Keeping Your Business Current with Technology

Staying updated with the latest technology has been our cultural obsession for a long time now, and the world of business is no exception to this rule. However according to Neil Camenker unless your business model demands having the latest and greatest technological systems, I would encourage exercising a certain degree of restraint when it comes to staying up to date.

Because of the expense involved in buying new systems, a conservative approach can pay off dividends. While employees may be clamoring for the hottest PCs on the market to replace their current workstations, perhaps upgrading them would serve your purposes just as well. Part of your long-term technological strategy could include purchasing systems that are designed to be upgradable; buying a new system once every 4 years and upgrading 2 years after the purchase, rather than buying all new systems every other year. Not only would this reduce the costs of the systems themselves, but it will also increase employee productivity and decrease training time because the employees will already be familiar with how the systems work.

Computers go out of date so fast that keeping them current is a constant struggle. It seems like every release of the operating system slows them down more. They are a continual source of frustration to employees, and can hinder productivity when they don’t function the way they’re supposed to. This doesn’t always justify replacing them, however, as new computers are just as likely to have quirks and problems that make them frustrating for employees to deal with. Something that you may wish to consider is investing in some IT employees to handle computer problems.

Software is always being updated, and the different companies compete to release the programs with the most functions. New software tends to use up more computing resources than older software, so when upgrading software it can create the need to purchase new computers as well.

Networking equipment has a shelf-life just like any other piece of technology, and needs to be updated from time to time to keep up with new technologies and increased demand.

Servers run the web technology that your customers interact with, and are therefore an important thing to keep updated. As your web traffic and customer base increases, you should upgrade your servers to ensure that they have the capacity to handle the new demand being placed on them.

The web applications customers use on the web are some of the most important technological applications a company will ever buy, because they represent the company to the world and must therefore function perfectly. This is something that you should never skimp on.

Watch out for the Diderot Effect: the perception that one new purchase necessitates making further purchases. It’s not uncommon to see companies upgrading their entire range of technological systems at one time—an amazingly expensive endeavor.

By Neil Camenker

What?s Your MBA IQ? A Manager?s Career Development Tool

This is a book review

Author: Devi Vallabhenenei

I love books, they way they feel and the way the look. I know that when you print a book, you kill more trees. But for me, there is just something about holding a physical book that I love. If you have read my other book reviews, you will note I always let you know when I a book is well made. This book is really a text book. Something I would expect a college professor to assign. I think in order to make the book lighter, these pages were made with very thin paper and which felt like phone book paper. The book was written to provide Business practitioners and those who want an MBA, a roadmap to facilitate advanced management education. Some of the chapters are listed below:

• General Management , Leadership and Strategy
• Marketing management
• Quality and Process Management
• Human resources management
• Accounting
• Finance
• Corporate Control, law , ethics and governance
• International business
• Project management

You can compute your IQ at their website with a self ?assessment. Then take the book and learn the areas you are weakest in. It is truly a text book. The Ethics chapter sites actual cases and laws. For example the authors explains the Sherman Act and the Clayton Act ( which strengthens the Sherman Act) and the Robinson-Patman Act ( which strengthens the Clayton Act). It would be great for self-study, however I am not sure what you would do if you have areas that you did not understand and needed help with. It could be great for a group study or a reference book for you if you are doing online classes for your MBA. You will be prepared to take the he Certified Business Manager (CBM) exam.

You have to be very motivated to get through this book.

This book is an L.A. 8

What’s Your MBA IQ? A Manager’s Career Development Tool

This is a book review

Author: Devi Vallabhenenei

I love books, they way they feel and the way the look. I know that when you print a book, you kill more trees. But for me, there is just something about  holding a physical book that I love.  If you have read my other book reviews, you will note I always let you know when I a book is well made.  This book is really a text book. Something I would expect a college professor to assign. I think in order to make the book lighter, these pages were made with very thin paper and which felt like  phone book paper.  The book was written to provide Business practitioners and those who want an MBA, a roadmap to facilitate advanced management education. Some of the chapters are listed below:

• General Management , Leadership and Strategy
• Marketing management
• Quality and Process Management
• Human resources management
• Accounting
• Finance
• Corporate Control, law , ethics and governance
• International business
• Project management

Read more