Investment in IT is usually aimed at improving productivity, profitability and quality of operations but Devaraj and Kohli (2003) were unable to identify the impact of technology on the organizational performance. Kelly (1994) found out that the reason for the inability to properly explain the relationship between technology and productivity was due to the aggregated unit of analysis at the organizational level which adds to the complexity of isolating the effects of any individual technology. He noted that the chance of finding IT usage impacts depends on how detailed the analysis is. Devaraj and Kohli (2003) stated that examining the amount of money invested in IT may not yield accurate measure of IT effectiveness because levels of usage could be different across industries, firms and processes. In their own contribution to the fledging debate on IT usage impacts, Goodhue and Thompson (1995) explained that the fit between task and technology would have to be established before IT utilization can lead to individual performance impacts. In order to achieve task- technology fit, the technology and targeted application would have to be compatible as well as the availability of qualified users who will use the technology (Goodhue & Thompson, 1995). This proposition implies that IT infrastructure and the organization's business goal would have to be in alignment.
The IT usage literature has shown that there is difference between voluntary use of IT and mandatoriness. Subjective norm was found to affect mandatory IT use whereas it was absent in voluntary use. Also, it was noted that pay off in technology do not usually occur instantaneously but are realized over time (Devaraj and Kohli, 2003; Hartwick and Barki, 1994). Peffers and Dos Santos (1996) conducted a survey on the impact of IT in banks and observed that cross-sectional studies that are done soon after applications are installed may not yield desired results by not finding benefits even if their is potential for large benefits. Their study indicated that impact of IT on performance became apparent after certain time lag and that benefits from IT accrued more to early adopters than late adopters.
References:
Devaraj, S., & Kohli, R. (2003). Performance impacts of Information Technology:
Is actual usage the missing link. Management Science, 49(3), 273-289.
Goodhue, D.L, & Thompson, R. L. (1995). task technology fit and individual performance. MIS Quarterly, (19)2, 213-236.
Hartwick, J., & Barki, J. (1994). Explaining the role of user participation in information system use. Management Science. 40, 40-465.
Kelly, M. (1994). Productivity and Information Technology: The elusive connection. Management Science, 40(11), 1406-1425
Peffers, K., & Dos Santos, L. (1996). Performance effects of innovative IT applications over time. IEEE Trans Engrg. Management, 43(4), 381-392.
Dr. Austin Umezurike is an experienced Information Technology management consultant with more than 15 years experience in business technology consulting. He has unique experience in utilizing the mix of technology and business to achieve organizational and industry leadership in technology and to gain competitive advantage. His interests include Organizational IT strategy, Organizational assessment, Business IT alignment, Outsourcing/Sourcing, Supply Chain management, IT Audit/Compliance, training and new business development strategies.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Technology Certification Intelligence
Information technology news and technical information pertaining to certification intelligence for exam training is the main purpose of this article. Many people do not know the difference between computer training and certification exam training. I would like to inform everyone what the differences are. Computer training is classroom education with scheduled courses or online training about the career field pertaining to information technology. Let me explain! You may want to become a Server Administrator. To begin with you will need some education somewhere in order to be knowledgeable about the subject and maybe acquire a 2 or 4-year degree or receive some online training with a qualified instructor. You may just want to take a few courses and receive a certificate in this field. This would be considered computer training.
Information technology certification intelligence on exam training is what you need in order to be fully prepared to pass your certification exam. After computer training you may have a degree or a certificate but you still do not have a certification that is recognized by Microsoft, CIW and CompTia or any other. If you have computer training that qualifies you to be a Server Administrator then you will want to get certified in Microsoft, CIW or CISCO. Certification exam training concentrates on preparing you to pass your certification exam. An IT Certification exam is unlike any other exam that you have had in college or school. There are two very important things to consider when preparing for a certification exam. They are the proper study technique and having relevant material that pertains to the actual exam that is up to date with the current market.
There are only a handful of places online that offer Certification exam training. The reason I wrote this article is to provide news and information about the best resources on certification exam training. There are many students of information technology that want this information because they are serious about passing their certification exam on the very first try. This article is not about selling but about helping those who are not informed about Certification exam training.
Another purpose of this article is education concerning information technology certification. There are many colleges and online training about information technology that will prepare you for a particular subject or field but there are but a few places where you can find information technology certification intelligence on exam training.
Say you want to become a PC Technician and you study at a college or receive online training so that you are knowledgeable about that field and receive a diploma or certificate in that area but you still are not certified until you take a certification exam. Even after graduation you will need to schedule an IT certification exam with prometric or pearsonvue in order to be certified in the field that you desire.
How many places do you know where you can get training on how to pass your information technology certification exam. Exam training is not the same as computer training. You will need knowledge of how to study for your certification exam and to know the proper study techniques because an IT exam is not the same as the exams in school. You will also need to know where to get updated material about your certification exam because if you are studying material that is outdated then you will not pass your certification exam. Certification exam training is important if you plan on passing your certification exam the first time so you can avoid 2nd and 3rd exam fees.
Some people may already be working on the job in the profession that they desire, such as a Server Administrator, Desktop Support Technician or a PC Repair Technician. They may have had prior training before employment but have never acquired a certification. They probably know their job and are very knowledgeable about their work and field but need a certification because their employer requires it. They do not need any computer training. They only need Certification exam training so they can pass their certification exam. I hope you get the picture now.
Information technology certification intelligence on exam training is what you need in order to be fully prepared to pass your certification exam. After computer training you may have a degree or a certificate but you still do not have a certification that is recognized by Microsoft, CIW and CompTia or any other. If you have computer training that qualifies you to be a Server Administrator then you will want to get certified in Microsoft, CIW or CISCO. Certification exam training concentrates on preparing you to pass your certification exam. An IT Certification exam is unlike any other exam that you have had in college or school. There are two very important things to consider when preparing for a certification exam. They are the proper study technique and having relevant material that pertains to the actual exam that is up to date with the current market.
There are only a handful of places online that offer Certification exam training. The reason I wrote this article is to provide news and information about the best resources on certification exam training. There are many students of information technology that want this information because they are serious about passing their certification exam on the very first try. This article is not about selling but about helping those who are not informed about Certification exam training.
Another purpose of this article is education concerning information technology certification. There are many colleges and online training about information technology that will prepare you for a particular subject or field but there are but a few places where you can find information technology certification intelligence on exam training.
Say you want to become a PC Technician and you study at a college or receive online training so that you are knowledgeable about that field and receive a diploma or certificate in that area but you still are not certified until you take a certification exam. Even after graduation you will need to schedule an IT certification exam with prometric or pearsonvue in order to be certified in the field that you desire.
How many places do you know where you can get training on how to pass your information technology certification exam. Exam training is not the same as computer training. You will need knowledge of how to study for your certification exam and to know the proper study techniques because an IT exam is not the same as the exams in school. You will also need to know where to get updated material about your certification exam because if you are studying material that is outdated then you will not pass your certification exam. Certification exam training is important if you plan on passing your certification exam the first time so you can avoid 2nd and 3rd exam fees.
Some people may already be working on the job in the profession that they desire, such as a Server Administrator, Desktop Support Technician or a PC Repair Technician. They may have had prior training before employment but have never acquired a certification. They probably know their job and are very knowledgeable about their work and field but need a certification because their employer requires it. They do not need any computer training. They only need Certification exam training so they can pass their certification exam. I hope you get the picture now.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Change machine
If you have a small business, medium sized business or even a large business, you must know that vending machines and other money machines can help increase your revenue and help to promote customer satisfaction. A soda machine can make a long wait seem less tiresome. An ATM machine in a commercial business can encourage impulse buying.
A wise choice to help increase sales, especially if you have other vending machines set up is a change machine. What if a potential customer has only large bills and wants to buy something for a dollar or two? Change machines encourage buying and making transactions more convenient for the customer and the vendor.
Small money oriented businesses like laundry mats and arcades often have customers in need of change. Change machines are also good for motels and hotels, where a person may want to use a pay phone, grab a snack or break bills into change. Kids in school need a rush of energy and definitely could use change machines after class or in lunchrooms. Corporate companies could also use change machines in break rooms for exhausted and thirsty employees.
They can be mounted on vending equipment, inside a wall or on a base. Most are made of heavy steel for protection and feature high-tech optical and magnetic sensors to detect counterfeit money. Usually owners are allowed to choose what kinds of bills and coins they will accept as well as their preferred level of security. Maintenance is generally easy on change machines and advances in technology now allow easy upgrades for currency changes. Batteries in change machines can last years, even decades, and thus ensure power outages won’t affect the machine.
These machines can vary in cost, depending mainly on the technology and the external design. A simple base bill changer can be priced at about $370.00. If you have heavy traffic in your business that investment could be made back within a week. A mini countertop model would cost about a $1000.00 because of the extra convenience. A medium sized front load model would cost $1700.00.
For peace of mind look for a company that offers at least a one or two year warranty on change machines. Shipping to most states takes about 2 weeks and could be as much as $150.00 depending on the model you select.
If you want your customers to relax, stay a while and check out your other vending machines or coin-operated services install change machines for their convenience. In the meantime, you increase your revenue.
A wise choice to help increase sales, especially if you have other vending machines set up is a change machine. What if a potential customer has only large bills and wants to buy something for a dollar or two? Change machines encourage buying and making transactions more convenient for the customer and the vendor.
Small money oriented businesses like laundry mats and arcades often have customers in need of change. Change machines are also good for motels and hotels, where a person may want to use a pay phone, grab a snack or break bills into change. Kids in school need a rush of energy and definitely could use change machines after class or in lunchrooms. Corporate companies could also use change machines in break rooms for exhausted and thirsty employees.
They can be mounted on vending equipment, inside a wall or on a base. Most are made of heavy steel for protection and feature high-tech optical and magnetic sensors to detect counterfeit money. Usually owners are allowed to choose what kinds of bills and coins they will accept as well as their preferred level of security. Maintenance is generally easy on change machines and advances in technology now allow easy upgrades for currency changes. Batteries in change machines can last years, even decades, and thus ensure power outages won’t affect the machine.
These machines can vary in cost, depending mainly on the technology and the external design. A simple base bill changer can be priced at about $370.00. If you have heavy traffic in your business that investment could be made back within a week. A mini countertop model would cost about a $1000.00 because of the extra convenience. A medium sized front load model would cost $1700.00.
For peace of mind look for a company that offers at least a one or two year warranty on change machines. Shipping to most states takes about 2 weeks and could be as much as $150.00 depending on the model you select.
If you want your customers to relax, stay a while and check out your other vending machines or coin-operated services install change machines for their convenience. In the meantime, you increase your revenue.
Answering machine
In this day and age almost everyone in the United States has an answering machine of some sort. Whether it be an actual answering machine or a voicemail box there usually is an avenue to leave a message if someone is unavailable to speak at the moment they receive a call. With our busy lifestyles now, the answering machine is basically an essential item in every household. It has gotten to the point where if a phone call is made and no answering machine picks up, many will often call the number back thinking that the connection was not made correctly because there just has to be some sort of answering service on the other end of the line.
The answering machine has become a vital part of the business world, allowing customers to leave messages for stores, clients to leave messages for their contacts at companies, and even co-workers to leave messages for each other during the day. Without the answering machine, business would become much slower because we would have to wait to actually catch someone at an exact moment they are available to talk. With the answering machine we can leave a message with a question, and the person can respond to the call with the answer through another message.
In addition to being useful during the business day, answering machines are very useful in personal and family lives as well. With many families having both adults working outside of the home and kids in extracurricular activities after school, there are many hours during the day where people just are not at home and available to take phone calls.
The answering machine has helped to alleviate the frustration of not being able to reach someone by being able to leave a message and expect a call in return when the person you are trying to reach is available to talk. People let their personalities show through their answering machine messages, and it was quite popular a few years ago to have funny messages that sounded like a person answering the phone and leaving a short pause, tricking the caller into speaking only to have the answering machine message continue on. There are still several online services that allow customers to download funny messages, and many people are creative on their own.
When it comes down to it, answering machines and voicemail are an essential part of life in the 21st century. With such busy lifestyles, we are becoming more reliant on
technology to communicate with each other and the answering machine was on the forefront of this movement.
The answering machine has become a vital part of the business world, allowing customers to leave messages for stores, clients to leave messages for their contacts at companies, and even co-workers to leave messages for each other during the day. Without the answering machine, business would become much slower because we would have to wait to actually catch someone at an exact moment they are available to talk. With the answering machine we can leave a message with a question, and the person can respond to the call with the answer through another message.
In addition to being useful during the business day, answering machines are very useful in personal and family lives as well. With many families having both adults working outside of the home and kids in extracurricular activities after school, there are many hours during the day where people just are not at home and available to take phone calls.
The answering machine has helped to alleviate the frustration of not being able to reach someone by being able to leave a message and expect a call in return when the person you are trying to reach is available to talk. People let their personalities show through their answering machine messages, and it was quite popular a few years ago to have funny messages that sounded like a person answering the phone and leaving a short pause, tricking the caller into speaking only to have the answering machine message continue on. There are still several online services that allow customers to download funny messages, and many people are creative on their own.
When it comes down to it, answering machines and voicemail are an essential part of life in the 21st century. With such busy lifestyles, we are becoming more reliant on
technology to communicate with each other and the answering machine was on the forefront of this movement.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Printing Devices And Latest Inkjet Technologies
ID Badge and Card Printers are easy to use devices, which compare well with consumer printers in their ability to be used straight out of the box. However, as most card printers work quite differently from ink-jet and laser printers, it's worth understanding a bit about their technology.
Dye Sublimation
Dye sublimation or dye-sub, is the most common technology used.Thermal printing is used to place layers of dye into the ID badge surface. In dye sublimation printing, colors are not laid down as individual dots, as is done in inkjet printers. Dye sublimation makes photos in particular look more realistic.
Inside a dye sublimation printer is a roll of transparent film that resembles sheets of red, blue, yellow, and gray colored cellophane stuck together end to end. Embedded in this film are solid dyes corresponding to the four basic colors used in printing: cyan, magenta, yellow and black. The print head heats up as it passes over the film, causing the dyes to vaporize and permeate the glossy surface of the card before they return to solid form. The vaporized colors permeate the surface of the card, creating a gentle gradation at the edges of each pixel, instead of the conspicuous border between dye and card produced by inkjets. And because the color infuses the card, it is also less vulnerable to fading and distortion over time.
YMCKO
The printer creates the ID badges by placing layers of dye in the following order:
Yellow: (Y)
Magenta: (M)
Cyan: (C)
Black: (K) or Resin black
Clear: (O) or Overcoat
The colored image is a combination of the Y, M, & C layers which also produce a form of black. The K Resin layer allows very sharp defined black text, barcodes etc. to be added. The Overcoat layer acts as a protective film against wear and fading and can also carry a secure image, which cannot be photocopied - e.g. the Magicard Holokote security watermark.
Reverse Transfer
With reverse transfer, the printer prints on the reverse of a transparent PVC re-transfer film, which is then laminated onto the ID Cards & Photo Badges. This protects the image from handling damage and produces a brilliant edge-to-edge image. The quality and durability of the finished card is similar to that achieved by an off-set printing process but with the advantage that every card can be different.
Because the re-transfer film is laminated onto the face of the card, it is possible to print right to the edge, unlike dye sublimation printers which print almost to the edge leaving a small (less than 0.5mm) white border.
Lamination
ID badge and card lamination involves putting a clear layer of PVC over the card surface. Lamination is used to protect the card image, particularly where the card is regularly swiped through a magnetic stripe reader, where lamination will allow 10,000's of swipes before any visible wear of the image occurs.
ID card Lamination is either done at the same time as printing (with reverse transfer printers) or separately with a dedicated laminator. For added security, laminate films containing an optical security logo or hologram are available.
Dye Sublimation
Dye sublimation or dye-sub, is the most common technology used.Thermal printing is used to place layers of dye into the ID badge surface. In dye sublimation printing, colors are not laid down as individual dots, as is done in inkjet printers. Dye sublimation makes photos in particular look more realistic.
Inside a dye sublimation printer is a roll of transparent film that resembles sheets of red, blue, yellow, and gray colored cellophane stuck together end to end. Embedded in this film are solid dyes corresponding to the four basic colors used in printing: cyan, magenta, yellow and black. The print head heats up as it passes over the film, causing the dyes to vaporize and permeate the glossy surface of the card before they return to solid form. The vaporized colors permeate the surface of the card, creating a gentle gradation at the edges of each pixel, instead of the conspicuous border between dye and card produced by inkjets. And because the color infuses the card, it is also less vulnerable to fading and distortion over time.
YMCKO
The printer creates the ID badges by placing layers of dye in the following order:
Yellow: (Y)
Magenta: (M)
Cyan: (C)
Black: (K) or Resin black
Clear: (O) or Overcoat
The colored image is a combination of the Y, M, & C layers which also produce a form of black. The K Resin layer allows very sharp defined black text, barcodes etc. to be added. The Overcoat layer acts as a protective film against wear and fading and can also carry a secure image, which cannot be photocopied - e.g. the Magicard Holokote security watermark.
Reverse Transfer
With reverse transfer, the printer prints on the reverse of a transparent PVC re-transfer film, which is then laminated onto the ID Cards & Photo Badges. This protects the image from handling damage and produces a brilliant edge-to-edge image. The quality and durability of the finished card is similar to that achieved by an off-set printing process but with the advantage that every card can be different.
Because the re-transfer film is laminated onto the face of the card, it is possible to print right to the edge, unlike dye sublimation printers which print almost to the edge leaving a small (less than 0.5mm) white border.
Lamination
ID badge and card lamination involves putting a clear layer of PVC over the card surface. Lamination is used to protect the card image, particularly where the card is regularly swiped through a magnetic stripe reader, where lamination will allow 10,000's of swipes before any visible wear of the image occurs.
ID card Lamination is either done at the same time as printing (with reverse transfer printers) or separately with a dedicated laminator. For added security, laminate films containing an optical security logo or hologram are available.
CTP Technology Takes Over Age Old Printing Technology
Computer-to-plate technology (or CTP) allows the printing file to be etched directly to the plate from the computer without the need for negatives, film processing or plate processing.
The process effectively cuts out three steps in the platemaking process.
CTP has been around now for a number of years and following it's appearance, a significant number of pre-press bureaus found themselves in the unenviable situation of having to replace a large portion of trade business.
Many graphic design houses (or pre-press bureaus) provided a pre-press service to printers who did not have the equipment to perform the task themselves.
The printers would send the artwork files to the pre-press houses who would output the files to film (negatives) and in some situations, output the plates as well.
After CTP was introduced, many printers decided to purchase CTP equipment primarily because it was much easier and simpler to operate than outputting the negatives, running them through a film processor then a developer then burning the image to a plate.
The graphic designer employed by the printing company could simply send the graphic file directly to the CTP unit and it would process a plate ready for printing.
Many pre-press houses were hit hard by this technology as trade work represented a significant portion of their business.
Then came the blinding flash of the obvious.
Many decided to employ printing sales people and grow a print broking arm to the business.
After all, every single one of their customers to whom they were supplying graphic design were having their printing done at a printing company, as they had been doing for eons.
A golden opportunity arose...for those who saw it
These days, many pre-press houses do very little bureau work having replaced this portion of the business with print broking however some still supply plates to printers.
But, there is a down side to this technology.
Since the technology was introduced, some printers still rely on pre-press houses to supply the plates. The problem arises when the printer needs to replace a plate for an urgent job or when printing after hours, and the pre-press bureau is closed.
In the past they would simply grab the negatives from the file and 'burn' another plate.
So the job is either lifted or they make a phone call & try to coax someone from the bureau to jump in their car and make another plate.
A logical way to go.
There were a few however that 'went to the wall' because they could not see what was happening or refused to accept what was happening.
They viewed CTP as innovative but not as a threat. They just could not see how it was going to affect their business.
The process effectively cuts out three steps in the platemaking process.
CTP has been around now for a number of years and following it's appearance, a significant number of pre-press bureaus found themselves in the unenviable situation of having to replace a large portion of trade business.
Many graphic design houses (or pre-press bureaus) provided a pre-press service to printers who did not have the equipment to perform the task themselves.
The printers would send the artwork files to the pre-press houses who would output the files to film (negatives) and in some situations, output the plates as well.
After CTP was introduced, many printers decided to purchase CTP equipment primarily because it was much easier and simpler to operate than outputting the negatives, running them through a film processor then a developer then burning the image to a plate.
The graphic designer employed by the printing company could simply send the graphic file directly to the CTP unit and it would process a plate ready for printing.
Many pre-press houses were hit hard by this technology as trade work represented a significant portion of their business.
Then came the blinding flash of the obvious.
Many decided to employ printing sales people and grow a print broking arm to the business.
After all, every single one of their customers to whom they were supplying graphic design were having their printing done at a printing company, as they had been doing for eons.
A golden opportunity arose...for those who saw it
These days, many pre-press houses do very little bureau work having replaced this portion of the business with print broking however some still supply plates to printers.
But, there is a down side to this technology.
Since the technology was introduced, some printers still rely on pre-press houses to supply the plates. The problem arises when the printer needs to replace a plate for an urgent job or when printing after hours, and the pre-press bureau is closed.
In the past they would simply grab the negatives from the file and 'burn' another plate.
So the job is either lifted or they make a phone call & try to coax someone from the bureau to jump in their car and make another plate.
A logical way to go.
There were a few however that 'went to the wall' because they could not see what was happening or refused to accept what was happening.
They viewed CTP as innovative but not as a threat. They just could not see how it was going to affect their business.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Concepts Of Scientific And Technological Problem Solving
This paper will explain a scientific approach to problem solving. Although it is written to address Information Technology related problems, the concepts might also be applicable in other disciplines. The methods, concepts, and techniques described here is nothing new, but it is shocking how many "problem solvers" fail to use them. In between I will include some real-life examples.
Why do problem solvers guess in stead of following a scientific approach to problem solving? Maybe because it feels quicker? Maybe a lack of experience in efficient problem solving? Or maybe because it feels like hard work to do it scientifically? Maybe while you keep on guessing and not really solving, you generate more income and add some job security? Or maybe because you violate the first principle of problem solving: understand the problem.
Isn't it obvious that before you can solve, you need to understand the problem? Maybe. But, most of the time the solver will start solving without knowing the real problem. What the client or user describe as "The Problem" is normally only the symptom! "My computer does not want to switch on" is the symptom. The real problem could be that the whole building is without power. "Every time I try to add a new product, I get an error message" is the symptom. Here the real problem could be "Only the last 2 products I tried to add gave a 'Product already exists' error". Another classic example: "Nothing is working"...
You start your investigation by defining the "real problem". This will entail asking questions (and sometimes verify them), and doing some basic testing. Ask the user questions like "when was the last time it worked successfully?", "How long have you been using the system?", "Does it work on another PC or another user?", "What is the exact error message?" etc. Ask for a screen-print of the error if possible. Your basic testing will be to ensure the end-to-end equipment is up and running. Check the user's PC, the network, the Web Server, Firewalls, the File Server, the Database back-end, etc. Best-case you will pint-point the problem already. Worst-case you can eliminate a lot of areas for the cause of the problem.
A real life example. The symptom according to the user: "The system hangs up at random times when I place orders". The environment: The user enters the order detail on a form in a mainframe application. When all the detail is completed, the user will tab off the form. The mainframe then sends this detail via communication software to an Oracle Client/Server system at the plant. The Oracle system will do capacity planning and either returns an error or an expected order date back to the mainframe system. This problem is quite serious, because you can loose clients if they try to place orders and the system does not accept them! To attempt to solve this problem, people started by investigating: 1) The load and capacity of the mainframe hardware 2) Monitoring the network load between the mainframe and the Oracle system 3) Hiring consultants to debug the communication software 4) Debugging the Oracle capacity planning system After spending a couple of months they could not solve the problem.
The "Scientific Problem Solver" was called in. It took less than a day and the problem was solved! How? The solver spends the day at the user to see what the "real problem" was. It was found that the problem only occurs with export orders. By investigating the capture screen and user actions, it was found that with export orders the last field on the form is always left blank and the user did not tab off this field. The system was not hanging, it waited for the user to press "tab" another time. Problem solved. It can be noted that the "Scientific Problem Solver" had very limited knowledge of the mainframe, of the order capturing system, of the communication software, and of the Oracle capacity planning system.
How many times have you heard "I cannot touch that code, because it was developed by someone else!", or "I cannot help because I am a HR Consultant and that is a Finance problem"? If you washing machine does not want to switch on, you do not need to be an Electrical Engineer, Washing Machine Repair Specialist, Technician, or whatever specialist to do some basic fault finding. Make sure the plug is working. Check the trip-switch, etc. "I have never seen this error before" should not stop you from attempting to solve. With the error message and an Internet Search engine, you can get lots of starting points.
In every complex system there are a couple of basic working principles. System A that reads data from System B can be horribly complex (maybe a Laboratory Spectrometer that reads data from a Programmable Logic Computer via an RS-232 port). But, some basics to test for: Does both systems have power? Is there an error message in the event log on one of these systems? Can you "ping" or trace a network packet from the one system to the other? Try a different communication cable. Search the internet for the error message.
Once you have established what the problem is, you need to start solving it. Sometimes the initial investigation will point you directly to the solution (switch the power on; replace the faulty cable, etc). But, sometimes the real problem is complex in itself, so the next principle is to solve it simple.
Let's start this section with a real-life example. Under certain conditions, a stored procedure will hang. The stored procedure normally takes about an hour to run (when it is not hanging). So, the developer tried to debug. Make some changes and then wait another hour or so to see if the problem is solved. After some days the developer gave up and the "Problem Solver" took over. The "Problem Solver" had to his disposal the knowledge under witch conditions the stored procedure would hang. So, it was a simple exercise to make a copy of the procedure, and then with this copy to strip all unnecessary code. All parameters were changed with hard-coded values. Bits of code were executed at a time and the result-sets were then again hard-coded into the copy of the procedure. Within 3 hours the problem was solved. An infinite-loop was discovered.
What the "Problem Solver" did, was to replicate the problem and at the same time tried to isolate the code that caused the problem. In doing so, the complex (and time consuming) stored procedure became something fast and simple.
If the problem is inside an application, create a new application and try to simulate the problem inside the new application as simple as possible. If the problem occurs when a certain method for a certain control gets called, then try to only include this control in the empty application and call that method with hard-coded values. If the problem is with embedded SQL inside a C# application, then try to simulate the SQL inside of a Database Query tool (like SQL*Plus for Oracle, Query Analyzer for SQL Server, or use the code in MS Excel via ODBC to the database).
The moment you can replicate the problem in a simple way, you are more than 80% on your way to solve it.
If you do not know where in the program the problem is, then use DEBUG.
Most application development tools come standard with a debugger. Weather it is Macromedia Flash, Microsoft Dot Net, Delphi, or what ever development environment there will be some sort of debugger. If the tool does not come standard with a debugger, then you can simulate one.
The first thing you want to do with the debugger is to determine where the problem is. You do this by adding breakpoints at key areas. Then you run the program in debug mode and you will know between which breakpoints the problem occurred. Drill down and you will find the spot. Now that you know where the problem is, you can "conquer it simple"
Another nice feature of most debuggers includes the facility to watch variables, values, parameters, etc. as you step through the program. With these values known at certain steps, you can hard-code them into your "simplified version" of the program
If a development tool does not support debugging, then you can simulate it. Put in steps in the program that outputs variable values and "hello I am here" messages either to the screen, to a log file, or to a database table. Remember to take them out when the problem is resolved... you don't want your file system to be cluttered or filled up with log files!
The "Problem Solver" was called to help solve a very tricky problem. A project was migrating system from a mainframe to client-server technology. All went well during testing, but when the systems went live, all of a sudden there were quite a few, and quite random "General Protection Faults". (The GPF-error was the general error trap in Windows 95 and 98). It was tried to simplify the code, debugging was attempted, but it was impossible to replicate. In the LAB environment, the problem would not occur! Debugging trace messages to log files indicated that the problem occurred very randomly. Some users experienced it more than others, but eventually all users will get them! Interesting problem.
The "Problem Solver" solved this after he started to analyze the database back-end. Not sure if it was by chance or because he systematically moved in the right direction because of a scientific approach. Through tracing what is happening on the back-end level, it was found that all these applications were creating more-and-more connections to the database. Every time a user starts a new transaction another connection was established to the database. The sum-total of the connections were only released when the application was closed. As the user navigated to new windows inside the same application, more and more connections are opened, and after a specific number of connections, the application will have enough and then crash. This was a programming fault in a template that was used by all the developers. The solution was to first test if a cursor to the database is already open, before opening it again.
How do you trace on the back-end database what is happening? The main database providers have GUI tools that help you to trace or analyze what queries are fired against the database. It will also show you when people connect, disconnect, or were unable to connect because of security violations. Most databases also include some system dictionary tables that can be queried to get this information. These traces can sometimes tell 'n whole story of why something is failing. The query code you retrieve from the trace can be help to "simplify the search". You can see from the trace if the program makes successful contact with the database. You can see how long it takes for a query to execute.
To add to Principle#2 (do not be afraid to start...); you can analyze this trace information, even though you might not know anything about the detail of the application.
Remember though that these back-end traces can put a strain on the back-end resources. Do not leave them running for unnecessary long.
This is the last principle. Do not spend too much time on the problem before you ask for assistance. The assistance does not have to be from someone more senior than you. The principle is that you need a pair of fresh eyes for a fresh perspective and sometimes a bit of fresh air by taking a break. The other person will look and then ask a question or two. Sometimes it is something very obvious that was missed. Sometimes just by answering the question it makes you think in a new directions. Also, if you spend hours looking at the same piece of code, it is very easy to start looking over a silly mistake. A lot of finance balancing problems get solved over a beer. It could be a change of scenery, and/or the relaxed atmosphere that will pop out the solution. Maybe it is the fresh oxygen that went to the brain while walking to the pub. Maybe it is because the problem got discussed with someone else.
Conclusion
After reading this paper, the author hope that you will try these the next time you encounter a problem to solve. Hopefully by applying these six principles you will realize the advantages they bring, rather than to "guess" your way to a solution.
Andre Maakal -
Why do problem solvers guess in stead of following a scientific approach to problem solving? Maybe because it feels quicker? Maybe a lack of experience in efficient problem solving? Or maybe because it feels like hard work to do it scientifically? Maybe while you keep on guessing and not really solving, you generate more income and add some job security? Or maybe because you violate the first principle of problem solving: understand the problem.
Isn't it obvious that before you can solve, you need to understand the problem? Maybe. But, most of the time the solver will start solving without knowing the real problem. What the client or user describe as "The Problem" is normally only the symptom! "My computer does not want to switch on" is the symptom. The real problem could be that the whole building is without power. "Every time I try to add a new product, I get an error message" is the symptom. Here the real problem could be "Only the last 2 products I tried to add gave a 'Product already exists' error". Another classic example: "Nothing is working"...
You start your investigation by defining the "real problem". This will entail asking questions (and sometimes verify them), and doing some basic testing. Ask the user questions like "when was the last time it worked successfully?", "How long have you been using the system?", "Does it work on another PC or another user?", "What is the exact error message?" etc. Ask for a screen-print of the error if possible. Your basic testing will be to ensure the end-to-end equipment is up and running. Check the user's PC, the network, the Web Server, Firewalls, the File Server, the Database back-end, etc. Best-case you will pint-point the problem already. Worst-case you can eliminate a lot of areas for the cause of the problem.
A real life example. The symptom according to the user: "The system hangs up at random times when I place orders". The environment: The user enters the order detail on a form in a mainframe application. When all the detail is completed, the user will tab off the form. The mainframe then sends this detail via communication software to an Oracle Client/Server system at the plant. The Oracle system will do capacity planning and either returns an error or an expected order date back to the mainframe system. This problem is quite serious, because you can loose clients if they try to place orders and the system does not accept them! To attempt to solve this problem, people started by investigating: 1) The load and capacity of the mainframe hardware 2) Monitoring the network load between the mainframe and the Oracle system 3) Hiring consultants to debug the communication software 4) Debugging the Oracle capacity planning system After spending a couple of months they could not solve the problem.
The "Scientific Problem Solver" was called in. It took less than a day and the problem was solved! How? The solver spends the day at the user to see what the "real problem" was. It was found that the problem only occurs with export orders. By investigating the capture screen and user actions, it was found that with export orders the last field on the form is always left blank and the user did not tab off this field. The system was not hanging, it waited for the user to press "tab" another time. Problem solved. It can be noted that the "Scientific Problem Solver" had very limited knowledge of the mainframe, of the order capturing system, of the communication software, and of the Oracle capacity planning system.
How many times have you heard "I cannot touch that code, because it was developed by someone else!", or "I cannot help because I am a HR Consultant and that is a Finance problem"? If you washing machine does not want to switch on, you do not need to be an Electrical Engineer, Washing Machine Repair Specialist, Technician, or whatever specialist to do some basic fault finding. Make sure the plug is working. Check the trip-switch, etc. "I have never seen this error before" should not stop you from attempting to solve. With the error message and an Internet Search engine, you can get lots of starting points.
In every complex system there are a couple of basic working principles. System A that reads data from System B can be horribly complex (maybe a Laboratory Spectrometer that reads data from a Programmable Logic Computer via an RS-232 port). But, some basics to test for: Does both systems have power? Is there an error message in the event log on one of these systems? Can you "ping" or trace a network packet from the one system to the other? Try a different communication cable. Search the internet for the error message.
Once you have established what the problem is, you need to start solving it. Sometimes the initial investigation will point you directly to the solution (switch the power on; replace the faulty cable, etc). But, sometimes the real problem is complex in itself, so the next principle is to solve it simple.
Let's start this section with a real-life example. Under certain conditions, a stored procedure will hang. The stored procedure normally takes about an hour to run (when it is not hanging). So, the developer tried to debug. Make some changes and then wait another hour or so to see if the problem is solved. After some days the developer gave up and the "Problem Solver" took over. The "Problem Solver" had to his disposal the knowledge under witch conditions the stored procedure would hang. So, it was a simple exercise to make a copy of the procedure, and then with this copy to strip all unnecessary code. All parameters were changed with hard-coded values. Bits of code were executed at a time and the result-sets were then again hard-coded into the copy of the procedure. Within 3 hours the problem was solved. An infinite-loop was discovered.
What the "Problem Solver" did, was to replicate the problem and at the same time tried to isolate the code that caused the problem. In doing so, the complex (and time consuming) stored procedure became something fast and simple.
If the problem is inside an application, create a new application and try to simulate the problem inside the new application as simple as possible. If the problem occurs when a certain method for a certain control gets called, then try to only include this control in the empty application and call that method with hard-coded values. If the problem is with embedded SQL inside a C# application, then try to simulate the SQL inside of a Database Query tool (like SQL*Plus for Oracle, Query Analyzer for SQL Server, or use the code in MS Excel via ODBC to the database).
The moment you can replicate the problem in a simple way, you are more than 80% on your way to solve it.
If you do not know where in the program the problem is, then use DEBUG.
Most application development tools come standard with a debugger. Weather it is Macromedia Flash, Microsoft Dot Net, Delphi, or what ever development environment there will be some sort of debugger. If the tool does not come standard with a debugger, then you can simulate one.
The first thing you want to do with the debugger is to determine where the problem is. You do this by adding breakpoints at key areas. Then you run the program in debug mode and you will know between which breakpoints the problem occurred. Drill down and you will find the spot. Now that you know where the problem is, you can "conquer it simple"
Another nice feature of most debuggers includes the facility to watch variables, values, parameters, etc. as you step through the program. With these values known at certain steps, you can hard-code them into your "simplified version" of the program
If a development tool does not support debugging, then you can simulate it. Put in steps in the program that outputs variable values and "hello I am here" messages either to the screen, to a log file, or to a database table. Remember to take them out when the problem is resolved... you don't want your file system to be cluttered or filled up with log files!
The "Problem Solver" was called to help solve a very tricky problem. A project was migrating system from a mainframe to client-server technology. All went well during testing, but when the systems went live, all of a sudden there were quite a few, and quite random "General Protection Faults". (The GPF-error was the general error trap in Windows 95 and 98). It was tried to simplify the code, debugging was attempted, but it was impossible to replicate. In the LAB environment, the problem would not occur! Debugging trace messages to log files indicated that the problem occurred very randomly. Some users experienced it more than others, but eventually all users will get them! Interesting problem.
The "Problem Solver" solved this after he started to analyze the database back-end. Not sure if it was by chance or because he systematically moved in the right direction because of a scientific approach. Through tracing what is happening on the back-end level, it was found that all these applications were creating more-and-more connections to the database. Every time a user starts a new transaction another connection was established to the database. The sum-total of the connections were only released when the application was closed. As the user navigated to new windows inside the same application, more and more connections are opened, and after a specific number of connections, the application will have enough and then crash. This was a programming fault in a template that was used by all the developers. The solution was to first test if a cursor to the database is already open, before opening it again.
How do you trace on the back-end database what is happening? The main database providers have GUI tools that help you to trace or analyze what queries are fired against the database. It will also show you when people connect, disconnect, or were unable to connect because of security violations. Most databases also include some system dictionary tables that can be queried to get this information. These traces can sometimes tell 'n whole story of why something is failing. The query code you retrieve from the trace can be help to "simplify the search". You can see from the trace if the program makes successful contact with the database. You can see how long it takes for a query to execute.
To add to Principle#2 (do not be afraid to start...); you can analyze this trace information, even though you might not know anything about the detail of the application.
Remember though that these back-end traces can put a strain on the back-end resources. Do not leave them running for unnecessary long.
This is the last principle. Do not spend too much time on the problem before you ask for assistance. The assistance does not have to be from someone more senior than you. The principle is that you need a pair of fresh eyes for a fresh perspective and sometimes a bit of fresh air by taking a break. The other person will look and then ask a question or two. Sometimes it is something very obvious that was missed. Sometimes just by answering the question it makes you think in a new directions. Also, if you spend hours looking at the same piece of code, it is very easy to start looking over a silly mistake. A lot of finance balancing problems get solved over a beer. It could be a change of scenery, and/or the relaxed atmosphere that will pop out the solution. Maybe it is the fresh oxygen that went to the brain while walking to the pub. Maybe it is because the problem got discussed with someone else.
Conclusion
After reading this paper, the author hope that you will try these the next time you encounter a problem to solve. Hopefully by applying these six principles you will realize the advantages they bring, rather than to "guess" your way to a solution.
Andre Maakal -
Technology Schools - Database And Administration Process
If you are seeking a challenging career in an office environment, you should look into Database Technology schools. There are many good reasons to seek training in data technology, including a forty-hour workweek, excellent pay, and plenty of exciting job opportunities.
Today's modern businesses are looking for sharp computer technicians with credentials from one of the top computer schools. Many employers will consider only those applicants with a minimum of a Bachelor degree in computer science, information science, or computer information systems; other employers will be satisfied with a diploma, certificate or Associate degree. Depending on your ambitions, you can find schools providing two-year Associate degrees, all the way to the advanced Master of Business Administration degree (MBA).
Database technicians are expected to be among one of the fastest growing occupations in the next few years. Employers expect a high level of skill and expertise from their employees, and you can excel with good IT training. You can gain a comprehensive education in computer database management, including entering, storing, retrieving, and analyzing vital information. Students also learn to design and implement databases for a variety of purposes.
Courses in the field will often include general education as well as business and technical coursework. All of this adds up to solid IT training that can take you to a higher level of achievement and professional success.
If you would like to learn more about computer database management you can start right now. Submit a request to a few top colleges and make a decision that could change your life for the better.
DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on our website.
Copyright 2008 - All rights reserved by Media Positive Communications, Inc.
Notice: Publishers are free to use this article on an ezine or website, provided the article is reprinted in its entirety, including copyright and disclaimer, and ALL links remain intact and active.
Michael Bustamante is a staff writer for Media Positive Communications, Inc. Find Database Technology Schools, as well as Colleges, Universities, Vocational Schools, and Online Schools at SchoolsGalore.com, your educational resource to locate schools.
Today's modern businesses are looking for sharp computer technicians with credentials from one of the top computer schools. Many employers will consider only those applicants with a minimum of a Bachelor degree in computer science, information science, or computer information systems; other employers will be satisfied with a diploma, certificate or Associate degree. Depending on your ambitions, you can find schools providing two-year Associate degrees, all the way to the advanced Master of Business Administration degree (MBA).
Database technicians are expected to be among one of the fastest growing occupations in the next few years. Employers expect a high level of skill and expertise from their employees, and you can excel with good IT training. You can gain a comprehensive education in computer database management, including entering, storing, retrieving, and analyzing vital information. Students also learn to design and implement databases for a variety of purposes.
Courses in the field will often include general education as well as business and technical coursework. All of this adds up to solid IT training that can take you to a higher level of achievement and professional success.
If you would like to learn more about computer database management you can start right now. Submit a request to a few top colleges and make a decision that could change your life for the better.
DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on our website.
Copyright 2008 - All rights reserved by Media Positive Communications, Inc.
Notice: Publishers are free to use this article on an ezine or website, provided the article is reprinted in its entirety, including copyright and disclaimer, and ALL links remain intact and active.
Michael Bustamante is a staff writer for Media Positive Communications, Inc. Find Database Technology Schools, as well as Colleges, Universities, Vocational Schools, and Online Schools at SchoolsGalore.com, your educational resource to locate schools.
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