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Parents are always looking for a better approach to motivate and recognize their children's accomplishments and achievements in a productive way. At our newly launched KIDS LOVE TO™ website series, we offer children the opportunity to showcase their talents, businesses and hobbies for professional and scholastic endeavors. Our website series also allows children the opportunity to sell their products, such as books and crafts. Family and friends living far away can view the children's achievements online. And, for parents who would like to save special memories and treasures of their children's creations, having the portfolios online is a great space saver.
The concept of this website series was founded with the KIDS LOVE TO™ Write website. It was based on supporting an 8 year-old's interest in writing and wanting to give other kids the opportunity to publish also. You'll read all about Max on the website.
Our website series lists writers, artists, crafters, entrepreneurs, photographers, sports players, and performers (actors, dancers, musicians, singers). Writers can publish their stories online and in print. Artists can post their portfolio. Those enjoying creating can show their crafts. We have children with an entrepreneurial spirit. Photographs can be displayed. Sports players can swing into action here.
If your children are preparing to audition, to apply to jobs, schools or colleges, then get a head-start by preparing their portfolios and resumes on our websites.
Sign up with the KIDS LOVE TO™ website series to expand your children's visibility and save special memories. Materials for submission must be created by children 18 years or younger. College students, up to 21 years old, may submit their creations only if their submissions were created at 18 years or younger.
Join us at www.KIDSLOVETO.com in recognizing the achievements of your children.
(Note to reader: We are migrating our previous blog to this one and moving the contents here. Original date 3/14/2007)
What does it really cost to purchase an application? Sample applications may be database systems, medical management systems, or a PC package. Regardless of the application, in each case, buyers need to consider all the variables in order to be well-prepared for the true total cost of ownership.
Some people may wait to purchase a product until the 'perfect solution' comes to market. Others may rush into purchasing the first product that seems applicable. Both are extremes and can present challenges. Those who wait too long may miss opportunities to enhance their work processes and become more efficient to reduce paper work, help make staff work more efficiently, and process business data and communications with customers more quickly.
At the other end, those who rush to purchase without sufficient planning may cause havoc. The planning process helps an office to prepare the manual or legacy systems processes for migration to the new application. Consider the efforts to re-evaluate the critical business processes, train staff to use the new application, migrate data from the old to new application, create new reports with the new system, 'suddenly' upgrade other components such as hardware to support the new application, set up connectivity requirements, and, of course, troubleshoot arising problems.
A more successful approach would be to first analyze current processes, evaluate the priorities and needs of each process, redefine necessary modifications to your processes, assess level of staff expertise and train in advance.
Some useful tips: Visit an office that has already implemented the product. Involve your technical support team to ensure that you understand the specifications and implications of the new system. Ask for vendor demos after you have seen the system live at another site; you will be better able to understand what to ask the vendor. Document your requirements and your technical office environment and have your vendor review this specification. This may help clarify the true features and implications of the new system as well as any upgrade requirements for your office technical environment. With you still in the driver's seat (you haven't bought the application yet), the vendor will be willing to spend more time on your questions especially for an expensive system. Before buying a new system, look at your existing system to see if you can modify how you work with it to compensate for its flaws. That may give a very big savings over migrating to a new system. Sometimes one can simplify an approach or process to make the current solution effective.
In summary, the total cost of ownership includes the following samples:
Software,
Hardware,
Connectivity requirements,
Migration time,
Integration with other products and interfaces,
Installation,
Development and implementation of new/modified processes and procedures, for example, reporting, backup/restore, change management,
Documentation,
Alignment and implementation of the business process to the technology solutions,
Maintenance, for example, ongoing software and hardware upgrades, running utilities such as backups, updating subscriptions to software such as antivirus products,
Cleanup old files,
Troubleshooting problems.
(Note to reader: this blog has been migrated here from previous blogging service. Original date 1/12/2007)
We are all dependent on service providers for our businesses to succeed. The better you manage that relationship, the more successful you will be in achieving your goals in a cost-effective manner. The relationship is two-way street. Service providers also depend on customers to enable a successful deliverable. So, prepare:
Initial planning: spend a good amount of time upfront reviewing your business strategy, your marketing goals and your budget with your service provider. Confirm in writing the critical issues, e.g., the expectations, the implementation phases, required deadlines and deliverables. Indicate your preferences.
Strategic vs. tactical goals: Plan the project with a long-term strategic perspective, but implement in smaller phases. By breaking down a project into smaller deliverables, you are giving yourself a chance to review progress in a manageable approach. Once you are comfortable with the results of one phase, then you can proceed with the next step (this may help your budget process too.) A critical benefit to this approach is that things change rapidly and you may no longer want the original approach. With a phased approach, you are cutting your losses and allowing yourself and your provider to change directions in a more cost-effective manner.
Documentation is critical. The larger the project, the more critical documentation becomes. Samples include account information, login information, vendor contacts, a list of directories where everything is located, a list of all the hardware and software products that have been used in the implementation, and, where appropriate, how to use the solution. Imagine transitioning to a new service provider in the middle of a project without such documentation or getting a deliverable that you don’t know how to use!
Solution alternatives: When a service provider presents an approach or a solution, make sure the benefits, alternatives and issues are presented to you before committing to that solution. This analysis brings many benefits. Half the battle is in knowing what to ask! This analysis enables customers to realize what they really want in their project deliverables. This reduces much misinterpretation. It also shows your service provider’s abilities.
In my 20 years of experience with global, multi-million dollar initiatives, as well as with low-cost projects, I found the careful management of the services is critical to the success of the projects. Whether large or small, the same principles apply.
Please feel free to contact me if you would like consultation on your projects and service provider relationships.
