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e-Xpertise in Industry Issue #26
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In this issue...
| Feature Article: |
New Year's Resolutions - 2006: Bob Brown outlines some Cambashi ideas for New Year's resolutions in the sales and marketing department. |
| Hot Topic: |
Biometric Technologies - Industrial Strength? Steven Heard takes a look at the latest in biometric technologies. |
| Book Review: |
Freakonomics: by Steven D Levitt and Stephen J Dubner is reviewed by Allan Behrens. |
| Noticeboard: |
DATE: 6-10 March, Munich, Germany |
Quote for Today
"Only
the wisest and stupidest of men never change." -
Confucius
Feature Article: New Year's Resolutions - 2006
New Year is traditionally a time of year for reflection, even if your company works to a slightly different annual rhythm. For most of us the idea of New Year's resolutions has become a cliché and these days the time required to prepare them is a luxury we can barely afford.
This year we thought it might be interesting to put forward some Cambashi ideas for New Year's resolutions in the sales and marketing department and ask you to contribute your own ideas as well - before the serious work of delivering the 2006 numbers becomes all-consuming. First though, a little literary digression . . .
For those of you who have read Orwell, the idea of doublethink will be familiar - essentially the human capacity to believe in two mutually contradictory ideas, at the same time. As marketing people we do this all the time. For example, we know the market is highly complex but we use very simple models to describe it. Similarly, we know the market is constantly changing but we go from one year to the next without really challenging the assumptions we worked with last year. Generally speaking we cling to our simple market models for too long - failing to recognise the accumulation of small changes that signal something new is already happening. Once each year we should step back and challenge established wisdom - if only to see where the new ideas take us.
Here are our ideas for New Year's resolutions - please let us have your comments and ideas on email to Bob Brown.
1. Talk to some of your customers or, if your job puts you in front of customers all the time, find new contacts to whom you can talk. Ask them how their world changed in 2005 and how that will change their business and personal priorities in 2006.
2. Complete an analysis of performance against plan in your area. Identify any significant departures from plan. Discard the generally accepted explanations (which by the way are usually based on some internal factor) as too convenient. Then critically review the underlying external assumptions about the nature of the market. Now try to produce alternative explanations based on observed changes in the market place.
3. Arrange to meet with some customers who first purchased from your company in 2005. Try to identify all the benefits that they derived from adopting your solution - not just those that you expected them to realise. Ask them to quantify these "intangible benefits" in either hard cash or equivalent terms like productivity gains, improved quality or motivation. This is harder than it sounds! Finally, ask them if they would allow you to develop a case study based on their experiences.
If you still can't find the time, then remember that we can help with projects in all three areas!
Happy New Year!
Hot Topic: Biometric Technologies - Industrial Strength?
This is a précis of a detailed article on biometric technologies which appears on the Cambashi website. Follow this link to access the full version of Biometric Technologies.
Biometrics can best be described as the use of technology to measure physiological characteristics that are intrinsic to human beings. Its primary use is in unique, personal identification.
In identifying people there are two principle questions that may be asked:
Before deciding on a preferred identification mechanism, there are attributes which must be considered such as:
Indeed, there are numerous methods of identification including hand and fingerprint analysis, retinal and iris scanning, signature, voice and facial recognition. Within each of these mechanisms, there is the question of application. For identification purposes (one in many) there obviously needs to be a central database of identity templates. For verification applications, (one to one) you can choose to have a central database, or indeed to provide candidates with a physical token (e.g. smart card) containing their template which is verified without the need for central database access.
Each technology has its own strengths and weaknesses. Some are more suited to verification and others to identification. In some cases a combination of technologies and inclusion of traditional tokens (or passwords) are used. Each technology suffers from some level of accuracy limitation - often due to technology or environment, but more often due to the scope for variation in the characteristic presented. Examples of these would include dirty or damaged fingerprints, tiredness in the voice etc.
To date, most of the high profile pilot projects for the use of biometrics have been in two areas - government identity documents, passport control, and financial transactions.
Business is rightly concerned about physical and logical security, emanating from both internal and external threats. Employees represent an easily defined and influenced closed user group; biometric technology can be readily used not only for verification, but also for identification.
In companies, where accuracy, security and simplicity are of utmost importance, use of biometrics can control access to restricted facilities and monitor attributes such as time and attendance. In this area it assists by ensuring that false record attendance and misuse of authorisation is minimised.
Public acceptance remains somewhat of a challenge. This is particularly true in large scale open implementations such as ID cards and passports. However within the boundaries of a corporate implementation, which may include an extended family of sub-contractors and suppliers, this is much easier to manage. Indeed with planning and due consideration of the effect on operational procedures, biometrics are eminently suited to the technology kit bag of every organisation's security infrastructure.
Book Review: Freakonomics by Steven D Levitt and Stephen J Dubner
Penguin Group, ISBN 0-713-99806-7,£20
This book tries to demystify the numeric side of economics as Levitt and Dubner turn conventional economics on its head.
Being from a community in which numbers, or more precisely statistics, play a significant role, I can testify to the fact that there are many who still treat statistics as gospel truths, as opposed to guidelines or comparative metrics. I bought this book in the hope that the content would dispel myths and develop a more pragmatic view of data and statistics. If it met these objectives, it would be an ideal Christmas present for those in the sales and marketing community.
In some ways this book did meet my aspirations. It does (in
a number of cases) present a view of statistics that cautions premature analysis.
More importantly, it demonstrates how the most obvious view of facts may often
hide more subtle, yet perhaps more important, information. A prudent reminder
to the analyst community at large!
Whilst the general content was entertaining and a worthy read, I was disappointed
at the US bias of the examples used in the book. Whilst interesting to foreigners,
its usefulness is limited to the domestic audience. The logic flow appeared
a little bizarre to me. My greatest problem with this read was that the quotes
used to precede several of the chapters smacked of self promotion, adding no
value to the content, and in some cases detracting from the perceived neutrality
of the text.
In summary a worthy read, interesting rather than educational, for the US market
only.
DATE: 6-10 March, Munich, Germany. European Event for Electronic System Design & Test.
CeBIT: 9-17 March, Hannover, Germany: Trade show for solutions, products and services from all areas of IT and telecommunications.
WIN: 16-19 March, Istanbul, Turkey. World of Industry.
NMW:
20-23 March, Rosemont, USA. For engineers and executives from across the country
responsible for design to manufacturing process to finished goods.
Peter Thorne of Cambashi will be at NMW.
Softworld:
29-30 March, Birmingham, UK. For the Supply Chain Profession.
Dan Roberts of Cambashi is planning to attend this event.
COFES:
20-23 April, Scottsdale, USA. Described as the engineering software industry's
annual think tank event bringing executives from design, engineering, architectural,
development and technology companies together.
Allan Behrens of Cambashi will attend this event.
Please email Cambashi Marketing to arrange a meeting with Peter, Dan and Allan at these events.
A full list of industry events can be found at IT industry events on the Cambashi website