RFID Consortium Calls On Via Licensing to Administer Patent Licensing Program
From ARC Advisory Group
The RFID Consortium and Via Licensing Corporation announced that Via Licensing will administer the ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification (UHF RFID) patent licensing program. A recognized leader in patent program development and administration, Via Licensing's expertise includes intellectual property law, technology standardization, strategic business development, and program administration. The RFID Consortium is comprised of companies involved with radio frequency identification technology.

The RFID Consortium and Via Licensing have signed a non-binding term sheet, which provides that Via Licensing will manage the RFID licensing program and work with essential patent holders, as well as conduct further calls for additional essential patents.

Joint licensing programs provide the market with a convenient and cost-effective way to obtain licenses to the patents essential to practice of a standard.By doing so, the programs encourage greater adoption of the standard. Without such a joint license, the process of providing and obtaining necessary licenses would be more cumbersome and expensive for all parties.

The proposed licensing program will be made available to all essential patent holders, regardless of whether they were involved in the development of RFID standards. Under the proposed licensing arrangement, all essential RFID patents owned by members of the RFID Consortium will be made available to interested companies via a single license on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms.
http://www.arcweb.com/

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IT Providers Get High Marks from SMB Customers
From CompTIA
Providers of information technology (IT) hardware, software and services received high marks for their performance from small and medium-sized customers, according to research released today by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA).

IT providers received a robust rating of 8.1 (on a 0-10 scale) in the CompTIA End User Loyalty Index. Nearly 700 IT purchase decision-makers in organizations of fewer than 1,000 employees were surveyed to determine the loyalty index, which is based on overall satisfaction with their IT provider, quality of service, repurchase intention, and likelihood to recommend to others.

Nearly 70 percent of the small and medium-sized organizations surveyed gave their IT providers a rating of 8.0 or higher for both overall satisfaction and satisfaction with quality of service.

Even more impressive, among these organizations 78.5 percent said they intend to repurchase from their primary IT product provider over the next 12 months; and 68.5 percent said they would recommend their IT provider to others.

"The good news for IT providers is if you have a customer and can service them, you're likely to keep them as a customer," said Donald Ryan, vice president, technology media, TNS Prognostics, a global leader in customer research-based consulting headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., commissioned by CompTIA to conduct the survey. "The bad news is it's difficult to dislodge an incumbent vendor."

"In the last several years the IT industry has made a concerted effort to improve its customer satisfaction performance, and the results of this survey clearly indicate that this effort is paying off," said John Venator, president and chief executive officer, CompTIA.

CompTIA, which represents the interests of more than 20,000 member companies in the IT industry, offers its members several programs designed to improve customer service and satisfaction.

The CompTIA ServiceMetric Customer Service Benchmark is the industry's pre-eminent benchmark of service quality for services in the field, on-site, over the phone, or in a repair depot. CompTIA also offers a customer service accreditation program, which focuses on integrating communication and support skills with technical skills.
http://www.comptia.org/

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In the Battle to Manage Change, CPFR Can Be Your Most Effective Weapon
From the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals/Joseph Andraski
No organization can achieve success without being able to change.
It doesn't matter how large or how small. Whether an organization is public, private, state, federal, or military, resisting change impedes progress. Period.

Every company has its own unique culture. Corporate cultures can be adaptive, confrontational, empowering, emasculating, innovative…the list goes on. Successful enterprises thrive on a culture of innovation. They have an adaptive culture.

By nature, people can be confrontational and change-resistant, especially within the confines of a corporate organization. This can be an insurmountable obstacle to achieving success—avoid anything that even remotely smacks of change, and reject that which is new or different. It's a disastrous game plan for running a business in the 21 st century.

Companies and individuals alike are often harnessed by business practices that simply do not adjust to the dynamic world in which we live. Imagine the ruinous results of managing a newly global supply chain with the same old technology, processes, and organizational structures used to manage a domestic supply chain. I have written a lot about grocery retailers who are trapped in dated business practices, while their competitors focus on consumers and make their profits on the buy, rather than the sell. These savvy retailers are eating their competitors' lunch.

A shining example of a very significant and nationally important change management challenge can be found in the modernization of the US Military by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. This leader has a vision of what the future demands on the Armed Forces will be, and he believes that a smaller, more mobile military will be better adapted to combating a stealthy and brutal enemy. Battles will no longer be restricted to the battlefield, as evidenced by 9/11, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Secretary Rumsfeld has been steadfast in implementing his strategic plan. In the face of many public and private obstacles, he has held fast to his beliefs.

Secretary Rumsfeld's biggest challenge has been getting the military infrastructure, steeped in tradition, to change its way of thinking, and open its collective minds to some new ideas. Individuals who have been using the same standard operating procedure (SOP) for 30 years are often slow to come around—if they ever do. I seem to recall, however, that the Marine Corp motto is “adapt, improvise, and overcome.”

Impediments to change can come in many different shapes and sizes. For the last few years, I've taught a collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment (CPFR ®) class at Pennsylvania State University that was part of a Marine and Army training program. I was told that the military was not permitted to collaborate with its suppliers due to government regulations. Not knowing any better, I suggested that external collaboration could be a powerfully effective weapon in the military's supply chain arsenal.

And then a general was appointed to a high-level supply chain management position in the US Army. This general believed that CPFR could streamline the allocation of resources and improve service to the warfighter. When he attempted to implement this plan, the general was informed that government procurement regulations did not allow the procurement department to collaborate with its vendors. In pursuit of a clear understanding of the regulation, the general asked to see a written copy. Guess what? There was no regulation regarding this process. It was a completely made-up excuse that had been used for years to avoid changing procurement practices.

Collaboration with suppliers will have to be carefully managed, but CPFR is now being integrated into military procurement practices, thanks to an intuitive general who was not afraid to challenge the establishment and ask the right questions.

The supply chain management profession has made enormous strides in recent years. Yet, there are still a great number of companies that are grappling with issues that were solved years ago by forward-thinking, change management experts. If you intend to be successful today, you need to understand the dynamics of change and how to become a change agent. You must understand how to meld change management and collaboration together into a strategy for success.

The road to change can be a bumpy one. Don't be afraid to get your nose bloodied by your colleagues. Don't slink away if your ideas are rejected. If you have the courage of your convictions, you'll earn the respect of friends and foes alike. By becoming a subject-matter expert, you'll be able to articulate your positions and make a solid case for action.

CPFR is an example we can highlight in today's marketplace. It was once written-off by business pundits and the trade press alike. But CPFR disciples pressed on—working on the VICS CPFR Committee, educating, proselytizing. This dedicated group of “believers in collaboration” was eventually successful in moving CPFR to the forefront of change management. Independent research has documented the increase in collaborative business practices and the collaborative attitude of senior management, moving the subject from speculation to fact. Change agents made this happen, and you can, too.
Joseph Andraski is a CSCMP member and the President and CEO of VICS (Voluntary Interindustry Commerce Solutions Association) in Lawrenceville, New Jersey
http://www.cscmp.org/

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Software Selection Processes—Accelerating Vendor Identification
From Technology Evaluation/Jeff Gusdorg
In Alice in Wonderland, Alice gets lost and stops to ask the Cheshire Cat which path to take. The Cat asks “Where are you going?” Alice replies “I do not know.” The Cat answers “Then any path will get you there.” The same logic can be applied to the software selection process: without a clear plan the endeavor can be intimidating, overwhelming, and time intensive.

Every aspect of your business operation is affected by the software being used. The disruption caused by the implementation of enterprise software—even if it fits your business well—is significant, and it takes a dedicated project team and software vendor to be successful. The cost of a failed implementation is so significant that it can put your business at risk, or set you back years towards achieving your business goals. It's no wonder selecting a computer system can be an intimidating process.

It is imperative that you follow a disciplined plan in conducting your selection project. The process requires a company-wide commitment of time and resources; many companies dedicate a single person to managing a project of this importance. Selection projects can be divided into five phases:

Project planning and kickoff, where you define goals and constraints, assemble the project team, and conduct project kickoff.

Documentation of the current situation, where you document existing infrastructure and applications, and analyze and document business processes.

Needs assessment, where you decide where you are going, by identifying immediate savings opportunities, conducting brainstorming meeting, and prioritizing requirements.

Software vendor identification, where you identify a long list of candidates using simple determinants, evaluate candidates using prioritized requirements, initiate sales process with vendors, prepare a RFP, and solicit and evaluate responses.

Software evaluation, where you prepare demonstration scripts, conduct and score demonstrations, perform gap analysis, refine pricing, conduct site visits and reference checks, perform pre-implementation planning, and negotiate and execute contracts.

An analysis of the average duration for each phase of the software selection projects we've conducted produces the following results:

Many companies make the mistake of skipping all the steps needed to build the foundation for their decision, and start with this step. Don't. By following the methodology outlined above, you will have first completed the research into your business processes, your project team and company will be deeply involved, and you will have a standard to judge the software packages against. But how do you identify and qualify the software packages that you should consider in your selection process?

Resist the urge to search the Web as your first step. If you google ERP you will get 133 million pages. Try to be more specific and use manufacturing ERP and you'll get “only” 30 million pages. Continuing to refine your search by adding additional qualifiers such as industry still results in information overload. Instead, start by using a software directory.

A software directory is a web site or publication that specializes in the research and organization of information about various software products. These directories can have a functional focus, such as accounting solutions; an industry focus, such as wholesale distribution; a broad software focus on all business application software; and even the “kitchen sink” approach, with hardware, programming tools, and application and specialty software.

Start your search by using two primary determinants:
1. Does the software vendor have expertise in your industry and vertical market (for instance, discrete manufacturing for electronics, wholesale distribution for fasteners or bearings, and so on)? A software vendor without this “domain” expertise may not understand the unique business process requirements of your business or provide the depth of functionality needed to handle the types of transactions specific to your business.

2. Does the size of your company, measured by the number of users and locations, fit into the “sweet spot” of the vendor's customer base? Buying a software package designed for smaller companies could mean that the functionality needed to handle the complexities of your business might be missing. Buying a software package designed for larger companies might mean that you are buying too much complexity (features you do not need), and your organization will spend too much time and energy trying to implement it.

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Many directory sites also conduct their own research into the functionality of the software packages. These “knowledge bases” of features can be prioritized based upon your own requirements. Many generate an analysis that ranks the results so that the packages that are the “best” fit can be identified. The quality of these sites varies, so be sure that the site validates the data provided by the vendors.
Once you have a manageable list of software vendors to work with, you are ready to proceed with the next phase of your selection project.

Many software selection methodologies recommend writing an request for proposal (RFP) and submitting it to your list of software vendors. That used to work, but in today's competitive marketplace, software companies do not have the unlimited staffs to allow them to respond to every RFP request they get. These are very expensive to complete, especially the ones that ask for the encyclopedic ninety-page response.
Once the “long list” or “short list” software vendors have been identified, you will need to engage the vendor's sales process. Like any good sales organization, software vendors classify leads and devote the most resources to the most qualified prospects. By establishing a budget, creating a project team, and defining a time frame for making a purchase decision, you will be classified as a “qualified” prospect that the software vendors will push to the top of their list.

Call the software vendor or complete an inquiry form on their website. Provide the requested information so that you can move up the “food chain” as quickly as possible. Expect a call from the telemarketing group; it is their job to collect more information about you and the opportunity. They'll ask about your industry and company size, what software you're using now and the platform, your position and role in the selection process, and your timeframe for making a decision and budget.

The telemarketing group will pass your information to the salesman. If the target software vendor uses resellers, you may be handed off to a reseller based upon your geographic location and industry. Once you have a contact, schedule a time to meet with the sales person to introduce them to your company and requirements. They will serve as the gatekeeper to other resources that you'll need to get a response to your RFP, such as a product demonstration, answers to technical questions, and the like.

We recommend you use this initial sales contact to qualify the software vendors, and eliminate the ones that do not fit your company's requirements or culture. For most companies, three or four vendors should be considered for the demonstration and evaluation process. Depending upon the number of companies on your list, you'll need to allocate at least one to two months for this step in the process.

One way to accelerate this process is to visit a technology fair or trade show where all the software vendors on your list are represented. This provides an opportunity to engage the sales process of multiple vendors very efficiently. But not every industry hosts an event like this; not all software vendors may be present, and the timing of the trade show may not coincide with this step in your selection process—or you may not have the travel budget or time to take advantage of the event.

An easier way to accelerate this step of the process is to attend a virtual trade show. During the Internet boom years of 1998 to 1999, online trade show software was developed. Conceived as a way to replicate the physical trade show and deliver the experience using the Internet, this software did little more than create multiple web sites within a tradeshow front page. Many of these providers went out of business when the Internet bubble burst, but the survivors have developed robust applications that allow for delivering content and interactivity that can support thousands of attendees simultaneously.

There are several benefits of this new online trade show format:

No logistics to manage: A virtual trade show incorporates the most successful elements of the live trade show, and translates them into the virtual world of the Internet. Attendees have access to product demos, event networking, and educational presentations from industry leaders all at no cost, from their own office.

Interactive access to vendors: Just like a live event, a virtual trade show will give you the opportunity to collect product literature, view product demonstrations, and engage in live “chats” with the participating exhibitors. It may also be possible to schedule one-on-one interactive sessions with the companies whose products and services interest you the most.

Participation of the entire project team: Without the limitations of time and travel costs, many more members of a selection project team can be involved in the screening process. Project team members can be assigned to visit specified software vendors and gather information. After the trade show, the information can be shared amongst the team to accelerate the process of qualifying and ranking software products.

The virtual trade show has some limitations: product demonstrations are limited in time and depth, as the exhibitors' resources are spread across many attendees; the booths are staffed by vendor representatives who may be sales or pre-sales personnel without the expertise to answer detailed questions about specific functionality; and of course, nothing can replace establishing a personal relationship with the vendor. The virtual trade show cannot replace all of the due diligence steps of the selection process, and it is imperative that you complete the software evaluation phase of your project.

The software selection process can be complex and time-consuming. If shortcuts are taken or steps in the process are skipped, the risk of selecting a software package that doesn't live up to the expectations of management and the user community increase significantly. Many chief information officers (CIOs) have lost their jobs after a failed implementation.

The vendor engagement process can take an exceptionally long time to execute, especially when more than a few vendors are being included in a selection study. However, it is possible to use the new technologies available to accelerate this process.
http://www.technologyevaluation.com/


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