July 2007
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About ERP
An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is a single unified system developed for an organization for integrating all aspects of data and processes related to it. An ERP system covers all the basic functions of an organization, regardless of the organization’s business or charter. It began as a group of applications or software focusing on combining multiple systems into one integrated system where data could be shared across the enterprise, presumably reducing redundant data entry and processes.
An ERP system is a software package, which provides the functionality of an organization in a single package that would be covered by two or more systems. For example, a software package that provides both Payroll and Accounting functions such as QuickBooks is considered as an ERP software package. The software attempts to integrate all departments and functions across a company onto a single computer system that serves all those departments particular needs. Building a single software program that serves the needs of people in finance as well as the people in human resources and in the warehouse is a tall order. Each of those departments has its own computer system optimized for the particular ways that the department does its work. But ERP combines them all together into a single, integrated software program that runs off a single database so that the various departments can share information and communicate with each other more easily.
The term ERP originally implies system designed to plan the utilization of enterprise-wide resources. Although the acronym ERP originated in the manufacturing environment, today’s use of the term has much broader scope. A typical ERP system would replace two or more independent applications of an organization by eliminating the external interfaces previously required between systems and provide additional benefits which range from standardization and lower maintenance, to easier or greater reporting capabilities.
The need to undergo an ERP project is seen not only as an opportunity to integrate data systems but also to redefine processes in the interest of gaining efficiencies as well as to mote professional growth for employees by introducing new skills and knowledge in the areas of data management and procedures.
Selecting ERP software does not happen all of a sudden or as a result of an overnight’s discussion. There is lot of base work that needs to be done in this regard. There are many reasons for the uncertainty, with the foremost being advent of Internet. This has expanded the scope of computers and redefined the technological changes in the business. As a result there is more expectations and demand, which were not seen earlier. Advancement in computing indirectly implies the advancement in ERP. Needless to say the constant updating and innovating have become the benchmark of ERP packages. The tentative mind of companies in choosing ERP software solutions needs no explanation.
Selecting an ERP system Build or Buy?
Many business executives rely on prepackaged enterprise resource planning solutions for all aspects of their businesses from manufacturing to accounting. The philosophy behind many ERP systems is that a suite of software tools can quickly integrate all areas of business administration more easily. Major vendors such as SAP, Oracle, and PeopleSoft offer integrated tools for accomplishing this task.
While many businesses choose one of these off-the-shelf ERP solutions, there are many advantages to building an ERP application in-house. Businesses often prefer to have in-depth institutional knowledge of how these systems work and how they interface with the various business areas. Managers faced with evaluating any enterprise-wide IT system must make the build vs. buy decision early in the process of implementing ERP Systems.
Mull over these questions before deciding to build or buying
While it is faster to install a packaged ERP suite than it is to build one from scratch, the required time investment depends mainly on the level of customization your company needs and the amount of data you have to migrate. For many organizations, the considerations that influence the build-or-buy decision include the following things:
▪ Whether your company willing to change the way it does business to accommodate the software?
▪ As the business grows do you anticipate many changes?
▪ Which business functions provide a competitive advantage?
Whether your company willing to change the way it does business?
The argument for packaged solutions: For many managers, suggesting that their employees change the way that they work to accommodate a software package is an absurd idea. However, many large companies are changing their business practices to use ERP packages. Why would a company generally be willing to do this? Customization to prewritten ERP packages may be expensive, especially when software is upgraded. A company may also decide that there is little harm in changing business practices in routine areas that do not provide a competitive advantage.
The argument for custom solutions: The custom solution is designed with your organization in mind so that it is less likely that your business processes will have to change to fit the ERP solution. The costs to customize vendor packages are literally highan expense that might be avoided with a custom solution.
As the business grows, do you anticipate many changes?
Packaged: As business requirements develop and as the business grows, more changes to the ERP package will be needed. Although both customized solutions and ERP packages are often very difficult to extend into new business functionalities, the packaged ERP suites excel in their ability to amend and grow with the business, a flexibility advantage that is often touted by vendors.
Custom: Although a packaged ERP solution may be better at adapting to changing business requirements, you have to determine if this flexibility is worth the cost. Your organization may not probably make fundamental changes in the future. For example, basic business processes such as accounting finance and general ledger will rarely undergo radical changes. Therefore your organization may discover that a custom solution is sufficient.
Which business functions provide a competitive advantage?
Packaged: If your organization does not have a clear competitive advantage from your ordinary business systems, an off-the-shelf solution may provide the greatest benefit because a packaged solution can be used right out of the box and requires very little IT overhead.
Custom: Are there features within your ERP application suite that may give you an edge over your rivalry? For example, if your companys order processing ability gives you a competitive edge over the other vendors, it would be idiotic to install an off-the-shelf order processing solution.
In cases where rightful competitive advantages exist within the main business functions, it can be suicide to customize off-the-shelf ERP packages to maintain business methods. The cost of upgrades of these systems can reach tens of millions of dollars when the application code has been tailored.
Making the choice:
If you build your own ERP solution, you may benefit from customization, but that advantage comes at the expense of high development and maintenance costs. Packaged solutions are fully supported, but sometimes they may not always be an exact fit for your organization. To make the best selection, weigh the top considerations of your business against the advantages of each type of system.
Implementation of an ERP solution as a whole or as a part calls for high-level skills in analyzing your business operations, the business rules of your organization and the current technical scenario that could include a multitude of legacy systems. The dominant effect is a successful plan to integrate all these diverse activities into the ERP package resulting in efficient servicing of your customers, enhancing the bottom line of your operations and facilitating well-informed decision-making by various levels of management.
A successful ERP System implementation greatly depends on the blend and the synchronization of the team. A well-managed functional team with a clear understanding of the business practices, combined with a technical team, which understands the architecture of the product provides a team close to excellence. In general there are 10 tips to be followed while selecting the best ERP System for your business.
1. Make sure whether your executive team is willing to sponsor the ERP implementation project or not. One reason why projects fail is because the executive team does not establish a process to resolve issues, and neglects to make decisions in a timely fashion to keep implementations running smoothly. definitely
2. Clearly define what you are going to do, how long it will take, what resources are needed, and what it costs. Build contingency plans, manage risk, and communicate with everyone involved. A project manager is authorized person who can make or break an ERP implementation.
3. Select the best people for the ERP implementation team. You will be asking them to define how the business runs in the future. Pair the people who understand the business along with people who understand the technology.
4. Find the right consulting partner or firm that is experienced in ERP implementation, has a strong project management approach, and culturally blends in with your company. Remember, you will work long hours with these people and make sure that they have your best interests at heart and good references. It is also important that they understand your organizations needs.
5. Obtain the functionality you need but make sure that the ERP system provides the critical functions you need to run your business. Interview all the departments within your organization to identify the major features and functions they use on a daily basis to run the business. Understand the unique requirements of your organization, if the ERP system supports them, and how you are going to fill that gap if it does not.
6. Plan for the future and ask these questions: does the ERP system offer enough capacity to help my business grow? How will I support my IT infrastructure in an organization? Take the time to understand where your business goes in the future.
7. Select a solid ERP provider and make sure that the company you are considering doing business with today will still be here tomorrow. Apart from reading financial statements, talk to analysts and business contacts about the ERP software provider.
8. Understand skill levels in your company and look at the skill levels of the people in your company and IT department, and compare them with what you will need in the future. Identify the areas of need and invest in training and hiring people experienced in ERP concepts, business processes, and technology.
9. Focus on training your people and change management, which is absolutely crucial to the success of an ERP implementation. Every year companies invest millions of dollars in ERP systems, but do not provide adequate training. An investment in technology will not yield returns without adequate investment in people.
10. Understand your organizations integration requirements. Most companies have multiple applications that need to talk to the ERP software. Build integration architecture and use integration tools to reduce total cost of ownership and build a flexible architecture for the future.
Areas in which integration of ERP System best suits, includes:
Integrated Financials: General Ledger, A/P, A/R, integration/consolidation, cash management, multi-currency, multi-language, fixed assets.
Business Intelligence: Ad hoc reporting, executive information systems, multi-dimensional modeling.
Manufacturing / Importing & Scheduling: Purchasing, production scheduling, production process control, material requirements planning, master production scheduling, capacity planning, product definition, WIP tracking.
Distribution: Inventory management, bonded warehousing, logistics, transportation planning.
Customer Service: Sales order processing, returns.
Communications: EDI, Internet / Intranet.
The nuance in picking ERP software
Pre-ERP implementation includes analysis, constructive criticism; homework’s which has a significant place in the whole process of ERP. Lot of research and base work needs to be completed prior to the implementation of ERP or even before thinking about bringing ERP into the organization. The plans of the organization must be clearly charted out and how it tends to benefit from ERP operations have to be looked from a broader context.
Conclusion:
This discussion should include important things namely financial issues. Besides it should also account for the potential strengths, weaknesses and threats. How much profit will be incurred need to be discussed and substantiated? Other non-monetary benefits should also be discussed. These studies should involve the contribution of the entire group in the organization right from the person in the highest hierarchy to the one in the lowest level of hierarchy in the organization. The contribution should be validated and brightened by means of presentations, which will help everybody to get insight of the different perspectives, and views. All of them will be helpful in the successful implementation of ERP.
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Copyright 2006
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on July 31st, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on ethics.
Having been involved in business and politics and watched government attack us business folk and thus having been on all sides of this equation, it is readily apparent to me that the humans are just doing what humans do anyway. Humans are inherently problematic, often very deceptive and not such honest beings in general.
If we thrust the human animal into a modern civilization and the system does not take into consideration human nature it will not be fair and no one should expect it to be. Yet, if we will all step back from the situation and look at what we really have going here we will see what needs to be done and then we can start from there.
You see, as it stands now; Prosecutors often have political ambitions and judgeships are a political event. Lawmakers have interests in remaining in power and need money to do so and adjust the laws for lobbyists with special interest. Lawyers make money by hijacking the law. Cops have IQ of under 103 or they are not allowed to be police and one-third are criminals themselves hiding in broad daylight as protectors of peace? Every criminal I have ever met says they are innocent and every victim I meet wants revenge. So all this is human nature. The system is not taking all this into consideration.
So instead of fixing it all, we make more laws, more complex that no one can understand, totally ambiguous making a perfect breeding ground for lawyers to modify interpretation in order cheat the system, all for a fee. Throw in the financial gain of the free market place and now you have a free for all and what on Earth did you expect in a system filled with humans and system that does not take into consideration its own flaws? Consider all this in 2006.
“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; www.WorldThinkTank.net/
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on July 31st, 2007 with comments disabled.
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A day hardly passes without some business news story mentioning an accounting scandal at a large public corporation, an executive going to jail, doing the perp walk or testifying against former colleagues. There is probably some news on this very page of some business crime. Ill bet that every one of the companies mentioned in the news has a beautifully framed Values Statement hanging prominently in the lobby and proudly displayed in the Annual Report. But does anyone ever read it? Are the core values known throughout the rank and file of the company? Are they referred to when discussing policy or competitive strategic moves? Or are they just forgotten until it is time to dust the plaque or print the next Annual Report?
Dont get me wrong. Having a Values Statement is a very good thing. It is a starting point to building a respected, ethical company; a company that treats its customers, staff, and vendors with respect but it can be much more than that. It can be the basis for selecting new staff when adding to the workforce. It can make the training period easier and less stressful because, if new hires understand the core values, they will understand that those values are the basis for policy. It can make relationships with customers and vendors more cordial and less adversarial. It can even be used as a marketing message if the company actually follows (and can show they follow) their Values Statement giving foundational depth to the whole Customer Service issue.
Few companies have a written Values Statement and many of those that do have one, never use it so see if your company actually has one. If you do then ask yourself whether it is a living document one the company and the people within the company adhere to. If you find you dont have one, start the process of crafting one by asking, what core values should be the foundation for this company and how should we implement them?
Larry Galler coaches and consults with high-performance executives, professionals, and small businesses since 1993. He is the writer of the long-running (every Sunday since November 2001) business column, “Front Lines with Larry Galler” Sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.larrygaller.com Questions??? Send an email to larry@larrygaller.com
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on July 30th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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This morning, I read about a company using on-line auctions to defraud customers. Last week, I consulted on an ethics complaint where a business coach betrayed a clients confidentiality. And, recently a Physician was convicted of insider trading based on information from a patient, a violation of both business ethics and her professional ethics.
Business ethics are the key to profits. If clients and customers dont trust you, and your business ethics, they will not do business with you. Would you buy from a company you didnt trust? Of course not!
Business ethics have become a hot-button topic. There are often ethical conflicts between making money, and doing what is right. There can be dilemmas about doing what is best for your employer, whats best for your own career, and whats best for the customer. Business ethics is about negotiating these mine-fields. Here are my Top 10 Principles for Positive Business Ethics:
1. Business Ethics are built on Personal Ethics. There is no real separation between doing what is right in business, and playing fair, telling the truth and being ethical in your personal life.
2. Business Ethics are based on Fairness. Would a dis-interested observer agree that both sides are being treated fairly? Are both sides negotiating in good faith? Does each transaction take place on a level playing field? If so, the basic principles of ethics are being met.
3. Business Ethics require Integrity. Integrity refers to whole-ness, reliability and consistency. Ethical businesses treat people with respect, honesty and integrity. They back up their promises, and they keep their commitments.
4. Business Ethics require Truth-telling. The days when a business could sell a defective product and hide behind the buyer beware defense are long gone. You can sell products or services that have limitations, defects or are out-dated, but not as first-class, new merchandise. Truth in advertising is not only the law, business ethics require it.
5. Business Ethics require Dependability. If your company is new, unstable, about to be sold, or going out of business, ethics requires that you let clients and customers know this. Ethical businesses can be relied upon to be available to solve problems, answer questions and provide support.
6. Business Ethics require a Business Plan. A companys ethics are built on its image of itself and its vision of the future and its role in the community. Business ethics do not happen in a vacuum. The clearer the companys plan for growth, stability, profits and service, the stronger its commitment to ethical business practices.
7. Business Ethics apply Internally and Externally. Ethical businesses treat both customers and employees with respect and fairness. Ethics is about respect in the conference room, negotiating in good faith, keeping promises and meeting obligations to staff, employers, vendors and customers. The scope is universal.
8. Business Ethics require a Profit. Ethical businesses are well-run, well-managed, have effective internal controls, and clear expectations of growth. Ethics is about how we live in the present to prepare for the future, and a business without profits (or a plan to create them) is not meeting its ethical obligations to prepare for the future well-being of the company, its employees and customers.
9. Business Ethics are values-based. The law, and professional organizations, must produce written standards that are inflexible and universal. While they may talk about ethics, these documents are usually prescriptive and refer to minimal standards. Ethics are about values, ideals and aspirations. Ethical businesses may not always live up to their ideals, but they are clear about their intent.
10. Business Ethics come from the Boss. Leadership sets the tone, in every area of a business. Ethics are either central to the way a company functions, or they are not. The executives and managers either lead the way, or they communicate that cutting corners, deception and dis-respect are acceptable. Line staff will always rise, or sink, to the level of performance they see modeled above them. Business ethics starts at the top.
Ethics is about the quality of our lives, the quality of our service, and ultimately, about the bottom line. An unhappy customer complains to an average of 16 people. Treating employees, customers, vendors and the public in an ethical, fair and open way is not only the right thing, in the long run, its the only way to stay in business.
Copyright 2003 by Philip E. Humbert. All Rights Reserved. This article may be copied and used in your own newsletter or on your website as long as you include the following information: “Written by Dr. Philip E. Humbert, writer, speaker and success coach. Dr. Humbert has over 300 free articles, tools and resources for your success, including a great newsletter! It’s all on his website at: http://www.philiphumbert.com
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on July 30th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on ethics.
Whizzing in perpetual motion the minds of those in the Online Think Tank never stop considering all sides to all issues in their quest to come up with the best decisions and solutions for mankind. Recently a topic came up which pits capitalism against socialism in the ultimate challenge as one gentleman who worked 30 years in an R and D research project is now giving it all away.
Thus he stated that giving it away is best for humanity. Well yes in a way it is pretty nice of him. I agree that if you have an idea or concept that giving it is better for humanity and yet there is nothing wrong with making a profit either. I also believe that Bill Gates did give away much of what he produced if you will recall. In fact he did so well the government told him to stop it. No free browsers with the operating systems said FTC.
William Gates III continues to give away gifts to the world; he and Warren Buffet. Indeed, I give away lots of information, concepts and stuff as well. Before retirement we gave away our services often as well and carefully to the right people too. Much of the information I put out to the World now is simply to do the right thing and I have seen the World make good use of it.
I completely live up to my words and we always give to the community and we always have. Yet many say that most businesses are full of rhetoric and only PR their good deeds. That is unfortunate and sometimes it makes me wish I hadn’t when I read the horrific things people say about entrepreneurs. If you condemn entrepreneurs then do not take this personally, as everyone does this, because they do not understand.
It is unfortunate that socialist are so quick to condemn me, as an entrepreneur. But to me it proves that they do not have all the facts, are not observant in their observations and thus their rhetoric comment are best saved for their mirrors. I hope this article is hard-hitting and makes you think in your quest to be the best in 2007.
“Lance Winslow” - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on July 30th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on ethics.
The study of business ethics and its implications for different stakeholders have seen tremendous growth in the past few decades. There has also been a rise in the use and development of codes of ethics and announcements for ethical practices by many firms; however companies are still criticized for their unethical practices at different levels (Papers4you.com, 2006). Business ethics, according to the literature has been entrenched with the philosophical details of Ethics (Trevino & Nelson, 1999). Ethics has been defined as the activity of examining the moral standards of a society, and asking how these standards apply to ones life and whether these standards are reasonable (Velasquez, 1998; p. 11).
The literature on business ethics is divided on its views about the motivation and reason for businesses to have an ethical dimension. Drawing upon Harrison (2001), there are two major schools of thoughts, firstly those who suggest that firms are profit generating institutions and therefore business ethics is yet another way to attract customers, secondly those who support corporate conscience and intrinsic motivation for the adoption of business ethics.
Business ethics has been considered very subjective in nature and according to Paul (2001) is considered a function of time and culture. It has been established that with the passage of time business ethics have evolved and also that the cultural values and norms drive business ethics within national and regional boundaries. One of the major studies regarding the national values has been conducted by Hofstede (1983). According to this research, which was only based on four indicators i.e. individualism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance and masculinity, there is a great deal of differences among values across different nations and consequently the business ethics. Globalization combined with standardization has made businesses financially efficient but at the same time poses questions regarding the standardized codes of business ethics across national boundaries.
Vinten (1991) has divided the business ethical issues at different levels i.e. international business, domestic business and professional ethics. At the international level ethical issues include free-masonry and socialism versus capitalism; at domestic level these include religious dimensions, social marketing and ethical education; and lastly at the individual level these include bribery, corruption and data protection (Papers4you.com, 2006).
There are many reasons and criticisms for the failure of adoption of ethics in the business world. Firstly, the concept is considered to be overly theoretical and it also negates the basic purpose of any business i.e. to create shareholders wealth. Secondly, it has lack of direction and unanimity across different cultures and academic groups. Lastly, it has many inherent unresolved dichotomies that according to Sternberg (1994) make it a case of rejected relativism.
References:
Harrison, J. (2001), Ethics for Australian Business, Prentice-Hall, Frenchs Forest
Hofstede, G. (1983), The Cultural Relativity of Organizational Practices and Theories, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp.75-89
Papers For You (2006) “S/B/92. What distinguishes ethical from unethical business activity and how significant are the principles of business ethics in modern business?”, Available from http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/sprtbus21.htm [17/06/2006]
Papers For You (2006) “S/B/49. ‘Should businesses strive to be ethical?’ Critically Discuss”, Available from http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/sprtbus21.htm [18/06/2006]
Paul, S. (2001), Cultural and Business Ethics, Cross Cultural Management: An international Journal, Volume 8 No. 1, pp 22-35
Sternberg, E. (1994), Relativism rejected: the possibility of transnational business ethics, in Hoffman, W.M., Kamm, J.B., Frederick, R.E., Petry, E.S. Jr (Eds), National Conference on Business Ethics. Proceedings from the 9th Conference on Business Ethics Sponsored by the Centre for Business Ethics at Bentley College, Quorum Books, New York, NY, pp.143-50
Trevino, L.K., Nelson, K.A. (1999), Managing Business Ethics: Straight Talk about How to Do It Right, 2nd ed., J. Wiley & Sons, New York, NY
Velasquez, M.G. (1998), Business Ethics: Concepts and Cases, 4th ed., Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Vinten, G. (1991), Business Ethics: Busybody or Corporate Conscience?, Managerial Auditing Journal, Volume 5, Number 2, pp. 123-144
Copyright 2006 Verena Veneeva. Professional Writer working for http://www.coursework4you.co.uk
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on July 30th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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Enron Executive goes to prison for 10 years, Martha Stewart is under house arrest, and Bill Clinton averages $150,000 per speaking engagement.
It all comes down to decisions on the fly, no pun intended.
What you may not even think is an important decision at the time, could bring down your company or your employers, in less time than it takes to say to the massage parlor attendant, Do you take Amex?
Does it seem like the world has gone to hell in a hand basket overnight?
With CEOs signing off on corporate governance, government intervention, consumer watchdog groups, senior lobbyists, and teenagers with 24-hour Internet connections, you would think that we would be free of Corporate Disease by now.
Wrong!
As long as there are decisions to be made by human beings, there will always be a select few that arent even aware they are carriers of a communicable corporate disease.
All it takes these days is one trip to the doctor, slash forensic accountant, and you have a full-scale investigation on your hands.
So what is the solution?
In short, there is only one logical solution.
Communicable corporate diseases will cease to exist when business people stop having unprotected corporate relations, with themselves and other partners.
What does that mean?
It means the only way to protect you or your employer is to ensure you are wearing your corporate condom before you go out and play.
No different than sex folks.
Know your self intimately, know your partner, get tested, do a background check, ask for references, sign a prenuptial, and then when you think you have done enoughdo it all over again.
Maybe, just maybe, you will stay free of any corporate communicable diseases.
by Lee Raito, CFP, FMA
Co-Author of Business Sexcess
www.BusinessSexcess.com
Business and financial expert Lee Raito is a Certified Financial Planner and Financial Management Advisor. Lee has teamed up with Internet marketing expert Sam Heyer to provide you with information that will take your business success to a place it has definetly never been before. Their controversial book, Business Sexcess, is the much talked about book that will transform how you look at business. For a free Chapter please visit http://www.BusinessSexcess.com/free
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on July 29th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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Conflicts are inevitable, but the more we know about human nature, the more positive the outcome of a conflict might be for both parties. We know that different people have different priorities and different ways of dealing with situations that may occur, but in general, human beings have certain characteristics that are very similar even across gender, racial, and socio-economic lines.
People love to be agreed with.
People hate to be disagreed with.
People like other people who agree with them.
People dislike other people who disagree with them.
People who are good at resolving conflicts look for some point of agreement and use good people skills to get others to see a different point of view.
So if we know that when we disagree with people, we are likely to raise resentment, it might be a good idea to strengthen our soft-skills our people skills when dealing with conflicts or potential conflicts. If we find ourselves in a tense situation, and we raise our voice, the other party is likely to respond in kind. This will usually escalate the situation quickly. Instead, below are SEVEN tips for avoiding and ultimately resolving conflicts.
1. Be proactive instead of reactive. Good plans shape good decisions. That’s why good planning helps to make elusive dreams come true. Lester R. Bittel
2. Be slow to angerespecially over petty issues. Anger is always more harmful than the insult that caused it. Chinese Proverb
3. Instead of telling people they are wrong, point out mistakes indirectly. A person convinced against his will is of the same opinion still. Samuel Butler
4. Look for some type of common ground as soon as possible. A compromise is the art of dividing a cake in such a way that everyone believes he has the biggest piece. -Ludwig Erhard
5. If you find that you are in the wrong, admit it. Its easier to eat crow while it is still warm. Dan Heist
6. Admit one of your own poor decisions before pointing out a similar error by others. A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying… that he is wiser today than he was yesterday. -Alexander Pope, from Miscellanies by Jonathan Swift
7. Mend fences whenever possible. Never does the human soul appear so strong as when it forgoes revenge, and dares forgive an injury. -E.H. Chapin
Doug Staneart is President of DM Staneart and Associates, http://www.buildingyourteam.com, leadership and team-building training. He can be reached by e-mail at doug@buildingyourteam.com or toll-free at 1-800-872-7830 x-100.
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on July 28th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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The term “Fairtrade” has been gaining steady acknowledgment since the 1940s - and justifiably so. After all, when consumers pay just a little more for products like organic coffee, bananas, nochocolate and even clothes, farmers are guaranteed a fair price for their goods and labour. So, the fact that over 2,500 product lines in the UK now carry the Fairtrade mark - t to mention that Britain spent over 290 million on fair trade coffee, food, furniture and clothing last year (an increase of 46% on the previous year) - should seem like a good thing, right?
Not quite, as many people are now questioning the effectiveness of the fair-trade practice - or more specifically, whether the support of Fairtrade purchase can actually damage the progress of developing world farmers. Many are claiming that a focus on fair prices for poor farmers doesn’t necessarily address issues of mechanisation and industrialisation - radical changes that might enable farmers in developing countries to break out of the poverty cycle. In other words, they believe Fairtrade just encourages Third World farmers to accept and settle for just a bit more than they were originally getting - which still leaves farmers at a level of dependence.
Steve Daley of the Worldwrite charity told the BBC: “How can a few extra pennies a day from Fairtrade be celebrated as an outstanding achievement?”
Daley cites a report from the Financial Times last September, which revealed that a group of fair trade coffee farmers in Peru were getting 10 soles (about US$3) for working a ten-and-a-half hour day, in comparison to the 8 soles (about US$2.40) they were getting prior to the Fairtrade agreement. While there is a difference, it’s not significant, and Daley is thus concerned that the fair trade movement is being reshaped to increase farmers’ wages by small amounts, rather than to transform poor communities through development.
Madsen Pirie from the Adam Smith Institute - another sceptic of the Fairtrade practice - shares Daley’s concern, commenting to the BBC:
“[Fairtrade farmers] become dependent on us continuing to pay ‘premium’ prices for their goods, [making them] prisoners to our market.”
This perspective therefore claims that while small-scale fair trade deals are beneficial to some degree, they aren’t enough for Third World farmers to lift themselves out of poverty; they need bigger market developments to achieve that.
Others, however, argue otherwise. , howevEileen Maybin, a spokeswoman for the Fairtrade Foundation, said:
“Fairtrade focuses on ensuring that farmers in developing countries receive an agreed and stable price for the crops they grow, as well as an additional Fairtrade premium to invest in social projects or business development programmes. Typically, farmers’ groups decide to use the premium on education, healthcare and clean water supplies, or the repair of roads and bridges, and to strengthen their businesses, improve the quality of their crop or convert to organic production.”
She added that farmers and workers involved in Fairtrade always talk about how much they, their families and their communities benefit.
Justin Purser, the commodities manager for Trade Aid Importers in New Zealand, has also witnessed some of the big changes fair trade can make:
“It is very common for fair trade coffee co-operatives to seek to build infrastructure which will cut down on the amount of labour required to process their coffee, and will also enable them to improve their coffee quality and, thereby, the higher prices they can command in the market.”
So, the debate of whether fair trade promotes dependency or self-sufficiency continues. However, one thing is certain: fair trade conditions are far more beneficial to Third World farmers than non-fair trade conditions. So, while bigger issues may still be at hand, Fairtrade is certainly a starting point to put an end to cheap production through exploitation. Moreover, buying Fairtrade is something everyone can personally do on a daily basis to help.
There are various ways to support the fair trade practice: you could always pick fair trade products when faced with a choice of fairtrade or non-fairtrade. Many stores, markets and coffee shops do, after all, stock products from both categories. However, why not shop specifically for fair trade products? Or better yet, if the store you normally shop at doesn’t stock fair trade products, ask them if they plan to. If companies see enough consumer interest in the fair-trade practice, they may very well decide to switch over - and every little bit counts.
Andrew Regan is a freelance online journalist.
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on July 28th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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For most people, the process of buying property requires great attention. It is often a huge investment possibly the largest that an individual is likely to make; and they would want true value for the money invested. Coupled with the decision to liberalise the FDI norms in the construction sector, it comes as a surprise that the real estate sector continues to function unregulated without a consumer friendly legal framework, especially when mutual funds, insurance policies, fixed bank deposits and securities are all subject to the guidelines of a market regulator. Until now, only Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) were permitted to invest in the housing and the real estate sectors. Foreign investors other than NRIs were allowed to invest only in development of integrated townships and settlements either through a wholly owned subsidiary or through a joint venture company in India along with a local partner.
Though the real estate sector in India is proclaimed to be the most promising sector today, it is still hugely plagued by market uncertainties and inhibitions. The real estate market in India predominantly continues to remain unorganized, fairly fragmented, mostly characterized by small players with a local presence. Thus, a Rs 500 transaction has a regulatory structure in place, while a Rs 50,00,000 contract runs on trust or might. What makes the purchase process even more harrowing is the complete lack of professionalism. The sector is replete with builders and brokers who are not only ignorant of the law, but also about the ways of civil engineering. The Finance Ministry has also expressed concerns about the exponential growth in the highly unorganised sector, which is also supposed to be one of the most corrupt sectors of the economy.
In a bid to protect consumers, the urban development ministry plans to create a regulator for the real estate sector. A real estate commission will be set up to frame guidelines and a code of conduct for property dealers. This would mean that property dealers and architects would have to get themselves registered before doing business. These moves are all likely to be part of the proposed Real Estate Management Bill. However, keeping in view the strong opposition of a section of lobby of builders and property agents, it remains to be seen whether the government would be able to push forward the proposed Bill. There are proposals for self-regulation by the industry.
However, a section of builders have also supported the governments move, as it would bring transparency in the industry and an assurance to the customers. Once confidence level improves, the quantum of foreign investment coming into the sector could rise substantially leading to growth in the sector. As per an estimate, the real estate sector is expected to get an investment of over $50 billion in next 5 years. Under the proposed Bill, neighbourhood property dealers will have to compulsorily seek licence from the proposed commission for practising in specific catchment areas. To further protect the interest of consumers, the commission will also entertain complaints against dealers and will be empowered to take punitive action. There are also plans for setting up an assistance window at the proposed commission, where prospective buyers will be able to thoroughly check the antecedents and other details of the property.
The same act is also expected to ban pre-launch offers a method to take consumers for a ride in the housing sector. Realtors would take huge advances for proposed flats immediately after acquiring land even without the necessary clearances. In some cases, developers have even received advance money before the land was even transferred. More often than not, the developers have sunk the money in alternate projects. Once a project has been approved, builders will be barred from accepting any advances or deposits from buyers unless a sale agreement has been executed. The moves are expected to put an end to pre-launch bookings and publicity which jacks up property prices beyond prevailing market rates. This speculation severely disadvantages genuine buyers while aiding those out to make a quick buck. Apart from the ban on making these offers, the bill is also likely to mandate that the developer sign an agreement with the buyers, assuring them of delivery of the property within a stipulated period.
However, the draft of the proposed enactment reveals a few serious flaws. These mainly stem from Indias federal constitution which places property as a subject for state legislation. The fear is that the new statute will face the fate of the National Building Code, which is being ignored by states as much as possible.
I am working as a functional consultant with a Chennai based company in India called Ramco Systems. I have more than 3 years of experience in various fields of software development. To read more articles you can reach me at
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To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on July 28th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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