Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Online Recruitment - HR Management Software Discussed

If you have ever been unemployed or made redundant you will be familiar with the roller coaster of emotions that arrive every day with the postman. It's not necessarily the letter of polite regrets that leads to depression; at least you tried, and at least they had the courtesy to acknowledge your CV.

Let's take a look at the other side of the equation. For many organisations that find themselves fielding dozens or worse, hundreds of speculative letters of application, the resources of time and human effort can mount to intolerable levels - and that's before any advertisements have been placed. The inevitable response is no response. Eventually it simply becomes impossible to reply to everyone.

Human Resource Software

To view this problem as merely a hr management issue is to take a very blinkered approach. Prospective employees are often also consumers of products and even potential shareholders of the companies where they seek employment. A simple thing like the lack of a rejection letter can make the difference between someone having a high opinion of a company and utter contempt. So communication with job seekers should be an integral part of the public relations of any organisation - in the same way that existing employees are informed of what's going on.

Fortunately our electronic age means it's far easier to solve the nightmare of sackfuls of unsolicited mail. For companies that find themselves weighed down by traditional recruitment methods, Internet-aware systems and specifically hr management software provide a real alternative. What's more, job seekers are increasingly turning to the Internet to access employment information and to post their CVs. The whole process can be incorporated into one seamless and semi-automated electronic operation where the benefits accrue not only to the organisation doing the recruiting but to the job seeker as well.

The most vital element of an electronic recruitment strategy is the adoption of online application as the preferred method. Such a strategy immediately removes one large but essential administrative task - that of data entry. What's more, it is to be hoped that typographical errors are less likely when the applicant themselves is inputting the information.

The use of online 'killer-questions' is also an extremely effective way to deal with time-wasters. An auto-responding email can be sent to the applicant informing them kindly that they are, unfortunately, unsuitable for the position. This use of personalised auto-responders using hr management software ensures that applicants are informed of the progress of their application at all times. The essential message that the applicant gets is that company appreciates the application. It is this element of an electronic process that can bring about a revolution in the HR department and more widely where line-managers get involved in the selection process using an effective hr management software.

So the benefits of such hr management software are not only kinder to applicants but can save vast amounts of time and resources for HR departments. An online system integrated with a recruitment software package will enable management of the entire process with the minimum of staff and resources and is likely to bring significant cost savings.

Even if the job seeker is unsuccessful, their opinion of the organisation is likely to be unchanged at the least, and probably enhanced. For companies with really 'joined-up thinking', where it is appropriate, there are all sorts of additional opportunities, such as, sending marketing messages with emails, special offers or opt-in newsletter offers. Today's job seeker may be tomorrow's customer. Being overloaded with applications is no longer bad news. It can be turned into an extremely advantageous opportunity to maintain good relations and build a reputation worth having.

Online Recruitment - HR Management Software Discussed

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

A Detailed Business Plan Template for Your Home or Small Business

A Guide to Your Business Plan

So you want to start a new business! Be it online or offline, a business plan is an essential ingredient to the success of your venture. The trouble with most business plans is they are to difficult to understand and appear overwhelming to most small business entrepreneurs. I have made the job easier by providing a format with self explanatory sections for you to follow. It's a simple business plan with a lot of power when you need to source funding or show clients, among a host of other benefits.

Human Resource Software

What does my business plan look like?

Executive summary

type of business company summary management product / service, competition funding, use of funds financial statement & projections legal & financial structure risks & exit ad hoc swot

1. Background and purpose

1.1. product/service: what is your business? detailed description.

1.2. history: when did you start? how has the business been developing? achievements.

1.3. vision: what do you want to become? what path makes your company better than its competitors?

1.4. mission: the core values of your business. why this business and how you want to shape it?

1.5. milestones:

1.5.1. long term: a way to measure the vision
1.5.2. short-medium term: stages & goals, measurements

1.6. resources required:

1.6.1. critical resources: to back up key success factors
1.6.2. overall resources: to guarantee you can deliver
1.6.3. funding and use of funds: the proposal

2. Objectives

2.1. short term:

- outcomes which can be achieved within one year
- quantitative measurement: efficiency
- example: sales, gross margin, market share

2.2. long term:

- outcomes which require more time to be measured
- can be quantitative and qualitative
- effectiveness will show the sustainability of the business proposal

3. Market and industry analysis

3.1. overall & specific data

3.1.1. type of industry / service
3.1.2. mainstream / niche: market potential, demographics
3.1.3. stage of growth: emerging, growth, maturity
3.1.4. existing similar markets: other regions/countries

3.2. competitive analysis

3.2.1. statement of opportunity: sustainable competitive edge, resource based competitive analysis
3.2.2. review of your competitors strategies

3.3. five forces

3.3.1. bargaining power of buyers
3.3.2. bargaining power of suppliers
3.3.3. threat of relevant substitutes
3.3.4. threats of new entrants (entry barriers)
3.3.5. rivalry among firms (influenced by the other four factors)

3.4. macro & micro factors

3.4.1. global & international: trade agreements, war
3.4.2. national: taxation, regulations, patent protection
3.4.3. local: incentives, infrastructures
3.5. key success factors, a review of your strategic management

4. Production & Operations

4.1. processes & procedures

4.1.1. input, process, output
4.1.2. logistics: store, warehouse, deliveries
4.1.3. equipments, tools, it infrastructure
4.1.4. organization charts: responsibilities, information flows

4.2. thresholds

4.2.1. output capacity: measurement, peaks
4.2.2. stages of output increase: bottlenecks

4.3. resources

4.3.1. technical resources: equipment, software
4.3.2. physical resources: raw material, power supply
4.3.3. human resources: non substitutable for the output

4.4. quality assurance

4.4.1. prototyping, testing, approvals
4.4.2. incoming qc: sampling procedures
4.4.3. outgoing qc: sampling procedures

4.5. customer service

4.5.1. technical support: call center, on-site
4.5.2. warranty: policy, returns

5. Marketing plan

5.1. overall concept & orientation

5.1.1. target customer group(s)
5.1.2. customer awareness
5.1.3. customer satisfaction
5.1.4. customer loyalty

5.2. strategy

5.2.1. price strategy (leadership, differentiation, focus)
5.2.2. distribution strategy
5.2.3. communication strategy
5.2.4. perceived value

5.3. 4 p's (can be combined with 3.2.)

5.3.1. product

5.3.2. price
5.3.3. place
5.3.4. promotion

5.4. sales forecasts

5.4.1. short term: detailed (month, region...)
5.4.2. long term

5.5. market share

5.5.1. short term
5.5.2. long term

6. Financial plan

6.1. financial projections (1st year monthly, 2nd year quarterly)

6.1.1. p&l (income statement)
6.1.2. cash flow (justify for variations)
6.1.3. balance sheet (yearly)
6.1.4. investments plan

6.2. source & use of funds

6.2.1. present situation (shareholders, loans if any)
6.2.2. requirements (need in working capital + investments)
6.2.3. proposed funding (shareholding, loan, bridge loan)
6.2.4. use of funds (destination & schedule)

7. Human resources

7.1. management team

7.1.1. individual / team (resumes in appendixe)
7.1.2. education, experience, skills & know how

7.2. skilled resources (key personnel)

7.2.1. hired

7.2.2. identified but not yet hired (funding)
7.2.3. to be found (head hunting...)

7.3. unskilled resources

7.3.1. issue about turnover rate (cost...)
7.3.2. issue about continuous hiring (training...)

7.4. packages & salaries

7.4.1. overall policy (market rate, yearly increase...)
7.4.2. incentives (commissions, bonus...)
7.4.3. specific packages (stock options)

7.5. hr strategy

7.5.1. set of values (refer to mission)
7.5.2. internal communication (intranet, group events)

8. Ownership

8.1. legal & financial structure

8.1.1. form of business
8.1.2. shareholding (equity position)
8.1.3. proposed deal structure (if any)
8.1.4. next round of financing (if any)

8.2. Exit strategy

8.2.1. independent growth (self financing)
8.2.2. ipo
8.2.3. bought over / merging

9. Critical risks

9.1. risks factors
9.1.1. categories (what if? and answers)
9.1.2. plan(s) "b" & book value (if any)
9.1.3. most likely scenario
9.2. collaterals (not often advisable)

10. Summary and conclusions

10.1. Wrap up

10.1.1. compelling opportunity
10.1.2. monitoring uncertainty
10.1.3. timing

10.2. Use of funds & return on investment

11. Scheduling and Milestones

11.1. the "calendar of events"
11.1.1. action plan
11.1.2. p.r. plan
11.2. benchmarking
11.2.1. expected outcome

Appendixes can include:

detailed features of the product pictures (product, production facility) market statistics market survey results detailed sales forecast advertisement, brochure, cdrom of website content sample press release description of equipments, software resumes references / recommendations detailed financial statements bank statements (if any) audited accounts (if any) registry of commerce certificate

All of these should be bound in a separate document.

As you can see the detail is all in the business plan. You can modify the business plan to suit your needs. Remember it is a living document and should be kept up to date and reviewed on a regular basis. If you are just staring out or an existing small business entrepreneur, take the time to build your business plan. It will save you time and money in the long run, and it will provide a solid base to develop your business.

A Detailed Business Plan Template for Your Home or Small Business

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Reinventing The Wheel

I'm a big believer or reusing things, particularly if I know something has already proven itself to be a viable solution. As a small example, I maintain a library of templates for such things as word processing and desktop publishing documents, web pages, and simple data base designs. I select a template, and then fine tune it until I get what I want. I find this saves me a lot of time as opposed to developing something from scratch. If I find something else useful along the way, I add it to my library. In the systems world, I have always advocated the sharing and reusing of information resources, such as data and processing components, which I often refer to as "building blocks" for developing systems. It's just a smarter way of operating and, frankly, I don't like to reinvent the wheel with every project I'm working on. Instead, I want to get the job done. If that means reusing something, so be it, regardless of its age; if it works, it works.

I'm not much of a proponent of "throwing the baby out with the bath water," but I know a lot of people who are just the antithesis of this and are constantly reinventing the wheel. I don't know why this is, but I suspect it probably has something to do with human ego. It's kind of like someone saying, "Well, if I didn't think of it, it can't be any good and I'll go and invent one myself." We saw this for years when we sold our "PRIDE" methodologies for systems design. We met several people who thought our methodologies were nice, but thought they could do it better themselves and invested thousands of dollars trying to reinvent our wheel. Inevitably, such undertakings ended up as disasters and we sold them our product in the end. I always marveled at the amount of time and money these companies wasted in the process though; all because of ego.

Human Resource Software

Years ago General Motors took some heat for slipping a Pontiac engine into an Oldsmobile chassis. People thought they were getting gypped by getting a "cheap" engine. To me, I thought GM was brilliant. Here we had a company who designed products with interchangeable parts in mind. This allowed them to reduce inventory overhead, integrate their product lines, and still produce quality products less expensively. And I can tell you, there is nothing "cheap" about a Pontiac engine. Nonetheless, the public didn't see it this way.

In the systems world, I think you would be surprised to see how much computer software is thrown out with each release of a product. Instead of reusing program code, a lot of companies simply reinvent the wheel with each release. I find this rather strange and a huge waste of money. Maybe it's because people don't know how to share and reuse component parts; either that or they simply don't want to. Either way, the human tendency to avoid sharing and reusing anything, and reinventing the wheel each go around, leads to increased development costs, which, of course, is inflationary.

Another reason for not sharing is I believe we no longer have a sense of history anymore. We do not study what worked or what didn't years ago, we are only interested in the present. Consequently, this leads people into reinventing a wheel that was invented some time ago.

There have been plenty of tools introduced over the years for standardizing and sharing components; everything from Bill of Materials Processors (BOMP) in the manufacturing sector, to Repositories in the I.T. field. You can find such tools in just about every field of endeavor. The technology is certainly available to share and reuse components, but the desire and discipline to do so is not. I can tell you this, sharing and reusing things doesn't happen by itself. It requires a concerted management effort to make it happen. But if management is oblivious to the problem and doesn't care about the amount of money they waste year after year, then I guess we will be "reinventing the wheel" for a long time to come.

Reinventing The Wheel

Thursday, May 24, 2012

How to Avoid the Top 10 Mistakes That Cost People the Most Money Importing From China

How to avoid the Top 10 mistakes that cost people the most money Importing from China.

"Trans-Cultural and Trans-National Sourcing is not a game of chance. The more you understand and know about it before you begin spending your money, the better your prospects will be." Victor M. Claudio, CEO

Human Resource Software

Right now China is the number one trading partner to the United States. If you want the best source of goods for your business you come to China. If you want the best service for your business you hire an expert. Right? Does your secretary balance your books? Is that person an accountant, or bookkeeper? If not, what makes that person an expert or qualifies them to handle your books? Think about it, on top of everything else your assistant handles for you, is that the best person who has the greatest amount of undivided attention to focus on your companies books (company accounts, accounts payable, accounts receivable etc.) or have we just identified the need for one dedicated solution? How easy is it for one tiny unbalanced account to cause a major disruption to the everyday flow of normal business? How many hours reconciling? How much time is lost? How frustrated does that get you? How vulnerable are you books to inefficiency? That's why you pay an expert to take care of that; someone with the right experience who is knowledgeable and is focused only on that, so your business can continue to operate smoothly and focus on its core business functions? One solution that completely eliminates all related challenges.

If the books that represent the health of your business's life in them, are that vulnerable and have the capacity to create major delays to critical business systems then why would you trust sourcing the goods you import, the goods you need to stay competitive, the goods that generate the revenue to balance your books to anyone who is not an expert?
Having experts on your team that support everything your business does is what great leaders in business always do. "The team with the best players wins." Jack Welch

After reading the top 10 reasons that cost people the most money importing and exporting you will see how procurement outsourcing is the only solution that eliminates all challenges.

10. Immature Global Trade Concepts

o Suppliers lack an effective Global Trade Model. As a result, they lack the understanding necessary to navigate the Global Trade environment.

One solution is to find suppliers who have experience trading on a global level. Simple right? Yes, but if you consider the due diligence process it could take weeks or what is more realistic is months to locate a reputable supplier before you even enter the market place and purchase anything. If you understand that in business time = money then the longer it takes to get to market the faster your profit margin shrinks. It must also be true then if you can discover a way to eliminate the lengthy due diligence process and you will generate revenue faster!

9. Dealing incorrectly with Culture

o Buyers and Suppliers have the tendency to deal with each other, unknowingly, in a way that hinders business because they don't understand the other's culture.

The lesson is this: The simplest breakdown in communication can cost a company thousands. Once upon a time a client came to me because he wanted to import from China. Because of his previous experience he was very skeptical, and rightly so, as you learn what happened to him realize he thought because he was an accomplished businessman, and competitive entrepreneur he confessed to me that he swore to himself he can't lose and he can "make it happen". Well what did happen was this. You see this client was interested in plastic liners. When he got an unbelievable price from a supplier in China he jumped all over it convinced that he would crush the competition. He wanted plastic liners 40x48x16 in inches. What he received was 40x48x16 in millimeters. When he spoke to the factory they apologized but reminded him of when he confirmed their quote it was written in black and white. Because he didn't understand the culture he couldn't tell if he was being taken advantage of or if he just made a mistake.
You can avoid that costly mistake by making sure you are dealing with a company that is an expert, where you can feel you are being understood clearly.

8. Using the wrong sales approach.

o Most Suppliers are focused on reducing their price to undermine the competition's quote and later expect to recover the loss by subterfuge.

They say "every man has a price, what's your price?" Suppliers are known to "buy into" a market with prices so low they can't be refused in order to build your dependency on them and then in a flash raise their prices un-expectantly (yes, even if you have a contract). Another more common tactic of the many tactics is this; once they have your commitment unexpected shipping delays happen, incurring a higher cost like demurrage fees. Who do you think pays for all of that? The supplier? Guess again..........you pay the fees raising your grand total cost of goods to sometimes higher than you would have paid domestically. Play the game the right way,
The price you pay can ultimately cost you more than money; you have to get the real China price because the suppliers in China know if they have someone who just wants the lowest price they have a person who can easily be manipulated.

7. Resistance to external advice.

o This is one of the biggest challenges. Suppliers tend to keep the real details of their production operations to themselves and customers don't know the real reason for problems that surface.

Major catastrophes always strike but humans are always resilient over the circumstances and press on. In business it is no different, we handle so many "mini catastrophes" on a daily basis it helps us avoid the huge one. We can't act with out the right information, as long as we have the right information we can make the necessary decisions that are the best response to unexpected events.
Staying informed, having tracking capabilities over your product at every step in the process, and having the name of a person to talk to that knows what is happening in your business relieves you from living in the fear of the unknown.

6. Awkward or Poor Customer relationships.

o Suppliers tend to focus only on their Buyer's product, ignoring the other aspects of their customers supply chain elements, where small changes can have big repercussions.

"A team is only as good as its weakest link" we have all heard before. When that link causes you to lose money who do you blame? It always gets back to the supplier some how.
With so many moving parts without the central nervous system your body couldn't function. There needs to be one who is looking over your assets at every step in the supply chain.

5. Misunderstanding of the internet.

o Suppliers are skeptical about the role the Internet can play in the Supply Chain so they cannot take advantage of the Internet's many benefits.

The internet keeps us connected to instant on demand information that empowers our business efficiency. The lack of this effective tool limits a businesses resource.
When you combine "In-country" tactical sourcing with the internet you have an unstoppable business partnership.

4. Little or no international exposure.

o Due to the high costs for effective international exposure, Buyers and Suppliers seldom make an effort or the investment required to be "discovered" even though they are competent.

There are so many good companies here in America that don't want to grow, but need to give their customers the best value because somebody else will.
If you can tap into global scale resources without bearing the cost then you will have achieved something truly amazing called partnership leverage. Leveraging the work others have done in order to receive a boost to the work your doing.

3. Mistrust in the Market Place

o Buyers and Suppliers are plagued with the scams of a few bad people, in addition, they are thought to be uncooperative when affording little or no communication after a Purchase Order is placed.

Transparency eliminates confusion, a simple track and trace solution is vital to effective trade because without it, your just waiting for your ship to come in (punt intended) instead of having a presence over your goods while they are being made, while they are being delivered to the ship, as they make their way across the ocean all the way to the end and safely into your hands.

2. Inefficient Financial Transaction Implementation

o Buyers pay high payment related costs for wire transfers and letters of credit in addition to redundant bank fees because of inefficient procedures and misunderstanding.

Do you want to know what the five scariest you can say to a business owner are? "The wire never got there" there is that one and then there is its older cousin, older because it has six words "the wire was the wrong amount". These mistakes always eat away at someone's bottom line. No one ever wants it eating away at theirs.
In this case a solution that takes complete control over the payment process, and insures on time delivery guarantees the bottom line stays healthy because we save time, and we save money.

1. Lacking the tools for success

o Most Buyers and Suppliers are not prepared with effective and the efficient Tools of the Trade needed to take advantage of global supply opportunities.

The number one answer always sounds simple, but requires the greatest attention to detail and effort to maintain. Softwares can't make the challenging decisions that takes critical thinking thinking to achieve. One person can't be in multiple locations, facilitating several processes at once without the bottom line feeling the pinch.

Through advances in technology the world of importing and exporting has been changed forever if your not capitalizing on those breakthroughs either your competitors will or you will be driven out of the marketplace by the Mega Corporations (thanks Wal-Mart).

All the experts agree, when you are committed to driving down costs and increasing the value in your supply chain Procurement Outsourcing is the one solution that offers multiple cost effective strategies to move you faster towards your goals.

Having an Instant Procurement Outsourcing solution delivers all of that to you at light speed, while at the same time easily conforms to your natural business processes. If it provides a seamless transition and cost free integration there is then created a healthier more efficient business environment that is completely user friendly.

Tactical sourcing and having in-country experts on the ground guarantees your procurement outsourcing solution has the freedom and flexibility to change as business demands change. In business the lack of real time information can cause costly errors. With out that kind of freedom your supply chain can quickly become restricted and lose the flow necessary to stay ahead of schedule and deliver results on budget.

After all, isn't that what helps you guarantee your customers receive the best pricing, service, and quality from you?

How to Avoid the Top 10 Mistakes That Cost People the Most Money Importing From China

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Rx for Sales Effectiveness ----- The Purple Pill

The "Purple Pill"

If you could give your sales force a "Purple Pill" that would boost their effectiveness by 25% or more, would you do it? No prizes for guessing how a typical sales manager would answer this question! Sales professionals are high-energy, fast-thinking, opportunistic people. If they are good, they often shoot from the hip and take calculated risks. They can be called mavericks and that's a good thing. It takes a little "maverick" in the blood to be effective in the world of professional sales. Most are willing to try anything that offers the potential for a fast boost, a quick sale, increased value, or the strengthening of their relationship with their customer. Too often, however, this quick fix mentality reduces the long-term focus and discipline of the sales force.
"This month we're trying to promote a specific product line, last month we launched our sales force automation software, next month we're bringing in that motivational speaker and the month after that we'll be introducing a new SPIF (special performance incentive formula) to move our dead and obsolete inventory."
Unfortunately, there is no "Purple Pill" that you can buy to drug your sales team. There is no "Purple Pill" that will improve their effectiveness. There is no "Purple Pill" that will increase profit, revenue, or market share. However, there is a proven process that sustains continuous improvement and will help you achieve every one of these objectives. It's actually a very simple methodology. It's called a Sales Effectiveness Process (SEP). A SEP is simply a structure for continuously improving sales force performance through focus, discipline and a process built on a platform of accountability.

Human Resource Software

But we already have a system.

A SEP is not a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. CRM concentrates on the effectiveness of interactions with customers, not the effectiveness of the sales force. It is not a Sales Force Automation (SFA) system. SFA deals with improving the efficiency of the sales force: performing administrative duties more efficiently. A SEP improves the effectiveness of the sales force; doing the right things rather than just doing things right.

Similarly, a SEP is not a canned sales skills training course. Training is really only effective when the students are eager to learn and the material is immediately relevant. Offering an instruction or motivation course without having a structure that continuously encourages proper behavior is a waste of time. Training should therefore be considered a supplement to other initiatives rather than a sales management program. A SEP does not replace sales training.

A Sales Effectiveness Process provides critical structure and motivation for using tools such as CRM, SFA and skills training. It also provides a measurement system to manage the activities that are required to meet specific objectives. Without a focused sales management process, automation and training are wasted because their power is undirected. However, the SEP can provide tremendous value on its own merits even without the independent use of the other supporting tools. Used in conjunction with the SEP, these tools are much more powerful.

Why is this any different?

OK, so what is this thing called SEP? It is a set of best sales practices with a small amount of automation thrown in. SEP is built on the concept of "Managing activities and measuring results." Focus, process, discipline and accountability become the engine that drives the process.

It all starts with planning.

The key to planning is making sure that it deals with reality rather than wishful thinking. A quota from the boss may be called "the plan," but it has no relation to how the salesperson will achieve it. "I can set myself a goal of becoming 4 inches taller this year but it's probably not going to happen. If, in contrast, I decide to lose 10 pounds and I can plan out the exact exercise regimen, a specific diet and the activities necessary to get there, I have a real plan and my chance of success is much greater."

In a SEP, each field salesperson identifies a small set of target accounts in his territory to receive intensive sales focus. The number is limited because true targeting must be backed up by action planning, and that requires a lot of effort. (For more information about targeting strategies, see "TLS - Tier Level Selling" by Rick Johnson, available by e-mailing rick@ceostrategist.com or by visiting http://www.ceostrategist.com)

The salesperson sets numeric objectives for sales and gross margin dollars on each target customer, along with detailed action plans to achieve them. The goals could be for the next year or the next quarter, and will be periodically adjusted to ensure that they are always realistic. This does not mean that a salesperson gets to change his quota. He is still expected to reach the same final numbers. The SEP provides a realistic platform that allows him to adjust how he will get there by tweaking his individual targets and goals, making course corrections as necessary during the year to make sure he will meet his objectives. The SEP helps him identify and utilize any resources inside and outside the company that he needs to attain his goals.

Execution

The SEP circumvents the most common mistake made in distribution today: trying to manage results. Instead, you must manage activities because it's the activities that produce results. Execution involves the day-to-day activities of the salesperson. For most industries, this entails both planned, proactive tasks and opportunistic, reactive events that the salesperson uncovers by doing the right things in the right place at the right time. It's critical that the progress of the tasks in target action plans is carefully monitored to avoid surprises. This is the equivalent of monitoring your daily exercise before the effects start to show up on the scale. Once the results are in, the horse is out of the barn and everything you do from that point on is reactive. If you proactively manage the activities, the expected results will follow.

Feedback

The feedback process is where the real magic of the SEP comes in. A universal scorecard is essential for creating competitive energy within your sales force and motivating them to focus on strategic objectives. The scorecard should include a small number of well-designed metrics that are regularly updated. This information is extremely valuable for:

o Identifying the best opportunities for performance improvement

o Creating a level playing field

o Driving continuous improvement

o Providing performance feedback

o Encouraging and measuring cross functional selling

o Offering key information for the review process

Monthly territory review: the cornerstone of the SEP.

The monthly review process is a critical component of the SEP that enables the sales manager and his sales representative to discuss, plan and measure success. This is how a good manager enables his salesmen to capitalize on their natural talents and abilities. The review process should include the following:

1. Review of all target accounts

2. Review of all cross functional selling opportunities, or lack of them

3. Review of specific territory objectives, including sales to plan and gross profit to plan, and assigned account objectives

4. Knowledge of products, customers and customer organizations

5. Ability to apply this market knowledge

6. Development of a favorable attitude as it pertains to that knowledge and those applied skills

7. Required course corrections

This is not a session for reprimand or criticism. The review should be designed to achieve maximum participation by the sales representative. Industry best practice has proven that such representative participation is one of the most effective methods of developing both an attitude for learning and a drive for successful accomplishment of goals and objectives.

Next, enthusiasm must be created. Enthusiasm is one of the most important traits for a sales manager because it is contagious. Remember, sales representatives will learn very little if they are mentally falling asleep.

Finally, the sales representative must have confidence in the program. He or she must trust the content of the program and truly believe that it will provide personal benefits.
The review process is extremely critical to the success of the SEP. It must be taken seriously and performed at a standard of excellence that supports the intent and objectives of the overall program. It requires 100% compliance throughout the company.

The SEP gives more than it receives

The last thing you want to do is to burden your sales force with administrative tasks of limited value. Throw away the call reports. They aren't necessary in the SEP. Besides, they are the closest a salesman will ever come to winning the Pulitzer Prize in journalism. How many times can a sales person report: "I called on Joe, everything is great and we will get to bid on his next requirement?" A well thought out action plan has more than 100 times the value of any call report.

The focus of the SEP, especially the monthly review, is on improvement through coaching and counseling. It is not a human resources hammer for "slap & point" management. It is simple but powerful for the salesperson using it (by comparison, most companies have way too many reports, measurements and programs that diffuse focus, dilute effort and may indicate that upper management is really not clear about the company's strategic direction).
Sales is a profession that requires professional salespeople

Companies are in constant need of aggressive, creative and resourceful salespeople to have their products specified, accepted and used by customers. Without informed and capable field salespeople, no distributorship could hope to compete in the marketplace today.

But how often do companies consider the fact that good salespeople, the kind who can help a company really grow, don't just happen to come along by chance or fate? There is no such thing as a "born salesperson," because selling ability is much more than a personality trait.

Granted, selling does require certain attributes in a person that some people are born with and some are not. Also, the person must be intelligent, able to grasp ideas and details easily, retain them and recall them for use whenever necessary in selling situations. These factors, and many others relating to personal and emotional characteristics, are contributing elements in the makeup of the professional salesperson. However, these attributes alone do not make a salesperson nor do they guarantee success. It takes more.

A salesperson must have adequate tools, resources and leadership to maximize his effectiveness. That is why the Sales Effectiveness Process is so vital. It is the program that provides the support and the resources to give each and every salesperson the opportunity to maximize his personal effectiveness.

The Sales Effectiveness Process will not replace good sales management, but it can make it much more effective. Remember, it's not the sales manager's job to call on accounts and sell product. His job is to make his sales force as effective as he possibly can so that they can achieve the goals and objectives of the organization.

The SEP is the one thing that can light up the sales process like Edison lit up a dark room with his light bulb invention. Let SEP become your light in the darkness of the competitive world of distribution. (Download a free sales person review checklist http://www.ceostrategist.com)

Rx for Sales Effectiveness ----- The Purple Pill

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Small Business Discount Software

Small businesses have great potential to grow. However, this requires efficient systems to manage their clientele and organize information. Small business discount software packages are designed for small firms to help them in automating varied operations of the enterprise, keeping their small size in perspective.

A number of software retailers sell discount business management software that has all the features of branded software. Discount software retailers buy standard software in volumes and pass on the benefits to the final consumer. The software is purchased in bulk from different venues such as company overstocks and company closure auctions or sales.

Human Resource Software

Business software can be used to help manage different operations in offices, factories, warehouses, storage and distribution depots and plants where critical and highly valuable information, raw materials, and machinery are used and stored. The software has different management tools that enable managers to hire personnel and purchase or lease assets. It tracks, records, and maintains data related to utilization of assets, density of personnel on site, vacancy rates, security and information about surrounding areas. It assigns different tasks or jobs to individuals, work groups, or functional departments and holds them accountable in case of discrepancies. It analyzes historical data on various operations and uses them for future decision-making.

It enables managers to move, add, or change personnel, assets, and functional departments. The facility is designed to automatically organize and generate projects and work tasks. It also manages costs associated with these projects. All these systems and processes reduce the risk of human and technical errors.

Most small businesses do not have requisite funds to buy high-end business management software. The cost-benefit analysis results of using high-end management software may not favor many small firms. These firms can buy small business discount software for increasing operational efficiency while keeping a tab on the firm's financial resources. This will increase the firm's profitability and help it to compete with other similar businesses.

Small Business Discount Software

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Do You Want a Standout Resume?

What is considered an effective resume?

An effective resume is a hard copy or an electronic document whose primary purpose is to win the approval of a potential hiring manager who has considered you a job candidate qualified to compete for a position opening. Your resume must be planned and presented in a way to clearly persuade a job recruiter to further investigate your stated and strongly implied potential strengths, related industry experience, proven value, training, education, abilities, potential growth, and best return on investment for the company. This credential should immediately indicate what you can offer an employer through highlighted qualitative and quantitative performance evidence, rather than promises that lack solid and convincing substantiation.

Human Resource Software

Your honesty in creating this personal document is highly important for, if selected for interviewing, you will likely be judged by total strangers as to the content of your resume against your actual interview performance and appearance. Therefore, your resume must bear a close "resemblance" to you when you are interviewed in person.

To be effective, your resume must be written in the most appropriate format for your total experiences, especially your work history. Choosing the best format is crucial and should be carefully designed by a certified professional resume writer to produce a powerful credential. The three most prominent resume formats are chronological, functional, and the combination, or hybrid, the chronological format being the most used and liked by human resources people for the ease of following applicants' work history and professional focus and development. This format also highlights any breaks, or gaps, in the chronology of employment, sometimes raising a "red flag."

When gaps in employment occur - especially for explainable and legitimate reasons - use the functional format which emphasizes accomplishments in employment rather than indicating when you worked. If you are changing your career or are returning to civilian employment from government work, use the functional or the hybrid format to emphasize your ability to transfer learned skills, accomplishments, leadership, and rigorous training to move into the employment of the profit or non-profit arena. In addition, retired, injured, downsized, and older workers returning to employment may elect to choose the functional or hybrid model.

"Ten Commandments" on Preparing Your Resume

1. Individualize yourself. Since many hiring managers review more than a hundred paper or electronic resumes a day, your resume will have to fit the required, or ideal, position's profile to stand out from most others under review. Does your resume stress unique qualities in your overall value, leadership, and achievements? Challenge the reader to invite you for a face-to-face meeting by aggressively marketing your individual resolve and potential value to the firm while verbally bidding for personal recognition as a standout applicant among the competition.

2. Focus on and quantify your specific accomplishments. Show (do not just tell) what you have achieved in your past employments to increase revenues or improve an organization's effectiveness. For example, "Led innovative research in XYZ project development that resulted in generating 0,000 in new billings in the first six months," or "Spearheaded a manufacturing cost reduction project that saved the division 15% in overall production costs." Use key words to emphasize your specific individual accomplishments in numerical terms to indicate your value, or return on investment. Hirers may scan your resume for industry-related key words. Key word lists for each occupation / job are located in many publications in libraries, stores, and online.

3. Use positive, proactive language. Confidently and credibly promote your attributes. For example, "Ably assisted in saving ABC Company ,000 during the first 12 months through improved sales training techniques." Rather than just a dull employment history, your resume should reflect a positive show of ambition and pride in your achievements with detailed proof of personal and job related accomplishments. Quantify your contributions with solid evidence and prove your leadership ability in providing planned project strategies and guiding their implementation to reach positive results.

4. Always be honest and truthful. Avoid lies, half-truths, and exaggerations on your resume and cover letter. You can often reverse or "soften" a known or obvious career related weakness if challenged in an interview by admitting that you learned much from this experience which has taught you a good lesson. If you have wide gaps in your employment chronology, write your resume in a functional or in a hybrid format. Accentuate the positive; eliminate the negative!

5. Present a powerful, impressive resume. Recruiters prefer well crafted resumes, for they are impressed by candidates' show of diligence and a high level work ethic in introducing themselves with care. Use only clear, easy-to-read fonts, and avoid overuse of italics, underscores, and bold lettering. Paper resumes must be printed on top quality 24 to 28 lb. white, off-white, ivory, or light gray resume stock, with matching cover letters and envelopes. Use a variety of appropriate action verbs written in the active voice and interweave powerful modifiers. Avoid repetition, and be consistent and brief throughout.

6. Target your resume. Your employment objective may be stated atop the page or, for more impressive attraction, simply bolded without a heading. Examples: "IT manager / Business Process Manager" or "Motivated, highly experienced professional seeks a position as company representative in Pharmaceutical Sales." Your cover letter will indicate a specific job title in reference to your job application. Follow this with a powerful "Profile" of your professional highlights and related skills.

7. Examine other resumes in guiding the assembly of your own document. Locate top level examples in nationally published resume compilations found in book stores, libraries, and the Internet. Software applications can be helpful, but beware of resume templates, for they tend to be generic, pre-spaced, sparse, and unrelated to one's particular needs. Ask a trusted person to react in honest judgment to your completed resume, for your resume is your "occupational fingerprint," a personal credential that should distinguish your unique qualifications from competing candidates.

8. Proofread carefully throughout. Avoid errors in spelling, grammar, English usage, and mechanics. Be consistent in your application of spacing, punctuation, bulleting, and other physical aspects. Be aware that the level of precision and perfection of your resume will likely be a determining factor in a hiring manager's selection of interview finalists for a position. Have another "pair of eyes" read it over and offer objective criticism.

9. See yourself through the reviewer's eyes. Since hiring managers retain ideal candidate profiles for positions to be filled, job candidates ought to "reverse roles," placing themselves in the reviewer's position. Determine what key skills, experiences, achievements, and other criteria that a hiring manager will seek in the ideal candidate. Research as much as you can to locate those company needs to fill the position you seek. Discover the cultural climate, average employee experience, and company working conditions. This vital "breaking and entering" technique may give you an advantage as the hirer cuts through the clutter of hopeful job candidates' resumes in search of suitable employees.

10. Perceive your resume as an opening tool to gain personal contact in an interview. Soon after mailing your resume or submitting one electronically, send a brief follow-up letter or note to the hirer to punctuate and reestablish your keen interest and proactive nature in gaining an interview and ultimately winning the open position of employment. Your resume should deploy confident, high energy language to convince a hirer that you are determined to succeed in a career with this company or organization. Remember, submitting a standout resume can open doors of opportunity along a lighted path of career success. Don't be locked out in the dark!

Do You Want a Standout Resume?

Friday, May 18, 2012

Online Distance Learning Programs

Traditional Distance learning programs have come a long way and has taken the shape of a new form of e learning. Online MBA is one of the most popular MBA programs that many students opt for. The reason is that, it is not very expensive as compared to the traditional business schools. Many working professionals, house wives and other business men who do not have time to enroll in a regular business school can easily earn an online MBA degree through this form of distance learning MBA.

This novel form of learning comes with an easy access that a student can have at any time from any place. This flexibility of time and place attracts more and more students from across the globe to enroll into online MBA. The subjects that a student opts for are prepared in such a way that a student can easily understand and can easily read them. These comprehensive packages are usually uploaded on an LMS (Learning Management System). Uploading on moodle is one such example where an online MBA student gets a user name and password and he can access the subjects easily. This functionality of moodle is also used by the teachers and technical people who upload the subjects.

Human Resource Software

Many Universities and institutions offer distance learning MBA courses as there is a great demand for such online MBA programs. Every year thousands of students enroll into these courses and pass out successfully. Since everything is done online, a student need not have to travel long distances for attending classes in the distance learning MBA. He or she just has to sit in front of a computer and access the course with the help of internet. Although many technical tools are involved in making these study material packages, a student need not necessarily be a software expert. Knowing computer basics is sufficient to handle these online interfaces where in the study material packages are uploaded.

Online MBA comes with different specializations like MBA in Finance, MBA in Human Resource, MBA in IT and executive MBA. Students take up one of these courses according to their choice and according to their career scope. Many multinational companies ask for an MBA degree while they consider employees for promotions. That is the reason why many working professionals enroll in online MBA. Moreover, some people also want to enhance their management skills and prefer to study MBA. For such people distance learning MBA is appropriate as they do not have much time to spend on going to a traditional business school.

Distance learning MBA programs have become so popular in the recent times that many companies started to tie up with Universities and encourage their employees to enroll in these online MBA courses. This will not only give opportunity to the employees to grow their career but also will help the company grow with employees with managerial skills. With such benefits, online distance learning programs are becoming more and more popular.

Online Distance Learning Programs

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Asset Management Software Methodology

The term asset management usually refers to the management of an investment portfolio. However for a business, assets may include real estate, plant and machinery, vehicles, furniture, computer hardware and software besides financial assets. Human resources are also a form of assets for a company. Companies depend on all these assets as being key drivers of the business; however, they often do not have a comprehensive asset management system in place to optimize their utilization.

Companies are now increasingly recognizing the need to manage assets from a strategic perspective across the entire organization, rather than solely from a purchase or maintenance point of view. From the shop floor to the executive suite, the responsibility of maximizing the value of assets is a responsibility that extends to all.

Human Resource Software

Asset management software is a software application that helps a company optimize the purchase, maintenance and utilization of assets that are critical to business and financial performance, throughout their life cycle. This is an important source of cost savings for company and also provides productivity enhancement and regulatory compliance.

Asset management methodology has four inherent characteristics. These include asset management strategy, practice, project management and benefit realization. Asset management software methodology is the delivery framework related to asset management software that incorporates these four characteristics and brings together deliverable components that are priority-based, gradual, and progressive.

Asset management software applications generally follow a modular and scalable methodology that allows the application to be customized to the meet the differing needs of individual companies. Depending on their scale of operations and assets involved, a customer company can choose which modules will be best suited to meet its requirements in the implementation of an asset management solution.

The software methodology followed by good asset management solutions begin by defining the revenue streams, connecting the assets to the revenue streams and helping in realizing improved asset utilization leading to enhanced productivity and reduction in costs.

Asset Management Software Methodology

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Resume Mapper - The Must Have Tool For Job Seekers in the Digital Age

Resume Mapper

Resume Mapper is the must have tool for job seekers in the digital age.

Human Resource Software

With the very large pool of talent available Hiring Managers and Human Resource Managers are under tremendous pressure to hire only those candidates that meet very specific criteria. To hire someone that does not have the specific skills required to perform at a high level puts their jobs in jeopardy.

Hiring Managers cannot afford to hire someone that lacks the required skills, qualifications, and experience when there are so many applicants available. Increasingly, human resource departments have come to rely on automated applicant screening tools to select the most qualified candidates.

The Resume Mapper application enables you to map the contents of a resume and cover letter to the requirements of a Job Description. Ensuring that your resume will be recognized by the resume screening software used by human resource department personnel and hiring managers to pick the candidates that will be considered for advertised position openings.

The Resume Mapper application user interface provides you with easy access to the features and functions of this powerful tool that enables you to create resumes and cover letters that match the requirements of a advertised job description in a minimum amount of time. By using this tool you will be able to dramatically increase the number of jobs that you apply for and also dramatically decrease the time you spend updating your resume for each job you apply for. By making sure that the information in your resume and cover letters map to each job description, you will dramatically increase the number of responses and interview requests you receive.

The primary window of the Resume Mapper application contains five tabs.

Job Description Tab

The Job Description tab provides a space for the prospective employer's description of the job. You enter a job description in the Job Description tab field by typing the text directly into the field, load the job description from a file on your computer, copy and paste the job description from another application or word processor, or load the file from a web page on the Internet.

Current Resume Tab

The Current Resume tab provides a space for your resume. You enter a resume in the Current Resume tab field by typing the text directly into the field, load the resume from a file on your computer, copy and paste the resume from another application or word processor, or load the file from a web page on the Internet.

Current Cover Letter Tab

The Current Cover Letter tab provides a space for your cover letter. You enter a text in the Current Cover Letter tab field by typing the text directly into the field, load the cover letter from a file on your computer, copy and paste the cover letter from another application or word processor, or load the file from a web page on the Internet.

Evaluation and Mapping Tab

Resume Mapper provides an Evaluation function that performs a number of checks to make sure your resume or cover letter is suitable for ranking by an ATS program and does not contain many common mistakes that can cause a resume to be rejected. The Evaluation and Mapping tab provides a detailed report of each Resume Mapper evaluation and mapping.

Repair Kit Tab

The Repair Kit tab highlights all important words and phases in the job description that are not in the resume and cover letter. It provides you tools to customize the mapping criteria, expand the mapping to include additional text, update the content of the resume and cover letter, and re-map the job application project.

It's that easy to increase your chances for success and ensure that your resume is not instantly rejected for the lack of just a couple of words.

Resume Mapper - The Must Have Tool For Job Seekers in the Digital Age

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Cyber Crime

Everyone who works on a computer must be familiar with the term "Cyber Crime". Initially, when man invented computer and then the technology for communicating between computers was evolved, he would have never thought that the cyber space he is creating could be flooded with any crime i.e. cyber crime. But now almost all of us might have heard the term computer crime, cyber crime, e-crime, hi-tech crime or electronic crime which is nothing but an activity done with a criminal intent in cyber space. Simply put, it is an activity which is generally criminal in nature, where a computer or network is the source, tool, target, or place of a crime. To say in one line, "Cyber crime refers to all the activities done with criminal intent in cyberspace."

Such crime involves an information technology infrastructure, including illegal access (unauthorized access), illegal interception (by technical means of non-public transmissions of computer data to, from or within a computer system), data interference (unauthorized damaging, deletion, deterioration, alteration or suppression of computer data), systems interference (interfering with the functioning of a computer system by inputting, transmitting, damaging, deleting, deteriorating, altering or suppressing computer data), misuse of devices, forgery (ID theft), and electronic fraud.

Human Resource Software

This article intends to give an overview of Cyber Crimes since in e-life (of which we all are a part of) conventional crimes like extortion, forgery etc. are being done with the help of computers; which most of us are using for online monetary transactions.

In today's e-Age, 'Crime' has extended itself beyond physical assault or mental torture; now it also affects our e-life. E-Life means our existence & living in the cyber world. Every one of us is a part of this cyber world, directly or indirectly, since computers & internet are now an integral part of our personal & professional life. Just like any other invention, Computers & Internet are a boon to human kind if used in a right way and to the advantage of the society. However, as we all know, everything has its pros and cons and so computers & internet are not an exception. If we consider 'Cyber Crime' as virus then it won't be untrue to say this virus is corrupting man's significant development (computers and internet) which is responsible for developing civilized society for men. Cyber Crime is a menace all over the world and is the one of the most difficult & challenging to detect & investigate. You will find it interesting to note that even the official website of the Cyber Crime Investigation Cell of Crime Branch Mumbai quotes "The invisible criminal is dangerous than the visible one".

You may be wondering why one should know about Cyber Crime?

Most of us are using internet and computers for online transactions where we transmit personal information and possibly do monetary transactions. If your personal information goes in wrong hands and you become bankrupt or you start receiving absurd mails or your e-mail account gets flooded with unwanted mails; means you have become a victim of Cyber Crime.

Cyber Crime has various forms which may include hacking (illegal intrusion into a computer system without the permission of owner), phishing (pulling out the confidential information from the bank / financial institutional account holders by deceptive means), spoofing (getting one computer on a network to pretend to have the identity of another computer in order to gain access to the network), cyber stalking (following the victim by sending e-mails or entering the chat rooms frequently), cyber defamation (sending e-mails to all concerned / posting on website the text containing defamatory matters about the victim), threatening (sending threatening e-mails to victim), salami attacks (making insignificant changes which go unnoticed by the victim), net extortion, pornography (transmitting lascivious material), software piracy (illegal copying of the genuine software / programs), email bombing, virus dissemination (sending malicious software which attaches itself to other software), IPR theft, identity theft, data theft, etc.

Hacking, destroying files and data through spreading virus are the largest number of offences in the cyber world.

"Russia, China and Brazil are world leaders in cyber crime. India is fast emerging as a major hub of cyber crime, however our legal system is already in place to tackle this menace of cyber crime and to control it and punish the guilty. Cyber Crime, which we may define as "an unlawful act wherein the computer is either a tool or a target or incidental to the crime", has both civil as well as criminal remedies.

So let's talk about the remedies available against such crimes. In India, the offence of Cyber Crime is covered under Information Technology Act 2000 and under the Indian Penal Code.

Cyber Crime Cells have been established by law in major cities. These Cells function directly under the Commissioner of Police of respective cities. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) already has a cyber crime wing operational since 1999.

The Government has established "The Cyber Regulations Appellate Tribunal" under the Information Technology Act, 2000. The Tribunal has the same powers as are vested in a Civil Court for requiring the discovery and production of documents, receiving evidence on affidavits. But the decisions of the Tribunal can be contested by the High Court. The Information Technology Act not only applies to the offence committed in India, but it can also be used to bring offenders from foreign countries to India for trial.

Powers of Cyber Crime Cells:

Any police officer, not below the rank of a Deputy Superintendent of Police, or any other officer of the Central Government or a State Government authorised by the Central Government in this behalf may enter any public place and search and arrest without warrant any person found therein who is reasonably suspected or having committed or of committing or of being about to commit any offence under this Act.

Punishment for Cyber Crime:

A person found guilty of cyber crime shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine or with both.

Salient features of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008:

The Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008 was enacted in October 2009.

The term "digital signature" has been replaced with "electronic signature" to make the Act more technology neutral. A new section has been inserted to define "communication device" to mean cell phones, personal digital assistance or combination of both or any other device used to communicate, send or transmit any text video, audio or image. A new section has been added to define "cyber café" as any facility from where the access to the internet is offered by any person in the ordinary course of business to the members of the public.

There is an addition of several new offences into the Act. Section 66 has now been expanded to include sections 66A, (offensive messages) 66B, (Receiving stolen computer) 66C, (Identity theft), 66D (Impersonation), 66E (Voyeurism) and 66 F (Cyber Terrorism). Section 67 has been expanded to include Sections 67A (Sexually explicit content), 67 B (Child Pornography),

In short about Cyber Terrorism:

Cyber terrorism is the premeditated use of disruptive activities, or the threat thereof, against computers and/or networks, with the intention to cause harm or further social, ideological, religious, political or similar objectives, or to intimidate any person in furtherance of such objectives.

Cyber terrorism can have a serious large-scale influence on significant numbers of people. It can weaken countries' economy greatly, thereby stripping it of its resources and making it more vulnerable to military attack.

Cyber Crime

Friday, May 11, 2012

LinkedIn for the Stealth Job Seeker

This article is specifically for the person who is looking to find that next great position but in an "unofficial way." I will answer these frequently asked questions:

1. Would my being on LinkedIn suggest to my boss that I am looking for a job?

Human Resource Software

2. What are the steps I should be following on LinkedIn in order to position myself for a new job and maybe even be proactive in looking for a new job?

The answer to the first question is "no." There are over 100 million people on LinkedIn, and the vast majority of us are not looking for jobs. As long as you use your head and don't use words like "seeking," "pursuing," "looking" (the kind of words official job seekers need to use), you should look like the rest of us who use LinkedIn daily to grow our networks and ultimately our businesses.

Now on to the meat of the tip, where I will answer question #2, and I am calling this:

LinkedIn for the Stealth Job Seeker

Profile Steps:

Maximize usage of the keywords hiring managers and recruiters use to describe your specialties and skills. Don't forget things like software, processes, job duties, titles, industry certifications, and other words that are specific to your skills and industry.

Use the available 2,000 characters to write very detailed descriptions of your accomplishments for each and every job entry you have listed. You don't know which job entry or combination's of job entries will be the differentiator between you and your competitors. Think of each job as a stand-alone entry (not just a series of jobs), and this will cause you to describe each job more fully and with more details.

Have a headline that is strategically keyword filled. 28 characters are available. Use every one.

Use the skills section to include additional keywords but also to display your various types of expertise.

Include any specialized educational courses in your Education section, and describe those courses in detail, with lots of--you guessed it--keywords. You are allowed 2,000 characters for each of these as well.

Don't skimp on including honors and awards you have earned over the years.

Proactive Steps:

Use the Jobs Tab, and be sure to save ten job searches--the maximum number LinkedIn allows. This will be your 24/7 virtual assistant. It will look for the jobs you have said you are interested in and alert you when there are jobs posted on LinkedIn that meet your criteria.

Set your three free saved advanced people searches for the target companies you are interested in working for. Of course, the titles you should set as criteria are the human resource people and/or the hiring manager. But in the company slot, be aware that by using the OR between company names you can get a lot more coverage than just searching and saving one company. For example, if I am looking for a controller job at Bucyrus International and Harley-Davidson in Milwaukee, I would set the criteria as

Title: hr OR "human resources" OR cfo OR "vp of finance"
Company: "harley-davidson" OR "bucyrus international"
Postal Code: 53092
Within: 50 miles

Join industry groups, and be sure to check the Jobs Tab within those groups for job postings.

Save your favorite status update searches (you find this on your home page by clicking "Search Updates"). Type in the box the names of your target companies in your target region. Many HR professionals use status updates to announce job openings to their network, which you may not even be a part of.

Select "Follow Company" in the companies section for all of your target companies. This way you will be notified of employment changes in the organization as well as specific job postings the company may make.

Remember this -- HR professionals and recruiters are using LinkedIn, the world's largest searchable database, to look for YOU! Following these steps will increase the odds that they will find you!

LinkedIn for the Stealth Job Seeker

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Forex Megadroid - Working Mechanism of Forex Megadroid

Forex Megadroid is Forex trading robot, which has been released in the trading market during past few years. These auto trading machines makes capital for their possessors. But this Forex Megadroid has been declared most proficient and accurate as judged against other robots. It has been said that it makes money with more then 95% correctness and one can rely on it without any vacillation.

Downloading the robot software is a time taking procedure. Dealers require support of some specialist to install the software as they are fairly difficult, generally. But Forex Megadroid is very trouble-free to download and the process takes only a few minutes to install. In addition, visual aids in form of videos are also supplied in the package which helps out in downloading process.

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Typically currency automatons make use of precedent or programmed market information to execute their trading everyday jobs, and when market undertakes hasty ups and down they lose their competence, either stop trading or traders lose their wealth but this robot evaluate the market trends in standard gaps for example after every 2-4 hours or for a session. It does not carry out trade when it perceives high chances of lose. During trade it mechanically regulates itself to the market circumstances and come up with constructive outcomes. This is the key feature which makes it unusual and well-organized then the others that it can work under every market situation and amplify the revenue margin to high levels.

The Reversed Correlated Price and Time Analysis (RCPTA) is a influential artificial intelligence technology which drives this robot. This skill has been introduced in this instrument for the very first time, which facilitates it to forecast up coming market situation in very short time with high levels of correctness and accuracy.

The functioning technique of this Forex robot is diverse, sophisticated and improved then the others so it offers better results. Such professional robots are the need of time as currency market is becoming swift and fast day by day and human resources being time-consuming and inadequate may not match the tempo. These robots are opening new prospects of technology with reference to trading marketplace.

Forex Megadroid - Working Mechanism of Forex Megadroid

Monday, May 7, 2012

The Mind

Who can tell me what the mind is all about?
I really want to know.
How big is it as in size?
Is it ugly or beautiful as in features?
Is it gracious or dangerous?
Where is it located?
When a man dies, where does his mind go to?
Does it fizzle out and die too?
Or does it keep on living?
What is its scope and capacitance in storing retrievable information?
I learnt that the mind can picture the future?
I also learnt that the mind can recall the past?
Yes, is it true that it can reason out things?

If scientific research is true,
That there are around 14billion cells in the brain,
I won't be surprise.

Human Resource Software

Yes, I also learnt that what the mind of man can conceive and believe it can also achieve.
Hey wait!!!!!
I learnt God is 'mindful' of us,
Does that mean He's got a mind?
If man's mind has about 14billion cells, how many will that of God be?
I believe it will be 14billion cells times X (where X represents the number unknown)

Do you know another man's mind?
Do you know God's mind?
Do you know how to mind your own business?
Can you think without your mind?
Do you know how the mind operates?

Since the mind is so powerful,
Why don't you mind your mind,
And mine great treasures if you mind.

Your mind is there sleeping,
Chained and thrown in a dungeon;
A captive of mischievous caprices,
Not allowed to see the light of day.

14billion cells disallowed to express their true freedom
of networking in the brain.

Don't blow your mind with drugs,
Blow your mind with positive, and creative thinking.
Travel from the shores of your mind
Into the ocean of your mind.
Spread the sail of reasoning,
And allow the wind of thinking

To sail you right into the depth

Of the heart of the ocean of your mind.

Until we leave the shores of our minds,
We will never discover the ocean of our minds.

The mind adores soberness
The mind is a friend of the intellectuals
The mind hates socialites (Feasting in the morning, noon and night)
The mind likes voracious readers.
The mind loves contemplative thinkers.

If you want your mind to swell
Think on these things:
Think on things that are, lovely, honest, just, pure, true and of good report.
Let your mind think on things that are virtuous and praiseworthy.

If you have no mind to capture
Let the mind of Christ be in the picture.

Let the tornado of your mind
Whirl you into greatness.

What is that woman doing there?
Sitting by the bent begging for dime?
Pity!
She knows not what manner of creature she is.
Caging the mind of Gold
Yet, begging for swine feeds.
What a pity!!
Who will tell her;
That the acres of diamond,
Is hid within her?
All she need to do is to develop it.

Many men are busy doing
What in a real sense and tense is not a-doing.
Get into the world of your mind
And capture the world of your dreams.

Use your mind to;
Read, study, meditate, and think,think, and think.

The mind thrives on a healthy body,
Therefore, bodily exercise is important.
For fresh oxygen to get into the brain.

The mind, like the computer,
Needs constant overhauling and deleting of informations.
The mind's capacitance is enlarged
Through constant and steady practice.
The mind, works on the garbage in, garbage out principle.

The mind has a great limit
The mind gets you to a place
Where it can't be able to deliver again.

The mind took Charles Darwin there and stopped
It took Albert Einstein there and stopped.
The limit is where postulations, theories and assumptions begin.

The human spirit starts its jolly ride
Where the human mind stops.
This is what scientists call the subconscious mind.

The resources of the sub-conscious mind far outweighs that of the conscious mind.

A lot of creative thinkers ran insane because they could not cross over into the the so-called sub-conscious.
That realm that made Smith Wigglesworth say he is 1000 times bigger on the inside.
I think I will prefer the right to call this sub-conscious mind, the spirit-man, for what it really is.according to the Holy Scriptures.

Men exert physical energy to become successful. While their mental energy is mocked into silence; someday they'll be shocked.

To be successful, let your mind thrive on God's Holy writ.
Which is the best point of focus.
While your mind's feet rests on the rock of God's holy Word, you can then stargaze into the outer space of your mind.
If you want to flex your muscles, I'll suggest that you flex the muscle of your mind.
The word of God is the best craft that you can use to get into distant futuristic lands.

No wonder it was recorded that lesser minds discus people and issues while great minds discuss ideas.
The world of your mind has a lot of undiscovered treasures.
The Holy scriptures contains a verse stating that 'eye hath not seen, the ear hath not heard, the heart of man heart not perceived what God hath prepared for those that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the World, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given unto us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which men's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him him(No wonder they foolishly call the spirit realm the sub-conscious): neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.'
New songs, New cars, new political systems, great structure(high rise), space crafts, policies, and cures are still lying dormant in the minds of men.Great wonders that world has never seen is still in the minds of many people. Great books have not yet been written/published, the movie has not yet been produced, the best software for solving complex problems has not yet been designed. The greatest breakthrough is yet to be. The best is yet to come until men set their minds to work.

Do you know how many information that can be retrieved from the hard drive of a computer? How many papers will it take copy out all the data? And mind you all these move at the speed of light.

Men get so fascinated over the efficiency of a computer. God is light and He owns our minds. The efficiency of the human mind beats that of the computer 1000 times over.

There are tiny lights that the brain cells emit, as such it is not surprising when Job the Patriarch recounted the days when God's candle shone upon his tabernacle.

The world of your mind is a world which you can keep entering, shopping for ideas. A world where time is mocked and the future is glanced and gazed at with great joy and expectancy.

If God's thoughts are not man's thoughts, why can't you clasp your hands with the maker of your mind and expand the scope of your mind with His help.

Let's renew our mind and transform the world. No, I mean our world. As a man thinketh so is he; as the world thinketh so is she.
Be wise! Use your mind!!!! -27/4/2k

The Mind

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Software Outsourcing

Software outsourcing is a job contract awarded by a contracting party from a country to a company having a team of human resource with a definite skill set sitting in another country. On completion of the proposed job the software is shipped to the clients organization.

The need to rapidly complete large development projects has cause many organizations in recent years to consider outsourcing work rather than perform development in-house. A major reason for doing this is the reduction in costs that can be achieved, compared to those incurred if the work is executed in their own IT department. Development time can also be shortened, especially if the company does not already have the skills required to undertake the project. Thus offshore software development has seen tremendous growth in the last few years. Offshore outsourcing provides the ability to hold skilled overseas staff at a small part of the human resource cost which is elating to several entrepreneurs.

Human Resource Software

So the key to success of a offshore software project is the smooth flow of communication between the offshore vendor and the onshore client. Continuous constructive dialogue between the two sides is not limited to verbal communication, but is aggressively pursued in writing, meetings and conferences. So local presence of the offshore vendor can be a huge advantage for the client though it might cost the client more.

The client should be very careful about the project budget. Proper budget forecast includes vendor rates, risk involvement, scope of change in the project specification and vendor resource matrix. The financial terms should also be decided and agreed upon beforehand. Both the parties should maintain adequate transparency in order to achieve successful completion of the work.

Further, offshore development requires a methodology quite different from local development. For example, an onsite development team can resolve critical issues by meeting in a conference room. When teams are diverse, you have to create a process that automatically keeps everyone in the loop.

So many companies are gradually setting up their own offshore development centers. Though it is not always a feasible solution to small or medium enterprises. They can consider the option is of taking a stake (in the form of equity partnership or acquisition or merger) in an existing offshore company with an impressive employee retention rate and a stellar track record, ensuring quality management and a loyal workforce.

Provided you adhere to process and ensure accurate and prompt completion of projects, there is a significant savings from moving work offshore. The hardest part to quantify is the ability to get something done quickly and getting it to market ahead of your competition. For others with the time to learn the culture and establish relationships, the need to have at their bidding a full-fledged offshore team, and the money to invest, starting their own offshore center makes sense.

Software Outsourcing

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Information Technology Jobs

The rapid spread of Information Technology (IT) has generated a need for highly trained workers to design and develop new hardware and software systems. Information Technology Jobs in the job market is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations as organizations continue to adopt and integrate increasingly sophisticated technologies. The phenomenal growth, which the Information Technology industry is witnessing, has lead to it being recognized as one of the highly paid industry.

Career Opportunities Following are the career areas in the industry of Information Technology:

Human Resource Software

Software Offers vast range of employment opportunities in fields starting from computer operations, programming, system engineering and operation management, system analysis to system designing.

Hardware The key areas, which can be taken up as career, include hardware designing, assembling, research and development, manufacturing and maintenance of computer components.

Telecom The various fields, which can be pursued as career in:

Information Technology Jobs, include voice processing units, telephone technology, wireless technology, cellular technology and satellite communication systems.

Sales and Marketing Sales and marketing in IT industry are a specialist tasks and require a thorough study of products and their competitions in the growing market. A Marketing job covers selling of both hardware and software products.

E-Commerce and Web Development The job will include consumer/buyer information and services, developing and managing Web-portals; creation of Internet market, consulting, customer management etc.

Enterprise:

Resource Planning ERP is developing and planning the resources of entire network of an enterprise. Various fields like purchase, production, marketing, sales, distribution, service, inventory, finance, accounts, and human resource are integrated on single software through ERP, to facilitate better coordination.

Computer Operator A computer operator's job is to run both the computer software and its peripheral equipment. The job may vary depending upon size of the organizations and its exposure to computers.

Data Entry Data entry is transferring data and information into the computer and is the most basic purpose for which computers are used. Data entry operators are needed in almost every IT based organization.

Eligibility Individuals with an advanced degree in computer science or computer engineering or with an MBA with a concentration in information systems should enjoy highly favorable Information Technology Jobs. College graduates with a bachelor's degree in computer science, information science, computer engineering or MIS also should enjoy favorable prospects for employment, particularly if they have supplemented their formal education with practical experience.

Information Technology Jobs

Friday, May 4, 2012

The Importance of Engineering Processes

In the past several months, I have been making the (more or less) smooth transition between my previous career as an engineering manager in the aerospace sector and my new role in the material handling industry. While originally it was somewhat scary to move from one industry to another, I was pleased to discover the many connections between my previous career and my new one.

When it comes to a technical project, whether we develop a satellite or a material handling system, the basic fundamentals for success are the same. For instance, a large technical project will always involve multiple people during the development cycle, which makes optimizing project management a critical factor for success. Here is what NASA has to say about project management optimization; in summary, they state that project management optimization focuses on both human interfaces (as a group and individually) and technical aspects, such as knowledge and engineering processes.

Human Resource Software

Engineering Processes

Different industries utilize different processes and different amounts of them. For instance, aerospace engineering is known for its prolific use of processes during the project life cycle, and their implementation is fundamental for project success. These processes are oftentimes heavy in terms of resource utilization mainly because projects in this industry tend to be very long-term, strategic, and high risk.

Before I continue we should look at what it is meant by an engineering process:

"(...) act of taking something through an established and usually routine set of procedures to convert it from one form to another"

For instance, transforming customer needs into project requirements can be (should be) a process.

A project team or business unit within any industry will always have a set of processes that ensure to a certain degree that the work is being done with minimal error, within budget, and following specific regulations. Some of the processes used by aerospace engineering teams are:
Systems Engineering
Integrated Requirements Management
Risk Management
Cost Management
Acquisition Management
Safety and Mission Assurance

However, some of these processes are also very useful for material handling projects, particularly the complex projects that involve large teams. In these instances, processes help to minimize the overall risk of an enterprise (error = cost).

Despite the fact that all processes are important, different individuals in each team will inevitably value one process more than another. A CFO or business unit manager will most likely lean toward cost management; a quality assurance engineer toward safety; etc...

I am personally very influenced from my previous career as an engineering manager in scientific and military satellites, and therefore tend to favor two processes, both of which ensure (when fulfilled correctly) smooth technical project executions:
Systems Engineering Integrated Requirements Definition Management

Systems Engineering

Systems engineering is not a process in itself, but a family of processes. Wikipedia's definition of the role is:

[...] an interdisciplinary field of engineering that focuses on how complex engineering projects should be designed and managed over the life cycle of the project.

If a project is not too large, this role can be performed directly by the project manager; however, for large, complex projects it is typically better to designate an individual whose sole duty is to manage all of the technical aspects of the project.

Typical bodies of knowledge required for a systems engineer will depend on the industry. In material handling, I would expect expertise in:
Controls
Mechanics
Electrical engineering
Ergonomics
Logistics
Software
Communications buses

Although each project is unique and will involve diverse technical knowledge, the purpose of the system engineer is not to be an expert on all areas of knowledge but to have a broad understanding of the technologies involved in each project.

The benefits earned by having a designated systems engineer in a project are many. The most noteworthy include requirements gathering, requirement housekeeping, and interface controls between the parts of the system. Ultimately, a system engineer should garner higher satisfaction from the client at lower development/integration costs.

Integrated Requirements Management

Integrated requirements management is a process which focuses on analyzing and eliciting customer needs and required system functionality early in the development cycle of the project and then documenting those requirements. In large projects, this role is sometimes carried by the systems engineer, or another requirement owner; although, for smaller projects it can be performed by individual field sales engineers.

A well-executed requirement definition phase allows the client to understand what will be performed, helps the project team know what to do, and most importantly, works as a road map for project verification. Ideally, every requirement has to be measurable, achievable, verifiable, unique, and unambiguous.

For example, a requirement should not just read:
The system will convey 40 cartons per minute

Instead, it should be absolutely unambiguous, reading something like:
The system shall convey only boxes that are 16″ wide x 16″ long x 10″ tall
Each box shall be 2″ apart from the previous and 2″ apart from the next
The system shall convey 40 cartons per minute

Or perhaps, much simpler, and only in the case that this is what the client really meant:
The system shall convey at 60 feet per minute

Confirm with your client and establish the requirements as soon as possible. Make them simple and factual, and most importantly, verifiable. You should be able to appropriately verify every requirement by means of numeric, analytic, or observational evaluations: A (analysis), T (test), D (design verification), or I (inspection).

Ideally, during the verification process, and right before handing the system to your client, you will be able to walk him or her through each requirement verification, proving the work was satisfactorily performed.

This process requires a lot of attention, time, and effort; however, if the project is large or complex enough, investing resources in this task will prove incredibly efficient. Particularly in R&D projects, where this process will allow greatly minimized design margins and redundancies, therefore reducing the cost of the final product.

Remember, most errors in a project are done during the first 20% of its life cycle, and the cost impact of not identifying those discrepancies on time grows exponentially as the deadline approaches.

I have been lucky in having a multidisciplinary career that allows me to bring to my projects careful and measured engineering processes like the ones described above. Without these processes, projects can lack the accuracy and efficiency that managers and/or customers have come to expect.

The Importance of Engineering Processes

Thursday, May 3, 2012

SAP Implementation and Integration a Must for Large Enterprises

The technical world is constantly advancing to make the competition of survival tougher with every passing day for small scale and new companies. As a result, witnessing the coming up new exclusively efficient techniques and opportunities to develop, enhance, target, and utilize such extremities. Varieties of apps, softwares, and many more technologies have come up to help your business run smoothly, sufficiently, freely and easily. Today, any sized business can make use of such availabilities for expansion of their business in online market. As certain strategies which were firmly limited on large scale businesses have crossed boundaries and extended techniques for even the mid and small sized online businesses. Currently, in limited firms, any type of organization and corporate company can have online management and synchronization internationally to link with clients around the world.

SAP implementation, importantly, plays a major role in data processing to simplify business solutions, integration and management process. SAP stands for System, Application, Products which provides centralized data base information. To install and run SAP, different individual modules are available which you need to purchase separately. Enterprise Resource Planning software (ERP) is SAP AG's the most efficient software. In all industries, SAP ERP is expert in customization and accomplishment of both large and mid scaled business software requirements. Every entrepreneur demands SAP integration software apps to fulfill each and every need of the company. Only SAP consulting can help exclusively to provide SAP services and SAP business solutions in limited budget of the organization. The basic departmental and operational classifications are structurally designed by SAP. These include SAP ERP Financials, SAP ERP Logistics and SAP ERP Human Resource Management.

Human Resource Software

Make sure that the enterprise software application modules which are used in SAP implementation are supplied from the same vendor. In addition to this, do let your firm's expert install the system. Thereby, facilitate the users to integrate different modules. Such features can be obtained via SAP implementation methodology which will surely bring effective treatment to online business websites. Under professional, experienced and intellectual SAP consultant, mid-scaled businesses can opt for SAP ERP systems heavy grade integration to grasp effective customization.

SAP business solutions increase business online potentialities and lead towards growth in terms of success. SAP process works quickly and easily to facilitate with the assemblance of hard-to-integrate solutions or customized rigid apps. Under industry-specific focus, Idhasoft caters to Life Sciences, Durable Goods, Medical Devices and Wholesale Distribution industries, SAP brings up an excellent analysis of online reporting and documentation.

SAP Implementation and Integration a Must for Large Enterprises