IT and Me!

First meeting, second meeting in Management 286 is kind of tiresome to wake up at 5 o’clock early in the morning or if you are not prepared for a quiz, make it earlier than 4 am. And not only that, most of the time you go to school with an empty stomach. But with a very positive and logical professor, time seems to fly so fast, you have gained so much knowledge, and taught you to be time bounded through self-discipline.

My interest to learn Management Information System opened 4 years ago from my previous job as Operations and Sales Manager. Not only that I need it for my job but rather more for my career advancement. There was a funny thing about me, before I used to say I will create a database using Excel to make things easier for me to see figures and analyze it not knowing that there is really such thing as database using Access that is more convenient and has so much to do than Excel which I only learn in my Management 286.

Though I have been using Excel for 15 years, only now that I have learned pivot tables, formulas, and what if analysis. The subject has taught me about computer software and hardware, networks, connections, management information system, and applications. Also, I have learned computer ethics and responsible use of social media which could be applied to our daily work lives. Lastly, the most amazing thing I have learned which I will use now often is to create blogs for QualiMed as an effective marketing tool nowadays without so much money to spend being the Marketing Officer.

With this, I could say I am thankful for the subject, to our professor, and to my classmates for the learnings and laughs which made me realized that Saturday is school,study, and a stress-detoxifier day!

Who doesn’t know social media?I must say, today and unto the day forward social media is one of the most powerful thing on earth that ever invented.Why? It keeps everything so easy from finding people to destroying people, exploring places to eating habits, and emotion seekers to trippers. Anything under the sun is present in social media. It even controls and destroys people’s lives nowadays. Is social media only for people? Absolutely not. Even small companies has their own social media accounts to market their goods and services knowing the fact that marketing or advertising is the most expensive tool to create awareness for the company.

But for me, as a responsible social media user, I have only two (2) reasons why I used social media. First, for personal reason is to keep in touch or connected with my love ones and friends in the other part of the world. Second, for my career. As a Marketing Officer, I use social media to promote the company I am working with. And therefore, being a responsible user, I promise to stand for my commitment as follows:

– I will not post any obscene pictures on my wall or to others.
– I will not use other people’s name or identity to destroy other person.
– I will not post any libelous or slanderous words against other people.
– I will not criticize others feeling or personality.
– I will manage my time in using the social media.

Software piracy is the illegal copying, distribution, or use of software. It is such a profitable business nowadays that it has caught the attention of organized crime group in a number of countries. Thus, Philippines came with its Cybercrime Law. But how is it implemented?

Intellectual property rights laws was enacted in order to protect the intellectual property rights of these inventors, manufacturing firm for their trade secrets, and creators of literatures, arts, songs and films. But how it is implemented? These people are not to be blame for the proliferation of software piracy. Their works succeeded by all means through time, knowledge, research, and millions of investments just like software production which users must consider why these are expensive to have.

According to the Business Software Alliance (BSA), about 36% of all software in current use is stolen. And with this, it causes significant lost revenue to software companies or publishers which in turn results to a higher prices of original or licensed software.

Ergo, government authorities must strictly do their jobs in implementing penalties for piracy violators. Enacting higher penalty for pirates would be of help to create fear to anyone who is still thinking of doing software piracy. However, people should remember it’s not government’s job alone but us as well to watch out for these criminals.

Knowledge management or KM is now amenable to globally competitive organizations that they are even craving to have skilled, well-trained, and experienced individuals than a scholastic bookworm. Some of these organizations who equipped and empowered their people of trainings and knowledge management would safeguard their interest by return of service agreements or RSA in order not to be pirated by other organization.

In a hospital setting where I am currently working, skilled, trained and experienced staffs are given so much weight. Theories in medical books cannot be internalize and given life if not practice in the actual battlefield. Thus, offering a chemo center required us to get a licensed IVT therapist/onco nurse with long experienced working abroad on such specialty. It’s the expertise of inserting IV and the style in the mixing of chemo drugs that is given high regard which only few has. Also, we even encourage our suppliers of machine to provide trainings for doctors and nurses to make them experts in handling said machines.

Thus, I agree in a saying that “knowledge is power but knowledge sharing is empowerment.” Having a special knowledge is something we should not be selfish about. Imparting it to somebody is a help that gives us the feeling that we have achieved something.

BI is not the BI or the “bad influence” we commonly know. BI stands for business intelligence that helps predict the future of an organization. It is a wide range of software application that gather, transform, process and analyze data to provide an information to aid management in making decisions in real time.

Having this in an organization intimidates most of the employees sometimes in a way that it requires so much patience to input or enter data correctly in order to attain correct analysis as well. This been a resistance to change for employees. However, management has a way to encourage the use of business intelligence tool by of giving them incentives with the output they provide using the BI as parameter for incentive evaluation.

Incentive or reward program for the use of BI would just be appropriate if the sole purpose is meet that certain employee is efficient with the use of BI. Otherwise, he or she cannot avail. All or nothing is the policy per se. Incentive are for those who deserves. Thus, salary increase based on performance for employees using business intelligence is herein justified. As long as the return of performance through BI results in increase of revenue for an organization, no way will it ignore raise of pay of employee.

From the concept of globalization, business transactions are everywhere and the most common–shopping online. Notwithstanding the risks involved in transacting online still people are fun of such trends. Lazada, Zalora, olx, Amazon, and eBay are the most common.

But me, I haven’t tried any. Why?For just one reason–security. Security of your credit cards, security in the delivery, and security on the products bought.

However, some consumers find the Internet to be more convenient to shop especially those who have no time to go to the malls. Another reason for them is to save transportation cost. And for brand seekers, sometimes they could just easily buy the exact style and brand in the Internet than in mall. In the contrary, Internet shopping is less convenient for some who can’t find their sizes or choices and availability of products are limited. I made some list below of products that I have no hesitation to buy online, might want to think about before buying, and never consider buying online and with my reason of course.

No hesitation: dress; shoes; and bags because I can sell them if it won’t fit me or not within my expectation.

Might think about before buying: simple workout tool like abs trimmer; cooking wares like salad maker; and home accessories because I want to know first if it’s worth the money, durable, and has no harmful effect.

Never consider: toys for kids,;chocolates or anything edible; and electronic gadgets or cellphones because it might not safe and no warranty.

A wireless local-area network (LAN) uses radio waves to connect devices such as laptops,cellular phones, tablets, and IPads to the Internet and to your business network and its applications. When you connect a laptop to a WiFi hotspot at a cafe, hotel, airport lounge, or other public place, you’re connecting to that business’s wireless network.

With this,loads of business opportunities come in to grab on. Like it seems not everything almost all gadgets and accessories has its wireless version. Things were so handy with wireless, thus, making people work anywhere they are as long as there is a wireless network. Furthermore, it has the following characteristics that benefits organization so much such as convenience, mobility, productivity, easy to set up, expandable, easy to install security, and cost effective.

Ergo, organizations must hold of these opportunities by using it as a marketing tool as added customer service to all its client, and an added tool for its employees to work anywhere, be more dynamic, resourceful and productive.

However, while using wireless network technology must implement standards and guidelines to ensure safe usage of it such as but not limited:
1. Turn Encryption on. WPA2 is currently the most effective that requires password. Using longer password by combining letters, numbers, and system is more secured.
2. Turn in Firewall. This will protect computer from harmful intrusion.
3. Change Default Password of wireless routers since most of these come with preset password.
4. Change the Default Name of the network. A network name is known as its “SSID” or service set identifier.
5. Turn Network Name Broadcasting off.
6. Use MAC (Media Access Control) Address filter.
7. Turn off wi-if if not use.
8. Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software on the computers that access your wireless network.
9. Don’t assume public wireless network are secured.

IT outsourcing is the use of external service providers to effectively deliver IT-enabled business process, application service and infrastructure solutions for business outcomes.  usual purpose for companies– to reduce costs and focus on the core operation of the business. However, with all these benefits of IT outsourcing,attached are numerous risks and responsibilities to take unto. And among are that service provider can access the organization’s infrastructure facilities and may know the potential vulnerabilities or defects within the system and that they may be given a valid user account to access relevant informatio and systems such as human resource management which therefore they could obtain sensitive or personal information thereof.

On the other hand, such risks and responsibilities can be manage well accordingly by management to implement an appropriate security management process to safeguard its interest whether sensitive or personal in nature. And the most important measures for management is to have the service provider a non-disclosure agreement to ensure that they will handle sensitive data in the system cautiously.With this, management has a security that in case of data leakages they can file a case against the service provider.

Management is a challenging job which requires multi-skills to accomplish such a challenge. Not only that, perhaps a very demanding one like a paranoid girlfriend or boyfriend. It demands you to study and study and study. Management requires you to get stress otherwise you will not be an effective one. But things are just so easy if managers has a conceptual skills, technical skills, and communication skills in participating in Information System decisions.

Conceptual skill is the ability to visualize the organization as a whole which includes Analytical, Creative and Initiative skills. It helps the manager to identify the causes of the problems, not the symptoms, and solve it for the benefit of the entire organization. In addition, it helps the manager to fix goals and to plan strategically.

Secondly, to become proactive in Information System decisions, a manager must have a technical skills to implement effectively what he planned. Technical is the application of policies and procedures created specifically if certain tools and machines needed.

Further, a manager must have a good communication skills to become more effective. Information System as technical per se, constant clear communication of processes and policies is a must. Otherwise, plans will just remain plans and left undone if not shared to people who will do the task.

 These are only few of the managers and leaders skills I have learned from Management 201 and from experience.  More of it hopefully on my next blog.

Nowadays whether its a government office, government owned and controlled corporations, or a private corporation chose to invest billions and billions on their Information Technology System or IT for the sole purpose of making things in their day to day transactions work easier and faster for decision making just like where I am connected right now.

Its the first among the hospitals here in Iloilo City which has a very advance IT system and infrastructure. Ergo, having been involved here and with the challenging and competitive work I am dealing with, there should be no room for me for being complacent with the present knowledge I have in IT. Still knowledge enhancement about IT must be continue otherwise I will be left behind in the competition of marketing.

In marketing, IT has a great role and I could not imagine my life without computer, internet, and the apps like publisher and Adobe Photoshop to have marketing collateral layout within deadline. Likewise, the information system we are working on that make it easier for me to monitor patient census and sales at the same time. With that, it aids me to decide which to focus and implement marketing strategies. Hence,as of this moment I am in the quest of challenge to create a Marketing System for my own department to become my tool in faster and accurate decision making and report generating purposes.