Take the political polls leading up to the recent US election. Pundits on the left and right each accused various pollsters of bias (it’s only bias when it favors the opposing candidate, of course) and, overall, many of the best-known polling firms produced dismally unreliable forecasts.

Are we now so polarized that even our polls can’t be trusted?

According to Nate Silver, author of The Signal and the Noise, and The FiveThirtyEight model and blog in the New York Times – and now the most famous statistician/math nerd in the country, given his dead-on accuracy in calling the election results – there were multiple flaws in many pollsters’ methodology, many of them a result of not recognizing changes in voters’ use of technology.

Huh? How could technology affect the results of public opinion polls?

Actually, some of the issues seem obvious, when you think about it. Traditional telephone surveys often call only land lines, not cellphones, which means those polls significantly undercounted younger, urban and minority voters, who are more likely to use cellphones exclusively. And all phone surveys, even those that include cellphone users, have a high miss rate. (How many calls did you ignore in the last few weeks?)

In fact, according to Mr. Silver, some of the most accurate results came from firms that conducted their surveys online, where reach and response rates were much higher.

Of course, this is a totally oversimplified view of Mr. Silver’s findings. But why am I even talking about this at all?

At SAPInsider, I did a short interview with Dave Hannon, and one of his questions was about the overall importance of change management as opposed to training alone.

I noted that training is simply one element of change management, then explained why a good change management program is a critical part of creating the broader adoption and enablement environment that enables the customer to achieve long-term goals. And that involves managing – and measuring – change.

But in the workplace, just like in politics, who and how we measure can affect the results we see. And what we “know” may not actually be true or complete or applicable. That’s why just looking at the system is not enough. Are we measuring the relevant things? Are we measuring accurately? Are we interpreting the data correctly? Are we rewarding the right things?

For example, measuring users’ proficiency on tasks or tasks they have been trained for shows only one small part of the picture. You have to understand both how and why users perform their tasks and interact with their tools in the ways that they do.

Taking into account “a day in the life” of the user is the only way to be sure to measure accurately, which is the only way to be able to provide the full spectrum of support that’s needed. As the song says, “and though the holes were rather small, they had to count them all.”

In other words, changing skills and behavior is key to success. (To hear a couple of real-life examples, including how McKesson’s award-winning program led to outstanding operational results – and translated into outstanding financial results – listen to the entire interview at http://bit.ly/11qNEBI.)

Inaccurate results won’t clear a path to improvement. In fact, if politicians are any indicator, inaccurate results don’t even help us come up with good excuses. A good change management program can help you get at the truth.

It’s tough to get a pizza delivered to Mars. Quartz reports NASA has a partnership with Systems and Materials Research Corporation to develop a 3D printer that could print food for astronauts. NASA is reportedly giving a 3D printing company a six month, $125,000 grant to work on the project.

While this is in no way guaranteed, if passed the Marketplace Fairness Act would essentially impose a sales tax on businesses regardless of whether or not they have a physical state presence. While this would please corporations such as Walmart and Amazon who have publicly championed the bill, however, it would reduce profitability for qualifying independent retailers and ultimately cost the consumer a percentage of their hard earned money.

Accounting for Online Sales Tax: How to Make Alternative Savings as a Consumer

It is not hard to understand how the proposed online sales tax would have a detrimental impact on consumers. As retailers are forced to apply a standard tax on every transaction completed online, the cost of individual products would rise to offset this potential loss. In effect, the financial loss will be at least partially transferred onto each individual shopper, which could pose a significant issue given the rising number of working poor in the U.S. With this in mind, consumers must strive to identify alternative savings when shopping online, in order to offset the burden of online sales tax and retain a greater share of their income. Consider the following: -

Utilize Money Saving Web Browser Extensions

The greatest strength of technology is that it remains evolutionary, which means that concepts such e-commerce continue to be adapted according to consumer needs and wider market conditions. So although an online sales tax may inflate the cost of products available online, for example, there are always new innovations that can help you to offset these losses. Website browser extensions provide a relevant example, as many of these are money saving tools that work in real time and identify potential promotions and savings while you shop. Available predominantly through Google Chrome and Apple Safari, viable tools such as PriceBlink and Coupon Digger can be added to your browser and deliver potential savings directly into your inbox.

Make the Most of Discounts and Promotional Codes

On a similar note, realizing coupon codes is another innovative way of saving money while shopping online. While there are existing browser extensions that will deliver real time discounts according to predetermined user settings, there are also websites that retain a comprehensive range of vouchers and codes for leading retailers throughout the U.S.. Simply by registering for updates with these resources and setting aside a fixed period of time to evaluate comparison tools and daily deal websites, you can cut significant sums from your overall expenditure. Increasingly, these codes can be applied to functional and everyday items in addition to recreational purchases, which only increases the amount that can be saved over time.

Identify Independent Retailers that are Not Eligible for Online Sales Tax

While the online sales tax is being promoted as a way of diminishing the advantage held by retailers who operate solely online, it will have qualifying criteria that businesses must meet if they are to become eligible. As it currently stands, an online retailer would have to turnover a minimum of $1 million in gross sales per annum to qualify, while those beneath this threshold would remain exempt from taxation. This opens up potential avenues for the consumer, as by identifying and targeting small e-commerce chains it is possible to shop freely without the burden of online sales tax. Although you will still have to research these suppliers to ensure that they can deliver quality and value for money, it is important to remember that not all online retailers will be forced to pay the proposed tax if it comes to fruition.

The Bottom Line for Consumers

While the introduction of an online sales tax would have a detrimental impact on consumers, there are numerous tools, applications and techniques that can be used to offset these potential losses. Ultimately, it is each individual consumer who must adopt a proactive approach and take responsibility for their finances, by seeking out alternative savings and applying real time discounts to cut the cost of everyday expenditure.

I’m not really sure why I want to see the great gatsby so bad….. Oh wait Leonardo dicaprio.

why is the great gatsby two hours and infinity minutes long.

Watching The Great Gatsby, I felt that an opportunity was missed. Someone should have told Tobey Macguire that with Great Gatsby, comes great responsibility……

Where do you fall? Will you hit the theater or sit this one out? Let me know in the comments!

For the past six years, Rubber Duck has been jet-setting around the world – from Japan to New Zealand to Brazil. This non-discriminatory, non-political faux waterfowl embodies Hofman’s intention to make people stop and enjoy life, and perhaps strike up a conversation with the stranger walking next to them. As he put it in one news article, the purpose of the sculpture is to show that we’re all one family living on one planet and that “all the waters in the world is our global bathtub and it joins people together… it also means that we have to take care of each other, you know, and be responsible about this planet as you are responsible about your own house and bath.”

Hofman’s take really does put things into perspective. If you’ve ever shared a bathroom with roommates, you know the importance of all parties keeping a commitment to cleanliness! When we think of our planet in a similar way, it drives home the point that as businesses and individuals alike, we have a shared responsibility to do our part to protect the environment that we all share. Especially now, with the threats posed to our planet by climate change, Rubber Duck’s message couldn’t be more important.

A few weeks ago on Earth Day, I talked about some easy tips we can all do to help protect our water supply, and as the globetrotting ducky makes a stop in the U.S. in June, it’s a good reminder to have this message stay top-of-mind every day. Keep an eye out for it the next time you’re out for a walk by the water…you never know what you may see. And be sure to do your part to keep our global bathtubs clean.

P.S. American Water started a petition to bring this duck to the Delaware River, between Philadelphia and Camden, N.J. Click here if you’d like to sign it.

A recent study suggests that paper-based processes are falling out of favor in today’s business world. That’s according to an article on Smallbiztechnology.com, a website covering solutions for growing businesses. Using paper indeed has disadvantages when it comes to cost, efficiency, document security, environmental impact and company image.

If going fully paperless offers such concrete, rational advantages, why do paper-based systems remain fairly pervasive in today’s small businesses, especially when it comes to important documents such as vendor contracts? In many cases, it’s because moving data to the cloud requires a change in mindset by business owners.

Storing a hard copy isn’t necessarily a secure solution compared to backing it up in the cloud. But from a psychological perspective, printing out the physical document often feels comforting. If the document is stored in your office, you can see and touch the physical document. Account statements are another example. Most banks now offer online statements, but many businesses continue to have paper statements mailed to them, and feel they need to save the physical records.

If you’re uneasy about going paperless, think of what steps you could add to a paperless system to give you more transparency and control. For example, many online services will store your records in the cloud. To feel comfortable while dealing with multiple services, you’ll need ways to see at a glance what they’re saving and where.

One idea is to create a master list, or index, of your vendors and services and where your documents are stored in the cloud. This list can also play a role in your disaster recovery preparations as a tool for quickly resuming business operations after a data loss or natural disaster.

In the end, it’s always important to consider the human factors in technology decisions. Even in a paperless office, paper probably still has a role. Some people still prefer writing notes during a meeting, and others use handwriting as a memory aid and brainstorming tool.

We want to hear your feedback. What obstacles have you encountered in moving documents from paper to cloud storage? Share your thoughts in the comments section!

Source: Smallbiztechnology.com, April 2013

The city of Moore was devastated by a tornado Monday afternoon. Homes, a medical center and two elementary schools were destroyed. The two-mile wide tornado has claimed at least 51 lives according to the state medical examiner’s office. Initial reports from the National Weather Service estimate the tornado to be an EF-4, producing winds up to 200 miles per hour.

Yahoo to buy Tumblr for $1.1 billion cash says a source close to the deal according to The New York Times. It was reported on May 19, 2013, that the deal is expected to be announced soon.

This would be Marissa Mayer’s biggest acquisition so far as Yahoo’s CEO. Yahoo may have missed out so far on the social media revolution and it could be seen as an important shortcoming that can be fixed.

“Buying Tumblr is intended to help address that shortfall. The six-year-old company is one of the most popular blogging services, with over 108 million blogs. Buying the company could provide a wealth of user-generated content.”

Tumblr reportedly has also been of interest to Yahoo rival Google, Facebook, and Microsoft but firm offers were not made.

Headquartered in New York City, Tumblr is far from San Francisco and Silicon Valley which is home to most of the top social media networks. It was launched in February of 2007 and has more than 108 million blogs and over 50 billion posts to date.

User-generated content when paired with advertising seems to be a very popular and lucrative business model in use today by some of the top sites on the Internet. Millions if not billions of potential profits are at stake here. This deal could make a lot of sense.

What’s your take on Yahoo to buy Tumblr? Share your comments below.

Failing a class? Should you go for an ‘Incomplete’ or will you hit ‘Restart’ and try again?

(Aaaaaaand… student write-in questions are back! With many terms winding down, I am receiving letters that include various levels of frustration and failure. You’ll see themes of them over the next several posts. Hopefully, the discussions will be helpful to anyone facing a similar issue.)

Hello Ellen,

Thank you so much for doing what you do. I wish I had known all these lessons as a student before I put myself in this situation.

I think I’m failing a class. I e-mailed my instructor about possibly taking an Incomplete, but I haven’t received a response.

I really have no excuse about my situation. I stopped going to class due to anxiety, which resulted in missing more classes. I can’t withdraw from the course, so without the Incomplete, I have to face failure.

Do you think it is better to fail the class and repeat it the following semester?

Student

*********************************************************

Hello,

Thank you so much for your kind words. Let me see if I can help, based on my experiences with Incomplete grades.

I hope your professor e-mails you back so you can hash out this situation, or you can talk to the prof in class before your term ends. Here is my advice in the meanwhile:

I would be very honest with your professor since it sounds like you know exactly what led to this outcome. Honesty is the only way that you’ll have a shot at resolution.

Say, “I stopped coming to class due to anxiety and the problem kept building. Here is what I’ve done that I feel went well (show examples of any successes you had). I am wondering if failure is the only option, or if there is any way that I can take an Incomplete for the course?”

You’ll also need to say, “I have a concrete plan so this doesn’t happen again.” Then lay out your concrete plan. Of course, if you are very close to the end of your term, then there won’t be time to implement a big plan and your professor will know that.

Here is my history with an Incomplete:
-Every school’s policy differs. At my last college, you could only receive an “I” for a non-academic matter and you had to finish a certain percentage of the course successfully. At that school, an “I” would only apply to a student with a medical or life emergency that prevented continuation of the course.
-Other colleges are far more liberal with their Incomplete policies; the justification is completely left to the professor. Know which way your college goes before making the request.
-When you get your Incomplete contract, there is usually a list of what you still have left to do and a date you need to finish. At my current college, students have one year to turn around an Incomplete. Otherwise, the grade reverts to what it would have been without the Incomplete.
-Historically (finishing my 14th year of teaching), less than 1% of the students I’ve worked with actually finish an Incomplete. They end up retaking the whole course because the lingering work becomes an afterthought.

If you feel that you have enough assignments that will “count” and you can truly salvage your grade, try for the “I” (based on your school’s policy, of course!).

If you’d be better served by a fresh start, then retaking the course is the right thing to do.

I would talk to this prof, even if you don’t ask for the Incomplete, particularly if he/she would be your professor next time. You’ll want to discuss your plan of attack for another go-around.

If you will not take a course with this professor again, by all means, talk to the new prof early. Say,“I took this course once before and failed it. Here is where I went wrong, but I have a solid plan to do things differently this time (then mention those things). Is there any advice you can offer for someone retaking this course?”

There is no shame in starting over and there can be many benefits to having a feel for the material walking in. A completely clean slate does give you that benefit.

One thing that I want to ensure is that you get some support for the anxiety you’ve been experiencing. Please talk to your adviser and someone in Counseling Services, at the very least. There are mechanisms on campus to help you deal with anxiety so it doesn’t hinder your academics. If your class is the source of the nervousness, they can help with that, too.

I wish you luck and would love to hear the outcome!

U.S. Supreme Court | Credit: Commons/Flickr

Americans’ concern with the Patient Protection and Affordable  Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, is on the ascent. A February poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 42 percent of Americans now oppose the legislation, up from 39 percent in November. Similarly, support for it has dropped from 43 percent in November to 36 percent in the more recent February poll.

Opponents of the legislation originally had hung their hat on an anticipated favorable ruling in the Supreme Court, which they argued would find the legislation’s mandate provisions unconstitutional.  But nearly a year ago, on June 28, 2012, the Court famously yet narrowly upheld the legislation in a five to four ruling.

The Supreme Court victory for Obamacare left its advocates and most of its opponents feeling that its implementation was inevitable.  But all have since learned that a relentless and sophisticated opposition movement is threatening its implementation on multiple fronts.  Opponents are proving increasingly persuasive with the American public, Congress is refusing to implement various provisions of the legislation, and over two dozen states have now rejected its offer of increased funding for expanded Medicaid programs.

Despite passing both the U.S. House and Senate, signed by the President and upheld as constitutional by the highest court in the land, proponents of Obamacare now are on defense and concerned that opposition to it may yet stall its ultimate implementation.

While opposed by a great and growing number of Americans, Obamacare’s intellectual and political opposition has largely been crafted and advanced by a small number of prominent political and industry figures worth watching:

Ed Haislmaier:  A former pharmaceutical director at Pfizer and now The Heritage Foundation’s resident scholar on health care policy, Haislmaier has authored dozens of persuasive white papers and op-eds that have spelled out the case against Obamacare and debunked many of the legislation’s myths.  In “Even Rebranded, Obamacare Exchanges are Still Unworkable”, Haislmaier argued in March that the legislation’s proposed insurance exchanges would prove hugely burdensome to states that implement them.

Karen Harned: A former corporate attorney and Capitol Hill aide in Washington, D.C., Harned now runs the Legal Center at the National Federation of Independent Business, has helped coordinate and support legal challenges to Obamacare and has been a key proponent of the argument that the legislation is ultimately unconstitutional.

John Hoff: A health policy attorney, Hoff is a founding board member of the Galen Institute, a health care-focused public policy institute.  A prolific writer on the flaws of Obamacare, Hoff authored “The Contradictions of Obamacare” for the Washington, D.C.-based American Enterprise Institute, which argued that the Obama administration’s advocacy for extensive waivers to the legislation was a sign that it is unworkable in the marketplace.

Michael Johns:  One of the most eloquent and influential Tea Party leaders on the flaws of Obamacare, Johns has spearheaded the Tea Party movement’s political opposition to the legislation, which has been a key factor in the expanding public opposition to it.  A medical device and health services executive with extensive health care experience, Johns is a former White House speechwriter and Heritage Foundation policy analyst.

Dr. Hal Scherz:  Scherz, a pediatric urologist, is Founder and President of Docs4PatientCare, a new organization that has educated and galvanized physicians against Obamacare.  Scherz leads an organization of clinicians who allege that the legislation will greatly disrupt patient relationships with their physicians, instead transferring important clinical decisions to the federal government.

Will the Obama administration ultimately prevail in installing Obamacare, even as public and health industry opposition to it mount?  The answer to that question may lie in whether these five principle opponents can maintain the political, legal and public momentum they have now amassed against it.

Taco Bell is testing out a waffle taco in at least one Taco Bell in the Southern California area.

A user on Instagram posted up a picture of the fabled waffle taco as she was visiting a Taco Bell in Santa Ana in an attempt to prove that the waffle taco does actually exist. She also posted a message saying “it was awesome!”

Waffle Taco ingredients:

• Sausage
• Scrambled eggs
• A waffle as a taco shell
• Syrup packet on the side

We are testing the waffle taco in a handful of Southern California restaurants. We’re pleased with the initial reaction from our customers and if the waffle taco does well in testing, we’ll roll it out to all our restaurants that serve breakfast. – Taco Bell rep

Taco Bell has started to serve breakfast in certain locations as of last year.

If you’re interested in a waffle taco, you can purchase one for only .89 cents.

This is completely bad ass and I WANT ONE!

NECA has just announced that they are releasing a new Jason Voorhees figure, but this one is going to be different from all the other figures out there. This Jason Voorhees figure is based off of the Jason Voorhees video game character from the Friday The 13th video game released in 1989.

I used to play this game all the time when I was a kid. Unfortunately, it wasn’t exactly a good game, but I loved horror movies, including Friday the 13th, so I played the hell out of it. I remember when Jason would appear in the game it would scare me, so I had an awesome time. I always wondered why Jason Voorhees was dressed in purple, though…

New Jason Voorhees figure will be a San Diego Comic Con exclusive

DAMMIT! Unfortunately, I live on the opposite side of the United States or else I would be all over this figure. I love collecting horror figures and have a whole section of my collection dedicated to Jason Voorhees. I would be proud to include this one in my collection.

The figure is going to measure in at 7-inches and certain parts of the figure will glow in the dark. The figure is going to come in a special packaging, which will make it feel as if it’s a scene directly from the Friday the 13th video game.

If someone is going to the San Diego Comic Con and picks this up for me, you will officially be on my “Most Bad Ass People Ever Alive” list…. Just sayin’.

Check out this bad ass Jason Voorhees Comic Con exclusive figure below:

“The hits just keep on coming” (a line from another one of my favorite movies). I met a gentleman on my flight home last night that is in his mid-40’s and is a successful small business owner. As the conversation progressed and we learned more about what each other does for a living, we eventually began discussing his thoughts on recruiting and retaining millennial talent.

He expressed a lot of the same frustrations that I’ve heard from other senior leadership and hiring managers from different brands and agencies. He shared how tough it is to identify talent that he believes is “ready for the pros”, and even tougher to retain quality talent. The good news is that this gentleman has taken some necessary steps and adjustments to figure it out and make it work and has a thriving business to show for it.

There are clearly some challenges for employers in recruiting and retaining quality talent that is unique to the millennial generation. Adjustments need to be made across the board because we all need each other’s contributions to grow and be successful. No organization will be able to sustain over time without recruiting and retaining new young talent. And not every millennial is cut out to be an entrepreneur and work for themselves; someone has to work for the existing corporations and businesses for our economy to thrive.

I hear many hiring managers express their frustrations about how ill prepared and unprofessional many millennials are. I hear many millennials express their frustrations about how archaic, irrelevant and oppressive the expectations are of senior leadership and hiring managers. I hear a lot about how things “should” be but are not.

One of my favorite quotes is “Life is not how it should be, it’s how it is”. We should all keep that in mind.

5 Tips employers should keep in mind for recruiting & retaining millennial talent:

1. Don’t overlook or accept unacceptable behavior during the interview. If the candidate displays behavior or conduct that you believe lacks professionalism or appropriateness, do not overlook it and hire them anyway. This sends the message that the behavior is okay and will be accepted at the organization. Manage expectations from the very beginning and don’t compromise standards in areas where you are not willing to be flexible.

2. Diversify your candidate pipeline. If you keep looking in the same places you are likely to continue to get the same results. That’s great if you are batting a thousand. If not, expand your search options. There are a number of young professional groups, organizations, fraternities and sororities to explore and build relationships with. I know of organizations with Diversity & Inclusion programs that struggled with finding diverse candidates but have never had a relationship with a single HBCU. Expand your reach and diversify your candidate pipeline.

3. Offer relevant incentives. This will vary by the type of organization you run, but there are universal incentives that appeal to this generation that are different from generations past. Take the time to understand what drives and motivates your millennial team members and develop incentive programs based on those drivers.

4. Don’t put them in a box. Fuel their entrepreneurial spirit and allow them to feel a sense of ownership. This does not mean just give them the keys to the shop and walk away, but empower them through a sense of ownership and control of their own destiny within the organization. Take time to help them understand how the organization profits and what they can do to directly contribute to that profit. But don’t stop there, based on the incentive plan suggested above, show them how what they do can allow them to share in the profits.

5. Address the need for inclusion and involvement. I cannot emphasize this point enough. This generation wants to be involved in the workplace as well as in the community. Hear them out and take their recommendations seriously and help them understand how what they would like to see done in the company as well as the greater community can be done within the parameters of the company mission and values. Allow them to help drive how the company makes money and makes a difference.

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

#NoShortcuts #Millennials

A woman was kicked off an American Airlines flight because she wouldn’t stop singing Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.” The flight was scheduled to travel from Los Angeles to New York City, but made an unexpected stop in Kansas City for six hours to remove the a cappella singer. “The woman was being disruptive and was removed from the plane for interfering with the flight crew … a federal air marshal on the air craft … subdued the woman and put her in cuffs and removed her from the plane.”

How much would you pay for a Coca-Cola? A dollar? Maybe two? What about the top secret recipe? A Georgia man who believes he found the recipe for Coca-Cola at an estate sale put it up for bid on eBay. The recipe, from 1943, is being sold for Five million dollars. So far, no takers.

The question in the title of this post is on the hearts and minds of thousands of millennials and their parents across the nation during this graduation season. What used to be a pretty standard process of graduate college – get a job in “your field” – get your own apartment – get married – and start a family, is not so standard anymore.

With an incredibly high unemployment rate for millennials and frustrations with acceptance and inclusion in various corporate environments, many millennials are opting to move back home while they look for a job or start their own business. Starting a family is being placed on the back burner for now; that’s another post for another time.

So what is next? Here are a few safe assumptions… A number of graduating millennials will go on to grad school and some will land jobs and thrive in their careers. And based on what I’m seeing and hearing, many will spend time navigating the waters of uncertainty as they realize there are things they still need to learn about how to make the right career choice, master the interview process and excel in the workforce. Many millennials will have the revelation that many of their older millennial peers and prospective employers have already realized. That revelation is that there seems to be a “preparation void” between the time graduation takes place and the time the first job begins.

I read a blog post yesterday by one of my Millennial All-Stars that spoke about how her parents charged her rent to move back home after graduating college. This is great preparation to equip millennials and properly manage expectations to help them to thrive in the “real world”.

To my graduating millennials, below are seven critical lessons where I encourage you to proactively seek a deeper understanding. Engage parents, mentors, millennials coaches or whatever organization or resource is available to you. Knowledge and insight on the below topics will significantly help prepare you for what’s next and lead you to success.

Proactively seek guidance and direction in the following areas…

1. How to properly prepare for and perform during the interview process
2. Developing good money management habits (Pay rent to your parents)
3. Best practices for Social Media usage
4. How to transfer valuable information into actionable knowledge
5. How to recognize your gifts and choose the best career path
6. Effective on and off line networking & relationship building
7. Building Culturational Chemistry in the workplace (how to bridge cultural generational gaps to increase your value)

WCAX Channel 3 in Montpelier, Vermont ran a story this past week highlighting a problem with schools and the states 911 system. In a recent interview, Rep. Joan Lenes (D-Shelburne) stated that the House and Senate Committees just recently learned that many of the states schools telephone systems have recently been centralized according to their town or district. When you centralize a telephone system, or flatten, consolidate and extend (FCE), you can create a 911 problem for users on the system.

Today’s 911 network operates off of a very simple principle. A telephone number equals an address. When the 911 system was first built in 1968, that factoid was mostly true. However today, a telephone number is probably the least significant piece of information that equals your location. Just think of your cell phone. It doesn’t matter what town you’re in, or the county, or even the state. Your cellular telephone number is transported with you wherever you go.

The logical question one might ask is “why is this not a problem for cell phones?” The answer to that is the FCC mandated Phase 1 and Phase 2 location reporting functionality built into that network. In simple terms, special p-ANI telephone numbers are associated with each cellular tower antenna, are “borrowed” by the cell phone making a 911 call, and these numbers are able to have their location information dynamically updated by the cell phone carrier. Phase 1 emergency calls provide the cellular tower coordinates to the 911 dispatcher, and within a few seconds after answering the call, the network is queried by the PSAP, and if the specific XY coordinates of the device are available, they are returned to the 911 center in the Phase 2 data.

Similar functionality is available in the Enterprise, however it does bear extra costs in addition to the location discovery automation that’s required in the enterprise network. Because of these extra costs, it is commonly used for remote VPN workers that are very migratory in their locations, and internally within enterprise networks other more cost conscious solutions are available.

But when you examine the map of the US that shows the states that require 911 remediation for MLTS PBX systems, Vermont is clearly marked as a state having legislation. If this is the case, why does this problem exist at the school systems? The answer to that unfortunately is that Vermont has one of the leaner pieces of legislation, and in fact, is a single sentence.

From Act 197 (S.311)
AN ACT RELATING TO
AN ENHANCED 911 EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEM.
ß 7057. PRIVATELY OWNED TELEPHONE SYSTEMS

When an enhanced 911 system is implemented, any privately owned telephone system shall provide to those end users the same level of 911 service that other end users in the area receive and shall provide ANI signaling, station identification data and updates to enhanced 911 data bases under rules adopted by the board, except that the board may waive the provisions of this section for any privately owned telephone system, taking into consideration the costs and the public benefits of compliance, in accordance with standards and procedures adopted by the board by rule.

Although this is light on text, it does have some specific language that I happen to like. “Any privately owned telephone system shall provide to those end-users the same level of 911 service that other end-users in the area receive”. We’ve seen language like that in other states, such as Massachusetts, however regardless of any of this, the important piece that’s missing from this, and most other pieces of legislation, is the penalty for noncompliance.

I CAN’T DRIVE . . . 55
When you drive down the highway, and you exceed the posted speed limit, if you see a state trooper parked on the side of the highway, you intuitively slowdown. Do you do this because you’re reminded of the National Transportation Safety Boards statistics on highway deaths caused by speeding? Probably not. You’re worried about getting a $200 or more speeding ticket, and you’re worried about your insurance premiums that are probably already too high. You see, we are very predictable creatures. And one thing that does motivate most of us, is a potential financial impact.

Going back to the state of Michigan, just the potential threat of a $5000 penalty five years into the future, provoked enterprises to look at their 911 configuration, and do something about it. The state of California heard testimony in their Public Utilities Commission workshop a few years back, and added in penalties for noncompliance in their recommendations. That potential law is circulating through the legislative process as we speak, and there are hopes that it will be presented for a public vote this year.

Rep. Lenes correctly stated that “sometimes it’s not an expensive fix” and that the House committee has requested information from the schools that will be evaluated before they decide how they need to proceed statewide. In alignment with the California Public Utilities Commission estimate that 70% to 80% of PBX systems are not in compliance, she believes the same will be true for schools in Vermont.

It’s something about the whole process, from the whispers of a great film coming along, to the trailer that keeps us hanging on for the full feature. And then it’s here – opening weekend. Fans dress up like their favorite characters; enemies set aside differences for a night as they are there only to indulge.

After the movie ends you hear, “well that’s not who I would have picked for that role”, or “it was nothing like the book”. But that’s the best part of a film, it’s created out of the imagination of the director and their team. This imaginative representation, whether ours or someone else’s, gives us an opportunity to see our favorite characters come to life, or give us new ones to believe in.

They are double edged swords, with the ability to increase our knowledge and culture awareness, breakdown walls, highlight different perspectives from all over the world, expose and undo stereotypes, allow us to critically think and analyze some of the world’s biggest issues we all try to avoid to speak of at dinner parties. However, they also have the power to do the exact opposite. Close our minds, reinforce the negative stereotypes we have of our fellow men and women,

But above all, beyond the positive and negative, movies entertain. Take for example the role of movies in the United States Great Depression. Movies offered an hour and a half vacation from reality. Movies about high society and the rich gave people an opportunity to hope.

Today, although we aren’t in quite dire circumstances, movies still provide that same escape. A very expensive escape though. The entire movie industry in 2012 grossed just over $12 billion US dollars. You can imagine that requires both a dedicated staff and the right technology to support the thousands of transactions, tracking of royalties and contracts, and budgeting for these expensive flicks.

Without the technology, they would require more financial support staff, and all those salaries can add up. And maybe even stop one of your favorite flicks from never even making it to the theatres. Check out this brief white paper covering in-depth how Lions Gate is running on the very best software to help Hollywood keep its head on and finances straight.

Not surprisingly, 95% of social media users were offended by Jeffries’ words, while 3% had no issue and 2% cracked jokes. What do you think? No big deal or do you take serious issue with it? Let me know in the comments! And as new topics trend, feel free to reach out to us on Twitter or Facebook and tell us what you’d like to see on our Trend Tracker!

A Tennessee man decided to steal a big-rig truck and drive it through California. Unfortunately, he caused a ton of destruction, accidents, etc… The man says he stole the truck, because he was trying to get away from zombies.

The man had plead guilty to the following charges:

• Assault with a deadly weapon
• Hit-and-run causing death or injury
• Vehicle theft

All-in-all, dude could end up getting five years in prison.

Apparently, the man hid in the truck when it was in Tennessee. When the drive of the truck got out of the vehicle at a road scale near Temecula, California, the man hopped out and stole the truck.

As stated above, the man caused a slew of accidents and ended up turning the truck on its side. Seven people ended up getting injured, because of this moron.

The man told investigators that he had to drive fast and swerve in-and-out of traffic, because he was trying to get away from the zombies.

I join the millions who are happy to read that Ms. Jolie is making a fast recovery. Her story is another reminder of the need for education and outreach, and brave decisions. And, she points out the crucial issues of access, cost and preventive health care (though the discussion is one much broader than breast cancer). As sad and terrifying as her experience must be, however, she’s fortunate to have deep emotional and financial support. It’s a stark reminder of health care haves and have-nots.

Unfortunately, her nod to “wonderful holistic doctors working on alternatives” is less helpful. Steve Jobs was famously regretful of his choice to pursue alternative therapies. He wished – too late – that “conventional” (science-based) therapies had started earlier. Instead, he tried dietary supplements, juices and acupuncture for nine months while his cancer spread. I’d hate to see Ms. Jolie provide a platform to physicians like Christiane Northrup, who has used Tarot cards to diagnose illness, or celebrities like Suzanne Somers, who apply, ingest and inject unapproved products in an attempt to stay young, and Jenny McCarthy, who uses the very unfortunate story of her son to create fear and confusion around vaccines.

When it comes to managing one’s health or the health of one’s family, most people don’t have enough knowledge to evaluate a medical product claim or even formulate the right questions to ask a health care provider. This all makes the public an easy target for purveyors of alternative medicines and bogus devices.

So, while some push for greater access to health care, a parallel effort must be made to fund research and education. Dropping information – even crucial or compelling data – onto the heads of an unprepared public, or expecting a response to another “call to action,” is unproductive and unrealistic. We need a massive, sustained effort to enhance health and science literacy.

SAP Headquarters, Building 1 Source: Wikipedia

During 2012 the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) market experienced sluggish growth of just 2.2%, yet Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), financial management and Human Capital Management (HCM) applications showed potential for breakout growth.

Through the challenging times of the previous year however, SAP still retained worldwide market share leadership. These and other insights were recently published in the recent report, Market Share Analysis: ERP Software Worldwide, 2012 authored by Chris Pang, Yanna Dharmasthira, Chad Eschinger, Koji Motoyoshi and Kenneth F. Brant.

Key Take-Aways

• Overall market growth of just 2.2% and the top ten vendors owning 64% of the worldwide ERP market is leading Gartner to predict further consolidation of the industry.
• SAP had just over $6B in total ERP software revenue in 2012, leading the worldwide market with 24.6% market share. Oracle had $3.12B and Sage, $1.5B in software revenues for 2012. Oracle’s market share was 12.8%, and Sage, 6.3%. The following graphic shows worldwide ERP market share for 2012.

• Infor achieved 49.5% revenue growth in 2012, increasing their 2011 sales from $1B in 2011 to $1.5B in 2012. Their market share increased from 4.2% in 2011 to 6.2% in 2012.
• Microsoft achieved 4.2% revenue growth in 2012, increasing revenue from $1B in 2011 to $1.1B in 2012. The majority of these sales are for the Microsoft Dynamics AX ERP system.
• The fastest growing ERP vendors in 2012 include Workday, Cornerstone OnDemand, WorkForce Software, Ventyx and NetSuite.
• Workday grew 114.7% in 2012, increasing revenue from $88.6M in 2011 to $190.3M in 2012.
• Cornerstone OnDemand grew 61.5% in 2012, increasing revenue from $58.4M in 2011 to $94.3 in 2012.
• WorkForce Software grew 39.8% in 2012, increasing revenue from $11.8M in 2011 to $16.5M in 2012.
• NetSuite grew 34% in 2012, increasing revenue from $139.7M in 2011 to $187.1M in 2012.
• SaaS-based ERP revenues are projected to grow from 12% worldwide in 2013 to 17% in 2017. The following graphic from the report Gartner’s Market Trends: SaaS’s Varied Levels of Cannibalization to On-Premises Applications published: 29 October 2012 shows this progression. You can find a research roundup at the previous post SaaS Adoption Accelerates, Goes Global in the Enterprise, which provides additional insights into which factors are driving SaaS adoption.

Bottom line: SAP’s continued market dominance depends on how well the company orchestrates it core ERP strategy with the following areas: BusinessObjects 4.0, its highly regarded analytics suite; social application adoption (StreamWorks and SuccessFactors Jam); the many Cloud-based initiatives they have including SuccessFactors and BusinessbyDesign; mobility platform wins; and major wins with their SAP Sybase DBMS and HANA architectures.

He also discusses the challenges large retailers face in their attempts to develop “more responsible” supply chains.

Over the next five years, CSR is not something that will directly create a competitive advantage, Brubaker said. But it will develop as a core component of how leading manufacturers operate.

Collective Responsibility acts as a catalyst to drive sustainability into the core of business. Working with government, corporate, academic and non-profit stakeholders, the organization brings together knowledge, teams and tools that develop and execute their business case for sustainability.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is broadly defined as the impact a business has on society, but we commonly hear terms such as sustainability, corporate citizenship, “green” company or building, cleantech and supplier compliance. Which of these concepts are important and relevant for manufacturers in China and international importers sourcing from China?

This will depend largely on the industry that they are operating in, with concerns over labor standards, environmental emissions and energy intensity touching nearly every manufacturer that operates in China.

As time goes on and the problems in each area grow worse, companies will move away from CSR and toward business models that are simply “more responsible.”

What is the difference between CSR and being “responsible”?

Traditionally, CSR is seen as something that is separate from the business model and is program-based. Being responsible is strategic and systemic.

Companies will become more efficient as resource costs increase. They will become more compliant to regulations as transparency increases. They will be more concerned about labor welfare when they are having issues attracting or retaining line workers.

Large retailers are increasing pressure on their suppliers for social compliance and have even dropped suppliers that do not comply. What are the key challenges these large companies face in China as they try to make their supply chains more responsible? And what more should they be doing to enforce compliance?

One of the key challenges will be to develop the internal capacity for change. Working with companies of similar size and complexity, one of the most difficult issues the China organization faces is taking a global framework and putting that into practice.

There is often a period where the local business units look to understand how serious HQ is about sustainability, what the local impact will be and then what resources will be made available from global HQ to carry out the strategy. Then, through a process that often involves multiple parts of the organization, they must begin engaging their suppliers, often with the help of third parties who specialize in sustainability, labor, EHS, etc.

At times, the issue will be one of education and engagement, while economics will always loom large as the supplier will typically be unwilling to bear the full costs while at the same time be forced to reduce pricing.

Enforcement is ultimately about investment and as we have seen with Apple, Yum and Mattel, failures are often the result of the inability to invest in the infrastructure that is necessary to effectively supervise and correct problems before they become mission critical issues.

Outsourcing (all or part) of a supply chain increases risk, and the only way to minimize that risk is to invest in systems that ensure the integrity of the supply chain is not compromised. It requires money. It requires people. It requires making smart decisions about whom to work with.

Why do you think manufacturers in China are not adopting CSR?

Economics is a large part of it, as is the fact that smaller manufacturers tend to have a poor understanding of efficiency and have a different short-term value proposition for environmental or social concerns.

But there is a larger niche in textiles where labor concerns are understood and addressed as part of the business model.

Esquel’s Xinjiang cotton cooperatives are perhaps one of the best examples to date of a family-owned company (SME by some measures) that sees a long-term strategic value to responsibility. It took several years of planning with trial and error, but it is now supporting their core business.

There are outliers that are trying to do the “right thing” by creating smart employee development programs, and they are often companies that have a measure of scale or brand, but compliance is already a difficult goal for many to attain.

This is true in many parts of the world, using Bangladesh and Cambodia as examples where issues of labor standards have been a topic of discussion.

What are the strategic benefits for manufacturers to do the “right thing”?

Ultimately there needs to be an economic value proposition to do “good” and for some manufacturers that will mean higher profitability over the long term as their buyers undergo a “cleanup.”

Strategic benefits are both external and internal.

Internally, lower staff turnover leads to cost savings, and investment in greener or cleaner processes also leads to reduced costs related to wasted resources.

Externally, the opportunities to develop and expand business as the manufacturer selects best performers are perhaps the most compelling. Similarly, being ahead of the regulatory curve can also be of benefit over the long term.

Do you see more importers seeking responsible suppliers?

In certain niche categories, I do. Green and organic products have seen increased interest lately. But on a wider scale, I have seen a trend in entrepreneurs moving away from their positions at brands to start their own businesses to do things “the right way”.

My favorite example being the founders of Wobabybasics and Bambu who worked in multinational corporations, saw a better way and built their companies around products that have a sustainable story.

Both based in China, they have proven that one can build a profitable manufacturing complex there while respecting a balance of social, environmental and economic sustainability.

What questions should importers ask potential suppliers to understand their level of sustainability?

Realistically, as we have seen in a number of supply-based examples, for a company to understand the level of responsibility its suppliers are adhering to (or striving for), it requires more than asking questions.

Sure, you can send a list and they can check the boxes. But that will likely only fulfill a legal requirement.

It is an investment in time, and perhaps money, to understand the methods of suppliers in the areas of labor and environmental practices, product quality, and governance. For companies that make the investment, the return is not just a moral one as it often allows for higher product quality with fewer failures. It is an investment in the long-term brand. An investment that should not be viewed as cost.

What are the first steps and priorities for small or midsize manufacturers that want to be more responsible?

The first step is a value chain assessment to understand where the manufacturer is exposed to risk, or where a commercial opportunity exists.

For many companies that are leveraging third-party suppliers, risks will be found at every stage, requiring them to assess, prioritize and focus efforts on the greatest risks.

Next would be the development of a vision and/or strategy for where the manufacturer needs to recalibrate or expand, which would be followed up by an alignment of stakeholders on the actions to be taken.

Rolling out would ideally begin with a pilot, and after an assessment of the pilot’s impact, scale would be programmed into the system.

What more should the China government do to encourage sustainable production?

There are three areas that I feel are vital when it comes to the role of the Chinese government to promote CSR and sustainability.

At the highest levels, China’s planners are looking to make improvements through the five-year plans that will aim to move China away from an economy whose manufacturing sector is reliant on the production of low-end, inefficient, resource-intensive goods and services.

The goal ultimately will be to increase the quality of its manufacturing sector, with special attention paid to reducing the overall intensity of its economy.

The second is enforcement of laws, an area where China is arguably struggling, with environmental protection and food safety being the most relevant examples of how the government will have to act as the enforcer. We are already seeing this role being put to use more and more as factories are being fined and/or shut down for violating laws that were once overlooked.

The third is going to be the role the government plays as one that incentivizes companies to clean up or scale out solutions as a part of their offensive strategy to stabilize the balance between economy, environment and society. This is perhaps going to be the most interesting role and there has been a lot of activity here lately as China sees this as part of a process to move up the value chain.

Where do you see CSR in China five years from now?

CSR is not something that will create directly a competitive advantage, but over the next five years, I see CSR as a core component of how leading companies operate.

It will happen as part of a risk-mitigation strategy, reducing the company’s exposure to the various issues that exist while also acting offensively as an engagement tool that stabilizes staff, reduces failure on the manufacturing floor, and builds social capital externally.

How can your company help China businesses with CSR?

Collective Responsibility is focused on looking at the client’s value chain and developing a customized solution that will align the core business mission with the environmental, social and economic dynamics that exist in the market.

For some, the programs are focused on mitigating the external risks through executive awareness and stakeholder engagement, but more and more we are working with companies that are looking to strategically recalibrate their business models in an offensive manner. To move their business models beyond business as usual to become solution providers in a market that is facing environmental, social and economic challenges.

In the wake of the building collapse in Bangladesh that killed well over 1,000 people, it is time to ask some difficult questions about the activities of the brands sourcing from the Rana Plaza complex. International attention has focused on poor health and safety practices, accusations of slave labor and the view, voiced in many places, that the price of clothing is now just too cheap. These debates are set to continue, but there are some very specific lessons we must learn from this tragedy. That also leads to a number of questions that the brands sourcing from unsafe, illegal Bangladesh factories must answer.

1. Codes of conduct are not working.

Most brands have supply chain codes of conduct that seek to ensure that workers in outsourced factories are protected, paid properly and treated with dignity. In the case of Rana Plaza the codes of conduct failed and the rhetoric of worker protection was not matched with reality on the ground. Why did the codes of conduct fail and why did factory inspections not reveal unsafe working practices and illegal building structures?

2. Brands cannot hide behind their sourcing companies.

Many of the large brands that we now know were sourcing from Rana Plaza were not immediately sure whether their products were actually being made in those factories or not. Some even tried to shelter behind an excuse that it was their sourcing companies that placed orders in unsafe factories. That is simply not good enough and such brands need to explain why they did not do enough to ensure that their own products were made in a responsible way.

3. Brands cannot hide behind industry initiatives.

It is equally true that some brands created a smokescreen around their activities by citing their involvement with institutions such as the Ethical Trading Initiative. Such initiatives can help committed brands to improve their social responsibility performance but are no substitute for making sure that a brand’s own products are made in a safe and responsible manner.

4. Providing poor people with increased incomes is no justification for abysmal labor practices.

While it is true that garment factories have provided much needed jobs and incomes, a minimum wage of only $38 a month is still tough to live on in urban areas such as Dhaka. Providing incomes to workers is no excuse for exploitative working conditions and the treatment of people as modern day slaves. Why are brands not raising the bar and ensuring that workers are paid living wages and ensuring their safety?

5. The tragedy cannot be separated from corruption.

We now know that the illegal building that housed the factories was at the center of a number of corrupt activities involving the owner, construction companies and building inspectors. Moreover, it seems that the owner had close relationships with people in government. In a business environment where corruption is endemic, the brands that source from Bangladesh sweatshops need to explain in detail why they continue to do business in a location where it is difficult to get anything done without being involved in or complicit with some sort of corruption along the supply chain.

6. Workers are an important part of the solution.

And yet, workers rights have been exploited, unions have been barred and in most factories worker complaints procedures and grievance mechanisms are nonexistent. Allowing workers to raise their own concerns about their treatment and their safety is an important part of improving working conditions. The brands need to tell us why they have been happy to see workers denied basic rights and worker representation side-lined.

7. There is a major disconnect between compliance departments and the procurement process.

To be blunt, compliance managers want to ensure that factories follow corporate codes of conduct, but procurement departments are interested in little more than price and delivery times. When there is a conflict between the two departments, we now know who wins in the battle for cheaper goods. Why is compliance not fully embedded into the procurement process?

8. Responsible brands will tell us why they are in Bangladesh.

If low-cost production, quick turnaround times and the flexibility to change orders with little notice are the reasons for being in Bangladesh, why do the brands not tell us why that also means that they are willing to tolerate hazardous working conditions and the abuse and exploitation of Bangladesh workers?

9. Trade rules need to favor developing countries but also protect human rights.

While preferential trading status has been granted to many developing countries, including Bangladesh, in order to encourage growth, development and poverty reduction, such initiatives must also protect the rights of workers. There now needs to be a concerted effort to integrate worker protection and human rights into world trade rules. I wonder if the brands are willing to take a lead?

10. We are now at a turning point.

It has taken more than 700 deaths for the public to wake up to the fact that the true price of low-cost clothing is exploitation of labor and unsafe working conditions among some of the most vulnerable people in the world. Protests against high street brands in Europe should signal a wake-up call for those brands that continue to push down prices at the expense of basic human rights. Let’s have a comprehensive explanation from these brands about why their products are so cheap and let’s see some transparency over how much is being paid for clothing as it leaves the factory gates in Bangladesh.

By Richard Welford, one of the founders and the chairman of CSR Asia.