Category: Business Management

It can be hard for an IT professional to find the right tools to simplify tasks such as Network Inventory. Once, Network Inventory was a manual and tedious job, performed by physically having to visit each machine to record information. Products like NEWT Professional by Komodo Labs are developed to make the process much easier. Introduced in 2003, the software has undergone continuous improvements that have greatly increased the speed of PC Audits. A Computer Audit of 100 PCs can be performed in just 5 minutes.

When scanning networks for Network Inventory, there are two major methods, each with its own pros and cons: using an agent, and agentless. When an agent is used, the agent software must be installed on every system to be scanned, and must be manually updated. An agentless method on the other hand, can meet with security errors on some PCs, which requires a visit to those machines to reconfigure and eliminate the issues. NEWT Professional uses a hybrid method, which circumvents security issues that can cause agentless software to fail miserably. NEWT’s method also avoids the need to install agents manually on machines to be audited. This is all done automatically and transparent to the user, and is what gives NEWT it’s speed and deep scanning ability.

NEWT inventories common PC Audit data such as CPU type, product keys, software inventory, computer and monitor serial numbers, memory, operating system, hard drives, printers, etc., and also provides more detailed information not offered by other software packages. It goes into depth with detailed information, including CPU temperature, hard drive type (IDE vs SATA/SATA-II) and even the brand and serial number of each stick of RAM. These are impossible to detect by other remote means. The video monitor’s display type is even shown accurately as LCD or CRT, a feature unavailable in most competing software products. This can be invaluable when performing video monitor upgrades from CRT to LCD, for example.

NEWT Professional is available as a Free Download through the Komodo Labs website. This free version is nearly identical to the full version, and is able to scan up to 25 nodes for unlimited time. This allows smaller Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and other organizations with smaller networks to use the software free, without expiration. Komodo Laboratories is committed to the idea that small organizations deserve a free Network Scanning product.

In daily production there are 7 wastes that need to be treat well in order to achieve maximum profit and high productivity. In Lean manufacturing or Toyota Production System the 7 wastes are:

1.Overproduction,

2.Waiting time,

3.Transportation,

4.Inventory – over stock (unnessary stock),

5.Too many motion,

6.Over processing and,

7.Defective parts or unit also known as rejection.

In order to reduce or eliminate the waste a 7 principles was developed by Toyota known as the 7 principles of Toyota Production System.

1. Reduce setup times.

All setup process that are implemented are a waste because of they tie up to labor and equipment. By organizing procedures, using carts and highly skill workers to do their own setup (self management), Toyota managed to reduce setup times.

2. Small Lot Production:

Producing products in a big lots result in a high setup cost, high capital cost of high speed machinery, larger inventories, long lead time, and of course large defect cost.

3. Employee Involvement:

Toyota organized their workers by forming teams and gave them the responsibility and training to do many specialized tasks. Teams are also given responsibility for housekeeping and minor equipment repair. Each team has a leader who also works as one of them on the line.

4. Top Quality control:

Quality is well control at each station of production line. The concept not to pass defective product to next process which control by the owner(operator) of that process has help a lot of Toyota production line. Any defective product found must be discovered and corrected as soon as possible and therefore to achieve the objective responsibility is given to the owner of that process. If it cannot be fixed, he can stop the line by pulling stop cord called Jidoka.

5. Equipment Maintenance:

One of the major contributors to line stoppage and defective is come from failed equipment. Therefore beside Maintenance people maintaining the equipment, Toyota operator are also assigned for basic maintenance task such cleaning and lubricating. Most important is that the operator is in the best position to detect any abnormality of the equipment. This known as a Total Productive Maintenance.

6. Pull Production.

To reduce inventory holding costs and lead times, Toyota developed the pull production method wherein the quantity of work performed at each stage of the process is dictated solely by demand for materials from the immediate next stage. The Kanban scheme coordinates the flow of small containers of materials between stages. This is a commonly known as Just-In-Time (JIT).

7. Supplier Involvement.

Supplier or vendors is a partner to Toyota. In Toyota Production System supplier shall involve and train together to achieve target for both side.

Research is the single most important component to a successful PR campaign. Without the proper information how can a PR professional possibly know what is going to bring you the most profitable images and the most bang for your buck? They don”t.

A knowledgeable PR professional will see it as part of their job and responsibility to conduct thorough research for your company, first and foremost, to ensure you get the most out of your PR campaign. Hence the reason a high percentage of people feel they never get the results they expect from PR because not all PR people see research as part of their responsibilities.

So if the PR person you have been using has not asked a lot of questions about your company this is a sure sign they do not realize that the research is their duty. Most PR campaigns are not effective because either the company does not have the time to gather the data that is necessary or the PR person does not see it as part of their job to collect information before they design a public relations strategy.

PRs Must Understand Business Management

The job of a company CEO and other executives is not to filter through all of the data that is out there to come up with a strategy that will guarantee PR success. Instead their job is to concentrate on the other aspects of the company which include taking the business to the next level and overseeing the day-to-day operations. If you have the employees sift through the information, they may not be able to determine what the right thing to do for the company is in terms of return on investment since that is not their area of expertise either. Therefore a PR professional with business-management know-how and a proven track record can be a valuable asset to a PR campaign. Why?

An intelligent PR professional who understands how corporations work and how entrepreneurs think will also be able to identify with pressures and decisions that managers face on a regular basis. The PR professional is not looking to create glamour or fame that delivers no real improvement to the bottom line. Instead, a distinguished PR professional seeks satisfaction in terms of more production, more profits, more business, and so on, and actually should have business management expertise to accomplish these goals. If a PR professional does not understand this going in, then you are just going to get a lot of noise, and little effectiveness, from your PR campaign.

More Reasons Why Business Management Skills Are Important

To provide you with an example, I once had a close friend that was going on and on about having a great PR on board who was scheduling him to participate in multiple various events and six different speaking engagements, etc., etc. He had a lot of activity and he thought he was making an impression on me with everything his company was doing. But in the very same conversation he was asking me for help – nothing was “working” and he did not know why.

What he did not realize was that there was one piece missing in the puzzle. When I asked him how all of these efforts related to one another and how they contributed to the bottom line, he didn”t have the faintest idea and the PR team had no idea either. They simply replied that we are doing this “because.” None of it had any rhyme or reason. There was no return on investment nor any real profitable images for him nor the company; meanwhile the statistics on the company were in rapid decline. It certainly was no coincidence.

It turns out that the PR person this client had on board had no business management skills and knew absolutely nothing about running a business. Although she was “PR trained,” she could not determine how to take the company from point A to point B and build a future that aligned with their purpose and their mission statement. So the PR campaign never aligned.

This scenario is not unusual. Unfortunately many PR people are not trained in business management, which usually means they are not trained in marketing. You cannot have a public relations campaign without knowing anything about marketing; and marketing is also less effective without PR. The two methodologies complement one another, but they are not the same. You use PR to boost your marketing campaign and marketing to fuel your sales.

This is why you should use a PR professional with training in business management. I have been around a lot of PRs in my career, and all the top PR professionals that I know, have these skills. If you don”t have a PR that is savvy in business or marketing, you are going to be missing an entire tier of expertise that you need as a core foundation to your PR campaign.

About Diane D. Stein:
President, JoTo Extreme PRTM

As an Online PR and Marketing Specialist, Diane D. Stein, has been in the field of Public Relations for the past 20 years. At University of Georgia Diane learned what creates true camaraderie that fuels powerful campaigns. Ever since she has made it her mission to seek out the newest and fastest lines of communication to targeted groups of individuals, allowing her to create tight-knit societies that are the driving force behind big movements.

During Stein”s tested her findings of creating communities, which naturally migrated into Online PR, Search Engine Marketing and Social Media Branding. Diane understands that social media is about creating a sense of place in a virtual and otherwise cold world, using only the most reliable tools to create Online PR campaigns that can increase page rankings, web traffic and make you and your business well known. Visit her at www.jotopr.com

The field is set for aspiring managers who want to make careers in business management. The rejuvenating market condition after economic recession can inspire any small or big business owner to expand his/her empire. Thus, owns are making no mistake to make the most out of this condition. Moreover, lots of new players are also venturing in the market frequently. Naturally, scopes for making careers as business managers are also on the rise. The only thing that matters the most to get an access into this lucrative career is proper schooling. You may have natural talents in leadership; still a course can help you act more methodically to achieve quicker success. Keeping those thoughts in minds, students crave to get admission into one of reputed management colleges recently. There is no lack of option for them. Especially in a country like India, which is considered as a management hub, there are assortments of variety when it comes to management courses. Students can choose on the basis of their priorities. Moreover, courses in India are comparatively less expensive. One can think of getting a degree with limited capital to invest. There are offers of bank loans too. Students can repay these educational loans in easy installments. There are courses for undergraduates, graduates and even for professionals. It often becomes a big confusion for students after 10+2. Unless something is pre-decided, students find it hard to find out the best bargain for them among so many options to choose. However, those who are planning to take up business management as a career can go for it for several reasons. Firstly, with several small business houses emerging as potential provider in the market, there is better scope for getting an entry in the field. Secondly, as most of multinational companies and corporate houses are preparing to expand their customer base and turn-over, business managers will have opportunities to get higher pay scales. So, management studies will surely pay dividends for students. Even there are many online courses for students or professionals who want to get a degree in BBA or MBA without leaving the security of their current jobs.

Strategic Planning Steps Overview

The Strategic Planning Steps philosophy/business system is an organizational tool that is used by groups and corporations globally to refine their goals and maximize their resources. Drawing from the concepts of strategic military planning, the Strategic Planning process is one way in which businesses strive to attain a competitive edge. Strategic planning involves defining goals, creating an adaptable business plan and measuring core competencies of staff to increase productivity and results. The understanding and implementation of Strategic Planning Steps can significantly affect a company’s ability to maximize revenue and growth. The steps have been used effectively in many fields of business, education and government to formulate productive business systems and resource management solutions.

Strategic Planning Steps Defined

While there are several different approaches to implementing Strategic Planning Steps , most models use the following definitions:

* Mission definition : The mission definition stage of Strategic Planning encourages an organization to develop a brief description of purpose to Inform potential stockholders, employees and customers what they can expect from the company. From the mission definition, a mission statement can be developed that serves as a company’s calling card and core focus description.

* Vision/Trend Analysis : The next facet of Strategic Planning Steps directs a company to analyze current market trends and make committed decisions about where the business is heading. Defining long term goals and visualizing the future of the organization can help to focus current activities and important financial decisions.

* Strategic Objectives : Once long term goals have been set, the strategic objectives phase consists of formulating actual business plans to achieve the visualized goals. One acronym used frequently in this stage of Strategic Planning Steps is SMART. SMART stands for the type of objectives to be developed to fully realize the company’s long term goals. These objectives include:

o S Specific objectives

o M Measurable objectives

o A Achievable objectives

o R Resource-based, realistic objectives

o T Time-frame assessed objectives

* Critical Success Factors : Important milestones and achievements key to goal realization should be identified at the critical success factor stage of Strategic Planning. Singling out these factors provides an easy means for measuring the ongoing success of the business plan.

* Actions to be Implemented : After critical success factors have been identified, the next phase involves the development of action plans need to realize success. Specific tasks and organizations management strategies are designed to effectively implement the business plan. Task management is often defined by the core competencies required for each position in the company.

* Performance Analysis and Progress Measurement : The last of the most common steps is comprised of formulating methods by which to measure the organization’s progress. Comprehensive performance analysis tools and measurement criteria are developed to effectively monitor the success of the current system. These tools can be used to report both internally and externally on the progress and growth of the company.