Why Do We Need To Study Technology?

For how many centuries, people were so desperate to make any inventions so that the chores and tasks will become more easy. From the people of the stone age era up to the present time, were and are very frantic on some stuffs. By scratching some stones to have fire up to what we have today in our stoves in our kitchens, the contribution done by the early homo erectus in Africa is more than appreciated. Even the technology that we use in riding in the air which was invented by the Wright brothers is more than appreciated also.

When somebody bound the question, 'Why do we need to study technology?', it came to pass on my mind some early inventions that were done by our great inventors. Inventions which was contributed a lot to our society. If we are going to say technology, this means more a lot of tangible and intangible things. Technology has a great impact in our society and even to our selves. Our life revolves around the latest technologies that we have today. Aside from increasing our knowledge, studying technology gives us the tracks on how we are going to make any advancement for our selves. By this, we will become more dynamic and not static. By technology, this will help people to build and make their idea of innovations into reality. Gaining your knowledge through studying technology will help you more advance.

Interview with the System Analyst

System Analyst is the problem solver of the organization. He is the one who is responsible in defining and solving of the of the problems so that it will meet the needs of the organization. He helps the organization to realize the maximum benefit from its investment in equipment, personnel, and business processes. System analyst may upgrade or made any updates also of any of the systems in the organization for the betterment of it. Most of the system analysts work any sytems such as accounting, scientific systems or other business systems that fits to the organization.

A system analyst is responsible also in planning, coordinating and recommending software and system choices to meet an organization's business requirements. He plays a vital role in the organization. A successful system analyst must possess some analytical, technical, managerial and interpersonal skills so that he can handle the team and the project well. These skills may help the system analyst so that he can easily understand the organization and its functions but also to know the limitations of the computers and to easily manage his people and to the end users of the systems. To sum up these, a system analyst may compare to a project manager but totally different from it for he is more responsible on the systems of the organization .

Last April 29, 2010, my classmates and I went to the Rhine Marketing-Computer Division which is located at San Pedro St., Davao City, Philippines to interview the present system analyst which is Mr. Cris Abella. He embraced us with a warm welcome to their family and in their function room we interviewed him.

Mr. Florenzie Palma which is one of my co-interviewers asked him if a system analyst can easily adopt to any changes. Without any doubts in mind, Sir Cris answered, “Of course, you have to be open to any possibilities of changes so that you can easily cope up what will happen next.” Sir Cris also shared on us that when you are going to design a program or system, you should get the manual procedure before you proceed and to transform it into automation. When Florenzie added a question if documentation is needed, Sir Cris said that documenting your system is important so that if there is a trouble or problem of your system, it easy for you as a system analyst to troubleshoot it.

Sir Cris tackled also that when you are going to propose a system to your client, be assure that your client is innocent of that so that you cannot be easily paid in low cost by your client but be ethical also in pricing of it. He added also that many CASE tools you may use nowadays that may help you in making systems without too much hard coding but to drag and drop because of the graphical user interface or GUI. When one of co-interviewers asked if what are the possible abilities of being a systems analyst, he said, “First, you have to be well-educated in Information Technology. Second, you should have a good analyzation so that you can easily predict without being told by your client. Third, anticipation is really needed and fourth, you have to open in any changes in your environment.”

When Mr. Florenzie asked again if what are the skills of a system analyst, Sir Cris answered him, “You have to be good in any technical and programming skills. Also, interpersonal skills is needed.” After a long conversation with him, I learned something which you should stand to your profession and be loyal into it. He shared something to us which made me and to any other IT students and IT professionals to ponder. Sir Cris said, “In dealing to any customers or clients, you have to be transparent of what system you are going to make. Do not make any unethical to your program (unethical here means that you should not make some settings into your program that make your client fret such as time bomb). Lastly, prove to your self and to others that you can make your project be done on time and be assure that you have edge from others.


Me, wearing yellow t-shirt, Florenzie who is in blue and the only girl in picture, Kyang-Kyang and Sir Cris A.

Systems Analyst

Being an information system analyst, it’s not an easy task for you have to be flexible, good communicator to your team, good thinker, good problem solver and good in any computer programming and technical skills. An information system analyst must also consider some factors in handling the system and his team so that he can solve some business problems in this kind of discipline. According on what I’d read over the internet, an information system analyst can be a perfect presentor, perfect system developer, has a good skills, has a better management, and there association must be better. Whew! What a really tough job. An information system analyst must also not rely on his own knowledge. He must be curious and dynamic so that he can be able to know the problems around him and solve it. In this kind of job or work, you are more a problem solver than a technical programmer.

Modern businesses use information systems so that their products and services they rendered to their customers will be given gratifiable. That is why; some experts say that information systems are crucial in modern business organizations. These were developed to make business more competitive and give impact to profit and productivity to the organization. There are lots of information systems that were used by the companies and corporations all over the country and even outside the country in their business transactions such as course registration system, online order system, account management system, etc.. Being an information system analyst, you have to be keen observer in your environment. You have to understand how people think, learn, react to change, communicate and work so that you can be able to evaluate how people can interact to the system you are going to make.

Large companies and firms does have information system analysts so that it will be monitored those systems does the company or firm have. This system analyst by the companies required some skills such as skill in business, skill in technical and skill in handling people so that he can be able to foresee and predict some dilemmas that will be going to happen in the future when there is something wrong within the system whether it is hardware or software or within the organization. If you have the skill in business, you have the capacity to manage all the business works of the company. You don’t have to be static in your position but also to manage just like a certain manager that can face any waves of problems of the organization. Having also the skill in technical is important too. Information system analyst should have this kind of talent. If you have at least basic knowledge of technical, it is easier for you to cope up in troubleshooting and resolve of the problems of the system. Skill also in handling people of the organization is really important for human resource or manpower and it is considered as the heart of the organization. Without people or human resource of the organization especially in your team, it is difficult in the part of the system analyst to undergo a certain project and make it in his own. If you possess this kind of skill in handling your people, there is no doubt that your project and your organization will be successful.

An information system analyst should have the interpersonal and communication skills. These skills are critical in obtaining information, motivating people, getting cooperation and understanding the complexity of an organization in order to provide necessary support. When my classmates discussed the first chapter of our lesson in our subject, System Analysis and Design 1 (SAD 1), they shared the terms, soft skills and hard skills before the class. These terms were bizarre on my dictionary. Soft skills are skills in nontechnical areas such as interviewing, team management and leadership while the hard skills are skills in technical areas such as database design, programming and telecommunication. Having the skill of soft skill, you can be able to administer well your project and your team because team management and leadership are important in the organization. The more difficult is the hard skills. These are more on hard coding. Those people who are innate in programming and designing database, they are considered hard skilled men of the organization. If one of these skills doesn’t possess in you, there is a possibility of failure of project.

Last April 21, 2010, our classmates Charmaigne and Ida shared on us about the world of the information system analyst. They tackled some points on what are the roles of being an analyst. Based on what they presented before the class, they said that the primary role of the information system analyst is being a problem solver. If you think you are a problem solver, you may consider as a system analyst whether as a business system analyst, information system analyst, etc. or in other ways.

If we are going to topic the University of Southeastern Philippines and ask who is the system analyst of the university, maybe you may answer that the system analyst of the institution are those people who made the enrollment system, administrative system, etc., but have you consider the president of the university as the system analyst? Yes, the president of the university may consider as system analyst because he is the problem solver of the institution. He solves some problems and makes decisions onto it.

Back to those days when the university is still on manual system of enrollment system, it is too much difficult for it is not yet automated. When the president oversaw it, he decided to have an enrollment system which is automated and made some contract to those companies that rendered some services and products in the automation of the enrollment. Billions of pesos were spent in the automation of the enrollment system. Another problem arouses because of the funds due to this automation. As the president and problem solver of the university, came up a solution so that the problem of the university will be solved. He tapped some faculties in the Institute of Computing of the university and requested to make an in-house enrollment system. The faculties, who were assigned to make this, were made and deployed it well. Billions of pesos were saved because of this solution. The idea of the president was considered as a brilliant idea.

As a student who enrolled in this subject, System Analysis and Design, I am still innocent in the field of system designing but what I can brag to other is that I can do better management to the team. A better management of handling my time, team and the project that I may consider to have these skills I possess. At the end of the day, it is still in your own hands to have a successful team and project if you have good leadership and management to your people.

Goodbye, The Oprah Winfrey Show......

The most influential TV show in US will end its show in 2011. Yes, I'm referring to The Oprah Winfrey Show. The Oprah Winfrey show, hosted by herself, Oprah Winfrey was the most high-rated talk show in United States. This show was aired first on September 8, 1986 for more than 20 seasons. This show was famous especially to women simply because, of many topics that tackles to American pop-culture consciousness.

Since The Oprah Winfrey Show was the most high-rated talk show, Oprah Winfrey gained some awards and made her onto the top list to the most influential people to the Hollywood and to the world. That is why, you cannot easily beat Oprah Winfrey.

Last November 19, 2009, Oprah Winfrey's production company announced the show will be ending on September 9, 2011. To find out why, click this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYQumZOrX2U

I Don't Know Why

It's almost a week now, na hindi siya nagtatanong sa akin ng kahit ano. Naninibago lang. Maybe, gusto niya mapag-isa o di kaya'y galit siya sa akin. Hindi ko matandaan kung anong na gawa ko sa kanya na mali. Pero, I have conclusions why she mad at me. It's not an ordinary thing of being cold in almost a week.

I remember, one time she said, "I hate those persons na hindi nagsasalita kung ano ang mali." That's what I'm waiting from her mouth kung bakit ayaw niyang sabihin sa akin kung ano talaga ang problema. She's so friendly to my other classmates and boardmates but not to me. I'm wondering. Meron talagang mga taong sadyang ayaw sabihin kung ano talaga ang problema. Akala ko kaibigan siya. Di pala. but ayokong maging masama siya sa paningin ko. Hahay....... That is why, I'm not happy anymore in our boarding house. Unlike before, sabay kami kumakain. Breakfast, lunch at dinner, sabay kami pati na ang pagkain ng merienda namin. I miss those activities especially noong nag-a-attend kami ng Wednesday Prayer Meeting dun sa Chinese Baptist. Kaya, I regret na sana hindi na lang kami sabay na tumira sa isang boarding house (we're not sleeping in the same room ha, hehehe). Everytime na ako lang mag-isa sa kwarto, gusto ko maiyak because I think na wala akong kakampi. Kahit iba kong mga classmates ay parang ayaw nila sa aking. Ganito ba talaga ako? Always na naghahanap ng away? Siguro, ipinanganak lang talaga ako sa mundong ibabaw na ganito ako. Pero, I have to adjust because hindi na ito tulad ng dati. 'Yan siguro ang mali ko sapagkat hindi ako marunong mag-adjust sa ibang tao at I didn't consider their feelings also and I should what my limitations are.

I do believe that hindi magtatagal ang cold relationship as a friend namin ngayon. Siguro, sa mga susunod na araw ay unti-unti babalik ang nakagisnan naming mga gawain.

IT Professional? Hmmpfff.....

Well, I can view myself 10 years from now as an IT professional, particularly as MIS manager working in a corporation or company wherein I can share my skills related in the discipline I choose. Being an MIS Manager is not an easy task, for; you will be the one to coordinate and centralize all the group demands, preparing the status reports, supervising your standards, procedures, policies, work instructions and methodologies adopted during the implementation phase in your organization.

Now, let’s discuss again what Management Information System is. Management Information Systems consist of hardware and software that are used to process information automatically. Commonly, MIS systems are used within organizations to allow many individuals to access and modify information. In many organizations, the management information system mainly operates behind the scene, and the user community is rarely involved or even aware of the processes that are handled by the MIS. A computer system used to process orders for a business could be considered a management information system because it is assisting users of the system in automating processes related to orders. Other examples of modern management information systems are websites that process transactions for an organization or even those that serve support requests to users. A simple example of a management information system might be the support website for a product could be considered an MIS because it returns information to the end user after some initial input is provided.

Online bill pay at a bank also qualifies as a management information system — when a bill is scheduled to be paid, the user has provided information for the system to act against. The management information system then processes the payment when the due date approaches. The automated action taken by the online system is to pay the bill as requested. Since the bills within an online bill pay system can be scheduled to be automatically paid month after month, the user is not required to provide further information. Many times the bill pay system will also produce an email for the user to let them know that the action has occurred and what the outcome of the action was.
Management Information Systems typically have their own staff whose function it is to maintain existing systems and implement new technologies within a company. These positions are often highly specialized, allowing a team of people to focus on different areas within the computer system.

In recent years, colleges and universities have begun offering entire programs devoted to management information systems. In these programs, students learn how to manage large interconnected computer systems and troubleshoot the automation of these management information systems.

Many people use management information systems every day without thinking about the actual system they are using. Sure the individual will see a website and enter information, expecting an action to happen, but these websites, just like the accounting systems used by large corporations, are in fact management information systems.
Being MIS Manager is responsible in supervising the safe use of the system by the various operators, with respect of the procedures of your company and per the accounting rules and principles. Not only that, but responsible also in editing and printing frequently the appropriate management reports while checking and inspecting the results; these reports must be programmed on a daily, weekly or monthly basis and distributed the concerned departments.

MIS Managers have major duties so that his organization will be successful. To wit:
• Supervise activities of MIS staff.
• Identify critical business issues and develop workable solutions for customers as well as MIS associates. These solutions may include enhancements to existing core applications, new software packages, and/or customer programs.
• Define MIS standards and policies in compliance with external auditors.
• Identify, recommend, and manage deployment of "best of breed" hardware and software upgrades and purchases for Finance and Administration.
• Prepare and manage the Management Information Systems operating and capital budgets.
• In conjunction with users, prepare, test, and maintain a disaster recovery plan for administrative systems.
• In conjunction with users, develop and maintain documentation, procedures, security, and training of staff members and end users of administrative systems.
• Maintain professional expertise in administrative computing systems and technology.

If you want to be MIS Manager or any kind of manager, here are some simple tips so that you need inorder for you to be successful in your work and career. To wit:

1. Try to learn as much as possible about the people you are working with (needs, family lives, hobbies etc)
You should be friendly to all of the people that surrounds you in your workplace. Try to have some times in bonding with them so that your relation to them will be closer.

2. Keep smiling! Be positive (you can transfer your energy to the others)
Having a smiley and bright face contributes more motivation to your employees.

3. Have short informal conversation with your employees! (use their first names - it is very important).
Be more humorous to your employees. Call them either in their nicknames or first names.

4. Be patient and listen to them (encourage them to say more, keep eye-contact and focused attention).
If one of your employees commit some mistakes, try to listen and understand them why they made that fault.

5. Shape your speech according to their expectation and interests.
Not all the times you can use a formal speech to them, try to become informal but not all the times.

6. Give a good stroke! (say something nice when you meet them).
Greet them if you meet them.

7. Don't give orders! Ask questions!
If you want to request some orders, say it nice.

8. Praise people any time for their achievements (they will love it)
If they made some achievement even it is simple, praise them for it will contribute motivation to them.

9. Have the same behavior and attitude with everybody around you.
Be more friendly to them.

10. Identify the sources of conflicts and try to solve them in time.
If there are conflicts in your organization, solve it and understand why it happened.

11. Do not criticize, do not blame do not complain.
Do not judge anyone in your organization.

12. Show strong determination and try to motivate the others.
Be more positive for everyone depends on you.

13. Don't be moody! Be well-balanced and good-tempered all the time.
Don’t nag for any no reason.

14. Don't say "NO!" (replace it with "What if")
Try to listen others opinion and be more optimistic


In addition, here is a link to be a SUCCESSFUL IT PROFESSIONAL. http://www.google.com.ph/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=2&ved=0CAsQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnet.educause.edu%2Fir%2Flibrary%2Fpdf%2FERM0613.pdf&rct=j&q=how+to+be+successful+IT+professional&ei=6k_-SuyKEp3a6gPNxMjpCg&usg=AFQjCNF7Wq2nQ5bdgQ_Vo4zgFxMTxwGrvw

Lastly, without an ambition, you cannot achieve what you want to be. As what the elders said , "Hindi masama ang mangarap." That is why, while it is early try to have some dreams you want to be in the near future and don't forget some tips on how to become successful in your career.

References:
http://www.whoi.edu/services/HR/jobdescp/administrative/mismgr.htm http://www.sd-lb.com/WhitePapers/WP_MISProfile.pdf http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-management-information-systems.htm

Whew!

Hay! Unsa na man ni uie....tamad au ko...hu5