Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Wording For Parties With Price Per Person

Outsourcing - Back to the Future

In many large companies, there is an area that is not so for their core competence. However, he is there and tends to exponential growth in terms of head count, the location, the boxes in the organizational chart. He binds and consumes millions of dollars and supplies will hopefully - but usually only to a limited measure - an added value. Here are some references to the area in question. He added, though he is only an internal service provider, often call the shots in the company. It shows the limits of his vision for what is possible and thus indirectly affects the company's strategy. It sets out processes, decides on the lines of communication within the company, controls information flows ... OK enough information. Here are the 1 million-euro question, because smaller amounts are rather rare in this area. From which division we are talking about is:

  • staff
  • Controlling
  • IT

Now if you do not IT have checked, then your company is more the exception, or you have taken the decision that others - external service - IT can be better. Would your choice fallen on the IT, then please be comforted by the fact that not all companies that have outsourced their IT, so that really save money. You rightly ask, how can I make such a claim.

first the pure theory. G REASONS for outsourcing (selection):

  • Higher concentration on core competencies
  • lack of know-how or qualified employees
  • mobility of jobs and data
  • higher performance and better Performance
  • Faster response to changes
  • cost effectiveness / cost reduction
  • IT costs calculated clearly
  • No own investments (software, hardware, new technologies)

This list could be supplemented at will, nevertheless, would be a company that intended one or more of the above points to define itself as a strategic goal for a long time not immune from the end of IT spending more money.

Outsourcing is a strategic approach in a Make-or-buy decisions, here specifically for the buy-decision. relating to IT services externally to say, but also, the divisions that were previously responsible for IT, detach from the organization, either in the form of a subsidiary / spin off, by sale to an existing IT service provider, or simply by giving notice, the latter route is probably the most tedious. Whether a buy decision for IT services is the better choice depends in turn on various factors, such

  • IT is not a core competence of the company - sounds simple, but for one or the other companies rather with a clear " Yes and no answer. " For source or Otto IT a core competency? At first glance, probably not, it's these companies but rather to logistics. But as the customer contact is made, orders are received and forwarded to suppliers? With the help of IT. In fact, are source, gasoline or even better Amazon information logistics.
  • Supported by the IT business processes are characterized by low complexity and high stability, ie the need in use IT solutions are adjusted only rarely in terms of functionality, interfaces and architecture.
  • The product and process owners in the company are in a position their professional (eg functions) and non-technical (eg performance) requirements to describe an IT system with sufficient detail (business concept).
  • meet the IT solutions market-compatible, state-of-the-art standard solutions which were adjusted only to a small extent to the needs of the company by means of parameterization. Ooops - I have realized that now it is detailed, but you think in this context simply to SAP, Siebel etc.

rises even this list is not exhaustive. The points are but a show. IT outsourcing is a company whose IT system development is a highly dynamic properties, their development is determined by multiple pages, limited to only an understanding of IT have a high-risk alternative with many question marks, and may end up with many lost dollar sign and euro. Let me give you these examples.

A company operating an IT system which, although originally adapted from a standard solution, but developed over many years in receivership. Today the system is highly complex, has huge databases and interfaces to numerous third party systems. The associated problems are manifold. Necessary adjustments to the IT system can not be implemented at short notice. The operation of the system is costly because of an outdated architecture, example, costs for data transfer and storage. The system itself is characterized by high failure rates. The hardware for which the system is designed makes limp of age.

The company decides to save money. For this purpose, a project is placed, with the objective that the IT system is technically bring no changes to the functionality but for up to date. Shortly after the start of the project managers realize that they need to make the necessary adjustments in the system those who have originally developed. Some of them are already retired and for a lot of money temporarily as a "consultant" retrieved. The rest of the team is in good shape with great effort in reverse engineering. The project is ongoing. Difficulties in many places. New requirements for the system, which could influence the course of the project negatively, are avoided by a "frozen zone". Then wait, hope, fear, such as a birth, 9 months pregnant ... and then it's done. The new IT system is there, but not after 9 months but after a few years. It looks for the user is not really new. This was never intended. It is also not really fast and as for dropouts and crashes, warns the IT, that it is not the role of Futzifaltenbüglers should go. It's just how it is. And behind the facade? Still a self-development! Well, here and there we have hurried along with tape, nails and a little spit. As they say in old rusty cars: "It will only be preserved by the color." Stop! If this creates a false impression. We still talk from an albeit "outdated", but the new system. Do you know the game "overtaking without catching up." Recommended for highly nostalgic.

Now that the project is finished, one does not have all the old-old know-how carriers. They are released back into their well-earned retirement, involuntary accompanied by a number Projekt-/Systemspezialisten and testers, we will continue to employ it either. Because with the new architecture is much simpler and does everything faster, so at least the expectation. Therefore, we have now an external service provider is found, the system developed in the future. Outsourcing completed successfully? No, get to know because the external service, the system must only try to understand themselves, understand it (see above). Then the expected moment of all. The service, now officially a black belt in the system Harakiri estimates the costs for future adjustments. It follows what must follow. The cost of a change are far about the costs that are incurred in the past for a change. Now finally could access the outsourcing reputed advantage, namely, that yes, the system does not need to change permanently. These rest periods have cost the company much money sooner. The specialists were sitting around and waiting for new orders. Now you hire the service provider only in the specific case of need and this is paid only for the changes. Stupid is only when development cycles provide the new system because of the congestion and the requirement is not really optimal architecture, no "breaks" and, consequently, the service provider is permanently assigned. In this case, the company saves nothing, It even puts something on it. But the crux is to come. Since you do not trust the new service on the way to build a parallel control organization as a substitute for the old field of IT. And since the subject pages are not predisposed really technophile and will not be able according to the monitoring organization still sees as indispensable information transformer towards the service provider, with its administrative self-understanding (consider, coordinate, assess, coordinate, instruct, test, tune, ...) the system change process extended further.

And the end of outsourcing song "... unless charges have been nothing." Can They sing this song too?

Monday, January 28, 2008

Can Your Glands Get Swollen Due To Your Period

marketing policy measures to protect intellectual property

Dear Reader,

here now the last chapter on "Intellectual Property".

Everything protection or what?

Marketing Strategies and policies for the exploitation of intellectual property will be discussed for some time in the popular scientific literature. A closer analysis of individual contributions to the discussion, however, one can not help thinking that some of it and identified as "political marketing" approaches classified no protective measures in the sense discussed here represent relationships. Partly because it is trend-driven business models and holistic marketing strategies. Thus, for example, where advice on how to

  • physical and digital distribution of economic sense combined, creates
  • value added networks or refinanced
  • investment in Internet activities through online advertising.

It is likely that such demarcation problems - despite more varied designs - the lack of sound economic attributed explanations for observable real special feature of trade in intellectual services can be. May therefore be subject to the term "marketing protection measures" in the literature more or less different approaches.

handcuffs pile carpet

to government, resource-based and technical protection mechanisms are the basic principles of reducing abuse of incentives in marketing policies differ. While the former increase the physical and technical on-wall abuse activities and / or enforce compliance with the obligation to pay, the latter set of prices, the cost of the acquisition and use and the benefit foundation of intellectual property.

protection through price variation

providers can price-setting margins, if any advantage, to adjust the prices of intellectual property to the individual willingness to pay of interested buyers. Their willingness to pay is high, prices can sometimes increase without thereby provide effective incentives to abuse. Instead, the payment readiness is low, price reductions can be necessary in the calculation, the regular buyers purchasing authorized copies to appear more attractive.
protection due to lower transaction costs and inputs

Implementation intentions of abuse is associated with different use-reducing effects. In addition to a number of other cost factors have to cost the circumvention of technological pioneers abuse prevention and the search for suitable In botsplattformen account for pirated copies and imitations. Folger abuse-for instance the cost of finding such deals. Take this into account also the risks that be

  • perceived their activities and punished,
  • the quality-related copies does not meet their expectations or
  • appropriate offers are not accessible or permanently in a reasonably short time.

Against the background of these direct and indirect costs of damage it economically attractive for owners to simplify the acquisition and use of their intellectual resources too strong for buyers. This is what vendors such as open, the (Internet) access to fee-based information products, especially be sure to make fast and stable and / or assist with the search for signaling measures corresponding offers. Some authors speak in this context of maximizing the convenience (convenience) the utilization of market performance.

can also assist providers to exercise the right to use outspoken creative services differentiated, for example, concerning additional services or regular Pro-product extensions and enhancements, which, as we recognize this, are only authorized users are available. Assuming that the cost of abuse and the willingness of interested parties Despite these measures are influenced either positively or negatively would have in the calculus of potential abuse perpetrator behavior theoretically less attractive.

protection influence the value of the benefit

The problem of uncontrolled and uncompensated diffusion of innovative and creative works can be met by varying the value of their benefits. Provider thereby influence the willingness to pay, respectively, to the abuse of interested buyers incentives. Here, too, can understand the working principle simple. Basically it's about the benefits of results of intellectual foundation Work to be limited to authorized disposal agents or to increase for them, but to minimize damaging party.

The added value for buyers, meet in the course of the exercise of property rights of the compensation obligation, inter alia, that the characteristics of intellectual property to their respective needs, and / or goods to demand of specific products and services will be added. Under the condition that it to unauthorized third parties do not manage to siphon off these benefits, it loses the plot option abuse its appeal. In addition, highly individualized donate intellectual property outside their application focus is usually no appreciable benefit. Interested parties who are not involved in the individualization process can, through the use of those resources to meet their needs or not complete. Maybe they feel goods properties even be disadvantageous. The risk of abuse should be reduced further due to lack of generating profit or negative benefit effects.