Goals Statement Essay Example for Free

Goals Statement Essay When I first sat down to write my educational goals statement, I thought it would be easy. I am an extremely goal oriented person, with my entire life being spent focusing on â€Å"what’s next†. So, how difficult could it be to simply write down those goals? When I began writing, however, I discovered it was going to be a little more difficult than I anticipated. I realized that it may be possible to have too many goals. My list was long and confusing with some goals very specific, and others vague. I thought to myself, how can I produce a smart goals statement out of this? So I re-evaluated my list and discovered that my goals could actually be divided into three predictable categories: immediate goals, short-term goals, and long-term goals. I decided then to choose one from each category to focus on for this report. My immediate goals were fairly general, but all related to my success as a student, so my main goal as student is to get an A in all of my online subjects, and this is a goal that I will go reaching slowly, day by day over the course of this course and in my following online courses. I feel a little intimidated when taking these online courses because my native language is Spanish and having to study in English is an extra challenge for me but I know that with effort and dedication I will get the A that I’m hoping for.

Proposal for Inventory System Essay Example for Free

Proposal for Inventory System Essay In today’s global world, access to basic and quality healthcare is crucial and imperative in order to have a good and healthy life. In view of this, access to quality and affordable drugs is a basic raw material in enhancing good and quality healthcare. It is therefore necessary and important to ensure that patients can easily get access to quality, un-expired and affordable drugs for the treatment of their diseases and sicknesses. Most importantly the efficiency with which these services are carried out can go a long way to save lives and improve upon the health status of individuals. Medisol Pharmaceutical Company Limited is a private retail pharmaceutical company established in Ghana and their main focus is to regularly sell pharmaceuticals, skin care products, baby care products and cosmetics to its customers. The company makes continuous efforts to maximize client’s satisfaction by providing good customer service and also segmenting their market so as to enable customers have easy access to their sales outlets. The company has its head office at Kanda and two other branches at west legon and kasowa respectively with their main target groups being the general public. Medisol Pharmaceutical Company ltd. has two major departments namely the Finance/Administrative Department and the Retail Department which are directly under the supervision of the CEO. The company has numerical staff strength of five (5) comprising of a CEO, a superintendent pharmacist, pharmacist, an accountant and a medicine counter assistant. Below is an organogram of Medisol Pharmaceutical company ltd. The Finance/Administrative department which is headed by the accountant handles mainly the financial and administrative tasks of the company. The company’s Retail Department serves as a liaison between Medisol and its customers and is headed by the Medicine Counter Assistant. The main responsibilities of this department are to manage the retail stock, sell items to customers and submit weekly reports to the CEO. Medisol’s operations are solely manual; as our team got to the company we were privileged to speak to the head of the retail department who explained thoroughly to us how the manual process takes place. The process starts with stock purchase where the medicine counter assistant makes a list of all needed items to be bought. This list is sent to their wholesalers for delivery of the items. Upon delivery, the items are crossed checked with the order list made and a sales invoice is then given to Medisol which is then filed in a purchasing file. Items to be sold are arranged on shelves with price tags on each item. Details of items sold are recorded in a sales book. Retail stocks are taken three times in a month and the process used is as follows; -Drugs on the shelves are counted and the quantity is crossed checked with the sales invoice kept in the purchase file(which shows quantity of items bought ), this is done to know the quantity of items sold -The quantity of sold items is then crossed checked from the sales books to further check if the items were really sold, expired or stolen. This process helps them to know how much items have been sold, how much stock is left and also determine whether to make an order or not. Medisol also has a special way of identifying expired drugs so that they won’t be sold to customers, with this the medicine counter assistant prepares a manual list of drugs whose expiry date falls within a particular year hence every six months this list is checked for drugs which have their expiry dates closer or already expired. Those almost about to expire are sold faster while those already expired are cleared from the shelves and discarded. In today’s world it is impossible to compete in the job market without a working knowledge of IT. It is therefore imperative that Medisol Pharmaceutical Company Limited implement and invest into good inventory control management system that have the ability to track, report and replenish stock. This will then improve accuracy and enhance safety and efficiency thereby helping the resale department decrease stock errors. This solution is intended to help the department to manage all transactions of received stocks, price, quantity and invoice. Security of this system will be enhanced, making it impossible for items to be misplaced or stolen. The benefits of the computerized inventory control system to Medisol Pharmaceutical Company ltd. is to make inventory decisions that minimize the total cost of inventory, which is distinctly different from minimizing inventory. It is often more expensive to run out of an item (and thus be forced to obtain it through more expensive channels) than simply to keep more units in stock. Several models have been proposed in the literature for minimizing the total cost of inventory through the use of an economic order quantity, which attempts to balance the carrying costs of inventory with the cost of running out of an item. Most pharmacy inventory decisions involve replenishmenthow much to order, when to decide to order, and when to place the order.

The Psychological contract

The Psychological contract The psychological contract has been defined as the implicit relationship between an employee and their organization which outlines what each should expect to give and receive in the relationship (Gakovic Tetrick, 2003; pg 236). Rousseau (2000; pg 9) has defined psychological contract as the terms of an exchange agreement between individuals and their organizations. It can also be regarded as an individuals beliefs regarding the terms and conditions of a mutual exchange agreement between the person and the organisation (Saks, 2006; pg 613). Researchers have suggested that psychological contract can be shaped by personal/individual factors, past job experience and personality of employees. Saks (2006) suggests that early life experiences also shape an employee, influencing values about fairness, hard work and reciprocity. The study looks into the concept of psychological contract and determines the importance of this in the management context. It analyses the consequences of breaching the psychological contract and the effect it can have on the organisation. The purpose of this essay is to discuss whether managing the psychological contract is a core task. Discussion and Analysis The concept of psychological contract is led by the norm of reciprocity which implies that an individual, who provides benefits to another, obligates him or her to discharge these obligations by furnishing benefits in return (Wright et al., 2005; pg 409). It refers to employee expectations towards his job/organisation. Stemming from sociological and social exchange theories, the concept has recently extended to employee-employer relationships. In the psychological contract literature, employees exchange the treatment they receive from their employer by adjusting their perceived obligations and fulfilment to the employer (Ingham, 2006; pg 22). Similarly, employer perceptions of employee fulfilment of psychological contract have been shown to influence employer obligations and increase the likelihood of the fulfilment of these obligations (Lewis and Taylor 2001; Coyle-Shapiro 2001). Psychological contract is perceptual in nature and defined as a set of expectations held by the individual employee. There is a tendency to confuse psychological contract with other emotional attributes like job involvement and employee engagement (Rousseau, 2000; pg255). Psychological contract is different from organisation commitment or the feeling of desire, need or obligation to remain in an organisation. It also differs from job involvement. The feeling of fulfilment of expectations differentiates psychological contract from positive or negative evaluative judgments of the job, as in the job satisfaction construct, which is a result of fulfilment of psychological contract (May et al., 2004; pg 32). Over the years several researches have been carried on psychological contract and a consensus has developed within the research community that the psychological contract is an important determinant of employees behaviour and attitudes (Ashton Morton, 2005; pg 30). The concept of psychological contract provides a popular framework for advancing understanding of employees attitudes and behaviours in contemporary management research, mainly due to the much discussed changes in the employment relationship (Conway Briner, 2002). Employee engagement is closely linked to psychological contract and employees are cognitively engaged when they are aware of their mission and role in their work environment, have what they need at work and have opportunities to feel an impact and fulfilment in their work (Johnson J OLeary-Kelly, 2003). Employees are emotionally engaged when they perceive that they are part of something significant with co-workers whom they trust, form meaningful connection wit h and experience empathy and concern for, and also have chances to improve and develop. In an organizations psychological contract with a manager or the managers psychological contract with the organization, either side can have a major effect on the benefits derived from their mutual relationship. Additionally, either side can also affect the ability of an organization to attract and retain high quality managers. Management of psychological contract is important because modern organizations cannot succeed unless their employees agree to contribute to their mission and survival. In order todo so, workers and employers need to agree on the contributions that workers are expected to make to the firm, and vice versa. Understanding and effectively managing psychological contract can help firms thrive. Turnley et al., (2003) showed with his research that there has been a shift in workers psychological contract in the last few years, moving from a relational contract, based on trust to the company to a transactional relationship of limited duration, focused on economic exchange and limited worker involvement in the organization. This has largely been led by the rapid industrialisation of most economies. Macro Economic developments like technological changes, downsizing and restructuring and other social and labour market changes have forced individuals to change organizations many times throughout their career (Agee, 2000; pg 12). The changing organisational dynamics has meant that psychological contract is even more important proposition than it was some time ago. Vos et al. (2003; pg 419) suggest that a vital component of psychological contract theory is the concept of breach, defined as the cognition that ones organization has failed to meet one or more obligations within ones psychological contract in a manner commensurate with ones contributions. Researches done in the past have also shown that psychological contract and the breach of them can result in several consequences depending on the category of the employees. E.g. The most valuable employees, who possess the marketability to negotiate better deals in other companies, are those most likely to leave (Ashton Morton, 2005; pg 29). Study conducted by Chen Fang (2003; pg 2) argue that besides the general organization-employee psychological contract, there also exists a separate psychological contract between an organization and its managers. Several researches suggest that psychological contract breach is associated with increased intentions to leave the organization. Indeed, quitting ones job is one of the most frequent responses to a situation in which employees perceive that their employer has wilfully violated the deal (Rousseau 2004). Ingham (2006; pg 20) believes that the most defining character of social exchange in contrast to economic exchange is that it entails unspecific obligations. While there is a general expectation of return, the nature of the return is not stipulated in advance as in a strictly economic exchange. What makes matters difficult in order to manage psychological contracts is that there is no clear understanding of what the commitments are or how they can be fulfilled. When an employee believes that the organization has not kept its promises, then the employee perceives psychological contract breach which has a negative effect on a wide range of employee attitudes and behaviours, such as job satisfaction, organizational commitment, trust in the organization and employee motivation. All this can lead to lower productivity and result in the employee leaving the organisation. All this makes psychological contract a very important proposition to manage. Pate et al. (2003) indicate that the advent of the psychological contract is positively related to low job satisfaction and high turnover rates. Hui et al. (2004) further investigated and found that the psychological contract is positively related to employees exit and neglect and negatively related to employees loyalty. Employees are considered a source of competitive advantage and ways in which people work make a crucial difference between successful and unsuccessful firms. Psychological contract is recognised as a process for developing and retaining ability. Cassar (2001) suggests that if employee engagement affects financial outcomes and the bottom line, disengaged employees uncouple themselves from work, withdraw cognitively and emotionally, display incomplete role performance, put in less effort and become automatic and passive. This is a costly proposition for organisations and it is imperative for them to understand what employees primarily want. The psychological states of employees are key factors in determining their behaviour and responses at work. It is at least in part through the management of these psychological states that organisational effectiveness can be achieved. Management of psychological contract is an important management activity and it is important for both managers and organisation to believe in the concept of psychological contract at the beginning of the relationship. Employees with a history of psychological contract breach are more likely to view their psychological contracts in economic terms (Deery et al., 2006, pg 167). Previous research on psychological contract breach has also shown how breach perceptions reduce employees trust in the employer (Deery et al., 2006, pg 169). Contract breach perceptions undermine the social exchange basis of the relationship, eventually leading employees to watch over their investments and monitor closer the balance in the relationship (Turnley et al., 2003; pg 187). On the other hand, psychological contract fulfilment by the employer in turn presents a payback and provides value for the employee investments by bringing the exchange into a balanced state. What makes challenging for the management to manage the psychological contract is the fact that psychological contract lies in the eye of beholder. This means that even if the same deal (benefits, rewards) is offered to every employee, its psychological contract towards the organisation may vary. Also, psychological contract of employees evolves over a period of time as a result of experience and organisational policies. The recommendations for those trying to manage the psychological contract are to assess the implicit expectations from the employee at the interview stage. Also, at the same time, brief employees on the internal work environment and the organisation as much as possible. Some organisations make interviewees interact with employees so that the interviewee can informally discuss issues around working conditions, implicit rewards and expectations. The objective is to let the interviewee find out as much about the business and working conditions as possible. The roots of psychological contract formation lie in the recruitment process. During recruitment, employers should only make promises to their prospective employees, which the new employees expect them to uphold. In case an employer fails to do so, the employees may believe that their psychological contract has been violated. One of the ways of fostering psychological contract at the recruitment stage is the use of a realistic job pre view which tries to ensure that newcomers have accurate expectations about their new job and employer and thus avoid the experience of feeling short-changed thereafter. Managing of psychological contract can partly be done through training and development. Training is important in the make-up of psychological contract, not only in terms of employer expectations who consider the development of highly trained workers with firm specific skills a major factor for securing competitive advantage, but also because it acts as inducement for employees to maintain their commitment to the organisation (Lester Kickul, 2001; pg 10). The more employees perceive violation of organisational obligations with regard to providing skills and career development, the less satisfied they will be with their jobs. Conclusions The growing management interest in psychological contract can be attributed to the fact that the construct has the potential to predict employee outcomes, organisational success and financial performance (Pate et al., 2003; pg 558). Employee-employer relationships influence the economic as well as the behavioural outcomes of the organisation. Psychological contract is a multi-dimensional construct and unlike other constructs it is not only an affective but also a cognitive and physical state of involvement in ones job. It also focuses on the emerging issues in employment relationships. They are constructs that understand the concerns about employment relationships The review of literature suggests that psychological contract is extremely important for organisations to manage as it has an impact on job satisfaction, organisational commitment, intention to quit and organisational citizenship behaviour. What makes psychological contract more important is that as a construct, it has the potential to integrate a number of key organisational concepts. However, at the same time, its very difficult to manage something which is not clear. More so, because the psychological contact and the expectations might change in due course because of external and internal circumstances. The study concludes that it is important to manage the psychological contract and human resource practices significantly impacts employee development as well as assessment of psychological contract fulfilment. When employees are recruited, when they go through performance appraisals, when they evaluate their benefits packages or receive recognition for their efforts, they interpret the experience and the interpretation will influence how they react to it. The failure of a company to comply with its obligations (as perceived by an employee) can erode the employment relationship. References Agee J. (2000) Understanding psychological contract breach: An examination of its direct, indirect, and moderated effects. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, State University of New York at Albany. Argyris, C (1960) Understanding Organisational Behavior, The Dorsey Press: Homewood Ill. Ashton, C, and L Morton (2005) Managing Talent for Competitive Advantage, Strategic HR Review, Vol 4, No 5, pp 28- 31. Cassar V. (2001). Violating psychological contract amongst Maltese public service employees: Occurrence and relationships. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 16, 194- 208 Chen M, Fang M. (2003). The impact of psychological contract breach on employees work behavior: An example in high-tech industry. Fu Jen Management Review (in Chinese), 11, 1-32. Conway N, Briner RB. (2002). Full-time versus part-time employees: Understanding the links between work status, the psychological contract, and attitudes. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 61, 279-301. Coyle-Shapiro J, Conway N. (2005). Exchange relationships: Examining psychological contracts and perceived organizational support. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90, 774-781. Deery S, Iverson R,Walsh J. (2006). Toward a better understanding of psychological contract breach:Astudy of customer service employees. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91, 166-175. Gakovic A, Tetrick LE. (2003b). Psychological contract breach as a source of strain for employees. Journal of Business Psychology, 18, 235-246. Hui C, Lee C, Rousseau DM. (2004). Psychological contract and organizational citizenship behavior in China: Investigating generalizability and instrumentality. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89, 311-321. Ingham, J (2006) Closing the Talent Management Gap, Strategic HR Review, Vol 5, No 3, Mar-Apr, pp 20-23. Johnson J, OLeary-Kelly AM. (2003). The effects of psychological contract breach and organizational cynicism: Not all social exchange violations are created equal. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 24, 627-647. Lester, S, and J Kickul (2001) Psychological Contracts in the 21st Century: What Employees Value Most and How Well Organisations are Responding to These Expectations, Human Resource Planning, Vol 24, No 1, pp 10-21. May, D, A Gilson and L Harter (2004) The Psychological Conditions of Meaningfulness, Safety and Availability and the Engagement of Human Spirit at Work, Journal of Occupation and Organisational Psychology, Vol 77, pp 11-37. Pate, J, G Martin, and J McGoldrock (2003) The Impact of Psychological Contract Violations on Employee Attitudes and Behaviours, Employee Relations, Vol 25, pp 557-573. Robinson, D, S Perryman, and S Hayday (2004) The Drivers of Employee Engagement, Institute for Employment Studies, Brighton. Rousseau DM. (2000). Psychological contracts in the United States: Diversity, individualism, and associability in the marketplace. In Rousseau DM, Schalk R (Eds.), Psychological contracts in employment: Cross-national perspectives (pp. 250-282). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Saks, A (2006) Antecedents and Consequences of Employee Engagement, Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol 21, No 7, pp 600-618. Turnley, W H , M C Bolino, S W Lester, and J M Bloodgood (2003) The Impact of Psychological Contract Fulfilment on the Performance of In-Role and Organisational Citizenship Behaviour, Journal of Management, Vol 29, pp 187-206. Vos, A, D Buyens, and R Schalk (2003) Psychological Contract Development during Organisational Socialisation: Adaptation to Reality and the Role of Reciprocity, Journal of Organisational Behaviour, Vol 24, No 5, pp 537-559. Wright, P M, T M Gardner, L M Moynihan, and M R Allen (2005) The Relationship between HR Practices and Firm Performance: Examining Causal Order, Personnel Psychology, Vol 58, No 2, pp 409-38.

Expanding Perception in Alan Lightman’s Einsteins Dreams :: Lightman Einsteins Dreams Essays

Expanding Perception in Alan Lightman’s Einstein's Dreams To attempt to describe Einstein's Dreams would be like trying to explain magic. For example, imagine that a magician holds a ping-pong ball playfully, transferring it from one hand to the other. The magician invites the audience to examine a red silk kerchief that had been neatly tucked into his jacket's front pocket. He then lays the kerchief flat in his left hand and places the ping-pong ball in that kerchief-covered palm. The magician gathers the four corners of the kerchief together, flings it into the air and lets it fall to the floor. He picks up the kerchief and presents it again to the audience for examination: The ping-pong ball is nowhere to be found. Can you say that, from reading this description, you were full of awe and wonder when you discovered the ping-pong ball's disappearance? I would wager that you were not. If you have ever read Einstein's Dreams, you can appreciate my dilemma. If you have not yet had the opportunity to experience this wonderful novel by Alan Lightman, I guarantee that after you read it you will expand your perception of the nature of time and of human activity. The novel is enchanting. It is a fictional account of what one of the greatest scientific minds dreams as he begins to uncover his theory of relativity. Whenever I suggest the novel to the uninitiated, they often say that they are not interested in the sciences. This novel is more like art and poetry, I reply. Einstein's Dreams is Lightman's first work of fiction, although he previously wrote at least six books and for several magazines. Lightman currently teaches physics and writing at M.I.T. From these two seemingly conflicting backgrounds come reviews like "A wonderfully odd, clever, mystical book of meditations on time, poetically spare and delightfully fresh" and "Endlessly fascinating. A beguiling inquiry into the not-at-all theoretical, utterly time-tangled, tragic and sublime nature of human life." Only sixteen of the 179 pages relate to Albert Einstein. The rest of the novel describes some of his "dreams" from April 15 to June 28, 1905. What if time were a circle? What if cause and effect were erratic? What if the passage of time brought increasing order? What if we had no memories? What if time flowed backward? What if we lived for only a day? What if time were measured by quality and not quantity?

Sexualy Transmited Diseases: Hemophilia Essay -- Genetic Bleeding Dis

Hemophilia is a genetic bleeding disorder that slows down the clotting process of one’s blood. There are two types of the disorder: hemophilia A and hemophilia B. Both result in very similar symptoms, however, they are caused by different mutations of genes on the X chromosome. The way in which the disorder is inherited is known as an â€Å"X-linked recessive pattern.† Since males only have one X chromosome, one gene mutation is all that is needed in order to obtain hemophilia. On the other hand, females have two X chromosomes meaning that two mutations (on on each X chromosome) are required to inherit hemophilia. For that reason, it’s far more unlikely for females to have hemophilia than it is for males. Specifically, the genes which cause hemophilia A and hemophilia B are the F8 gene and the F9 gene respectively. Mutations in these genes trigger the production of abnormal versions or reduce the number of coagulation factors VIII or IX. Subsequently, these miss ing or scarce proteins are not able to aid in the blood clotting process which causes excessive and continuous bleeding. There are varying levels of the severity of hemophilia which are all dependent on the extent of mutation of coagulation factors VIII or IX (Hemophilia, n.d.). There is, however, another form of hemophilia that is rare. It is known as acquired hemophilia, and it is caused by one’s body producing specialized proteins (autoantibodies) that attack coagulation factor VIII. In this rare case, it is not caused by genetic mutation or scarcity. The body’s production of autoantibodies can sometimes be attributed to pregnancy, allergic reactions, cancer, or immune system disorders (Hemophilia, n.d.). Symptoms Someone that is affected by hemophilia would be prone to ... ... 19, 2014, from https://online.epocrates.com/u/2923468/Hemophilia/Basics/Epidemiology Hemophilia. (n.d.). Retrieved March 16, 2014, from http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/hemophilia Hemophilia. (n.d.). Retrieved March 16, 2014, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hemophilia/basics/symptoms/con-20029824 How Is Hemophilia Treated? (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2014, from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hemophilia/treatment.html Inheritance Pattern of Hemophilia. (n.d.). In Hemophilia Federation of America. Retrieved March 20, 2014, from http://www.hemophiliafed.org/bleeding-disorders/hemophilia/inheritance/ The N-terminal Epidermal Growth Factor-like Domain in Factor IX and Factor X Represents an Important Recognition Motif for Binding to Tissue Factor*. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2014, from http://www.jbc.org/content/277/5/3622

Finding Self Essay -- essays papers

Finding Self I realize that the whole universe is at my fingertips, as is my willingness to manifest what is needed in my reality. Every experience of life is God teaching me. As I look in this pure state of awareness, I feel this pure energy within my whole body. From the rhythm of my breathing, I feel a quiet state of attunement — one with God. My soul incarnated into a specific form on earth for a unique purpose. My journey is now and exists at this moment, whether I want to realize it or not. Knowing my life’s purpose and acting on it will give me direction and is a necessary step in achieving true happiness. To have this deeper experience requires the ability to have conscious awareness of Soul, or Higher Self. I find my life runs much more smoothly when I let the Universe run itself without any interference from me. As a matter of fact, the less my brain does its "stuff'', the more fulfilling my life becomes...hence more enriched. This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow the night and day, â€Å"Thou canst not then be false to any man.† â€Å"But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you.†(Matthew 5:44) Humans are not all alike, one will hate you and the other will love you. The difference in moods is the reason why humans are who they are. The knowledge that everyone is different in some way, will lead to one giant leap on my journey. Loving thy neighbor no matter what, as stated in the Ten Commandments, will enrich my spiritual progression. Not being familiar with my actual role in this Universe at this stage of my existence is at times very frustrating and often very far-fetched. Nothing happens by chance. We are a part of a universe that is forever giving us... ...nnection. Balance, harmony, and compassion are the natural state of my innermost self. Since spirituality is an experience, the degree to which I reflect the qualities of balance, harmony and compassion in my everyday moment-to-moment experience will support my connection to God. These problems are made visible in the two opposite notions of the loss of the self, or alternatively, the absorption with the self, both of which impoverish our sense of self. I will argue against the notion of the self as one that is constantly changing to meet the demands of the competing voices surrounding it. Rather, I will not argue that I must find a vantage point from which to view the world and create a sense of self that persists through time. I cannot be, â€Å"populated with the character of others.† Being a â€Å"self† must mean more than being an image, wearing a mask, or playing a role.

Project Proposal Essay

Background and Motivation What is the setting and history behind this project? Customer Relationship Management concerns the relationship between the organization and its customers. Customers are the lifeblood of any organization be it a global corporation with thousands of employees and a multi-billion turnover, or a sole trader with a handful of regular customers. Customer Relationship Management is the same in principle for these two examples – it is the scope of CRM which can vary drastically. CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, is a way for businesses to find potential customers. While the first iterations of CRM were used in the 1980s, it wasn’t until the 2000s that it really began to shine. CRM software helps businesses identify and categorize existing customers. This allows them to see the specific demographics their products appeal to, in turn allowing them to market their products more effectively. What is the problem to be addressed? Many organizations are considering introducing CRM systems or are in the process of doing so. The main concern of these organizations is their ability to make the necessary changes at the level of organizational strategy that the introduction of the CRM system requires. Organizations are also concerned about damaging their existing customer care system. Their fears are based on past failures in their own or in other organizations. What are some current approaches to this problem? 1. The users don’t use the CRM system My personal view is that most people do not come to work to fight the system. If users are rejecting the CRM system then we need to try to understand the reasons. In most cases this can be traced to a lack of management support for CRM. If users feel that their conscientious updating of the CRM system is not used then they will stop using it. Examples of managers refusing to use the CRM system, requesting reports in Word or Excel format, and enjoying a successful CRM implementation are nonexistent. The simple fact is that leaders need to lead – that means that everyone from the very top down must use the CRM system. 2. The users want to use the CRM system, but the technology is failing them Another point of belief; CRM software developers do not set out to ship bad software. So even if you have selected a software platform that we don’t sell, it is unlikely that the CRM issue will be bugged software. The most common reasons for technology failing are tied to speed or ease of access. If your users cannot access the CRM system whenever or wherever they want then they will drift away. 3. The original driving force for the CRM project has moved on It is often said that a new broom sweeps cleanest. All too often changes in management herald changes in the CRM system. Users who were previously happily using the CRM system, struggle to adopt changes. Users who were struggling with the system, legitimize their behavior with reference to changes that may, or may not be coming. 4. The CRM system does not deliver all of the functions required This might be the result of changes in the business, or changes in the management or reporting requirements. Typically this is first visible as a potential Business Intelligence (BI) requirement. The need is to integrate all of the systems that surround the CRM system. From quote creation, to web store integration, systems proliferate to surround the CRM system. Requirements, not anticipated in the initial CRM project create additional customer data silos. Left unchecked these will ultimately undermine the â€Å"single view of the customer† CRM seeks to deliver. Why is this problem worth solving or worth solving better? Customer relationship management (CRM) is a widely implemented model for managing a company’s interactions with customers, clients, and sales prospects. It involves using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize business processes—principally sales activities, but also those for marketing, customer service, and technical support.[1] The overall goals are to find, attract, and win new clients, service and retain those the company already has, entice former clients to return, and reduce the costs of marketing and client service.[2] Customer relationship management describes a company-wide business strategy including customer-interface departments as well as other departments.[3] Measuring and valuing customer relationships is critical to implementing this strategy. Benefits of the Project/Product * One of the major benefits of having a CRM is that it improves the quality of service. The CRM collects all information of the clients then analyzes the data and help you in decision- making. With the help of Customer Relationship Management, you will assured that your system is running safe and secure. Another benefit of having a CRM software is that it can help you save a lot of money. Of course, purchasing a software might be expensive but compared on hiring, training and paying employees, it will save you a lot. * Having a Customer Relationship Management software needs to have careful planning. Remember that in this system, the relationship between your company and your clients is at stake. You have to plan out everything. It is also important that you consider its usability. You have to determine the benefits it will bring to your company and its impact in your business as well as your employees. * Since all information provided by the customers were collected by the CRM, it is important to keep them secure. The company as well as the vendors should ensure the quality of the system that it is secure enough to protect confidential information. Scope and Limitations of the Project The scope limitation option on workflows in MSCRM is a great feature that unfortunately has half baked functionality. Particularly when dealing with large organizations with multiple Business Units, it’s compelling to try and limit scope to the Business Unit level. This works fine until you realize the limitations. Seeing as how workflows can only be owned by people, you MUST assign each workflow to a user in the business unit you’d like scope limited to. As soon as you attempt this, you’ll need to deactive the workflow, assign to the appropriate user, have that user log into the system, and re-activate the workflow. Needless to say, this is not a feasible maintenance scenario for organizations rolling out to dozen(s) of business units.