This document discusses planning and strategy. It defines planning as formal processes to define goals, strategies, and coordinated plans. Strategic management involves analyzing external and internal environments to identify opportunities and threats, formulating corporate, business unit, and functional strategies, implementing strategies, and evaluating results. The document also discusses various strategic frameworks for the corporate and business levels, including grand strategies, the BCG matrix, Miles and Snow's adaptive strategies, and Porter's competitive strategies.
Strategic Purpose
Business Level Strategy
Corporate Level and International Strategy
Strategy Direction and Methods of Developments
Organizing for Strategy Success
Enabling Strategy Success
Managing Strategic Change
Understanding Strategy Development
Key Learning Points
The Art of the Pitch: WordPress Relationships and SalesLaura Byrne
Clients don’t know what they don’t know. What web solutions are right for them? How does WordPress come into the picture? How do you make sure you understand scope and timeline? What do you do if sometime changes?
All these questions and more will be explored as we talk about matching clients’ needs with what your agency offers without pulling teeth or pulling your hair out. Practical tips, and strategies for successful relationship building that leads to closing the deal.
Software Delivery At the Speed of AI: Inflectra Invests In AI-Powered QualityInflectra
In this insightful webinar, Inflectra explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming software development and testing. Discover how AI-powered tools are revolutionizing every stage of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), from design and prototyping to testing, deployment, and monitoring.
Learn about:
• The Future of Testing: How AI is shifting testing towards verification, analysis, and higher-level skills, while reducing repetitive tasks.
• Test Automation: How AI-powered test case generation, optimization, and self-healing tests are making testing more efficient and effective.
• Visual Testing: Explore the emerging capabilities of AI in visual testing and how it's set to revolutionize UI verification.
• Inflectra's AI Solutions: See demonstrations of Inflectra's cutting-edge AI tools like the ChatGPT plugin and Azure Open AI platform, designed to streamline your testing process.
Whether you're a developer, tester, or QA professional, this webinar will give you valuable insights into how AI is shaping the future of software delivery.
JMeter webinar - integration with InfluxDB and GrafanaRTTS
Watch this recorded webinar about real-time monitoring of application performance. See how to integrate Apache JMeter, the open-source leader in performance testing, with InfluxDB, the open-source time-series database, and Grafana, the open-source analytics and visualization application.
In this webinar, we will review the benefits of leveraging InfluxDB and Grafana when executing load tests and demonstrate how these tools are used to visualize performance metrics.
Length: 30 minutes
Session Overview
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During this webinar, we will cover the following topics while demonstrating the integrations of JMeter, InfluxDB and Grafana:
- What out-of-the-box solutions are available for real-time monitoring JMeter tests?
- What are the benefits of integrating InfluxDB and Grafana into the load testing stack?
- Which features are provided by Grafana?
- Demonstration of InfluxDB and Grafana using a practice web application
To view the webinar recording, go to:
https://www.rttsweb.com/jmeter-integration-webinar
Accelerate your Kubernetes clusters with Varnish CachingThijs Feryn
A presentation about the usage and availability of Varnish on Kubernetes. This talk explores the capabilities of Varnish caching and shows how to use the Varnish Helm chart to deploy it to Kubernetes.
This presentation was delivered at K8SUG Singapore. See https://feryn.eu/presentations/accelerate-your-kubernetes-clusters-with-varnish-caching-k8sug-singapore-28-2024 for more details.
LF Energy Webinar: Electrical Grid Modelling and Simulation Through PowSyBl -...DanBrown980551
Do you want to learn how to model and simulate an electrical network from scratch in under an hour?
Then welcome to this PowSyBl workshop, hosted by Rte, the French Transmission System Operator (TSO)!
During the webinar, you will discover the PowSyBl ecosystem as well as handle and study an electrical network through an interactive Python notebook.
PowSyBl is an open source project hosted by LF Energy, which offers a comprehensive set of features for electrical grid modelling and simulation. Among other advanced features, PowSyBl provides:
- A fully editable and extendable library for grid component modelling;
- Visualization tools to display your network;
- Grid simulation tools, such as power flows, security analyses (with or without remedial actions) and sensitivity analyses;
The framework is mostly written in Java, with a Python binding so that Python developers can access PowSyBl functionalities as well.
What you will learn during the webinar:
- For beginners: discover PowSyBl's functionalities through a quick general presentation and the notebook, without needing any expert coding skills;
- For advanced developers: master the skills to efficiently apply PowSyBl functionalities to your real-world scenarios.
Essentials of Automations: Optimizing FME Workflows with ParametersSafe Software
Are you looking to streamline your workflows and boost your projects’ efficiency? Do you find yourself searching for ways to add flexibility and control over your FME workflows? If so, you’re in the right place.
Join us for an insightful dive into the world of FME parameters, a critical element in optimizing workflow efficiency. This webinar marks the beginning of our three-part “Essentials of Automation” series. This first webinar is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to utilize parameters effectively: enhancing the flexibility, maintainability, and user control of your FME projects.
Here’s what you’ll gain:
- Essentials of FME Parameters: Understand the pivotal role of parameters, including Reader/Writer, Transformer, User, and FME Flow categories. Discover how they are the key to unlocking automation and optimization within your workflows.
- Practical Applications in FME Form: Delve into key user parameter types including choice, connections, and file URLs. Allow users to control how a workflow runs, making your workflows more reusable. Learn to import values and deliver the best user experience for your workflows while enhancing accuracy.
- Optimization Strategies in FME Flow: Explore the creation and strategic deployment of parameters in FME Flow, including the use of deployment and geometry parameters, to maximize workflow efficiency.
- Pro Tips for Success: Gain insights on parameterizing connections and leveraging new features like Conditional Visibility for clarity and simplicity.
We’ll wrap up with a glimpse into future webinars, followed by a Q&A session to address your specific questions surrounding this topic.
Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your FME expertise and drive your projects to new heights of efficiency.
Neuro-symbolic is not enough, we need neuro-*semantic*Frank van Harmelen
Neuro-symbolic (NeSy) AI is on the rise. However, simply machine learning on just any symbolic structure is not sufficient to really harvest the gains of NeSy. These will only be gained when the symbolic structures have an actual semantics. I give an operational definition of semantics as “predictable inference”.
All of this illustrated with link prediction over knowledge graphs, but the argument is general.
Epistemic Interaction - tuning interfaces to provide information for AI supportAlan Dix
Paper presented at SYNERGY workshop at AVI 2024, Genoa, Italy. 3rd June 2024
https://alandix.com/academic/papers/synergy2024-epistemic/
As machine learning integrates deeper into human-computer interactions, the concept of epistemic interaction emerges, aiming to refine these interactions to enhance system adaptability. This approach encourages minor, intentional adjustments in user behaviour to enrich the data available for system learning. This paper introduces epistemic interaction within the context of human-system communication, illustrating how deliberate interaction design can improve system understanding and adaptation. Through concrete examples, we demonstrate the potential of epistemic interaction to significantly advance human-computer interaction by leveraging intuitive human communication strategies to inform system design and functionality, offering a novel pathway for enriching user-system engagements.
Dev Dives: Train smarter, not harder – active learning and UiPath LLMs for do...UiPathCommunity
💥 Speed, accuracy, and scaling – discover the superpowers of GenAI in action with UiPath Document Understanding and Communications Mining™:
See how to accelerate model training and optimize model performance with active learning
Learn about the latest enhancements to out-of-the-box document processing – with little to no training required
Get an exclusive demo of the new family of UiPath LLMs – GenAI models specialized for processing different types of documents and messages
This is a hands-on session specifically designed for automation developers and AI enthusiasts seeking to enhance their knowledge in leveraging the latest intelligent document processing capabilities offered by UiPath.
Speakers:
👨🏫 Andras Palfi, Senior Product Manager, UiPath
👩🏫 Lenka Dulovicova, Product Program Manager, UiPath
Builder.ai Founder Sachin Dev Duggal's Strategic Approach to Create an Innova...Ramesh Iyer
In today's fast-changing business world, Companies that adapt and embrace new ideas often need help to keep up with the competition. However, fostering a culture of innovation takes much work. It takes vision, leadership and willingness to take risks in the right proportion. Sachin Dev Duggal, co-founder of Builder.ai, has perfected the art of this balance, creating a company culture where creativity and growth are nurtured at each stage.
State of ICS and IoT Cyber Threat Landscape Report 2024 previewPrayukth K V
The IoT and OT threat landscape report has been prepared by the Threat Research Team at Sectrio using data from Sectrio, cyber threat intelligence farming facilities spread across over 85 cities around the world. In addition, Sectrio also runs AI-based advanced threat and payload engagement facilities that serve as sinks to attract and engage sophisticated threat actors, and newer malware including new variants and latent threats that are at an earlier stage of development.
The latest edition of the OT/ICS and IoT security Threat Landscape Report 2024 also covers:
State of global ICS asset and network exposure
Sectoral targets and attacks as well as the cost of ransom
Global APT activity, AI usage, actor and tactic profiles, and implications
Rise in volumes of AI-powered cyberattacks
Major cyber events in 2024
Malware and malicious payload trends
Cyberattack types and targets
Vulnerability exploit attempts on CVEs
Attacks on counties – USA
Expansion of bot farms – how, where, and why
In-depth analysis of the cyber threat landscape across North America, South America, Europe, APAC, and the Middle East
Why are attacks on smart factories rising?
Cyber risk predictions
Axis of attacks – Europe
Systemic attacks in the Middle East
Download the full report from here:
https://sectrio.com/resources/ot-threat-landscape-reports/sectrio-releases-ot-ics-and-iot-security-threat-landscape-report-2024/
How world-class product teams are winning in the AI era by CEO and Founder, P...
Chapter 7
1. 7/23/2009 1 IM 1013 Chapter 7: Foundations of planning Planning involves defining organization’s objectives/goals, establishing an overall strategy for achieving those goals and developing a comprehensive hierarchy of plans to integrate and coordinate activities. The term planning in this chapter refers to formal planning Purposes of planning are: Gives direction to the organization Establishes coordinated effort Reduces uncertainty by anticipating change Clarifies the consequences of actions managers might take Reduces overlapping and wasteful activities Establishes objectives or standards that facilitate control
2. 7/23/2009 IM 1013 2 Chapter 7 We cannot assume organizations with formal planning processes always outperform those organizations that don’t have formal planning processes. Generally formal planning is associated with positive financial results (forecast). The quality of planning (high details) process and appropriate implementation probably contribute more to high performance than does the extent of planning. When formal planning did not help to higher performance (meeting objectives) the environment is usually the reason. Plans can be described by: A. Breath – strategic versus operational plans. Strategic plans are plans that are the organization wide, establish overall objectives and position an organization in terms of its environment. Operational plans are plans that specify details on how overall objectives are to be achieved
3. 7/23/2009 IM 1013 3 Chapter 7 B. Time frame – short term vs. long term plans. Short term plans are plans that cover less than one year. Long term plans are plans that extend beyond five years C. Specificity – specific versus long term plans. Specific plans are plans that are clearly defined and leave no room for interpretation. Directional plans are flexible plans that set out general guidelines. D. Frequency of use single use versus standing plans. A single use plan is a one time plan that’s specifically designed to meet the needs of a unique situation and is created in response to non programmed decisions that managers make. Standing plans are ongoing plans that provide guidance for activities repeatedly performed in the organization and that are created in response to programmed decisions that managers make.
4. 7/23/2009 IM 1013 4 Chapter 7 Contingency factors that affect planning are: Level in the organization. Operational planning usually dominates the planning activities of lower level managers. As managers are promoted thru the levels of the organization, their planning becomes more strategic. Degree of environmental uncertainty. The greater the environmental uncertainty the more plans should be directional and emphasis placed on the short term Length of future commitments. The commitment concept says that plans should extend far enough to see thru current commitments. Objectives / goals are defined as desired outcomes for individuals, groups or entire organizations. They are also foundation of planning
5. 7/23/2009 IM 1013 5 Chapter 7 Multiplicity (many) of objectives. Real vs. stated objectives: Organizations have both real objectives; an organization actually pursues as defined by the actions of its members; and stated objectives; official statements of what an organization says and what it wants its various publics to believe. Traditional objective setting is defined as the process of objectives being set at the top and then broken down into sub goals for each level in an organization. The top imposes its standards on everyone below. Management by objectives (MBO) is defined as a system in which specific performance objectives are jointly determined by subordinates and their superiors, where progress toward objectives is periodically reviewed and rewards are allocated on the basis of this progress
6. 7/23/2009 IM 1013 6 Chapter 7 MBO makes objectives operational by devising a process by which they cascade down through the organization. Does MBO work? A review of the body of literature on the relationship between goals and performance shows the following: More difficult goals lead to higher performance if factors such as a person’s ability and acceptance of goals are held constant Specific hard goals produce a higher level of output than do no goals or generalized goals Feedback also affects performance favorably Studies of actual MBO programs confirm that MBO effectively increases employee performance and organizational productivity
7. 7/23/2009 IM 1013 7 Chapter 8: Strategic management The environmental ‘shock’ of the 1970s and 1980s have forced managers into developing a systematic means of analyzing the environment and incorporating these findings into their organization. The use of strategic planning has become more prevalent in for-profit as well as in nonprofit organizations. There are three different and distinct levels of strategy: Corporate level – to determine what business a corporation should be in Business level – to determine how a corporation should compete in each of its businesses. In doing this it might need to create strategic business units which are defined as a single business or collection of businesses that is independent and formulates its own strategy Functional level – to determine how to support the business level strategy; involves various functional departments such as manufacturing, marketing, finance, human resources and IT
8. 7/23/2009 IM 1013 8 Chapter 8 The strategic management process an 8 steps process encompassing strategic planning, implementation and evaluation: Identifying the organization’s current mission, objectives (targets / goals) and strategies. Every organization has a mission that defines the purpose of the organization i.e. what business? Analyzing the external environment; PEST; and internal environment (see chapter 3). A successful strategy aligns well with the environment. Identifying opportunities and threats in the environment. Analyzing resources; 4M – Man (management / technical skills), Method (management system & production processes), Machine (hardware & software technology) & Material (including money). Identifying strengths and weaknesses of organization - resources. Formulating strategies for corporate, business and functional levels to achieve objectives.
9. 7/23/2009 IM 1013 9 Chapter 8 7. Implement strategies; includes effectiveness measurement 8. Evaluate (analysis of) the result to know the effectiveness of strategies and identify what corrections need to be made. CORPORATE LEVEL STRATEGIES There are two approaches to corporate level strategies: Grand strategies – all encompassing strategies A stability strategy – absence of significant change A growth strategy - seeks to increase the level of the organization’s operations; increasing revenues, employees and market share. A retrenchment strategy - seeks to reduce the size of an organization’s operations. A combination strategy - pursues two or more of the above strategies simultaneously.
10. 7/23/2009 IM 1013 10 Chapter 8 B. Corporate portfolio matrix – strategic frameworks The BCG (Boston Consulting Group) matrix is a strategy tool to guide resource allocation decisions based on market share and business unit growth based on income over a period of time. The matrix identifies four business groups. Cash cows – low growth and high market share Stars – high growth and high market share Question marks – high growth and low market share Dogs – low growth and low market share The BCG matrix assumes the existence of a cumulative learning curve which speculates that when a business increases the amount of product manufactured the per unit cost of the product will decrease. It provides a framework for understanding distinct businesses and establishes priorities for making strategic resource allocation decisions
11. 7/23/2009 IM 1013 11 Chapter 8 BUSINESS LEVEL STRATEGIES Two popular framework of business level strategies are the adaptive and competitive: Adaptive strategies were developed by Miles and Snow. They identified four strategic types: Defender - seeks stability by producing only a limited set of products directed at a narrow segment of the total potential market. Prospector – seeks innovation by finding and exploiting new product and market opportunities. Analyzer – seeks to minimize risk by following competitors’ innovations but only after they have proven successful. Reactor – inconsistent and unstable decision patterns
12. 7/23/2009 IM 1013 12 Chapter 8 Competitive strategies developed by Michael Porter suggests that managers can choose one of three generic strategies that will give the organization a competitive advantage over rivals: A cost leadership strategy – to be the lowest cost producer in its industry A differentiation strategy – to be unique in its industry A focus strategy – pursues a cost or differentiation advantage in a small industry segment Porter uses the term stuck in the middle to describe organizations that cannot compete using the above strategies. To be successful in using any of the above strategies the competitive advantage must be sustainable. Industry analysis is an important step in Porter’s framework. There are five competitive forces at work:
13. 7/23/2009 IM 1013 13 Chapter 8 Barriers to entry – how easy for new competitors to enter an industry Threats of substitutes – customer will switch their business to a competitor Bargaining power of buyers – amount of influence that buyers have in an industry Bargaining power of suppliers – power that suppliers will have over firms in the industry Existing rivalry – how intense rivalry will be among firms currently in the industry