by Steve Earle | Jul 27, 2015 | Marketing
Offshore outsourcing is without a doubt a part of globalization, and I’m sure it’s here to stay. For many companies outsourcing represents a real value that they are prepared to manage and maintain, but for many it represents a lot of headaches.
Here are a few reasons you should consider strengthening you local team rather than outsourcing:
Risk of confidentiality: Before hiring an outsourcing firm, do your homework. Make sure their references check out and that they have no previous history of leaking information. This is always a concern when outsourcing. Take the proper precautionary legal measures to avoid any misuse of your sensitive data. Better safe than sorry!
Lack of quality: This often happens when you choose a vendor that doesn’t have a proper development process or enough experience. Those who experience this often go for the “cheaper†outsourcing firms, which in turn can end up hurting you and costing you more money. Look through the vendor’s portfolio to see the type of work they do and how complex it is. This will give you a sense of their capabilities and experience.
Weak customer support: Service providers without good experience in managing outsourcing relationships may fail to deliver good customer care. If they are working for more companies than they can afford, you won’t get enough attention and the end result will be disappointing.
Hidden costs: Although outsourcing is known for cost-effectiveness, hidden costs may stem during the development period. These costs arise from unanticipated changes that demand some quick adjustments. Setting a clear outline of cost and potential extra charges upfront should be done before signing a contact.
Communication and cultural barriers: Lack of understanding the cultural differences between the company and outsourcing vendor may cause problems in communication. Set clear expectations for both parties in the beginning to decrease the chances of this happening.
Read the complete article here.
by Steve Earle | Jun 15, 2015 | Events, Marketing, Newsletters
Join us for a lively presentation and discussion about creating financial independence for tech savvy women.
“Retiring on Your Terms.â€
During this complimentary seminar, you’ll learn ways to:
- Plan to bring your retirement dreams and goals more within reach.
- Prioritize your retirement saving and spending plans to address what is most important to you.
- Identify risks that could throw your retirement plans off track.
You’ll also learn about some technology tools that may help you reach your financial goals. I will be showing the attendees how to use client-facing technology tools and demo ways to track your financial goals and dreams.
by Steve Earle | Jun 8, 2015 | Marketing, Newsletters, Uncategorized
The Miami-Fort Lauderdale metropolitan area again landed near the top of the Kauffman Foundation’s index of startup activity, ranking No. 2 of the 40 largest metro areas studied. This may help to explain why it seems like everyone is starting a business these days. (read complete article). If you’re among the throngs of entrepreneurs about to embark on a new business venture then you should be thinking about a business plan. Whether you are creating a business plan, a product pitch, or just trying to plan for the future of your business, making financial projections can be one of the most difficult aspects of the project. Although financial projections are a tricky business and not an exact science, these five apps should be able to give you some help as you plan for the financial future of your business. (read complete article)
If a big part of your business strategy involves people, then you need to make a call to SherlockTalent, we have the tech, marketing and creative talent to help you execute your strategy. Email Alex@SherlockTalent.com
by Steve Earle | Jun 8, 2015 | Events, Marketing, Newsletters
Jim Walker and colleagues are presenting 2 great AWS Meetups in June. Choose between Miami Beach (Rokk3r Labs) or Boca/Palm Beach (Modernizing Medicine)
We are lucky to have an AWS System Architect traveling in to present some key concepts specific to startup organizations.
This meeting will be focused on how startups can leverage AWS and get started with using key services on AWS.
The meeting will have pizza from one of the best pizza places in Miami Beach and we are looking forward to making new friends.
Please RSVP as soon as possible so we know how much pizza to provide.
Register June 23 – Boca/Palm Beach
Register June 24 – Miami Beach
by Steve Earle | Jun 8, 2015 | Events, Marketing, Newsletters
With Corporate Data breaches occurring at an every alarming rate, management at all levels are struggling with the length, width, and breathe of protecting their corporate data-assets. There is no shortage of options (firewalls, virus controls, access & authentication controls, separation of duties, multifactor authentication, data masking, remediation of “MS-Access databases,†data encryption [in-flight and data-at-rest], secured emails, secured folders, disabling jump drives, limiting web access, etc., etc., etc.).
As Information Management professionals, we are often asked: “what do we need and which is the best option?†which leads to the inevitable answers “it depends†and, my favorite, “yes.† What most see as a wide variety of options should be a set of standard business-as-usual (BAU) tools and practices.
In this session, Michael Jay Freer will explore defining a common data-masking language; defining standard masking business-rules; defining best practices for manipulating the data; and how to get started without attempting to “Boil-the-ocean.â€
Michael Jay Freer, SSGB, ITIL(v3) is a consultant specializing in Business Intelligence (BI) solutions who has provided thought leadership and consulting services to Fortune 500 companies including MetLife, Tyco Safety Products, Capital One, Brinks Home Security, Rite Aid, and Zales. Over his twenty years of experience, he has worked with business sponsors to provide solutions in financial, manufacturing, supply chain management, retail, marketing, and hospitality/cruise/tourism industries. Michael Jay is a member of the PMI, IIBA, ASQ, and has served on the board of the South Florida Chapter of The Data Warehouse Institute since 2006.
Microsoft Business Intelligence South Florida User Group (MSBISF)
The Microsoft Business Intelligence User Group of South Florida (MSBISF) is dedicated to helping BI professionals advance their career through free educational, training, and networking opportunities offered every second Wednesday of each month. Membership is free of charge and the group meets at the Carl DeSantis building at Nova Southeastern University campus in Davie, Florida. For more information, please contact David Ortiz at dortiz@allegient.com or Marilyn Rousseau at sqldudette@gmail.com.
