› Is your team driving in the right direction?

The other day I came across this podcast on the NUMMI car plant in Fremont  California which recently shut down production.  When I read Chris Brogan’s post A Perfect Dichotomy I realized this struggle isn’t simply just an operations phenomenon – but one of more broad-ranging applications across all business.

Summary of the podcast: A car plant in Fremont California that might have saved the U.S. car industry. In 1984, General Motors and Toyota opened NUMMI as a joint venture. Toyota showed GM the secrets of its production system: how it made cars of much higher quality and much lower cost than GM achieved. Frank Langfitt explains why GM didn’t learn the lessons – until it was too late

I think this should be required listening for anyone who in charge of operations, leadership, managing teams or faced with evaluating innovation. 

Some key takeaways:

- alignment of goals – once everyone was moving in the same direction, success followed

- importance of process – the same people were able to implement the new system

- adopting teamwork concepts – all levels of an organization need to ‘buy in’

- impact of ‘doing things right the first time’ – correcting problems later is incredibly inefficient

- willingness to accept new ways of doing things – openness is necessary for survival

We try to instill these values throughout our firm but sometimes it is hard to articulate why taking shortcuts doesn’t pay off.  This case study is a really powerful example.

Check out this podcast- and ask yourself these hard questions- does your firm take shortcuts it knows will sacrifice quality?  Are processes in place that actually enable poor-performance to go uncorrected?  Please share your experience.

Posted at 5/14/10 by tking in GGGroup, Industry Trends, News & Views Tags: Best Practices, Chris Brogan, Management, Nummi, Operations, Process, This American Life | No Comments »

› In-flight Internet

This is the first time I use Internet in-flight. Here is my take:
- Speed: 1000 Kbps download and 100 Kbps upload, not bad
- Cost: $12.95 for 24 hours
- What doesn’t work: Skype, it rang once and then it stopped ringing

Posted at 1/28/10 by ewong in Security-Mobility-Accessibility, User Reports Tags: Airplane Internet, Skype, Traveling, WiFi | No Comments »

› Windows 7 – Is it worth it?

Did you buy a new PC this past summer with the promise of a free upgrade to Windows 7 when it launched?  Unfortunately, upgrades are never completely free.

While the license for the Windows 7 upgrade itself may not cost anything- delivery of the new disc typically comes with a small charge of between $10-20, depending on the manufacturer and model of your system.   What’s more, there is also the cost of installing the new operating system.

The real question remains: is it worth any cost?  Several GGGroup employees have been using Windows 7 internally and are pleased to report that the generally positive reviews on Windows 7 are justified. Microsoft has made improvements in key areas such as: installation and compatibility, performance, stability, networking, and search – to name a few.

Installation:

While the in-place upgrade worked – we recommend a fresh installation whenever possible because it is a good opportunity to do ’spring cleaning’.

Compatibility:

An operating system install is never fun, but unlike Vista, Windows 7 recognizes a surprising amount of hardware.  This is the result of many manufacturers having released drivers in time to be bundled with the release.

Stability:

What’s been the nicest discovery is that Windows 7 appears to be the most stable Microsoft operating system in recent memory- and in some cases moreso than XP.

Wireless Networking:

Windows XP was created before wireless networking was standard and it showed. Vista had wireless networking issues that were a combination of poor interface design and wireless driver problems. Windows 7 fixes all this with a revamped networking control panel that simplifies networking management.

Search:

Search in Windows 7 is vastly superior to the Windows Search add-on in Windows XP and Vista. The search interface is responsive and results come up promptly. The indexing process working behind the scenes does not appear to have a noticeable impact on performance.

Final considerations:

As with all technology investments, planning is important.  It always makes sense to do some preliminary research on hardware and business application compatibility before taking the plunge.  One must also consider the cost of transition.  Many times, the best strategy is to plan for Operating System upgrades to take place ‘organically’ in conjunction with your hardware lifecycle management plan.

Posted at 11/8/09 by jchiang in Industry Trends, News & Views, Newsletters, Tech Tips for the Office, Tech Tips for the Small & Home Office, Uncategorized Tags: Hardware Lifecycle, PC, Upgrade, Windows 7, Wireless Networking | No Comments »

› Business Lessons from World Champs

Something was different about this year’s Yankees team.  During the run to their first World Series victory since 2000- they successfully navigated the difficult task of incorporating dynamic new talents Nick Swisher, CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett & Mark Teixera into a veteran, established roster.  This investment paid off in the form of another World Series title.  Intuit’s recent announcement of the acquisition of Mint.com left me wondering – could the folks at the software giant pull off the same feat?

For years, Intuit has frustrated and antagonized customers by releasing annual ‘upgrades’ that seemed to lack any kind of value-add.  The promise of better integration with more financial institutions never seemed to materialize and the tedium of data-entry required the diligence not much different from old-school checkbook balancing.

Enter Mint.com, which changed the game in three fundamental ways:

- It was free

- Software was delivered via the SAAS model – meaning no client software to install and no more upgrades

- Account aggregation was simple and worked – resulting in little if any data entry

From Intuit’s perspective, the $170 million acquisition makes perfect sense:  Mint.com’s innovative, web-based platform simultaneously adds a fresh Web 2.0 dynamic and eliminates a serious threat to one of their flagship desktop products, Quicken.

The real question is whether the company that was accused of trying to intimidate the startup in February can really now welcome it into the corporate clubhouse. Only time will tell whether this acquisition is a home run or strikeout, but sometimes following the Yankee’s model works: acquire so much talent that it makes failure seem almost impossible.

Posted at 11/7/09 by tking in Industry Trends, News & Views Tags: Baseball, Industry Trends, Intuit, Mint.com, Technology Acquisition, Yankees | 3 Comments »

› Backup for Home

One of the most common computer-related questions I am asked by friends and family is what do you recommend I use to back up my home computer? It seems most people these days know they should be making backup copies of their files, but most still are not. For years, there were few options for home users that failed one of the three critical tests for any good backup method: Reliable, Automated and Cost-Effective. That is no longer the case.

Two online services have been fighting for supremacy in consumer data backup. Each provides unlimited data backup for approximately $50-60/year. The first, www.carbonite.com has a very straightforward aim: make backup simple. Their entire focus has been on making the process intuitive. For the most part, they’ve done a great job and the service works. The second, www.mozy.com offers the user more flexibility and control. Like Carbonite, the interface is very straightforward and their software automatically detects common data files like Word documents, photos and music. Data is automatically uploaded to their data center while your PC and internet connection is idle.

Mozy also has a “Pro” version targeted at small businesses and can do things like backup multiple computers under one account or run on servers. When speaking with clients we’ve found most require something that offers more flexible recovery, archive and retention capabilities than what this can provide.

In the end, either Mozy or Carbonite will meet most people’s home backup needs and you can feel comfortable knowing if your computer crashes or is stolen, at least you will be able to recover your information.

Posted at 10/26/09 by ewong in News & Views, Newsletters, Tech Tips for the Small & Home Office, User Reports Tags: Data Protection, Online Backup, Preventative management | No Comments »

› The Case for Netbooks

Portability (i.e. lightweight) is what we here at GGGroup most often hear from our clients who are in the market for a new notebook computer. You’ve all seen people in a park, airport, or other such public place happily plugging away on a device that is significantly smaller than your laptop. Could this be the device you’ve been looking for to finally replace the bulky laptop you’ve been lugging around? The answer is yes and no.

Netbooks are designed primarily for internet usage on the go (hence, NETbook). What keeps these little buggers affordable is the processor and memory installed are of lesser spec than you would find in larger laptops and desktops. While Microsoft Office can run on netbooks, you will notice a drop in performance.

But if your only need is internet access to keep in touch with family and friends back home while you’re on vacation, this might be the perfect device for you. You can access your email or Facebook account, upload photos you’ve just taken or just simply browse the internet. Granted, all of this can be accomplished on an iPhone but there is something to be said for having a full keyboard and a 9 or 10 inch screen.

In the final analysis, netbooks are great for personal use, not so much for bringing your work home with you.

Posted at 10/26/09 by moconnor in News & Views, Newsletters, Security-Mobility-Accessibility Tags: laptop, netbook, portable | 3 Comments »

› Why do you need BES for your Blackberry?

Blackberry Enterprise Server has the following advantages over any other forms of Blackberry connection to your Exchange server:

Much better security:

If you lost your Blackberry, you can initial a remote wipe procedure to your Blackberry. When your lost Blackberry connects to your service provider, it will shelf wipe the data in the Blackberry to prevent anyone from accessing information on your Blackberry.

Contacts sync wirelessly:

No other method will allow you to sync your Outlook contacts wirelessly.

Much easier to troubleshoot:

If you run into problems with Blackberry not getting email, having BES allows your IT support to troubleshoot quickly. You get support directly from RIM instead of your Blackberry data service provider like Verizon.

Much better management:

You can manage all your Blackberry from a single management console.

Posted at 10/12/09 by ewong in Industry Trends, News & Views, Security-Mobility-Accessibility, Tech Tips for the Office Tags: Blackberry, Blackberry Enterprise Server, Mobility | 1 Comment »

› IT Saving Tips

Review internet service:

Similar to voice service package. If you have the same Internet service package for the last 3 years, you should find out from your Internet service provider (ISP) offers a better value package.

Review Web Hosting service:

They used to be $20-$50 from a few years ago. Web hosting service is as little as $5/month nowadays.

Review monthly phone bills:

Look for unknown phone lines that you can cancel. You will be surprised to see unused phone lines they you have been paying in the past.

Review voice/phone service package:

If your voice package hasn’t been changed in the last 3 years, chances are your voice service provider has more competitive packages. If you don’t ask, they won’t tell you there are better value packages for you. If your voice service provider doesn’t offer any better value packages, give us a call. Our voice service partners offer very competitive packages. Free or low cost voice over Internet (VOIP) to replace traditional long distance service.

Posted at 9/15/09 by ewong in GGGroup, Industry Trends, News & Views, Tips Tags: Budget, IT Cost Saving | No Comments »

› Cheap tools that we use

Posted at 8/13/09 by ewong in GGGroup, Tech Tips for the Office, Tech Tips for the Small & Home Office, Tips Tags: PDFFactory, SnagIt, Tools, X1 | No Comments »

› iPhone

iPhone has became one of the most popular PDA. iPhone now has more commercial apps than Windows Mobile. I have recently acquired an iPhone from one of my associates. It certainly is a great device for viewing email, especially with HTML, Word, Excel or PDF attachment. But it is not a great device to compose an email. The on screen keyboard made it hard to type a long email. The web browser is far better than any other PDA of similar size. The “multi-touch” feature makes zooming in/out of screen a joy to use. Since iPhone can’t replace my Blackberry in composing email, I am carrying both iPhone and Blackberry every day. I can’t wait to see if Apple is going to release a new iPhone in June.

Posted at 7/23/09 by ewong in GGGroup, Industry Trends, Security-Mobility-Accessibility, User Reports Tags: iPhone, mobile device | 6 Comments »