Business Intelligence Tools

Business Intelligence (BI) Tools are being used by many companies to improve business performance by making best use of data statistics, analytics and reporting tools to make better decisions. Business Intelligence strategy is driven by the organization’s business objectives and desired goals. It should be aligned with the organization’s business strategies. It includes a broad set of processes, technologies for collecting, integrating, accessing and analyzing information for the purpose of helping the enterprise make better business decisions. BI solutions should enable users to be able to quickly adapt to new business requirements and evolving sources of information. Improved information management could increase the company’s competitive advantage and performance optimization.

Once management has decided on what BI tools to adapt, everyone in the organization is expected to support it knowing that it is geared toward improving the organization’s processes and eventually financial performance. To encourage more effective use of business intelligence tools the people in the organization has to understand how BI can make them do their jobs more efficiently and effectively. It is important that the BI user in the organization understand how it fits in the mission and vision of the organization. Lack of BI strategy could lead to frustrated employees who cannot get timely answers to their business question.

I believe pay raises and sanctions should be a result of an employee’s overall performance vs. preset targets/benchmarks on major key result areas and other performance factors. Pay raises should not be an incentive to make use of BI applications alone. The company can choose to make  the use of BI applications as one of the areas for performance appraisal. The employees should use the BI applications that management deem appropriate to meet the company’s goals. I believe the use of BI tools should be mandatory and not optional to the employees once the company decides to adapt it.

After all, everyone in the company can eventually benefit in the results of the use of BI such as time and cost savings and higher income from the company’s business operations.

Online Shopping

Online shopping is becoming more popular now a days. It is accessible and a time saver.  Shopping may be done from any vendor, at anytime, anywhere in the world. It is easy to search for the merchandise you want to buy. Sometimes it’s even easier to find some products on line than looking for it in the conventional store.  It offers  a wide array of products from local and international brands. It is also easier to compare prices. Online shopping stores are open 24/7 and  many  online deals and promotions may  be enjoyed.

There are some complaints though regarding on line shopping such as hidden costs like shipping charges, delay in delivery, warranty issues such as items sold without international warranty and return problems. On line shopping also exposes the buyer to online scam such as credit card hoaxes and multiple transactions or paying twice. Since it is very convenient, the bad effect is that many people are becoming online shopaholics, buying things which are not needed or wanted after all.

I will not hesitate to buy books including  e books thru on line shopping. Many books are not readily available in conventional stores but can be readily accessed thru the internet. With books there’s little concern whether the book that will be delivered will have different content. As long as the correct book title and author is ordered, there is little possibility that a different book will be delivered or accessed. I like on line booking for travel and tours, there are various packages to choose from at reasonable prices. It is convenient to make arrangements on line even for international destinations.

I will think first before buying on line expensive gadgets, high end watches and signature bags. Considering that these are high value merchandise, the buyer should be careful and research first to  make sure that the on line vendor is reputable and that the items delivered are original and not fake.  Warranty concerns on the expensive gadgets as well as local servicing in case of repair should be covered. There are many fake watches and branded bags in the market today. It ishard to detect wich one is original or fake, thus, it is dangerous to buy on line unless the vendor is reputable. Damage during shipment is also a concern on these items.

I would never buy medicines, clothes and shoes in the internet. I have a bad experience on buying shoes on line. The picture looked fashionable and comfortable however, when it was delivered, I was very disappointed , it did not meet my expectations. Furthermore, it’s too inconvenient to process the return of the item or ask for a refund of payment. For medicines, it is difficult to assume that it is original and has not been damaged or contaminated during shipment. For clothes well, looks can be deceiving, the fit matters and buying on line does not give you the opportunity to fit until it is paid and delivered.

Wireless Network Tech

                Increased mobility and wider coverage due to wireless network technology provides opportunities to increase business. Customer service is improved by providing ready access to the company’s products and services at the clients’ convenient time at any location.  Mobile connectivity connects not just the existing customers but also to a wide range of other customers thus, increasing opportunities for increased business. Through wireless technology,a wider range of location that are difficult or not suitable to wire can be reached. Our bank has taken advantage of this technology with the LANDBANK Mobile Banking Application. The client can enjoy banking convenience anytime , anywhere through a mobile device. Services available are balance inquiry, transaction history, fund transfer, forex rates inquiry, bills payment and ATM and branch locators. Another LANDBANK product is the Mobile Loan Saver which is a paperless, purely electronic salary loan.  Business is increased due to these banking services.

Productivity in the organization is also improved by wireless technology where the employees can easily collaborate with their peers without the need to be in the same location. It facilitates easy transmittal of data that speed up the processes.Efficiency can be monitored by tracking the movement of products, equipment and employees.Wireless networks are more adaptable to changing needs than wired networks.It easier to add new users without need for additional cabling or rerouting of existing cables and furniture which can be disruptive to business.

Security of wireless network can be achieved through controls such as segregating internal network to public network and deploying strong and stringent authentication. Installation of anti virus software and intrusion detectors can also be implemented. Encryption technologies can be implemented as well as website authentication. Physical security is also critical such as preventing unauthorized physical access to facilities and devices. IT personnel training to provide appropriate and updated training to IT personnel is also important. Conducting regular audit on the risk management processes can also mitigate risks in the usage of wireless networks.

Outsourcing Info Tech Security

We often read news about cyber criminals hacking websites for trade secrets and financial account information.

Last year it was reported that  the United States Office of Personnel Management experienced a massive data breach affecting as many as  21.5 million federal employees and civilians. It has been described by federal officials as among the largest breaches of government data in the history of the United States. Information targeted in the breach included personally identifiable information such as Social Security numbers, as well as names, dates and places of birth, and addresses The hack went deeper than initially believed and likely involved theft of detailed security-clearance-related background information (Source: NBC News,Oct 1,2015 & Wikipedia).

Should organizations outsource information technology security?

Let me share with you the insights of my nephew in law, Felipe Lapitgo, a graduate of the University of the Philippines and is presently a Software Development Technical Lead at Dovel Technologies, Information Technology Services in Rockville,Maryland U.S.A. He has extensive experience in I.T. having worked with I.T. companies such as Niyamit,Inc.as Senior Software Developer, RN Solutions as Software Development Lead and Verizon (Info Vision) as Senior Software Developer.

 “For almost all the organizations I’ve been a part of, we do not out-source IT Security. We always hire IT security (Cyber security) experts to do it in-house. These experts that we hire as much we could should be CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional). In some situations, we train someone from our organization to become CISSP and take care and be accountable for out IT Security.

There was only an instance that I have been part of an organization “out-sourced” IT security. Its not really “out-source”, but we are a contractor and we are accountable for the IT security of our client’s  organization.

But before we can do it, we went through an intensive background check and we need to pass the secret clearance check. This means that, that the organization that out-sourced the IT security to us, did all their diligence and all they can do to make sure that we can be trusted with their data and IT security. The burden of making sure that we can be trusted is on the client.

As much as you could, IT security should be in-house. If not possible, the Organization has all the responsibility to make sure that they can trust and make the IT security in-charge be accountable.

For stipulations to include, it really depends on how sensitive the data is and whats the value of those data to the organization.

*Ask the out-sourced IT Security contractors to pay whatever the value of those data they are securing to the organization. (This might result to an immediate push-back from the contractor)

*Do a regular and thorough breach penetration testing

*Do a regular and thorough IT security Assessments

Sometimes, when security breached happens, it’s too late to fix ,like when someone will release a source code or some scandalous media is released. When that happens, it’s already out, everyone will have a copy, and its impossible to clean-up.”

Typically, only large organizations can afford an in house security team. The adoption of managed security services is often driven by the cost effectiveness of gaining access to specialized security tools and expertise on a shared basis. Compliance requirements also drive the organization to security outsourcing to help meet their regulatory obligations. The issues to be considered in balancing security needs and budgetary constraints are added value to the business, choosing a supplier, choice, risk and due diligence.

Security outsourcing remain a challenge for many organizations.