can market- then you should give it a go!
Better to give it a go than never know, right?
Thank you for reading and feel free to share some of your corporate risk stories! It's always good when we show each other what we've been through, so that, in the future, others can realise we can succeed even in the most bleak of times.
All information presented here is © copyright Carkean Solutions Ltd., 2010 - Not to be used without our permission - The views expressed here are the views of an individual not the corporation
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
The depth of Innovation.
Innovation is a well used word when it comes to things new and exciting- but what does innovation really mean? What can you expect from something that boasts being new and innovative?
The answer is mostly subjective as different products have different limitations but in general innovation must have four things: depth, application, usability and desire.
Depth
Before something can present a new feature it must have depth. The reason that iPods became one of the best selling mp3 players (if not the best) is because they had depth. Any player could play mp3s and other file formats- but the iPod had the music, the video, the whole iTunes package and much more.
It crept under the surface and made a change that rippled outwards and left a lot of innovation in the wake.
Application
Anyone can make a new and exciting feature for just about anything...but what kind of use does it have? Take laptops, for instance, before the days of wireless and WiFi the only option to have internet was an ethernet cable sprawled along the floor. That was kind of innovation- but at the same time, it was just using the technology a desktop PC had in a laptop.
The idea of internet on a laptop may have been a unique feature at the time, but it was hardly of use to most people as most people were still perplexed by a modem.
However, when wireless internet was widely available and the wireless receivers were plugged in via USB- that was innovation that had use. It wasn't a quirky feature, it was actually half decent.
Usability
So, you have a deep innovative and useful feature- but can anyone use it?
A good example of this is the (often god-awful) video conversion software you get with mp3 players. Video, on the go, anywhere you want- innovative. A player to play it- innovative. The software that actually gets it onto your player- completely useless.
Therefore, the whole process is nullified until you find an alternative and even then you might just reconsider the whole thing from the start.
Innovation must, above all else, be usable!
Desire
The reason someone wants to buy or use something is the key issue. Hard drives were much in this category in 2006-2008 where 250gb-320GB hard drives were becoming standard issue...but no-one needed them.
Back then 80GB was enough for all but the most fanactical user.
However, with the rising demand for digital download video games and films there's a higher desire for bigger hard drives. Not to mention, any video game player is probably packing a 500gb hard drive just to install all their games! So, in this case, the innovation of hard drives that now hold up to 1TB is a useful feature.
Remember, always, whatever you make someone has to want to use.
And that's everything!
I hope this has been an informative post and has given you a better outlook on how useful some of this "innovation" actually is. Plus, helps you to appreciate some of the better innovation you have encountered.
Thank you for reading, as always.
All information presented here is © copyright Carkean Solutions Ltd., 2010 - Not to be used without our permission - The views expressed here are the views of an individual not the corporation
The answer is mostly subjective as different products have different limitations but in general innovation must have four things: depth, application, usability and desire.
Depth
Before something can present a new feature it must have depth. The reason that iPods became one of the best selling mp3 players (if not the best) is because they had depth. Any player could play mp3s and other file formats- but the iPod had the music, the video, the whole iTunes package and much more.
It crept under the surface and made a change that rippled outwards and left a lot of innovation in the wake.
Application
Anyone can make a new and exciting feature for just about anything...but what kind of use does it have? Take laptops, for instance, before the days of wireless and WiFi the only option to have internet was an ethernet cable sprawled along the floor. That was kind of innovation- but at the same time, it was just using the technology a desktop PC had in a laptop.
The idea of internet on a laptop may have been a unique feature at the time, but it was hardly of use to most people as most people were still perplexed by a modem.
However, when wireless internet was widely available and the wireless receivers were plugged in via USB- that was innovation that had use. It wasn't a quirky feature, it was actually half decent.
Usability
So, you have a deep innovative and useful feature- but can anyone use it?
A good example of this is the (often god-awful) video conversion software you get with mp3 players. Video, on the go, anywhere you want- innovative. A player to play it- innovative. The software that actually gets it onto your player- completely useless.
Therefore, the whole process is nullified until you find an alternative and even then you might just reconsider the whole thing from the start.
Innovation must, above all else, be usable!
Desire
The reason someone wants to buy or use something is the key issue. Hard drives were much in this category in 2006-2008 where 250gb-320GB hard drives were becoming standard issue...but no-one needed them.
Back then 80GB was enough for all but the most fanactical user.
However, with the rising demand for digital download video games and films there's a higher desire for bigger hard drives. Not to mention, any video game player is probably packing a 500gb hard drive just to install all their games! So, in this case, the innovation of hard drives that now hold up to 1TB is a useful feature.
Remember, always, whatever you make someone has to want to use.
And that's everything!
I hope this has been an informative post and has given you a better outlook on how useful some of this "innovation" actually is. Plus, helps you to appreciate some of the better innovation you have encountered.
Thank you for reading, as always.
All information presented here is © copyright Carkean Solutions Ltd., 2010 - Not to be used without our permission - The views expressed here are the views of an individual not the corporation
Monday, 25 October 2010
Leadership and Teamwork
These are two key aspects of business and they can be infinitely useful when working on projects, demonstrations and deadlines. Yet in an ironic fashion, not many know what it takes to have a good teamwork situation or good leadership skills.
Although, this is rather situational- different situations (and certain types) will always demand a certain response.
Compassion over autocracy
Long gone are the days where "I'm the boss and you do what I say" is the answer for everythig from why your coat hook is gone, to why you're being transfered to a new office. Compassion wins many more friends (but does equally cause some to take advantage of situations). It allows you to get to know what drives your workers and why they do what they do.
Some do it for the challenge.
Some do it for the money.
Some do it because it's better than being out there on social help.
Whatever it is, whatever they do it for- find out! Connecting with workers in a more humane way will get more rewards in the long run. And, equally, you can help people achieve their potential. Two-fold reward: they're happier and you get more productivity.
Identify problems early
Nothing hurts more (in any sense of the word) when you're working your tail off and someone else is doing nothing, or seems to be, but is getting away with it (or seems to be). If there are reasons people do less (perhaps they are grieving) or are given a less strenous task (or a perceived task that is less strenous)- inform the group. Let them know how things are and how you stand.
Of course, at the same time, don't be afraid to discipline those who are geniunely doing nothing with no valid reason.
Communication is one of the most important aspects of just about anything...but is so easily overlooked. Talking, discussing and delegating also shows a great quality of leadership (command). People will feel more confident you can deliver when you say you can if you show you can, otherwise they might start to doubt your potential and that could lead to group members leaving or all out failure.
There's more than one way to lead
One thing that I've found in my day to day life is that (sometimes) the people in charge seem like the least qualified to be. They ask you to do something, complain about your results- but have no idea how to do it themselves.
In a leadership position try to find out as much as you can about each element of the processes and groups you're leading. Knowing is winning half the battle at the start as you won't find yourself in the eventual position of "what does he/she know?", when really it's not that you don't know you're just not sure.
At the same time, never be afraid to try different things- some people respect those they can trust, those that are fair and honest, those that appreciate their unique skills etc.
A good leader knows the majority of a battle is never played out on the field- it's played out in the minds of the people involved. Being able to reassure, to inspire and to lead these people goes a long way to achieving your goals!
They're only human
One of the things we forget, sometimes, as people, is that we are only human and therefore we have our limits. People get tired, people get annoyed and quite frankly you can't expect any less.
Super human is fun and all- but it isn't worth what it does to a person.
Take that into account always. No-one is completely on the ball every day of their lives, so think about how you would react in a similar situation. Often if you give and take in a fair situation, treat people how you want to be treated and be understanding if they snap after a stressful day you'll win more friends than you'll lose.
People often don't mean those things in a perfectly normal situation, and it's all too easy to say "If you don't mean it you shouldn't say it"- but have you always been perfect, too?
And there we go.
I figured this might be a nice angle to take as it opens the floor for a lot of conversation about things you've done, encountered and tips you may have for leadership/teamwork in your organisations.
As always- thank you for reading!
All information presented here is © copyright Carkean Solutions Ltd., 2010 - Not to be used without our permission - The views expressed here are the views of an individual not the corporation
Although, this is rather situational- different situations (and certain types) will always demand a certain response.
Compassion over autocracy
Long gone are the days where "I'm the boss and you do what I say" is the answer for everythig from why your coat hook is gone, to why you're being transfered to a new office. Compassion wins many more friends (but does equally cause some to take advantage of situations). It allows you to get to know what drives your workers and why they do what they do.
Some do it for the challenge.
Some do it for the money.
Some do it because it's better than being out there on social help.
Whatever it is, whatever they do it for- find out! Connecting with workers in a more humane way will get more rewards in the long run. And, equally, you can help people achieve their potential. Two-fold reward: they're happier and you get more productivity.
Identify problems early
Nothing hurts more (in any sense of the word) when you're working your tail off and someone else is doing nothing, or seems to be, but is getting away with it (or seems to be). If there are reasons people do less (perhaps they are grieving) or are given a less strenous task (or a perceived task that is less strenous)- inform the group. Let them know how things are and how you stand.
Of course, at the same time, don't be afraid to discipline those who are geniunely doing nothing with no valid reason.
Communication is one of the most important aspects of just about anything...but is so easily overlooked. Talking, discussing and delegating also shows a great quality of leadership (command). People will feel more confident you can deliver when you say you can if you show you can, otherwise they might start to doubt your potential and that could lead to group members leaving or all out failure.
There's more than one way to lead
One thing that I've found in my day to day life is that (sometimes) the people in charge seem like the least qualified to be. They ask you to do something, complain about your results- but have no idea how to do it themselves.
In a leadership position try to find out as much as you can about each element of the processes and groups you're leading. Knowing is winning half the battle at the start as you won't find yourself in the eventual position of "what does he/she know?", when really it's not that you don't know you're just not sure.
At the same time, never be afraid to try different things- some people respect those they can trust, those that are fair and honest, those that appreciate their unique skills etc.
A good leader knows the majority of a battle is never played out on the field- it's played out in the minds of the people involved. Being able to reassure, to inspire and to lead these people goes a long way to achieving your goals!
They're only human
One of the things we forget, sometimes, as people, is that we are only human and therefore we have our limits. People get tired, people get annoyed and quite frankly you can't expect any less.
Super human is fun and all- but it isn't worth what it does to a person.
Take that into account always. No-one is completely on the ball every day of their lives, so think about how you would react in a similar situation. Often if you give and take in a fair situation, treat people how you want to be treated and be understanding if they snap after a stressful day you'll win more friends than you'll lose.
People often don't mean those things in a perfectly normal situation, and it's all too easy to say "If you don't mean it you shouldn't say it"- but have you always been perfect, too?
And there we go.
I figured this might be a nice angle to take as it opens the floor for a lot of conversation about things you've done, encountered and tips you may have for leadership/teamwork in your organisations.
As always- thank you for reading!
All information presented here is © copyright Carkean Solutions Ltd., 2010 - Not to be used without our permission - The views expressed here are the views of an individual not the corporation
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
Aquima: Agility and Consequence.
You know what every organisation needs more of? People. You know why? They're flexible, they can do a number of things and they are able to learn new skills. These are the reasons why, even in the digital age, we still rely on people to get most things done.
People, software- what the!?
This is partly because most software is not flexible.
Microsoft Office, for instance, is five-six pieces of software in one which do five or six different things.You wouldn't be able to make a very extensive database in Excel and, likewise, you wouldn't be able to make an effective spreadsheet with Access.
The reason all of these were added is because these are basic functions that people need in order to do desktop publishing: graphs (Excel), databases (Access), document templates (Word), e-mail support (Outlook), document creation (Word/Publisher) and so on. Now while this is great because a number of angles are covered, well, it's not very effective.
In an example situation- say you were making a database for customer details in a DVD rental business. However, while you are pretty knowledgable wth computers other people will have to use it to. So you need a manual. But at the same time you need a way to analyse various details and information, preferably sortable, and with a range of fields.
Where do you start?
Well, the database would be made in Access and the manual would be made with Word while the analysis would be done with an exported Excel spreadsheet.
Three software packages for what is, in total, one operation.
Flexibility and more!
Aquima is a complete package which combines a number of these (and other) processes in one software package with complete integration. You could use the Aquima suite to not only set up the initial process, but then to create a report and even a manual.
In this way Aquima saves you money, time and effort.
But at the same time it makes the entire process more transparent and all of your skills can be easily transferred from one section to another. Overall, it makes more sense to put all of your eggs in one basket and do everything at the same time. Not to mention it will cost less over time and repeatedly save you money on maintenance, implementation, re-design, re-distribution and much more.
As recently highlighted in our comparison with the Pegasystems software suite we can actually see how Aquima is all-inclusive. Unlike other BPM software it doesn't need a whole host of extra software to do the tasks you rely on it for.
Consequences
So what does all this really mean? Well, the human element in IT exists because there will always be a need for flexibility and responsive thinking. But, in the same way, with advances in artificial intelligence and technology it's only a matter of time before you see responsive IT systems.
Aquima may be one of the first to move forward in this new and exciting direction.
And it may be a way to get your organisation on a forward thinking path. Remember when we posted about building technology for tomorrow as well as today? This is why. If you can hit the trends earlier and get on the ground with new technology quickly, you're almost future proof as you only then need worry about the next big thing. And by that we mean the next big change in software. Such as the change from the days of ARIS to the days of Aquima.
That is all for now, thank you for reading and we look forward to hearing from you!
All information presented here is © copyright Carkean Solutions Ltd., 2010 - Not to be used without our permission - The views expressed here are the views of an individual not the corporation
People, software- what the!?
This is partly because most software is not flexible.
Microsoft Office, for instance, is five-six pieces of software in one which do five or six different things.You wouldn't be able to make a very extensive database in Excel and, likewise, you wouldn't be able to make an effective spreadsheet with Access.
The reason all of these were added is because these are basic functions that people need in order to do desktop publishing: graphs (Excel), databases (Access), document templates (Word), e-mail support (Outlook), document creation (Word/Publisher) and so on. Now while this is great because a number of angles are covered, well, it's not very effective.
In an example situation- say you were making a database for customer details in a DVD rental business. However, while you are pretty knowledgable wth computers other people will have to use it to. So you need a manual. But at the same time you need a way to analyse various details and information, preferably sortable, and with a range of fields.
Where do you start?
Well, the database would be made in Access and the manual would be made with Word while the analysis would be done with an exported Excel spreadsheet.
Three software packages for what is, in total, one operation.
Flexibility and more!
Aquima is a complete package which combines a number of these (and other) processes in one software package with complete integration. You could use the Aquima suite to not only set up the initial process, but then to create a report and even a manual.
In this way Aquima saves you money, time and effort.
But at the same time it makes the entire process more transparent and all of your skills can be easily transferred from one section to another. Overall, it makes more sense to put all of your eggs in one basket and do everything at the same time. Not to mention it will cost less over time and repeatedly save you money on maintenance, implementation, re-design, re-distribution and much more.
As recently highlighted in our comparison with the Pegasystems software suite we can actually see how Aquima is all-inclusive. Unlike other BPM software it doesn't need a whole host of extra software to do the tasks you rely on it for.
Consequences
So what does all this really mean? Well, the human element in IT exists because there will always be a need for flexibility and responsive thinking. But, in the same way, with advances in artificial intelligence and technology it's only a matter of time before you see responsive IT systems.
Aquima may be one of the first to move forward in this new and exciting direction.
And it may be a way to get your organisation on a forward thinking path. Remember when we posted about building technology for tomorrow as well as today? This is why. If you can hit the trends earlier and get on the ground with new technology quickly, you're almost future proof as you only then need worry about the next big thing. And by that we mean the next big change in software. Such as the change from the days of ARIS to the days of Aquima.
That is all for now, thank you for reading and we look forward to hearing from you!
All information presented here is © copyright Carkean Solutions Ltd., 2010 - Not to be used without our permission - The views expressed here are the views of an individual not the corporation
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
IT: Reflection and Understanding.
One of the things we learned from the PRINCE2 posts was that while good projects are always great ideas- sometimes you can really lose touch once near the finish line. IT is no different, in many respects, as you may find yourself with a fully working and comprehensive solution...it just becomes quickly outdated.
Reflection and how to see the future
There's no crystal balls involved and there's no prophet- it's a case of using your eyes and (more importantly) using your IT system. One of the things that Aquima boasts so highly is that it adapts to change well. And why is this? Well, because change happens!
It happens all the time.
Even now, while I'm typing this, new blogging technology and new ways to share information are being developed and the only way I can take advantage of this is to reflect. Reflect on what I'm doing, what I need to be able to do and how best I can achieve that.
IT systems are almost exactly the same. The system works for you now- but what about in a year? In six months? Where does it need to be? And best of all- how does it get there?
Well that's great and all- but what about cost?
Sure, I won't lie- there is a cost involved with bringing a new system to the table every time you find the need to reflect and improve, but that's why you don't. You reflect over time, pick points over time and eventually after a pre-determined timespan (six-twelve months is a good one) you implement a new system.
That, yes, costs and will continue to- but it's going to save you more than you would spend.
Let me put this in context with a real life example.
My friend used to work at a firm that was the most up to date and IT saavy firm there was- 20 years ago. At current they couldn't even upgrade past Windows 98 as they had opted not to pay that "big cost" and instead keep with old working technology. Good idea, in some respects.
Bad idea that now the new technology is far cheaper...they just can't use it as the software they use is specialist and to do so, well, they would have to redo several years of work.
It just wouldn't work.
Which is why it's better to take one for the team sooner rather than later. Don't let personal fears or apprehensions or the niggling aspect of cost bog you down.
Technology is a young person's game.
Touche, you do actually have a very good point there. I don't see many CEOs being 20-something wet behind the ears graduates who are up to date with new tech, which is why sometimes getting the point across takes a bit more than just bottom line calculations.
You see, in general, technology can't be priced.
The costs of hardware, software and associated services (ISPs etc.) can- but the actual benefit is immeasurable. Imagine how many times you've received an e-mail, answered a VOIP call, read an online article, posted something somewhere, been able to contact people in real time and more. These are the benefits of IT. These are the things that it does for you.
It's hard to understand when you're not too strong on the information and the technology available.
I know the feeling- before this year I hadn't touched Facebook all through college and university and even whilst still at school. Never. But now it's part of my job. It's something that I get paid to use on a daily basis- so this is as much a learning experience for me as it is for you.
I suppose, really, in my long-winded well written roundabout kind of way what I'm trying to say is- keep an eye on your technology and change when necessary. It really is worth more than I can even hope to put into words!
Thank you for reading, all!
All information presented here is © copyright Carkean Solutions Ltd., 2010 - Not to be used without our permission - The views expressed here are the views of an individual not the corporation
Reflection and how to see the future
There's no crystal balls involved and there's no prophet- it's a case of using your eyes and (more importantly) using your IT system. One of the things that Aquima boasts so highly is that it adapts to change well. And why is this? Well, because change happens!
It happens all the time.
Even now, while I'm typing this, new blogging technology and new ways to share information are being developed and the only way I can take advantage of this is to reflect. Reflect on what I'm doing, what I need to be able to do and how best I can achieve that.
IT systems are almost exactly the same. The system works for you now- but what about in a year? In six months? Where does it need to be? And best of all- how does it get there?
Well that's great and all- but what about cost?
Sure, I won't lie- there is a cost involved with bringing a new system to the table every time you find the need to reflect and improve, but that's why you don't. You reflect over time, pick points over time and eventually after a pre-determined timespan (six-twelve months is a good one) you implement a new system.
That, yes, costs and will continue to- but it's going to save you more than you would spend.
Let me put this in context with a real life example.
My friend used to work at a firm that was the most up to date and IT saavy firm there was- 20 years ago. At current they couldn't even upgrade past Windows 98 as they had opted not to pay that "big cost" and instead keep with old working technology. Good idea, in some respects.
Bad idea that now the new technology is far cheaper...they just can't use it as the software they use is specialist and to do so, well, they would have to redo several years of work.
It just wouldn't work.
Which is why it's better to take one for the team sooner rather than later. Don't let personal fears or apprehensions or the niggling aspect of cost bog you down.
Technology is a young person's game.
Touche, you do actually have a very good point there. I don't see many CEOs being 20-something wet behind the ears graduates who are up to date with new tech, which is why sometimes getting the point across takes a bit more than just bottom line calculations.
You see, in general, technology can't be priced.
The costs of hardware, software and associated services (ISPs etc.) can- but the actual benefit is immeasurable. Imagine how many times you've received an e-mail, answered a VOIP call, read an online article, posted something somewhere, been able to contact people in real time and more. These are the benefits of IT. These are the things that it does for you.
It's hard to understand when you're not too strong on the information and the technology available.
I know the feeling- before this year I hadn't touched Facebook all through college and university and even whilst still at school. Never. But now it's part of my job. It's something that I get paid to use on a daily basis- so this is as much a learning experience for me as it is for you.
I suppose, really, in my long-winded well written roundabout kind of way what I'm trying to say is- keep an eye on your technology and change when necessary. It really is worth more than I can even hope to put into words!
Thank you for reading, all!
All information presented here is © copyright Carkean Solutions Ltd., 2010 - Not to be used without our permission - The views expressed here are the views of an individual not the corporation
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
IT: Ten Components for Success.
Yesterday we looked at several reasons why IT is sometimes a highly costing failure- but today we're going to look at the other side of the coin and look at successful components. Most of these are pretty straightforward but some are quite specialised (and therefore) not well known.
The first major point is that users should be kept involved with the system from start to finish and their feedback should be valued as ways to improve, include more features in or make the system more efficient than it was before. Otherwise, were you not to include them, you would most likely end up with a really great system that is also...really useless.
If no-one can use it- it's a waste of money.
To be successful make sure that people who need to use it can and that their needs are met, as even a well-made and user friendly system can fall short on utility.
The next point kind of rolls over into the third point as well- but, in short, get the right people for the job.
You wouldn't ask a carpenter to bake you a cake and you wouldn't go into an industry that you knew nothing about without help. Thereby, make sure you have particular expertise (or you are connected with people that do) in an industry before developing software for it. If you go into it blind you might as well not go into it at all as you're not going to make the slightest bit of difference.
Be prepared, knowledgable and strong and you won't fail!
The third point is more a common sense point than anything else, but, really, you'd be surprised how often it comes up as a major stumbling block.
While you may need people with particular skills and experience, in any IT project you will also need to rely on a great deal of business orientated people. Your tech guys may have some idea of what they're doing, as may the users- but do you? Are you sure this meets your aims? Is it even attempting to meet your aims? There's so many questions that can only be answered by business orientated folk as there are so many that can only be answered by your tech guys.
See things from both sides and you'll notice that there's a greater deal of integration between the two sides of a very similar coin.
The fourth point is to use the correct method to approach your IT project. Again this could be considered a point of almost common sense- but, if you don't know/aren't too technology savvy- you could easily back the wrong horse and lose out for it.
If you don't know what you need then research it, ask your tech guys, see what other technology is available and even go so far as to ask other organisations what they use. Some things like Microsoft Office are so widely integrated it's almost painful to think that you might not be able to use it, but other things like databases and bespoke software is not. It's there if you need it but easily ignored if you don't.
Research, plan and look forward to the future.
The fifth is quite simply "Simplicity is the name of the game- so follow suit."
These days a lot of software packages are becoming insanely easy to use and so much so even the most novice users can work with them. Coding complex software that requires a whole host of features is a great way to go for utility...but for practicality, not so much. There are far more transferable skills in IT than there were ten years ago so take advantage of them!
Don't work yourself in a hole where the only way you're going to advance is by coding even more features into something if it could be done easier, more stream-lined and more familiarly for your staff.
The sixth being the need to always anticipate change.
Change (much like risk) is a staple element of the business workplace and there will always be a need to change something around. If you can see a large fundamental change coming- make sure you get there before it does. Nothing can cripple an IT system more than if it has to have several months of lead-on development to make up for something that could've been easily avoided.
Keep note of the trends that may affect your software and implement those changes early rather than late in the day.
Next we explore whether or not a project has a strong concept or not.
Technically speaking, a lot of things are a good idea. A new ordering system. An online reservation system. New technology in the offices. There's so many things you can easily say "Well, that would be useful" to and so little things that you could prove will be useful.
Good concepts are like buses- you wait around forever and when one comes along so do a number of them.
You have to be able to ascertain which concepts are actually going to prove to be not only worth the time, money, effort and resources but also all of the implementation and operation time.
But, if you've come this far then I dare say you're probably on the fast-track to a great idea- just make sure it's as solid as can be. And that proof can be given, somehow, somewhere, that it can actually either increase efficiency or generate returns.
Along the line from that, the next point is to keep decisions simple and concise.
Nothing is worse than when you start creating complex decisions that require a number of factors to actually come to fruition. Not only does it frustrate people- but it takes an incredibly long time to get all of these factors together in a balance, therefore, its practically goes down the chute and you're back to square one.
Thereby always try to make your decisions bite-sized so that people can understand what the next point is and why. This will improve efficiency, make the process more transparent and increase the possibilities of success.
The ninth point covers a great deal of the theory of implementation.
Always keep implementation and deployment in phases and incremental so that changes can be seen almost immediately for all concerned. While it can be a lot easier to explain a piece of software when it is nearly (or already is) finished- that's going to take time. Time you don't have. Every minute you're not proving that this software is going to make fantastic returns is another minute going towards the everso common "This is costing too much/taking too long/draining too many resources etc." speech.
Show progress in parts not only to show that something has actually been done but also to help introduce new users to complex procedures.
Our final, and tenth point, is to use your experiences wisely.
There's an old adage with coding "If it's logical it's going to happen again" which means- if something goes wrong with this database this time, it's like that the next (and the time after that) is going to fall victim to the same error. This is because almost all of the time software is logical. If there's a fundamental error it's going to be there for a while.
At the same time if you realise that you're pushing the software beyond a limit and it's always hanging up the process- don't do it. Or, on the positive side- if you are successfully implementing certain parts of a package, well, try to make it even more efficient!
The sky is the limit with success but there's only one place it's going if it fails.
And that's it!
Thank you for reading. If you have any comments (or maybe some really good recipes for success) let us know in a comment on any of our social media sites.
All information presented here is © copyright Carkean Solutions Ltd., 2010 - Not to be used without our permission - The views expressed here are the views of an individual not the corporation
The first major point is that users should be kept involved with the system from start to finish and their feedback should be valued as ways to improve, include more features in or make the system more efficient than it was before. Otherwise, were you not to include them, you would most likely end up with a really great system that is also...really useless.
If no-one can use it- it's a waste of money.
To be successful make sure that people who need to use it can and that their needs are met, as even a well-made and user friendly system can fall short on utility.
The next point kind of rolls over into the third point as well- but, in short, get the right people for the job.
You wouldn't ask a carpenter to bake you a cake and you wouldn't go into an industry that you knew nothing about without help. Thereby, make sure you have particular expertise (or you are connected with people that do) in an industry before developing software for it. If you go into it blind you might as well not go into it at all as you're not going to make the slightest bit of difference.
Be prepared, knowledgable and strong and you won't fail!
The third point is more a common sense point than anything else, but, really, you'd be surprised how often it comes up as a major stumbling block.
While you may need people with particular skills and experience, in any IT project you will also need to rely on a great deal of business orientated people. Your tech guys may have some idea of what they're doing, as may the users- but do you? Are you sure this meets your aims? Is it even attempting to meet your aims? There's so many questions that can only be answered by business orientated folk as there are so many that can only be answered by your tech guys.
See things from both sides and you'll notice that there's a greater deal of integration between the two sides of a very similar coin.
The fourth point is to use the correct method to approach your IT project. Again this could be considered a point of almost common sense- but, if you don't know/aren't too technology savvy- you could easily back the wrong horse and lose out for it.
If you don't know what you need then research it, ask your tech guys, see what other technology is available and even go so far as to ask other organisations what they use. Some things like Microsoft Office are so widely integrated it's almost painful to think that you might not be able to use it, but other things like databases and bespoke software is not. It's there if you need it but easily ignored if you don't.
Research, plan and look forward to the future.
The fifth is quite simply "Simplicity is the name of the game- so follow suit."
These days a lot of software packages are becoming insanely easy to use and so much so even the most novice users can work with them. Coding complex software that requires a whole host of features is a great way to go for utility...but for practicality, not so much. There are far more transferable skills in IT than there were ten years ago so take advantage of them!
Don't work yourself in a hole where the only way you're going to advance is by coding even more features into something if it could be done easier, more stream-lined and more familiarly for your staff.
The sixth being the need to always anticipate change.
Change (much like risk) is a staple element of the business workplace and there will always be a need to change something around. If you can see a large fundamental change coming- make sure you get there before it does. Nothing can cripple an IT system more than if it has to have several months of lead-on development to make up for something that could've been easily avoided.
Keep note of the trends that may affect your software and implement those changes early rather than late in the day.
Next we explore whether or not a project has a strong concept or not.
Technically speaking, a lot of things are a good idea. A new ordering system. An online reservation system. New technology in the offices. There's so many things you can easily say "Well, that would be useful" to and so little things that you could prove will be useful.
Good concepts are like buses- you wait around forever and when one comes along so do a number of them.
You have to be able to ascertain which concepts are actually going to prove to be not only worth the time, money, effort and resources but also all of the implementation and operation time.
But, if you've come this far then I dare say you're probably on the fast-track to a great idea- just make sure it's as solid as can be. And that proof can be given, somehow, somewhere, that it can actually either increase efficiency or generate returns.
Along the line from that, the next point is to keep decisions simple and concise.
Nothing is worse than when you start creating complex decisions that require a number of factors to actually come to fruition. Not only does it frustrate people- but it takes an incredibly long time to get all of these factors together in a balance, therefore, its practically goes down the chute and you're back to square one.
Thereby always try to make your decisions bite-sized so that people can understand what the next point is and why. This will improve efficiency, make the process more transparent and increase the possibilities of success.
The ninth point covers a great deal of the theory of implementation.
Always keep implementation and deployment in phases and incremental so that changes can be seen almost immediately for all concerned. While it can be a lot easier to explain a piece of software when it is nearly (or already is) finished- that's going to take time. Time you don't have. Every minute you're not proving that this software is going to make fantastic returns is another minute going towards the everso common "This is costing too much/taking too long/draining too many resources etc." speech.
Show progress in parts not only to show that something has actually been done but also to help introduce new users to complex procedures.
Our final, and tenth point, is to use your experiences wisely.
There's an old adage with coding "If it's logical it's going to happen again" which means- if something goes wrong with this database this time, it's like that the next (and the time after that) is going to fall victim to the same error. This is because almost all of the time software is logical. If there's a fundamental error it's going to be there for a while.
At the same time if you realise that you're pushing the software beyond a limit and it's always hanging up the process- don't do it. Or, on the positive side- if you are successfully implementing certain parts of a package, well, try to make it even more efficient!
The sky is the limit with success but there's only one place it's going if it fails.
And that's it!
Thank you for reading. If you have any comments (or maybe some really good recipes for success) let us know in a comment on any of our social media sites.
All information presented here is © copyright Carkean Solutions Ltd., 2010 - Not to be used without our permission - The views expressed here are the views of an individual not the corporation
Monday, 20 September 2010
IT: Highly Rated Failures.
One of the recurring themes of many IT projects is that not too long after setting them up and trying to get them implemented it all goes horribly wrong. Now, there are many reasons for this but none more prevalent than miscommunication and misunderstanding.
Miscommunication, headaches and all that mess.
Especially with inexperienced users there is often a feeling of uncertainty. Can this project deliver? Does it do everything it says it does? Is it worth the cost, time and effort?
And, admittedly, if you're not too savvy with computers and technology in general- it's hard sometimes to see the real benefits of an IT system. This is where miscommunication comes into play as too often what is wanted, what is needed and what is delivered are three different things. While misunderstanding can hamper the process further as you're always going to be unsure of what it does, then when it is delivered does it do everything you want- if not, why? Sometimes it's just a simple case of hearing one thing and thinking another through sheer inexperience.
It's always been one of those things that I find is very commonly ignored in business. In that, organisations would rather save a few thousand now to get the job done manually than save a few million over several years to have it all automated and self-sufficient.
Although technology is far from foolproof and error-free.
These days most modern technology can boast that things have improved a great deal since the times of 1990 and 1980 where computing was new, hard to understand and even harder to use. But, we've all heard that excuse "It was a problem with the computer". It's something that almost everyone has said once or twice when you ring up about an overpaid bill or the like.
That's why a good system is nothing without the users to back it. Much like any marketing project for a new product as it could be the best product, the most innovative and the easy choice for cost saving- but who will know if the marketeers who back it don't show it? Users are a key element of any IT system and more often that not you will find that they're not even consulted when the system is implemented.
Equally relying on technology takes a great deal of faith.
Not to use it, as most of the time you can back up what you're doing and save it in the result of any major catastrophe- but to have it implemented. New software with new features is going to take a while to design, code and finally implement. Waiting for this and evaluating it at each stage of the process is always going to be a very tense step. For one thing you're not even sure what the system is going to do when you see it- not to mention you're going to always be looking for errors, reasons why it doesn't work and general bugs that may hinder the use of the resulting system.
This is where most of the money is lost in implementing IT systems and it's before they're even designed. As often if it doesn't meet your initial expectations you're going to immediately get warning signs, get nervous and pull the plug before they've had the chance to show you the meat of the system.
In practice- not just theory.
In fact, in one of my previous jobs I'd come across a very similar situation.
I was in charge of setting up a computerised form of a paper database which was going pretty well and eventually ended up being completed a month or two after starting. From there I had a few bits of design and imagery work to do for a website. To do these I needed to trim, crop and cut down images but one of the problems was no-one understood the kind of quality we needed. So working at low resolution and poor quality was an enforced necessity. Shortly after, as the employer had little idea what I was actually working on (as it was technology-based) I was no longer employed.
It was kind of a harsh blow personally but equally for his organisation as now they have a computerised database without the imagery to go with, or the extra functionality, and should he want it he's going to have to pay even more to get someone else to finish it off and implement it.
Therefore we have a practical example of how these things can be misread and misunderstood to the point where it not only costs to get it started, but to continue and to implement it will cost even more and make the process a lot more painful.
Thanks for reading!
If you have any comments or any experiences to share about IT systems that have gone awry or haven't been implemented correctly and just started costing over the board- do let us know in a comment.
All information presented here is © copyright Carkean Solutions Ltd., 2010 - Not to be used without our permission - The views expressed here are the views of an individual not the corporation
Miscommunication, headaches and all that mess.
Especially with inexperienced users there is often a feeling of uncertainty. Can this project deliver? Does it do everything it says it does? Is it worth the cost, time and effort?
And, admittedly, if you're not too savvy with computers and technology in general- it's hard sometimes to see the real benefits of an IT system. This is where miscommunication comes into play as too often what is wanted, what is needed and what is delivered are three different things. While misunderstanding can hamper the process further as you're always going to be unsure of what it does, then when it is delivered does it do everything you want- if not, why? Sometimes it's just a simple case of hearing one thing and thinking another through sheer inexperience.
It's always been one of those things that I find is very commonly ignored in business. In that, organisations would rather save a few thousand now to get the job done manually than save a few million over several years to have it all automated and self-sufficient.
Although technology is far from foolproof and error-free.
These days most modern technology can boast that things have improved a great deal since the times of 1990 and 1980 where computing was new, hard to understand and even harder to use. But, we've all heard that excuse "It was a problem with the computer". It's something that almost everyone has said once or twice when you ring up about an overpaid bill or the like.
That's why a good system is nothing without the users to back it. Much like any marketing project for a new product as it could be the best product, the most innovative and the easy choice for cost saving- but who will know if the marketeers who back it don't show it? Users are a key element of any IT system and more often that not you will find that they're not even consulted when the system is implemented.
Equally relying on technology takes a great deal of faith.
Not to use it, as most of the time you can back up what you're doing and save it in the result of any major catastrophe- but to have it implemented. New software with new features is going to take a while to design, code and finally implement. Waiting for this and evaluating it at each stage of the process is always going to be a very tense step. For one thing you're not even sure what the system is going to do when you see it- not to mention you're going to always be looking for errors, reasons why it doesn't work and general bugs that may hinder the use of the resulting system.
This is where most of the money is lost in implementing IT systems and it's before they're even designed. As often if it doesn't meet your initial expectations you're going to immediately get warning signs, get nervous and pull the plug before they've had the chance to show you the meat of the system.
In practice- not just theory.
In fact, in one of my previous jobs I'd come across a very similar situation.
I was in charge of setting up a computerised form of a paper database which was going pretty well and eventually ended up being completed a month or two after starting. From there I had a few bits of design and imagery work to do for a website. To do these I needed to trim, crop and cut down images but one of the problems was no-one understood the kind of quality we needed. So working at low resolution and poor quality was an enforced necessity. Shortly after, as the employer had little idea what I was actually working on (as it was technology-based) I was no longer employed.
It was kind of a harsh blow personally but equally for his organisation as now they have a computerised database without the imagery to go with, or the extra functionality, and should he want it he's going to have to pay even more to get someone else to finish it off and implement it.
Therefore we have a practical example of how these things can be misread and misunderstood to the point where it not only costs to get it started, but to continue and to implement it will cost even more and make the process a lot more painful.
Thanks for reading!
If you have any comments or any experiences to share about IT systems that have gone awry or haven't been implemented correctly and just started costing over the board- do let us know in a comment.
All information presented here is © copyright Carkean Solutions Ltd., 2010 - Not to be used without our permission - The views expressed here are the views of an individual not the corporation
Monday, 6 September 2010
Are Mutual Funds the Future of Banking?
Almost-every organisation is feeling the strain on financial institutions at the moment. Following such a monumental economic collapse this is not surprising- but could mutual funds be the future of commercial and corporate banking?
Brief introduction.
Mutual funds are collective groups of individuals who have invested, through an investment manager, in one particular commodity or security. As these are entirely investor funded, even if the investments fall to no return whatsoever it is nigh on impossible to bankrupt a mutual fund. This is quite simply because they have no outside liabilites, no borrowers and lenders- only those investors who have parted with their money for returns at a later date.
How does this apply to the future of banking (and partially the economy as a whole)?
Well, most of the recent economic collapse can be attributed to organisations or individuals borrowing beyond their limits. Once faced with paying back the exoberant loans they defaulted, the banking system couldn't react to so many losses on the liability front and the financial system started to collapse.
In an effort to hold onto some of the valuable securites held by financial institutions governments intervened and provided funding to field the short fall.
For some of these institutions this was a successful plan but for many others they simply struggled under increasing debts before defaulting, bankrupting and disappearing entirely.
The advantageous approach.
An element of profit exists as without a comparable difference between lendings and returns- there is no profit to speak of. And with most banks and financial institutions being privately funded, well, there's no way they can feasibly survive with little to no profit.
Mutual funds, on the other hand, make most of their profits via fees and the difference between investment costs and investment returns. Not to say they fraud or specifically undermine investments, but that as the economy is always changing there will always be a deficit or even a surplus.
In this way, they are without the greatest aspect of the recent financial failure- they don't lend, borrow nor have several hundred creditors and liabilites. They are entirely investor funded and the worst possible result is that they can make no return, they cannot collapse as long as their initial and basic costs are covered (which they will be)
If banks could alter their practice to fit within these rules and ideas they could possibly become more self-sufficient and near immune to a collapse.
The result of the change.
Although, such a large shift in the financial and economic framework of any country would create an incredible deflation. As, quite simply, there will be less money to pass around than before as you would only be lending/borrowing within your limits.
It is an interesting idea and not one without merit as the economy does need a fresh, new and focused kickstart. Banks, for instance, could be one of the first organisations to adopt the change and show how profitable this approach could (and would) be on a large scale.
What are you views-
Do you think such a system could exist?
Is this a viable alternative to the system currently in place?
Do you think financial institutions will adopt this?
Post a comment with your views on any of our sites (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or here on Blogger) and thank you for reading.
All information presented here is © copyright Carkean Solutions Ltd., 2010 - Not to be used without our permission - The views expressed here are the views of an individual not the corporation
Brief introduction.
Mutual funds are collective groups of individuals who have invested, through an investment manager, in one particular commodity or security. As these are entirely investor funded, even if the investments fall to no return whatsoever it is nigh on impossible to bankrupt a mutual fund. This is quite simply because they have no outside liabilites, no borrowers and lenders- only those investors who have parted with their money for returns at a later date.
How does this apply to the future of banking (and partially the economy as a whole)?
Well, most of the recent economic collapse can be attributed to organisations or individuals borrowing beyond their limits. Once faced with paying back the exoberant loans they defaulted, the banking system couldn't react to so many losses on the liability front and the financial system started to collapse.
In an effort to hold onto some of the valuable securites held by financial institutions governments intervened and provided funding to field the short fall.
For some of these institutions this was a successful plan but for many others they simply struggled under increasing debts before defaulting, bankrupting and disappearing entirely.
The advantageous approach.
An element of profit exists as without a comparable difference between lendings and returns- there is no profit to speak of. And with most banks and financial institutions being privately funded, well, there's no way they can feasibly survive with little to no profit.
Mutual funds, on the other hand, make most of their profits via fees and the difference between investment costs and investment returns. Not to say they fraud or specifically undermine investments, but that as the economy is always changing there will always be a deficit or even a surplus.
In this way, they are without the greatest aspect of the recent financial failure- they don't lend, borrow nor have several hundred creditors and liabilites. They are entirely investor funded and the worst possible result is that they can make no return, they cannot collapse as long as their initial and basic costs are covered (which they will be)
If banks could alter their practice to fit within these rules and ideas they could possibly become more self-sufficient and near immune to a collapse.
The result of the change.
Although, such a large shift in the financial and economic framework of any country would create an incredible deflation. As, quite simply, there will be less money to pass around than before as you would only be lending/borrowing within your limits.
It is an interesting idea and not one without merit as the economy does need a fresh, new and focused kickstart. Banks, for instance, could be one of the first organisations to adopt the change and show how profitable this approach could (and would) be on a large scale.
What are you views-
Do you think such a system could exist?
Is this a viable alternative to the system currently in place?
Do you think financial institutions will adopt this?
Post a comment with your views on any of our sites (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or here on Blogger) and thank you for reading.
All information presented here is © copyright Carkean Solutions Ltd., 2010 - Not to be used without our permission - The views expressed here are the views of an individual not the corporation
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