Resources
Latest Articles
|
|
10-6-2009
In a conversation with one of our clients last week, he used the terms Disaster Recover and Business Continuity interchangeability. I explained the difference to him. In a subsequent conversation with some of my colleagues, I found out that not everyone is clear on the difference. So, I thought a clarification is on order regarding the difference between Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Business Continuity planning is PROACTIVE:
How do I avoid or mitigate the impact of a risk?
Disaster Recovery planning is REACTIVE:
How do I recover from a disaster and restore the organization to
normal business operations after a risk has occurred?
Disaster Recovery is part of the overall Business Continuity plan
|
|
|
08-25-2009
For the most part, most mid-sized companies and larger enterprises realize the need to establish a project management office and put it in charge of constructing its products and service offerings. These companies, to various degrees of maturity use some kind of project management methodology, and a disciplined approach to project initiation through execution and closing.
The success of the project management office and of the individual project manager(s) is still largely judged by “cliché” criteria; was done on time, and on budget? The question is also often, but casually asked; did it fulfill the business purpose it was intended for?
I have seen example after example of projects that were deemed a success, jubilant celebrations were thrown, and the projects leaders were promoted and financially rewarded. Only to discover a few weeks or months later that the work produced is far from “fulfilled the business need it was intended for”. Of course, by this time the project manager has become a senior project manager and the VP have become a senior VP, and so on. Many recent experiences show this pattern over and again.
|
|
|
07-01-2009
Not too long ago, when you asked a business person if they had a website, you may have heard a yes or a no. A website was not a “must-have” for a business. Today, however, a website is the business, in many cases.
The problem is that nowadays too many websites are built like print ads. They have an “About us” page, a “Services” page, and a “Contact us” page that are informative but do not address the customers’ need or solve their problems. This approach worked just fine in the 90’s and early 2000’s. Today, however, a website must have a presence; it must be built as an office or as store, just like the one you occupy, and no less valuable.
Consumers are much more educated today and are faced with a tremendous choice of providers who also are offering great products and services. To succeed, you must transform your website into an exciting, inviting place of business, and you must ensure that the customers have more than enough reasons to click on the “Buy now” button. To accomplish this goal, you need to be aware of the following: |
|
|
06-15-2009 A few years ago, I took my family to the Saint Louis Arch over the Thanksgiving holiday. While browsing the pictures, T-shirts, and post cards in the souvenir shop, a particular picture caught my attention. The picture was for the “final section” being put in place in October of 1965. I thought this picture illustrated the way many IT departments fall off the “edge”, by building one side of the "arch" only, (the immediate needs) and forgetting the long term needs. Or they may build the far side only (the long term strategy), and neglect the short term, revenue impacting needs. Many IT leaders fail to construct and co-ordinate the short and long term needs simultaneously. |
|
|
Business Models- The great predictor-corrector
05-18-2009 Various definitions exist for what a business model is. I define a business model as “how you create business value and make money”. Making money is, of course, why you are in business, this is your side of the equation. Creating value is what your customers are looking for from your products and services. And that is the other side. In the best business models, your customers should perceive the value they are getting to be greater than the money they are spending. Value to Customer ≥ Cost to the customer
|
|
|
03-28-2009 Companies may need to hire a consultant for a variety of reasons. They may need expertise or specialized knowledge they don’t currently have, or they may have the needed resources, but these resources are busy with other projects, or involved in the day-to-day business operations. Other reasons may be the need for an outside, fresh set of eyes and ears, or the need for objective advice, confidentiality of a particular decision or initiative. The need may also be prompted by an emergency that requires immediate action.
Here are some guidelines for the qualities you should look for in a business consultant: |
|
|
03-25-2009 How a business proposal is written and presented can mean the difference between winning and losing the business. Naturally, the proposal will contain many specifics, but here are the main elements that the proposal must address:
|
|
|
03-24-2009 I am sure that you get asked this question often. Potential employers and others want to know how you would manage a staff, a department, a process, or an entire company. You may be a “hands-on” type manager, a “strategic” thinker, a “firefighter”, or a combination of these qualities or others.
Not too long ago, a colleague had asked me this question. So I wrote this note to tell him about the 5 points that constitute the foundation of how I manage. |
|
|
01-13-2009 Measuring how and what you produce is expressed in metrics that will help you discover trends, ensure adherence to plans, and take corrective action when needed. The corollary to the above adage is: what gets measured gets done!
|
 |
01-05-2009 Have you ever been asked to takeover a failing project? The reasons for a project going to “code red” are numerous, but can usually be classified into seven areas:
|
 |
Dr. Sam Homer | 11-13-2008 Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is a tool that is used for marketing, sales, sales sorce automation, sales forecasting, customer service, order fulfillment and tracking, and a number of other functions....
|
 |
11-08-2008 The effort involved in turning a business around depends widely on the nature and size of the business, the severity of the problem, and the time window available.
The recovery is a two step process. The first and immediate step is to control cost; manage employee morale, customer confidence, and vendor relationship... |
 |
Dr. Sam Homer | 10-16-2008 For nearly 20 years, many have been speaking out about the fallacy of IT offshore outsourcing, and that all the touted benefits are the biggest lie the American public has been told. Back in 2008, two years before the infamous incident that led to the failure of the MegaBig Health Insurance Company...
|
Simple Social Bookmarking
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 