The Global Recession Shaping The Organization’s Thirst (AN OBSERVATION)

This was a disaster when the hurricane hit the economic shores of almost all the countries. It has been a great plunge of depression and downturn everywhere. Many of us started comparing the eventful disaster with 2001-2002 crisis and later realized that this time it is not only IT but also finance and manufacturing industries those are majorly hit.

It is obvious, like any other sphere of life the economy also rests on a spinning wheel hence you see both ups and downs. Now the question is all about how much predictable the falls and ups are? Some says the probability of the down fall is although not precisely quantified but every 4-6 years you may see some huge turbulence.

Although there are n numbers of classical approach you could refer and try to identify at least the starting point of this spree and identify the end of it but the fact is that those classical approaches are mere theories.

When we dig too much into a theory created by us or someone we admire we start to believe in it and try to predict and analyze behaviors by using it. If we see any occurrence or instance of any behavior we basically observe some of the outcome or characteristics of the same. Those are mere dots and we connect them. As per our tenacity we try to accumulate as many dots as possible. Then we join them and think that we have found the solution. This re-engineering gives birth to lots of theories which are mere observations. As Steve jobs said the dots could only be joined in past not in the future.

But observations may help us identify the trends. Drowning Lehman Bros and Citi showed that the moment of panic has finally arrived which was a correct projection.

The million dollar question now in our plate is how we know whether the recession is over. More precisely what could be the signs (dots) by which we can see some lights in the horizon.

In the current circumstances companies have taken some major steps for their survival. From lay man's point of view we would see the changes most relevant to us. Like layoffs, salary cuts and lot of perks and facilities vanishing for most of us in our work place showed us where we are heading towards and the reverse of this may show us the other side of economic revival.

I personally feel that this may not be a pure indicator as the cost savings will help companies standardize their business. So now this global turmoil has also showed the companies some ways to streamline their operation and increase their productivity. Earlier productivity could mean a huge bonus for the management and employees now this would surely mean a huge income for the board members. Many of the CEOs and top executives are happy to show the dark side of the economy, they are pretty open to talk about salary cuts and cost savings.

But at last I am sure there would be a hope; things would change for most of the employed class. We should remember that boom of salary and jobs were driven by the huge need of quality talent. I am sure the same talent would drive the things high irrespective of whether the employee is rewarded enough in his organization. Options are always open for them. SO the biggest challenge a company may face in the near future is to maintain enough critical resources and hiring extra-ordinary employees.

But when there is hue that we have overcome the recession, you should know that the news is at least 6 months old :)

Strategies : A probable path for SAP's niche

This post is in succession with my previous post : $7.4 billion deal.

This space is completely dedicated to SAP where I am going to discuss few strategies SAP may take to nullify the hostile environmental affect.

Although the SAP Netweaver stack consists of ABAP and JAVA but the comparative success of Java in SAP space may be commendable but mostly insignificant. This definitely comes as a consolation for most of the think tanks as the migration from Java or reduction of Java in further initiatives would not take huge effort or money.

Now we are talking about SUN Solaris, an age tested probably the fastest OS in server space and no doubt it is still lucrative for SAP to use Solaris platform for their massive ERP instances. Let’s look for some close alternatives to substitute the Solaris effect with equally comparable and stable OS, NO we are not talking about Windows 2003. Any Linux or Unix flavor would give an ultimate real-time performance with comparable runtime statistics, provided it is a server version. Sun Microsystem and HP were SAP's one of the biggest strategic partner with their huge commitments for Open source contribution till date and of course this also motivated SAP to make their DB floating in open space. This makes HP a potential blade server and OS vendor for SAP. With a stable and agile system probably they could unleash new potential for SAP ERP by tweaking their systems for better performance.

Do they have to live without a strong programming language like Java? When it comes to Java, the answer could be YES. Microsoft technology may not be as flexible and widely acceptable as Java but the Windows Company is evolving fast in this space. SAP has already partnership with Microsoft in various development and integration project, like DUET. The ambitious "People Ready" business is nowhere close to SAP and to get a share in ERP market Microsoft has been quite aggressive in this space. There were also speculations that Microsoft may buy out some of the bigger ERP vendor in market and this makes Microsoft a friend of SAP with converging goals.

I am not denying another chance of Merger or Acquisition here ;)

NOTE: This note is merely an opinion not a deliberate behest and not intended to be biased towards any party.

SUN buy out : Obvious but Fitful !

With the recent news of Oracle buying SUN has definitely propelled lot of thought process among concerned community.

As Larry has pointed out that they are trying to provide an end-to-end offering rather than stand alone solutions for their customer, we can also see some obvious advantage Oracle sweeping over IBM and SAP.

Until recently Oracle was mainly concerned about their Database rather than any business application and after its well known venture into ERP and CRM space they started using Java extensively which made them to buy SUN to retain the full control on their product life cycle. The open source Java and its mode of licensing in the future may remain a matter of contention and speculation but definitely this move brings the competitive edge of Solaris and Sun servers to Oracle's pocket. Historically Sun Server and Solaris OS are admired for its performance and dependability.

What I could see is the SAP getting impacted more due to this movement which could also be a deciding or may be a considerable factor behind this buyout where SUN server, Solaris and Java can make any ERP offering more lucrative than its peers. Till date SAP has a huge domination in ERP and CRM area and IBM Microsoft and Oracle are in their process to capture the high end space.

SAP had a paradigm shift a decade ago when they thought of migrating to an integrated platform and promoted Java in their Netweaver engine. ABAP stacks were replaced or moved to maintenance phase in many areas of SAP space. They have also changed their stand towards the use of Oracle Database as the back-end of their R/3 stack. But this acquisition keeps us guessing how they future of Java would be and how this is going to impact the web services and SOWA space or SAP.

No doubt this is a smart move from Oracle investing in a excellent technological firm in right time, the buying price is phenomenally low and all the odds seems to be in Oracle’s favor. But the main point is integration! As the offerings of SUN are totally diverse but still remain in different space from Oracle’s offerings. The integration and success is always a QUESTION MARK for any company. Let the TIME tell its story.

DISCLAIMER: All logo and company names are proprietary of their own organisation.

A strong wind!

A wind, a strong wind may perish me .... but I have a equally good change to get lifted higher and higher in the air.

Today's Words.

Garble: to distort the meaning of something.
Preternatural: Outside the nature. (may be used to define calibre of very high standard)
Victual: food etc commodities
Cryptic: ..

Pics taken by me ::

I kept myself bzy cooking in Phili, US.....

Behind Neckar River...

Konstanz at dusk....

Koln Cathedral...

Koln ...

Aquarium at Manheim.....

Beautiful Heidelburg.......

A Evening in Constanz . Crusification of Jusus..

This is where Hitler Surrendered.... Black Forest

Black Forest ...

Photo Shoot :: PARIS

If you guy's have read Vinchi Code then you should be knowing this :)

The Famous lover's spot.

Taming a lion.

Pics Taken By Me:) :: BHADRA

Glimpses of Bhadra, Karnataka :: A place worth visiting.

Pics Taken by Me :: Tripura

Beautiful scenic of Udaipur Tripura.

MATABARI: Udaipur, Tripura. ( Famous temple of Maa Kaali )

Effective Interviewing Skills

How do we go for a company? How do we analyze if a company is worth working for? The probable answers are.. ‘Heard a good deal about it’, ‘My friend recommends’. Oh yes but what if instead of all positive feedback your first interview with them sucks? That poor note on your mind is a real decider. Whatsoever the credit of that Impression goes to the interviewers!!

So we know how important is a interview process for a company, not only in terms of selecting right resource but also in spreading the brand image of that organization.

There are various and lengthy process and tricks for successful interview taking. I would try to cover some of the important aspects and methods while taking interviews.
Below is the famous interviewing funnel:~

Before taking interview the best practice is to follow a standard practice and master in it thus a unique practice is followed across the organization. Always remember that the interview process for a candidate starts when he enters in to your premises, so be welcoming and make him comfortable. Below are some dos and don’ts.

Some Guidelines:
1) Stick to Roles.

2) Do not interrupt.

3) In case of panel interview do not cross talk.

4) Do not help the Candidate.

5) Select Lead Interviewer.

6) The others listen, take notes, and ask questions on the area which is not covered but relevant.

7) Prepare well and create co-ordination among the interviewers.

8) Follow up at end of the section.

9) Always brief about the length of interview and etc. before you start.

Below are some techniques noted down:Questioning Techniques.

1) Situation.

2) Task.

3) Achievement.

4) Review.

Questioning Pattern:

A complete interview should try to cover most of the below points:

1) Achievement.

2) Personality.

3) Attitude.

4) IQ.

5) Interest.

6) Aptitude. (Technical)

Depending upon the role and job description appropriate stress has to be given on the above points.
Remember the beauty of the interviewing skill lies with the interviewer. He should drive the candidate the way he wants.

All six points’ (Achievement, Personality, Attitude, IQ, Interest, Aptitude (Technical)) needs to be covered and questions should be prepared before the interview starts. For each point questioning pattern should be followed.

The main aim is to see the consistency of the answers through all steps. If any of the answer is not convincing do not leave the candidate or assume that candidate does not know further, it is advised to probe probe and probe further. This would narrow down relevant information which an interviewer wants from the candidate.

While doing the interview using the questioning pattern we should try to find the facts by pointing out the points of Questioning Techniques.

Even if we follow the Questioning Pattern and we see that any of ‘Situations’, ‘Task’, ‘Achievement, ‘Review’ is missing than most probably than not the candidate is not giving correct facts. A strong interview should know that questioning pattern is a flow questioning technique is a tool for validation by which we validate human qualities like ‘Attitude’, ‘Technical Skills’ etc. One should know that emotional quotient is the main driving factor for most of us even if there are some areas where the candidate is not strong enough still if the motivation is right and emotional quotient is correct the candidate may be the best candidate in the world.
Many of us may question why we should follow the above technique.This helps better co-ordination. This technique assures even if the interviewer is taking interview of a candidate with different skill sets still he could be actively involved and take a fantastic interview.

Grading:

Let’s call the execution of a full questioning pattern as a flow. While executing a flow we should see whether we can get all points of questioning techniques in this flow. If answer is yes than candidate should be awarded a highest grade.

For each different areas like ‘Achievement’, ‘Technical skill’, ‘Team Work’ etc one or more flow should be executed.

At the end please remember, that if the interview is not fruitful that we need to ponder and ask ourselves that if we have asked right question!!!

Today's Words

Yegg: A robber who robbs safe, safe cracker.

Lollygag: Spend time idly.

Tocsin: Alarm bell, or sound of it.

Frigorific: Chilling, causing cold.

WORD OF THE DAY !

XERIC: requiring a small amount of water.
YOKEL: Native of small village.
WITHAL: Nevertheless, ,In addition.
ZANY: Foolish, a subordinate joker.

Parallel Movie Industry

“All Characters (including me) in this article are fictitious. Resembling to any living or dead is only coincidental”

Early Morning time: 9:00 AM, first day first show of Movie ‘Hum Saap Ke Bil mein Rehte hain’ (I live in Serpent’s burrow). Mr. Ramalingam Ramesh Muthupati was rushing to make sure that he does not miss the first show. I was waiting till the evening for the review of the movie to come from the dedicated movie buffs. I rang up Mr Ramalingam in the evening to get his comments on the same.
Feedback on the movie was good and also according to Ram the movie was an excellent mixture of comedy and romance!!! Impressive: till I heard the following from him “but the picture quality was not that great”. Surprise!! And then I realized why the picture quality of the FIRST DAY FIRST HOME SHOW was not perfect.
I indeed made sure that my laptop is completely piracy free but I see a point here. It’s a dual movie shooting (mostly) , the camera man in the sets shoots for the first time during the make and the last and final time the First Day First Show people shoots from the Multiplex’s Movie Screen.
I was in argument with myself why should we not discourage pirated movie cd? You are forced to watch all the songs (even if you don’t like to) in the screens where as those CD gives you a flexibility to fast forward the movie, so you save time; by approximately half an hour. You save transport cost, expensive multiplex ticket cost and above all the cost of the special (WARNING: Special in terms of cost only) snacks you buy in those multiplexes. So you save close to 1000 bucks in any big Indian cities per movie per person. Now if we consider time is money you save 30 minutes that means, for average multiplex goers 30 minutes means another 200 Rs.
Adding all those you save 1200 bucksJ. Now you buy a DVD for 30 Rs, you get 4 movies in it which would have cost you a handsome 1200 X 4 = 4800, a hopping savings rite? This was savings per person. If you are watching a movie with your family you just multiply 4800 with number of family members watching and you would get a rough estimate. One of friend also raised an interesting fact when he said, by buying Pirated CD he is contributing towards a parallel industry as big as 2 billion! OHH..
I am not able to decide what was right and what am I loosing by going with Rama’s ploy. I wanted to know what our friends in other part of world has to say about this and then I discovered the below facts.

(Source : http://www.aic.gov.au/ )
This clearly indicates that there are more Rams there on the other sides of the border!!!! (We are nowhere close to them)
All those who think there is something unethical: OK I know I know….. it. :)

Face to Face with a lovely Insect :)

Most surprising and lovely incident!! Look at that insect it actually recognizes the difference between a finger and a straw. With me my friend Venkat ~ sharing some lighter moment with this lovely creature :)
Video 1 :~

Video 2:~

Have fun : JoY

SAP Patent Management !

Here is a brief document regarding SAP® INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT.

http://www.sap.com/usa/industries/media/pdf/BWP_IPM.pdf

Today's Words!

Queer : Feeling Slightly Ill.
Summesault: Acrobatic feat in which the feet roll over the head .
Excorcist: The act of practicins excorcism. (Removing Ghosts , spirits etc..)

Book: I have finished today

MALGUDI DAYS - R.K Narayan.

Short Stories

BIO FUEL: A Critique

A lot is sounding around regarding the Green Revolution!! Sounds great as we have a huge spectrum to work on, we may not plant trees but we have varieties of stuffs to do: we can sell carbon, calculate our carbon foot print or use bio fuels, hybrid cars. Although it all started with a try to make the earth a little better place to live but we are catching up with the dogma at a great pace by doing all those we could do. Bio Fuel is one of the initiatives that may not really suffice all of the above needs but definitely would help us save some drops of fossil fuels for our future generations.

If biofuels were taken off from the market, Merrill Lynch estimates oil prices would be 15% higher, which in turn would put further upward pressure on food prices. Indeed there is a huge economic advantage as the oil prices have risen 1000% in the last ten years while corn prices have risen only 200-300%. In 2006, the United States president George W. Bush said in a State of the Union speech that the US is "addicted to oil" and should replace 75% of imported oil by 2025 by alternative sources of energy including biofuels.

No doubt the bio fuels would fuel the growth of alternative energy sector but we should try to analyze the direct effects of it by plotting the graph of "Relative carbon released" Vs. "Economic benefit". The "Relative Carbon Released" would contain the ratio of 'total carbon released' to the atmosphere and 'amount of oxygen released' to the atmosphere during the plants full life cycle and the processing of the fuel (Burning). Certainly this plot would help us identifying the right biofuel for further usage.

Various types of bio fuels are in market as this technology is still nascent and would need to get time tested before it takes up the market. Feedstocks for biodiesel include animal fats, vegetable oils, soy, rapeseed, jatropha, mahua, mustard, flax, sunflower, palm oil, hemp, field pennycress, and algae. Pure biodiesel (B100) is by far the lowest emission diesel fuel. Although liquefied petroleum gas and hydrogen have cleaner combustion, they are used to fuel much less efficient petrol engines and are not as widely available. Biologically produced alcohols, most commonly ethanol, and less commonly propanol and butanol, are produced by the action of microorganisms and enzymes through the fermentation of sugars or starches (easiest), or cellulose (which is more difficult). Biobutanol (also called biogasoline) is often claimed to provide a direct replacement for gasoline, because it can be used directly in a gasoline engine. Ethanol fuel is the most common biofuel worldwide, particularly in Brazil. Alcohol fuels are produced by fermentation of sugars derived from wheat, corn, sugar beets, sugar cane, molasses and any sugar or starch that alcoholic beverages can be made from (like potato and fruit waste, etc.). There are researches going on Algae fuel. Algae fuel, also called oilgae or third generation biofuel, is a biofuel from algae. Algae are low-input, high-yield feedstocks to produce biofuels. It produces 30 times more energy per acre than land crops such as soybeans

Among all the bio fuel sources the Jatropha looks like most suitable candidate in place because ..

a) The hardy Jatropha is resistant to drought and pests, and produces seeds containing up to 40% oil. When the seeds are crushed and processed, the resulting oil can be used in a standard diesel engine, while the residue can also be processed into biomass to power electricity plants.
b) Goldman Sachs recently cited Jatropha curcas as one of the best candidates for future biodiesel production.However, despite its abundance and use as an oil and reclamation plant, none of the Jatropha species have been properly domesticated and, as a result, its productivity is variable, and the long-term impact of its large-scale use on soil quality and the environment is unknown.
c) Jatropha curcas, also known as physic nut, piñoncillo and Habb-El-Melúk, is used to produce the non-edible Jatropha oil, for making candles and soap, and as a feedstock for producing biodiesel.

d) Jatropha plantation has been identified as a most suitable option for the production of bio-fuels utilizing non-edible sources.
e) The plant is extremely drought resistance as its water requirement is extremely low. It can be easily propagated and grows rapidly. Sufficient amount of waste land is available in the State which could be utilized for jatropha cultivation.
f) A single Jatropha seed contains 27% to 31% extractable oil. 10,000 Hectares of jatropha is expected to yield 250,000-300,000 tons of crude jatropha oil per annum. The estimated revenues from 100,000 hectare farm would yield USD 100 mn per annum.
Some facts { Jatropha gossypifolia, also called bellyache bush: its fruits and foliage are toxic to humans and animals. It is a major weed in Australia. }

We have to understand that the bio fuel does not come with side effects. Especially the usage of corn would definitely shoot up the price of the foodstock and there would be a huge gap with global supply and demand of food. For the developing world rural poor who comprise about 67% of those living below a dollar a day, food price increases often increase income as their subsistence farms become economic while for the urban poor food price increases are disastrous. There is no apparent solution to this problem. But we should try to harness more and more wind and solar energy keeping the fact in mind that it is a expensive affair!



1st IMAGE courtsey : http://www.greenoptimistic.com/

Today's Words

Pathologist : ~ A specialist in pathology, One who diagnoses the changes caused by disease in tissues and bodyfluids.
Facetious : ~ Joking or jesting.
Univocalic : ~ Piece of writing tha uses only one of the vowels.
Kvell : ~ To be extraordinarily proud.
Misprision : ~ Neglect or wrong performance of official duty.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY

I am not only a pacifist but a militant pacifist. I am willing to fight for peace. -Albert Einstein