Purpose of Information Systems Planning (ISP) and its major challenges

Before I tell you my perception on the purpose of information systems planning (ISP) and its major challenges, I would like to share with you a short story that had happened to me last Thursday – December 11, 2008. While waiting for a bus, a woman moved toward me. She asked for my name and we had a little talk. Then she gave me a journal that entitled “SUCCESS, how can you achieve it?” While traveling, I was also reading the journal. It was really an awakening and it gave me the encouragement to continue in spite of this crucial environment.

Let me link the story to the question concerning the success of the organizations. Why organizations need to plan for their information system (IS) and why they continue developing it? Moreover, why do they have to invest a large amount in IS and information technology (IT)? If I were to identify the goal of those organizations taken as a whole, of course, as we all know, they really wanted to succeed (who does not?) Even us individuals want the same thing. So to answer the question, first, we need to know what is meant by IS and planning.

From the previous assignment, I had discussed the term information system and information systems plan (ISP) and was able to compare it with business planning, their relationship and the frequently experienced causes of frustration in IS professionals and users while working on an IS plan. This time, I need to restate the meaning of IS. Here we have the IS resources: including people, hardware and software. So for what are the resources? People – they are working on the data. Hardware – tools (e.g. computers) used by persons working in an organization in processing the data. Then we have software – computer programs or databases that are used to store or process data. All of them are working on the organization’s data and information. As what has been stated in Wikipedia – the term refers to a system of persons, data records and activities that process the data and information in an organization, and it includes organization’s manual and automated processes. Next, we have planning. Planning involves thinking ahead and designing future action. It provides us a scheme of our action.

After defining the two terms, let me now discuss about IS planning. It is the planning of IS for an organization. Assessing the information needs of an organization and defining the systems, databases and technologies that best satisfy those needs. It contains the goals, objectives and priorities of the organization and the strategies of improving the organization’s IS. What are the expected changes three or five years from now? What are the developments that the organization should have? Any improvement in the IS, it is expected that it would cater the needs in achieving the organization’s goals and as what I have learned from the previous assignment, it should be in accordance with business plan.

In developing an IS plan, there are several factors should take into consideration. Each of which should not be taken for granted and should be well analyzed and planned. First we have the IS resources such as the people, hardware and software. The people or the users should be able to understand and use the implemented system. It is one clear opportunity and it would benefit many users if user interface design were improved. To build better interfaces, more user involvement is needed in the interface design process. Designers should follow the interface guidelines that exist. User training will also help, especially if it addresses problem solving strategies that will help build self-efficacy. Even small changes in the interface can make a big impact on user satisfaction. Specific hardware and software products should always be evaluated. Does an organization need to change its hardware and/or the software they are using? Do they need an additional of it? What are the suitable hardware and software that would best cater the needs of the organization? How much are they needed? These are some of the questions that an IS professional must have in mind.

How could I able come up with those questions? Of course, after reading many articles about information system and information systems plan, I have now my ideas and there is no reason for me not to be able to construct those. Next is the financial statement of the organization. How much an organization needs? What are the alternatives that would help the organization supplement the insufficiency? Then we have the IS professionals. They should have the skills and the personality of a real IS professional and worthy to be called as IS professional. They should have patience, perseverance, and the knowledge, of course. For what they are called IS professional?

Why need IS plan? What is the purpose of IS planning? Organizations need to plan for their IS to make sure that it both complements and assists in the achievement of their business goals and that the use of scarce resources are maximized within a business. Other reason is to maximize the benefits of changing technology and to take account of the different viewpoints of business professionals and IT professionals. IS planning is never an easy task. That is why there are methods that IS professionals try to follow and standards they try to reach out in order to have a good outcome and that it should serve the company and the users the way it was expected.

It should support and control the technical system in which it should be maintained to avoid failures and degradation. The people that are involved should be committed by actively participating. It must be constructed and documented carefully. It should also consider the life span of the IS and not just the acquisition costs. It should support the organization’s goal, strategies, and a sense of balance between centralized and decentralized decision.

We should always look out for the desirable characteristics of an IS plan including the shortcomings of the organization and the solutions to those problems which should be for a long term and the proposals in order to have quality in the product. It should be well planned because together with business plan, they both have a significant impact and both working for the success of the organization.

While working on an IS plan, sometimes inevitable problems could occur and could lead IS professionals to frustration. Even in our everyday life, we always face problems and challenges. But that is not a problem because it is just a matter of positive thinking and character.

In today’s competitive world, there is a need to attain a higher level of competence in order to be more profitable. We have to face the reality that the presence of information technology infrastructures in business can at times have a dehumanizing effect on people. As the old saying goes, “Life is a constant change”. Information is always evolving same as technology. This is one of the reasons why organizations need to have an IS plan and continue developing it, innovating and make large investments in information technology and in information systems in order not to be left behind and to cater the best services to their customers.. Another thing is for them to become globally competitive. The level of intensity gave business firms a motivation to work a lot harder and have a healthy competition among the organizations.

After having the purpose of IS plan, let me now identify its major challenges. What are those? While searching on the net, I fortunately found the article that discussed about ISP and its major challenges. After reading the article, I decided to have those and include here. Taken from the site: http://www.science.gmu.edu/~ahughes/MIS411f05Ch11Deborah.ppt

The following are the major challenges that were presented by Deborah Muckle:

• Difficulty Foreseeing and Accessing Opportunities
• Difficulty Assuring Consistency w/Organizational Plans & Objectives
• Difficulty Building Systems
• Difficulty Maintaining Information System Performance
• Difficulty Collaborating with IT Professionals

What can I say about the major challenges that were stated above? To start with, let me have the first one. A system needs to be evaluated sequentially to identify what are the portions of it that need improvement. Therefore, it has to be flexible and extendible for easy alteration, and it should be for long-term use.

For the second one, because of the fast changing environment and the level of competency in the business world, in order not to be left behind and to keep on pace, organizations dreadfully keep on planning and innovating that they forgot that they are not on the track anymore. Others intend to keep on changing their plans. Well, I can say that I have no right to disapprove of what they are doing because I am not an IS professional. I am still a student but I am in the process of becoming so why not practice criticizing others works? It is not only to find faults; it is for the better. I still remember the excerpt from a book that says, “Use criticisms constructively, never fear it. If it is good criticism, you will learn a valuable lesson. If it is untrue or unkind criticism then just forget all about it”. So let me now continue the discussion about the second part. If possible, organizations should be consistent with their organizational plans and objectives. To do that, as what I have always said, profound analysis is greatly needed.

Next is about the difficulty in building systems. Developing an information systems plan is not really an easy task, same as developing systems to be implemented by the organization. A system analyst or a developer should make sure that the system would really suit to the needs of the organization. Moreover, they need to make sure that users would understand and be able to use the designed system.

Let me start the next by saying “No one is perfect” and things could go wrong. Clouds might obscure the sun for days on end. Why did I say that? Even IS professionals are not perfect so as the ISP and designed systems. Let us say the system works as it was expected but in reality, there can still be problems like less productivity, less flexibility and dissatisfaction of the customers or the users. There might solutions to these problems but still it could lead to another problem that is more expense for the preventive maintenance. So, without a thorough understanding of the problem and the needs of the organization and without knowledge of the best practices for organizing the required data, the implemented IS plan becomes an unwieldy beast that requires constant attention.

For the last stated major challenge, I would like to start by saying, “No man is an island”. Sometimes we need somebody’s help for we are not perfect and we can’t do everything. That is why IT professionals need to work with business professionals and vice versa. IT professionals know the different types of systems, best approaches and the capabilities while business professionals direct experience with business problems but must appreciate need to build a maintainable system. Therefore, the two should work together as a team for it is essential for system success.

The challenge of developing the right IS plan is one of the most daunting challenges faced by the organizations today. But real success as a person is within the reach of all but then, there never was, and there never will be, an easy way to achievement. We must always pay the price.

After all the discussions about the purpose and major challenges of information systems planning, let me tell you this – the success of the organization not solely depends and not just because of the IS plan but we have to take into consideration the human resources or the people working in the organization. Without them, there is no information system. Even if we can say that there are hardware such as computers and software or programs that are used to store, modify and retrieve data, they can’t work alone. So for me, we have to give importance to those people who are working for the success of the organization. Since Christmas is fast approaching, I wish that workers would be given incentives.

References:

http://www.science.gmu.edu/~ahughes/MIS411f05Ch11Deborah.ppt

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_systems

What are the two most frequently experienced causes of frustration in IS professionals and users while working on an IS plan?

Working on information systems (IS) plan takes patience and perseverance. In order to have a good outcome, IS professionals should do profound analysis and must consider a variety of factors. Without a thorough understanding of the problem and organization’s need the IS plan is intended to solve, and without knowledge of the best practices for organizing the required data, the implemented IS plan becomes an unwieldy beast that requires constant attention. Developing an IS plan is never an easy task. That is why there are methods that IS professionals try to follow and standards they try to thrash out. IS plan should serve the company and the users the way it is expected. Learning from my experience from the previous semester, IS professionals’ task does not end with a scrutiny of the information systems. Indeed, they must evaluate the entire message in terms of coherence, the quality of hanging together in the IS plan. To achieve its purpose, statements must be organized appropriately. They must be ordered in a logical manner and should support the business plan of the organization so that the transition between each one contributes to the overall objective of the plan. After answering the first question, my next purpose is to respond to the next question, “What are the two most frequently experienced causes of frustration in IS professionals and users while working on an IS plan?”

According to Freud, it is not simply the nature of the frustrating incident that determines how people will react to it. Rather, there is interplay between the situation and the psychological characteristics of individuals. The level of maturity of the individual also plays a part in the reactions to frustration (Barker, Dembo, & Lewin, 1965). With maturity, there is an increase in the variety of responses to a situation employed by individuals, in the control of the environment, and in their ability to employ problem-solving behavior and plan steps to obtain the goal. It would appear that learning, which is culturally determined, is a major factor in developing socially acceptable responses to frustration.

Frustration occurs when there is a condition, which interferes with or stops the realization of a goal. It makes us feel useless or worthless. Any interruption to our action or task can be very frustrating. Level of frustration experienced by an individual clearly can differ depending on the circumstances surrounding the frustrating experience and on the individuals themselves. There could be so many causes that lead an IS professional to frustration. Same thing happened to me. I made a list of my goals, when and how to attain those goals. I made my own schedule to help me budget my time and succeed in attaining the goals. But then the outcome was in contrast to what I had expected. I thought if I took those actions then all things would go right. This time, I should say that I am not a good planner but I will still keep on trying. I made a realization that the failure was not because I failed to plan and not because I planned to fail but there was something missing and I have to find out what it was. I learned from that experience and I should do the right thing next time.

Going back to the question, I need to identify the causes of frustrations not the frustrations itself. Similar to my experience, IS professionals fail to have a good plan. It might be because they are only focusing on one factor and others are taken for granted. Since we are dealing with information systems, that is why IS planning requires profound analysis and should consider all factors and all the necessary things that would contribute to the improvement. IS professionals may get tired of the unending revisions of IS plan, they should never ignore themselves be dominated by the feeling instead they should keep on working and let the perseverance power over.

My second idea on frequently experienced causes of frustration in IS professionals and users while working on an IS plan is the lack of support from the management or from the personnel. Without the support, the IS professionals efforts would end up in frustration.

New technologies are emerging and old ones are outdated. Many major technologies can have a life expectancy of less than five years. These pressures have resulted in a drive for new approaches to planning and managing information technology (IT) services. That is why many of the organizations right now are having a greater investment in IT and information systems (IS). This is now the moment that organizations would try to hire IS professionals to have analysis and improvement on their information systems to help them compete in the market.

Design systems by IS professionals could also frustrate users in the workplace. Users find it hard to understand and use the implemented system. This frustration can affect workplace productivity, user mood, and users’ interactions with other co-workers. It also can affect their emotional state. These frustrating experiences also harm organizations by undermining productivity, lowering quality, and raising stress levels. Improving user interface design is one clear opportunity and it would benefit many users. To build better interfaces, more user involvement is needed in the interface design process. Designers should follow the interface guidelines that exist. User training will also help, especially if it addresses problem solving strategies that will help build self-efficacy. Even small changes in the interface can make a big impact on user satisfaction. IS professionals should also be better situated as the intermediary and be able to get better information between users and vendors when understanding frustration in the workplace.

Frustration is a natural feeling after all. Even non IS professionals experience being frustrated. It happens all the time when we fail to take the action and/or fail to attain our goals. Our response to it should be adaptive. Adaptive responses are constructive and are implemented to solve the problem that is blocking goal attainment. They may include preemptive efforts to avoid the problem, or once the problem is encountered, problem solving strategies to overcome or circumvent the problem.

What should be the nature of the relationship between the business plan and the IS plan?

As an individual with goals, I always remind myself to have a plan for the attainment of those goals. List the information, knowledge, skills, arts, crafts and sciences I need to master to achieve my goals in life. I already have my list since we were given a task on how we see ourselves ten years from now and the strategies to get there. I am thankful because I made my goals more specific, it helped me clarify my thinking, and did put a meaning to my existence. I am no longer the product of certain inescapable conditions and circumstances. Thanks to our instructor. Same as I did, organizations do also have their plans. Why do we need a plan and why do we have to plan? We need a plan and we need to plan because it will provide us with a success consciousness so that we would know where we are going and how to prepare ourselves for the journey.

For now, my purpose is to answer the question, “What should be the nature of the relationship between the business plan and the information systems plan?” The starting point is to define each term and finding out their functions and significance before identifying the nature of the two plans.

After reading quite a few articles, I have now my response. So first, what is a business plan? A business plan contains statements of goals of the organization and means for the attainment of those goals and the reasons why they are believed attainable. It may also contain background information about the organization. However, as what has been stated in Wikipedia – there is no fixed content for a business plan. The content and format of a business plan would depend on the created goals and the audience to whom the plan will be presented and the context of presentation. A business plan should contain whatever information is needed to decide whether or not to pursue a goal. When do we say that our goals are attainable? When we define our goals, it should be within our reach, we should be realistic. As these words are coming out of my mind, I realized that the goals I have stated in our previous assignment were somewhat unattainable but I am not saying that I should eat my words.

Second, we need to define information systems plan. But before that, what is an information system? It is a system of persons, records of data and activities that process the data and information in an organization. It includes organization’s manual and automated processes. An information systems plan contains the goals and the means of improving the organization’s information system. What are the expected changes three or five years from now? What are the developments that the organization should have? People and information are the assets of business. How could information be processed without the people who are working on it? In addition, how could people work if there is no information to be processed? In creating an IS plan, every aspect of the organization should be well examined and thought-out. We should always look out for the desirable characteristics of an IS plan in order to have quality in our product. We may also include the shortcomings of the organization as well as the solutions to those problems and the proposals. These solutions should be for a long-term.

To share with you my gratitude, we were so lucky because we were given a task to make an IS plan for our chosen company in the previous semester. It was an achievement for me because we were able to finish it before the deadline. It might be a little bit stressful but it was informative and I had fun. That was a great experience. A sample of a proposal that was made by the group was the encouragement to have databases for the organization’s transactions. In the paper, we stated the reasons why the organization needs to have those databases and the advantages. How the organization would be benefited and other recommendations were also stated.

Going back to the real subject matter, after defining the two plans and identifying their functions, I should now state my idea on the nature of the relationship between the two. Business plan and information systems plan work together as a team. Without each, one could not work well. Knowing that business plan can be stated as the overall purpose of the organization while an IS plan works on the information system’s development of the organization, we can now say that business strategies are supported and stimulated by information strategies. Business goals and activities should be in accordance with the information systems that support them. Any improvement in the information systems, would it be hardware, software or peopleware is expected that it would cater the needs in achieving the organization’s goals.

In today’s competitive world, there is a need to attain a higher level of competence in order to be more marketable. The presence of machines in business can at times have a dehumanizing effect on people, but we have to face the reality. This is the reason why business firms keep on developing plans, innovating and make large investments in information technology and in information systems in order not to be left behind and to cater the best service to their customers. The level of intensity gave business firms a motivation to work a lot harder and have a healthy competition among the firms.

Business and IS plan should be well planned. Each of which should never be taken for granted because they both have a significant impact and both working for the success of the organization. If I were to use an idiomatic expression to describe the relationship of the two plans, I would say that they do have this “mutual understanding”. How could I say that? Of course, as what I have stated, they work in accordance with one another. If I were to pinpoint the general purpose of the two plans, that would be the success of the organization. I am not saying as an expert because I am not. My words are based on my perspective.

Management Information Systems 2 :: Assignment 1

I think about my future; I take it to bed with me at night and dream about it. Even during the day; with my eyes wide open I am dreaming. I made a promise to myself that I will never stop trying until I have achieved my dream. Made my mind up that I will be prepared to pay the price in time, study, energy and effort to achieve my aim. Visualized the benefits that will accrue to my family, my friends and mankind, from the achievement of my dream.

So where do I start? It should begin with me. What do I want to be five or ten years from now? I should make a list of my capabilities and shortcomings. Okay, let me begin this. I need to concentrate. Allow me to think first (concentrating). I always ask myself what are the things that I want and the things that I need. There are so many questions revolving inside my brain. What are my skills? Where am I suited? What are my strengths and weaknesses? How can I live my dreams? How can I help my family? These are some of the questions that I myself must be answered because man does not need answers from somewhere beyond himself.

Before I tell you my future, allow me to go back to my past. When I was little, my cousin and I used to talk about our future. She once asked me, “What do you want to be?” I was slightly innocent that time and so I then answered, “I want to be a teacher” “Why?” her next question. “Because I love to teach”, I said. From then on, being a teacher clung into my mind. Every weekend and in summer break, I used to buy chalks and gather all my cousins and the other kids to teach them. When they could not answered I would gave them either of the punishments like standing for more than a minute, commanding them to buy our snacks or gave them an assignment to work at home. The feeling was nice and I really felt like I was really a teacher, a frustrated teacher (laughed). Time came when I was on my next stage, my high school; I need to converge with my new classmates and teachers. It has been said, high school is the most enjoyable part of life. And for me to react, yes it is true. I am a person who seldom speaks. You can hardly see me in social gatherings like parties, conversations or whatsoever. It is not the party that I do not like. What is fun about going to a party are not only the delicious foods but also I can mingle with my friends. Attending parties is a recreation. Others may say that I am an ignoramus, shy, not the exciting one, but I AM NOT. To distinguish my outstanding qualities under the heading “Assets” from my “Liabilities”, I should say I am a strong person, full of spirit and a clown. Anyone who dares to know me will find out that I am an amazing person, a superwoman. My character I can say that I am not just a typical type. I was molded by my experiences in life. These experiences were extreme, bitter and sweet. I have been through a lot and I am proud to say that I experienced those sufferings and happiness and was able to surpass those challenges. I am not saying that it was a happily ever after moment because I am still alive and it does not end yet. Because of my high school classmates and teachers I learned to go along with other people, to laugh with them, to smile to someone that I bump into. My classmates were full of life. We were serious with our studies but out of the room, we were like little kids. We played hide and seek, we ran, and then we laughed. During my high school years, my childish dreams became more mature and me myself too. The idea of becoming a teacher was then wiped away. It was because I had a newer and a brighter vision in life. My hobbies and interests were then changed. I did not want to become a teacher anymore. As time goes by, I found myself loving technology. I am more curious about what are the new technologies existing and coming. I am more interested with computers on how they work, and how they were born. Because of this fondness, I made a decision that would make or break my future. After carefully considering all of my abilities and after my thoroughly thinking, I came to the conclusion that Information Technology is indeed pretty for me. Honestly, I can say that I am not a good decision maker and not a good planner but I am trying. It was my last year in high school, and at last, we did it! We graduated! It was an achievement for my classmates and me. But it was not the end, we still have the next level and more levels to come.

This is now the moment… I gotta let myself go

College work which is my present is more difficult than studies in the high school. The method of instruction is different; the manner of conducting classes is different; the personal supervision that I had in high school exchanged for more liberty and independence, more self-study on my part. I am currently struggling to finish my course but behind this, I am enjoying (laughed). Everybody else knows that graduating college is not the end at all, but another one-step forward. Working to achieve the pinnacle of my career is a very long process. Learning my profession starts when I step on to college acquiring my chosen degree. It is a process that takes several ups and downs before achieving my goal. Like taking an IT course I have to overcome the pleasant of victories and more likely the stinging defeats. Ten years from now will be a different story. I have to be a different person, a different individual with optimistic goals, and a person with great ideals of achieving successes in the chosen profession. Therefore, I must say I should work a lot harder. Ten years from now I shall see myself one of the best IT Professionals working either in NASA or in Pentagon. I have my own big house and lot, a car, and I am helping my family. Preparations starting from being a student with an IT course and finishing the entire program in four years time or sometimes more molded by technical IT subjects will be necessary as a basis to be called as an IT professional. Significant studies and relevant trainings as well must an IT student should exposed for his technical enhancement. Being a professional on a chosen career, a person must be capable of producing a feasible output and he must be open to new ideas. I strongly believe that we become what we think about. We may attain any goal we sincerely desire if we believe it is possible and if we believe we can do it. Others may say that I can’t make it. But as what my teacher said, “Learn from critics and grow. Accept criticisms gladly. Let it in one ear and out at the other. Malicious persons have used this expression to discourage others and justify themselves.” It is easy to set up illogical propositions and then explode them. Some people do it all the time and thereby gain a great reputation for wisdom and wit. A negative reaction to what is possible and what is impossible can be devastating; almost any proposed idea can be shown to be impossible logically and convincingly. Thinking all of the reasons why it may be possible; there will be plenty of people around to tell me why the idea is impossible. Finally, this is my starting point to reality. I know what I want. I am no longer drifting and I will work to achieve my worthwhile purpose. All things are in a process of becoming. I am a purposive goal-seeking person who is in the process of becoming that which I will become. To make my dreams come true, I should follow them with actions.

It is true to say that the difference between success and failure in any mission is purely a state of mind. We have the power to make our state of mind positive or negative. We have to get rid ourselves of negative thoughts, of all thoughts of failure, of lack aptitude, all grudges and all fear. We can do anything we set our mind to.

Let me use the analysis; breaking the problem into smaller pieces, dividing ten years by five. For the first two years, that is 2010, I already have my job as an IT Professional. To be one of the best, after taking my course I should pursue a master degree in IT to further broaden my knowledge in my profession. Taking masters degree would be a challenging personal task to the extent that it would not only improve my abilities but it would give me the edge to compete with other professionals. With the advent of a highly competitive world, as an individual equipped with know-how in information technology I must use my earned proficiency not just for personal purpose but as well for purposes of serving the society. Software that may enhance the output of the industries, a software that prolong the life of a machine, a software that minimize the bulk of an office works are just few of the thousands of IT based programs that an IT professional should be concerned with in order to become accustomed in the constantly developing environment. And for me to earn more money, I must develop the habit of saving a part of what I earn. I must exercise control of my spending. I have to save at least ten per cent of my income. Invest a part of my savings in real estate or shares in growth companies so that I will have a reserve that can grow in value. And when my savings are big enough I will build my own business. This business thing will be achieved two years after 2010 which is in 2012. The business I manage or own shall be the top of its class. It should cater the needs of the customers the most efficient way and giving the most reliable services it can offer.

I should try not to sell myself short and should never underestimate my abilities because sometimes I pity myself. One way to help me to be one of the best IT Professionals is training. Usually when a man lacks confidence to do a job it has nothing to do with his abilities or his intelligence. His lack of confidence is based on laziness or the lack of training. Today, training is the easiest thing in the world to get and the extraordinary effort to study is always worthwhile. Attending seminars is also one way in which my knowledge will also be broaden. Then is to pray; ask for God’s help to make it clear how I can best serve during my journey through life. If ever I make some mistakes, I will never be discouraged. I should learn from those and extract from those the lessons to be learned. Then go forward. My aim should be to follow my dreams with actions, to build the character I want and so grow in power, wisdom and influence.

In order for me to live long and be still alive for the next ten years I should keep physically healthy; exercise daily or do some physical work, eat moderately, and sleep regularly. Develop interest in people and not be shy. Develop a friendly attitude toward others; not be critical of other people. Welcome opportunities to meet people. Join clubs, work with others; develop habits of cooperation. Be a good conversationalist. I should read much to have lots of ideas from books, magazines, and newspapers to be well informed and this gives me a feeling of security and self-confident. I should also learn to listen. Listen to what others say. This is another way to become well informed.

Well, one way to succeed is learning how to budget our time. And this is one of my strategies. Let me share with you a story that I heard when I was in high school. This story also gave me an idea. One day an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students, and to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. Here is how he made a point: As he stood in front of the group he produced about a dozen fist sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into a jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked: “Is this jar full?” Everyone said, “Yes” then he said, “Really?” he reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into spaces between the big rocks. Then he asked once more, “Is this jar full?” “Probably not”, one of the class answered. “Good”, he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it until the jar was filled to the brim. What is the point of this illustration? It teaches us that if we do not put the big rocks first, we will never get them in at all. After hearing the story, I reflected on it, and asked myself this question: “What are the big rocks in my life?” Then put those in my jar first. And this could be my dreams.

It is said that success or failure in life often depends upon one’s ability to make wise decisions and to influence the decisions of others. As we grow older, we will have to depend on ourselves to make decisions. Life is a matter of facing up to the situation and making sound decisions. Some people including me find it difficult to make up their minds. They act on the impulse of the moment or flip a coin to arrive at a decision. For more serious occasions, I must learn to make reasonable decisions. I have to set my goal, reach the goal and then I will be on the success beam. As the old saying goes “To thine own self be true no one is responsible for your life but you”.

If at times I feel unhappy and disappointed, I try to tell myself that these are part of growing up. There was a time that I lost myself. I did not know myself anymore. My brain was not working, I could not think well, I am blank, the hope was lost, and I was terrified. What I did, I went to the church and sincerely pray from the heart. Then one day I found myself. Something pulled me back; the voice of reason I forgot I had. The whole process of living is one of trial and error. When we make mistakes, as we are sure to do, we have again learned a valuable lesson and we may not make the same mistake again. I may have more than one failing grades in my passbook or grading card, but it is not the only measurement if a man would be able to succeed. I may have regrets and I may not have the chance to change my past, but I can change my future. Everybody makes mistakes. I am not proud of what I did, but I have grown up. I must learn to close the door of failure behind me. Everybody fails at some time. I will try harder and, in the right way, next time. I have to make sure that I have put things in their perspective. Today’s failures might be the tomorrow’s successes. As we achieve one level of competency there are always higher levels waiting for us. We always go forward and change. That some things may seem impossible today serves to emphasize the fact that we are still developing, still capable of greater achievements. We defraud ourselves when we think thoughts of doubt and timidity and our light dim. So I won’t give up and I won’t break down sooner than it seems life turns around and I will be strong even if it all goes wrong even when I am standing in the dark I will still believe because I know someone is watching over me.

I am a little bit different from all the more than two billion people on this earth. We all have many things in common, but we are all unique in that each of us has his own unique complex combination of aptitudes and interests, skills and abilities. I still remember when we had our interview with the vice president in one of the companies in Davao. He said that we must be flexible; that we must learn to adjust and adapt every environment we may pass through because not all people are of the same characteristics. And as we grow older, we encounter new faces with different colors, cultures and beliefs; we encounter new and different types of situations. Therefore, I must say that I need to learn more in dealing with other people and with myself. I need to improve more my intelligence and personality quotient. And since I am seeing myself working in NASA or in Pentagon ten years from now (2018), I should be able to learn how to treat others for me to be respected and to attract cooperation from my coworkers.

It is presume that it is not easy to finally achieve and reach ones objective. In order to be called a true professional is a realizing hardworks and painstaking day by day struggle in overcoming hardships and accepting defeats. Defeats that is necessary in molding and making a person a more mature individual. It is necessary to an individual to lay a strategic plan in achieving a goal.

I should reach for the stars and succeed!

My chosen Information Environment

My confusion over the exact meaning of information environment caused me to misinterpret the problem. To help myself, I did several repetitions and had a long search. Fortunately, I found this article that explains about it.

I suppose that if I were to identify an information environment of my choice, considering that I would be a part of it, as an IT student, I would rather be in the area that would really suit me and that would execute my abilities.

MyndTech, as my chosen company, and as part of its most valued assets, it is my task to provide them the necessary skills. It is of my concern that their business would continue to improve.

Most of MyndTech’s employees are IT professionals and few of their duties that they performed include web development, web and software design. Given that I am also an IT associated, I could easily relate to them and that is an advantage. I may be an amateur, however, I can be an expert; it is a matter of enthusiasm and close attention to detail. We can do anything we set our mind to.

In serving the company, I should be able to develop large number of solutions to its problem. The more ideas I develop, the greater the chance for me to find the usable one. To be fluent in ideas, I have to acquire the habit of letting my imagination work for me. T And I should work lot harder.

It was nice to know that my idea coincide with that of the company and that is because they do outsource. And why am I so crazy about outsourcing? Well, because it did quiet amaze me.

I am in favor of outsourcing because I do believe that well-trained outsourcing specialists can provide the company the superior processes and management methods to be one of those efficient, innovative and responsive organizations and enabling them to compete in the global economy. Even the other organizations feel to outsource to help them improve their business.

to be continued...

Outsourcing vs. Insourcing

For us to determine what to choose between outsourcing and insourcing, we need to differentiate the advantages and disadvantages including the risks of the two. Some of the organizations based their selection on what their consultant recommends, others, made their decision based on the various factors that influenced their thinking.

If I were to choose, I will go for outsourcing. I want my school outsource its Information Systems for the reasons that outsourcing has more advantages than insourcing and I think it would really help the school in achieving its goals. And as I observed, the school has less number of experts.

Many organizations choose to outsource because they do believe that outside specialists can provide them the superior processes and management methods to make them globally competitive which is also one of the goals of the school. Through outsourcing, the school’s Information Systems will improve and we can be one of those efficient, innovative and responsive organizations. With regards of the risks, organizations including the school should be careful in choosing an outsourcing partner and we should always remember, to succeed, we need to take risks. Success is not a destiny; it’s a matter of choice. Overall, outsourcing offers lot of great benefits.

Whether it is outsourcing, insourcing or the both of them, I would suggest that if an organization is confuse on what to choose, an external consultant could help to determine what kind of business strategy does it needs. It is a fact that sometimes, we need an expert. We can’t deny that.

SONA of the President (July 28, 2008)

I have read the SONA of the President and I’m glad that she was doing her job. Honestly as I read, I really gave my attention to it. But the SONA didn’t get me. Yes, being a President is really a tough job. For that, I admire all the Presidents - past and present. Ever since I was a kid I never dreamed of becoming a President. I don’t know why. Maybe because I’m not really into it but now many are aiming for it. Few families lived in superb life here in our country. Others seem content with a mediocre life. But most of us lived in poverty. And most of us tend to put all the blame on the President which is really a big X for all of us. Hey! This is a fact not a fiction. If we are craving for change, for progress, then the change should really start from us. We should be more sensible toward our problems and toward other people. Change your way of life. Hear it from the expert (hahaha…).

We are now in this generation of high technology. The earth is now a digital world. The communication is now easy and information is everywhere. We, Filipino people were known for our fun of texting. And as what our President has said, texting is a way of life. Good news to everyone – the cost of message is now down to 50 cents. Congratulations to those “fanatexts”! We can save money; moreover, more text, more communication. To all, cheer up! The President exclaimed that additional jobs could be offered. Especially to IT people. We can now assure our future if we work hard. Here is what the President stated “Our P350 million training partnership with the private sectors should qualify 60,000 for call centers, medical transcription, animation and software development, which have a projected demand of one million workers generating $13 billion by 2010.” Having these jobs in queue could really an awakening more for the jobless persons. This could also a way for the advancement of the country’s technology and be lined up or could even surpass other countries.

You want progress? Work for it!