На вопрос одного из страдальцев, мол, почему у его сайта показатель PR долгое время остается без изменений, хотя он из кожи вон лезет, чтобы его поднять, сотрудник Google ответил примерно следующее: PR – это всего лишь один из 200 признаков, по которым он индексирует сайты. Поэтому Google и проводит обновление PR всего лишь несколько раз в год, чтобы люди на нем не зацикливались. «PageRank is an easy metric to focus on, but just because it’s easy doesn’t mean it’s useful for you as a site owner. Поняли? Мой перевод: «PR это довольно понятный показатель, чтобы на нем концентрировать внимание. И потому, что он простой и понятный, это совсем не означает, что он полезен для вас, как владельца сайта.» И дальше нам советуют сосредоточиться на гугл Analytics, подумать о Conversion Rates, о ROI (return on investment), о relevancy и т.д. То есть нам дают вполне адекватные советы, ведь мы пришли в Интернет, чтобы зарабатывать деньги.

Что собой представляет показатель Conversion Rates? Конверсия – это количество переходов пользователей с поисковых систем на мой сайт. Conversion Rates применяется только в Google и может подсчитываться лишь при установлении на сайте специальных программ, которые считают не просто количество трафика, а количество полезного трафика. А полезный трафик – это посетители, которые делают что-то полезное на сайте и, конечно, приносят доход. Этот показатель высчитывается по формуле:
Conversion Rate = [(Total Web Sales / Unique Web Traffic) / Average Sales Price] x 100.

Другими словами Общая сумма продаж делится на количество уникальных посетителей, делится на среднюю цену товаров или услуг и результат умножается на 100%.
Интересно, что в августе 2009 года один из ведущих экономистов Google заявил, что высокая позиция сайта не особо влияет показатель Conversion Rates. То есть если Conversion Rates сайта, например, который находится на первой позиции, составляет 1.0, то Conversion Rates сайта, находящегося на 11 позиции, будет составлять всего лишь 0,95. В результате был сделан вывод, что позиция сайта серьезно не отражается на количестве трафика. Некоторые скептики этому не поверили. Однако эта информация может сэкономить деньги тем, кто ставит платные объявления.

ROI или return on investment, то есть возвращение денег, которые были затрачены на создание и раскрутку сайтов. Вряд ли кто-то от этого откажется. Вычисляется этот коэффициент по формуле:

То есть разницу между вложенными деньгами и затраченными деньгами нужно разделить на количество затраченных денег. В результате получаем коэффициент ROI. Этот показатель активно пропагандируется Google для тех, кто пользуется программой AdWord. Хотя это довольно жизненный показатель, который не мешало бы подсчитывать всем. Лично я пока что нахожусь в значительном убытке.

Google также призывает нас обращать внимание на relevancy (релевантность) или критерий смыслового соответствия. Под этим термином Google имеет в виду написание такого текста для сайта, создание такого облака ключевых слов или рекламных объявлений, которые бы были по-человечески понятны пользователям. Общим коэффициентом измерения релевантности является Quality Score, куда входит:

1. CTR – Click-Through Rate – соотношение количества кликов к количеству показов объявлений. Чем выше этот показатель, тем выше релевантность объявления к вводимым пользователями интернета ключевыми словами.
2. Общая популярность используемых в рекламе ключевых слов.
3. Текст сайта должен напрямую связан с текстом рекламы.

Другими словами, Quality Score измеряется релевантностью ключевых слов, качеством рекламного текста, контекстом страницы и поисковых запросов пользователей. При платном объявлении сюда приплюсовывается цена, которую вы назначаете за свое объявление (cost-per-clicks – CPCs).

First and foremost, think this strategy through very carefully. If you miss the mark you will not only waste your money but will also run the risk of  reducing your goodwill, instead of enhancing it. Very treacherous ground, filled with landmines.

Here are some guidelines if you choose to embark on this journey.

1. The gift should in some way be commensurate with the value of the customer to you. Do not cheap out on your very valuable clients, overspend, it will come back to you many fold.

2. Better off sending a card, or making a donation on behalf of the client then giving them cheap gifts with little thought.

3. Customized gifts with the clients name or your own logo or brand can be perceived as tacky….depends on many aspects specifically and most importantly how nice the gift is and how nice the imprint is, if it’s embroidered maybe ok, if it’s silk screened getting marginal, be creative and tasteful and it will be a winner. The nicer the gift the easier it is to customize, you  must execute perfectly. If you do, it can be a winner for you.

4. Specific gifts to a restaurant with enough paid to cover the entire meal, wine and the tip…do it right or do not do it. Obviously you can only do this a limited number of times, your best clients. A special restaurant with real show off potential….. flash works, big dividends.

5. If possible enclose a  personal thank you note, signed and written by you. You can manage, it’s not that difficult. If on a low budget, this will demonstrate you do care even with a low value item.

6. Special food items can be a good choice, steaks from Omaha, honey from somewhere special, nicely packaged, lobsters from Maine, jams, coffee from Jamaica, cigars, get very good ones, Cubanos, are a knock out if you have the connections.

7. Low budget but great potential, a custom  art  seasonal card, with a personal note….nice.

8. If you can, creating a gift that reflects what you do, what you make, sell, or represent in some way is a great way to go.

Either do it well, or do not do it at all. Be creative and spend a few extra dollars. It must be something the recipient will want to save, wear, use and enjoy,  and think of you every time, or you are wasting your money. If you do it well, it is the best goodwill enhancer imaginable and you will have a friend and loyal customer for years. Take it out of your advertising budget.  If you have none, make it your advertising budget, it may be the best program possible.

Beware of sizes,  get it right. Call a secretary, or wife, or guess correctly and upgrade. Instead of a t-shirt do collared golf jerseys, if it is a  baseball cap make it one that is sized and made of quality material, like the pro’s. If it is a t-shirt have it printed front, back, maybe arm,  maybe custom art work…make it special, on a high quality made in America 100% cotton.

I do not recommend calendars as everyone has their own style and needs, and will not switch easily.  Money wasted.

Be creative, what I discussed above was for the purpose of showing you the context for deciding what to do…. Purpose: Getting you a return on your investment and thus very worthwhile, worthy of the investment. It should return far more then you spend if you do it correctly.

Quality and flash at any price level that works for you.

Figure it out.

Hello Friends here we come up with an extension of our previous blog, “Seasonal Index……“Time is Money” Part 1

In previous Blog, we had touched upon the aspect like what is seasonal pattern and reasons for studying seasonal variation.

Seasonal Index……“Time is Money”

Now we would see the analysis part of seasonal patterns in predicting the future prices of the commodity.

The Analysis

Crop prices tend to follow a general seasonal pattern of their own, identifying the major turning points in prices, setting their seasonal low at harvest followed by a post-harvest rally, where the supply of the crop is fixed and consumption gradually takes that supply, causing prices to rise.

However, major market shocks or powerful influencing factors like monsoon, production figures, stock levels & demand may significantly alter seasonal patterns & the prices may experience the special condition.

This is what happened with the Guar prices.

The ‘Guar’ legume plant is rain-fed monsoon crop.

Monsoon has been the decisive factor for the trend in guar futures.

The sowing period is July and August right after the first shower of the monsoon and the harvesting period is September and November.

Fresh arrivals of the crop from Haryana and Punjab begin immediately after the first week of September and continue till the month of December.

One example would be redeploying capital in Guar futures in two phases by taking selling positions from April as monsoon sets in – boosting the production levels, and buying in the month of June when the rally begins.

If we follow the price index & compare it with the actual, then it is seen that the prices have followed the path of the seasonal trend many times in this year & have given their best highs from month of June to August.

The seasonality shown in the below graphs depicts that the positive wave has given a satisfying return on investment in both of these commodities, & the strategy adopted of “Sell in April” makes this clear.

Guar Seed Seasonal Index vs Actual

Guar Seed Seasonal Index vs Actual

Again, the investors taking fresh buying positions from the end of June & holding till the end of the year have had always hard-earned profits.

Stay Tuned for more on this.

In next blog we would read about that how an annual average method can be used to generate a seasonal pattern in predicting the future prices of the commodity and seasonal pattern in the year 2009.

Note : For More Latest Industry, Stock Market and Economy News and Updates, please click here

Recently I was presented with an ROI for some project.  It included some costs, which weren’t that interesting and it included one hard benefit which was a time savings.  And then it included a series of soft benefits including improved quality, improved customer satisfaction, etc.

Now, as far as I understand it, a hard benefit is one which you can associate a dollar value with and a soft benefit is a benefit which has no dollar value.  But looking above, these benefits aren’t soft benefits.  They’re (potentially) hard benefits.  Quality is worth something since it costs money to fix defects.  Customer satisfaction is worth something because unhappy customers don’t spend their money with you.

These aren’t soft benefits at all.  They’re hard benefits that you didn’t bother to figure out!  But don’t confuse them.  Just because you haven’t figured out the value is very different from having no value.  I’ve run into just one benefit of a process change which was truly a soft benefit.

It was the benefit of feeling more comfortable about what we were delivering.  For example, doing regression testing and finding no bugs has no hard benefit.  Peace of mind that the code is correct is a soft benefit.  Your customer doesn’t care how well you sleep at night and you didn’t prevent any bugs so you had no impact on quality or customer satisfaction.  That peace of mind is a soft benefit.  Everything else is a hard benefit that you don’t know the value of.  If you’re going to mention it in an ROI, figure out what it is worth.  If the change is so small you can’t measure it, then don’t list it as a benefit.  But lets not pretend here you are getting a “soft” benefit when you are truly getting is a minuscule hard benefit.

Global catastrophe is NOT “fiduciary responsibility”!

If Business kills-off its stockholders and customers, isn’t that bad for business???

ISTM the REAL bottom line is to HAVE a bottom line!!!  But right now it seems most American business is in a race to the bottom, period: ‘He who dies with the most toys wins.’ 

Kinderlos unterwegs suchte ich kürzlich einen Hotspot, um in Ruhe am PC zu arbeiten. Fündig wurde ich leider nur in einem Familienrestaurant. Leider, weil Mittwochnachmittag der optimale Zeitpunkt für outgesourcte Kindergeburtstagspartys ist! Was für ein Anfängerfehler, der sich aber gelohnt hat. Das Spektakel hat mir einen Vorgeschmack auf Bevorstehendes vermittelt und jede betriebswirtschaftliche Lektion an Praxisnähe übertroffen!

Ganze neun Erstklässler plus ein Mami stürmen das Lokal. Gemäss Faustregel sind so viele Gäste einzuladen, wie das Kind alt wird. Hat sich das Mami verrechnet, oder ist der Jubilar einmal sitzengeblieben? Nichts dergleichen. «Mama oeconomica» hat nur die Mindestpauschale für neun Teilnehmer optimal ausgereizt und die Pro-Kopf-Ausgaben auf ein Minimum reduziert. Dafür musste Julian entsprechend viele Fabians und Florians einladen, selbst wenn er – dem Verhalten nach – nicht alle mag. Nutzenmaximierung geht vor. Die optimale Gästezahl sichert auch ein Mindestmass an Return on Investment in Form von Geschenken. Ob die Investition auch sozial nachhaltig ist, hängt von der Güte der gebotenen Leistung ab. Diese wirkt sich auf die Zufriedenheit der Gäste und somit auf Julians soziale Akzeptanz aus.

Die Party findet auf hohem Niveau statt, dennoch vermögen die verordneten Aktivitäten niemanden aus den Socken zu hauen. Einzig das SmartiesSaugen zu Beginn des Festes schien noch wirklich lustig. Alles andere geht in den Pommes und dem Zeitdruck unter. Zeit ist Geld und Blinde Kuh liegt halt nicht mehr drin. Leider muss ich das Lokal vor Partyende verlassen und verpasse den Höhepunkt: die Abgabe der kundenbindenden Goodies.

Egal. Ich habe nur noch meine eigene Wirtschaftlichkeitsrechnung im Kopf und kalkuliere, wie viele Bleche Kinderpizza ich mit demselben Mitteleinsatz backen könnte. Resultat: Die nächsten Geburtstagspartys der Buben sind finanziell gesichert. Dann folgt die nächste Mittelfristplanung.

Fundamentally all management decisions boil down to return on investment decisions. What’s the cost of this program and what’s the expected benefit? What’s the monetary payback of this decision in relationship to the resources invested? How much time will I have to spend on this project and are the anticipated results worth the effort?

Return on investment (ROI) analysis is often thought to be a formal decision making tool for the larger company and the financial analyst. In actuality, ROI analysis should be a central part of every manager’s decision making process.

A typical ROI is computed by dividing a return, such as net income, by an input, such as total assets. Similar analysis can be done with most all resources and results.

Return on investment is an indicator of the productivity of your investment decision. Manager’s investments are not strictly financial. Time and other resources are equally important. An ROI is a measure of output for a given level of input.

You may not be able to compute an ROI as accurately for some management decisions as for some financial decisions. However, if the process forces you to focus on the relationship between the inputs and the outputs for each decision, you will make better decisions.

When you look at the ROI of any enterprise, there are two obvious ways to improve the equation. You can increase the numerator (output) or you can decrease the denominator (input). A third and less obvious way is to increase the denominator (input), in such a manner that it effects a proportionally greater increase in the numerator (output).

Simply because a return on investment analysis yields a quantified answer, does not mean that you have to make your decisions solely on the numbers. There is still room, and in fact need for, qualitative inputs in the decision making process.

Experienced decision makers are always searching for numbers that can measure their performance. Good decision making, however, doesn’t rely exclusively on numbers. As a manager you have a responsibility to recognize when the numbers don’t make sense or when the direction that the numbers indicate is incompatible with the character and philosophy of your organization.

Complacency is not an uncommon characteristic for the management of successful private business. Owners of small businesses can become complacent because they have achieved an adequate personal income, they have reasonable security, and they are relaxant to examine the alternatives to a formula that is already working well.

Because of this natural bias towards complacency for the owners of successful enterprises, they should more closely scrutinize each of their decisions for its ROI. The owners of a well established firm owned valuable property that had a low depreciated cost basis. Because the owners drew a reasonable salary and the business had been profitable, they had not examined the potential return from selling the property and investing the proceeds elsewhere. A return on investment analysis indicated that the sale and reinvestment of proceeds would nearly double their total return.

Managers make decisions to invest in people. They recruit, select, train, and work with their employees. If your output, or the return that you are getting from your people, is insufficient, perhaps you need to invest more to get a better result.

For example, suppose that one of your operations commands an inordinate amount of your time because one of your managers is weak. Despite the drain on your time, the results of that operation are still below average. It’s time to look at your ROI for this manager and determine if a higher level of investment on the front end would yield a higher return on the output end.

The extra time and money that you may spend on recruiting and selecting a truly qualified person to manage your operation, would be a bargain when compared to the current drain on your time. Time and effort spent training your manager would have avoided many costly problems. The cost of retaining a really good manager would be small when compared to the opportunities that may have been lost

Experienced managers have a certain “business sense” that enables them to make good decisions. They also have a tendency to become complacent in a smooth running operation. Opportunities can be lost. Because it’s your business, develop the discipline to subject major decisions to a return on investment analysis.

Courtesy of www.despair.com

Not always . . .  at least not in the world of entertainment!  The actors get paid regardless.  Here’s a list of the actors with the worst return on investment (ROI) for their films (i.e., for every dollar paid, the movie made ”x” dollars).  Which just goes to show you that you can never predict success. 

1.  Will Ferrell ($3.29)
2.  Ewan McGregor ($3.75)
3.  Billie Bob Thornton ($4.00)
4.  Eddie Murphy ($4.43)
5.  Ice Cube ($4.77)
6.  Tom Cruise ($7.18)
7.  Drew Barrymore ($7.43
8.  Leonaro DiCaprio ($7.52)
9.  Samuel L. Jackson ($8.59)
10.  Jim Carrey ($8.62)

Here’s the link to the full article.

On the flip side, here’s the list of actors with the best ROI.

1.  Shia LeBouf ($160)
2.  James McAvoy ($114)
3.  Michael Cera ($102)
4.  Daniel Radcliffe ($98)
5.  Robert Downey, Jr. ($78)
6.  Javier Bardem ($73)
7.  Ryan Reynolds ($61)
8.  Christian Bale ($55)
9.  Aaron Eckhart ($45)
10.  Dennis Quaid ($43)

Here’s the link to the full article.

The decision makers present Tuesday, November 10th  at MaRS indicated active engagement in determining the current and future roles that social innovation would have in solving ‘wicked problems.’

Collectively acknowledging that social innovation is: “urgently needed to address the complex social and ecological challenges facing Canada and the world.”

The level of discourse that MaRS, SiG and the Public Policy Forum jump started resulted in further understanding of social innovation. What follows is a series of questions that result from the day.

Throughout social innovation was identified with a complex set of processes requiring mechanisms for collaboration. It is clear, that integration across broad sectors, with varying interests, cannot be viewed as simple. Yet, Canadians, time and again, have shown that as a Nation we are capable of incredible inspired creativity leading to innovations.

The Public Policy Forum, engaging this discourse states: “re-engaging vulnerable populations – those traditionally excluded from the creative or problem – solving process, has a positive impact on our shared capacity for innovation and will add to the resilience of the whole.”

Questions Resulting from Event

Does social innovation need to have such complexity?

As innovation is the desired output would it not serve Canada better to simplify and make easier mechanisms for the development of processes, systems and collaborations?

How do we best aid integration?

Are best practices opening the door to the development of next practices?

If so, what can be done to accelerate those practices?

What successes can we build upon? MaRS? SiG? SIC?

What areas offer the greatest opportunities in social innovation for rapid deployment?

How can we better identify the big ideas?

What is the best way to deploy resources in response to those big ideas?

What are the stories of social innovation? Social Capital Partners? Social Venture Partners? Right to Play?

How do we tell them better?

Who do we tell them to?

When?

Given the definition used for this forum is commercialization a necessary precursor for initial development?

What does the government need from those in this dialogue to allow for new measures creating greater capital flows into social ventures?

What do investors need to direct more capital to social ventures?

Is it solely a matter of tax incentives and ROI or are there new metrics that can be applied that will satisfy?

Acknowledging the urgency to action how do we enable government, business, not for profit and academia to work collaboratively simpler, faster and better?

“Innovation is fostered by information gathered from new connections; from insights gained by journeys into other disciplines or places; from active, collegial networks and fluid, open boundaries. Innovation arises from ongoing circles of exchange, where information is not just accumulated or stored, but created. Knowledge is generated anew from connections that weren’t there before.” Margaret J. Wheatley

Be Inspired Today!

The New Currency SDM “Change…At the Speed of Thought”

I have the opportunity to observe and participate with businesses and organizations going through growth and contraction. In either scenario, execution is essential. What makes it so interesting from a psychological perspective is the role beliefs and assumptions play in the analysis, planning and execution. The beliefs and assumptions are often associated with a variety of emotional states that the leaders, managers, supervisors and employee experience under either scenario. Yesterday, I had a conversation with a friend who said he wished he did not worry as much as he did during his very successful career. I had a colleague who is a risk manager and is worries about executing on a very aggressive growth plan. I have other colleagues who have laid off significant numbers of their staff due to the impact on the recession and experience depression and anxiety. In each case, the negative emotional states can can contribute to inefficiencies or delays in the execution of the plan. As one cognitive perspective says “Suffering comes from attachment”. One needs to present and nonattached while performing and executing on a plan. Look deeply into this and see if you are limiting your execution in some way.

Have a day filled with equanimity,

Robert A. Mines, Ph.D.

CEO & Psychologist

Mines and Associates

Oh what to say about the amazingly flawless STS-129 Space Shuttle launch…AND the opportunity to watch it with space tweeps from around the world? Yes, around the world. @RobOotc traveled from New Zealand — the furthest of ALL. (Shout out to Tiffany @astrogerly and @ericmblog for driving non-stop from Michigan!)

How incredible to give 100+ eager @NASA twitter fans the opportunity of a lifetime to see one of the few remaining Shuttle launches. Yes, I get emotional writing about it. We’re at the end of an era. We’re watching history unfold in the skies above us.

But, I gotta’ say…I spent a good deal of time over the last two days explaining Twitter to non-Tweeps. (Can I get away with calling them Twitter losers…or TWosers? Is that totally rude?)

My advice: you can’t just stick a toe in. JUMP!

The guys still dry have been asking about the Return on Investment ROI for Twitter. I had an entire blog ready on ROI of Twitter, but I’m throwing it away. Instead, I’ll paraphrase a comment by @CatherineQ from New Zealand. She told me her personal ROI (PROI?) for using Twitter was one Million fold. Her reward: Space Shuttle launch and tweet-up!

How cool is that? OUR launch tweet-up IS HER Twitter ROI.

So, what’s my ROI for using Twitter? The chance to give 100+ tweeters the thrill of a lifetime with today’s Shuttle launch. They couldn’t stop grinning…and giggling…and thanking us for sharing what WE do for a living — this thing we call “space.” They even made a presention to the NASA employees. A poster they’d signed…for us. Now, that’s a first.

Thanks guys! Soooo much.

Nick @Skytland suggested we scan the poster and make it available online to our tweeters. Brilliant. Stay tuned. Thanks also to @flyingjenny and @apacheman for hanging with the tweeps as our KSC experts…and founders of Space Tweep Society.

Because our tweeters were so enthusiastic and incredibly awesome, we’ve already had discussions for more launch tweet-ups — another ROI, perhaps? We only have five launches left, after all. (And, BTW, launch control called. They’d like us to create the Huffer-Puffer Brigade to blow the clouds away for all the remaining Shuttle launches!)

Let’s do this thing…AGAIN!

You too can share our emotional experience from the launch. Take a look at the living-growing archive of our tweet-up tweets, along with our group pic. Aren’t we a good-looking group? Now, if we only had a video record of our space-wave. Or…maybe not. You had to be there.

Thank YOU space tweeps. You’re the best! I LOVE you all!

A little while ago, I wrote about Tweeconomics. Seems I’m not the only one under the impression that social media has pervaded almost every outward facing facet of modern business. The ROI debate – “Is there?” “Isn’t there?” “Does it matter?” “Do different rules apply?” “How do we adapt our ROI paradigm?” “Is it even possible to calculate?” – has been going on for centuries. OK, maybe not CENTURIES – but it certainly feels like it’s been going on for a while, and with no end in sight. I can’t argue for the validity of this video, and I’m still not convinced of EVERYthing conveyed in it, but for the most part – I love it. What do you think?

For many of us, top ten lists have been a part of our late night routine.  We stayed up to watch David Letterman’s monologue because it was alway funny and entertaining.

I have found a top ten list developed by a non-profit organization, AIIM, that helps people find, control, and optimize their information.  It gives the top 10 excuses for not considering a document imaging system this year.

If you have been looking at implementing a document imaging system such as Laserfiche, you may be asking, will this technology help my business be more efficient?  How do I justify this expense at this time?  What is my return on investment (ROI)?

I think that AIIM’s short videos will help answer all of these questions and more:

Excuse 1:

Excuse 2:

Excuse 3:

Excuse 4:

Excuse 5:

Excuse 6:

Excuse 7:

Excuse 8:

Excuse 9:

Excuse 10:

If you would like more info on AIMM.org and the answer to these excuses click here.

I hope you find this helpful in considering if now is a good time to implement Laserfiche document imaging and management software.

Larry Phelps

Solbrekk

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Can Social Media possibly provide ROI for your business? In this new video by Erik Qualman of Socialnomics fame, the answer is an unequivocal YES! The evidence is all there.

How will you make Social Media work for you?

I have long thought of employee assistance programs (EAPs) as a costly luxury provided by only the most profitable businesses to their staffs. “The Integrated Employee Assistance Program” presented by Jeffery Christie (Global Manager, Halliburton EAP) at yesterday’s Montgomery County SHRM luncheon gave me a new perspective on EAPs.

According to Mr. Christie, the primary goal of an EAP should be to enhance productivity and safety in the workplace. Any subsequent benefits to the employees’ well-being are a consequence of meeting this goal.

Mr. Christie’s presentation shattered the myth of EAPs serving as little more than onsite counseling clinics. He proposed that, properly utilized, EAPs serve as multifaceted tools. The services they can provide an employer include:

• Return to work evaluations determining whether an employee who has been on leave for a mental health issue is actually ready to return to work. Such determinations can be especially crucial for employees engaged in safety sensitive jobs.
• Determining the need for any follow-up care required by employees returning from mental health related leaves.
• Designing and implementing alcohol and substance abuse policies.
• Designing and overseeing procedures for managing employees who test positive for drugs.
• Participating in the organization’s response to large-scale disasters which impact its workforce.
• Assisting employees following the death of a co-worker.
• Designing mental health and substance abuse benefits

Mr. Christie underscored the value of having an Employee Assistance Program by identifying some of the returns on investment an organization may expect from a fully utilized EAP. These returns may include:

• The retention of valuable employees going through a life crisis
• Improving employee engagement
• Developing competencies in managing workplace stress and team performance
• Reducing healthcare costs by identifying and helping employees to work through depression which, untreated, often presents itself as medical maladies
• Facilitating employees’ safe and timely return to work
• Reducing absenteeism
• Reducing accidents

A big thank you to Mr. Christie for sharing with us how an EAP can serve as a cost-effective asset to an organization when it is integrated into various programs (such as benefit planning, risk management, and supervisor training) rather than relegated to a back room visited only by employees in crisis.

Pengembangan suatu sistem informasi merupakan suatu investasi sepertihalnya investasi proyek lainnya. Investasi berarti dikeluarkannya sumber- sumber daya untuk mendapatkan manfaat dimasa mendatang. Investasi untuk mengembangkan sistem informasi juga membutuhkan sumber-sumber daya. Sebagai hasilnya, sistem informasi akan memberikan manfaat-manfaat yang dapat berupa penghematan-penghematan atau manfaat-manfaat yang baru. Jika manfaat yang diharapkan lebih kecil dari sumber-sumber daya yang dikeluarkan, maka sistem informasi ini dikatakan tidak bernilai atau tidak layak. Oleh karena itu, sebelum sistem informasi dikembangkan, maka perlu dihitung kelayakan ekonomisnya. Teknik untuk menilai ini disebut dengan analisis biaya/keuntungan (cost/benefit analysis). Analisis biaya/keuntungan disebut juga dengan analisis biaya/efektivitas (cost/ effectivenss analysis). Keuntungan dari pengembangan sistem informasi tidak semuanyamudah diukur secara langsung dengan nilai uang, seperti misalnya keuntungan pelayanan kepada langganan yang lebih baik. Keuntungan yang sulit diukur langsung dengan nilai uang ini selanjutnya jika ingin ditentukan dalam bentuk nilai uang, maka dapat menaksir efektivitasnya.

Terdapat beberapa metode untuk melakukan analisis biaya/manfaat, diantaranya sebagai berikut :

• Metode periode pengembalian (payback period), Metode ini menilai proyek investasi dengan dasar lamanya investasi tersebut dapat tertutup dengan aliran-aliran kas masuk. Metode ini tidak memasukkan faktor bunga kedalam perhitungannya.
• Metode pengembalian investasi (return on investment/ROI). Metode ini digunakan untuk mengukur prosentase manfaat yang dihasilkan oleh proyek dibandingkan dengan biaya yang dikeluarkannya.
• Metode nilai sekarang bersih (net present value/NPV), Metode payback period dan ROI tidak memperhatikan nilai waktu dari uang (time value of money) atau time preference of money). Satu rupiah nilai uang sekarang lebih berharga dari satu rupiah nilai uang dikemudian hari. NPV merupakan metode yang memperhatikan nilai waktu dari uang. Metode ini menggunakan suku bunga diskonto yang akan mempengaruhi proceed atau arusdari uangnya. NPV dapat dihitung dari selisih nilai proyek pada awal tahun dikurangi dengan total proceed tiap-tiap tahun yang dinilai uang ke tahun awal dengan tingkat bunga diskonto.
• Metode tingkat pengembalian internal (internal rate of return/IRR), Merupakan metode yang memperhatikan nilai waktu dari uang. Pada metode NPV, tingkat bunga yang diinginkan telah ditetapkan sebelumnya, sedang pada metode IRR justru tingkat bunga tersebut yang akan dihitung. Tingkat bunga yang akan dihitung ini merupakan tingkat bunga yang akan menjadikan jumlah nilai sekarang dari tiap-tiap proceed yang didiskontokan dengan tingkat bung tersebut sama besarnya dengan nilai sekarang dari initial cash outflow (nilai proyek). Atau dengan kata lain tingkat bunga ini adalah merupakan tingkat bunga persis investasi bernilai impas, yaitu tidak menguntungkan dan juga tidak merugikan

Download Pdf: PASI – Teknik Analisis Biaya dan Manfaat

If you are still using GoldMine Standard Edition, this blog definitely is for you.

Front Range, the manufacturer of all  GoldMine in its various versions, stopped distributing GoldMine Standard Edition some years back.  Users of GoldMine Standard Edition cannot receive technical support for that version directly from FrontRange.

It’s not the GoldMine you started out with on your laptop years ago.  The only officially-supported GoldMine now lives on a corporate server.  Sorry, a local workstation does not count as a GoldMine server.

That’s the bad old—very old—news.

Now the good news—and the catches.

Until December 18th 2009, GoldMine Standard  Edition users can upgrade to GoldMine Premium Edition at $355 per seat.  Additional seats for the same price are available if the additional seats are included on the same order.

If you place your order after December 18 but by January 29th 2010 you can upgrade from GoldMine Standard Edition to GoldMine Premium Edition for $405.

Longtime loyalists from Standard Edition days, GoldMine Premium Edition has a very different “look and feel” from what you are accustomed to working with.  And there are many more new features.  I recommend going to the test drive to check it out.  The Pequod Systems order desk is at 301.445-6206.

The Catches: You must order a minumum of five (5) GMPE licenses with maintenance required on all seats. Orders—which go through a GoldMine partner such as Pequod Systems—must be received by the FrontRange GoldMine partner in time to reach FrontRange by the deadline.

P.S. Not sure which version of GoldMine you are using right now? Launch GoldMine and look at the splash screen. It’s written right there.  If you are already in GoldMine, click on HELP. Then click on ABOUT.

Yesterday at MaRS in downtown Toronto I attended a gathering of extraordinary people with minds directed toward changing the world through social innovation.

The lecture was entitled: “Impact Investing: Building Prosperity outside the Mainstream.”

An incredible opportunity, and I was inspired and transported to a higher calling for my life’s role by the quality and depth manifested by those extraordinary presenters and participants.

This post includes two elements: my analysis and understanding of the presentations, the question period, and my questions that arose thereafter relating to this essential transformative global issue.

First, SiG and MaRS–who they are and what they are about, and then I look at the event itself: its speakers, questions which arose, and the concrete actions I am taking which relate to issues addressed at the conference.

“Social Innovation Generation (SiG) is a group who believes that serious social problems can be solved. SiG is a collaborative initiative that seeks to address Canada’s social and ecological challenges by creating a culture of continuous social innovation. Our focus will be on fostering social innovation to achieve impact, durability and scale.” Taken from the http://sigeneration.ca/

“MaRS connects the communities of science, business and capital and fosters collaboration among them.

MaRS drives social and economic prosperity by leading Canada’s innovation mission.

We at MaRS envision Canadian communities that are prospering through enhanced employment prospects, the creation and retention of local wealth and an enriched cultural and social environment. To realize this vision, we foster and promote Canadian innovation.

MaRS helps create successful global businesses from Canada’s science and technology.

MaRS provides resources — people, programs, physical facilities, funding and networks — to ensure that critical innovation happens. We stimulate, identify and harness great ideas, nurture their development and guide the transformation of those ideas into reality. We measure our success through the companies that emerge after receiving help from MaRS.” Taken from http://www.marsdd.com

MaRS, beyond the physical beauty of its environment, embodies a spirit which includes magnificent people contributing so meaningfully to Canada and the world. It is an incredible facility and for those of you who can, visiting MaRS will be an exciting life experience for you.

“Impact Investing: Building Prosperity Outside the Mainstream.”

The lecture was moderated by John Tory, the former Ontario Provincial Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, Director at Rogers Communications, and two-time Toronto Mayoral Candidate.

The Right Honorable Paul Martin, twenty-first Prime Minister of Canada (2003-2006), Minister of Finance (1993-2002), and Member of Parliament for LaSalle-Émard (1988-2008) spoke with eloquence at the conference.

Bill Young, the Founder and President of Social Capital Partners also addressed the conference.  Bill is a visionary, consistently demonstrating his capabilities in the corporate, and now, not for profit social finance world, especially with respect to creating employment programs and jobs. http://www.socialcapitalpartners.ca

Mr. Tory was an extraordinary moderator framing the discussion by providing a clear and concise vision for what was to be discussed. Specifically, three challenges which interrelate to social entrepreneurship and social innovation in Canada. Namely:

• Legal challenges
• Financial challenges
• People challenges

Mr. Young and Mr. Martin, respectively, were given the floor to introduce themselves.

Mr. Young led, speaking briefly about Social Capital Partners and its role in Canada. His vision is quite simple, robust and enormously powerful––Every Fortune 500 company within the next ten years will utilize a social hiring role in order to engage and assist the community within the context of fulfilling their respective business missions.

He also mentioned projects which have successful demonstrated that business and social infrastructure can work together to enrich lives and economic profitability: A Vancouver Property Management organization; A Winnipeg Renovations company; A Toronto Bike Courier, and ten (10) Thrift Shops in Montréal.

Each of these organizations works with a respective Community Service Agency to train and place employees in positions that allow them to contribute to their own lives as well as society in general. Many of these newly employed people move directly from social assistance to the employing organization.

Mr. Young, in the first five-year innovation and investment phase, produced results in collaboration with others that proved in doing business this way; organizations can generate a return on investment while transforming lives for the better in Canada.

It became apparent to Bill during this initial period that there had been no fundamental change in the landscape. While enabling hundreds of people to move from social assistance to employment and seeing positive societal and attitudes trends, he did not see the paradigm shift occur which is needed to create a transferrable model which can then be successfully undertaken anywhere and everywhere. Bill viewed the challenges as:

• How do we engage corporations?
• Can we make this cookie cutter?
• How can it be done easier, faster and better?
• Is it possible to franchise the core concept?

These questions led Bill Young to explore approaching franchised businesses with a simple proposition:

• He would provide funding through a subordinate debt financing package which was more attractive then the banks
• This enabled a franchise to raise money at what would be considered ‘friends and family rates’
• In return, the franchises would agree to hire from a Community Service Agency.

Bill first approached Active, Green and Ross. The pilot began with five (5) Hamilton locations in Ontario. This pilot was so successful that Active, Green and Ross now uses this same hiring strategy at twenty-two (22) locations.

Thus, Mr. Young created and proved a new model that is more effective, faster, easier and better. It then became a matter for him of connecting the dots.

Bill next approached the Canadian Tire Board of Directors. He learned that one evaluation applied to the Board and its executives related to an organizational ability to effectively engage the community and aid in its development.

Bill Young, with this knowledge, went to Brampton, walked through their Brampton distribution centers and found that Canadian Tire could benefit to the tune of 4,000 employees who would come into the environment as employees trained by the Community Service Agencies. In a sense, he had identified an important element in the demand/supply chain as related to Human Resources development and had done it from the entry point. Bill had demonstrated and proven the value proposition.

He pointed out that technology would also play an important role and sites such as Monster and Workopolis could contribute toward accelerating changing the way that businesses engage in Human Resources strategies and social hiring.

This will allows the Community Service Agencies to focus on training rather than placement. The current Government models see the Community Service Agencies getting a fee for placement. However, Community Service Agencies may not necessarily excel at placement whereas they have demonstrated that they do excel at training.

By taking the original model and turning it on its head Bill Young has proven that Governments will save time, money and other resources, that there will be new effectiveness developed in the system, and further realized that there may be a way to reverse engineer social systems to gain greater effect.

One might reasonably wonder how does one follow such an amazing presentation by a leading social innovator.

Quite simply––be The Right Honorable Paul Martin, former Prime Minister of Canada and best damn Finance Minister the modern world has ever known.

Mr. Martin started by pointing out that there is a massive inequity in the way that Business Entrepreneurs and Social Entrepreneurs are treated in legal, tax and regulatory ways, and with respect to access to capital. He stated that this inequity leads to business entrepreneurs having access to all kinds of capital and incentives, while Social Entrepreneurs are left out in the desert.

Mr. Martin went on to define a social and business entrepreneur as being the exact same thing in that they each want to achieve the building of something, and that each fills an essential need within the context of the social fabric of Canada.

The former Prime Minister then asked a question and framed the answer: What should Government do? And in brief, he suggested the Government should treat both the same. Further, in so doing, there will be greater capital available to achieve greater results for Canada.

Mr. Martin elaborated by stating that currently there is a deficit in that social entrepreneurs have not been given a seat at the capital table–– for a myriad of reasons social entrepreneurs have not been allowed to tap into capital markets and that this represents a major challenge that needs to be overcome.

He went on to ask, “Where then do social innovators currently get money?”

Mr. Martin clearly revealed that Social Entrepreneurs are currently limited to accessing capital that may be made available by Angel investors who can see the value in undertaking social innovations through entrepreneurship. Further, that while being a good start, access to Angel investor capital is not enough to satisfy the needs of Canada and Canadian society.

It is important to note that this former Prime Minister of Canada does more than speak of the inequity; Mr. Martin has taken action to address this issue. While in Government, Mr. Martin directed $175 million dollars toward social innovation and entrepreneurship while cautioning that this was but a drop in the bucket, and yet he could not do more at that time because he did not understand the complexities as he does today.

How then does Mr. Martin now understand more? Simply, by putting his money where the rubber hits the road. Mr. Martin has long been a vocal and active advocate for the Aboriginal Peoples in Canada. He witnessed from his time as Finance Minister and Prime Minister of Canada that there was an ever-growing divide between Aboriginals and the rest of the country.

Hence the Cape Fund was born, and the critically important CAPE Fund Mission is “to further a culture of economic independence, ownership, entrepreneurship, and enterprise management among Aboriginal Peoples, on or off reserve through the creation and growth of successful businesses.”

More specifically, in communities where economic opportunity and capable political leadership are present, the CAPE Fund within a spirit and in the context of partnership provides equity and quasi-equity capital, business expertise, and mentoring on individual projects that are capable of providing both a:

Financial Return: A reasonable return based on market conditions and transaction specifics and after taking into the costs associated with the Social Return.

Social Return: consisting of the promotion of entrepreneurship, transfer of skills, and in most instances, ultimately the transfer of ownership/control to Aboriginal entrepreneurs or community.” http://www.capefund.ca

Yet, Mr. Martin acknowledged that more is required––Federal, Provincial and Territorial Governments need to recognize that this is an area of business that is going to have massive growth potential which will put people to work, and rather than bleed the tax rolls, will increase revenues while reducing unnecessary social infrastructure expenses.

As such, Mr. Martin believes it is necessary for regulatory and tax incentives to be placed into the Tax Act and sooner rather than later.

It is clear that Mr. Martin was looking for the imprimatur or legitimacy that already exists for business to be extended to social entrepreneurship.

The former Prime Minister of Canada effectively argues that there was a dearth of competent and experienced professionals inside this world of Social Entrepreneurship, and this is one factor that makes it such a difficult sale to investors and Governments alike.

However, he pointed out that through the Cape Fund, they have invested in a building company, which hired directly off the Reserves which dot the Canadian landscape. To overcome this challenge, he felt, the best thing to do was to put outside experienced and competent managers in place and allow Aboriginals to be promoted from within as time allows. Mr. Martin believes that over the course of the next decade he will be able to hand the reins over to competent Aboriginal managers and––His vision is bang on.

Mr. Martin went on to allude to the fact that the paradigm shift has already occurred. That the Global Financial Crisis has exacerbated this shift, and that Governments in Canada have been slow to recognize that this paradigm shift has occurred. He elaborated that the effects of this recession would be long ranging, perhaps as long as ten years, and we need a definite plan to deal with the realities, with Social Entrepreneurship, leadership and training being three areas that ought to be considered as promising contributors to the future well-being of Canada and Canadian society.

The former Prime Minister emphatically pointed out that Government is the problem. By virtue of the Leviathan, Government is slow to react to situational realities. It needs to be demonstrated in such a way as to make it easy for Government to embrace the necessary changes.

And, to do this it is important to clearly understand and be realistic about returns on investment and yet point out that some of the returns may not immediately measurable.

Thus, there are longer-term considerations that need to be examined, and metrics developed to figure out returns on investment.

Mr. Martin, in conclusion, eloquently made clear that a crack exists in the fabric of society and this crack will only worsen if it is not addressed now. Further this is far greater than just the distribution of wealth inequalities––Unaddressed this rift will cause far more problems and damage to society. He points out the need is currently greater than it has ever been in the past, and that the funds available to deal with that need are ever smaller due to the recent economic meltdown. As such, we need fresh vision, new ideas and champions to attempt to reverse this damaging trend.

The next post will look at the question period related to the regulatory, financial and people problems that exist within this field.

“Social entrepreneurs are helping to create a more peaceful, just and sustainable world.” Robert Alan

“Social entrepreneurs are not content just to give a fish or teach how to fish. They will not rest until they have revolutionized the fishing industry.” Bill Drayton

Be Inspired Today!

The New Currency
 SDM
“Change…At the Speed of Thought”

Wer hat nicht schon wertvolle Arbeitszeit mit einem dieser Spiele auf Facebook vertrödelt wie FarmTown, Happy Aquarium oder Cafe World. Meist geht es dabei darum etwas aufzubauen: Eine Farm, ein Aquarium oder eben ein Restaurant und dabei täglich aufs Neue Aufgaben zu erledigen, die das virtuelle Reich weiter wachsen lassen. Das Prinzip ist dasselbe wie früher bei Tamagotchis: Wer sein Spiel vernachlässigt und zum Beispiel wegen Arbeit oder Urlaub nicht täglich seinen Verpflichtungen nachkommt, kriegt Probleme: Die Ernte verdirbt, die Fische werden krank oder verhungern und in der Gastronomie verderben die Speisen. Schon bei der Auswahl der angebotenen Speisen sollte der neue Wirt genau überlegen, wann er wieder online sein kann, denn die Zubereitungszeiten reichen von 5 Minuten bis zu 2 Tagen. Außerdem bieten die Gerichte unterschiedliche Verdienstmöglichkeiten. Nachfolgend eine Liste der Gerichte mit dem höchsten Gewinnfaktor – die schnellen Gerichte bieten dabei natürlich einen niedrigeren Return on Investment (ROI) als die langwierigen. Die Kosten für die Reinigung des Herds sind eingerechnet:

Vampir-Steak    6,4 (Faktor)
Kräuter Heilbutt    6,3
Brathühnchen    5,2
Kürbiskuchen    4,9
Käsekuchen    4
Peking Ente    4
Vodoo Hähnchenbrust-Salat    3,7
Zwiebelsuppe   3,2
Roastbeef    3,2
Tony’s Pizza    3,1
Spaghetti Bolognese    3
Karamel-Apfel    2,9
Fruchtsalat    2
Krabben-Cocktail    1,9
Cheeseburger    1,7
Tiki Massala    1,6
Gyros mit Pommes    1,5
Tortilla Chips    1,44

ERP Implementation Methodology

Eresource Infotech promises ON-TIME implementation of ERP. Our “Go Live On Time” program guarantees the

customers on-time implementation of integrated ERP system at affordable cost.

Eresource offers a full refund for any implementation fees where the agreed-upon ERP go live date is delayed,

provided the customer meets all defined milestone deliverables on time. Eresource is the only ERP solution provider

that has earned extremely high marks from their existing all customers for its customer support.

The Go Live On Time is a simple demonstration of deliverable confidence in eresource.

Eresource eliminated the monitory risk by assuring that the ERP implementation will on time and at the price

quoted, but this is provided the customer meets all their obligations and responsibilities. Eresource makes ERP

economically viable.

Why, when and how?

Of many reasons to implement an ERP solution, the chief reason is the need for a common IT platform. Other

reasons include a desire for process improvement, data visibility, operating cost reductions, increased

responsiveness to customers and improvement in strategic decision-making.

ERP is certainly action as an impetus for the replacement for a mix of aging legacy system with a common

platform. This reputation of legacy system with a common platform had become imperative for a number of reasons.

Mainly because mix of aging legacy systems had led to high cost support, and the firms expected business

benefits such as process improvements and data visibility to result in cost reductions.

Implementation methodology

Assuming a decision on an ERP has been taken, the implementation normally consists of five stages:

Design
Implementation
Stabilization
Continuous improvement
Transformation

The structured implementation programme can speed system deployment and return on investment. This can be

done in the following manner:

Conducting an effective gap assessment
Business and technical processes
Organizational measures
Data conversion and data clean-up
Agreeing on the implementation boundaries
Project sponsorship and governance
The implementation strategy is ultimately built on a foundation of people, processes and product

For more information kindly visit http://www.eresourceerp.com/erp-implemenation.htm

OR contact us at
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Thane (West) 400 604, Maharashtra
Tel: +91 22 25827692
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