Why In-House Developed Software is a BAD IDEA?

1. Your team of in-house developers may lack the knowledge and expertise to create sophisticated software capable of handling all the tasks you require. If you only need basic software, this probably won’t be an issue. However, if you need more sophisticated software, this could be more trouble than it’s worth and lead to bugs and glitches. This may force you to bring in outside consultants who lack familiarity with your business, which can also be detrimental.

2. Custom software also tends to lack scalability, and upgrades can be troublesome. Because technology is constantly evolving, you may have difficulty adapting to new platforms in the future. Although developed software may work for well for a while, it could become defunct in a few years. This can force you to spend more money on developing new software.

3. Commercial software has the benefit of being extensively tested and used by other businesses. This can make for a quicker and smoother integration. A team of highly skilled developers will have created the software and eradicated any issues, which means fewer, if any, complications. Going this route almost guarantees that the software is created correctly.

4. You can also expect a relatively fast deployment; purchase the software and install it immediately. In a fast-paced business world, this can save valuable time so you can get back to what’s important.

5. Using Software or implementing it is such a huge task in itself. If you are not working already on software for your company then it’s not advisable at all that you try to develop something that you have never used. It’s like trying to make a Car without knowing how to drive a car.

What's lacking in Indian Higher Education System to compete with the Best Abroad ?

In the last 9 years I had my good chance to visit more than a 1000 odd Colleges and Universities in India. I am writing this not because I provide IT-ICT solutions to them but because I genuinely feel about it.

Every chairman or director or principal that I meet is always highly interested in raising the bar of education of the students. Everyone wants best of the faculty and students with best school level grades to flock with them. But somehow that is not always possible. Its not possible for those 5 to 6 year young Institutes to attract the best and therefore they have to settle with what they get. They might be having world class facilities and infrastructure but then that is something that they all ought to have to survive the competition.

Now lets come to case of big established some 15 to 20 years or more old Institutions of India, here you can find experienced faculty (not probably the best though) and more demand in students/parents for them due to the heritage they enjoy. But they too are suffering because of the high rate of faculty turnover. The new booming education sector is eating up all top faculties from them and depriving them of the main USP that they have.

In this scenario what I am trying to say is that what is that one major difference that the TOP Colleges & Universities of the world have that our's are lacking. Why are our Top Universities no where in the TOP 100 Universities of the world. With my little understanding I think its the Use of Technology by the University & College Management, faculties and students to enhance learning which makes the basic difference.

Let me give you some specifics : 

1. A large number of Indian Universities don't have the faculty that can use technology to share academic content with the students. Even when they have that kind of faculty the Universities don't invest in the technology that can provide platform for such interaction.

2. IT investment is still only judged in Indian Universities by the number of computers that they provide and on how powerful the Internet Bandwidth that they enjoy. Why do they don't consider the importance of quality academic content sharing with the students? Why don't they consider the importance of technology in managing the day to day activities of there large organizations using Technology solutions?

3. In India you can go to a restaurant or a small daily needs kind of shop and get a computerized bill, but you will not get a computerized bill for your fee payed in more than 5% of Colleges and Universities in India.

4. All Colleges in India still don't have even digital records of the Students they have or the the books in Library.

Top Universities of the world like Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Cambridge, Harvard University, University of Oxford, University of Chicago, Stanford University etc. are always working in the direction to make effective use of technology to improve standard in education. When India is so great a county in the IT sector then what is stopping the Indian Universities to utilize this aspect.

Do you agree with me that the "Use of Technology" is the main reason that is stopping Indian Universities for getting Globally recognized ?


I would like to request the readers of this article to share there comments on this.

Ragging

When we talk of our first day in college, besides other things that come to our mind, one of the most common thing is ragging. The term ragging has different meanings for different people. Some consider it a good way of communicating with the freshers while others may consider it humiliating or harassing. Freshers and seniors both respond differently towards ragging.

Ragging is not bad. If done in a friendly atmosphere it can be a good way of interaction between seniors and juniors. But some seniors forget that they too were once in the same situation and force the freshers to do unnecessary things which not only spoils their day but also makes them feel humiliated.

Teachers and principals in the college do try to keep a track of all such activities. Various laws have been passed in this regard. Police patrolling is being undertaken outside many colleges for a first few weeks to keep the situation under control. Posters are displayed outside and inside various colleges and many anti-ragging campaigns are being introduced this year.

P.S: "Comments R Welcome"

SLEEP

As a college student, there are many factors that may make maintaining a regular sleep schedule difficult, such as living in the residence hall, studying for exams, late classes, and socializing. Your daily habits and activities may affect how well you sleep.  The demanding lives of undergraduate and graduate students can make it challenging to maintain healthy daily habits.

There are many options on campus for this:

Try to get some physical activity on most days: Exercise can promote more regular sleep and wake patterns as well as reduce stress.

A regular meal schedule can also help you get a good night’s sleep: Eat smaller meals and be especially careful to avoid heavy meals near bedtime.

Practice time management with your school work: Worrying in bed about the next day or week can keep you from falling asleep. Try to stay on top of your school work to decrease your overall stress and worry, and to reduce last minute cramming.

Go to bed and wake up as close as possible to the same time every day: Having a set bedtime and rising time will help your body get used to a sleeping schedule.

The more you know about your own sleep patterns and your own sleep needs, the more you can use sleep as a tool to increase your productivity and help you manage the symptoms of your mental health disorder.  It may be helpful to track your sleep over the course of a week.

P.S: "Comments R Welcome"

Self Control - Take Charge Of Your Life…..

Self control is important in our lives. A simple definition would be that we are able to live with restraint and keep our feelings under control. But is there more to self-control? Well worth a review and the answers seem quite revealing. Self control is a positive in our life. We can live, we can act with confidence. We live within limits. Our values and principles give us balance and solidity. Give us firm and valuable foundations from which to base our activities and endeavors. For this is what we all need to live with confidence and authority. And controlling our self, our actions, thoughts and feelings is an important factor in achieving a solid and reliable basis on which to live our lives.

Self as in self control. Our self, our being. Our identity. Our individuality. Our personality. Our self.

We can control but not be controlled….

We can live and make a difference…..

We can enjoy life yet work hard and play hard…

We can achieve and be grateful for it…

We can be successful in our own very individual way and be humble at the same time…

P.S: "Comments R Welcome"

Anybody, Nobody, Somebody, & Everybody

You’ve heard the story about Anybody, Nobody, Somebody, and Everybody?

An important job had to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

This is the great story I really wanted to share with u…so students always do your work by your own>>>do not depend on anybody>>>>>>>

Academic excellence

Academic excellence and professional skills may help you get into a career. However, it is important to develop life-skills that will help you make a success of your career and manage personal success better.

As a student, realise the importance of life-skills, which help you succeed in your chosen field as well as manage your life successfully. The environment in which you grow up has a bearing on your personal characteristics, behaviour and attitudes. Similarly, the career that you choose, determines the type and extent of life-skills required to succeed.

The key to balancing academic and personal life, or balancing career and personal life after education, is time management. It’s important to understand that becoming successful in your professional and personal life has no meaning unless you learn to manage success. People struggle for a lifetime to become successful, but in many cases personal success breeds arrogance, contempt for others and quest for more power or wealth. Remember, arrogance of success, wealth and supremacy leads finally to isolation and ultimate downfall. Therefore, life-skills are critical not only to achieve success, but more importantly to manage success. These life-skills act as a lifeline increasing awareness of your strengths, vulnerabilities and limitations, enabling you to develop humility - the invaluable attitude of openness, and the right personal value system. Academic excellence and related skills may help you get into a career, but life-skills help you to make a success of it, and become a better human being, capable of managing personal success. Excellence in life is therefore not an accident; it’s doing the right things right, continuously.

P.S: "Comments R Welcome"

Importance of Personality Development in Modern World

Personality means characteristics and appearance of a person – pattern of thought, feeling , behaviour, communication ability and physical features . A child inherits many personality traits from its parents. Personality of a person takes its basic formation in the beginning period of childhood. Its experiences in the family and the society are very crucial. Friends, teachers and the environment of school have their own positive or negative impact. Adults need to be very careful while rearing a child because deep scars on the psychology of a child may have permanent marks. To develop positive thinking in the child parents must relate to each other in a positive way.

With the help of good training a child or an adult can learn communication skills, different subjects, driving or computer operating. Similarly a training in personality development enhances the general as well as unique traits of a person. A teacher of personality development helps a person to get positive thought pattern, gain confidence, improve behaviour, learn better communication and develop a healthy physique.

Previously it was thought that every person lived his or her whole life according to the personality script written in childhood. To change it was almost impossible. But after years of research and practical applications the man has progressed in the science of personality transformation. With the help of simple methods now anybody can develop a winning personality and change his or her future.

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BALANCING LIFE AND WORK

Balancing life and work is a matter of choice

A lot of people talk about wanting more balance and flexibility in their work and in their lives, about wanting to achieve “work/life” balance.

The idea of work/life balance doesn’t make much sense, though. It somehow implies that work and life are separate, that there’s a choice to be made between the two. But work isn’t something you do when you’re not living your life. It’s just as much a part of your life as family time or play.

Maybe it’s better to just think about living a more “balanced life”, one in which work and the various other aspects of your life are integrated and honored. You get to choose what matters most to you and how much attention you wish to give to each area of your life.

Balancing life and work is an ongoing process that takes constant attention and requires a certain amount of vigilance. You’ll probably never achieve lasting “balance”, but you can certainly be more aware about what matters to you. 

P.R: "Comments R Welcome"

Should we believe in astrology

This thread is for the people who are hooked to the cycle of stars.

This is a trend that the people are coming up as astrologers. They are buying the time and on the regular basis are forecasting the future of common people.

I have seen people who are consulting the astrologers, for small things also. It is usually being consulted on the time of marriage. Some of the astrologer are giving bad name to our ancient science. It should be respected rather than making people afraid of the stars.

What do you think about it?

Is it necessary to believe on the astrologers?

Should we have faith on astrology?

World without God is Zero without One!

P.S: "Comments R Welcome"

Happiness is the key to success

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” 

This is one of the best quotes ever written. Rich with truth.

Do you love what you do? Does your daily schedule bring you to life? Do you spring out of bed fired up to start your day?

This kind of life is very possible if you focus on what makes you happy. Some people re-arrange their entire lives so that they can do what they love. It is not always an easy thing to pull off but it is possible.

If you are not 100% happy then NOW is the time to figure out exactly what it is you love the most and start immediately working towards doing that very thing… forever!

P.S: "Comments R Welcome"

MANAGE STRESS

It may seem that there’s nothing you can do about stress. The bills won’t stop coming, there will never be more hours in the day, and your career and family responsibilities will always be demanding. But you have more control than you might think. In fact, the simple realization that you’re in control of your life is the foundation of stress management. Managing stress is all about taking charge: of your thoughts, emotions, schedule, and the way you deal with problems.It is very essential to manage your stress from the students life as this will hold your future .

Think about the ways you currently manage and cope with stress in your life. Your stress journal can help you identify them. Are your coping strategies healthy or unhealthy, helpful or unproductive? Unfortunately, many people cope with stress in ways that compound the problem.If your methods of coping with stress aren’t contributing to your greater emotional and physical health, it’s time to find healthier ones. 

There are many healthy ways to manage and cope with stress, but they all require change. You can either change the situation or change your reaction. When deciding which option to choose, it’s helpful to think of the four As: avoid, alter, adapt, or accept.Since everyone has a unique response to stress, there is no “one size fits all” solution to managing it. No single method works for everyone or in every situation, so experiment with different techniques and strategies. Focus on what makes you feel calm and in control.

P.S:  "Comments R Welcome"

Creating Your Own Luck

Why? Because today you have a choice. You can choose to live this day on purpose. And when you make that decision, you put yourself in a position to receive everything that today has to offer. You can make today your lucky day. To continually receive good things in life, you must surrender yourself daily to a worthy cause. I believe your luck increases in direct proportion to the extent that you live your life on purpose in a business or cause that is bigger than yourself.

Many people think success is just a matter of chance; that good things in life are flukes.  People say, "They were just in the right place at the right time." Now that part is true. But what most people don't realize is that we create our own luck by preparing ourselves to be in the right place at the right time.

As I always see students r more dependent on luck factor, but believe me it’s the hard work that makes it stronger for you….

P.S:  “Comments R Welcome”

Change Your Feelings, Change Your Attitude

It almost goes without saying, but when I'm grumpy I have a bad attitude. What this tells me is that my attitude - which can be fairly easily ascertained by my facial expression and body language

Now it's not any secret that the answer to a bad attitude is a good laugh, a smile, and pleasant thoughts. Why? Because you can't genuinely laugh and smile without a corresponding good feeling. Our feelings have a direct impact on our outward demeanor.

It is very essential in the beginning of student life to have a right attitude.

The challenge is controlling our feelings. Change our feelings, change our attitude. The good news is that we can control our feelings. We're not at the mercy of our emotional life. Emotions serve as a barometer of what's going on inside of us. And we can change what's going on inside.

How? By monitoring our thoughts. Our thoughts affect our feelings which in turn shows up in our attitude. And the best way to monitor our thoughts is by listening to our self-talk. In other words, we need to think about our thinking. This might be a true difference between us and animals. We have the ability to consider our thought process and not just react by instinct And since we can control our thoughts, we have the ability to influence our feelings and thus change our attitude. That is good news indeed.

P.S: "Comments R Welcome"

WEIGHT LOSS: AS YOU SOW, SO SHALL YOU REAP

The drive to lose weight can be your reflection on a rude remark, but many remain apprehensive of attaining their goals. While some manage successfully, other lack commitment and go back and forth on diets, and always buy the latest ‘miracle drug’. However, it takes more than just a diet to lose weight.

“I FEEL THAT FOR COMPLETE WELL- BEING, ONE SHOULD INTEGRATE PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL HEALTH”. 

Most people think they are motivated enough to move to a strictly regulated diet, but I find that they fail to put it in practice. No diet or exercise programme has permanent benefits. The good news is that when the diet becomes a part of your daily routine, following it is not a struggle. This results in a heightened sense of well-being.

ACCORDING TO ME “TO BE HEALTHY SHOULD BE THE ULTIMATE GOAL FOR ALL”

P.S: Comments R Welcome

Students, Alcohol, and Drugs

Alcohol and drug use among students is a serious problem.
Illegal drugs, underage possession of alcohol, and drunk driving can costs fines and jail time. Fights and injuries are more likely to happen when one has been drinking or doing drugs. Half of campus injuries are alcohol-related. One third of people who die in drunk driving crashes are under 25 years old. It's the leading cause of death for young people.
Many people have stereotypes of what an alcoholic or addict is, and most people don't associate that image with young students. Being young and in college doesn't protect you from addiction. Responsible behavior does.


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Fashion craze of students

Fashion is a general term for a currently popular style or practice. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person. Fashion in real meanings is not to wear trendy, expensive and attractive clothes. Fashion is a style, it’s a make, and it’s an appearance. So, what so ever one is wearing must suit him. Fashion is not to wear what others wear. Just the theme is to wear anything that perfectly suits and match the personality of the wearer. Every person is fashion-conscious. It is rather a craze all over the world. Students in Pakistan are very particular about fashion. Everyone, whether boy or girl dresses in the latest fashion . They do it in a competitive spirit to look smart, up-to-date and attractive. Being fashionable is not about blindly following the latest fashion rather it is the modification of latest fashion according to your individuality, personality and your identity as a student. What you wear is a reflection of your inner self. And your dress must be representing the original you with a touch of style and modernity.
When dressing for college, university etc there are many factors to consider. The main factor for many students is staying comfortable while still expressing their own personal style. Student life is stressful, and you’re going to want to be comfortable more often than you’ll want to be stylish
The trends in fashion are an on going process, and those who are keen on being in the most fashionable list definitely have to be alert all the time. Wear, decorate, or utilize what suits you best. Because doesn’t mean all fashion trends suitable for you.


P.S:  “Comments R Welcome”.

Innovative Methods of Teaching

Teaching must include two major components sending and receiving information. Ultimately, a teacher tries his best to impart knowledge as the way he understood it. So, any communication methods that serve this purpose without destroying the objective could be considered as innovative methods of teaching. The use of innovative methods in educational institutions has the potential not only to improve education, but also to empower people, strengthen governance and galvanize the effort to achieve the human development goal for the country. Education is a light that shows the mankind the right direction to surge. The purpose of education is not just making a student literate but adds rationale thinking, knowledgeablity and self sufficiency. When there is a willingness to change, there is hope for progress in any field. Creativity can be developed and innovation benefits both students and teachers.

“Education is the manifestation of perfection already in man”

Education is a light that shows the mankind the right direction to surge. If education fails to inculcate self-discipline and commitment to achieve in the minds of student, it is not their fault. We have to convert education into a sport and learning process has to generate interest in the students and motivate them to stay back in the institution than to run away from it. Education should become a fun and thrill to them rather than burden and boredom. It is an integral part of their growth and helps them become good citizens. Education is an engine for the growth and progress of any society. It not only imparts knowledge, skills and inculcates values, but is also responsible for building human capital which breeds, drives and sets technological innovation and economic growth. In today’s era, information and knowledge stand out as very important and critical input for growth and survival. Rather than looking at education simply as a means of achieving social upliftment, the society must view education also as an engine of advancement in an information era propelled by its wheels of knowledge and research leading to development.

P.N:  "Comments r Welcome".

5 TIPS to Clients for actually making ERP Modules LIVE at Campus

Dear Clients/ERP Managers,


With our experience of last 4 years with IFW College ERP we have felt that no matter how much we and you try(this has nothing to do with how many features the ERP has), till the end module user does not work on the ERP on their respective module “things don’t get LIVE”. 


We are giving you 5 TIPS for actually making all modules of ERP LIVE at your Campus : 


TIP 1 #
Keep the carrot and stick in hand approach for the module users. Motivate and appreciate the module user who have actually done work on the ERP. They should not feel that they are working on it uselessly and the management is not recognizing them. Also, at the same time give deadlines to the ones who have not either started working in ERP or are lazy and making excuses of their general work pressures and lack of time etc. Its your internal decision how strict you want to be with the defaulters and lazy staff members. Some of our clients have clearly said to the staff “Either get LIVE on the ERP or else find job somewhere else.....”.


TIP 2#
The management has to ask for reports(1 or 2 selected ones) from all the modules on their desk every evening or check themselves daily working on the ERP by their own login. Why will your staff work on the ERP if you still want to see the work in old pattern. You have to reject anything that comes to you without ERP. For Example : Tell your Accounts department to show you the daily collection report from the ERP every day, or tell your HODs to give you daily record of absent students etc. If you check this for just 7 days, we bet your ERP will be LIVE and kicking.


TIP 3#
Give the staff what they need but only on the condition that ERP has to be LIVE. Some departments will need more data entry operators initially.... give them. Some will ask for retraining of modules, tell us we will give them Online ERP training on their live Database any number of times they need, but they have to get LIVE on ERP on each module.


TIP 4#
Recruit only those people in your College from today who can work on an ERP. We are not saying that they should have experience of working on ERP, but they should be willing to work on it from day 1 of their joining at your campus. New recruits can be made comfortable on the ERP by your ERP manager, other staff members and our IFW Team too. Needless to say but its your decision if you still want to keep in your college old staff who either does not know computers or are not ready to learn anything about working on ERP.


TIP 5#
Show your staff that now AICTE has made it essential for all its affiliated colleges to have an ERP with a Parent's Login. So, if something is of so much importance how can you allow anyone in your college ignore it.




Your’s Truly,


Karan Garg
Chief ERP Architect,
MD & CEO
IFW Techno Creations Pvt. Ltd.

Web : http://www.ifweducation.com/

Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/ifwerp

Why Half of ERP Implementations Fail ?

1.   Lack of proper staff training. - If the staff of the organization is not properly trained by the ERP Implementation Team even the best of ERPs will fail.

2.   Lack of commitment from the TOP Management. - The TOP Management has to ask all the different departments to work on their respective modules and provide them reports and data in computerized format.

3.   Lack of resources in the organization. - ERPs need proper server, network architecture, security from viruses, Internet facility and a dedicated ERP Manager of the organization.

4.  Internal resistance by employees to work on a new system. - The management has to motivate the staff to work into a new and hi-tech environment as that is the demand of future. Once the staff comes live on the ERP then they too will appreciate the fast working with the EPR as it will make their work very easy and error free.

5. When a Bottom Up approach is used. - The ERPs are to be viewed as a TOP Management Priority to keep all the departments in check and manage them in an centralized view.

6. When clients do not plan the future expenses. - As the organizations grow the requirements of the ERP grows with time. Clients have to understand the charges of AMC, Customizations, additional onsite support after implementation etc. while purchasing the ERP to avoid confusions and confrontations later.

7. Inability to provide timely customizations and enhancements in the ERP by Vendor. -  All organizations are working under the rules and guidelines of the Government or some parent body, these bodies changes the rules and guidelines for the organizations/businesses and so these have to be incorporated into the ERP too to make the organization ready for that change.

8. Lack of proper usage of some department. - ERP Implementation is a race where everyone’s legs are tied up with each other. If one fails that creats problems for all. ERP brings centralization of all departments so that information can flow between departments easily. If some of the department(s) does not work properly it becomes problem for the others. It’s the provocative of the ERP Manager to make sure all departments are working in tandem with each other on the ERP.

9. Wrong selection of ERP. - If the organization is an University they should not buy a solution made for a College or School. The client and vendor both have to understand the fisiablity of the EPR in the organization before the deal.

10. Rome was not built in a Day. - The companies developing and implementing ERP solutions have proper idea how ERP works. Many organizations feel that they themselves can make ERP Solutions by deploying a team of developers. It’s not impossible but such organizations make solutions which are very unique to their own style & comfort of working which hampers the standardization of processes. In such cases most of the ERP fails or what actually happens is that only few modules are made live, most of the modules are not made because of their complications and the organization gets in a mode where neither they are on a complete ERP nor they are without automation. ERP developing vendors make sure that all processes are on standard format as per the industry and are updated time to time as required.