Enterprises not waiting to board Win 8 train

Windows 8 may be in the spotlight right now after Microsoft showcased more of its upcoming operating system (OS) during the recently concluded Mobile World Congress (MWC), but most companies are likely to continue to look to Windows 7 to power their business.


Al Gillen, program vice president of system software for IDC, said that business and enterprise users will continue their existing upgrade to Windows 7 and not wait for Redmond's latest OS iteration to be launched later this year. This is because the greatest uptake for the upcoming OS will be among consumers or Windows tablet users, since "that is where the greatest amount of change and improvement is incorporated into", he explained.

Elaborating, he noted that for the average business user that spends much of his time using Microsoft Office and other business applications, a touch-enabled environment--one of the key features of Windows 8's Metro UI (user interface)--brings little productivity enhancements.

Those who might benefit from these new features to the operating system would be mobile workers such as healthcare employees, insurance adjusters, field technicians, and etc, Gillen added. However, their productivity will be enhanced only if the applications they need and use are upgraded to run natively on the OS and are fully touch-enabled, the analyst qualified.

"[As such,] we expect Windows 7 to continue to be heavily deployed by business users even after the launch of Windows 8," the executive stated.

One iteration at a time

Two organizations ZDNet Asia spoke to reiterated that Windows 7 deployment is their main priority currently.

Ong Leong Seng, chief architect & director at Integrated Health Information Systems (IHIS), for one, pointed out that the organization is in the midst of rolling out Windows 7 to all its hospitals, so its IT environment currently supports both Windows XP and Windows 7 for desktop and laptop devices.

He noted that upgrading operating systems is a "fairly long process" for organizations in the healthcare industry, and it would be transitioning its back office users first. In fact, IHIS was pushed into making the migration to Windows 7 because with support for XP coming to an end, this leaves them "little choice but to upgrade", he said.

Ong added: "We are not waiting for Windows 8, but will be exploring desktop virtualization to help smooth subsequent OS upgrades in the future."

Business intelligence (BI) software vendor QlikView is another that had gone ahead with deploying Windows 7 within the company.

Terry Smagh, vice president of Southeast and North Asia at QlikView, said it has supported the existing OS since its launch in 2009. This support was based on how closely the company works with Microsoft in ensuring that its products were always updated and supported the latest Windows version, he stated.

That said, the company has embraced HMTL 5 for its products, which Smagh said smoothes the crossover of its BI software, also known as QlikView, to Windows 8 in time to come.

"As Windows 8 is scheduled to be released soon, our move toward focusing on HTML 5 for end-user experience over the Web allows cross-platform support, be it on Windows or even Apple's iOS platform, which is dominant in the market," he said.

Microsoft did not directly comment when contacted, but pointed ZDNet Asia to its Web site showing customers that have adopted Windows 7 in their organizations.

Rich Reynolds, general manager of Windows commercial marketing at Microsoft, did earlier urge companies to continue and accelerate deployment of Windows 7. In a report last year, he said waiting for Windows 8 to launch might lead to security risks for businesses since official support for Windows XP will end in April 2014.
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By Kevin Kwang , ZDNet Asia on March 7, 2012 
http://www.zdnetasia.com/enterprises-not-waiting-to-board-win-8-train-62304116.htm

Sage Manufacturing Solution Summit.

A Special Invitation to
Sage Manufacturing Solution Day.

A Flexible System, Customized For Your Specific Needs

To really learn something about what SAGE ERP Manufacturing Suite can do for your company, join us on a 'back to basics' seminar and we'll give you what you need - an in-depth, straight-forward, guided tour - right inside the product - from Manufacturing to Distribution and Financial Integration.

SEMINAR HIGHLIGHTS

Introducing :Sage ERP Manufacturing Suite 
 Sage ERP 300 - Accpac 6>

 Sage X3 ERP for Process

 Sage Business Intelligence
-------------------------------------------------------Date : Wednesday, 21st March 2012

Time : 8:30 am to 2: 00 pm
Venue : Armada Hotel
Lorong Utara C, Seksyen 52
46200, Petaling Jaya
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Lunch will be provided, with 1 tea break.
Register Here: http://www.careware.com.my/index.php?mid=1730&p=contents-item&id=9968

Six Reasons Why Manufacturing Systems Fail

Manufacturers can achieve a number of business goals by investing cost-effective, end-to-end solutions that are simple to implement and use. With that being said, things can (and do) go wrong. Here are six reasons why manufacturing systems fail:

1. A faulty inventory item numbering scheme

Consider a company that has two sources for chips. Even though each supplier has its own part number for the item, the company didn’t map out its own part numbering scheme properly. As a result, the item appears to be out of stock even though there are still chips on hand from the other supplier. There’s a right and a wrong way to set up inventory control when you have more than one supplier. If the program you’re using doesn’t have multiple supplier capabilities, you won’t be able to properly set up Inventory Control to reflect this. Make sure the system you are considering maintains a cross-reference between your internal part number and each supplier’s part number.

2. Insufficient control of content for bills of material

Every BOM needs to be entered correctly from the start, based on specifications received from engineering. Even if the BOM has all of the right components in theory, sometimes in practice quantities aren’t exactly what they need to be and then people on the shop floor start to personalize as they assemble. It’s critical that engineering and manufacturing communicate effectively over the correct structure of BOMs and that only qualified people are keeping BOMs up-to-date. Regardless of the size of your manufacturing operation, a robust security system will restrict unqualified people from using certain critical functions of the software.

3. Inaccurate inventory on hand

One of the benefits of an integrated solution is that you eliminate redundancies in your system. One of the drawbacks is that errors can be compounded. If your inventory on hand is miscounted from the start, the error will repeat itself throughout your system. And the last thing you want is to be forced to close down for several days to do a physical inventory in order to identify discrepancies and reset your on-hand quantities. Manufacturing systems that offer “net-change” physical inventory functions will make it easy to correct stock counts without having to halt production activities.

4. Lack of agreement between engineering and manufacturing

Before implementing any system, it is absolutely essential that you reach an agreement between engineering and manufacturing on your goals and how you’re going to get there. It doesn’t matter how sophisticated your software is if you don’t have appropriate buy-in from these two departments. Work with your consultant to develop a thorough implementation plan. Make sure everyone in engineering, manufacturing, and management signs off on the plan before you begin installing software.

5. Unrealistic expectations of what the system will be able to accomplish

Know exactly what you want to accomplish with your new system. You wouldn’t buy a Chevrolet to travel 200 MPH, nor would it make sense to pay a lot of money for a Lamborghini just to keep it in the driveway. Buying functionality you won’t ever need is just a waste of money. Make a careful list of the functionality you really need, adding a few of those “would be nice” items. Award major points to manufacturing systems that have a built-in growth path, especially if you can test-drive advanced functions using your own familiar data.

6. Failure to determine the company’s needs in accounting, manufacturing, engineering and data collection

It is vital that you spend time thoroughly evaluating your company’s needs before choosing and installing any system. Get a complete review of the requirements in accounting, manufacturing, engineering and data collection. This is a mandatory step in the process – and one that cannot be skipped. Doing your homework in the planning stages will pay off ten-fold when it’s time to connect all the pieces. Ask your reseller if consultation and training is available directly from the software supplier.
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Erik Kaas is Vice President of Product Management for Mid-Market ERP products at Sage, including Sage Accpac, MAS 90 and MAS 500. He is responsible for managing the product line life cycle from strategic planning to tactical activities. Erik manages a team of product managers responsible for specifying market requirements for current and future products. The product management team conducts market research supported by customer visits to ensure that engineering develops and releases products based on the needs of customers.

Source : http://www.mbtmag.com/blogs/2012/02/six-reasons-why-manufacturing-systems-fail

Sage Solutions Summit 2012

A Special Invitation to : 
Sage Solutions Summit 2012.

How to Increase Productivity & Profitability in today’s Business Environment.

In today’s economic climate, business productivity has never been more important and your Sage Solution is an integral part of your organization’s productivity story. Whether you’re looking for core financials or have deep industry-specific business requirements, Sage ERP has you covered with solutions that don't have costly and time-consuming customization development.

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Take action today to learn more about the proven, comprehensive business management capabilities that provide the increased control, streamlined operations, and insight you need to help improve profitability and, ultimately, support your business as it grows. See you!

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SEMINAR HIGHLIGHTS

Introducing: Sage Total Solutions Suite

 Sage ERP 300 on Win.7
 Sage CRM 7.1
 Sage X3 ERP for Process
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FORUM DETAILS
Date : 21st March 2012 (Wednesday)
Time : 8:30 am to 2: 00 pm
Venue: Armada Hotel
Lorong Utara C; Seksyen 52
46200, Petaling Jaya
---------------------------------------------------------------
Lunch will be provided, with 1 tea break.
Register Here: http://www.careware.com.my/index.php?mid=1730&p=contents-item&id=9968

Happy Chinese New Year 2012

We want to wish you a

Happy and Prosperous Chinese New year 2012.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

2012 The Year of the Dragon

Thank you again for your continuous support and friendship. May the year of Dragon bring golden opportunities and fruitful rewards your way. We look forward to a prosperous Chinese new year as we go into the year of the 2012! The coming 2012 year of the water Dragon is just about the corner.

In contrast to European dragons which are considered evil, the Chinese dragon is a kindly creature that controls over water, rainfall & thunderstorms. It’s brought rains to the farmers but also punishes those who are disobedience to their parents.

In Chinese daily language, excellent and outstanding people are compared to the dragon while incapable people with no achievements are compared with other, disesteemed creatures, such as the worm. A number of Chinese idioms feature references to the dragon, for example: "Hoping one's son will become a dragon" (望子成龍, i.e. be as a dragon).

The Dragon symbol of the 2012 year is an potent intelligent and laborious worker who never puts aside work though sometimes this leads him to excesses. The water Dragon has enough courage to face challenges and easily finds weak points that stand on his way to success.
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Note : Since you cannot keep a dragon, maybe you can keep an arowana. The picture show an arowanas, in Chinese, is called "Kam Lung Yue", or Golden Dragon Fish. Arowanas are popular aquarium fish in Asia. It is a majestic fish that the Chinese believe will bring a steady flow of fortunes and success in business.
I believe that success and fortune is a result of our diligence and blessing from the Lord.
You can make many plans, but the LORD's purpose will prevail. (Proverb 19:21. NLT)

Malaysian manufacturers to comply with new US law

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian manufacturers exporting to the US will have to ensure usage of licensed IT softwares in their business operations following the newly imposed Unfair Competition Act (UCA) in Washington and Louisiana states.

The two states have passed the bill in July last year, making it a violation for any business to carry out manufacturing and commercial activities using stolen or misappropriated IT infrastructure in its entire supply chain.

Open Computing Alliance regional representative Michael Mudd said that Malaysian companies that obey Malaysian law would already be compliant with the UCA.

“All they need is to get an audit certification from their external auditors to confirm that the software used is paid for. For this, I would imagine incremental cost to be low,” he said at a seminar at MATRADE Hall.

“I believe that Malaysia has an early bird advantage of about six to 12 months to comply with the UCA, in advance of larger economies,” he said, saying that China, for one, will need more time to shift to the compliance mainly because of the scale of its economy.

He added that smaller companies can act quicker because of faster decision-making and use its compliance as a competitive advantage.

Although the new civil law is still in a communicative period rather than enforcement already, Mudd said that it would be an inevitable as it is gaining traction across the US.

“The fact that the Attorneys General (representing 39 states and territories) wrote a letter to the US Federal Trade Commission asking for to enforce similar law across the country is indicative of (the law) moving forward very fast,” he said.

The US is the fourth largest trading partner and export market for Malaysia, accounting for RM51.19bil worth of Malaysian exports from January to October last year.

In 2010, the total trade between both countries were RM117.21bil or 10% of Malaysia's total trade volume.
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http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2012%2F1%2F11%2Fbusiness%2F20120111123628&sec=business

Season Greetings.

Dear Values Customers & Supplier,

Another year is coming to end, and a new year is on the verge of beginning and the holiday season approaches.

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued partnership. It is business associates like you who make our jobs a pleasure and keep our company successful.

May your holiday season and the New Year be filled with much joy, happiness and success. We look forward to working with you in the coming year and hope our business relationship continues for many years to come.

Happy holidays!

Management & Staffs

May your Christmas sparkle with moments of love, laughter & goodwill. And may the year ahead be full of contentment & joy.