tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41852975255469834592024-03-06T15:00:37.021-05:00View from the BridgeCaptain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.comBlogger220125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-52939971373670080402023-11-16T13:33:00.006-05:002023-11-17T08:49:31.306-05:00Chief Chief Officer<p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Every major technology innovation marks the dawn of a new era and with it the promise that business and technology will never be the same again. And it seems to follow that we need a new 'chief' to lead us into this promised land.</p><div class="separator" dir="rtl" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p dir="ltr" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHFn9QOuf-Uyfb2EfBd4qYPY7Nv0_jdb0y6eDpRciwrQvgcGo0ccB2Itba4oeE3OjU2veFsSkiHvyFZjp71gon3BAzntY8B_iB73McWUzeQvpZgXGwzw3-nMQrT6QA80Jvf7vsZr3U4f7k41BPa7Vf4n4aZGEWNhQPd67GE241nGgCtO1QT6LXSo6Ms40" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="642" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHFn9QOuf-Uyfb2EfBd4qYPY7Nv0_jdb0y6eDpRciwrQvgcGo0ccB2Itba4oeE3OjU2veFsSkiHvyFZjp71gon3BAzntY8B_iB73McWUzeQvpZgXGwzw3-nMQrT6QA80Jvf7vsZr3U4f7k41BPa7Vf4n4aZGEWNhQPd67GE241nGgCtO1QT6LXSo6Ms40=w320-h159" width="320" /></a>The latest earth-shattering wave of innovation is, of course, AI. So, as with BI, Cloud and others before them, we are now seeing cries for a Chief AI Officer. Ours is the only discipline which can't decide on what the top spot should be called. Of course, it took decades before technology rose to the C-level at all, but when we did, we immediately confused everyone by using CIO and CTO almost interchangeably. </p><p dir="ltr" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The CEO, CFO and COO titles are by far the most consistent. CMO and CRO are later entrants to the c-suite but clearly represent the leader of the marketing and sales organizations, respectively. HR recently got into it by adopting CPO (Chief People Officer) presumably so they too could have a three-letter acronym. </p><p dir="ltr" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There have been many other novel chief somethings invented along the way such as Chief Experience Officer, Chief Sustainability Officer, Chief Diversity Officer and others. However, these Chiefs are focused on an outcome and not on the use of a specific toolset. </p><div class="separator" dir="ltr" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" dir="ltr" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="723" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxm89fRbjnkFGWfNOd0KB3yfquzHK1Djw76qSgJpbUTdokz4ogfmWVgv80iPbqJUKmDAgDwy6OgC5sz97ReD70pKoxlx_msCaMazgTLx9LGFk1H2zVm4CPqZQwiqRr-wikMt95FZpJQGVLgM-BLnInTetSclJfjIWZV0BU-OJfODcvfzowtY-or-r-Sjo/w310-h176/C-Level.png" width="310" /></div><span>There is only one head of technology in </span><span>any organization, just as there is only one CEO. This has been referred to in some circles as the</span><span> President of Technology having overall responsibility for the use of technology throughout the business. This is a C-level position, and the CIO (or CTO) should be focused on the business first and, being the person on the senior management team most knowledgeable about technology, how to best leverage technology to execute the mission of the company. </span><span style="text-align: left;"></span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Part of that role involves building the right team with all the necessary skills and experience to efficiently and effectively design, build and operate the technology that supports the business. This team must include or have access to expertise in relevant technologies. AI is critically important, and the emergence of generative AI is clearly a watershed moment in technology, but it is still only a tool to be used wisely and not an outcome in and of itself. </p><p dir="ltr" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There is an exception to my CIO rule. The CISO role does rise to the C level on its own for two reasons. First, security should not report to the CIO. There are conflicting priorities, and it is unfair to hold the CISO accountable when the "boss" can override decisions. Second, like sustainability or diversity, security is an outcome and not merely a set of tools and techniques. </p><p dir="ltr" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A company with a Chief AI Officer, Chief BI Officer, Chief Cloud Officer or other C whatever Officers, will probably need a Chief Chief officer, one Chief to bind them all. </p><p dir="ltr" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Captain Joe </p><p dir="ltr" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i></p></div>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-1841650511732101812015-12-06T14:00:00.000-05:002015-12-06T14:00:02.497-05:00The Lesson of the Holiday RoastHave you ever heard the story of the holiday roast? Little six-year old Mary is watching Alison, her mom, carefully preparing the big holiday meal. There are appetizers, salads and all sorts of side dishes. But the centerpiece is always the wonderful holiday roast.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxH8q632m5UI1AfjH6CHKXByMe5Yxnkm4k7-kTTWRYAqUIbKCJUWTE-ZmrUYERy7C-4fm1-1AQ8_TidrHFW5BKZRyEuTgxXmAseDMVoeuOSThnMRD9slvivNmlzScLc4pVeYbThe2zleE/s1600/Holiday+Roast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxH8q632m5UI1AfjH6CHKXByMe5Yxnkm4k7-kTTWRYAqUIbKCJUWTE-ZmrUYERy7C-4fm1-1AQ8_TidrHFW5BKZRyEuTgxXmAseDMVoeuOSThnMRD9slvivNmlzScLc4pVeYbThe2zleE/s200/Holiday+Roast.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
After spending time at the market to choose just the right one, Alison is now in her kitchen, ready to begin cooking it. It is unwrapped, placed in a huge roasting pan, seasoned, coated and finally, most importantly, carefully cut exactly in half. As she gently placed each half face down in the sauce little Mary asked why she had cut this beautiful roast in half. Alison had lots more to do and shrugged off the question.<br />
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After exactly two hours, Alison opened the oven, pulled the pan out, turned it around and put it back in. Little Mary, curious again, wanted to know why the roast had been cut in half, and why the pan had to be rotated. "Why?" Alison snapped back. "Well that is the way my mother, your grandmother, taught me to do it," she explained.<br />
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Still curious, the little girl asked her mother if they could call grandma and ask her these questions. When they got grandma on the phone, she said the same thing. It was just what she had been taught. Maybe cutting it open makes it juicier inside, and rotating the pan makes it cook more evenly, but I never really asked my mother. Fortunately, great grandma was still around in a nursing home. Little Mary's curiosity still unsatisfied, grandma thought perhaps great grandma could reveal the secret.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjirKFIRbJXWouPXodVxOXg7uIgtnHpzyqrbzOCx4DtLQ1Q409w6xdpV9S6Qm1Ww0QDEZQXJiIOcKWpR9-dVCcwryxBiiFTYvpKguik3efVPzoZK4A2nEREYTBGhB8XkJzfFUWaqShX5bc/s1600/Holiday+Roast+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjirKFIRbJXWouPXodVxOXg7uIgtnHpzyqrbzOCx4DtLQ1Q409w6xdpV9S6Qm1Ww0QDEZQXJiIOcKWpR9-dVCcwryxBiiFTYvpKguik3efVPzoZK4A2nEREYTBGhB8XkJzfFUWaqShX5bc/s200/Holiday+Roast+3.jpg" width="200" /></a>As IT professionals, we will often try to uncover the origin of a particular business process. Like little Mary, when we see how things are done, and it is not obvious why, we ask. Called upon to add, change or remove some element of a process, it goes beyond mere curiosity. It is important to know the real reason behind each step being taken, and to put this process into the context of the larger picture. While this can be irritating to the person making a seemingly simple request, this story illustrates why the relentless inquires are often justified.<br />
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You see, they got great grandma on the phone and little Mary suggested cutting the roast made it soak up the juice better or would somehow preserve tenderness. Great Granny laughed and explained that in her day the ovens were small and if you didn't cut the roast and lay it flat it wouldn't fit! The wood fueled oven was much hotter in the back than the front and so you had to rotate the pan to cook both halves the same. Of course, neither of these conditions existed today and the tradition was pointless.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZBF5nYwePGorJLnRYRSaYpVsWq6H-5KRfinQN304U5C-cvBEW4YmfWaYbVM0jpKxkjNfFxrkSBMS7C3VoHvrZ5aZo5_2JLwprd1c754AuSyrTARnDmyb8t-rPs1ztURHL5TeP9-ujnEQ/s1600/Holiday+Roast+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZBF5nYwePGorJLnRYRSaYpVsWq6H-5KRfinQN304U5C-cvBEW4YmfWaYbVM0jpKxkjNfFxrkSBMS7C3VoHvrZ5aZo5_2JLwprd1c754AuSyrTARnDmyb8t-rPs1ztURHL5TeP9-ujnEQ/s200/Holiday+Roast+2.jpg" width="200" /></a>And so often it turns out that a business process was invented to meet a need which was outside of the capabilities of systems in place at that time. The reporting oven could only bake so much data at one time leading to a need to slice the data in half. Clever people invent clever ways to achieve their goal by whatever means they know and it then becomes routine. As time passes and people hand off responsibilities, the approach becomes institutionalized and the rationale behind the design of the process is lost. It becomes tradition or, as we often hear, simply "the way we have always done it."<br />
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We all know the speed and capacity of systems today are far greater. The data "ovens" are larger and "heat" evenly all the way around. Moreover, software capabilities have expanded beyond our wildest imagination. If together we focus on the ultimate goal, deconstruct the current process and perhaps even trace its origin we are likely to find we can eliminate unnecessary steps and take advantage of newer, faster approaches. With less effort we quickly and consistently deliver the best holiday roasts.<br />
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Captain Joe<br />
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<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-74645887287534323782015-10-14T17:42:00.000-04:002015-11-15T19:04:28.348-05:00The Third Golden RuleAnyone who has ever been a member of my staff will tell you to get along with me you only need to adhere to my two golden rules. These are very simple, straightforward and quite reasonable. Nothing too complicated to remember or follow, and they have served me well for many years.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4-ZxIuSPOef3jti22iqgj1S3lchTdhQtBrcRzh7XeyDct2bNyI9QAp9Org0Q29tBRKF5CliOprWagaXEw_nQIBfdi3qYyGlwFJuWpJbALpxb0pARINCWJoUnSo3vc7WD2pLjTBw22LQ/s1600/oops+I+srewed+up+++.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4-ZxIuSPOef3jti22iqgj1S3lchTdhQtBrcRzh7XeyDct2bNyI9QAp9Org0Q29tBRKF5CliOprWagaXEw_nQIBfdi3qYyGlwFJuWpJbALpxb0pARINCWJoUnSo3vc7WD2pLjTBw22LQ/s200/oops+I+srewed+up+++.jpeg" width="200" /></a>First, when something, anything goes wrong <b>I always want to be the first to know</b>. Phone me, text me, send a telegram or message on a carrier pigeon. There is nothing worse for me than to hear about a systems related issue from someone outside of my department. I ask my staff to advise me as soon as they know something has gone awry. They have no fear or reprisal, even if they inadvertently did something to cause the problem. My focus is always on understanding what happened, fixing it and then devising a means of ensuring it can never happen again. The only fatal mistake you can make is trying to hide a problem from me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioB186X7tCj0VQ0MWun61w87XuYEh8QSYaVzmg_mpCsCxZ0It1WiyyA6SLTPiqwiRIciewg5dUY_8_0wxfwVS3hATGZa6d7o3LeQwog06Vp7IjdUvMir6eKG_z7NIhtP8mfdwQO_YgPsc/s1600/workers+sleeping+on+the+job+.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioB186X7tCj0VQ0MWun61w87XuYEh8QSYaVzmg_mpCsCxZ0It1WiyyA6SLTPiqwiRIciewg5dUY_8_0wxfwVS3hATGZa6d7o3LeQwog06Vp7IjdUvMir6eKG_z7NIhtP8mfdwQO_YgPsc/s200/workers+sleeping+on+the+job+.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
Second, <b>don't get in the way of the business</b>. Often we can lose sight of the fact that while technology is important to the business, it should rarely be considered a higher priority. We can easily get caught up in the need to reboot a server or upgrade a piece of software and overlook the impact it will have on the business -- and its ability to generate the revenue that pays all of our salaries. So whatever we are doing, no matter how "critical" we think it may be, we should always be certain it will not somehow adversely affect the operations of the company. Usually this is just a matter of careful testing, coordination and scheduling.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8qncuRTVy2PLD674ZLCk0vafYygUTS_zUvPXRP68AGjJbLGHddqNLlvlvGmthEcRDFiDuZry7CDVMw5VRzRzcBjzeT6vWSv2qsAIVZUtSt1veQ85rwWsDlRk8m_fp3rNzRGlAPU2v9b0/s1600/business+disagreement+.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8qncuRTVy2PLD674ZLCk0vafYygUTS_zUvPXRP68AGjJbLGHddqNLlvlvGmthEcRDFiDuZry7CDVMw5VRzRzcBjzeT6vWSv2qsAIVZUtSt1veQ85rwWsDlRk8m_fp3rNzRGlAPU2v9b0/s200/business+disagreement+.jpeg" width="200" /></a>Recently, I decided to add a third golden rule. <b>Your opinion matters</b>. It struck me that I embrace the concept that the entire department is a team working together towards common goals. No one works <i>for</i> me. Everyone works <i>with</i> me. I may be the senior manager and head of the department, but I don't want to be surrounded by lemmings who will follow me happily as I lead them over the cliff. As the saying goes, the buck stops here, and, yes, I will likely have the final say. But that should never inhibit anyone from expressing their view. Any sound, fact-based argument can and should be put forth respectfully, and I assure you I will listen.<br />
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These rules have always been key to my success as a manager. Follow them and we will be golden.<br />
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Captain Joe<br />
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<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-16792389517471081182015-09-05T11:50:00.000-04:002015-09-05T11:50:52.903-04:00Who Are You Going To Call<div class="p1">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAmxCAHajBIwEPScDMxleCxnbYhUuAbF3r6yaZAdkZaqM-qGD6D5QOSFvlyv111Ex7XaOQe8jD5imzM5da2F27tVuOps-W9qpNJXEdPQ_vI9A58fsWeGB5JAyOGvTnr542wcwQuqbfPU/s1600/1960+efficiency+expert.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAmxCAHajBIwEPScDMxleCxnbYhUuAbF3r6yaZAdkZaqM-qGD6D5QOSFvlyv111Ex7XaOQe8jD5imzM5da2F27tVuOps-W9qpNJXEdPQ_vI9A58fsWeGB5JAyOGvTnr542wcwQuqbfPU/s200/1960+efficiency+expert.jpeg" width="198" /></a><span class="s1">Leveraging technology to make a company run more efficiently, reduce cost or improve quality is simply not enough. A resume in which you offer to replicate this for any new company is going to be passed over by most. Today the head of technology is expected to be a full member of the </span></div>
management team contributing to the development of new product and services, expanding the customer base, and opening new markets of all kinds. The good news is we are empowered to do this with the affordable computing power, connectivity and data available. Moreover, the world is finally in a state of readiness to accept these new ideas. The classic examples include Airbnb, Uber and the new similar application where people share boats. The new norm is technology turning an industry completely inside-out.<br />
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1">We are now an on demand, variable supply, value-based micro-company society where every individual can be an entrepreneur, running an entire business, often without having to leave home. Business opportunities exist on both sides of this model. Traditional companies leverage just-in-time supply of expertise, consuming just enough to meet their needs without incurring additional overhead or associated costs. Individuals can apply their deep knowledge and experience to a wide variety of issues across many clients, constantly learning and improving while delivering efficient and effective solutions. Instead of one individual with a little experience in several areas being on staff, engage six experts as needed for portions of the project achieving superior results with lower long term cost. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbUobTDMOqNFuHcr85wi7z1ezNGqraF8ITgYeyrMJ_AogqSnKCjfnDxKghuIJ84yoSn0vTZaWTHFN6mqyhTJpXRf1ioYi2cUWqPkruOBPdZ6vRAAtfTHyzJCgrqjGADStz12oDOBPUTk/s1600/home+office++.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbUobTDMOqNFuHcr85wi7z1ezNGqraF8ITgYeyrMJ_AogqSnKCjfnDxKghuIJ84yoSn0vTZaWTHFN6mqyhTJpXRf1ioYi2cUWqPkruOBPdZ6vRAAtfTHyzJCgrqjGADStz12oDOBPUTk/s200/home+office++.jpeg" width="200" /></a><span class="s1"></span></div>
What I envision is different from the classic consulting model where companies engage teams from well know firms like Accenture, Oracle or Mercer, and instead turn to vehicle such as e-lance to solicit bids for specific resources or solutions from individuals. As the boomers age out of the work force they become increasing rare and valuable resources with exactly the right knowledge and skills to meet these demands. Orchestrating the match of needs to resources represents, in my mind, one of the most interesting and potentially rewarding business opportunities today and the near future.<br />
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Captain Joe<br />
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<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-82662192459573607492015-08-05T14:00:00.000-04:002015-09-08T23:02:04.697-04:00Mind My Own BusinessPeople often react to my use of social networks to "check in" at a location, regularly posting my adventures in travel, food or special events. Those of you who may follow me on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/joep2">Facebook</a> pretty much know where I am or where I am headed, what I am eating, drinking or cooking, and sometimes the people who are with me. "Why do you want everyone to know where you are and what you are doing?" I am asked, "Don't you want some privacy in your life?"<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9R6SUeTS1a3wIqPOiYiWMRXjMbBHv5wQxyE-2GAQsB77oS5D0zMqYnm1ZHkrnxo3jh8gunas8ZuTjhQYgVgq8VBcQ_-3OjD0Zq52SdbfJSqzBGa3GSneZwgaDE0rc5g0NJh186n9wpg/s1600/IMAG0313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9R6SUeTS1a3wIqPOiYiWMRXjMbBHv5wQxyE-2GAQsB77oS5D0zMqYnm1ZHkrnxo3jh8gunas8ZuTjhQYgVgq8VBcQ_-3OjD0Zq52SdbfJSqzBGa3GSneZwgaDE0rc5g0NJh186n9wpg/s200/IMAG0313.jpg" width="200"></a><br>
Allow me to explain.<br>
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First, I segregate my network activity into social and business, and while there may be occasional crossover, these social posts are purely for fun. My social posts are done using Swarm (successor to Foursquare), Facebook and a <a href="https://twitter.com/JPuglisi1954">personal Twitter</a> account. More recently I started posting via <a href="https://instagram.com/jpuglisi1954/">Instagram</a> in an effort to keep up with current trends. The accounts are connected so, for example, a Swarm check-in automatically posts to Facebook and tweets. Similarly, my Instagrams also post to Facebook and Twitter.<br>
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My friends, family and I all derive a certain pleasure in sharing. I know this from the "likes" and comments garnered over the years. With people segregated in both time and space, this turns out to be a great way to keep everyone apprised of events, however important or mundane, in my life. Whether its a simply an extraordinary meal at a local restaurant or family wedding photos, what better way to 'broadcast' this small chapter of your life to those who care? Followers can choose to view, react or ignore each however they please. <br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMV4x9xBOF3f4F1i63QqThdSxEu_FlIZO3xRaRGZropl-64lc1ULmN2XFMkVh-fOwcnQudH4vySEfxx0l-rPbQTAMhAj1WabqxeYdUeq3mHc3-3-HReA2x2TVz1M1VQ61uBvqppIc766g/s1600/Closing+curtains.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMV4x9xBOF3f4F1i63QqThdSxEu_FlIZO3xRaRGZropl-64lc1ULmN2XFMkVh-fOwcnQudH4vySEfxx0l-rPbQTAMhAj1WabqxeYdUeq3mHc3-3-HReA2x2TVz1M1VQ61uBvqppIc766g/s200/Closing+curtains.jpeg" width="200"></a>So, what about privacy? Well the most effective means of keeping something truly private is to not tell anyone. So where I want privacy you are not likely to see any posts. It's that simple. Most of the time I have nothing to hide and no reason to be secretive. In fact, there have been a couple of instances where posting my whereabouts has lead to an unexpected and pleasant chance meeting with a friend or family member. Unless you are ducking bill collectors or the mob, why not let people know you are around?<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDFYzTJmBSNqH42vb3itm6_8uYE6Kksi-EdWmX_2ojr38ra-pKK39oznWy5sIzH0C5e-qxe5B1o4K55uedXmvmYjYXaHkZwthOCgPVBjQkeUpXcFrCoeLYomED0EQQDx1tXiBMHwCOZ0/s1600/IMG_1013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDFYzTJmBSNqH42vb3itm6_8uYE6Kksi-EdWmX_2ojr38ra-pKK39oznWy5sIzH0C5e-qxe5B1o4K55uedXmvmYjYXaHkZwthOCgPVBjQkeUpXcFrCoeLYomED0EQQDx1tXiBMHwCOZ0/s200/IMG_1013.JPG" width="200"></a>Posting on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephpuglisi">LinkedIn</a>, Google+ and my business <a href="https://twitter.com/JPuglisiLLC">Twitter</a> persona are whole different kettle of fish. There the main purpose, as it says on this blog, is to educate, inform and sometimes entertain in a professional way. On these networks I share my blog posts, business knowledge, experience and even pieces of useful information gleaned at seminars, conferences, events and publications. It is important to remain informed, connected, active and visible in today's business world.<br>
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That's how I leverage social nets to keep friends and family informed, share life experiences and to remain ever present among my colleagues and peers in business. <br>
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How does that differ from what you routinely do?<br>
<br>
Captain Joe<br>
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<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-83257431106332777942015-07-06T14:37:00.000-04:002015-07-06T14:37:15.339-04:00Thoughts on Immortality<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBCR1oqaiq-kxzADy9OmL2I-18XZ0LUpqP4hdCFGgCQ6G9ZtZO_dWDVkdVFUSafWiNjHXdUqiKzfxdp-SJqFPAFWiADRV4GcsvDeMXIcUydIXOrYaDSqdluvSj_ZhvEUQpO_n2c2eKNM/s1600/The+End+of+the+World.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBCR1oqaiq-kxzADy9OmL2I-18XZ0LUpqP4hdCFGgCQ6G9ZtZO_dWDVkdVFUSafWiNjHXdUqiKzfxdp-SJqFPAFWiADRV4GcsvDeMXIcUydIXOrYaDSqdluvSj_ZhvEUQpO_n2c2eKNM/s200/The+End+of+the+World.png" width="131" /></a>This morning I read yet another article declaring how some current piece of technology will soon be dead and gone. This time it was that conventional, spinning storage medium we call disk. Solid state devices are getting cheaper and faster and more efficient and so naturally all those floor space mongering, power hungry, heat generating mechanical antiques are going to simply vanish.<br />
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I disagree.<br />
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The truth is none of this stuff ever really dies. Of course <i>you</i> don't encounter many 3.5 inch floppy disks any more. But we can cite an almost endless list of technologies that the prognosticators have assured us are destined for the the grave, most of which are still around.<br />
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For instance there are still as many or more lines of COBOL code in production today as there are in any other computer programming language. Mainframe computers abound. Even the RIM Blackberry is still with us despite Apple and Android, and the company's own missteps. Pagers and PDAs still sell well years after the advent of the ubiquitous and all powerful mobile device. The list goes on and on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4PVwRhQ8dpHzzJL0v9ho2vhD40SV36p7ETtt_3rWYNJAo5IbWaWufQyJBw9HrBNN9I_rWSg_WuEaKWE8VSW17NnKk1g6fobu28T_GX8KjobcBaSMFeQCRFcuHxsjtzTvZi_8W-xAhsPQ/s1600/mag+rack.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4PVwRhQ8dpHzzJL0v9ho2vhD40SV36p7ETtt_3rWYNJAo5IbWaWufQyJBw9HrBNN9I_rWSg_WuEaKWE8VSW17NnKk1g6fobu28T_GX8KjobcBaSMFeQCRFcuHxsjtzTvZi_8W-xAhsPQ/s200/mag+rack.png" width="200" /></a></div>
In fact, outside the computer realm, people continue to read books and magazines, VCRs are still around and so are CDs. According to the CEA, digital cameras, e-readers and MP3 players are among the top gift holiday items. Even vinyl records have enjoyed renewed popularity and are staging a comeback. Heck, I own a hand cranked phonograph and a collection of 78s.<br />
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Okay, the phonograph is an antique and, though it works, I don't actually use it to listen to music. But the point is many of these things are very much in daily use many years after the prediction of their demise. If you expand your view outside of the US there are even more so-called obsolete devices very much alive and kicking.<br />
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Perhaps they aren't written about as much or advertised as heavily and so they slip quietly into the background of our minds. They are no longer the newest, hottest or sexiest thing on the market. But news of their death, as one famous author is reputed to have said, has been greatly exaggerated.<br />
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Captain Joe<br />
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<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-33562654706222045962015-06-15T17:44:00.000-04:002015-09-13T18:20:36.658-04:00The Danger Within<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiunglg4sXXSiMWDzglELie3DW86kZaBylbWVPNvNvWKEPqW9RK7HZI1p3Qbqx62YMs8bvX2Z-Dbv6eJByFdKv2qTPFYN70HURhLj8RN3lKm-mZxZdGjlj-ICP3aTMNEZBRTW42RtOAcA0/s1600/major+data+breachs.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiunglg4sXXSiMWDzglELie3DW86kZaBylbWVPNvNvWKEPqW9RK7HZI1p3Qbqx62YMs8bvX2Z-Dbv6eJByFdKv2qTPFYN70HURhLj8RN3lKm-mZxZdGjlj-ICP3aTMNEZBRTW42RtOAcA0/s200/major+data+breachs.png" width="200" /></a>Security is surely on everyone's mind these days. One merely has to pick up a newspaper, magazine or visit news sites on-line to read about the latest incident involving the release of personal data, confidential corporate files or government secrets. As a direct result of the rash of these high profile incidents, articles and presentations abound on the need for better means of protecting our information.<br />
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Some of the focus is on better educating the person at the keyboard, since they are most often the initial crack in the armor. I have even advocated for this in previous columns.<br />
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We are inundated with demands for better, more complex passwords, two-factor, three factor or biometric and other means of authentication. We must have improved edge security, faster intrusion detection, the latest anti-virus and web filtering systems. Network equipment vendors try to outdo one another with increasingly sophisticated methods of preventing unwanted visitors, while the security related software companies race to stay ahead of the nefarious individuals exploiting holes in the code by spotting the latest attack vectors.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1T-vS3F3pgjRHnVwPkW_XHEEO8tamjOJ4eWXFwlvIw8YhkrqhS8WWHA9AzhrzV06YKTIaSztAct8rB29OgKe53WBvinKHZ7z4Uvn9swfBkroicMDB6_EcefWoQ9FioLFtr3-5kGXotus/s1600/flaws+in+code+.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1T-vS3F3pgjRHnVwPkW_XHEEO8tamjOJ4eWXFwlvIw8YhkrqhS8WWHA9AzhrzV06YKTIaSztAct8rB29OgKe53WBvinKHZ7z4Uvn9swfBkroicMDB6_EcefWoQ9FioLFtr3-5kGXotus/s200/flaws+in+code+.jpeg" width="200" /></a>What we do not hear enough about is an effort to ensure there are no holes in the code to exploit. In my recent work with the <a href="http://investorscollaborative.com/">NAiC </a>investor group I had an opportunity to learn about several companies with tools that automatically read and evaluate software code. These tools can be used to find logic flaws and identify opportunities to improve code efficiency. But importantly, they can also highlight potential security issues allowing these dangerous holes to be plugged before the code is ever released for use.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUbORTx-IIbzoVg8e5sMdEj9alhHHzRa4gddjvBKuZ8QYBKc0vLV-oU9pYXaCOwaZDnFV6nukxodlOn17oChll-myrQh7dV5juBo4dfVD6JDsOEsa6EpDeLSSDdItnrfwpJiWu8nh-_M/s1600/software+quality+assurance+.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUbORTx-IIbzoVg8e5sMdEj9alhHHzRa4gddjvBKuZ8QYBKc0vLV-oU9pYXaCOwaZDnFV6nukxodlOn17oChll-myrQh7dV5juBo4dfVD6JDsOEsa6EpDeLSSDdItnrfwpJiWu8nh-_M/s200/software+quality+assurance+.jpeg" width="200" /></a>Major corporations, particularly software houses, routinely have a QA group perform reviews. But the priorities of the company and demands of the marketplace often push the code release ahead of a complete review. Moreover, the QA department is often the poor, red-headed step-child with little power to truly complete the mission. They are only there to make sure the code doesn't crash the system or fail to perform in line <br />
with some option on the menu.<br />
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Until we make the quality and especially security of applications as important as meeting the date we promised our customers new features, we will always run the risk that some employee will unwittingly allow malware to evade all the perimeter defenses and take advantage of flaws, infecting systems, stealing data or taking control.<br />
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Captain Joe<br />
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<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-81530756956951295762015-05-30T17:27:00.000-04:002015-05-30T17:29:42.010-04:00The Static Role of the CIOFrankly, I am growing tired of hearing about the changing role of the CIO. It's the same tired story being told over and over again. It is no different than the heralding of all of the other dramatic changes in technology, each supposedly changing all the rules and creating new challenges and opportunities for business.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPO71-jD6Yl0-NZSBy_fUZB4u2jyNyPQCarqDF20BtB16v85giW7zNQLU5xk86cyXLYtn9lBlpw8nX87lt-q-PE3FsZ6-_NS3KmlatIrjFu42eBpzlbP9Zv3FmPWgBSooAqXKQrectz4U/s1600/C+suite++.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPO71-jD6Yl0-NZSBy_fUZB4u2jyNyPQCarqDF20BtB16v85giW7zNQLU5xk86cyXLYtn9lBlpw8nX87lt-q-PE3FsZ6-_NS3KmlatIrjFu42eBpzlbP9Zv3FmPWgBSooAqXKQrectz4U/s200/C+suite++.png" width="200" /></a>Why do we single out these particular senior leaders and judge them by standards different from the other members of the C-Suite? Surely the tools and techniques, problems and issues the CFO deals with have evolved over time as they have for the head of Marketing, Sales and business leaders in general. Yet, the people who occupy these senior roles have not been repeatedly threatened with extinction. <br />
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Could it be because the members of the C-Suite are not focused on the tools of their trade but rather bring their knowledge, experience and discipline to bear on those most critical aspects of running the business and meeting their specific criteria for success? Sales, quality, customer satisfaction and, yes, even profitability are some of the key concerns of these top managers. They strive to please their customers, shareholders and employees.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcmgFKxJ__0HMYayT1gQKHVTDn6iwA7_clzvXELFeXfj07FrBghRtmFtTXHNlYkfeDPmvKyOZh6sxJN0NvT-3IAeI5CgoeLv_LfF0kmFddyQhDtDyjg2FzvK8M5o9SnQqWoEtOLCwoF5M/s1600/cell+phone+at+meeting.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcmgFKxJ__0HMYayT1gQKHVTDn6iwA7_clzvXELFeXfj07FrBghRtmFtTXHNlYkfeDPmvKyOZh6sxJN0NvT-3IAeI5CgoeLv_LfF0kmFddyQhDtDyjg2FzvK8M5o9SnQqWoEtOLCwoF5M/s200/cell+phone+at+meeting.png" width="200" /></a>As a member of the C-Suite this is what a true Chief Information Officer focused on 20 years ago and what CIOs will focus on 20 years from now. <br />
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Whether your data center is in the basement or the cloud is not the issue. Is it operating efficiently, with speed and agility? Waterfall, agile, extreme or whatever may come next is not the question but rather, are the developers delivering the capability to run the business? Buy or build is not the question. Are we investing our limited capital in the manner which generates the best overall return.<br />
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I would argue simply, if your focus has been on managing technology and not managing the business, you never were a CIO.<br />
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Captain Joe<br />
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<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-10273060248905123852015-04-07T10:00:00.000-04:002015-04-07T12:09:13.408-04:00All Clouds Are Not Created EqualEvery CIO is constantly challenged by management's demand to control operating costs, maintain a high quality of service and yet support the ever growing needs of the business. Add to that the new pressures of transforming the company to compete effectively in the new digital economy.<br />
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We are all familiar with the triangle of price, quality and schedule. The conventional wisdom is you can have any two out of three -- but rarely can you achieve all three. If you want it fast and cheap, it isn't going to be very good. Add a strong desire for quality into the equation and keep the time frame short, and costs are likely to soar.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgwezliNV5Bu40W0R223tr-n21AQDmFulcwmbKM9iwwKAl2ftIJkP7heA4xGGt-pNSaMzpmTUd5gtxXfBLYAKpPcDJq2U4Rf5dyv45PO25b1bupUicrT5YaRQ4Y74Pm602i8_f-cbY6o/s1600/good+fast+cheap.jpg+.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgwezliNV5Bu40W0R223tr-n21AQDmFulcwmbKM9iwwKAl2ftIJkP7heA4xGGt-pNSaMzpmTUd5gtxXfBLYAKpPcDJq2U4Rf5dyv45PO25b1bupUicrT5YaRQ4Y74Pm602i8_f-cbY6o/s1600/good+fast+cheap.jpg+.png" height="180" width="200" /></a>Enter the "Cloud." This is a latter day timesharing, service bureau or remote computing model (for those of us who have been around a while) with a bit of a twist. The platforms, tools and software systems available today truly enable computing power to be delivered as a utility to anyone, anywhere and at any time.<br />
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The cloud presents an opportunity to push routine or commodity services out the door, reducing the burden on internal resources, increasing agility, flexibility and predictability of costs. The cloud makes it easy to scale up and scale down as needed, and can free limited internal resources to focus on higher value projects.<br />
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But with these benefits come new concerns. The top of the list is always security. How can we be assured our data will be safe from theft or misuse when we put it in the hands of some outside data center operators? Clearing that hurdle brings us to other make or break decisions. Does the provider offer the platforms, API or software tools that are needed to run our applications and support the business? Can I meet all of my regulatory obligations?<br />
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Assuming we can identify a player or players that meet these and other necessary criteria we eventually turn our attention to cost.<br />
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Here is where it becomes really interesting because costs are not always that predictable. For Software as a Service (SaaS) we can apply the rates per user per month and have a reasonable estimate of the cost. However, this is not as simple in other types of cloud services such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) where costs will depend heavily on the actual resources consumed by our application.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFWvI9RkmiXtQ6KKdIkjGisxQQcKTLSuGawjsVHou0ceQo2z5qemiNuP1puT5v2MViDLxiZS0NBPuWzfHcF5ihmFGNdKZAOCGMXY4ww9MngjlwF0KMUwxA6GRQIdw3Smc_eyVb_SCfGRc/s1600/Slide1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFWvI9RkmiXtQ6KKdIkjGisxQQcKTLSuGawjsVHou0ceQo2z5qemiNuP1puT5v2MViDLxiZS0NBPuWzfHcF5ihmFGNdKZAOCGMXY4ww9MngjlwF0KMUwxA6GRQIdw3Smc_eyVb_SCfGRc/s1600/Slide1.png" height="240" width="320" /></a>We can estimate resource consumption and, using published rate charts, try to predict the cost. But it turns out this may not be a fair basis for comparison. Research shows not all clouds are created equal. A series of benchmarks run by <a href="http://www.krystallize.com/"><b>Krystallize Technologies</b></a> demonstrated the same workload run on identical machines provisioned at different cloud service providers will yield different performance levels. This would suggest we will can expect different levels of performance for our application depending on its characteristics and the provider we choose.<br />
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That was not too surprising given different providers will have different equipment, architectures and design. What was very surprising was the performance varied <i>within provider.</i> The representative work load executed on several identically provisioned machines at the same provider also yielded different performance levels. Moreover, these performance levels varied significantly over time. Keep in mind these cloud service providers operate data centers that are in a constant state of change.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIAlTs5SrfudW19M0imXfzO-hOgf4YwcgM4AUYb6slMgU7Uufr7rm7KozFQahXRrshdBnfsuT0pQw7z-3p46_6fJyR-l0qNys4PFSzxu0IttMYka7DrEOrUrtXLTjhp2nhb8AEvbHEMdY/s1600/Better+Sleep+.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIAlTs5SrfudW19M0imXfzO-hOgf4YwcgM4AUYb6slMgU7Uufr7rm7KozFQahXRrshdBnfsuT0pQw7z-3p46_6fJyR-l0qNys4PFSzxu0IttMYka7DrEOrUrtXLTjhp2nhb8AEvbHEMdY/s1600/Better+Sleep+.png" height="151" width="200" /></a><br />
While there are plenty of tools to simulate workloads, monitor the performance of an application or the network, and monitor costs, <b>Krystallize CloudQoS™ </b>provides the kind of visibility into the cloud that no other monitor delivers. You will be able to detect when the "sand" under the platform has shifted.<br />
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Whether you are first choosing a cloud service provider, managing an existing provider or just trying to maintain a quality of service, having the ability to measure the true performance of the platform supporting your application will be essential.<br />
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With the proper visibility, you may be able to rest easy knowing your cloud service will remain as fast and cost effective, and will continue to provide the same high quality service throughout the life of your application.<br />
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Captain Joe<br />
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<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-20963672513809016742015-01-24T18:00:00.000-05:002015-01-24T18:00:01.350-05:00Where Did We Meet?I have always been a fan of LinkedIn. For professional networking it is unsurpassed, outdone only by live events where you can shake hands, make eye contact and exchange business cards.<br />
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I am not exactly sure when this feature was added but I would love to shake the hand of the person who enhanced the "relationship" tab to allow for notes and other information about each contact that only you can see. One of these special fields is "how you met."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kvdSedJK4f60z3QkS5lS-IEXvsWnOJK6YDd1VjPPW30YVFZ8_Zr4CAefoIWQbwExyc1_Q8PZ_Sz_wZ4BTo76KqBrXA-WdGu6xVF6EIIITAUcbl6pqeF2m4Mq8EOCA_jnjwpuSX9TsNY/s1600/Notes+1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kvdSedJK4f60z3QkS5lS-IEXvsWnOJK6YDd1VjPPW30YVFZ8_Zr4CAefoIWQbwExyc1_Q8PZ_Sz_wZ4BTo76KqBrXA-WdGu6xVF6EIIITAUcbl6pqeF2m4Mq8EOCA_jnjwpuSX9TsNY/s1600/Notes+1.jpeg" height="172" width="320" /></a>I attend a lot of conferences, business meetings and social events which means I collect a lot of business cards. I have always been pretty diligent about keeping this contact information in my personal address book, but often the 'connection' is made on-line in LinkedIn as well. I also connect frequently with people who I meet by phone, video-conference, through publications or even by referral.<br />
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Of all the things I have the most trouble tracking it is how and where I first met someone. Being not just able, but prompted to include this tidbit of information when adding a new connection is pure gold. Now, when looking back at people, particularly people with whom there has been little contact for a long time, one can easily be aware of the source of the connection.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRvrmn4iHfXzpxiR_GR5-NubKAnOzIVIklmrnnLdOVwKVOBPHzE0MYT65NLfLdKncPxVG0FRvEvQO9dHzrWXERaTTqI5UFbsIPeKoLHEENNRg8KyTEfbV9fa01moENc7Dtvq6yBoPJrM/s1600/Notes+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRvrmn4iHfXzpxiR_GR5-NubKAnOzIVIklmrnnLdOVwKVOBPHzE0MYT65NLfLdKncPxVG0FRvEvQO9dHzrWXERaTTqI5UFbsIPeKoLHEENNRg8KyTEfbV9fa01moENc7Dtvq6yBoPJrM/s1600/Notes+2.jpeg" height="188" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="text-align: center;">By the way, the section allows you to add multiple notes about the individual such as personal information or other background material you may have, activities or communications with the person. You can set up reminders to prompt you to call, write or take some other action. The contact can also be "tagged" or assigned to a group. </span><br />
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By using these features, which are included in the free version of the product, you can have pretty robust contact tracking system.<br />
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Recently, I started to go back through my contacts, reconnecting with people and carefully adding notes. Not only has it been working well, but I even get a laugh when some of them can't recall where we met either.<br />
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Captain Joe<br />
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<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-86019884510704552312015-01-07T08:42:00.000-05:002015-01-07T16:30:02.900-05:00Swimming with the SharksWhen you see a ship in port it not only means the end of one voyage, but the beginning of another. And so it is that my ship has come into port again, ending an almost three year journey. This was the fourth voyage where I filled the role of captain, pulling a crew together from different parts of the ship and taking the systems of the vessel up a couple of notches.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxM185fdVF2YsPnLmxaZ8869duQ_4oRZWTc9P5S0Ihv21Lk1ZUDqdByHEhieYKTiWXx5SdjNeaoB9YpwuudzyoRs00wzfWzSAiGt55EXBlRpABqAT9LB5_CzoRumlTGb9N2XwcJdypJ8/s1600/gregory-peck-as-captain-ahab-moby-dick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxM185fdVF2YsPnLmxaZ8869duQ_4oRZWTc9P5S0Ihv21Lk1ZUDqdByHEhieYKTiWXx5SdjNeaoB9YpwuudzyoRs00wzfWzSAiGt55EXBlRpABqAT9LB5_CzoRumlTGb9N2XwcJdypJ8/s1600/gregory-peck-as-captain-ahab-moby-dick.jpg" height="200" width="153" /></a></div>
The role of the CIO is changing in many ways and like an old sea captain it becomes more and more difficult to find a ship where people are comfortable with you and believe you will function well on the bridge. Some think you lack the energy while others might feel you haven't kept up with the latest advances in the engine room or navigation systems. In fact, many think technology has advanced so much the ship can practically run itself.<br />
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Well I may find myself on the bridge of another ship one day, but in the meanwhile I have embarked on a completely new journey. Toward the end of last year I joined the crew of a pirate ship. Well, not really, but I'm not sure there is a good nautical analogy for an investors group. I suppose we're more like a independent fleet of fishing boats, casting our nets and hoping for a big haul.<br />
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I am now a partner in the <a href="http://www.investorscollaborative.com/">North Andover Investors Collaborative II</a>. Week after week we evaluate different early tech based start-up companies to choose the ones we think are going to be winners. What sets this group apart from most is the collective brain-trust with a diverse cross section of disciplines and experience. To select the investments we draw from over thirty seasoned professionals with backgrounds in law, finance, technology, and a variety of verticals. I've only been a part of it for a few months but I can already see where this breadth of knowledge has quickly segregated the high potential candidates from the glitzy flash in the pan ideas.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBCnloLzMXEzbF1D35_tXDvHCY6wNXBxk8lCa3onEEeMppmjavnEHILHXJpPJmPBm9ucDQaVoVfwswBVhSnYbVOemMbI_URZauQgjm1n3FNQvofRY2iKKZum00m0ZoNaYEpswFjn-VZU/s1600/shark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBCnloLzMXEzbF1D35_tXDvHCY6wNXBxk8lCa3onEEeMppmjavnEHILHXJpPJmPBm9ucDQaVoVfwswBVhSnYbVOemMbI_URZauQgjm1n3FNQvofRY2iKKZum00m0ZoNaYEpswFjn-VZU/s1600/shark.jpg" height="145" width="200" /></a><br />
Playing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark_Tank">Shark Tank</a> has been exciting, fun and a real learning experience. I am seeing some incredible innovations, new software, services and technology. There will certainly be no lack of material to write about.<br />
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This new journey may be more uncertain, with less clear direction and a much higher risk of return. But I am enjoying the wind and the waves, and the camaraderie. This role turned out to be quite a catch!<br />
<br />
Captain Joe<br />
<br />
<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-60025638463612946452014-11-10T08:05:00.000-05:002014-11-10T08:06:07.534-05:00ello, I Love Tsu, Won't You Tell Me Your NameAlmost as if right on queue a couple of new social networks have arrived in recent months. The last time I found myself between full time assignments, Google+ captured my attention and consumed a significant portion of my free time.<br />
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Perhaps I have missed some, and surely others will come along in time. But let me share some initial impressions of ello and Tsu.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkn_BVqxixfGHYd0GDOMA6ImLrdhL6qc1O-fc4O9kd7lFJK_veE4rGQ-awRLAzNGAOsnSFHy9uV-2Y6MrmPMjIw6SdJlChTpNn2dlFvogWJuxYV72LzuLct8BEheh01smiPu13lo-NtDk/s1600/Ello.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkn_BVqxixfGHYd0GDOMA6ImLrdhL6qc1O-fc4O9kd7lFJK_veE4rGQ-awRLAzNGAOsnSFHy9uV-2Y6MrmPMjIw6SdJlChTpNn2dlFvogWJuxYV72LzuLct8BEheh01smiPu13lo-NtDk/s1600/Ello.png" height="210" width="320" /></a></div>
ello popped up and when one of my good friends from Google+ days invited me to participate I thought I would give it a go. Signing up was quick and easy and I was in. It took all of about ten seconds to realize this was not a feature rich environment. In fact, I characterize the interface as rather spartan.<br />
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To be fair, I tinkered a bit, was not overly impressed and have not returned since. While I was "tickled" frequently for a few weeks, I have not received any recent notices of a new post or invitation to return. It seems to me activity there is quite low.<br />
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The promise of ello is a new place to interact with others of like minds without the fear of your content or data being exploited for financial gain. The operators promise the basic service will be free forever. They will never sell advertising on the site, nor sell data about their subscribers to anyone. Their plan is to up-sell with special features so compelling you will be happy to pay for them. This is a familiar business model sometimes called the freemium model.<br />
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Tsu, on the other hand, has a rather different approach. They will sell ad space and hope your content will attract eyeballs and drive revenue just like some other social networks we all know and love. The difference, though, is the 90 / 10 revenue sharing model. Yes, 90% of the revenue driven by your content will be credited to your 'bank' while the operators are only keeping 10% of it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62lkxjH-HqFpPTm2HmDEGhBx01V2IK_WuDHXN2ApF922DkGzBezHPBl8VkgrKLUdkNWAsEMeS1crRi8ssEILyW_zmvf2Ui1mzIw4B_uyswGlIKk6dp4X8EVvOP00bFG6uNfd6d8VPZUo/s1600/Joseph+Puglisi+++ts%C5%AB.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62lkxjH-HqFpPTm2HmDEGhBx01V2IK_WuDHXN2ApF922DkGzBezHPBl8VkgrKLUdkNWAsEMeS1crRi8ssEILyW_zmvf2Ui1mzIw4B_uyswGlIKk6dp4X8EVvOP00bFG6uNfd6d8VPZUo/s1600/Joseph+Puglisi+++ts%C5%AB.jpeg" height="267" width="320" /></a>The interface looks like the what you would get if Google+ and Facebook got together and had a baby. It is very similar in appearance with a multi-dimensional stream, right side ad bar, and several other familiar features and functions including the like, share, friend and follow constructs.<br />
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I like Tsu and plan to continue to have fun with it, posting faux proverbs and the occasional story, graphic or video people might find amusing. I want to see just how many pennies I can accumulate under this novel business model.<br />
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Has someone finally come up with the magic to compete with Facebook? Will this new upstart grow fast and prosper, while its participants also prosper? <br />
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You can <a href="https://www.tsu.co/JPuglisi">click here</a> to sign up, explore and decide for yourself.<br />
<br />
Captain Joe<br />
<br />
<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-69119097573390763822014-11-02T16:57:00.000-05:002014-11-02T16:57:11.221-05:00No Lack of Focus<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvhdOSqLqbYpRaknR1p5-N_Vw6t0St_XN3RuBkX3ZBCunIwNNCh7FbmIpblPHPBDapcPbfFTW8gR0c8xt8AK__QwskYiF3l4LmVEeU1hBziE-vzTb6B47hQ9uBWS7I9sFjcFnSOUgL5k/s1600/IMG_0983%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvhdOSqLqbYpRaknR1p5-N_Vw6t0St_XN3RuBkX3ZBCunIwNNCh7FbmIpblPHPBDapcPbfFTW8gR0c8xt8AK__QwskYiF3l4LmVEeU1hBziE-vzTb6B47hQ9uBWS7I9sFjcFnSOUgL5k/s1600/IMG_0983%5B1%5D.JPG" height="200" width="111" /></a>Often people view social networking as a waste of time or distracting. Sneaking a peek at your daughter's Big Bird costume or reading the tweet on who won the New York marathon is very likely to draw your attention away from whatever it is you are supposed to be doing.<br />
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Yet, I had an experience last week at the 2014 FW SIM CIO Executive Leadership Summit which suggests otherwise. <br />
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It was my plan to kick back and attend all the sessions, absorbing the wisdom and experience the world class lineup of speakers would share with us. I had no role in the formal agenda as a speaker, moderator or even panelist. But I did want to tweet and share an occasional nugget with all of you, my Twitter followers.<br />
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I have done this before at meetings and conferences when I saw an opportunity to pass along a catchy phrase, bit of news or novel concept in 140 characters or less. There are usually one of two pearls worth pecking out on the old iPad, even at the risk of missing the next sentence or two.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UGf5tQ9CljQnat9TWKSxHpQ-XDrXcP1KOjWeOrR6KRjvCVSQpnaqdWprXoMHyqsWxe6LOPGymWfiio8bKW1K59ydDrnBHjx6NdczjbY2FaYUCixapOdrccOxpOZUAm1NmqITr-Pun6s/s1600/IMG_0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UGf5tQ9CljQnat9TWKSxHpQ-XDrXcP1KOjWeOrR6KRjvCVSQpnaqdWprXoMHyqsWxe6LOPGymWfiio8bKW1K59ydDrnBHjx6NdczjbY2FaYUCixapOdrccOxpOZUAm1NmqITr-Pun6s/s1600/IMG_0018.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
As usual, the CIO Summit lived up to its reputation with a long list of top notch presentations from the opening session on security with industry giant Whit Diffie and former head of the FBI Shawn Henry, right through to the informative and very entertaining close by noted columnist, author and TV host, David Pogue.<br />
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There was no lack of material to tweet. It felt like every other sentence was a sound bite that just had to be sent out to the world. But instead of this being a distraction, I found myself listening more intently and mentally digesting the ideas, concepts, facts and opinions of these thought leaders. I was paying more attention and remained more focused throughout the entire day.<br />
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In fact, at the close of the conference, our host and moderator had to catch a flight. I was invited to jump on stage and pinch-hit some closing commentary. With very little preparation, I was able to walk through the high points, still fresh in my mind.<br />
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Of course I refrained from tweeting while on stage.<br />
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Captain Joe<br />
<br />
<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-8616142559754016032014-03-16T18:08:00.000-04:002014-03-16T18:08:19.126-04:00Stay on Task But Don't Lose Sight of the MissionThere is an old expression that goes you can't see the forest for the trees.<br />
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I was reminded of that the other day as I waited patiently behind a waitress who was diligently refilling the large coffee urn in the lobby of the hotel where I was staying.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJdxFdLPGlkfTHHM0cdI8zdfG6Yy_d6heTBvprj6dx3VAn_I48-Wdcz1TifxigrS446NVd9KLF8uI_V4dB9vt4YLrQGfKpJM9obItiULkTQu4s9SrOXlpJosVclEfHg2f01eOvBJ0JDo/s1600/Kirkley+coffee+station.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJdxFdLPGlkfTHHM0cdI8zdfG6Yy_d6heTBvprj6dx3VAn_I48-Wdcz1TifxigrS446NVd9KLF8uI_V4dB9vt4YLrQGfKpJM9obItiULkTQu4s9SrOXlpJosVclEfHg2f01eOvBJ0JDo/s1600/Kirkley+coffee+station.jpg" height="160" width="200" /></a></div>
I have been traveling quite a bit this year and stay in a variety of different hotels. Some are major chains like Marriott, Hilton, Westin, and Hyatt. Others are the "suites" such as Double Tree, while still others are independent hotels.<br />
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At this particular independent, the restaurant off the lobby offers full waitress service. Breakfast is included as part of the daily room rate. The usual fare can be found on the menu: pancakes, french toast, eggs and so on. But the deal includes a self-serve buffet, too. In the lobby, there is a coffee station where, after breakfast, I like to grab a cup of coffee to take with me on the ride to the office.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJn2zaygpt2okfMQxBnJ4xcZi4WouEDGI-ory_V8LzPIWmJDiuI-DuY99Je4oBLWyQ5IPGIcy-PpmeuvqGS7TnOxgO8u_Ws-otuaGkoc-_9n_LhJb_JsGCMi_0r7m1McGAo5c0G_Y3kA/s1600/Waitress+with+coffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJn2zaygpt2okfMQxBnJ4xcZi4WouEDGI-ory_V8LzPIWmJDiuI-DuY99Je4oBLWyQ5IPGIcy-PpmeuvqGS7TnOxgO8u_Ws-otuaGkoc-_9n_LhJb_JsGCMi_0r7m1McGAo5c0G_Y3kA/s1600/Waitress+with+coffee.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a>Dedicated to good customer service, this waitress was very carefully pouring in several pots of recently brewed coffee to make sure the urn was full. Her mission was to ensure customers could always fill their cups with fresh, hot coffee. That meant, of course, that she had to check the urn from time to time and, when necessary, fill it up.<br />
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She was concentrating so hard on her immediate task, filling the urn without making a mess, that she failed to notice anyone (like me) waiting to get a cup. She wasn't doing anything wrong, but she had become so focused on her immediate task that she lost sight of the overall mission; delivering coffee to her customers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlJHh4xqZbMwpNjHntG4r1OK3ENvnPUWbGb0W_kGDQQYci9LXxGu85-AJvCPFry2mfvE6oWNp3_h7B8J8jkWm8nu5Sqx_ri6Ej63JLnRMdTpQgIk2_ySsZuEPrmTXBfAhgktzpsbpW_U/s1600/Walk+into+Pole.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlJHh4xqZbMwpNjHntG4r1OK3ENvnPUWbGb0W_kGDQQYci9LXxGu85-AJvCPFry2mfvE6oWNp3_h7B8J8jkWm8nu5Sqx_ri6Ej63JLnRMdTpQgIk2_ySsZuEPrmTXBfAhgktzpsbpW_U/s1600/Walk+into+Pole.JPG" height="200" width="149" /></a>So it often goes in business that we get so caught up in the immediate tasks at hand we lose sight of the larger picture. Had my friendly waitress kept the overall mission in sight she might have paused for a moment to fill my cup with some of that lovely fresh coffee in the pot she held, allowing me to be on my way, and her to complete her task.<br />
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In my elementary school we were frequently reminded not to look down at our feet when we walked. While you could see where you were stepping, you might not know where you were going. It is good practice to lift your head and take in the big picture from time to time. <br />
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It will also keep you from walking into a telephone pole.<br />
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Captain Joe<br />
<br />
<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-69686796095161272032013-12-15T23:08:00.001-05:002013-12-15T23:08:47.038-05:00Spam, Bam, Thank You ManAfter watching a segment on Sixty Minutes tonight about a computer virus designed to infect a computer at the BIOS level, I was reminded about the ever present and growing cyber threat. Especially during this time of year, one has to be alert and extra vigilant to avoid falling prey to one of the many tricks used to gain personal information you didn't want to share.<br />
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The story was about a foiled plot to spread malware to computers at the level of the BIOS, the very heart of every personal computer. This is the code that sits between the operating system like Microsoft Windows and the physical hardware such as the memory and hard drives. Worse than stealing or destroying the data on the machine, controlling this layer could render the machine totally useless. Imagine the impact of massive computer failures in major financial institutions, banks or utility companies. What if a massive amount of government computers suddenly all stopped working and could not be restored? <br />
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Malware is usually spread through some form of social engineering. Clever tricks are used to fool people into allowing the bad code to gain access to their computer. Email disguised as a legitimate message from a friend in need, a bank, retail store or web-based company arrives in your inbox. It invites you in some way to click on a button or a link where the malware resides. You don't realize it but when you click you allow that program to run on your machine with all the rights and access you have.<br />
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During the holiday season when we receive so many electronic greeting cards, photos and other messages <br />
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from relatives and friends, the challenge is to be sure we do not click before we think long and hard about what may happen.<br />
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We receive a message that looks as if it came from our bank warning of an overdraft, our favorite retail store with a special discount or the delivery service (Fed Ex, UPS, USPS) advising of a delivery. They are each brilliant recreations of the formats actually used by these companies including actual logos. It is hard not to be taken in.<br />
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Before clicking examine the links carefully. Browsers will show you where you are about to go if you hover over the link or hotspot without actually clicking on it. Look very hard at the address. Note when it does not end with the company domain. Visit the company site directly to see if the message is legitimate, or if warnings of fraudulent messages have been posted there.<br />
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A great way to protect yourself is to create an account with limited privilege for every day use. Use a different, special account to administer your computer. That way, malware will not have deep privilege and you can limit the amount of damage it can do. Change passwords regularly and don't use the same one for every account you have.<br />
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When all else fails, be sure you have good solid backup for that long, hard road to recovery.<br />
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Captain Joe<br />
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<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-41928355432901096002013-12-08T18:20:00.000-05:002013-12-08T18:20:21.982-05:00I Fail to UnderstandAfter enjoying a delicious meal at a local Chinese restaurant this weekend, I cracked open my fortune cookie to be amused by the content as is usually the case. But rather than the typical nonsense, my little white strip had words on it that made an awful lot of sense. It said something we have heard or read many times before.<br />
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Good people learn from their mistakes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpyoupnIDWpGAMcViXVPI4Ks5MXFY7nPjunKvX1c9i8V89wvqMBC1arbRcoJaJsiYWGAnmyH8mtJkEWL79Ki_jX73v4a4zx7D0sQr5UbMd9RbS_sv6lUWXFZrRU0hSsOuGjhx4E9cHQs/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="81" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpyoupnIDWpGAMcViXVPI4Ks5MXFY7nPjunKvX1c9i8V89wvqMBC1arbRcoJaJsiYWGAnmyH8mtJkEWL79Ki_jX73v4a4zx7D0sQr5UbMd9RbS_sv6lUWXFZrRU0hSsOuGjhx4E9cHQs/s320/image.jpeg" width="320" /></a>Whether great inventors like Thomas Edison, famous sports figures like Wayne Gretzky, US Presidents and their wives, or the granddaddy of all fortune cookie sayings, Confucius, you can find an endless variety of quotes that inspire people to try and espouse the value of failing.<br />
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All too often as leaders, managers, coaches or parents, we only focus on the negative, condemning the actions of an individual who may have tried but did not succeed. This will dampen excitement, diminish enthusiasm and eventually reduce the motivation to take any risk at all.. <br />
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Of course, we cannot reward stupidity, nor should we tolerate laziness. But allowing people to experiment, try new things and find the one in a hundred that actually works will lead to more innovation, creativity and ultimately a wiser person.<br />
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Captain Joe<br />
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<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-50374294837767831802013-12-01T19:11:00.000-05:002013-12-02T08:06:30.701-05:00Waste Not, Want NotAn interesting question came up in conversation the other day. If you could give one piece of advice to a vendor what would it be? Think of your favorite (or least favorite) sales rep, account manager or supplier. What would you suggest they do differently to make them be more successful and to provide more value to their customers? What exactly would you say to them?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3EdzI0q81VbAoP0LC-VcdpdgP8MQoJRkXfMHGZTJ3z34cyi05Ch0lLUhRZoxQwFdQ67Y2dD9iL-tKyzIgWoGEjkYY0CQyYO3K_AVxrc_IvEEYnqgoL3PnfOvv-yq2c7PLjVjlNA6uIFw/s1600/Calling+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3EdzI0q81VbAoP0LC-VcdpdgP8MQoJRkXfMHGZTJ3z34cyi05Ch0lLUhRZoxQwFdQ67Y2dD9iL-tKyzIgWoGEjkYY0CQyYO3K_AVxrc_IvEEYnqgoL3PnfOvv-yq2c7PLjVjlNA6uIFw/s200/Calling+.jpg" width="200" /></a>Now I am sure a fair number of you are thinking "don't call me I'll call you" or perhaps your advice would be to suggest they take up another line of work altogether. But let's be both practical and realistic here. How can you help them be better salespeople; be less bothersome and more useful to you and everyone else?<br />
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Reflecting on what disturbs me most about a sales call, my advice would be simple. Don't waste my time or yours.<br />
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Perhaps the single most annoying call is what I label the "fishing expedition." This is where you get a call that consists of a series of questions designed to teach the caller about you and your company. They are thoroughly convinced you need their solution and they just need you to help them understand why.<br />
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They jabber on about the features and how well it will work in your environment. Then they say how it will add efficiency and quality to your operation. You know, they go on, it is extremely cost effective and will generate a huge ROI. Of course, they have no clue what our company does or if we have any such need. Occasionally, they can't even articulate what they are selling.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcXkchwPa-R8_umuWYV3gtVVAyEIzLCJBEWO9EvzNUpVBfFZZsYqlrlz4nrOe5FKW_SPIvWmiQLkImsGBOS2IBCvjfBtoJv5K66Hn2eyXUYkjrZ61CJx2VdxR9Q8P23WHbEI1OepGNXQ4/s1600/Total-solution.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcXkchwPa-R8_umuWYV3gtVVAyEIzLCJBEWO9EvzNUpVBfFZZsYqlrlz4nrOe5FKW_SPIvWmiQLkImsGBOS2IBCvjfBtoJv5K66Hn2eyXUYkjrZ61CJx2VdxR9Q8P23WHbEI1OepGNXQ4/s200/Total-solution.jpg" width="185" /></a></div>
My simple advice is this. Before you call and launch into a hard core pitch, know a little something about the company you are trying to sell. Don't push your delivery route optimizer to an audit consulting firm. No matter how cheap or good it may be, they are never going to need it.<br />
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Countless times over the years I have listened patiently, for at least a few minutes, as some hot shot tries to persuade me I need his service or product. More than once I have asked, "Do you even know what we do?" and almost every time this has evoked a rather feeble reply.<br />
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So, my advice is this. Please know your product and how it fits in my world before you ever dial my number. If you can't figure it out, then please call someone else.<br />
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Captain Joe<br />
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<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-77116707388922575022013-05-12T14:24:00.000-04:002013-05-12T15:09:35.706-04:00Auto Mechanics SyndromeHaving been in the technology game for many years, I must have heard people ask <i>why can't you just fix it </i>more than a million times. It was working fine, they will say, and then it just didn't work any more. They want you to tell them <b>why </b>this happened, how <b>they </b>can fix it or how long it will take for <b>you </b>to fix it.<br />
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Seems like these things go one of two ways.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC86SmwZElPivirYJ6PSR1BodA1DxymhbGc048_lN6WY-6rwWDbmfPk0yeQwdTDELALku77a_1RLoDYdzSViEEHRVBubgqCG0SvElOiw58OoLYxTMfuL0ooDo8d5q8VLDMZFzup7vUj4w/s1600/computer_help_full.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC86SmwZElPivirYJ6PSR1BodA1DxymhbGc048_lN6WY-6rwWDbmfPk0yeQwdTDELALku77a_1RLoDYdzSViEEHRVBubgqCG0SvElOiw58OoLYxTMfuL0ooDo8d5q8VLDMZFzup7vUj4w/s200/computer_help_full.jpeg" width="200" /></a>Often you get the call or the message and when you go to investigate the trouble report you simply can't make the problem happen. The screen was blank a minute ago. Not sure what you did but it seems to be okay now, the customer will say. There was some kind of message but I am not sure what it said and I cleared it. Can you tell me what you were doing, you ask, but they can't recall exactly. We often ask what changed only to get the standard "nothing" reply. <br />
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I once worked with a young woman who was convinced that the computes only worked when I was within 10 feet of them. She always had problems and yet the minute I came near her desk her problems would miraculously vanish. It was as if I had some mystical aura or perhaps I was a biological key fob that unlocked them.<br />
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While that was annoying, far worse is the trouble ticket which tells little to nothing about the problem you are supposed to solve. My computer stopped working could really mean anything from a complete hard drive failure and inability to boot, to an error due to a bad formula in a spreadsheet cell. Its like the poor mechanic who draws the short straw, getting the customer who only says there is a funny noise and the engine wouldn't start the other morning. Can you fix it, please, and can I have the car back by lunch? The car starts every time and you don't hear any noise.<br />
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Technology has become incredibly complex. Moreover, much of the technology use is remote. Expecting any technician to simply know what is wrong and talk you through fixing it would be similar to expecting an auto mechanic to talk you through repairing your car, or your doctor talking you through surgery over the phone.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqLcTuwY0KcVwMi5qzWOab7JYxqnAwW6Kq7XB7h1ZjNV7389YTiRNhMuNDZDqiStTFTWYaAFUoFsaZY8Z0PpLm0KI85Wtwl70GGj4HbUivPZc1Gd_oLqm9HYJc4g7W_MGt-UBq31acUg/s1600/computer-repair-concept-isolated-on-white-background.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqLcTuwY0KcVwMi5qzWOab7JYxqnAwW6Kq7XB7h1ZjNV7389YTiRNhMuNDZDqiStTFTWYaAFUoFsaZY8Z0PpLm0KI85Wtwl70GGj4HbUivPZc1Gd_oLqm9HYJc4g7W_MGt-UBq31acUg/s1600/computer-repair-concept-isolated-on-white-background.jpg" /></a>So when you report a problem, please try to include as much detailed information as possible. Computer repair 101 suggests the first step is always to reboot the machine and see if the problem goes away. This holds for mobile devices as well. Turn them off and back on again. Check wires and make sure all the devices, particularly the ones with apparent problems, are plugged in and turned on. Is the little green LED on your monitor lit, and is the network cable plugged in all the way? <br />
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If none of that helps and you have reproduced the problem, make some notes about the messages, the conditions and the activities that seem to lead up to the problem. If you know how to take a screen shot and send it that can be very helpful. Of course if the system is truly "dead" you won't be able to do any of this, but then your technician may not be able to help either.<br />
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Remember, the person at the other end of the phone call can't see what's in front of you. Be patient and assist in the resolution by providing information instead of just demanding a quick fix. Follow instructions, repeating them and indicating the results as best you can. Don't get ahead of the technician.<br />
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Cooperation will get you back on the road again a lot sooner.<br />
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Captain Joe<br />
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<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-77039943624589467492013-04-20T15:04:00.002-04:002013-04-20T15:04:42.258-04:00Many Happy Returns Last weekend, like many US citizens, I spend a good deal of time completing and submitting my tax returns. I use a very popular software product and it does a terrific job of telling me how much I have to pay at the end of the year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJAMUEsbNqhGsJdW-tz4mz6T7ZQnM5vyYsdfRByl8k01Y-8Iua-D1lGZnxIqwHm_g4N2Xo7ypSq_NPKSK8yprJ9kkeZ8Fw4Lj9PKGVQd0yVmSeLjI5BRHPHyEyMH8jDPxXTUN6HSPa90/s1600/taxowe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJAMUEsbNqhGsJdW-tz4mz6T7ZQnM5vyYsdfRByl8k01Y-8Iua-D1lGZnxIqwHm_g4N2Xo7ypSq_NPKSK8yprJ9kkeZ8Fw4Lj9PKGVQd0yVmSeLjI5BRHPHyEyMH8jDPxXTUN6HSPa90/s200/taxowe.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
But this is not about tax preparation software, or a complaint that I owe a bunch of money. In fact, I carefully structure my taxes each year to ensure that I do owe money at the end of the year. Not so much that I will have to pay a penalty, but enough so I get the use of some cash all year instead of lending it, interest free, to the government.<br />
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No, this is about understanding the totality of a problem and not focusing exclusively on one piece or part. Its about thinking in context and not in a vacuum. Don't miss the forest for the trees. Make sure you see the big picture.<br />
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Okay, enough platitudes. What the heck am I talking about?<br />
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Every year at this time we hear lots of discussions about tax returns. People carry on about how much money they got back or gripe about the ridiculous amount they had to pay. Friends, neighbors, coworkers and family members all compare notes. There is glee in the voices of those who expect to receive a check. They revel in the victory of getting money back, while "losers" like me, who must write a check, are supposed to feel bad. They hang their head in shame and disgust. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLcALa-Dsp5PX4CgPndY8wuUQ0Yn7vjQwerf6_imiQf6L2xXbSUYDTLINZXCtsSI97a02fSctv645DOkGRgkAhcjTx7y9qhgnqqBGY6WB1k-EFiyw54roHtpOx9hXYsupwxnop8yNjIBw/s1600/stash-cash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLcALa-Dsp5PX4CgPndY8wuUQ0Yn7vjQwerf6_imiQf6L2xXbSUYDTLINZXCtsSI97a02fSctv645DOkGRgkAhcjTx7y9qhgnqqBGY6WB1k-EFiyw54roHtpOx9hXYsupwxnop8yNjIBw/s200/stash-cash.jpg" width="200" /></a>But the only thing that really matters is how much tax did you pay in total. What was your effective tax rate. Everyone knows you have taxes taken out of your pay and held throughout the year. Depending on how well these have been estimated, you may have too much or too little taken out, resulting in a difference between what you owe and what was withheld for the whole year.<br />
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Oh, I understand that some people see the refund as a forced savings program, and it can be a pretty effective one. Others, like me, prefer to retain the use of the cash until we are forced to hand it over to Uncle Sam.<br />
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But there are those who fail to see that only your total income and tax liability should be used as a basis for comparison. Two people making about the same amount of money but having very different tax situations might pay very different amounts. How much they get back or pay in April is irrelevant, merely a function of how much was withheld. The question should be how much did you pay in total.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0JWdYl36Xw4a5JwiTk7fSPZ-niKPFkgJcZ6JV4nSuvn2392RJucbUCVVuGnU3OmZ3jAbRvghhrgK3zugrHtfN9IQSHwxdH2Vk1ZElAhIHn5oGi6eIaxSSQLlSQznjeNMhfvXc5PBPSFM/s1600/thinking-for-big-business-idea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0JWdYl36Xw4a5JwiTk7fSPZ-niKPFkgJcZ6JV4nSuvn2392RJucbUCVVuGnU3OmZ3jAbRvghhrgK3zugrHtfN9IQSHwxdH2Vk1ZElAhIHn5oGi6eIaxSSQLlSQznjeNMhfvXc5PBPSFM/s200/thinking-for-big-business-idea.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The ability to put things into context, and to grasp the larger picture is important in every situation. All too often, business and technology professionals will focus on one aspect of a problem and lose sight of how that fits into the whole enterprise. The customer satisfaction scores become the goal instead of satisfied customers. Adding more fields to the data base becomes the solution, instead of understanding the data and calculations needed to answer the real question.<br />
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As senior management, we see all aspects of the business, both inside and outside of the company. It is incumbent on us to keep an eye out for the people in our organizations who are only comparing the size of their refunds and miss the larger issues.<br />
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It is up to us to make sure they have a better, more complete view from the bridge.<br />
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Captain Joe<br />
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<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-91204647211570491232013-03-16T09:13:00.002-04:002013-03-16T09:13:28.160-04:00Don't Blame It On The ToolEver smash your thumb with a hammer? Have the screwdriver slip and poke a hole in your skin? Seems like human nature is to react by throwing the tool and yelling at it as if it did it to you on purpose, as if the tool had any means of doing anything on its own!<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As a society, we work hard to find excuses for all the problems of the world caused by people. Children are protected from over-demanding teachers and coaches, and criminals defended from prosecution under the law. Sadly, many of our role models are stars and athletes with a lifestyle of self indulgence.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYi2HK6eyhyphenhyphenZbr1nU9FmYOiD4IDAnZ8a46ZqGGiXsygwT1cegH5C5Ox6XRJBzRtFJ91zS2OAUawoV5ZzDXxer6xr_x-RQD-TQERDVynEPs27viJoEja_55G-ChfI52tIj6bSiIYZ0oCY/s1600/blues-brothers-20_288x216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYi2HK6eyhyphenhyphenZbr1nU9FmYOiD4IDAnZ8a46ZqGGiXsygwT1cegH5C5Ox6XRJBzRtFJ91zS2OAUawoV5ZzDXxer6xr_x-RQD-TQERDVynEPs27viJoEja_55G-ChfI52tIj6bSiIYZ0oCY/s200/blues-brothers-20_288x216.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We have become a nation of "not my fault". There is always some reason why we were unable to fulfill some obligation, keep a promise, make a due date or just behave properly. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When John Belushi is finally cornered by Carrie Fisher in the original <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blues_Brothers_(film)">Blues Brothers</a> movie, he drops to his knees and strings a series of excuses together; "I<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"> ran out of gas! I--I had a flat tire! I didn't have enough money for cab fare! My tux didn't come back from the cleaners! An old friend came in from out of town! Someone stole my car! There was an earthquake! A terrible flood! </span><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;">Locusts</i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;">! IT WASN'T MY FAULT!"</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We encounter this very same mindset in the workplace. It was the "system" that failed, not me.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One of my favorite uncles once asked me about a problem with his gas bill. Seems the utility sent an invoice for thousands of dollars which was clearly an error. When he called the company he was told the 'computer' made an error. He asked me, since I was in technology, how computers could make mistakes like this? Of course, computers don't make mistakes, people do. Perhaps the meter reader transposed digits, or a data entry clerk entered the wrong amount. But someone, some human did something which ultimately caused my uncle's bill to be wrong. We all know the acronym GIGO (garbage in, garbage out.) </span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's easy to miss a deadline because email was down, or the phones were not working. My PC had a virus, my laptop ran out of battery and I didn't have a charger, my cell phone fell in the toilet and the dog ate my spreadsheet. We sound a little like John Belushi. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhcIfYpZ96UJLW_sUrOzC4nqTYCb2z7FKrr7oJh8m4hadijQRu8GRG60eEs89SIAdhVOxYp7nQwyk38xNKh87Uw-n0ncB-qT1DgRGMJQcqJQoQx4ny8iAlfq1kNzYZ6bRio4XdH9kvCcg/s1600/bluesbrothers6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="102" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhcIfYpZ96UJLW_sUrOzC4nqTYCb2z7FKrr7oJh8m4hadijQRu8GRG60eEs89SIAdhVOxYp7nQwyk38xNKh87Uw-n0ncB-qT1DgRGMJQcqJQoQx4ny8iAlfq1kNzYZ6bRio4XdH9kvCcg/s200/bluesbrothers6.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Where there is a will, there is a way. First, accept responsibility for your own actions. Don't blame the tool. Don't blame others. Get creative and find ways of overcoming obstacles. Hold to your commitments. Go the extra distance. Strive to reach your goals no matter what may stand in the way.</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"It's a hundred and six miles to Chicago, we've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses."</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite untold numbers of police cars, these boys managed to deliver the money. So "Hit It !!"</span></span><br />
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Captain Joe<br />
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<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-16172999411131159282013-02-16T12:08:00.003-05:002013-02-16T13:09:42.132-05:00Covey, tea or milk?Quite often system projects are launched with a lengthy discussion of some data set that is needed, or a set of exciting new tools or techniques that could be used for reporting. There is debate over how and where to store specific fields of data, record layouts and structures. Sometimes there is a plan for who will gather and maintain these data. But all of this without any clarity on the ultimate purpose for the exercise. What problem are we solving? What question are we answering?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8x98_oGJvsN_k_N_x5LKm0Yel5DEn2iQLjwa2tmPYWsD8Owxtv14ny7ZtU35Q3G_3zz5DBztMm05w78DS2Fc5K_bt5RTLo2b_VhEoLXgb4qHrFug7Etsa_mFOLIE6FoUubazJTlQUMhA/s1600/airline-crew-attendant-coffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8x98_oGJvsN_k_N_x5LKm0Yel5DEn2iQLjwa2tmPYWsD8Owxtv14ny7ZtU35Q3G_3zz5DBztMm05w78DS2Fc5K_bt5RTLo2b_VhEoLXgb4qHrFug7Etsa_mFOLIE6FoUubazJTlQUMhA/s200/airline-crew-attendant-coffee.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The great author Steven Covey, in his Seven Habits, had us embrace the notion to start with the end in mind. Know what the goal is before you set out to achieve it. It is often said when you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.<br />
<br />
In system design the objective is not to have a cool system design but rather to meet a specific need or answer a specific question. Before we can identify the information or calculations we need we must fully understand the problem being addressed.<br />
<br />
This morning I read a request for assistance with a technology to locate trailers. The parameters of the problem were well articulated. The trailers are stored at several hundred locations and can be at rest for long periods of time. Facts like battery life and fuel efficiency were included. Several popular location technologies such as RFID and GPS were mentioned and discounted for various reasons. The author asked for help with a solution.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMpet7kN9Cjw3gYFJKCdLFFuUuJQxo33vL14sHT_Y3tgG-E1queKrlP9_4kQPd3UCBsGR-u7tsVOR8gppU4DfEU6YjmzC-7owMb1HgYXJu-Qao_H7T_XDmkmmVsMMWof-E8rwdZA8yNw/s1600/puzzled-woman1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMpet7kN9Cjw3gYFJKCdLFFuUuJQxo33vL14sHT_Y3tgG-E1queKrlP9_4kQPd3UCBsGR-u7tsVOR8gppU4DfEU6YjmzC-7owMb1HgYXJu-Qao_H7T_XDmkmmVsMMWof-E8rwdZA8yNw/s200/puzzled-woman1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
But after reading this, it struck me, we still don't know the problem being solved. Surely the company wants to know where the trailers are for a reason. There is a problem being solved and it is not merely knowing where the trailers are. Are we trying to optimize the size and locations of storage yards or monitor fuel use or equipment life? Perhaps it is an attempt to optimize the schedule by locating the closest available trailer.<br />
<br />
In any event, unless we know the question we may spend considerable time finding or creating some new methodology for locating the trailers without ever solving the actual problem.<br />
<br />
My favorite tactic is to disrupt any meeting by magically producing with pencil and paper the system output exactly as requested and pushing it across the table to the requester. Once they have it I ask what they will do with it. Their response will lead to more refinement of the report or analysis, or will answer their question and, importantly, should lead to some action. <br />
<br />
If they cannot answer the question, there is no point in going any further.<br />
<br />
Captain Joe<br />
<br />
<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-13596753299611790362013-01-27T17:38:00.000-05:002013-01-27T17:38:15.128-05:00Do You Know How To Avoid Catching A Bug? As some of you who follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Google Plus know, I frequently share articles on cyber security and the potential threat of infection. Malware of all kinds are appearing and they run rampant on the internet. Authors predict cyber attacks will result in everything from identity theft to the annihilation of mankind. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFu5zxa3mcRQUlsW2nV8cDOBL73PvsW5c7fltzfimB9a6vc_JMH7Iuv1C2OZokjloiI_Inpzx4oSelE6w9RgPNofOdXkb8LvHm7o8R7XKVgoS66mvLD4ZrLFe4NXfH2zdeqj3pKBuIRyM/s1600/mmw_eurodispatch_0928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFu5zxa3mcRQUlsW2nV8cDOBL73PvsW5c7fltzfimB9a6vc_JMH7Iuv1C2OZokjloiI_Inpzx4oSelE6w9RgPNofOdXkb8LvHm7o8R7XKVgoS66mvLD4ZrLFe4NXfH2zdeqj3pKBuIRyM/s200/mmw_eurodispatch_0928.jpg" width="200" /></a>On any given day you can read about new threats discovered, a variant of an older piece of code modified to be even more clever and evade detection. These programs hide in the background of computers, poking and prodding, collecting information and even delivering the electronic goods to the bad guys.<br />
<br />
Companies and governments are very concerned that cyberspace is the new battleground and increasingly sophisticated malware is the new weaponry. Corporations are afraid of losing trade secrets and governments are afraid of losing control.<br />
<br />
Programs like the now famous Stuxnet have been devised and successfully targeted to another country where it caused weapons related manufacturing equipment to self-destruct.<br />
<br />
Companies spend millions of dollars to erect solid defenses including firewalls and various intrusion detection systems. Every computer is outfitted with malware detection updated regularly to ward off the most recent threats. Government networks are even more secure with no physical connections to the outside.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfwG0roauezPd1PPTL2ZmAS3Xu4jW_UPm48kEN2plcfwgo_BwwdzVcWQptOkTbJbC6h_LE9lNvpxgsDC-c5Y_NrDe7DPLXPPEW7oTdPMepWJEaTz7EQef_oTxPC1nyZRx1IvlKL3JWBI/s1600/cybersecurity-memo-photo-3.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfwG0roauezPd1PPTL2ZmAS3Xu4jW_UPm48kEN2plcfwgo_BwwdzVcWQptOkTbJbC6h_LE9lNvpxgsDC-c5Y_NrDe7DPLXPPEW7oTdPMepWJEaTz7EQef_oTxPC1nyZRx1IvlKL3JWBI/s200/cybersecurity-memo-photo-3.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
But the chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and the weak link will always be the people using the computers.<br />
<br />
I am continually amazed at the level of investment in hardware, software and the cost of remediation, as compared to the paltry amount of education delivered to employees and the public. We're frequently warned about diet and exercise, smoking, drinking and drugs. Yet, have you ever seen a public service announcement about the latest zero day exploit? A breakout of the flu or a bad batch of canned peaches will be plastered all over television news. <br />
<br />
Perhaps we need an "amber" alert for computing systems. How about a couple of corny slogans such as "if you see something behaving oddly on your computer, say something," or perhaps "always make sure your memory stick is virus free before inserting it in another person's computer."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ17tdbyrjByC8Cm85JnkU_gr8hJ52XragNdDo04w4jXW6YA0UjlOXj2d0OAMuQ01n8UXTo7-DhI5vsDxrGUijV0NG9KFCNTHeLqq3vEYcbHutff09s2l7QNrBo0PzYxEztSkp6PrPXf4/s1600/bagged+computer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ17tdbyrjByC8Cm85JnkU_gr8hJ52XragNdDo04w4jXW6YA0UjlOXj2d0OAMuQ01n8UXTo7-DhI5vsDxrGUijV0NG9KFCNTHeLqq3vEYcbHutff09s2l7QNrBo0PzYxEztSkp6PrPXf4/s200/bagged+computer.jpg" width="200" /></a>If there are as many serious threats out there as one would be lead to believe, it is going to be incumbent on each and every computer user to be fully versed in how to avoid threats, how to spot potential problems and what to do to quickly alert others when they are discovered.<br />
<br />
Computer security should be addressed in the same way as public health. Teach everyone how to engage in safe computing, how to obtain safe and effective remedies, and how to avoid spreading the disease once they have it.<br />
<br />
Captain Joe<br />
<br />
<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-9835251350019710482013-01-06T14:25:00.000-05:002013-01-06T14:27:40.067-05:00An Ounce of PreventionIn my many years as a technology professional, one of the worst trends I have observed is the preference for the quick fix. This is the patch, the work-around, the extra step or two that compensates for an otherwise flawed process. <br />
<br />
There is an old adage that suggests there is never enough time to do it right, but there is always enough time to do it over. This is clearly now the order of the day.<br />
<br />
How many times does a road crew have to fill the same pothole before realizing the street has to be repaved? We have become so adept at creating ways of avoiding problems, we forget to back and fix their root cause. One of my favorite road signs is the one that says BUMP ahead. If you know there is a bump, don't hang a sign, fix it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIHyAsnRQoUdjKIwlfsmy23H524gTJK65A6PowuOcJELSDYGtG-qIr2SpHdXRj_MPNZIQ0cNxrPGLLdueYXarwD58KTA65jcp-ofRGPCj9nkCriXUdaHJ8lvocWi23-dSFvJL7dtr5Vs/s1600/bump-sign-thumb5991375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIHyAsnRQoUdjKIwlfsmy23H524gTJK65A6PowuOcJELSDYGtG-qIr2SpHdXRj_MPNZIQ0cNxrPGLLdueYXarwD58KTA65jcp-ofRGPCj9nkCriXUdaHJ8lvocWi23-dSFvJL7dtr5Vs/s200/bump-sign-thumb5991375.jpg" width="133" /></a>This mindset carries over into technology. Apparently it is easier to dump raw data into a spreadsheet and massage it until all the missing or incorrect values have been resolved. But do we ever take the time to track back to the source of the bad data and put new processes in place to avoid storing them in the first place? No, instead we dump the same flawed data month after month into a spreadsheet. In fact, we build macros to automate the correction process.<br />
<br />
I've observed in some of the new programming tools we have lost the ability to check a return code. Those of you who may have written programs will recall these special variables set to specific values after an operation. A return code of zero (0) usually meant success, while other values would indicate a reason for the failure. Looking at these codes would enable you to take the appropriate action to recover from the failure or warn of bad results. <br />
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Even if error codes are available, often it appears they are not being used. It makes me wonder if error checking gone the way of memory optimization. Now it only matters that the process ends, whether it did what it was supposed to or not.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSByMeCtl7pqLhXWgAz26kUse7fOWapfFdQUmIEh6aVtUIqpXnVmoGVn7_UzyE166WP-JNamYlVjOkMspoXuUH5NeJV-JSQdFlYxsK5XS3fZErvfk1WEbEM99lEcBxVmHg1mPBuElUozY/s1600/bed-bug-disease-perfect-cure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSByMeCtl7pqLhXWgAz26kUse7fOWapfFdQUmIEh6aVtUIqpXnVmoGVn7_UzyE166WP-JNamYlVjOkMspoXuUH5NeJV-JSQdFlYxsK5XS3fZErvfk1WEbEM99lEcBxVmHg1mPBuElUozY/s200/bed-bug-disease-perfect-cure.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
An employee of mine many years ago reported that he had completed his assignment to write a piece of code. He had entered and compiled it successfully, loaded and executed it. It ran, he told me, so he was done. He then went on to mention it produced the wrong results, but he still considered his assignment complete. You can't make this stuff up. <br />
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We have to return to the discipline of getting it right the first time, or addressing the source of problems. Let's not continue to focus on mitigating the symptoms, let's instead get in there and cure the underlying disease. <br />
<br />
<br />
Captain Joe<br />
<br />
<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-10820118995202671242012-12-31T19:44:00.002-05:002012-12-31T19:45:01.779-05:00A New BeginningSince taking a full time job, it has been difficult to find the time to devote to writing. As I look back over the year, it has been interesting, exciting and rewarding, but somehow lacking one crucial element. As much as I try to put the blogging and daily social interaction behind me and out of my head, it has left a small but persistent void in my life.<br />
<br />
This has brought me to my 2013 New Year's resolution. I must return to writing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4E5mBoFix_TNhZgWuRfrEj2PqO5uUnOhH82puBWTReHvV1uXYFvy3PdGGy2SDotcHEYPreb0m02UTar7LggtKY6HownSxB6_vyg_ZSqLl0d1-_aYuwv2hFQLPCcVxQdULy1ctOhdzXw/s1600/cruise-ship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4E5mBoFix_TNhZgWuRfrEj2PqO5uUnOhH82puBWTReHvV1uXYFvy3PdGGy2SDotcHEYPreb0m02UTar7LggtKY6HownSxB6_vyg_ZSqLl0d1-_aYuwv2hFQLPCcVxQdULy1ctOhdzXw/s200/cruise-ship.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
It will be difficult and there is no way I can produce a daily column, but I will make every effort to post at least two or three original columns each month. Those of you who have been most loyal followers will understand the quality of any post depends on the amount of time one has to devote to it. I am determined to keep the quality as least as high as it has been in the past and so this means limiting the numbers.<br />
<br />
Choosing topics may be difficult, too, as clearly I will not write anything about the company, the job or current projects. I will continue to draw on my past experiences, or independent thoughts and ideas that wander to the surface from some deep, dark place in my brain.<br />
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Of course, I will also post guest columns as I have in the past few months providing ample reading material and filling in those weeks when I can't bang out one of my own.<br />
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So. my fondest hope and dream is that we continue our voyage together, cruising in new directions, and some old, familiar ports. <br />
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As always, I look forward to your feedback, comments and opinions, and I welcome suggestions for topics of interest to you.<br />
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Best wishes for smooth sailing in the coming year!<br />
<br />
Captain Joe
<i> </i><br />
<br />
<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4185297525546983459.post-75354577944044680872012-12-29T09:00:00.000-05:002012-12-29T09:00:04.684-05:00The Customer Experience Race Is Out of the Blocks<h4>
</h4>
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My good friend <a href="http://www.cutter.com/meet-our-experts/spanyia.html">Andrew Spanyi</a> has been a faithful and supportive reader and asked if he
could share some of his "views" from the bridge. He permitted me to reprint the following column for your review and reaction. Andrew is a senior consultant at the Cutter Consortium.</i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The title of a recent article in
<i>The Economist</i> reads, "
<a href="http://www.economist.com/node/21563295" target="_blank">Companies Hope That "Chief Customer Officers" Will Provide Better Service. Yeah, Right.</a>"
The article reports not only that some firms have started appointing
chief customer officers (CCOs) to serve the customer more attentively,
but that some of these CCOs have many assistants, such as a "vice
president of customers-for-life" (Salesforce.com), or a "vice president
of customer advocacy"(NetApp), and even a "director of customer
listening" (Cisco). Add this to the slate of "vice presidents, customer
experience" at companies such as Fidelity, Intuit, Healthy Directions,
and others. It's pretty clear that the race is on.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">While such appointments of key executives to take
charge of assessing customer experience are certainly a step in the
right direction, there are grounds for a healthy dose of skepticism.
Even though the idea that the primary purpose of business is to create
and retain customers goes all the way back to Peter Drucker's 1954 book
<i>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Practice-Management-Peter-F-Drucker/dp/0060878975/cutterinformatco" target="_blank">The Practice of Management</a>
</i>, many organizations have struggled in
shifting management attention from traditional financial metrics to the
critical few measures that really matter to customers. And it's not just
about metrics; fundamental changes in culture are also needed for
optimum results. So, action has lagged rhetoric.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The first step in viewing the business from the
customer's point of view involves measuring and monitoring the firm's
performance in terms of delivering what customers really want. What
customers really want are the following:</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
On-time delivery (ideally when customers asked for it, or at least when it was promised to be delivered)</span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Accuracy (the exact items/services they ordered)</span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Completeness (no back orders or call backs)</span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Responsiveness to inquiries (first time right)</span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
An accurate invoice</span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Value for money</span>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Flawless service/support (both during and after product/service delivery)</span>
</li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">A tight collaboration between business and IT is
needed to make any progress in automating the collection of
critical-to-customer metrics. That's easier said than done. A surprising
number of companies continue to monitor metrics such as when orders are
shipped as opposed to when these are received, the average time needed
to respond to a customer inquiry as opposed to the frequency with which
customer inquiries are resolved correctly the first time, and so on.
Even when the right metrics are monitored, they often don't make it to
the scoreboard that the senior leadership team (SLT) monitors and are
buried deep in the bowels of an analytical group. Further, an end-to-end
process-based view is needed to find the root cause when performance
dips below a certain level and this view of business is frequently
missing, or at least not transparent, at the SLT level.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">While some progress has been made in the area of
customer-centric measurement, largely due to an increasing emphasis on
Big Data and process analytics, it is not yet clear whether this will
have sufficient impact to shift management attention to a more
customer-centric and systemic view of business. Organizational culture
is sometimes tagged as the culprit. Yet, culture is dependent on what
the organization measures, manages, and rewards. To shift culture
requires not only attention to customer-focused metrics, but also on
models, governance, and reward systems, as summarized below:</span><br />
<ul>
<li>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Model:</b> The use of simple, visually
compelling schematics of a high-level process-based view of the business
and a one-page schematic for at least each customer-touching process is
needed to maintain a focus on performing for customers and the need for
cross-departmental collaboration.
</span>
</li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Governance:</b> Given the development of
the right models and metrics, establishing a process-based governance
framework to emphasize value creation is necessary to embed a new way of
"how we do things around here."
</span>
</li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Reward systems:</b> This involves aligning
reward and recognition systems to acknowledge the efforts of individuals
and teams that enable performance for customers.
</span>
</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">How is your organization doing in these areas? I welcome your comments about this
<i>Advisor</i> and encourage you to send your insights to me at
<a href="mailto:aspanyi@cutter.com?Subject=BEA%20Advisor,%2010-10-2012%20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">aspanyi@cutter.com</a>. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<br />
Captain Joe<br />
<br />
<i>Follow me on Twitter @JPuglisiLLC</i>Captain Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04440863300015292162noreply@blogger.com0