Piracy, whichever angle you view it, is still piracy and is against the law.  Let us not find reason to make this issue, a little less illicit, since a lie, no matter how big or small it is, is still a lie.  This is also true in the case of piracy.  Most people, especially in our country, find piracy less serious especially on software. 

Most of the times, since Filipinos are known for very tactful, just so not to hurt people, resorted to giving or allowing a colleague, a friend, or even just an acquaintance to copy a certain file, or in worst case, a software.  We view this act as a way of building personal goodwill, without even knowing that we are already violating a certain law.  So in effect, this act is not treated as bad at all, rather an act of sharing. 

We Filipinos also given that most of us have a measly residual income; find software piracy as a reason for practicality.  This is the mindset of most of us.  We equate this act as a form of frugality or practicality.  Why buy the licensed one for a significant amount of your income when you can buy the pirated one, through a lesser amount?  In fact, we don’t put in our budget an allocation for software license.  This is mostly overlooked since this isn’t a big deal for most of us.

One reason I view why Filipinos are like this because of a less stringent laws that are being imposed in our country on software piracy.  Most of us don’t take this seriously because there has been no precedent case involved in our country on software piracy.  Will we learn if somebody will be given a dealt accordingly by law? 

Software piracy can be lessened, if not totally eradicated.  (I’m still hopeful on this).  Remember that for every piracy we commit, we deprive the company of its rightful income, no matter how big or small this company might be.  We are in no way, has the right to take somebody else’s possession.  Piracy is stealing. It’s our choice to steal or not.

The organization where I am right now, is implementing Knowledge Management.  This is very beneficial especially on the improvement of operational procedures. 

We can implement a program that encourages employees to share their best practices and operational innovation.  Matter of fact, we have a competition on this and one of the basis in choosing the best “innovative program” is its impact on the business’s bottom line and performance measure. 

How does this innovative program affect the operational cost?  Does this affect the over-all profitability of the business?  Does this improve the quality of the product?  Does this improve the speed of service?  Does this have an impact on the preservation of the assets of the company in the long run?  These are only few of the questions asked in choosing the most valuable innovative program or best practice in the store level.  We do encourage both the operational management and the crew members to suggest improvement on the operational procedures.  We have seen positive results with these.

We recognize employees who suggested or the author of the program and give rewards for the store.  This boosts the ego of the person and resulted to more motivated employees.

Organization can benefit much from knowledge management because suggestions coming from employees are worm’s eye view, this means these are very detailed because they are the ones who are rigidly involve in the day to day operations.  And whatever the suggestion would be, they are the end-user that could benefit much from it. 

There is nothing much of a barrier in implementing knowledge management in my organization, as right person gets the credit that is due to him.  The only thing that I see as a barrier is the lack of confidence among the crew members to voice out their thoughts and opinions.  One attribute might be that these crew members (mostly) are in an awkward adolescent stage, and they have the fear that their suggestions might be taken as a joke or not be taken seriously.  Nevertheless, we encourage them to be more vocal and confident of themselves so that we can bring out the best in them. 

“Knowledge is power but knowledge sharing is empowerment.”  True. Possessing knowledge is having the best weapon in your organization, and in life. 

Business Intelligence Tools make business analysis easier and we can make more logical decisions with these.  We can make organizations be encouraged to use these useful tools by inculcating in the minds of the employees, that this is not a replacement of them, rather, an aide so that their jobs will be easier. 

There is always a misconception among the employees that whenever there is new application or technology being introduced in the organization, these will replace them.  They think that this will consequently compel organizations to lay-off employees.  Fear is one reason why resistance to use BI is present in an organization.  Fear because of negative misconceptions.  Using BI applications to them means supporting the thought that brings with it; also supporting the eventual laying-off of their colleagues, or worse, ending up with no job themselves. 

Another reason is because of ego.  They would think of themselves useless and that they have been hired by the organization because of their brains.  Replacing their brain with a computer for them is a total insult. 

Employing rewards or punitive program to employees by using these applications is a case to case scenario.  The managers should come up with a program that would take into considerations the attitude and profile of the affected employees.  Management could implement such program in a short-run as this can be a trial and error scheme and assess which program works best based on the result at a given time.  This way, management could better assess the effectiveness of the program. 

Pay raises personally, for me is very tempting approach.  I see it as gain-gain situation, lesser work, and higher pay.

So whatever approaches the management would impose to the organization are, as long as towards the attainment of the organizational goals and objectives, then I’m for it.  Let’s just think of these tools as an aide, not our replacement.

         Websites selling merchandise over the internet is sprouting like mushrooms.  One of the reasons why on line shopping is omnipresent these days is because of our changed lifestyle.  Everything right now is being done over the internet. 
         Internet played a vital role with this.  Unlike years ago when internet connection could be considered as luxury, practically every household and establishments have already Wi-Fi connection nowadays.  We have found different ways on how we can make use of technology to make our lives more enjoyable, easy and comfortable.  Conventional ways of doing things have been turned 360 degrees such as shopping.  Shopping before is a verb wherein you can leisurely go from one place to another.  Other people also make this as a form of exercise, doing things they love, that is shopping (or window shopping for some) and at the same time burning calories.  This makes as a worthwhile activity especially to those who want to lose weight.  I remember when a very popular talk show host once said that shopping for her, is therapeutic (holds very true I guess if you have all the resources).  Whatever benefits we get from shopping might be, it’s part of our existence. 
 
        Online shopping is cost saving.  It saves you precious time and transportation expense on procuring certain goods you need.  Also you can make intensive review of features and characteristics of the products you are planning to purchase and make comparison of different brands of the same product.  You can also assess the quality through reviews by real people who have already bought the product and these reviews and comments are real life experience and satisfactions they get fromusing the product.  You can be sure that these reviews are unbiased because these people are in no way connected with the brand.  You can make a better assessment then of the product and make better choices. 
 
         Best products that are bought online are the latest gadgets like cameras, laptop, computer and the likes.  These are things that require rigorous assessment before we buy because it involves a significant amount of money to buy and will be used in the long run. 
 
         Online shopping is also very useful when we need to purchase goods not available in the locality and requires us to travel such as books published abroad or foreign produced goods (my sister purchased lipstick online).  This will definitely saves us time and money. 
 
         For those people who opt for second hand merchandise to save money, a website is also advantageous to browse through (like ayosdito.com). 
 
         But of course, there are things that just no matter how convenient for them to be purchased online, such as clothing and food, I will never consider doing so.  Getting the feel of the clothes and texture of the fabric is still the best way to buy clothing.  Food purchased online may not just work for me because of food safety issues. 
 
        Online shopping may be expedient, but still let us remember that “shopping on foot” has still one important value, that is, meeting people.  Enjoy shopping. 

Outsourcing business processes in an organization has been a strategy of some to reduce cost and will give the top management more focus on aspects of business that need more attention.  This has been the trend for the past years so that organization as a whole will gain competitive advantage because of reduced operational tasks.  This trend is adapted by almost every organization nowadays.  However, each organization is unique in terms of structure, needs, services and/or product offerings, goals and strategies.  Moreover, each organization has also its own strengths and weaknesses.  Strengths should be utilized to its full potential and weaknesses if not eliminated, should be reduced. 

Nowadays, IT system of the company can be considered as its strength if utilized to its full potential. 

Now the question arises whether an organization should outsource IT security? 

Before you get the right answers, it requires a very intensive planning and analytical considerations.  In these days, IT is an integral part of every organization.  Some organizations actually gain edge over their competitor because of their IT system.  An organization without effective IT system is like a vehicle with incomplete tires.  This vehicle could not move on at all, therefore defying its purpose.  It is especially true in business organizations as each is require to move ahead against its competitors in order to gain advantage and sustain the growth of the business.  The IT of an organization maybe considered also as its brain.  Information and other important business strategies are stored in it.  All the business’s past performances and goals in the future are in it.  Sensitive information in your “brain” should be safeguarded in order not to leak to competitors. 

Another factor to be considered is the cost to the company if they outsource IT security.  Getting information from its bottom line would be necessary to assess its plausibility.  Will this benefit the company in the long run?  Cost-benefit analysis will tell you if you go for this initiative.

The question now whether to outsource IT security is a matter of trust and confidence over the company to be outsourced.  If after careful analysis and consideration of the top management that IT deemed necessary to be outsourced, careful picking of the company where IT security is to be outsourced needs to be considered.

Does thiscompany have a good reputation in the industry?

Are the people in it having integrity?

The questions go on.

Therefore it is very important that in the service agreement, it should be stipulated in bold letters the necessary and appropriate actions for issues that would arise in terms of the IT security.  In the service agreement, it should clearly state the consequences should confidential information leaks arising from the negligence of the outsourcer company.

Specifically, in the service agreement of both the outsourcing and the outsourcer company, it should clearly stipulate that the one being entrusted with the IT security should be deemed liable if ever there will be leak of sensitive information from the outsourcing company.  The outsourcer company should protect its interest especially on matters that are confidential like business strategies and patented formulas for the products they sell.  

In my own way of thinking, it is then important that organizations should build a lasting mutual partnership with their outsourcer company.  This way, both parties have a mutual interest over the IT security that will be affecting both of them with any contingencies. Both parties then will protect the interest of each other.  Both will work together for business growth and advancement.  

New Year is the time of reminiscing.  Going through the things happened in our life for the past year.  Several years ago, when this day comes, I always go through my photo albums and box of memorabilia.    This is my way of somehow, letting go of the year.  I looked at the pictures and tidbits of things which remind me of happy thoughts. I love collecting things which would remind me of a happy memory.  Wrappers of chocolate I received from special persons, boxes of shoes I’ve been longing to buy, packaging of novelties I bought to please myself, the likes.  And when the yearend comes, I peruse at them remembering the sweet memory I’ve had with these things. 

I remember the days when we had our Christmas party at school where we had our wish lists.  Year by year, I always put  on top of my wish list the thing  I want to put my collections on, photo album.  I have piles of them stacked in my cabinet. 

Today it’s quite different.  I don’t collect anymore these tidbits and pictures.  With the advent of sophisticated gadgets and technology, everything happened in our lives is now being stored in the “cloud”.  Everything has been replaced by electronic photos and even a simple thing happening to us can be published to the world. All I have to do is just log-in on one of the most popular networking sites, and voila, flashback of the year in an instant. 

Gatherings and reunions during this time of the year have also completely turned around.  Through social networking sites we were able to keep in touch with our best of friends and family. Technology makes the world smaller.  I believe that we are not as closer as family without technology. 

These are only but a few of the changes technology had brought to my life.  Now is truly a world of creative minds.  This is a world that minds work faster than hands.  This era may bring too much change in our lives for self-satisfaction, but we must always look back to the past.  Boon or bane, it’s a choice.