MIS-Assignment 5

Based on your adopted orgnaization(s), identify and discuss barriers in their IS/IT implementation ..(2000words) Based on our adopted company which is GH Office Depot, their department doesn’t have any IT/IS implementation perhaps as we asked them how important does the computerized system are, Mr. Hector told us that it only comprises the 20% of their business. Even before, they only use computerized system for its uses purposes prior in giving the services to its customers. Let’s have a review on my data gathering on the net. Identify barriers to implementation — and strategies to overcome them Organizations are as alike and unique as human beings. Similarly, group processes can be as straightforward or as complex as the individuals who make up the organization. It is vital to successfully launching a new program that the leaders understand the strengths, weaknesses, and idiosyncrasies of the organization or system in which they operate. Try to anticipate barriers to implementation so that you can develop strategies to minimize their impact or avoid them altogether. The following list of common barriers can be used to help your leadership team identify potential obstacles. The list of essential elements for change can help the team brainstorm possible solutions. The lists are a good starting point for a planning session that will be most effective if it also takes into account the organization's unique characteristics (Institute for Health Improvement). Common Barriers · Studying the problem too long without acting · Trying to get everyone's agreement first · Educating without changing structures or expectations · Tackling everything at once · Measuring nothing or everything · Failing to build support for replication · Assuming that the status quo is OK More Barriers to Change · Lack of such resources as time and commitment · Resistance to change · Lack of senior leadership support or physician champion · Lack of cooperation from other agencies, providers, departments, and facilities · Ineffective teams · Burdensome data collection Essential Elements for Change Effort · Define the problem · Define the target population · Define effective treatment strategies and establish procedural guidelines · Establish performance measures; set goals · Define effective system changes and interventions · Develop leadership and system change strategy http://www.mywhatever.com/cifwriter/content/22/4481.html

MIS-Assignment 9

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? Due: September 7, 2009, 13:00hrs GO FOR GREEN COMPUTING The field of "green technology” encompasses a broad range of subjects — from new energy-generation techniques to the study of advanced materials to be used in our daily life. Green technology focuses on reducing the environmental impact of industrial processes and innovative technologies caused by the Earth’s growing population. It has taken upon itself the goal to provide society’s needs in ways that do not damage or deplete natural resources. Mainly this means creating fully recyclable products, reducing pollution, proposing alternative technologies in various fields, and creating a center of economic activity around technologies that benefit the environment. Perhaps the most talked about aspect of green technology is the promise of alternative energy sources. Sun, wind, water, sugar — we’ve heard about them all. However, scientists are working on other aspects of the problem as well, testing building materials and studying chemical processes to reduce the use and generation of hazardous substances. Nanotechnology is also being used in an attempt to manipulate materials at the nanometer scale; scientists are hoping it can transform manufacturing on a global level, from government purchasing to a technological revolution. The huge amount of computing manufactured worldwide has a direct impact on environment issues, and scientists are conducting numerous studies in order to reduce the negative impact of computing technology on our natural resources. Companies are addressing e-waste by offering take-back recycling programs and other solutions, with lower energy consumption and less wasted hardware. A central point of research is testing and applying alternative nonhazardous materials in the products’ manufacturing process. VIA Technologies Green Computing VIA Technologies, a Taiwanese company that manufactures motherboard chipsets, CPUs, and other computer hardware, introduced its initiative for "green computing" in 2001. With this green vision, the company has been focusing on power efficiency throughout the design and manufacturing process of its products. Its environmentally friendly products are manufactured using a range of clean-computing strategies, and the company is striving to educate markets on the benefits of green computing for the sake of the environment, as well as productivity and overall user experience. Carbon-free computing Carbon-free computing (Credit: VIA) One of the VIA Technologies’ ideas is to reduce the "carbon footprint" of users — the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide (CO2). Greenhouse gases naturally blanket the Earth and are responsible for its more or less stable temperature. An increase in the concentration of the main greenhouse gases — carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorocarbons — is believed to be responsible for Earth's increasing temperature, which could lead to severe floods and droughts, rising sea levels, and other environmental effects, affecting both life and the world's economy. After the 1997 Kyoto Protocol for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the world has finally taken the first step in reducing emissions. The emissions are mainly a result of fossil-fuel-burning power plants. (In the United States, such electricity generation is responsible for 38 percent of the country’s carbon dioxide emissions.) VIA aims to offer the world's first PC products certified carbon free, taking responsibility for the amounts of CO2 they emit. The company works with environmental experts to calculate the electricity used by the device over its lifetime, generally three years. From this data, one can conclude how much carbon dioxide the device will emit into the atmosphere during its operation. This estimate will serve as an indicator, and the company will pay regional organizations for the “sequestering,” or offsetting, of the emissions. Offsetting carbon dioxide can be achieved in different ways. One way is to plant trees that absorb CO2 as they grow, in the region in which the processors were purchased. The necessary amount of trees per processor is represented by VIA's TreeMark rating system. In addition, VIA promotes the use of such alternative energy sources as solar power, so power plants wouldn't need to burn as much fossil fuels, reducing the amount of energy used. Wetlands also provide a great service in sequestering some of the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. Although they make up only 4 to 6 percent of the Earth's landmass, wetlands are capable of absorbing 20 to 25 percent of the atmospheric carbon dioxide. VIA is working closely with organizations responsible for preserving wetlands and other natural habitats, and others who support extensive recycling programs for ICT equipment. The amount paid to these organizations will be represented by a proportion of the carbon-free product’s price. Carbon-emissions control has been a key issue for many companies who have expressed a firm commitment to sustainability. Dell is a good example of a company with a green image, known for its free worldwide product-recycling program. Dell’s Plant a Tree for Me project allows customers to offset their carbon emissions by paying an extra $2 to $4, depending on the product purchased. AMD, a global microprocessor manufacturer, is also working toward reducing energy consumption in its products, cutting back on hazardous waste and reducing its eco-impact. The company’s use of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology in its manufacturing, and strained silicon capping films on transistors (known as “dual stress liner” technology), have contributed to reduced power consumption in its products. Solar Computing Solar powered computing Amid the international race toward alternative-energy sources, VIA is setting its eyes on the sun, and the company's Solar Computing initiative is a significant part of its green-computing projects. For that purpose, VIA partnered with Motech Industries, one of the largest producers of solar cells worldwide. Solar cells fit VIA's power-efficient silicon, platform, and system technologies and enable the company to develop fully solar-powered devices that are nonpolluting, silent, and highly reliable. Solar cells require very little maintenance throughout their lifetime, and once initial installation costs are covered, they provide energy at virtually no cost. Worldwide production of solar cells has increased rapidly over the last few years; and as more governments begin to recognize the benefits of solar power, and the development of photovoltaic technologies goes on, costs are expected to continue to decline. As part of VIA's “pc-1” initiative, the company established the first-ever solar-powered cyber community center in the South Pacific, powered entirely by solar technology. Lead-Free and RoHS computing In February 2003, the European Union adopted the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS). The legislation restricts the use of six hazardous materials in the manufacture of various types of electronic and electrical equipment. The directive is closely linked with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE), which sets collection, recycling, and recovery targets for electrical goods and is part of a legislative initiative that aims to reduce the huge amounts of toxic e-waste. Driven by these directives, VIA implemented a set of internal regulations in order to develop products that are compliant with these accepted policies, including the use of nonhazardous materials in its production of chipsets, processors, and companion chips. In 2001, they focused on lead-free manufacturing, introducing the Enhanced Ball Grid Array (EBGA) package for power efficient VIA processors and the Heat Sink Ball Grid Array (HSBGA) package for their chipsets. In traditional manufacturing processes, lead is used to attach the silicon core to the inside of the package and to facilitate integration onto the motherboard through tiny solder balls on the underside of the package. VIA's lead-free manufacturing technologies do not require a lead bead, and the solder balls now consist of a tin, silver, and copper composite. However, not everyone is satisfied with this new objective. Howard Johnson of the online EDN magazine says that the move toward lead-free devices is not only unhelpful but actually worse for the environment. “The additional tin mining required to produce high-purity tin alloys, plus the mining of other precious metals required to alloy with tin in substitution for lead, is a poor trade for the use of existing lead, much of which comes from recycled products,” Johnson writes. He also believes that lead-free assembly is less reliable than lead-based assembly, partially due to the increased growth of tin whiskers — small, hair-like metallic growths that naturally emerge from the surface of solid tin. On lead-free tin surfaces, these whiskers can grow to a length sufficient to short an electronic circuit to another, leading to product failure. Energy-efficient computing A central goal of VIA’s green-computing initiative is the development of energy-efficient platforms for low-power, small-form-factor (SFF) computing devices. In 2005, the company introduced the VIA C7-M and VIA C7 processors that have a maximum power consumption of 20W at 2.0GHz and an average power consumption of 1W. These energy-efficient processors produce over four times less carbon during their operation and can be efficiently embedded in solar-powered devices. VIA isn’t the only company to address environmental concerns: Intel, the world's largest semiconductor maker, revealed eco-friendly products at a recent conference in London. The company uses virtualization software, a technique that enables Intel to combine several physical systems into a virtual machine that runs on a single, powerful base system, thus significantly reducing power consumption. Earlier this year, Intel joined Google, Microsoft, and other companies in the launch of the Climate Savers Computing Initiative that commits businesses to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star guidelines for energy-efficient devices. Kevin Fisher, Intel’s EU standards director, says that while the company is dedicated to its green-computing plans, it is important to not blame the IT industry alone for carbon emissions worldwide. He argues that the industry also helps in saving huge amounts of power due to the Internet, enabling, for example, online shopping and billing. Governments go green Energy Star logo Many governments worldwide have initiated energy-management programs, such as Energy Star, an international standard for energy-efficient electronic equipment that was created by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 and has now been adopted by several other countries. Energy Star reduces the amount of energy consumed by a product by automatically switching it into “sleep” mode when not in use or reducing the amount of power used by a product when in “standby” mode. Surprisingly, standby “leaking,” the electricity consumed by appliances when they are switched off, can represent as much as 12 percent of a typical household’s electricity consumption. In Australia, standby power is a primary factor for the country’s increased greenhouse gas emissions — more than 5 megatons (CO2 equivalent) annually. Worldwide, standby power is estimated to account for as much as 1 percent of global greenhouse emissions. Most of the energy used by products on standby does not result any useful function. A small amount can be needed for maintaining memory or an internal clock, remote-control activation, or other features; but most standby power is wasted energy. Energy Star–enabled products minimize this waste. In 1998, the China National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) founded the China Energy Conservation Program (CECP), a nonprofit organization in charge of the administration, management, and implementation of the certification for energy- conserving, water-saving, and environmentally friendly products. CECP is dedicated to encouraging manufacturers to produce more resource-efficient products and help consumers make more sustainable purchase decisions. CECP undertakes various projects within the national and the international arena, actively supporting improvements in energy efficiency and environmental protection and assisting social and economic sustainable development. In Japan, the Energy Conservation Center is responsible for raising public awareness on energy conservation, training and state examinations for energy managers, and their energy-conservation campaign and exhibition (ENEX). http://thefutureofthings.com/articles/1003/green-computing.html • What should be your role within this environment? As a human we are here to protect everything that God given to us because these things that He given us had a value however it is the smallest thing. Is it correct that our role in this environment is just to destroy the beautifulness of the nature? No it’s not, because our role here as a creature is to take good care of all the non-living and living things. But look at what happen to our nature? As we remembered what happen to Metro Manila when typhoon “ONDOY” destroyed everything do you think we have done our part just to stop the typhoon? No, we didn’t and even the technology didn’t help to stop the typhoon. Our role here in go for green computing is to continue everything what we have started when the time of technology is not yet popular because as of know we are dependent with the technology. We need to protect and preserve our resources in spite of the vast of the technology because technology needs our help to work with them. • How can the principles of information organization and representation help you in performing this role? They can help us by reminding that technology is needed us, because it will not work without the manage of human. Of course it can give us the idea to do our roles and it can help others by reminding them that our environment is very important, therefore we need to protect and conserve our resources. As a user also we need to follow tips in conserving our nature. Green computing also remind us how precious we are because we have given the chance to use technologies and I hope sometimes we will put it in our mind that nature also have a big role to us but not like us that sometimes we are not doing our role and we always happy wasting some energies by playing on lines games and by not turning off the electricity even though we are not using it. • What are the challenges facing you in performing the role? How will you address these challenges? The challenges thing for me is those people who don’t care about the environment because they did not perform so as a student of this organization I should be proud because even in a little way I did my role. Also one of the challenges is what happened to our environment now, it’s a lesson to those people who don’t think about tomorrow and who don’t think about the next generation. By that challenges they should be aware that not all the time people cannot control the power of our mother earth.

MIS-Assignment 8

Assignment 8 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) Due: August 28, 2009, 13:00hrs For me, as a student in this organization and was governed by the government I would choose Out-sourcing. It’s costly unlike in-sourcing but there are many advantages in the long run. The organization can benefit financially. Eventhough you haven’t see the entire process but out-sourcing has a high strategic flexibility. Let’s discuss Out-sourcing and in-sourcing first. What is Outsourcing? Outsourcing began in the early eighties when organizations started delegating their non-core functions to an external organization that was specialized in providing a particular service, function or product. In outsourcing, the external organization would take on the management of the outsourced function. Most organizations choose outsourcing because outsourcing offers a lot of advantages. When organizations outsource to countries like India, they benefit from lower costs and high-quality services. Moreover organizations can concentrate more on core functions once they outsource their non-core functions. Outsourcing can also help organizations make better use of their resources, time and infrastructure. In outsourcing, the outsourcer and the outsourcing partner have a greater relationship when compared to the relationship between a buyer and a seller. In outsourcing, the outsourcer trusts the outsourcing partner with vital information. Outsourcing is no longer confined to the outsourcing of IT services. Outsourcers in the US and UK now outsource financial services, engineering services, creative services, data entry services and much more. Most organizations are opting to outsource because outsourcing enables organizations to access intellectual capital, focus on core competencies, shorten the delivery cycle time and reduce costs significantly. Organizations feel outsourcing is an effective business strategy to help improve their business. What is Insourcing? The opposite of outsourcing can be defined as insourcing. When an organization delegates its work to another entity, which is internal yet not a part of the organization, it is termed as insourcing. The internal entity will usually have a specialized team who will be proficient in the providing the required services. Organizations sometimes opt for insourcing because it enables them to maintain a better control of what they outsource. Insourcing has also come to be defined as transferring work from one organization to another organization which is located within the same country. Insourcing can also mean an organization building a new business centre or facility which would specialize in a particular service or product. Organizations involved in production usually opt for insourcing in order to cut down the cost of labor and taxes amongst others. The trend towards insourcing has increased since the year 2006. Organizations who have been dissatisfied with outsourcing have moved towards insourcing. Some organizations feel that they can have better customer support and better control over the work outsourced by insourcing their work rather than outsourcing it. According to recent studies, there is more wok insourced than outsourced in the U.S and U.K. These countries are currently the largest outsourcers in the world. The U.S and U.K outsource and insource work equally. What is best for your organization? If your organization has a number of non-core processes which are taking plenty of time, effort and resources to perform in-house, it would be wise to outsource these non-core functions. Outsourcing in this case, would help you save on time, effort, manpower and would also aid you in making quicker deliveries to your customers. If you require expertise services in areas which do not fall under your core competency, then outsourcing will be a good option as you can get access to expertise services. For reducing costs and making faster deliverables, outsourcing is again a good option. If your work involves production, then it would be more ideal for your organization to opt for insourcing, as you can save on transportation costs and exercise a better control over your project. It is not necessary to choose outsourcing over insourcing or vice versa. Your organization can outsource and insource at the same time. By outsourcing and insourcing simultaneously, you can have the best of what both offers and your business can get a competitive advantage! INSOURCING Advantages Disadvantages • High degree of control. • Reduces strategic flexibility. • Ability to oversee the entire process. • Requires high investment. • Economies of scale and/or scope. • Potential suppliers may offer superior products and services. OUTSOURCING Advantages Disadvantages · High strategic flexibility. • Possibility of choosing a bad supplier · Low investment risk. • Loss of control over the process · Improved cash flow. • & core technologies • Access to state-of-the-art • "Hollowing out" of the corporation products and services.

MIS-Assignment 7

Assignment 7 In 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. Due: before August 24, 2009, 13:00hrs “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....” The telecommunication can help us a lot because we can contact other people from other places. But how can it be better if there are a lot of people complaining about the service of the telecommunication? We all know that most of us using cell phones and even telephone by means of that we can interact with others and by the telecommunication we can build business. Because of the problem in the service of the network people sometimes lost their trust with the network. 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 $6 billion and employment of 600,000, the BPO phenomenon speaks eloquently of our competitiveness and productivity. Let us have a Department of ICT.... In the last four years tourism almost doubled. It is now a $5 billion industry... Our reforms gave us the resources to protect our people, our financial system and our economy from the worst of shocks that the best in the west failed to anticipate.... Electricity helps us a lot. By the help of it we can use computers as well as those things that need electricity. We all know that electricity was the main reason why we can use one thing like computer because it is the main power. Just like mentioned above that last year the tourism almost doubled and now a $5 billion industry it’s because of the electronics. Philippines had a big communication to other countries because of business. We have built airports of international standard, upgraded domestic airports, built seaports and the RORO system. I ask Congress for a Philippine Transport Security Authority Law.... Because of the built airports of international standard some of the travelers will not get hard to travel because of that airport. The new built airport, seaport and RORO system it’s because of this the traveler will not find harder to choose an airport, seaport that is cheaper those airports and seaports.

MIS-Assignment 6

Assignment 6 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) Due: before August 19, 2009, 13:00hrs If I will be given a chance to be hired by the university president as an IT consultant, first I will accept it because it’s an opportunity. We all know that our generation now is very high-tech as well as we prefer to use a computer than to use a type writer because computer is one of the example of a thing that can make our work faster. But there is a question, what if the internet connection of your computer is so very slow how can you make some things faster? Of course it can make your work in trouble because if you want to make it faster you can’t. For me I’ll suggest that students in a school that have a laptop I will allow them to use or to connect it with the computer because our school didn’t allow us to connect our own laptop to their computers. As an IT consultant well I will make sure that the computer unit we have must always updated and I will suggest to put more computers inside the computer lab so that those student who don’t have their own laptop they can be given a chance to use with it. Here are some steps to improve the internet connectivity of the university: Develop a Request for Change (RFC): This may originate from problem management where an issue, or a series of related issues, is identified and a mitigating change is necessary to prevent (or minimize) future effects. The RFC may also originate as a result of a business decision that will require some modification (add, delete, change) to the supporting technology. An RFC may also be necessary due to outside influences (i.e. governmental regulations or changes made by business partners). Obtain Business Change Acceptance: The decision to make a change is typically a business decision where costs vs. benefits are weighed. Even in situations where the change is strictly infrastructure oriented (component or system failure) the decision to spend money resides with the business, not with the IT department. There are occasions when procedures are developed in advance to preauthorize changes such as emergency system maintenance, but regardless of the timing of the authorization, the decision still rests with the business management. Initiate the Development Project: Development of the change (including testing) is an IT-guided function. In the event of an emergency change (server is down) those functions are typically predetermined. When a new system is to be developed, there is a collaborative effort between the business users and the IT team. The systems are designed by IT, the design is approved by the business partners (users), developed by IT, tested by a combination of IT and the users, and the final product is approved by both. Careful attention must be given to ancillary effects the new change may have on existing systems. Pass the Change Management Gate: The Change Advisory Board (CAB) reviews all changes before they can be put into production. Normally, the CAB will consist of a group of people with different perspectives, backgrounds and areas of expertise. Their function is to review the change from a process and governance standpoint to assure that all foreseeable risks have been identified and mitigated, and that compensatory techniques are in place for any elements of exposure (things that could go wrong). The development team and the change sponsor will present the change to the CAB. Evaluation of risk will be the focus. Implementation strategies, communication to affected stakeholders, backout plans and post-implementation monitoring are elements on which the CAB is required to focus. The CAB is not responsible for determining if the change is appropriate – that decision has already been made. The CAB is also not responsible for determining if the change is cost effective. Again, that is strictly a business decision. Implement the Change: If the CAB does not approve the change, the reasons are listed (this is always because certain risks have not been mitigated or communications have not been planned) and the development team will be given time to fix those issues and reschedule a meeting before the CAB. If the change is approved, the implementation is scheduled. It is not normally the case that the CAB is represented at implementation although it is possible that some members of the CAB have expertise that is necessary during the implementation, but they will not be present as official CAB representatives, but rather as subject matter experts (SME). How the change is implemented, the checklist and steps, are predefined and were presented to and approved by the CAB. The entire process must be thoroughly documented and the approved process must be precisely followed. Report the Results: Either the change was implemented successfully with no issues, the change was implemented with issues that were corrected during implementation, the change was implemented with issues that were deemed acceptable, issues arose that were unacceptable and the change was rolled back, or in the worst case the change was implemented with unacceptable issues and could not be rolled back. Whatever the result, that is documented and returned to the CAB. The CAB is then responsible for distributing that information to the stakeholders and for storing and maintaining those results in the Change Management system (that may either be an automated database or a paper filing system, but the documents must be maintained for audit purposes). Link Problem Management to Changes: Issues that arise should be compared to the CAB documentation of changes so any unanticipated adverse effects of a change can be isolated. It is often the case that undesirable effects of a change are not noticed immediately, but are identified by the emergence of problems in ancillary systems. For example, the addition of several fields to a database might not have a direct negative effect on the users but could impact network performance that would be apparent to other users who are not directly involved with the modified system. Periodically Audit the CMP: At least once each year an audit of the CMP should be conducted to assure that all change documentation is maintained and available. Every change approval document should be examined to assure that the proper signatures are in place and that the results of the implementation are properly documented. Below are the tips: Procedures should be subject to Change Management. If there is a change in system backup scheduling, that must go through Change Management. Analyze every change of any kind (system or procedure) to determine if there is any possible risk. Standard periodic maintenance should be preapproved. If it is a normal process to reboot a server on Sunday morning at 2:00 AM, it is not necessary to submit an RFC each time, but that process must be approved in advance. Ad-hoc maintenance must adhere to the CMP. Include such things as testing the fire suppression systems, cleaning sub-flooring in the data center, HVAC inspection and testing and even pest control maintenance. Some companies go so far as to require an RFC if a light bulb is changed in the data center (the ladder fell and damaged the network). Here are the warnings: Politics can often get in the way of the CAB. "This change is required" may be true, but it could also be a personal agenda from one of the executives. The CAB must have ultimate authority to make decisions on implementation. Rotate CAB members frequently. Always having the same members can lead to favoritism, and it can lead to burnout. You want your CAB to be fresh, pay attention, and not be subject to outside political influences.

HRM-Assignment 10

Assignment 10 Look for various definitions of personnel management and human resource management and their authors and sources (minimum of 5). Critique each. Due: September 21, 2009, 13:00hrs Based on my research over the net, it had me various description about personnel management and human Resource management. Let’s have a discussion about the descriptions: PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT: 1. The function of a personnel manager usually begins with the staffing process. The manager may be focused on screening and interviewing applicants, with an eye to placing individuals with the right skill sets in the right position within the company. Along with placement, the HR manager may also oversee, or at least be involved in, the creation of entry level training programs, as well as continuing education opportunities for existing employees. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-personnel-management.htm my point of view: based on the description above that the personnel manager is the one who manage a business where he is also the one who interviewed the applicants that are willing to apply on the company and the personnel manager also can give the opportunities for those applicants because the personnel manager will decide if the applicants are qualified for the job. 2. The part of management that is concerned with people and their relationships at work. Personnel management is the responsibility of all those who manage people, as well as a description of the work of specialists. Personnel managers advise on, formulate, and implement personnel policies such as recruitment, conditions of employment, performance appraisal, training, industrial relations, and health and safety. There are various models of personnel management, of which human resource management is the most recent. http://dictionary.bnet.com/definition/Personnel+Management.html my point of view: based on the description above the personnel managers they have the big role in the company where did their work because they are the one who choose for the best applicants and they are also the one who give advises and they are the one who implements the personnel policies as well as the personnel managers also are the model of the personnel management. 3. Administrative discipline of hiring and developing employees so that they become more valuable to the organization. It includes (1) conducting job analyses, (2) planning personnel needs, and recruitment, (3) selecting the right people for the job, (4) orienting and training, (5) determining and managing wages and salaries, (6) providing benefits and incentives, (7) appraising performance, (8) resolving disputes, (9) communicating with all employees at all levels. http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/personnel-management.html my point of view: based on my own understanding that the personnel manager are the one who are take in charge of hiring an employee, they are also the one who planned for the personnel needs and recruitment, selecting the right person for the job and communicates with all employees at all levels as sort of they are the one who are holding the future of the company and they have the biggest responsibilities in the company. 4. Human resource management (HRM) is the strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organization's most valued assets - the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the business.[1] The terms "human resource management" and "human resources" (HR) have largely replaced the term "personnel management" as a description of the processes involved in managing people in organizations.[1] In simple sense, HRM means employing people, developing their resources, utilizing, maintaining and compensating their services in tune with the job and organizational requirement. http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/personnel-management.html My point of view: (HRM) Human resources management based on the description above that it is employing people, developing their resources, utilizing, maintaining and compensating their services in the tune with the job and organizational requirement. It is also coherent and strategic approach to the management of an organization’s most valued assets. They are the person who search for an employees who can contribute a big achievement for the company. 5. Human Resource management is based in the efficient utilization of employees in achieving two main goals within a corporation or other type of organization. The first goal is to effectively make use of the talents and abilities of employees to achieve the operational objectives that are the ultimate aim of the organization. Along with realizing the goals of the organization, Human Resource management also seeks to ensure that the individual employee is satisfied with both the working environment and the compensation and benefits that he or she receives. At times, the two main functions of Human Resource management (HRM), seem to be at odds with one another. There are certainly instances where it is impossible to arrive at solutions that are in line with both the aims of the company and the desires of the employee. When this happens, effective Human Resource management is faced with the task of finding a resolution that protects the interests of the company, but at the same time provides and acceptable level of satisfaction to the employee. This process can sometimes take a great deal of expertise on the part of the Human Resource personnel, but ultimately will help establish the best solution for all concerned parties. Among the human resource issues that are generally handled by HR management personnel are the drafting of position descriptions for all levels of employment within the company, setting the standards and procedures that are used for hiring new employees, and determining benefits that are extended to existing employees. Disciplinary procedures, as well as procedures for recognizing employees for exemplary work, also fall under the province of Human Resource management. Human Resource management often seeks to provide the highest quality benefit packages possible, given the current financial position of the company. To this end, personnel concerned with Human Resources will seek the best in group health insurance, retirement programs, profit sharing, and vacation and personal days. Preparing and maintaining a company employee handbook is often the province of Human Resource management. As part of that process, the management team will ensure that all guidelines and regulations contained within the text are in compliance with local, state, and federal laws that impact the status of employees. Human Resource management will also provide all employees with opportunities to understand the provisions within the handbook, both as part of new employee orientation and as an ongoing employee education process. Often, Human Resource management and personnel are called upon to mediate grievances between employees and immediate supervisors. In these situations, the mediator will seek to represent the best interests of the company, ensure that the dialogue and process is in compliance with laws governing employment within the country of residence, and seek to affect resolution and reconciliation of all parties. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-human-resource-management.htm My point of view: based on the articles that I had read that the Human resources have a goals to be achieve, first is to make use of the talents and abilities of employees to achieve operational objectives that are ultimate aim of the organization, if you are an employee you should show what talents or abilities you have not just to impress the manager but for you to help the company to achieve their plan they want to aim.

HRM-Assignment 9

Assignment 9 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) Due: September 14, 2009, 13:00hrs During the interview, I was amazed because I thought the respondent personnel of the company I chose is strict and can’t understand the objective of my interview. I waited in the lobby since she was busy answering phone calls. I was upset because I thought I am disturbing her so much. But in the end, I was wrong. The lady sitting in front is not quite old to be in her age because he acts like my age. She always wears smiles during our conversation. I asked her what’s in her that she keeps on smiling, she told me that being in her position she should always wear smile since she is the HR Assistant. I ask her the questions direct to the point and presented the data I have researched over the net. She consequently agreed everything that goes beyond my data. And here it is. Human resources may be defined as the total knowledge, skills, creative abilities, talents and aptitudes of an organization's workforce, as well as the values, attitudes, approaches and beliefs of the individuals involved in the affairs of the organization. It is the sum total or aggregate of inherent abilities, acquired knowledge and skills represented by the talents and aptitudes of the persons employed in the organization. The human resources are multi­dimensional in nature. From the national point of view, human resources may be defined as the knowledge, skills, creative abilities, talents and aptitudes obtained in the population; whereas from the view­point of the individual enterprise, they represent the total of the inherent abilities, acquired knowledge and skills as exemplified in the talents and aptitudes of its employees. 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: Objectives To help the organization reach its goals. To ensure effective utilization and maximum develop­ment of human resources. To ensure respect for human beings. To identify and satisfy the needs of individuals. To ensure reconciliation of indivi­dual goals with those of the organization. To achieve and maintain high morale among employees. To provide the organization with well-trained and well-motivated employees. To increase to the fullest the employee's job satisfaction and self-actualization. To develop and maintain a quality of work life. To be ethically and socially res­ponsive to the needs of society. To develop overall personality of each employee in its multi­dimensional aspect. To enhance employee's capabi­lities to perform the present job. To equip the employees with precision and clarity in trans­action of business. To inculcate the sense of team spirit, team work and inter-team collaboration. Human Resource Manage­ment: Functions In order to achieve the above objectives, Human Resource Manage­ment undertakes the following activi­ties: Human resource or manpower planning. Recruitment, selection and place­ment of personnel. Training and development of employees. Appraisal of performance of employees. Taking corrective steps such as transfer from one job to another. Remuneration of employees. Social security and welfare of employees. Setting general and specific management policy for organiza­tional relationship. Collective bargaining, contract negotiation and grievance hand­ling. Staffing the organization. Aiding in the self-development of employees at all levels. Developing and maintaining motivation for workers by pro­viding incentives. Reviewing and auditing man­power management in the organization Potential Appraisal. Feedback Counseling. Role Analysis for job occupants. Job Rotation. Quality Circle, Organization development and Quality of Working Life. I was so pleased hearing that she agreed upon the data. She told me that it is not easy being in her position since she is assigned to take all the responsibility over the employees. Her role in the company is very vital. After the long conversation, she told me to go back and after I graduated I’ll apply because she will eventually hire me and I don’t know the reason why she told me that. I’m glad I learned a lot from her.

HRM-Assignment 8

Assignment 8 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) Due: September 7, 2009, 13:00hrs “Towards that vision, we made key reforms. Our economic plan centers on putting people first. Higit sa lahat ang layunin ng ating mga patakaran ay tulungan ang masipag na karaniwang Pilipino. New tax revenues were put in place to help pay for better healthcare, more roads, and a strong education system. Housing policies were designed to lift up our poorest citizens so they can live and raise a family with dignity. Ang ating mga puhunan sa agrikultura ay naglalayong kilalanin ang ating mga magsasaka bilang backbone ng ating bansa, at bigyan sila ng mga modernong kagamitan to feed our nation and feed their own family....” As what did mention above that our economic plan centers on putting people first. With this statement those people who are poor they have given a chance to improve anything with the help of the economic plan. Of course with that, those people who don’t have a permanent house would be given a chance to have their own house so that they can live and raise a family with dignity. To those farmers they were also given a chance to use the new equipment for farming so that they can feed their own family and also our nation. Noong isang taon, nabiyayaan ng tig-P500 ang mahigit pitong milyong tahanan bilang Katas ng Pantawid Koryente para sa mga small electricity users....Iyong power rates, ang EPIRA natin ang pangmatagalang sagot. EPIRA dismantled monopoly. But minana natin iyong power purchase agreements under preceding administrations, so hindi pa natin makuha iyong buong intended effect. Pero happy na rin tayo, dahil isang taon na lamang iyan. The next generation will benefit from low prices from our EPIRA. Thank you... The government helps people to decrease the electricity bill rather than to increase because if the electricity bill will increase there will be a protest and it can cause strike. The government talked to the company so that their pal to decrease the payment for the electricity will be approved by the company. Even though we can’t get yet the intended effect we should be thankful and be happy because our government helps us. Ang magandang edukasyon ay susi sa mas mabuting buhay, the great equalizer that allows every young Filipino a chance to realize their dreams...Nagtayo tayo ng 95,000 na silid-aralan, nagdagdag ng 60,000 na guro, naglaan ng P1.5 billion para sa teacher training, especially for 100,000 English teachers. Isa sa pinakamahirap na Millennium Development Goals ay iyong Edukasyon para sa Lahat pagdating ng 2015, na nangunguhulugang lahat ng nasa edad ay nasa grade school. Halos walang bansang nakakatupad nito. Ngunit nagsisikap tayo. Binaba natin ang gastos ng pagpasok. Nagtayo tayo ng mga eskwela sa higit isang libong barangay na dati walang eskwelahan, upang makatipid ng gastos ng pasahe ang mga bata. Tinanggal natin ang miscellaneous fees para sa primary school. Education is one of the main needs of all human, so the government also gives that person who wants to achieve their dreams. There are schools that under construction because we all know that the school we have is not enough for all the Filipino who wants to study. Based with the president that some of other countries can’t give this kind of help to build some schools for those people who wants to study.

HRM-Assignment 7

Assignment 7 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) Due: August 28, 2009, 13:00hrs Human beings are the most potent resource of an organization it’s because we people are effective to others. Why? Because we have the strength to speak out what we feel is right and if you observe that when you are an employee and your manager ask you to give some advice with that kind of plan then you can share your some details it’s because you also know what is right with your company or with your organization. And why do humans is critical resource of any organization? As what others say that human are so judgmental but for me we are not because it is better to let others know what are those things that are right for them but not just if you correct the mistake of your co-employee it does not mean that you judge him/her but you just want him/her to know what’s better. As all we know human is the highest creation that God made and we do believe that human is important but still human is hard to manage it is because we, people don’t have the same attitude and in times of work sometimes we feel that we always right that we don’t have time to listen to others and as well as we forget to follow the rules and regulation of the company where we are working. People don’t care about what they can’t immediately relate with, unfortunately plus we people refuse to admit our mistakes. We are right that we people are important resource of any organization because if there are no people in an organization do you think the organization will be managed? Maybe not, because there is no other living things that can managed an organization because we humans have the ability to think what’s right for that organization and we can control what happens to the organization. Maybe some of employees are not following rules and regulation in the company or in the organization, best example of it was those people who are in a big position they are the first person who didn’t follow rules. We all know that being a corrupt is one of the big mistake but why those people do it? It is because of being greedy? But being greedy is a big mistake. Human beings are important in an organization because we have logic as well as the ability to predict the future, and overall more intelligent. Human beings had a big role in making the organization successful. We cannot build an organization without human because only human can know how to operate a computer just to manage it as well as computers are useless without us because we are the one who knows how to explore every little thing here in the world. In an organization human is important because we have the strength to overcome all the problems and if there is no human that will handle an organization then it will not be successful. Human had a big contribution in an organization because even though how big the problem is, they pursue their best just to solve it because human always think about the other human. Come to think of it, when you are in the center of a big forest then do you think we can call it a forest if there are no animals and some living things living there? No, you can’t call it as a big forest then it looks like an organization without human managing it. You cannot call it organization unless there is a human who will prioritize it. Human is a very big help to all things around us here because as what I’ve said earlier we can control everything around here because we have the knowledge to work with things even though it is very hard, for us human we don’t even think what might happen to the things that even though we know it is hard. By the way when we can hear a human beings what comes to our mind? It could be human beings will be destroying in everything. Well human is a creation or an individual. What is the contribution of the human beings here or in an organization? Well, human beings are the one who will let the problems to overcome, to manage and even to decide what’s better for us even we, we know what is better to others.

HRM-Assignment 6

What do you think will the 21st -century corporations look like? (1000words) As time goes by, Corporations have a long-run due to the success of technologies in our era. People tend to rely more over in the technology. In my own point of view, 21st century corporations would set new rules over people managing it. Small companies would vanish constantly and bid corporations would be put on the top. Now let’s discuss what a corporation is. A corporation is a legal entity separate from the persons who own it or the persons who manage or operate it. In British tradition it is the term designating a body corporate, where it can be either a corporation sole (an office held by an individual natural person, which is a legal entity separate from that person) or a corporation aggregate (involving more persons). In American and, increasingly, international usage, the term denotes a body corporate formed to conduct business, and this meaning of corporation is discussed in the remaining part of this entry (the limited company in British usage). Corporations exist as a product of corporate law, and their rules balance the interests of the management who operate the corporation; creditors who loan it goods, services or money; shareholders that invest their capital and the employees who contribute their labor. People work together in corporations to produce value and generate income. In modern times, corporations have become an increasingly dominant part of economic life. People rely on corporations for employment, for their goods and services, for the value of the pensions, for economic growth and social development. The defining feature of a corporation is its legal independence from the people who create it. If a corporation fails, shareholders normally only stand to lose their investment (and possibly, in the unusual case where the shares are not fully paid up, any amount outstanding on them - and not even that in the case of a No liability company), and employees will lose their jobs, but neither will be further liable for debts that remain owing to the corporation's creditors unless they have separately varied this, e.g. with personal guarantees. This rule is called limited liability, and it is why the names of corporations in the UK end with "Ltd." (or some variant like "Inc." and "plc"). Despite not being natural persons, corporations are recognized by the law to have rights and responsibilities like actual people. Corporations can exercise human rights against real individuals and the state,[1] and they may be responsible for human rights violations.[2] Just as they are "born" into existence through its members obtaining a certificate of incorporation, they can "die" when they lose money into insolvency. Corporations can even be convicted of criminal offences, such as fraud and manslaughter.[3] Five common characteristics of the modern corporation, according to Harvard University Professors Hansmann and Kraakman are: * delegated management, in other words, control of the company placed in the hands of a board of directors * limited liability of the shareholders (so that when the company is insolvent, they only owe the money that they subscribed for in shares) * investor ownership, which Hansmann and Kraakman take to mean, ownership by shareholders.[4] * separate legal personality of the corporation (the right to sue and be sued in its own name) * transferrable shares (usually on a listed exchange, such as the London Stock Exchange, New York Stock Exchange or Euronext in Paris) Ownership of a corporation is complicated by increasing social and economic interdependence, as different stakeholders compete to have a say in corporate affairs. In most developed countries excluding the English speaking world, company boards have representatives of both shareholders and employees to "codetermine" company strategy. Calls for increasing corporate social responsibility are made by consumer, environmental and human rights activists, and this has led to larger corporations drawing up codes of conduct. In Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, corporate law has not yet stepped into that field, and its building blocks remain the study of corporate governance and corporate finance. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporations Corporations As the world starts to globalize, it is accompanied by criticism of the current forms of globalization, which are feared to be overly corporate-led. As corporations become larger and multinational, their influence and interests go further accordingly. Being able to influence and own most media companies, it is hard to be able to publicly debate the notions and ideals that corporations pursue. Some choices that corporations take to make profits can affect people all over the world. Sometimes fatally. THE RISE OF CORPORATIONS Today we know that corporations, for good or bad, are major influences on our lives. For example, of the 100 largest economies in the world, 51 are corporations while only 49 are countries. In this era of globalization, marginalized people are becoming especially angry at the motives of multinational corporations, and corporate-led globalization is being met with increasing protest and resistance. How did corporations ever get such power in the first place? What was the impact of giving corporations the same right as individuals in 1886 in the United States? CORPORATIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS Large, transnational corporations are becoming increasingly powerful. As profits are naturally the most important goal, damaging results can arise, such as violation of human rights, lobbying for and participating in manipulated international agreements, environmental damage, child labor, driving towards cheaper and cheaper labor, and so on. Multinational corporations claim that their involvement in foreign countries is actually a constructive engagement as it can promote human rights in non-democratic nations. However, it seems that that is more of a convenient excuse to continue exploitative practices. 21ST-century corporations Corporations in the 21st century would be basically continued to grow as the world starts to globalize. Human rights would reduce as man power will continued to its peak. It’s hard to tell the truth but the main subject of the corporations which is the Human itself will imbalance to its duty. For me, it’s a challenge to have and it’s a risk to take. When it comes to environment, corporation would leave a big problem into our society if they don’t take the actions. Let’s read some information below. CORPORATIONS AND WORKER’S RIGHTS For many companies, the largest cost is often the work force. Hence, where profits are the bottom line, it is only natural for companies to seek out the cheapest labor possible. However, when international agreements are often designed to foster an environment where cheaper and cheaper labor is promoted, the workers themselves are often not paid enough to live on. When a nation tries to provide regulatory steps to improve workers conditions (which does mean more costs to the companies), multinational corporations naturally pick up and go to other places where there are less measures in place. In this way, improving working conditions will always be difficult, as it is not in the interest of the large companies. http://www.globalissues.org/issue/50/corporations

HRM-Assignment 5

Visit and identify a company website that has undergone HR downsizing. Identify the cause of downsizing and describe its processes. (1500words) Due: August 17, 2009, 13:00hrs Upon searching over the net, I have found this interesting company that goes downsizing – IBM. Let’s find out the reasons. IBM labor group sees growth, challenges Organizers say interest increasing By Craig WolfPoughkeepsie Journal Some say it's a union; some say it's not. Whatever it is or isn't, the labor movement that popped up five years ago among workers at IBM Corp. is still there. IBM's downsizing of its U.S. pension plan lit a fuse of frustration among many of the company's American employees, who totaled about 145,000 at the time, after years of massive job eliminations and benefits cuts. One consequence was that red T-shirts began appearing in the halls of Big Blue. The shirts touted the Communications Workers of America. It was an unlikely sight, given IBMers had never gone for the communications workers' union nor any other union to represent them in collective bargaining. They still haven't done that, but the alliance hasn't quit. Nor has it limited itself to that classic model of the bargaining unit. ''We are, even without a union contract, a voice for IBM employees inside the company,'' said Lee Conrad, a national organizer for the mailto:Alliance@IBM ''Our membership continues to grow,'' said Linda Guyer, president of Alliance@ IBM, and an IBMer at the Endicott site in Broome County. ''We've got over 6,000 members now. The good thing this year is we're starting to open new chapters,'' including one in Arizona. Alliance organizer Bill Costine, an employee of IBM East Fishkill, said interest picked up this year. ''At the beginning of the year, there was interest when medical costs were shifted to employees in a big way,'' he said. ''One person's costs went up in the ballpark of $500 a month.'' Many with family plans saw boosts in the $300 range, he said. ''That generated a lot of sign-ups,'' Costine said. ''We had the biggest jump this year that we've had in a long time because of the jump in the cost of the benefits.'' To call an election, the communications union would need to find enough committed members to form a potential bargaining unit. Organizers say that usually is more readily done within a site than across a wide geography and typically involves people who have similar sorts of jobs. IBM's jobs run the gamut from factory line workers to scientists with doctoral degrees. So IBM remains a tough one, Guyer acknowledges. ''I think we're doing well. I think it's slow and it's difficult. IBM's such a big company with so many sites.'' Organizer Tom Steed of the Communications Workers of America's Poughkeepsie office said, ''What I find at IBM is that people, basically, they're hyperindividuals. ... They don't understand what unions are. They say, here I am with my master's degree and I'm not suitable for a union.'' An IBM spokeswoman de-clined to comment on the state of union activities. The management's consistent stance has formerly been that they don't think unions would serve the interests of the company and that competitors are mostly non-union. A sign of management's stance emerged last week with news the National Labor Relations Board upheld the company in a 3-2 vote on whether a nonunionized employee enjoys the right to have someone come along to a meeting with management where disciplinary action may be discussed. Fired workers complain This ''Weingarten right," IBM argued, doesn't apply to three employees at its Raleigh, N.C., site, who tried to invoke it for investigatory interviews. They were later fired, and complained to the board. They were not involved with a union, the board said, and thus lacked the rule's protection. Ironically, the decision is being turned by organized labor to its advantage. ''Weingarten will remind people even more, that without a union, you don't have a voice in the workplace,'' said Candace Johnson, a Communications Workers of America spokeswoman in Washington. The alliance has found other things to do while it tries to build its ranks. It publishes "Thinktwice!", a newsletter with a name that is a takeoff on founder Thomas Watson's motto, ''Think.'' It backs stockholder resolutions at IBM's annual meetings. One, by Donald Parry of Florida, called for excluding accounting gains in the pension funds from executive compensation. It got 37.5 percent of the votes, the alliance said. Another consequence of that move by IBM to shift to a cash-balance pension in the summer of 1999 was a federal lawsuit against IBM by workers -- who have prevailed so far. Plaintiffs proposed a formula for how IBM should pay the thousands of workers affected. The sum of $6 billion was provided by IBM as an interpretation of the plaintiffs' remedy. ''We will appeal once the judge rules,'' IBM spokeswoman Kendra Collins said. The case wasn't brought by the alliance, but it claims a piece of the credit for IBM's partial rollback of the 1999 pension plan changes to let more workers keep the old plan. ''IBM would never have done that if there wasn't a lot of mobilizing around the pension issue and bringing it here to Capitol Hill,'' said Johnson, the communications union spokeswoman in Washington. New wrinkles keep popping up. The alliance is mobilizing politically on the issue of offshoring, or moving work from American workers to people overseas. A campaign is developing nationally with a mid-Hudson contingent among retirees, many of whom now face higher payments for health benefits they still get from IBM. A new group, Benefits Restoration Inc., formed of IBM retirees, is organizing and pressing IBM for mercy and government for legal reform. A flyer from the group accuses IBM of breaking its promises of cradle-to-grave coverage. Dutchess County Legislator Joel Tyner, D-Clinton, has picked up that issue and is sponsoring a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Rhinebeck Town Hall, with Art Richter of Benefits Restoration as speaker. ''We're working jointly with them on retiree issues,'' said the alliance's Conrad. ''We're separate organizations but we have the same concerns.'' You can read this full text at http://www.endicottalliance.org/PoughkeepsieJournal_com%20-%20IBM%20labor%20group%20sees%20growth,%20challenges.htm After reading it, I have found some sources on how to survive downsizing. Let’s find out what are those. 18 Ways to Survive Your Company's Reorganization, Takeover, Downsizing, or Other Major Change. By Morton C. Orman, M.D. Copyright © 1995-2002 M.C. Orman, MD, FLP Many companies today are under intense economic pressure. Reorganizations, takeovers, mergers, downsizings, joint ventures, and other major changes are extremely common, as companies try to grow and survive. These changes present new challenges and demands for everyone, from the C.E.O to the telephone receptionist. All members of the organization must therefore learn to cope with change or suffer consequences. When change is not handled well, additional loss of jobs can occur. In addition, demoralization of the work force; increased worker turnover; decreased cooperation and teamwork; and increased levels of stress, anxiety, absenteeism, illness, and mistakes can follow. The purpose of this Special Report is to highlight eighteen principles that are useful for coping with organizational change. While all eighteen of these principles may not apply to your situation, please read through the entire list to find those that do appeal to you. 1. BE PREPARED FOR CHANGE Change is--and always has been--an inevitable part of life. In today's business climate, however, the pace of change has definitely increased. Since most people normally hate to go through change, you can easily understand how today's pace of change can be stressful for many employees. Most of us prefer established routines. We like to feel secure, stable, and familiar with our responsibilities. The one thing we hate most is uncertainty--uncertainty about our jobs, our future, our status in the organization, the role we are expected to play, and what other changes might be coming down the pike. Unfortunately, most businesses are forced to make changes today just to survive. Global transformations require speedy adjustments. Local and national economic forces must be recognized and responded to promptly. New sources of competition and new technologies suddenly appear out of nowhere. Like successful professional athletic teams, most businesses today must continually make changes to remain competitive. Thus, instead of fearing change, resisting it, or hoping it won't ever happen to you, it's much better to prepare yourself mentally for the inevitable changes that are likely to occur. Start today by imagining how you could cope with sudden, massive change. Think about likely scenarios and then brainstorm, on your own or with others, about how you might best respond. Assume that the "rug could get pulled from beneath you" at any time. Then, if this happens, you won't be caught off guard. You'll already be psychologically and emotionally ready. If the changes never come, you'll still be better off. Having prepared yourself in advance will enable you to feel much more confident and secure in your normal day- to-day activities. 2. EXPRESS SADNESS, LOSS, ANXIETY ABOUT THE FUTURE When change does occur, don't pretend it isn't painful. Yes, change can bring new opportunities for personal growth, accomplishment, and organizational success. But it also causes feelings of sadness, loss, and anxiety about the future. These are normal human responses. When people get laid off or fired, everybody hurts. We feel for our friends and coworkers. We empathize with their pain, anger, and sadness. In fact, we may have our own similar feelings to deal with, as new demands and responsibilities suddenly come our way. When people get promoted, when organizational relationships change, or when our own job responsibilities become altered, there is a normal reaction of sadness, anxiety, and loss. One of the worst things you can do when this happens is to pretend everything is "just fine." Even if you agree intellectually that the changes are necessary, emotionally you still may have some painful, negative reactions to deal with. Unfortunately, today's business culture has little regard for honest human emotions. Expressing or even acknowledging negative feelings is considered "inappropriate." Workers are expected to be upbeat, positive, and "team players" all the time. While this is a laudable goal, there should also be room for people to express heart-felt negativity as well. Truly enlightened business leaders know this. During times of significant change, they actively solicit negative feelings from their workers. They know that denying these feelings or trying to suppress their expression will only make things worse. 3. WATCH OUT FOR UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS Unrealistic expectations can be a tremendous source of stress and unnecessary suffering. Unfortunately, when organizations undergo downsizings, restructurings, or other major changes, a whole host of unhealthy, unreasonable expectations frequently arise. Upper management may expect, for example, that increased productivity will quickly occur, even though the work force has been seriously reduced. Or, management may expect they can impose any changes they want, without consider-ing how employees feel about them. Employees, on the other hand, might expect that management should always act in a caring and compassionate manner. They might expect better communication from company leaders; more sensitivity to their feelings and needs; or more respect for their health, well-being, and family responsibilities. While all of these things may be important for good employer-employee relationships, to expect them to be forthcoming from management (without encouragement from the rank-and-file) is to invite disappointment, resentment, and low morale. 4. DON'T LET YOURSELF OR OTHERS BE ABUSED During times of change, it is common to let yourself and others be easily abused. When workers have been fired or laid off, there is a natural tendency to wonder if you might be next. This climate of fear might prevent you from speaking up forcefully when excessive or unreasonable demands are placed upon you. Anxiety quickly spreads throughout the entire workforce, making it even more difficult to obtain support for questioning unreasonable company policies. But sometimes, questioning policies is healthy and appropriate. If you feel that you or fellow workers are being unfairly abused, try to tactfully broach this subject with your immediate superiors. Try to do this in a way that isn't offensive or that doesn't make you appear to be lazy, uncooperative, or unwilling to do your share. Yes, there is always a risk when you make such a move. You could easily get fired or be branded as a troublemaker. But if you truly have your company's interests at heart, you may be able to negotiate a more fair and humane work environment for all concerned. After all, if the remaining workforce is angry and demoralized, how could this possibly be good for business? 5. ACKNOWLEDGE ANY INCREASED PRESSURES, DEMANDS, OR WORKLOADS One of the biggest mistakes most companies make when they downsize or restructure is they fail to acknowledge the increased pressures, demands, and workloads that temporarily fall upon remaining employees. Sometimes, retained workers are asked to do the work of two or three individuals with little appreciation or acknowledgement. Their salaries are not increased commensurately or perhaps even at all. The resources made available to them are often very lean or nonexistent. While at the very same time, the demands on their productivity might be significantly increased! All of this could occur without even a word of thanks or gratitude from the company leaders who ultimately benefit from such an arrangement. Whether your company realizes how short-sighted this failure of recognition is, you don't have to compound this mistake. Be sure to regularly acknowledge to yourself and to your coworkers if your responsibilities have been substantially increased. While it may take time for you to successfully readjust, always strive to acknowledge whatever is true for you at the moment. Discuss your feelings with your family, friends, and loved ones. Consider discussing them with your superiors, if you think this would be appropriate. Just don't make the mistake of suppressing your feelings, denying them, or pretending they aren't really there. 6. PROTECT YOUR LEISURE TIME When companies undergo change, there is usually plenty of extra work to be done. Suddenly, people begin working through their lunch times. They can't find time to play golf, take a vacation, or even travel to their local fitness club. They begin to come home later and later in the evening, and they often find themselves back in the office on weekends and holidays. This is a very dangerous pattern to fall into. It can easily grow into a generally accepted mentality. Remember, just because everybody else in your organization starts acting insane, you don't have to go along. Fight against this common trend by protecting your leisure time, as best you can. Realize that during times of change and increased stress, it's actually more important to get away from your job and have some time each day for yourself. That way, you'll be refreshed, energetic, and much more productive than all those people who spend all their time on the job. 7. DON'T IGNORE YOUR FAMILY In addition to maintaining time for yourself, it's also important not to forget your family. Spouses, children, and other family members can be excellent sources of emotional support when times are tough at work. But they won't be in a very loving or supportive mood, if all you do is neglect them in favor of your job. Sure work often takes priority, but you family should be elevated to an equal priority as well. If you put too much emphasis on just one of these areas, and neglect the other, you're eventually going to find yourself in trouble. 8. DON'T TURN TO ALCOHOL, DRUGS, FOOD OR OTHER CHEMICAL COPING STRATEGIES During times of increased stress, people often look for rapid and easy means of symptom relief. Headaches, muscle aches, nervousness, irritability, and sleep disturbances can all be very disturbing. Please avoid the temptation to use alcohol, drugs, or other chemical coping methods to obtain relief from these common symptoms. Also watch out for tendencies to overeat, skip meals, or drastically alter your diet in response to increased pressures or an expanded work load. While most of these coping strategies can make you feel better in the short run, they each have serious (sometimes even fatal) long-term consequences. It's always better to use natural, non-chemical coping methods. Try to exercise more, communicate more, and set time aside each day to relax. Don't deprive your body of sleep or proper nutrition. You'll need both of these to cope with the many new demands that you might face. If your symptoms don't respond to these natural measures, or if you feel yourself turning toward alcohol, drugs, or other harmful behaviors, DON'T GIVE IN. Pick up the phone and make an appointment with your doctor or other trusted health professional. Be totally honest about your problems and listen carefully to what they recommend. If you don't have a family doctor, get one. Whatever you do, don't succumb to taking the easy way out. 9. REMAIN UPBEAT AND POSITIVE Even though you may be feeling stressed, angry, or scared about your future, you still need to remain upbeat and positive in most things you do. When organiza-tions change, the climate should remain positive, even though individual members of the organization may be having all sorts of negative or uncertain feelings. I know this sounds contradictory, but it's not. Acknowledging any negative feelings you might be harboring actually improves your ability to remain upbeat and optimistic! When you're willing to look at all sides of your company's reorganization or change, your ability to notice the positives, as well as the negatives, improves. Then you can choose to focus on the positives, rather than dwell on the negatives. Please be clear about this very important point. I am not saying you should "pretend" you are upbeat when you are really feeling down. What I am saying is that if you force yourself to tell the whole truth, you'll see both the positive and negative aspects of any major change. This expanded perspective alone will almost always help you feel more positive and upbeat, without having to deny your feelings to the contrary. You can then use your powers as a creative human being to focus on just the positives (and help others in your organization to do the same) because you know from past experiences that this is a wise thing to do. If a few key people in each organization or department take on this role as a positive emotional leader, it will quickly spread to other employees as well. If nobody steps forward to remind people of the truth, it's easy for company employees to remain stuck in a chronic state of negativity. 10. GET CREATIVE One of the best ways to cope with organizational change is to "rev up" your natural powers for creative intervention. Most problems are amenable to creative, innovative solutions. The only thing that usually keeps these solutions from arising is our own internal barriers and self- imposed restrictions. Creative problem solving always involves risks. Proposing a new idea invites criticism from others. What if the idea fails? What if business losses occur? What if things end up worse than before? You've got to be willing to accept such risks if you're going to be free to think creatively. Trust yourself and others around you to recognize any really horrible idea before it gets implemented. Then give yourself permission to swing out and think creatively--allowing any and all ideas to come to mind. Many companies have regular "brainstorming" sessions for just this purpose. During times of reorganization and change, these creative sessions are very important. Time should be set aside to make them a common occurrence. 11. EXPAND YOUR VALUE TO THE COMPANY When times get tough and people are being laid off, remaining workers become very fearful. Instead of worrying or losing sleep over the possibility you might be let go, why don't you go into action and stack the deck in your favor. How? Very simple. Just make yourself incredibly valuable to your company. Offer to take charge of some problem or project that isn't working. Contribute creative ideas to appropriate people in the chain of command. Become very interested in the problems your boss and company owners are facing, and see how you can help them out. Stop worrying about yourself and your future and get busy helping your company grow and prosper. What's the worst that can happen? You might still might lose your job, but look at the bright side. You can take all that energy, drive, commitment, and creativity to your next place of employment. Who wouldn't be delighted to find an employee like that? It's a win-win situation for you, no matter what happens. NOTE: Give serious thought to using this strategy even if times aren't tough and your company isn't downsizing. Then, when the first wave of employee cut backs occurs, hopefully you won't be among those let go. 12. CELEBRATE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS In the business world today, most people tend to focus primarily on problems, mistakes, and obstacles to future company goals. We rarely take time to celebrate our accomplishments. Sure, there's the Christmas party in December and the annual company picnic in the summer. But do we "throw a party" every time a new client is landed, a new deal is secured, or we reach one of our interim team or departmental goals? Do we take time to celebrate the tremendous effort everyone is putting in? You'd be surprised how much of a difference this can make. You don't have to spend a lot of money or hold a gala event. You can have small, spontaneous celebrations any time you choose. If you are creative, you can find all sorts of ways to acknowledge and uplift your co-workers. You could even throw a "party" every once in a while to celebrate and acknowledge your boss! 13. SEEK APPROPRIATE COMPENSATION OR RISK SHARE ARRANGEMENTS This is a delicate subject, but it's an important one to consider. When companies downsize or reorganize, the overall payroll, including costs of employee benefits and other intangibles, are drastically reduced. At the same time, pressures on the remaining workers are significantly increased. It is very tempting for company leaders to keep all these financial savings for themselves or for the future needs of the company. In so doing, however, they may be perceived as taking unfair advantage of their employees. Employees know when they are being financially mistreated. They know they are doing the work of two or three people, yet they are only being paid as one. They know this and they tend to resent it. If you feel this way, try to negotiate a more favorable system of remuneration for yourself and other employees. See if you can come up with a creative formula to earn more money for the increased work you are doing. Consider some type of bonus arrangement, or perhaps a salary increases that gets activated if the temporary manpower shortage lasts beyond a reasonable period of time. Or consider lobbying for a company-wide incentive program, so that if everybody works hard to turn things around, they share financially in the success of the entire company. While it may be risky to propose such ideas, you should at least consider doing so. 14. IMPROVE LINES OF COMMUNICATION In general, the more "crazy" and chaotic your work situation becomes, the more you need good lines of communication. In fact, much of this "craziness" is directly caused by ineffective communication. Everyone must communicate more actively when organizations undergo change. This includes the boss, the CEO, and even the Board of Directors. It also includes middle managers, clerical staff, and other agents and employees. More meetings, not fewer, will probably be needed. When employees and managers are nervous, worried, and pressured, they have increased information needs. They deserve to know what's really going on and what is being planned for the future. If you don't supply these answers to them, they will make up ones on their own. Often, they will imagine the worst, when in fact, there may be very good reasons for hope and optimism. Evaluate your organization's communications needs and game plan. Talk to employees to see what communication needs they have. Find out what forms of communication they would find most helpful. Above all, realize how important and necessary good communication is in coping with the stress of major organizational change. But make sure communications are honest, sincere, respectful, and open- ended. 15. BECOME MORE EFFICIENT In addition to increasing your value to the company, you'll need to find ways to become more efficient. As organizations change and evolve over time, improvements in efficiency almost always coincide. After all, if you're going to take a leadership role, if you're going to handle bigger responsibilities, and if, at the same time, you're going to look for added ways to increase your value to your company, you are going to have to get more efficient or suffer a nervous breakdown. Fortunately, efficiency can be learned. There's an almost endless capacity for human beings to improve upon the way they do things. Whoever said "necessity is the mother of invention" spoke the truth. When you have so much work to do that you can't handle it anymore by using your present strategies and routines, you will quickly become an innovator. 16. LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCES OF OTHERS Two very common mistakes people make when undergoing organizational change are: 1) they try to cope on their own; and 2) they fail to benefit from the experiences of others. With the rapid pace of organizational change today, thousands of people have faced circumstances similar to yours. Some of your friends, relatives, and other acquaintances have probably struggled with similar difficulties. Talk to these experienced people. Pick their brains. Find out what other people in similar companies are doing to deal with downsizings or expansions. Read books and articles. Listen to audiotapes on coping with organizational change. Attend lectures and workshops given by prominent people locally or around the country. Get involved. Get creative. Learn from others' mistakes and successful solutions. Don't just sit there and suffer quietly. Reach out for support and you will eventually find it. 17. RISE TO THE CHALLENGE Instead of viewing your particular situation as a problem, see if you can view it as an exciting challenge instead. Remember, change is inevitable, but being stressed by change is not. It all depends on how you look at change and how you choose to respond to it. In every organization undergoing change, some people rise to the challenge, while others don't and get left behind. Which group do you want to be in? Think about it seriously. You've got the power and ability to end up in either one. 18. NEVER BECOME COMPLACENT Once you've survived and successfully adjusted to a major organizational change, avoid the trap of becoming complacent. Future changes will probably occur, and you should be prepared for them--emotionally, physically, and also financially. Keep developing your skills and enhancing your value to the company. Learn to do as many jobs as you can. Take on a leadership role in having your company be successful. Take pride in helping others below you. And always let your superiors know you are ready and willing to help out whenever the need might arise. If you try to follow most of these 18 steps and still lose your job, so be it. You will have gained many useful skills and derived much personal satisfaction in the process. Your next employer will certainly be grateful to add someone like you to their team. http://www.stresscure.com/jobstress/reorg.html

Using the internet, examine five(5) different on-line job services and write a brief evaluation of the services and which do you like best and why.

1. SYSTEM ANALYST A systems analyst is responsible for researching, planning, coordinating and recommending software and system choices to meet an organization's business requirements. The systems analyst plays a vital role in the systems development process. A successful systems analyst must acquire four skills: analytical, technical, managerial, and interpersonal. Analytical skills enable systems analysts to understand the organization and its functions, which helps him/her to identify opportunities and to analyze and solve problems. Technical skills help systems analysts understand the potential and the limitations of information technology. The systems analyst must be able to work with various programming languages, operating systems, and computer hardware platforms. Management skills help systems analysts manage projects, resources, risk, and change. Interpersonal skills help systems analysts work with end users as well as with analysts, programmers, and other systems professionals. Because they must write user requests into technical specifications, the systems analysts are the liaisons between vendors and the IT professionals of the organization they represent they may be responsible for developing cost analysis, design considerations, and implementation time-lines. They may also be responsible for feasibility studies of a computer system before making recommendations to senior management. Basically, a systems analyst performs the following tasks: * Interact with the customers to know their requirements * Interact with designers to convey the possible interface of the software * Interact / guide the coders/developers to keep track of system development * Perform system testing with sample/live data with the help of testers * Implement the new system * Prepare High quality Documentation SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_analyst 2. WEB DESIGNER A web designer may or may not be a computer programmer, but most have at the least some programming skills. Many web designers are also a web programmer, which means they not only are the architect of how a page will appear on the Internet but also implement their own designs through programming. They can thus be called part artist/writer and part computer expert. One of the most important tasks of the web designer is the creative design of web pages, usually by working with a client who articulates certain needs or functions that the web page must fulfill. Designers tend to be excellent in working with graphics software, like Photoshop®, and many are also very good with programs like Java®, which can animate graphics. They frequently have experience working with a variety of media programs to add sound or film clips to web pages. Overall, the goal is to create pages with a specific design, a uniform graphic set, and eye grabbing details. Depending upon the needs of the client, a web designer may also write content for pages, though sometimes they merely edit and program content that clients provide. There can be a great difference to no difference between a web designer and a web programmer. Programmers may only implement designs by programming in HTML, XTML, and various other Internet languages. They may set up special functions like shopping cart software, and they may be responsible for maintenance of existing web pages and introduction of new data. A web designer, especially one with lots of programming talent may also do this. In fact many designers offer both design and programming services. At other times, designers are the graphic specialists, integrating the client’s requirements into artistically rendered pages that are easy to use for visitors. SOURCE: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-a-web-designer-do.htm 3. DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR A Database Administrator (DBA) is responsible for the performance, integrity and security of a database. Additional role requirements are likely to include planning, development and troubleshooting. The database approach incorporates the following principles: • data remains consistent across the database; • data is clearly defined; • users access data concurrently, in a form that suits their needs; • There is provision for data security and recovery control (all data is retrievable in an emergency). Database administrator (DBA) roles are increasingly identified by the databases and processes they administer and the capabilities of the database management system (DBMS) in use. SOURCE: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/database_administrator_job_description.jsp 4. IT CONSULTANT 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. IT consultants may be involved in a variety of activities, including marketing, project management, client relationship management and systems development. 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. SOURCE: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/it_consultant_job_description.jsp 5. COMPUTER SOFTWARE ENGINEER 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. (A separate section on computer hardware engineers appears in the engineers section of the Handbook.) Software engineers can be involved in the design and development of many types of software, including computer games, word processing and business applications, operating systems and network distribution, and compilers, which convert programs to machine language for execution on a computer. Computer software engineers begin by analyzing users’ needs, and then design, test, and develop software to meet those needs. During this process they create the detailed sets of instructions, called algorithms that tell the computer what to do. They also may be responsible for converting these instructions into a computer language, a process called programming or coding, but this usually is the responsibility of computer programmers. (A separate section on computer programmers appears elsewhere in the Handbook.) Computer software engineers must be experts in operating systems and middleware to ensure that the underlying systems will work properly. Computer applications software engineers analyze users’ needs and design, construct, and maintain general computer applications software or specialized utility programs. These workers use different programming languages, depending on the purpose of the program. The programming languages most often used are C, C++, and Java, with Fortran and COBOL used less commonly. Some software engineers develop both packaged systems and systems software SOURCE: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos267.html Among the five (5) online jobs which are IT-based, I like to become a System Analyst. Become a System Analyst is a tough job. They plan computer system and work together with different software and tools. Analyst also makes sure that the information should be processed quickly and without mistakes. They interact computer languages and so we people. Being a System Analyst, you should work as a team.

Think of the future, develop a Job Description for a job you would like to hold.

FUTURE JOB Future for me is fragile. Before you have it you should handle your present with care. Time goes by and as your experience, so before everything else you must be willing to earn new more knowledge about your field. Since I am an Information Technology student, I want a job that best suits my field – a System Analyst. First and foremost let’s learn first what a System Analyst is. A systems analyst is responsible for researching, planning, coordinating and recommending software and system choices to meet an organization's business requirements. The systems analyst plays a vital role in the systems development process. A successful systems analyst must acquire four skills: analytical, technical, managerial, and interpersonal. Analytical skills enable systems analysts to understand the organization and its functions, which helps him/her to identify opportunities and to analyze and solve problems. Technical skills help systems analysts understand the potential and the limitations of information technology. The systems analyst must be able to work with various programming languages, operating systems, and computer hardware platforms. Management skills help systems analysts manage projects, resources, risk, and change. Interpersonal skills help systems analysts work with end users as well as with analysts, programmers, and other systems professionals. Because they must write user requests into technical specifications, the systems analysts are the liaisons between vendors and the IT professionals of the organization they represent[1] They may be responsible for developing cost analysis, design considerations, and implementation time-lines. They may also be responsible for feasibility studies of a computer system before making recommendations to senior management. Basically, a systems analyst performs the following tasks: * Interact with the customers to know their requirements * Interact with designers to convey the possible interface of the software * Interact / guide the coders/developers to keep track of system development * Perform system testing with sample/live data with the help of testers * Implement the new system * Prepare High quality Documentation Many systems analysts have morphed into business analysts. And, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that "Increasingly, employers are seeking individuals who have a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) with a concentration in information systems." SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_analyst After I’ll graduate here in the University of Southeastern Philippines as a bachelor’s degree, I planned to enroll again in a technical school on which they offer teaching about programming. In that way, I can gain more knowledge and learning about programming.

COMDDAP 2009 Learnings/Reflection

COMDDAP Expo Davao was held at Grand Ballroom, Apo View Hotel, Davao City last July 2-4, 2009. It was a successful event. For more information you can visit their website: http://www.comddap.org/ The 2 sessions which I attended was ERIC DMS and the HP Thin Clients. My scheduled for that session was July 3. I spent July 2 watching the exhibit. I was amazed by the new technologies that were evolving. It was technically amazing. Due to my overwhelming I’m encourage to join the session earlier so I went to the room occupied by the session earlier than my scheduled time together with my buddies. Unfortunately as we went to the door of the room, there were 4 big masculine people entertained us. They asked where are we going that time and so we directly answered them that we want to attend the session, in returned we lied that July 2 was our scheduled time. Unfortunately, they didn’t let us pass because we are late for the session. Hoping that they pity us, we are waiting at the lobby. Time passes by; it was so tiring waiting for nothing so we went home. July 3 came. We went there earlier after we located our designated company for MIS major paper. We attended ERIC DMS from Jupiter Systems, Incorporated and HP Thin Client. The following are the 2 sessions I attended. 1. ERIC DMS - Dealer Management System The ERIC Dealer Management System (DMS) is an end-t-o-end software solution for automotive sales, parts and service businesses. ERIC DMS covers the full range of dealer activities-from marketing to sales and services. Aside from core business operations, DMS includes a full ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and completely automates and integrates back office operations all the way to financial reporting. With ERIC DMS, you can have full visibility over all operations. Achieve total control over your car dealership business today! • Schedule prospects for test drives and follow up on appointments • Monitor and increase sales • Delight customers with gentle reminders for appointments • Manage vehicle inventory • Deliver impeccable service • Control parts & consumables cost • Monitor and correctly implement warranty for parts & service • Report your financial bottom line ERIC Dealership Management System (DMS) A complete end-to-end solution for vehicle dealers, distributors, and service providers. ERIC DMS is composed of three core modules to manage dealer Operations. These modules are: • Customer Relationship Management (CRM) • Vehicle Sales and Administration (VSA) • Service Management (SVM) SOURCE: http://www.jupitersystems.com.ph/product.aspx?prod_id=1 2. HP THIN CLIENT What is a 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. Why should I consider a thin client solution? You need to learn more about the HP thin client solution if your business is faced with issues such as: • Desktop replacement costs • Network security • Data access to mobile or remote workers • Supporting application software on diverse hardware, or • Ensuring your data remains accessible and secure Thin clients are ideal solution for today's healthcare, industrial, retail, financial and education industries offering a number of benefits to your business. Enhanced security Unlike a traditional desktop or notebook computer, no applications or data are stored locally on the thin client. This makes them easy to replace if lost, stolen or damaged. Thin clients are an ideal choice for businesses that are facing increased regulatory compliance laws such as HIPAA or Sarbanes-Oxley. Easier manageability Thin clients are managed at the server, located within the data center. The client hardware has fewer points of failure and lacks a hard drive for storage providing protection from viruses and malware. Thin clients connect to servers via web browsers or remote desktop software. Depending on the functionality the user needs, client desktops can be very simple single-application kiosks or a flexible and familiar Windows environment. Thin clients can be set up out of the box in less than 10 minutes allowing easy deployment to new users or remote locations. HP thin clients can be remotely configured and managed via management software included at no extra charge. High reliability With thin client access devices, business continuity is a given in the event of a natural disaster, as the data and applications are not resident on the client device. Because of their solid state design, thin clients have an extended product life of up to 5 years and can be cost effectively replaced if needed. Thin clients are ideal for environments unsuited for traditional desktop computers like dusty, remote or space-constrained environments. They can be mounted invisibly behind a flat panel monitor, under the desk or just about anywhere with the optional VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association)-compatible HP Quick Release. Increased energy efficiency Thin clients offer significant savings in power usage over traditional desktops. This is realized not only in energy costs but reduced air-conditioning costs in some cases. With their long lifecycle thin clients allow companies to achieve energy savings targets and reduce the need for replacement equipment. Lower total cost of ownership The increased security, reliability and ease of management contribute to a lower total cost of ownership for your client computing devices. With a longer useful lifespan, thin clients contribute to cost savings. According to a study by Gartner (TCO Comparison of PCs with Server-Based Computing, June 2006) thin client TCO annual savings have been measured as high as: • 79% less downtime cost per user • 16% capital cost savings • 34% less in maintenance • 19% less to operate • 48% overall lower total cost SOURCE: http://www.hp.com/sbso/solutions/pc_expertise/article/thinclients_consider.html It’s a good thing I attended the session. There are also freebies that were given away to the audience especially to those audiences who listened very carefully from the lecturers. I learned many things from them. It was good that COMDDAP Davao was organized.

Find three (3) URL's that talk's about "green campus computing" and suggest ways how the university can adopt this concept.

Green computing is the environmentally responsible use of computers and related resources. Such practices include the implementation of energy-efficient central processing units (CPUs), servers and peripherals as well as reduced resource consumption and proper disposal of electronic waste (e-waste). One of the earliest initiatives toward green computing in the United States was the voluntary labeling program known as Energy Star. It was conceived by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1992 to promote energy efficiency in hardware of all kinds. The Energy Star label became a common sight, especially in notebook computers and displays. Similar programs have been adopted in Europe and Asia. Government regulation, however well-intentioned, is only part of an overall green computing philosophy. The work habits of computer users and businesses can be modified to minimize adverse impact on the global environment. Here are some steps that can be taken: * Power-down the CPU and all peripherals during extended periods of inactivity. * Try to do computer-related tasks during contiguous, intensive blocks of time, leaving hardware off at other times. * Power-up and power-down energy-intensive peripherals such as laser printers according to need. * Use liquid-crystal-display (LCD) monitors rather than cathode-ray-tube (CRT) monitors. * Use notebook computers rather than desktop computers whenever possible. * Use the power-management features to turn off hard drives and displays after several minutes of inactivity. * Minimize the use of paper and properly recycle waste paper. * Dispose of e-waste according to federal, state and local regulations. * Employ alternative energy sources for computing workstations, servers, networks and data centers. SOURCE: http://searchdatacenter.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid80_gci1246959,00.html Green computing is the term used to denote efficient use of resources in computing. This term generally relates to the use of computing resources in conjunction with minimizing environmental impact, maximizing economic viability and ensuring social duties. Green computing is very much related to other similar movements like reducing the use of environmentally hazardous materials like CFCs, promoting the use of recyclable materials, minimizing use of non-biodegradable components, and encouraging use of sustainable resources. One of the spin-offs of green computing is EPEAT or Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool. EPEAT products serve to increase the efficiency and life of computing products. Moreover, these products are designed to minimize energy expenditures, minimize maintenance activities throughout the life of the product and allow the re-use or recycling of some materials. A Brief History of Green Computing One of the first manifestations of the green computing movement was the launch of the Energy Star program back in 1992. Energy Star served as a kind of voluntary label awarded to computing products that succeeded in minimizing use of energy while maximizing efficiency. Energy Star applied to products like computer monitors, television sets and temperature control devices like refrigerators, air conditioners, and similar items. One of the first results of green computing was the Sleep mode function of computer monitors which places a consumer's electronic equipment on standby mode when a pre-set period of time passes when user activity is not detected. As the concept developed, green computing began to encompass thin client solutions, energy cost accounting, virtualization practices, eWaste, etc. Green Computing Groups Currently, one of the popular green computing groups is tactical incrementalists. This group applies and uses green computing philosophies mainly to save up on costs rather than save the environment. This green computing concept emerged naturally as businesses find themselves under pressure to maximize resources in order to compete effectively in the market. This movement arose mainly from economic sentiments rather than political pressure. Strategic Leaders take into account the social and environmental impacts of new and emerging technologies. Aside from minimizing costs, this particular movement also takes into account other factors such as marketing and branding. Unlike the position held by tactical incrementalists, strategic leaders recognize the need to overhaul some existing policies or structural makeup of the organization. This can be seen in recent efforts to make IT personnel directly responsible for managing, minimizing and ensuring efficient energy expenditures. SOURCE: http://www.tech-faq.com/green-computing.shtml 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, and 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. Origins In 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency launched Energy Star, a voluntary labeling program which is designed to promote and recognize energy-efficiency in monitors, climate control equipment, and other technologies. This resulted in the widespread adoption of sleep mode among consumer electronics. The term "green computing" was probably coined shortly after the Energy Star program began; there are several USENET posts dating back to 1992 which use the term in this manner. Concurrently, the Swedish organization TCO Development launched the TCO Certification program to promote low magnetic and electrical emissions from CRT-based computer displays; this program was later expanded to include criteria on energy consumption, ergonomics, and the use of hazardous materials in construction. SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_computing We all know that technology got its best to the top. In what way we could use technology in conserving our environment. Here are my ways on how we could help. • Reduce electric power consumptions – turn off computers immediately when not needed or use those power saver technologies. • Educational Programs – in this way, students are orient to use technology minimally. They should be orient to reduce using products that has hazardous elements. • DO Your Duty – as a user, you should do your duty as well. Buy only those things that are usable. Reduce power consumption.

Thoughts on Automated Election

AUTOMATION or MANUAL??? Which do you prefer? Let’s have some point of views of our countrymen about this news. 2010 Philippine Automated Election in jeopardy MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) are now on the mindset of going back to manual counting if Smartmatic and TIM will not resolve their conflict. The COMELEC has given the two corporations until Friday to decide whether or not they could push through with the automation contract for the 2010 elections. If the two companies cannot push through with the automation contract, COMELEC chairman Jose Melo admitted that next year’s elections might be done manually because the commission no longer has the time to convene a second bidding for a new supplier of machines. Makati Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr., chairman of the House electoral reform committee, told reporters that TIM president Antuñez wanted 500 million php “up front” from its foreign partner. “If you give me a half a billion pesos, all of these problems will be solved.” - This was what the president of Total Information Management Corp. had demanded in a tease manner, but Smartmatic took seriously.“Of course, they took this as a joke but lawyers do not laugh about such things. They took it as a deal breaker. The lawyers thought this was tantamount to extortion,” Locsin said.Locsin said that by making “impossible demands,” Antunez was laying the groundwork for its defense against a lawsuit to be filed by Smartmatic in Singapore. “P500 million is really big because Smartmatic’s bid is already the lowest. You are not supposed to do that, it’s illegal. You cannot just give P500 million profit to somebody. Why will you do that?” Locsin said. Other option the Commission on Elections is looking will be the joint partnership between Smartmatic and COMELEC, but worst case will be a full manual counting for the May 2010 election as chairman Melo sighted the automation will be “very slim” as” happy days will be here again” for those who will plan to cheat for next year election. SOURCE: http://www.nowpublic.com/world/2010-philippine-automated-election-jeopardy Is The Philippines Ready for an Automated Election System? The computerized or automated election in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) scheduled on August 11, 2008 is being threatened by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). On the other hand, this article is not about politics in the Philippines. This is about the computerization of the Philippine election system. Are Filipinos ready for automation? Let me give you some facts about the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) then give your thoughts if the Philippines is ready for an automated election system (AES) as mandated by law (RA 9369 - Automated Election Law): • The 2003 functional literacy survey of the National Statistics Office (NSO) showed ARMM as having the lowest basic literacy rate in the country, with 30 percent of its people aged 10-64 years old considered illiterate. • On a national level, one in 10 Filipinos can not read and write, according to the survey. • Ustadz Esmael Ibrahim of the Assembly of Darul Ifta of the Philippines said illiteracy in the ARMM is worst in Sulu, with 40 percent of its people unlearned. In addition, according to reports, two voting technologies will be used in the ARMM elections - Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) in Maguindanao, and Optical Mark Reader (OMR) in Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi. More than 3,000 DRE machines and 156 OMR counting machines will be delivered to ARMM. According to Comelec, “DRE uses electronic ballot, records votes by means of a ballot display provided with mechanical or electro optical components that can be activated by the voter, processes data by means of a computer program, records voting data and ballot images, and transmits voting results electronically.” The automated ARMM election is a pretest to the 2010 Presidential elections in the Philippines. If this test succeeds, then for sure the Automated Election System will be used. If not, then maybe the Philippine government will consider going back to the “control” method which is the conventional election most Filipinos are used to or improve any weaknesses that will be identified in the implementation of the computerized election process. This brings to mind the question, “How reliable can the computerized (automated) election system be?” knowing that anything electronic is much easier to falsify. Will the election finally put an end to the “dagdag-bawas” dilemma in our nation’s election results? Or, will the automation process make it much easier to fake election returns? Is the software in the machines in the automated election properly tested and proven bug-free? That we will find out after the ARMM elections. Let the “trial-and-error” in our election process begin on August 11, 2008. SOURCE: http://www.jpsimbulan.com/2008/08/06/is-the-philippines-ready-for-an-automated-election-system/ These are just the headlines I read as browses the internet about the updates of automated election in the Philippines. First thing came up in my mind as I heard about the news is that I was relief thinking that today that corruption is around the country, I can say that let the technology be our guide in making the election fair. Hard to say but automated is better than manual counting of ballots. Automated Election System is a system using appropriate technology for voting and electronic devices to count votes and canvass or consolidate results. A counting machine used an optical scanning or mark—senses reading device or any similar advanced technology to count ballots. According from Philippines REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8436 with the declaration of its policy Section 1 that it is the policy of the State to ensure free, orderly, honest, peaceful and credible elections, and assure the secrecy and sanctity of the ballot in order that the results of elections, plebiscites, referenda, and other electoral exercises shall be fast, accurate and reflective of the genuine will of the people. In my own perception, Philippines must implement the automated election to secure the votes of the citizens. In this way, the unchanged election in the Philippines for how many decades will have a credible election system. Instead of writing on ballots, voters will shade the spaces allotted for the names of candidates. The ballots will then be inserted into the optical machine readers to be placed in clustered precincts all over the country. Unlike from the traditional election system the tendency of cheating will be monitored because of the modern technologies. Let’s make a difference in our success. Why not take the risk anyway? Let’s make a change for our new generation. Fairly and righteous.

reflection.

> MY REFLECTION/LEARNING Honestly, I didn't make it in the first meeting since i wasn't able to attend the class. But i asked some my classmates about what they have discussed and they imparted me those. They told me about the four keys of managing which are PLANNING, DIRECTING, ORGANIZING, and CONTROLLING. Management controlled software and hardware but never the peopleware since the people have their own ideas, capabilities and abilities to handle their corresponding jobs. As a result, people can only by lead, and supervised. As hearing those brief but concise discussion i learned and i gained. I regretted the day i wasn't able to attend the class. Peace sir!