PSSI Logo 2010
Your PSSI
 eUpdate Newsletter
In This Issue:
What the Heck is "Big Data"?
APICS Annual Awards
Some Assembly is Required
The Top Five Career Regrets
PSSI Blog
Blog Image
Click the links below to access the month's articles from the PSSI Blog
 
 ~ 
This is just a sample of the topics covered in the "PSSI Blog." You may review the entire collection of business observations at:
pssiusa.wordpress.com

Also, watch your email For the "PSSI Blog Log" summary of all of the recent PSSI Blogs.

LetterLetter From the President

Brian Sittley, President, PSSI
Brian Sittley

As 2012 draws to a close -- and assuming the Mayans were wrong -- we're excited about the New Year, just as we've been excited over the past year about the growth we've seen here at PSSI, the new clients, the new projects, the new learning, the (soon to be unveiled) new website, and the new faces we've met (and hired) in the last year.

From everyone here to all our clients and suppliers and partners we wish you and yours a happy and blessed Christmas Holiday, and the very best in the coming New Year.

We earn our living helping small business deploy ERP systems to gain competitive advantage.  I hope our comments here in our newsletter and in our regular blog posts pique your interest from time to time and help YOU improve your operations and your profits.  Questions, problems...?  We're here to help!

 

Thank you for your support... 

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Brian, Jackie, David, Vicki, Ted, Eric and Chuck!

 

Regards,  
Brian Sittley Sig 


"Providing Mission-Critical Information Systems for Business Since 1987."

Whether we want them or not, the New Year will bring new challenges; whether we seize them or not, the New Year will bring new opportunities.
 
~Michael Josephson
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December, 2012
Regrets Quotation - Arthur Miller
Hi  ,

For several months, I've been shirking my duty by NOT writing and sending an eUpdate newsletter. Not only have I been mentally preoccupied with the redesign of our web site, there hasn't been a lot going on in our branch of the software industry. I know, excuses, excuses, excuses...
 
Today, I'll try to address a topic that, if you're like me, you have heard about, but really don't understand: Big Data. Some additional mental assembly may be required.
 
Then I'll brag a little about a couple of recognitions received at PSSI. (Note that I didn't say "Major Awards." This close to Christmas, you might expect to see a "leg lamp" in the front window at the office.)
 
Finally, I'll touch on "regrets." As Frank sang, "Regrets, I've had a few, but then too few to mention..." I regret that it has taken me so long to write this eUpdate. Have a merry Christmas and a prosperous new year.

 

What the Heck is "Big Data"?
Big Data Image
For the past several months, I've been hearing the  term "Big Data," but I really wasn't sure what it was until I did some research.
 
As it turns out, the concept of big data is pretty simple; implementing it is the hard part. Isn't that the way most things work? 
 
The best article I found discussing big data is Big Data - What Is It?. According to IDC, it is imperative that organizations and IT leaders focus on the ever-increasing volume, variety and velocity of information that forms big data. I translate that to mean accumulating massive amounts of variable data which can be readily accessed and analyzed for the betterment of business operations.

A prime example with which most of us a familiar, is Amazon.com. Not only does Amazon track what you buy, when and for how-much, they also know what other products you considered while making that decision, products or options associated with your main purchase, and, being the great up-sellers that they are, they constantly make suggestions for new purchases based on what you have purchased in the past. I bought a copy of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy several years ago; today, the site brought up recommendations for the other books in the Douglas Adams collection. I'm sure you get the idea...

Most of the examples used in the article are for very high volume companies: Walmart customer activity, credit card transaction, Facebook information.

If you're reading this newsletter which is directed primarily to small and mid-sized companies, you're probably wondering, "How does big data affect my company? We don't have anywhere near the volume of data that Amazon and Walmart have." 
 
A second article brings the concept of big data down to a level at which most of us can relate: Big-Data Benefits with Small Data: Smaller Companies are Turning to Data, too

Data volumes are relative based on the size of the enterprise. You probably don't process the million plus transaction per hour that Walmart does. But you need similar information, based on your own customers and products, to analyze things like who is buying which products, what inventory moves quickly or slowly, what industries are represented in our customer base, are our customers' purchases increasing or decreasing- and by how much? You probably have some of the raw data that can provide the answers to these, and other questions. The big question is, can you retrieve the data, quickly and easily, and perform an orderly analysis of it?

Read the articles linked above. Not only will you be able to amaze your friends as you discuss "Big Data" at your next business or social gathering, you might find some application for small big data in your company.
APICS Annual Awards
APICS Logo
Member of the Year & Company of the Year

The Michiana Chapter of APICS - The Association for Operations Management recently announced their recognition awards for the 2011-2012 program year. 

Jackie Sittley, PSSI Vice President and Account Manager was named Member of the Year. The award recognizes the individual who, through her time and efforts, greatly contributed to the success of the company. Jackie had served as APICS Chapter Secretary and on the Board of Directors during the year. In recognition of the on-going support PSSI provides for the Chapter, PSSI was named as Company of the Year.

 

For information about APICS, the international organization, visit http://www.apics.org/about. You will fine additional information about the APICS Michiana Chapter, including membership and meeting information, at http://www.apics-michiana.org

Some Assembly is Required
Image portraying Kitting
Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 includes Assembly Management.
 
Many of our clients are light manufacturers, and wholesalers who need a simple kitting solution that allows them to manage the conversion process with minimal setup effort, and for an affordable price. The new Dynamics NAV Assembly Management functionality was designed with those requirements in mind.

While "manufacturing" typically concerns itself with converting (changing the physical nature of) raw materials into finished goods, "kitting" puts together end-products into a sellable unit, and assembly is often a hybrid of the two. For the smaller business an assembly task often means picking a set of items and packing them into one box that is sold as a kit, making the "production process" a part of regular warehouse operations. 
 
The assembly granule is included in the Starter license package, comes with minimum setup requirements, supports companies that run both assemble-to-order and assemble-to-stock processes, and is fully integrated with the entire Microsoft Dynamics NAV supply chain suite.
The Top Five Career Regrets
When You Wish Upon a Star Image What do you regret most about your career?
 
As we enter the final days of the year, people will often look back over the previous twelve months to review their accomplishments. While it is not particularly productive to dwell on failures, missed opportunities or wrong paths taken, most of us remember them - if for no other reason than to make sure we don't repeat them.

Daniel Gulati, a tech entrepreneur and published author, writing in the Harvard Business Review blog, discusses his findings when interviewing 30 professionals. He asked each of them what they regretted most about their careers to date.

The top five answers were:
1. I wish I hadn't taken the job for the money.
2. I wish I had quit earlier.
3. I wish I had the confidence to start my own business.
4. I wish I had used my time at school more productively.
5. I wish I had acted on my career hunches.

If the people had followed their muse and acted in these areas, would they have succeeded? Would they be happier now? No one can ever know for sure. One thing that we can be sure of is that they would know whether the "road not taken" would have led them to happiness - or simply to other regrets.

Christmas Cheer

 
, thanks for subscribing, thanks for reading, and thanks for being a friend of PSSI.

Sincerely,

Ted Myers
Marketing Manager
574-239-2444
Productivity Strategies & Solutions, Inc.
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