Charles Shoultz is seeking a position and includes his resume. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Baylor University in 2010 with a major in Great Texts of the Western Tradition and has worked in various writing and retail jobs since then. He has experience as a freelance writer, fashion and lifestyle writer, sales associate at a liquor store, and men's fashion writer. He is adept at researching topics, engaging writing, and meeting deadlines.
This document provides tips for pitching podcasters to be guests on their shows. It recommends listening to target the right show, promoting yourself on social media, aligning with the typical guests, engaging respectfully with the host, and creating your own podcast if needed. The host looks for exclusives their audience wants, access to people otherwise unavailable, iconoclasts, variety in guests and topics, and those who can provide useful data or life lessons. It concludes by thanking the audience and inviting questions.
This short document contains a link and encourages the reader to click on it to access some unspecified content or offer. No other context or details are provided about what would be obtained by clicking the link.
Gabriel Carvajal Vargas is a graphic designer who has created various marketing materials for businesses including menu designs, wine labels, brochures, posters, and maps. One of Vargas' projects was creating a map and brochure for Walking at Walmart, an initiative partnering with Mayo Clinic to promote walking as exercise inside Walmart stores, mapping routes of varying distances through the store's aisles.
Charles Shoultz is seeking a position and includes his resume. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Baylor University in 2010 with a major in Great Texts of the Western Tradition and has worked in various writing and retail jobs since then. He has experience as a freelance writer, fashion and lifestyle writer, sales associate at a liquor store, and men's fashion writer. He is adept at researching topics, engaging writing, and meeting deadlines.
This document provides tips for pitching podcasters to be guests on their shows. It recommends listening to target the right show, promoting yourself on social media, aligning with the typical guests, engaging respectfully with the host, and creating your own podcast if needed. The host looks for exclusives their audience wants, access to people otherwise unavailable, iconoclasts, variety in guests and topics, and those who can provide useful data or life lessons. It concludes by thanking the audience and inviting questions.
This short document contains a link and encourages the reader to click on it to access some unspecified content or offer. No other context or details are provided about what would be obtained by clicking the link.
Gabriel Carvajal Vargas is a graphic designer who has created various marketing materials for businesses including menu designs, wine labels, brochures, posters, and maps. One of Vargas' projects was creating a map and brochure for Walking at Walmart, an initiative partnering with Mayo Clinic to promote walking as exercise inside Walmart stores, mapping routes of varying distances through the store's aisles.
Homeschooling children has several potential benefits according to the sources cited. Some of the key reasons to homeschool include allowing for personalized lessons tailored to each child's needs, providing a safer and less stressful learning environment than public schools, and giving parents more control over what their children are taught. The sources provide research supporting these views and showing that homeschooling can be an effective educational option.
This document summarizes the GeT-RM Project and Browser, which collects and analyzes genetic variant data submitted by various clinical and research laboratories. It describes the project team members and submitting labs. It provides information on the types and platforms of tests conducted, validation methods used by labs, read count distributions, and gene-level concordance calculations. It also outlines future analyses, improvements to the browser, and inclusion of paralogous sequence variant data.
- By 2050, 70% of the world's population will live in cities, placing increasing pressure on urban transportation systems. Currently 70% of Malaysia's population lives in urban areas.
- Mobility trends in Malaysia like the increasing number of vehicles and daily trips are exacerbating issues like congestion, air pollution, and economic losses from reduced productivity.
- SPAD was mandated to develop a National Land Public Transport Master Plan (NLPTMP) to guide land transportation decisions and achieve targets over 20 years through various subsidiary plans focusing on rail, bus, taxi, integration, land use, and demand management.
- The NLPTMP and Greater KL/KV LPTMP were approved in 2013 and have seen
The presentation describes a new manual rehabilitative approach to activate the “Integrated Stabilizing System of the Spine, Chest and Pelvis” and achieve exciting levels of improved function of the locomotor system
Blockchain in Aviation & Logistics: On-Demand WebinarRamco Systems
Slides of our webinar on ‘Blockchain in Aviation & Logistics’ presented by Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM EM), Microsoft & Ramco Systems.
Ramco HCM - Delivering the Employee Experience of TomorrowRamco Systems
Trusted by 450+ global customers, Ramco HCM & Global Payroll with Time & Attendance is compliant with statutory and taxes across 40+ countries and has partnerships to cover Payroll for 108 countries, globally. Recognized as an Achiever in Everest Group’s Multi-Country Payroll Assessment, Ramco HCM has built-in Mobility and Intuitive user experience.
Ramco Logistics Software is a unified software that covers end to end needs of 3PLs, Freight Forwarders and Network Service Providers. Our comprehensive warehousing and fleet management software on cloud provides Automation, Optimization & visibility.
Ramco Logistics Software Command CenterRamco Systems
Command Center is a centralized logistics control tower that provides real-time visibility across the entire supply chain network. It manages petabytes of data to track orders, assets, inventory, and address challenges like delays, capacity issues, and idling. The system accesses multiple data sources, analyzes relevant information, and provides effective resolution options through forecasting. Command Center gives visibility into order status, asset location and utilization. It also sends immediate alerts on delays, breakdowns or other issues. This helps optimize operations and ensure on-time customer delivery.
Ramco Aviation M&E MRO Software for Civil & DefenseRamco Systems
Ramco Systems has been a pioneer in providing web-based MRO solution, in offering the Solution on Cloud and Mobile Platforms and continues to be in the forefront of technology. Trusted by the likes of Emirates, Malaysia Airlines, Babcock group, ADAC, Petroleum Helicopters, Columbia helicopters and 70 others, Ramco Aviation Suite powers over 4000+ aircraft and 17,000 users globally. Built ground up for Fixed wing, Rotor Wing and MROs, Ramco offers Next-gen technology into the Maintenance and Operations sector of the global Aviation industry.
The Future of Work And HR's Place in this FutureRamco Systems
The world of work is changing along with the work culture. There is a rapid onset of technology and the digital world now informs almost every operation of our daily work. This coincides with a generational shift in thinking about the benchmarks of work and success, impacting both how operations will be executed, and how talent pools will choose to approach their work – with higher efficiency perhaps, but in ways that will demand HR to re-visit fundamental premises as a team. Read more to know on how our workplace will be further transformed in the years to come.
Discover Zero UI- With Ramco, just Mail It!Ramco Systems
Work has become so synonymous with email that today employees spend 28% of their time on emails. Start conversing with your system through simple emails!
Ramco ERP for Facility Management ServicesRamco Systems
Whether you are into hospitality & housekeeping, guarding & security or maintenance & engineering services, Ramco ERP for Facility Management Services (FMS) sector can help transform your business and accelerate success.
Ramco Global Payroll on a Single Unified PlatformRamco Systems
Ramco payroll is compliant across 35+ countries. Our payroll platform can now cover 70% of the world’s working population. Ramco payroll has been recognized as a LEADER by NelsonHall in thier global Payroll Report 2015 across multiple parameters including overall capability and the ability to offer multi-country payroll .
Ramco HCM on Cloud- The most comprehensive HR softwareRamco Systems
Are you trying to stitch point solutions to solve a large problem? We provide a one stop comprehensive solution for all your HR needs from hire to retire
The document expresses gratitude to the reader but provides no other context or information. It contains only the words "Thank you" with no further details.
Homeschooling children has several potential benefits according to the sources cited. Some of the key reasons to homeschool include allowing for personalized lessons tailored to each child's needs, providing a safer and less stressful learning environment than public schools, and giving parents more control over what their children are taught. The sources provide research supporting these views and showing that homeschooling can be an effective educational option.
This document summarizes the GeT-RM Project and Browser, which collects and analyzes genetic variant data submitted by various clinical and research laboratories. It describes the project team members and submitting labs. It provides information on the types and platforms of tests conducted, validation methods used by labs, read count distributions, and gene-level concordance calculations. It also outlines future analyses, improvements to the browser, and inclusion of paralogous sequence variant data.
- By 2050, 70% of the world's population will live in cities, placing increasing pressure on urban transportation systems. Currently 70% of Malaysia's population lives in urban areas.
- Mobility trends in Malaysia like the increasing number of vehicles and daily trips are exacerbating issues like congestion, air pollution, and economic losses from reduced productivity.
- SPAD was mandated to develop a National Land Public Transport Master Plan (NLPTMP) to guide land transportation decisions and achieve targets over 20 years through various subsidiary plans focusing on rail, bus, taxi, integration, land use, and demand management.
- The NLPTMP and Greater KL/KV LPTMP were approved in 2013 and have seen
The presentation describes a new manual rehabilitative approach to activate the “Integrated Stabilizing System of the Spine, Chest and Pelvis” and achieve exciting levels of improved function of the locomotor system
Blockchain in Aviation & Logistics: On-Demand WebinarRamco Systems
Slides of our webinar on ‘Blockchain in Aviation & Logistics’ presented by Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM EM), Microsoft & Ramco Systems.
Ramco HCM - Delivering the Employee Experience of TomorrowRamco Systems
Trusted by 450+ global customers, Ramco HCM & Global Payroll with Time & Attendance is compliant with statutory and taxes across 40+ countries and has partnerships to cover Payroll for 108 countries, globally. Recognized as an Achiever in Everest Group’s Multi-Country Payroll Assessment, Ramco HCM has built-in Mobility and Intuitive user experience.
Ramco Logistics Software is a unified software that covers end to end needs of 3PLs, Freight Forwarders and Network Service Providers. Our comprehensive warehousing and fleet management software on cloud provides Automation, Optimization & visibility.
Ramco Logistics Software Command CenterRamco Systems
Command Center is a centralized logistics control tower that provides real-time visibility across the entire supply chain network. It manages petabytes of data to track orders, assets, inventory, and address challenges like delays, capacity issues, and idling. The system accesses multiple data sources, analyzes relevant information, and provides effective resolution options through forecasting. Command Center gives visibility into order status, asset location and utilization. It also sends immediate alerts on delays, breakdowns or other issues. This helps optimize operations and ensure on-time customer delivery.
Ramco Aviation M&E MRO Software for Civil & DefenseRamco Systems
Ramco Systems has been a pioneer in providing web-based MRO solution, in offering the Solution on Cloud and Mobile Platforms and continues to be in the forefront of technology. Trusted by the likes of Emirates, Malaysia Airlines, Babcock group, ADAC, Petroleum Helicopters, Columbia helicopters and 70 others, Ramco Aviation Suite powers over 4000+ aircraft and 17,000 users globally. Built ground up for Fixed wing, Rotor Wing and MROs, Ramco offers Next-gen technology into the Maintenance and Operations sector of the global Aviation industry.
The Future of Work And HR's Place in this FutureRamco Systems
The world of work is changing along with the work culture. There is a rapid onset of technology and the digital world now informs almost every operation of our daily work. This coincides with a generational shift in thinking about the benchmarks of work and success, impacting both how operations will be executed, and how talent pools will choose to approach their work – with higher efficiency perhaps, but in ways that will demand HR to re-visit fundamental premises as a team. Read more to know on how our workplace will be further transformed in the years to come.
Discover Zero UI- With Ramco, just Mail It!Ramco Systems
Work has become so synonymous with email that today employees spend 28% of their time on emails. Start conversing with your system through simple emails!
Ramco ERP for Facility Management ServicesRamco Systems
Whether you are into hospitality & housekeeping, guarding & security or maintenance & engineering services, Ramco ERP for Facility Management Services (FMS) sector can help transform your business and accelerate success.
Ramco Global Payroll on a Single Unified PlatformRamco Systems
Ramco payroll is compliant across 35+ countries. Our payroll platform can now cover 70% of the world’s working population. Ramco payroll has been recognized as a LEADER by NelsonHall in thier global Payroll Report 2015 across multiple parameters including overall capability and the ability to offer multi-country payroll .
Ramco HCM on Cloud- The most comprehensive HR softwareRamco Systems
Are you trying to stitch point solutions to solve a large problem? We provide a one stop comprehensive solution for all your HR needs from hire to retire
The document expresses gratitude to the reader but provides no other context or information. It contains only the words "Thank you" with no further details.
The document discusses the Internet of Things (IoT) and how connecting smart devices can make people smarter through collaboration. It outlines the stages an IoT implementation may go through, from adopting devices with REST interfaces to building centralized and decentralized intelligence. Examples are given of early IoT uses in ancient Sumeria and some technologies and applications that support the continued development of IoT, such as mobility, RFID, smart watches, and drones. The conclusion is that while research continues, taking initial steps towards connecting devices can help advance IoT.
There is an Ecosystem around every Enterprise. But can this Ecosystem be well connected with just one ERP systems? Simplifying Connected enterprise with Ramco ERP on cloud
Ramco ERP for Engineering, Procurement and Construction IndustryRamco Systems
When a project-centric ERP is at the center of the entire grind, it can cut down construction delays bridging dangerous gaps in information, equipment or material function levels
The document discusses the Internet of Things (IoT) and how connecting smart devices can make people smarter through collaboration. It outlines the stages an IoT implementation goes through, from adopting devices with REST interfaces to building central and decentralized intelligence. Examples are given of early IoT uses in ancient Sumeria and some technologies and applications that support the IoT journey today such as RFID, smart watches, and drones. Research at MIT is also briefly mentioned.
Project Chrysalis aims to provide a new user experience for ERP systems by simplifying navigation, standardizing user interfaces, and enabling straight-through processing. This will empower users by reducing clutter, streamlining workflows, and allowing for inline collaboration. Some specific changes include a simplified menu structure, centralized inboxes, wizard-based navigation, and configuration of automated rules to reduce manual steps and approvals. The goal is to cut the time spent on transactions by 150% and improve efficiency by 64% through an intuitive interface that makes complex ERP systems easier to use.
Driving Business Innovation: Latest Generative AI Advancements & Success StorySafe Software
Are you ready to revolutionize how you handle data? Join us for a webinar where we’ll bring you up to speed with the latest advancements in Generative AI technology and discover how leveraging FME with tools from giants like Google Gemini, Amazon, and Microsoft OpenAI can supercharge your workflow efficiency.
During the hour, we’ll take you through:
Guest Speaker Segment with Hannah Barrington: Dive into the world of dynamic real estate marketing with Hannah, the Marketing Manager at Workspace Group. Hear firsthand how their team generates engaging descriptions for thousands of office units by integrating diverse data sources—from PDF floorplans to web pages—using FME transformers, like OpenAIVisionConnector and AnthropicVisionConnector. This use case will show you how GenAI can streamline content creation for marketing across the board.
Ollama Use Case: Learn how Scenario Specialist Dmitri Bagh has utilized Ollama within FME to input data, create custom models, and enhance security protocols. This segment will include demos to illustrate the full capabilities of FME in AI-driven processes.
Custom AI Models: Discover how to leverage FME to build personalized AI models using your data. Whether it’s populating a model with local data for added security or integrating public AI tools, find out how FME facilitates a versatile and secure approach to AI.
We’ll wrap up with a live Q&A session where you can engage with our experts on your specific use cases, and learn more about optimizing your data workflows with AI.
This webinar is ideal for professionals seeking to harness the power of AI within their data management systems while ensuring high levels of customization and security. Whether you're a novice or an expert, gain actionable insights and strategies to elevate your data processes. Join us to see how FME and AI can revolutionize how you work with data!
Main news related to the CCS TSI 2023 (2023/1695)Jakub Marek
An English 🇬🇧 translation of a presentation to the speech I gave about the main changes brought by CCS TSI 2023 at the biggest Czech conference on Communications and signalling systems on Railways, which was held in Clarion Hotel Olomouc from 7th to 9th November 2023 (konferenceszt.cz). Attended by around 500 participants and 200 on-line followers.
The original Czech 🇨🇿 version of the presentation can be found here: https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/hlavni-novinky-souvisejici-s-ccs-tsi-2023-2023-1695/269688092 .
The videorecording (in Czech) from the presentation is available here: https://youtu.be/WzjJWm4IyPk?si=SImb06tuXGb30BEH .
Have you ever been confused by the myriad of choices offered by AWS for hosting a website or an API?
Lambda, Elastic Beanstalk, Lightsail, Amplify, S3 (and more!) can each host websites + APIs. But which one should we choose?
Which one is cheapest? Which one is fastest? Which one will scale to meet our needs?
Join me in this session as we dive into each AWS hosting service to determine which one is best for your scenario and explain why!
AppSec PNW: Android and iOS Application Security with MobSFAjin Abraham
Mobile Security Framework - MobSF is a free and open source automated mobile application security testing environment designed to help security engineers, researchers, developers, and penetration testers to identify security vulnerabilities, malicious behaviours and privacy concerns in mobile applications using static and dynamic analysis. It supports all the popular mobile application binaries and source code formats built for Android and iOS devices. In addition to automated security assessment, it also offers an interactive testing environment to build and execute scenario based test/fuzz cases against the application.
This talk covers:
Using MobSF for static analysis of mobile applications.
Interactive dynamic security assessment of Android and iOS applications.
Solving Mobile app CTF challenges.
Reverse engineering and runtime analysis of Mobile malware.
How to shift left and integrate MobSF/mobsfscan SAST and DAST in your build pipeline.
HCL Notes and Domino License Cost Reduction in the World of DLAUpanagenda
Webinar Recording: https://www.panagenda.com/webinars/hcl-notes-and-domino-license-cost-reduction-in-the-world-of-dlau/
The introduction of DLAU and the CCB & CCX licensing model caused quite a stir in the HCL community. As a Notes and Domino customer, you may have faced challenges with unexpected user counts and license costs. You probably have questions on how this new licensing approach works and how to benefit from it. Most importantly, you likely have budget constraints and want to save money where possible. Don’t worry, we can help with all of this!
We’ll show you how to fix common misconfigurations that cause higher-than-expected user counts, and how to identify accounts which you can deactivate to save money. There are also frequent patterns that can cause unnecessary cost, like using a person document instead of a mail-in for shared mailboxes. We’ll provide examples and solutions for those as well. And naturally we’ll explain the new licensing model.
Join HCL Ambassador Marc Thomas in this webinar with a special guest appearance from Franz Walder. It will give you the tools and know-how to stay on top of what is going on with Domino licensing. You will be able lower your cost through an optimized configuration and keep it low going forward.
These topics will be covered
- Reducing license cost by finding and fixing misconfigurations and superfluous accounts
- How do CCB and CCX licenses really work?
- Understanding the DLAU tool and how to best utilize it
- Tips for common problem areas, like team mailboxes, functional/test users, etc
- Practical examples and best practices to implement right away
Generating privacy-protected synthetic data using Secludy and MilvusZilliz
During this demo, the founders of Secludy will demonstrate how their system utilizes Milvus to store and manipulate embeddings for generating privacy-protected synthetic data. Their approach not only maintains the confidentiality of the original data but also enhances the utility and scalability of LLMs under privacy constraints. Attendees, including machine learning engineers, data scientists, and data managers, will witness first-hand how Secludy's integration with Milvus empowers organizations to harness the power of LLMs securely and efficiently.
Introduction of Cybersecurity with OSS at Code Europe 2024Hiroshi SHIBATA
I develop the Ruby programming language, RubyGems, and Bundler, which are package managers for Ruby. Today, I will introduce how to enhance the security of your application using open-source software (OSS) examples from Ruby and RubyGems.
The first topic is CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures). I have published CVEs many times. But what exactly is a CVE? I'll provide a basic understanding of CVEs and explain how to detect and handle vulnerabilities in OSS.
Next, let's discuss package managers. Package managers play a critical role in the OSS ecosystem. I'll explain how to manage library dependencies in your application.
I'll share insights into how the Ruby and RubyGems core team works to keep our ecosystem safe. By the end of this talk, you'll have a better understanding of how to safeguard your code.
Freshworks Rethinks NoSQL for Rapid Scaling & Cost-EfficiencyScyllaDB
Freshworks creates AI-boosted business software that helps employees work more efficiently and effectively. Managing data across multiple RDBMS and NoSQL databases was already a challenge at their current scale. To prepare for 10X growth, they knew it was time to rethink their database strategy. Learn how they architected a solution that would simplify scaling while keeping costs under control.
For the full video of this presentation, please visit: https://www.edge-ai-vision.com/2024/06/temporal-event-neural-networks-a-more-efficient-alternative-to-the-transformer-a-presentation-from-brainchip/
Chris Jones, Director of Product Management at BrainChip , presents the “Temporal Event Neural Networks: A More Efficient Alternative to the Transformer” tutorial at the May 2024 Embedded Vision Summit.
The expansion of AI services necessitates enhanced computational capabilities on edge devices. Temporal Event Neural Networks (TENNs), developed by BrainChip, represent a novel and highly efficient state-space network. TENNs demonstrate exceptional proficiency in handling multi-dimensional streaming data, facilitating advancements in object detection, action recognition, speech enhancement and language model/sequence generation. Through the utilization of polynomial-based continuous convolutions, TENNs streamline models, expedite training processes and significantly diminish memory requirements, achieving notable reductions of up to 50x in parameters and 5,000x in energy consumption compared to prevailing methodologies like transformers.
Integration with BrainChip’s Akida neuromorphic hardware IP further enhances TENNs’ capabilities, enabling the realization of highly capable, portable and passively cooled edge devices. This presentation delves into the technical innovations underlying TENNs, presents real-world benchmarks, and elucidates how this cutting-edge approach is positioned to revolutionize edge AI across diverse applications.
How information systems are built or acquired puts information, which is what they should be about, in a secondary place. Our language adapted accordingly, and we no longer talk about information systems but applications. Applications evolved in a way to break data into diverse fragments, tightly coupled with applications and expensive to integrate. The result is technical debt, which is re-paid by taking even bigger "loans", resulting in an ever-increasing technical debt. Software engineering and procurement practices work in sync with market forces to maintain this trend. This talk demonstrates how natural this situation is. The question is: can something be done to reverse the trend?
Taking AI to the Next Level in Manufacturing.pdfssuserfac0301
Read Taking AI to the Next Level in Manufacturing to gain insights on AI adoption in the manufacturing industry, such as:
1. How quickly AI is being implemented in manufacturing.
2. Which barriers stand in the way of AI adoption.
3. How data quality and governance form the backbone of AI.
4. Organizational processes and structures that may inhibit effective AI adoption.
6. Ideas and approaches to help build your organization's AI strategy.
Digital Banking in the Cloud: How Citizens Bank Unlocked Their MainframePrecisely
Inconsistent user experience and siloed data, high costs, and changing customer expectations – Citizens Bank was experiencing these challenges while it was attempting to deliver a superior digital banking experience for its clients. Its core banking applications run on the mainframe and Citizens was using legacy utilities to get the critical mainframe data to feed customer-facing channels, like call centers, web, and mobile. Ultimately, this led to higher operating costs (MIPS), delayed response times, and longer time to market.
Ever-changing customer expectations demand more modern digital experiences, and the bank needed to find a solution that could provide real-time data to its customer channels with low latency and operating costs. Join this session to learn how Citizens is leveraging Precisely to replicate mainframe data to its customer channels and deliver on their “modern digital bank” experiences.
Essentials of Automations: Exploring Attributes & Automation ParametersSafe Software
Building automations in FME Flow can save time, money, and help businesses scale by eliminating data silos and providing data to stakeholders in real-time. One essential component to orchestrating complex automations is the use of attributes & automation parameters (both formerly known as “keys”). In fact, it’s unlikely you’ll ever build an Automation without using these components, but what exactly are they?
Attributes & automation parameters enable the automation author to pass data values from one automation component to the next. During this webinar, our FME Flow Specialists will cover leveraging the three types of these output attributes & parameters in FME Flow: Event, Custom, and Automation. As a bonus, they’ll also be making use of the Split-Merge Block functionality.
You’ll leave this webinar with a better understanding of how to maximize the potential of automations by making use of attributes & automation parameters, with the ultimate goal of setting your enterprise integration workflows up on autopilot.
Overcoming the PLG Trap: Lessons from Canva's Head of Sales & Head of EMEA Da...
Tips To Keep ERP Maintenance Costs In Check
1. Management
Tips To Keep
ERP Maintenance
Costs In Check
ERP system implementation and its
subsequent maintenance costs, can
bog down any organisation, especially
SMEs that run on tight budgets.
But what if you knew how to tame
these expenses and benefit from the
technology. Read on, to discover some
best practices...
Vandana Sharma and Onkar Pandey
BenefIT Bureau
F
or any organisation with implementation costs of running an companies should do a proper
ambitions to scale up and get ERP system. Here are a few insights assessment of their needs. The
ahead of the competition, that emerged from our discussions: management should consider the pros
deploying an ERP system to automate and cons before deciding whether it
its business functions becomes Don’t go by perceptions. Try IT should hire or buy an ERP solution.
a necessity. But often, decision N Varadarajan, senior general In other words, does it need an on-
makers have the notion that an manager—IT, Madras Cements, says: demand or an on-premise ERP model?
ERP system is a high maintenance, “I don’t agree with the perception that Both have their advantages.
costly affair. This perception is often it (ERP) is a costly affair. If we are sure While worries of implementation,
based on their observation of other about our requirements, are thorough upgradation and the cost of an internal
firms that complain of overriding about our business processes and IT team can be avoided in the case of an
ERP maintenance expenses. Hence take sufficient care during the initial on-demand system suited to the needs
many firms tend to be wary of modelling, I think we can reduce of small firms with limited budgets;
implementing an ERP system. the subsequent maintenance costs.” an on-premise system, though costly,
But refraining from ERP adoption Sharanu Shirol, senior project manager, will serve a large company’s needs,
because of recurring costs is not a TeamLease Services, seconds the which usually involve unique business
solution, experts observe. There thought and adds that maintaining an processes that require a customised
are some best practices that can ERP system may seem costly but these ERP solution.
help you to control overheads like expenses should be weighed against It’s not that you buy an ERP system
maintenance costs. the benefits of an ERP system, as often and your worries are over; it’s a long-
BenefIT spoke to a cross section the ERP system pays for itself. term marriage. It needs regular upkeep.
of stakeholders—from ERP vendors So, how does the cost matrix of an ERP
to users—to understand the best On-demand or on-premise? system stack up? What are the price-
practices that can help curb the post Before going in for an ERP package, pitfalls a company needs to be aware of?
10 / October 2010 / BenefIT
2. ERP Special Series
Remember: IT costs do not Best practices to tame ERP
comprise just the AMC costs
Ashok Dash, general manager, Here are a few ways to lower, if not
Implementation and Support - India entirely avoid, maintenance costs:
Geography, Ramco Systems, explains Select an ERP system after careful
that there are many aspects to the evaluation: Choosing an ERP solution
cost of maintaining an ERP “An
. is a big decision for any company.
ERP system is a complex function. While an ERP system’s failure may
Sharanu Shirol,
Other than the annual maintenance senior project manager, lead to huge losses, its success can
TeamLease Services
costs (AMC) paid to the vendor, the help an organisation enjoy a jump
organisation needs to evaluate the
cost of the IT infrastructure required
“The organisation in revenues. Hence, it is critical to
select ERP software (whether an on-
to keep the ERP system running like should focus on what demand or on-premise solution) that
a smooth and well-oiled machine. it wants to achieve eventually doesn’t end up becoming a
This would mean hardware upgrade with the ERP solution, burden to the organisation.
costs, system software upgrade costs;
and the costs involved in maintaining
before going ahead Shirol suggests, “The organisation
should focus on what it wants to
trained manpower to keep the with the process of achieve with the ERP solution, before
overall system running. This is often implementation.” going ahead with the process of
overlooked, and one tends to only implementation.”
look at the AMC charges proposed by once the ERP system gets fine Apart from this, an organisation
the vendor.” tuned. wishing to minimise maintenance
2. The cost of customisation: costs should most certainly opt for an
Then what should one As the ERP system is put into on-demand model as it allows you to
expect with regard to ERP operation, users may request concentrate on your core business,
maintenance costs? some customisation that is adds Dash. “The responsibility of
The ERP implementation cost essential for particular business database administration, updates,
varies according to the complexity processes. Sometimes, even a infrastructure management, and
of the system intalled. It costs less change in government policies, associated costs is entirely taken care
for basic modules such as finance, e.g, a change in the excise duty of by the vendor. The organisation can
sales and purchase and inventory; structure, may require some also leverage online updates, which is
and more for modules such as additional customisation. These not possible in an on-premise model,
distribution, logistics, HR and payroll, requirements are ad hoc in nature owing to the logistics involved in
management accounting and plant and may continue to recur. applying updates/patches in a batch
maintenance. 3. Performance monitoring and mode,” he adds.
Primarily, the cost of running an tuning costs: During the initial Keep an eye on future
ERP system can be divided into three testing phase, only a few people requirements: Organisations need
groups: test the system and some to implement an ERP solution that
1. Bug fixing: This is the cost problems may not show up at all, not only addresses the challenges
involved in fixing bugs and giving the impression that all is of today, but is also in tune with the
errors that were not detected working well. When all the users requirements of tomorrow. This calls
and corrected during the begin to work on the system and for determining clear short-term and
implementation phase. Normally, all modules are in operation, long-term goals, well in advance,
these taper out when the ERP performance may be an issue. feels Shirol. Dash agrees and says,
system is used by all stakeholders Users may complain about “ERP applications should be aligned
(as opposed to just the testers slowdowns and blocks. This may with business imperatives, in order to
during the implementation require tweaks in the ERP system, maximise the potential gains. In the
phase). And hence the costs too which in turn, leads to higher same vein, companies should keep
start to diminish in a year or so, costs. medium- to long-term objectives in
BenefIT / October 2010 / 11
3. Management
mind at all times, and avoid short-
sighted decisions.”
For instance, if an organisation
grows and sets up a new plant or
expands its distribution channel, that
may also entail a change or addition
in people and processes. In that case,
the software also needs to be flexible
Ashok Dash, general Dinesh Victor, managing
to allow for this kind of change, to manager, Implementation director, SIP Academy
and Support - India
drive standardisation and enable this Geography, Ramco Systems
scaling up. If the ERP system doesn’t “In our company,
have the capability to accommodate “The organisation needs many processes were
changes and upgrades, adding new
to evaluate the cost of codified, re-engineered
capabilities to the system after every
new development in the company
the IT infrastructure and systematised, to
will lead to cost escalation. required to keep the ensure that they fitted
Don’t depend on vendors alone: ERP system running in with the ERP system
Maintenance activities can be
like a well-oiled requirements.”
outsourced to the vendor in case
the ERP system is of the on-demand
machine.”
type. In such a case, the company
needs to pay only for an AMC. But following the best testing techniques compare it to the old practices and
for an on-premise ERP system, it is for standardising maintenance demand customisation. This may lead
best to have an internal IT team to procedures—all processes need to to additional costs.
set up a self-sustaining system and be thoroughly reviewed to lower Thus, to ensure widespread ERP
gradually wean the company away maintenance costs. adoption across the organisation, and
from over-dependence on the vendor The involvement of the top its eventual success, it is important
for support. This route may lead to management: It needs a leader’s to involve both the business and
an additional strain on the users to vision to make ERP implementation IT professionals throughout the
begin with, but over time, this may successful. When there is a lack of process of implementation. This will
help in attaining self-sufficiency a push from the top management make them feel more comfortable
lot faster and minimise overheads and when ERP implementation is with the application and workflow,
in the long run.Varadarajan agrees viewed as just an IT initiative and not post implementation, and help in
and lists the practices that have a key organisational goal, then the keeping a check on the maintenance
helped in controlling ERP costs at implementation often gets delayed. requirements of the ERP system.
Madras Cements. “We have a trained ERP fitment issues arise, leading to A dedicated ERP operations
internal IT team so we ourselves can more customisation and support team should be formed to take care
undertake some customisation work, requirements, post implementation, of operational support and change
rather than approach the vendor. and hence higher maintenance costs. management. Another team must
At present, about 40 per cent of this Ensure that employees are monitor the performance of the ERP
work is handled by our in-house comfortable with the new system: It system and take corrective actions
resources,” he says. is important to motivate and train (clearing blocks, deadlocks, long
Adopt a detailed approach: For employees to adapt to the new running processes, etc) in real time,
an ERP system to remain profitable, a system. When the IT and business advises Varadarajan.
methodical approach needs to be put users within the organisation are Don’t tweak the ERP system too
in place, keeping the whole ERP life not fully geared to or are unwilling much: Every business has its own
cycle in view. Right from identifying to cooperate and work on the ERP nuances; but the more it standardises
implementation requirements and system, they may find fault with its processes, the fitter it becomes
selecting a suitable ERP solution, to the new system. They will tend to to sustain and achieve efficiencies
12 / October 2010 / BenefIT
4. ERP Special Series
of returns, in the long run. Thus, it a must, not only for the successful
is always good to not customise the implementation of an ERP solution
system every now and then, unless but also for its long term success.
there is a fundamental or logical need The ideal implementation partner
to modify/add to the system, such would have the domain expertise or
as a change in laws or regulatory previous implementation experience
requirements. in your specific vertical. Such an
Dinesh Victor, managing director, implementation partner is likely to
N Varadarajan, senior
SIP Academy, which deployed general manager—IT, have a better insight into business
Madras Cements
Ramco’s OnDemand solution, says problems and may even have many
that in his company, many processes
“We have a trained pre-built templates, which in turn
were codified, re-engineered and help speed up work and keep the long
systematised, to ensure that they
internal IT team so we term customisation and maintenance
fitted in with the ERP system ourselves can undertake costs in check.
requirements. “Along with effecting some customisation ERP implementation is a great
process synchronisation, we also
ensured that individual user roles and
work, rather than leap for any organisation. But
if an ERP system is not handled
responsibilities were clearly defined, approach the vendor.” carefully, it may turn out be a
as that is also an integral part of the painful experience —forcing you
standardisation process,” adds Victor. adopt the global business practices to spend further on maintainance.
The practice of often modifying offered by the ERP systems and go in As discussed here, by being aware
or customising the ERP system for fewer customisations. of the pitfalls and by adopting agile
may not only add to costs but may Choose the vendor with care: practices and measures to deal
eventually lead to the ERP system’s Almost everyone with whom we with these challenges, businesses
failure, too. Dash agrees and advises spoke to on this subject, agreed that can keep the ERP maintenance
organisations to be flexible enough to a good implementation partner is costs in check.
Does Moving Various Business Functions
2010 Edition
That Work In Isolation, On To One Integrated
ERP System Seem Like An
A Sneak Peek into the November
Uphill Task?
Check out easy tips to ensure smooth migration to ERP...
ERP Special Series
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A Business Minded Computer Magazine
BenefIT / October 2010 / 13