Databases and efficency

The main role of Databases in my point of view is to improve efficiency in general way. One the reasons and example of why I feel this way is that great number of organizations today, if not all, that use Databases to quickly, and with greater efficacy, share and provide information and service to both managers and costumers. And the second example is how more productive and efficient my studies have been because of the use of databases.
I have noticed that many businesses use different types of databases to save and use the information they need regarding sales, supplies (inventory) and suppliers, marketing, and costumer information. Theses business, then, can share crucial information with other branches of the business. Also, through the databases businesses can create a better relationship with their costumers by offering better services and provide the services costumers need or want. A great example of how this works is the Smith's Supermarket. All the stores of Smith's offer a free card for discounts as costumers purchase products. To get such a card they ask you to fill out a paper with your personal information, which is stored in a computer. When a person uses the card after buy groceries at Smith's, the information of which of Smith's store you were and the products you purchased goes to a computer system. These information later is used to control product sales in each individual store, and what kind of products individuals from a specific area are buy most. Managers and business intelligence can later use their databases to more efficiently and quickly evaluate the information received and make strategic plans to accurately invest in market, and offer quality service and different products according to the need of each area stores are located. I can see how more effective business can be using databases, and I also can see so great efficiency as I have used databases to help me in my studies.
I always need to do researches for my English class. Libraries are a great source to help me on my researches; not only because of books that are available there, bu also because of the internet databases they offer. A few years ago when I was living in Brazil I went to a old library to do a research for one of my classes in high school. There was only book catalogs there, and database researches were not available. Even though I could use a book to find some the information I needed it would be much more efficient for my research purposes if I could use some databases I would be able to find specific information, online documents and encyclopedia articles. It is clear that the use of databases maximize the efficacy of my activities today and in the future.
As I desire to be an Executive Business Manager I realize that an intelligent use of databases will help me and my company to increase our productivity and our business in general. I see myself using data warehouses for the “manipulation of information to support decision making.” (Haag, Cummings, Phillips, 2007, 124) This kind of databases will help me as a professional to understand and create business intelligence (BI), and have an advantage in a competitive market ahead. As Doug Henschen said, “ Business Intelligence initiative continues to top CIO priorities, as executives from the boardroom on down demand better visibility”.
Another impact databases will have on me in the future is for the use of it in genealogy. I have always been interested in genealogy, and will need the great advantage databases give to me in my efforts to find my ancestors. Through databases available I can search documents, records, birth and death certificates, and many other types of information that will allow me, eventually, to find all my forefathers. This kind of databases are the most efficient way to assist me on the pursue of the names of my deceased family.
Overall, it is simple to see that databases in general are a wonderful tool to increase businesses efficiency as it does efficiently helps me through my education and ambitions for the future.


Sources:

Haag, Stephen, Maeve Cummings, and Amy Phillips. Management Information System for the Information Age. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2007. Print.

Henschen, Doug. "4 Technologies That Are Reshaping Business Intelligence." Informationweek.com. 29 Aug. 09. Web. 30 Aug. 09. .

A competitive World ( Chapter 2)

More often than never before, small companies or big businesses use technology available to expand and offer better services and products. Many businesses have the so called creative works, which provide ideas, solutions and information to help their companies to see ahead and have a advantage against their competitors. Even though the technology that is out there is the same for everybody, the difference it makes in a competitive market is how companies use the information technology to present quality service to costumes and collect needful information.

SAP is a great example of an effective business strategy and how successful and competitive it is. In a B2B relationship SAP provides a comprehensive range of enterprise software applications and business solutions – designed for global operations and supported with globalization services – to empower every aspect of a business. On its website SAP gives a definition of how its Strategic IT provides and “deliver the efficiency, insight, and flexibility organizations need and “close the gap between business strategy and execution so as to sustain their competitive edge.”

Also, n Brazil a Pharmacy called Pague Menos developed an innovative way to offer a better service to its costumers. Pague Menos started to offer a online service allowing costumers to buy products online and have them delivered in lees than a hour. Pague Menos had a Computer Integrated System that connected them with their suppliers (partners). It was able to share the information of the quantity and type of products needed with the closest supplier to the address of delivery, optimizing time and presenting a fast and affective service to the costumer.

“(Business Intelligence) initiative continues to top CIO priorities, as executives from the boardroom on down demand better visibility” said Doug Henschen from InformationWeek (August 29, 2009 12:02 AM (From the August 31, 2009 issue).He pointed out four technologies that are going to maximize the efficiency of BI and they will influence also define and give much advantage to organizations in a competitive market. Henschen wrote “Next-generation BI arrived, three major factors are driving it: the spread of predictive analytics, more real-time performance monitoring, and much faster analysis, thanks to in-memory BI. A fourth factor, software as a service, promises to further alter the BI market by helping companies get these next-generation systems running more quickly. Predictive analytics is a white-hot growth segment that got hotter with IBM's $1.2 billion deal to buy SPSS, a company that uses algorithms and combinations of calculations to spot trends, risks, and opportunities in ways not possible with historical reporting” (InformationWeek (August 29, 2009 12:02 AM (From the August 31, 2009 issue).

In a very competitive market I need to learn how to creatively and effectively use IT to prepare for the future,. I know that the same technologies that will be available to me will also be available to my competitors, but as I use the technology and information given to me in a way that is innovative and wanted I will be ahead on the race business competion.

Sources:

http://www.informationweek.com/news/business_intelligence/analytics/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=219500363

http://www.sap.com/usa/services/index.epx

(Management Information Systems for the Information Age, fourth edition)

Information technology today and the future

Recently, it seems that new technologies have been developed every day. Becoming aware of what is new as well as the tendencies for the future in the Computer World and Information Technology can affect and bring new horizons to our education and careers. Observing and understanding better the impact computer technologies have in the world today has made me ponder on how it influences my educational, personal and professional life.

When I think that about only 20 years ago most students had just a calculator to do their Balance Sheets in their Accounting classes I realized how hard it was for them to finish that task. On my college experience, I have seen how much Electronic Brains we call computers are useful and helpful in my education. For example, I have an Accounting class in which I am required to do Balance Sheets or Income Statements. The use of a computer, more specifically the Excel in this case, is a remarkable tool that helps me to do these activities and save all data necessary in a few minutes instead of hours if I would use a calculator like students needed to do years ago.
These advantages influence not only my education, but also, my personal life in general.

Even in my activities related to church I have been deeply benefited by the rapidly pace Information Technology grows. While trying to do the genealogy of my family I have been favored by an enormous amount of data which provides me with records of deceased people from all over the world, where they were borne, where they died, who were their parents and sometimes, even the information about their other relatives. This program’s name is Family Search, which provides many features that allow searches for deceased family members by name, place of birth, place of death or date of birth and death, allowing me to find those family members who came before me and their history. The influence that Information Technology has had in my education and personal life is enormous and it will have even a greater impact in my professional life and my future.

When I think about my future, specifically professionally speaking, I can see that I will need the advantages offered by technologies available today and the new ones that surely will be developed in a few years. I plan to be a part of the Business World as a professional. "Immediacy of informationis incredibly valuable to everything in our business, because it's changing very, very rapidly." (Michael Dell, Management Information Systems for the Information Age, fourth edition). I know that with all the data I can have, receive and store because of computer programs or software I will be able to learn and find out what my costumers need or want, for example, allowing me to offer better service and a way that I will always increase the quality of services or products I will be selling and offering. My future as a professional will be successful as I learn to use the tools that are accessible because of the Information Technology available to me.

Looking forward to a brilliant and triumphant future, I am willing and excited to learn and master the use of all technology that will improve my life and all aspects. Doing that I know I will be ready to a better professional, a faster learner and progress even more in my personal life.

The Learning Model

The Learning Model is a great way to remind and teach students the road for an effective learning. Not only that, it is the Lord's way of achieving a proper and lifelong education and skills. There are three main points:

• Prepare
• Teach One Another
• Ponder and Prove

Preparing to learn and applying what has been taught is a remarkable way to show and demonstrate the knowledge and abilities students have developed in the learning process. Giving serious thought, with a real intent (Mor. 10:4), brings understanding and the capacity to express the skills the students gain in and out of classes.

I have come to know that as I make myself ready to contribute with my classes by studying the topics which teachers are going to discuss in class, I am more capable to expand and further my knowledge as well as to share with others what I have gained from my studies and from the classes I attend. That is going to be a great tool to help me and any other student to succeed and have a pleasure learning experience. I will learn in the way God would have me to.

First Blog

It has been a great experience to be able to learn different things about computers!