Friday, November 30, 2012

What Is The Difference Between Advertising And Publicity?

As a free radio advertising and radio publicity expert people often ask me that very question. Advertising and publicity...what's the difference? Both are necessary to the survival of your business and both are easy to get. Both can also cost you a ton of money, or come to you free of charge. Let's start with advertising.

Advertising: Whether it is on the radio, in the newspaper, on television, through direct mail campaigns, or on the Internet, the one key to traditional advertising is that it costs money. If you drive down the highway and see a billboard with a can of soda on it, the makers of that soda paid money to have their message plastered on that billboard. If you are listening to the radio and a car dealer starts screaming in your ear about "MSRP" and 'Making room for the new models," they paid the radio station to broadcast that message to the entire listening area. In the traditional sense of the word advertising equals "Paid for" however, there is such a thing as "free advertising" which costs nothing and is infinitely more effective than the traditional paid variety.

Publicity: Publicity is a little less specific. Publicity traditionally refers to any media coverage or attention that you receive that is contained within the "content of a publication or broadcast." For example, if you own a shoe store and the TV news comes by to do a story about your annual 'Shoe Drive For the Homeless" that is considered publicity. If you are an accountant and the Wall Street Journal writes a story about your attempt to set the record for most tax returns prepared in the month of April, that is also considered publicity. While the actual media coverage and content you receive is free, there are several costs associated with publicity including, travel expenses, event costs, and publicists fees. The expenses associated with so-called free publicity can be just as high as an advertising campaign.

What Is The Difference Between Advertising And Publicity?

If you have a product or service that you are trying to sell, you need one or the other (and often both) to not only succeed, but to survive. The lines can often be blurred. In my professional opinion, the best way to get free advertising and free publicity for yourself and your business is to get booked on radio and TV talk shows as an expert guest. When you get booked as a talk show expert you accomplish several important things.

1. You establish yourself as an expert in your field

2. You get free advertising

3. You sell products

Stop worrying about whether you need to hire an ad agency or a publicist, and simply get as mush media exposure for as little money as possible. Spend less than you make. That is the true key to success in business.

What Is The Difference Between Advertising And Publicity?
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Mark Kaye is a radio and television host from Jacksonville, FL. He is also a world renowned publicity expert and founder of RadioPublicityStar.com, an exceptional program that shows you how-to get FREE radio publicity and FREE radio advertising for yourself and your business.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Coffee Shop Millionaire - Detailed Review

When I heard there was going to be a launch of a product called Coffee Shop Millionaire, it intrigued me so I pulled some strings and was able to get a look into what this product was all about, so here is what you get when you become a member of Coffee Shop Millionaire.

Before I begin, I have to tell you that this product is set up in a very unique way, it basically has self made millionaires telling how they were able to become exactly that. Since there is so much content within this product I am going to try and tell you exactly about each section of the course but since there is so much that comes with this product I will not be able to cover all the specifics of Coffee Shop Millionaire, because it would make this article way to long.

So here are all the sections that you will get if you become a member of Coffee Shop Millionaire, before I go further I think it is important for me to note that each of the video's are Standard, High Def, and can be Downloaded in video, audio, or pod casting formats.

Coffee Shop Millionaire - Detailed Review

Cash Machines Section - This is broken down into 4 parts and they are:

Local Cash Machine - shows you how to make an extra 0 to 00 as a local internet marketing consultant, this is a very easy to get going. This does not even require cold calling or anything like that. They even show you how to outsource if you do not want to do this yourself, and even though it is local they show you exactly how to do this in other cities as well.

Newsletter Cash Machine- This shows you how to get money anywhere from about ,500 to ,000 a month by sending simple email newsletters to customers and subscribers and website visitors of an existing business. Essentially it is list management, and the nice part is you are getting paid to leverage other peoples assets.

Article Cash Machine - this shows you how to make money as a Freelance Article writer. This shows you how to start out with no experience, no clients, etc. and how to start earning 00 a month in income, very fast. This is broken down into 3 parts

1. Brief introduction on article writing, success mindset, setting up "Tools of the Trade"
2. How to quickly write and deliver articles.
3. How to get paying clients fast.

Video Cash Machine- This shows you how to create 30 to 90 second promotion video for local businesses and exactly how to get this up and running.

Million Dollar Launch Secrets Section - This is then broken down into 15 parts, each part is fairly self explanatory:

Product Creation Army of Affiliates Art of Launches Getting Affiliates Excited New Partnerships Keys to a Mega Launch Launch Contest Launch Processes Meet Big Players Rolling Launches The Launch Schedule The Ultimate Product Pack - 21k System Underground Affiliates Upsell Path Webinar Replays

Skill Set Video's Section - This is then broken down into 3 parts that each then go into a lot of detail, that slowly builds up your knowledge of internet marketing:

Beginner - Covers Fundamentals, Mindset, and Keyword Research

Intermediate - This covers Blogging, Membership Sites, Million Dollar Sales, Traffic ( this includes Ad Swaps, Forum Marketing, Link Building, PPC, SEO, Podcasting, Press Releases, Video Traffic, JV Traffic.)

Advance - This covers The Next Level, Advanced Webinar Replay

The next section is Tech Tutorials - this section covers just about any technical question or problem that you may ever come across, it is broken down into 13 Parts:

Registering Domains Hosting Setup Modify Content Autoresponder Setup Adding Audio and Video Adding PayPal Button Adding ClickBank Payment Button Blogger Setup WordPress Setup Upload using FTP PHP Redirect Elance EzineArticle Submission

The next section is Your Content Library (pretty self explanatory)

Bonuses Section - Kevin Wilke, Now I am sure there is more coming in this BONUS SECTION, however I am getting a look at this product ahead of the actual launch so I am not completely sure what all of the bonuses are.

Rolodex Section - Is divided into 2 parts they are:

Rolodex - This has a list of basically all the RESOURCES that you are going to need in running a profitable and successful online business.

Coffee Shop Millionaires Interviews - Once again I am getting a look before the actual release of the product, however this is where there are going to be interviews with people who have started out with basically a job at a Coffee Shop (hence the name for the product) and have made themselves into millionaires.

Forum

PRO's of Coffee Shop Millionaire:

They give you a complete model of how to start a profitable online business. You can start setting up your online business by just doing it part time. They give several ways for you to start making money online, so you do not have to follow just one way of starting to create an online income. You can learn from real life examples of people who started essentially from where you are, and are now millionaires. All of the ways that Coffee Shop Millionaire explains on how to start a successful online business, are very realistic and easy to implement. So if you get this course and do not start earning money online, then the only person you have to blame is yourself for not TAKING ACTION. Although this is a membership site, it will most likely save you money in the long run of things, this is because most people buy a product and then purchase another product as soon as they get an email in their inbox selling them on the newest way to start making money online. However if you know that you already are going to be having a certain amount of income going towards your membership fee you are going to be less likely to purchase another product and stick with just this, which if you follow their easy directions you will be able to start earning money online. The other upside is that since it is a membership site you are going to be getting the newest and best information, on internet marketing. Coffee Shop Millionaire is perfect for both new and experienced internet marketers, because it covers each of the ways to make money online very well. A lot of the income streams that Coffee Shop Millionaire shows you how to make can be outsourced either in the beginning or after you start to make money with it and can then afford to outsource it. You get your money's worth from the Content Library alone.

CON's of Coffee Shop Millionaire:

It is a membership site, I am not usually very fond of sites that you have to keep renewing each month. (although you could get this product and then download all of the initial content and then unsubscribe from the site.) There is so much information that it is possible that some may get information overload, however unlike most products where you are learning just one single system, you will be able to learn about several different ways to create an online income and some of these are very easy to start implementing right away. As with most internet marketing products, experienced internet marketers may get bored with certain parts of Coffee Shop Millionaire, because they will already know some of the parts that are covered by this product. However that is to be expected with most products in the internet marketing niche.

CONCLUSION

Coffee Shop Millionaire is a very well put together product that will show you several different ways to start making money online, and very fast as well. The nice thing about this product is that since it shows you how to create multiple streams of online income, you can get one stream of income flowing in and then start on another.

It would be very realistic for someone to expect to be able to start earning a part time or even a full time income from what they learn from Coffee Shop Millionaire, it is even quite possible to become a millionaire after you begin to take action and start creating multiple streams of income, from what you have learned with this product. Coffee Shop Millionaire is a very good product for anyone who is serous about earning money online.

Coffee Shop Millionaire - Detailed Review
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Tim Nesbitt is devoted to helping others reach their full potential in every area of their life. If you would like to learn more details about Coffee Shop Millionaire go here: http://4hourworkweek.net/coffee-shop-millionaire/ and for more honest internet marketing product reviews, affiliate marketing tips, motivation, as well as grab a FREE REPORT ( A Value) "The Secret To Earning 0 A Day, Every Day In Under A Month" go to http://onlineinternetmarketingbusiness.net

Thursday, November 22, 2012

How to Get Radio Interviews - Get Booked on Radio Shows to Promote Yourself and Your Products Free

How to get radio interviews is a common public relations question, especially for authors, experts, and marketers. You can get booked for free radio publicity interviews as an interview guest to promote your product or book on radio show interviews, if you follow these steps:

1. Identify radio shows that book guest experts like you for interviews:

The fastest way to do this is to search on Google using search terms like "radio talk show"+ "your topic". (NOTE: You want to search on "talk radio" rather than just "radio" to find shows that book guest experts for promotional interviews instead of only playing music!)

How to Get Radio Interviews - Get Booked on Radio Shows to Promote Yourself and Your Products Free

2. Find contact info for the radio show's producers or bookers:

Big, nationally-syndicated talk radio shows have a staff of producers. The best producers to reach are those that find and schedule expert guests and authors for on the air interviews. These producers are called "bookers". For smaller or local radio shows or Internet radio podcasts, the booker, the producers, and the host may all be the same person.

3. Create and send a targeted pitch:

You need to e-mail, fax, FedEx, Tweet or call the producers to offer your expertise and information. Remember that they are not interested in you, your book, or your products. Their goal is to find interesting new information that educates and/or entertains their audience. Your job is to craft a pitch that gets their attention. To get radio interviews, your radio interview pitch should offer helpful details of your expertise that fit into their current radio show programming needs.

(Tip: Offer real information, not just a product pitch. A radio interview, podcast appearance, or TV segment is a big opportunity for you to establish yourself as an expert, not just to get a free commercial.)

While the strategies above are proven methods for getting interviewed on radio and being booked to appear on TV, they are the same steps that thousands of other publicity-seeking experts are following right now, too.

How to Get Radio Interviews - Get Booked on Radio Shows to Promote Yourself and Your Products Free
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Scott Fox runs RadioGuestList.com, a free radio interview and TV public relations booking service that can help you skip many of the steps above.

Signing up for the free RadioGuestList.com service will bring you daily "Guest Request" emails from radio show hosts, TV bookers, or podcast producers looking for expert guests and authors to interview on the air. To get radio interviews you can reply by email to those that are seeking guest experts or authors like you to interview for their shows.

Visit RadioGuestList.com now to sign up for this free service. You'll start getting free radio and TV "Guest Requests" by e-mail tomorrow.

Monday, November 19, 2012

How to Convert Video Files to Video Podcast/iPod Friendly MP4's For Free

If you are a podcaster and you want to get into video podcasting but wondered how to get those big fat video files into your tiny iPod, rest easy my podcasting compadre, I'll show you how it's done, so you can podcast like a pro too.

First you need this free software:

http://www.videora.com/en-us/Converter/iPod/ - When you go there you can see there are other tools there which you can use to convert videos for Tivo, xBox360, and PSP too!

How to Convert Video Files to Video Podcast/iPod Friendly MP4's For Free

So, follow steps on the site, download the software, install it and then run it.

Click on "one click transcode", and find the video file you want to convert will instantly be transcoded into an mp4 file, just about any video format works for conversion.

It will take a few moments to convert the file, based on file size, and then once it is done, it will have saved your file to your computer, which you'll tag and upload into your podcast site and publish the feed/link for people to watch your Video Podcast.

There ar emany customization features which are great for making sure your videos fit many size formats too.

Use the customization features to allow for faster downloading, by lowering the output quality or increase the output quality, while increasing the download times, but have a very nice looking and sweet sounding podcast.

It's like having your own tv show! Podcasting is a lot of fun, take the time to learn how you can podcast too!

How to Convert Video Files to Video Podcast/iPod Friendly MP4's For Free
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Jeff Mills is a popular internet entrepreneur, speaker and author. Want to learn more tricks about Podcasting? See the [http://www.PodcastCreationMastermind.com] for more info. Listen to a free 1 hour podcast on how to podcast at my site.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Health Benefits of Pizza

In the past it was commonly believed that pizza was not really a healthy food. Part of the reason for this is that it was put in the same group as other fast foods, such as hamburgers and fries. This is a major misconception, as pizza can actually be a highly nutritional meal.

One of the main ingredients of pizza is the tomato, which contains lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. Lycopene is known to help fight many different types of cancer. Studies have shown that people who eat pizza at least once a week were much less likely to develop colon and mouth cancer as well as stomach and lung cancer. It is known to be especially helpful in fighting prostate cancer. Studies have shown that eating pizza can lower your chance of developing esophageal cancer by nearly 59%.

It is the tomato that is the main cancer-fighting ingredient of pizza. Incredibly, studies have also shown that processed tomatoes such as those found in pizza or spaghetti sauce are actually higher in lycopene than fresh tomatoes. The reason for this is that during the process of cooking and processing the tomatoes, the water content evaporates leaving a higher concentration of the antioxidant.

Health Benefits of Pizza

Tomato sauce is extremely healthy, and for this reason so is pizza, but there are additional pizza toppings that can also enhance your health. Onions are rich in chromium, vitamin C, and fiber. They help to lower your blood sugar, cholesterol as well as blood pressure. Black olives are another great addition to pizza. Olives contain ingredients that help ward off heart disease and lower your cholesterol. The red pepper is a great pizza topping. They are sweet and tasty as well as full of Vitamin C, A, and B6.

Another health benefit of pizza is the dough. In actuality, pizza dough is another ingredient of pizza that is high in antioxidants, and through certain baking techniques the antioxidants in the dough can actually be increased.

Adding even more health benefits to pizza is simple. A vegetable pizza with just a little cheese is a very healthy food. You get the great taste and health benefits of pizza without all the extra fat and cholesterol normally associated with meats and cheese. If you are a meat fanatic and just can't handle your pizza without meat, you can always add some grilled chicken to your vegetable pizza. Chicken offers many health benefits that other meats don't, and it tastes great.

With the many health benefits of pizza, it can no longer be viewed in the same light as other fast foods.

Health Benefits of Pizza
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Enjoy this article? For more pizza and pasta tips and recipes visit our Seattle Pizza Blog [http://seattlepizzablog.com/].

Jessica Ackerman is a senior staff writer for http://www.padrinospizzaandpasta.com - one of the best pizza places in Seattle. There are countless options for late night food delivery in Seattle but make sure to order from our pizza - Voted the best pizza in Seattle by Seattle Magazine.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Hello! Create a Customer-Friendly Voice Mail Greeting

Who answers your business phone when you're not in the office? Most home-based business owners use an answering machine or voice messaging system. But it's not enough to just make sure the phone gets picked up when you're not there; the greeting your callers hear says more about you than just "leave a message."

That announcement may be the first contact someone has with you, and if you don't sound professional, the caller may not leave a message or may not call back.

It's not necessary to sound like you're a major corporation, but it is important to sound like you're a serious, legitimate operation. Use these tips to create an effective voice mail greeting:

Hello! Create a Customer-Friendly Voice Mail Greeting

- Write a script. Don't try to record off the top of your head. Write a script that covers all the points you want to make in a concise format. Practice it so you can record without any awkward pauses or stumbles.

- Be friendly, but avoid being cute. Speak in a warm, friendly voice that lets your personality show through, but don't try to be cute or funny-it's not professional, and it could easily backfire.

- Avoid the obvious. It's not necessary to say things like "I'm away from my desk" or "I'm out of the office"-callers know that because you didn't answer the phone. Ditto with statements like "Your call is important to me"-callers know they're hearing a recording that you've made for everyone, so don't waste their time with generic fluff.

- Change your message frequently. People with flexible schedules may even change their announcement daily so the information is always current and accurate.

- Let callers know when you'll be available. If you won't be able to return calls for several hours, or until the next day, say so in your announcement so people aren't left wondering when they'll hear from you.

- Tell callers how to skip the message. If your system has the feature that allows callers to bypass the greeting by pressing * or #, include that in your announcement.

- Include your fax number and website or e-mail address. Some callers may just want to send you a fax or an e-mail; if your greeting tells them how to do it, you won't need to call them back.

- Provide alternate contact information. If you carry a pager or a cell phone and don't mind taking calls while you're out of the office, include that number in your greeting. An alternative is a system that automatically pages you when someone leaves a message, so you can quickly decide how soon to return the call.

- Include seasonal messages. Between Thanksgiving and the end of the year, start your greeting with "Happy holidays." For greetings that indicate you're closed for long weekends such as Memorial Day or Labor Day, end with a wish for a safe and happy holiday.

Here's a sample script:"This is Joe Smith. To bypass this announcement and leave a message, press # and begin speaking at the tone. Please leave your name, telephone number, the best time to reach you, and a brief message, and I will return your call within three hours. If you need to send a fax, that number is 888-123-4567. Or please visit my website at www-dot-websitename-dot-com for more information or to send me an e-mail. Have a great day!"

Hello! Create a Customer-Friendly Voice Mail Greeting
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Jacquelyn Lynn is the editor of Flashpoints newsletter. Flashpoints is a comprehensive information resource for business owners and managers who want to take their operation to the Flashpoint. Visit http://www.theflashpoints.com to sign up for a free subscription to Flashpoints newsletter plus an extra free gift: The Mindset of High Achievers by JK Harris and Jacquelyn Lynn.

In addition, Jacquelyn Lynn is the author of more than 20 books, including Entrepreneur's Almanac; Online Shopper's Survival Guide; Make Big Profits on eBay (with Charlene Davis); In Search of the Five-Cent Nickel (with Don Abbott); and 11 titles in Entrepreneur Media's StartUp Guide series. She is also the host and executive producer of Doing It Right Radio® (http://www.doingitrightradio.com).

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Human Resource Information System - HRIS

Human Resource Information Systems

The purpose of this paper is to identify other companies who have faced similar human resources issues in regards to information technology. Through benchmarking different companies we can learn how other companies have handled certain human resources issues related to information technology, information systems, new technology, and data security. An overall analysis has been completed using research on IBM Europe, Ameriprise Financial, Terasen Pipelines, Shaw’s Supermarkets, CS Stars LLC, IBM, WORKSource Inc., and Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. This paper also includes eight synopses of companies facing similar issue to those in the reading.

New Technology

Human Resource Information System - HRIS

With the changing world and constant new technology that is available, managers need to be aware of the technology that will increase effectiveness in their company. Human resource information systems (HRIS) have increasingly transformed since it was first introduced at General Electric in the 1950s. HRIS has gone from a basic process to convert manual information keeping systems into computerized systems, to the HRIS systems that are used today. Human resource professionals began to see the possibility of new applications for the computer. The idea was to integrate many of the different human resource functions. The result was the third generation of the computerized HRIS, a feature-rich, broad-based, self-contained HRIS. The third generation took systems far beyond being mere data repositories and created tools with which human resource professionals could do much more (Byars, 2004).

Many companies have seen a need to transform the way Human Resource operations are performed in order to keep up with new technology and increasing numbers of employees. Terasen Pipelines moved its headquarters from Vancouver to Calgary to be closer to the oil and realized a major growth in employees. In the past recording keeping was done on paper and with spreadsheets. Mangers at Terasen realized that there was a need to change to a more computerized system and looked into different HRIS vendors. By making the move to a HRIS system, Terasen is able to keep more accurate records as well as better prepare for future growth. Another company that saw the benefits of keeping up with new technology is WORKSource Inc. To meet the challenge of handling 100 new employees, WORKSource Inc. acquired Web-based technology programs from GHG Corp. like electronic pay stub, electronic timesheet software, time-off system, and human resource information system (“Tips,” 2006). By adapting these new programs, WORKSource was able to reduce waste and cost.

The Internet is an increasingly popular way to recruit applicants, research technologies and perform other essential functions in business. Delivering human resource services online (eHR) supports more efficient collection, storage, distribution, and exchange of data (Friesen, 2003). An intranet is a type of network used by companies to share information to people within the organization. An intranet connects people to people and people to information and knowledge within the organization; it serves as an “information hub” for the entire organization. Most organizations set up intranets primarily for employees, but they can extend to business partners and even customers with appropriate security clearance (Byars & Rue, 2004).

Applications of HRIS

The efficiency of HRIS, the systems are able to produce more effective and faster outcomes than can be done on paper. Some of the many applications of HRIS are: Clerical applications, applicant search expenditures, risk management, training management, training experiences, financial planning, turnover analysis, succession planning, flexible-benefits administration, compliance with government regulations, attendance reporting and analysis, human resource planning, accident reporting and prevention and strategic planning. With the many different applications of HRIS, it is difficult to understand how the programs benefit companies without looking at companies that have already benefited from such programs.

One such company is IBM. IBM has a paperless online enrollment plan for all of its employees. Not only has the online enrollment saved the company 1.2 million per year on printing and mailing costs, the employees enjoy working with the online plan. "Since we began offering online enrollment, we've learned that employees want web access," Donnelly [Senior Communications Specialist] says, so they can log on at home rather than through the company intranet. So the company has been working to put in place a web-based enrollment system that employees and retirees can access from anywhere (Huering, 2003). By utilizing the flexible-benefits application HRIS has to offer, IBM was able to cut costs and give employees the freedom to discover their benefits on their own time and pace.

Another company that has taken advantage of HRIS applications is Shaw’s Supermarkets. In order for Shaw’s to better manage its workforce, the company decided it was time to centralize the HR operations. After looking at different options, Shaw’s decided to implement an Employee Self Service (ESS) system. The use of self-service applications creates a positive situation for HR. ESS gives HR more time to focus on strategic issues, such as workforce management, succession planning, and compensation management, while at the same time improving service to employees and managers, and ensuring that their data is accurate. With this solution, employees have online access to forms, training material, benefits information and other payroll related information (Koven, 2002). By giving employees access to their personal information and the ability to update or change their information as needed, HR was given more time to focus on other issues. Understanding the different applications HRIS has to offer will give companies the chance to increase employee efficiency and reduce costs.

Measuring the Effectiveness of HRIS

The evaluation should determine whether or not the HRIS has performed up to its expectations and if the HRIS is being used to its full advantage (Byars & Rue, 2004). One of the most significant challenges faced by public personnel executives today is measuring the performance of their human resources information system (HRIS) In order to justify the value-added contribution of the HRIS to accomplishing the organization's mission (Hagood & Friedman, 2002). Implementing an HRIS program may seem a necessary stem for a company, but unless it will be an effective tool for HR operations, it will not help increase efficiency and may hinder it instead.

One company that implemented a HRIS system is Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. (TAMS). TAMS put all employee benefits information online and created an open enrollment option when TAMS changed healthcare providers. Almost immediately upon rolling out the UltiPro portal [new HRIS technology] to employees, TAMS began seeing improvements, with an estimated 70% increase in open enrollment efficiency (Wojcik, 2004). By determining the efficiency of the new program, TAMS was able to realize the benefits of the new HRIS system.

Security of HRIS

The privacy of employee information has become a major issue in recent years. With identity theft becoming a common problem, employees are becoming more sensitive about who sees their personal information, and the security it is kept in. By making sure employee information that is kept in the HRIS is relevant to the company and making sure there is limited access (password protection) to such information, companies can make its employees more secure with the safety of their information. Whether electronic or paper, employee files deserve to be treated with great care. Establishing security and end-user privileges calls for a balance of incorporating, HR policy, system knowledge and day-to-day operations (O’Connell, 1994).

One company that faced a major security issue was CS Stars, LLC. CS Stars lost track of one of its computers that contained personal information that included names, addresses and social security numbers of workers compensation benefits. The bigger problem was that CS Stars failed to notify the affected consumers and employees about the missing computer. Though the computer was retrieved and no information seemed to have been harmed, many employees lost their sense of security with the company. New York's Information Security Breach and Notification Law, effective in December 2005, requires businesses that maintain computerized data which includes private information to notify the owner of the information of any breach of the security of the system immediately following discovery, if the private information was, or is reasonably believed to have been, acquired by a person without valid authorization (Cadrain, 2007).

Another company that experienced a breach in security is Ameriprise Financial. In late 2005, a computer that contained personal information on clients and employees was stolen. Because many of the employees at Ameriprise take their computers between work and home, the company determined there was a need to put more security into those computers. Ameriprise made sure all employees had the new security suite installed on their computers. By responding quickly to the need for more security, Ameriprise made sure all information is being kept secure. Making sure employees information is kept as secure as possible there will be more trust in the company and the HR employees working with that information.

Conclusion

IBM, Terasen Pipeline, CS Stars LCC, and Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. are good examples of companies facing issues similar to human resources information technology and human resources information systems. All of these companies know the importance of new technology, human resources information systems, and data security. The remainder of this paper provides synopses of more companies facing human resources issues, how the company responded to the issues, and the outcomes of the company’s responses.

Companies Benchmarked

IBM Europe

The Situation:

IBM is a global organization offering research, software, hardware, IT consulting, business and management consulting, ring and financing. It employs around 340,000 people, speaking 165 languages across 75 countries, and serving clients in 174 countries. In January 2007, IBM established a separate “new media” function within its corporate communication department. IBM main goal is to educate, support, and promote programs that utilize social media. IBM Europe decided to expand internal communication by blogging guidelines. The recognition was that blogging was already happening among IBMers, just in an unregulated way. In a similar way, institutionalizing a function to deal specifically with new media is not a corporate move, or establishing from scratch. It’s a response to the issues already emerging in the company. Now that those technologies are here, people are using them, they’re growing and there here to stay-we’re just going to put some structure around them so that we can try to optimize their use.” The users decide what technologies they want to use and how they want to use them. That main idea is that IBM understands that they must remember to respect the fact that social media are social. IBM had the need to connect its 340,000 global employees more effectively.

The Response:

IBM’s intent around social media has now been officially formalized. From January 22 2007, the company established a separate “new media” function within its corporate communication department. “Its remit: To act as expert consultants inside and outside IBM on issues relating to blogs, wikis, RSS and other social media applications. The main idea is to educate, support and promote programs that utilize these tools. IBM has a history of being a t the forefront of technology based corporate communication. From the multimedia brainstorming “WorldJam” that made news headlines back in 2001 in which 50,000 employees worldwide joined a real time, online idea-sharing session about the company’s direction. IMB has always prepared itself to use breakthrough technologies to establish a two-way dialogue with its employees. The need for social media was necessary and could no longer wait.

The Outcome:

In the last few years IBM has been recognized as being the vanguard of social-media use: IBM was on of the first Fortune 500 companies to get behind collaborative wikis, published internal blogging guidelines as far back as 2003, and is now moving fast beyond RSS and podcasts into videocasting and “virtual world” technologies like Second Life. The intranet search facility extends to all areas of the site, including new media aspects. When an employee logs onto their portal an executes a key word search, the results they get back not only come from the main intranet pages, but include results from IBM forums, wikis, blogs and podcast/videocasts tags. IMB has an understanding that employees are no longer staying in a company their entire lives. It’s just not like that any more. In Belgium for example over 50 percent of 2,300 employees have been there fewer than five years. The company has come to the conclusion that with an increasingly young and mobile workforce, the likelihood is that an employee population full of a younger generation, for whom these tools are part and parcel of life, is not that far away. In years to come IBM will have to deal with employee base for which blogging is just the natural way to interact over a web platform. IBM has created centralized platforms for most tools that fall under its remit, which includes wikis. For Philippe Borremans, new media lead Europe for IBM, has the potential business applications of a wiki cover two broad benefits: Collaborating and knowledge sharing. IBM has scored some notable successes on both fronts in the near 5000 wiki pages now up and running in the organization. The company has been a huge pick-up in interest in podcasting over the last 18 months writing can seem such a technical skill, whereas people feel they can talk more freely than they can write. One of the most consistently popular IBM podcasts, with over 20,000 downloads a week.

Ameriprise Financial

The Situation:

The Department of Justice survey estimates that 3.6 million U.S. households were victims of identity theft in 2004. Trafficking in personal date goes beyond U.S. borders: the New York Times reports that stolen financial information is often distributed among participants of online trading boards, and the buyers are frequently located in Russia, Ukraine, and the Middle East. One reason clients are concerned about data security is the widespread publicity generated by breaches at financial services firm. In late December 2205, an Ameriprise Financial employee’s laptop that contained unencrypted data on approximately 230,000 customers and advisors was stolen from a car. Other financial services firm, including Citigroup and Bank of America, also acknowledge large-scale customer data losses in 2005. President of NCS, Rita Dew, a compliance consulting firm in Delray Beach, Florida, says that the Securities and Exchange Commission requires investment advisors to have policies and procedures that address the administrative, technical, and physical safeguards related to client records and information.

The Response:

Ameriprise Financial had to fight back and had to implement “layers of protection.” It is important for employees who their primary business computer, and employees regularly transport the computer between home, office, and meeting sites. The vulnerability of this arrangement and the need for a safety software program is much needed.

The Outcome:

Employees who are transporting lab tops should install the Steganos Security Suite on their computer. This software allows employees to create an encrypted virtual drive on the laptop that serves as data storage safe. Employees stores all client related data and tax preparation software database on the encrypted drive, which employees has set up with one gigabyte of storage space. The best thing is that when an employee turns off the computer the information is stored “safe”, the software automatically encrypts the virtual drive’s data. The software also generates encrypted backup files, which employees store on CDs in a fireproof safe. This should keep the data secure if any employee’s laptop is stolen or if the drive is removed from the laptop. Other financial advisors are relying on encryption both in and out of the office. Other programs that are being used to protect client’s information are RAID Level 1 system to store data on the drives that are encrypted with WinMagic’s SecureDocs software. Encryption ensures that anyone who steals the computer will be absolutely unable to read the data, even by connecting it to another computer as a “slave drive. This has given many financial advisors the greatest peace of mind.

Terasen Pipelines

The Situation:

Terasen Pipelines is a subsidiary of Terasen Inc. located in Vancouver, Canada and is located in several provinces and U.S. states. In 2001 the company changed its headquarters to Calgary to be closer to the oil. With the big move, the company went through a growth spurt. With the company in many different locations and the growing numbers of employees, the HR department saw a need to find a new system to keep more accurate records.

The Response:

In the past Terasen had kept records on paper and with spreadsheets and with the growth of the company, this system does not work as well as in the past. In order to compensate for future growth, Terasen began to look into HRIS companies to help with the HR operations. After researching different companies, Hewitt’s application service provider model with eCyborg was found to be the right fit.

The Outcome:

Although there was difficulty adapting to a new way of recordkeeping, Terasen was able to find a system that will help support the current and future growth of the company. Fortunately, some of the HR staff had experience working with an HRIS and were able to help their colleagues imagine new processes, as aided by a system. One theme often voiced throughout this process was: "You guys don't know how hard we're working when we can make it so much easier with a system that could do a lot of this for us. You don't always have to run to the cabinet for the employee file just to get basic information. It can all be at your fingertips." (Vu, 2005). In order to help Terasen ease the HR burden of implementing a new HR system, the management of Terasen was convinced to look for a vendor to help implement and maintain a HRIS system. This system has helped Terasen better prepare for current and future growth.

Shaw’s Supermarkets

The Situation:

Shaw’s Supermarkets is the second largest supermarket chain in New England. With a workforce of 30,000 located at 180 stores throughout six states, Shaw's HR staff is responsible for managing employees' personal data. Their employee mix includes approximately 70 percent part-time employees, consisting of students, senior citizens, second-job part-timers, and career part-timers. One third of the workforce is made up of union associates, and Shaw's staff oversees the company's involvement with three unions and six separate contracts (Koven, 2002). In order to help manage the workforce, the HR staff became interested in centralizing its HR operations.

The Response:

In order to centralize HR operations Shaw’s decided to implement an ESS (employee self-service) solution. The use of self-service applications creates a positive situation for HR. ESS gives HR more time to focus on strategic issues, such as workforce management, succession planning, and compensation management, while at the same time improving service to employees and managers, and ensuring that their data is accurate. With this solution, employees have online access to forms, training material, benefits information and other payroll related information.

The Outcome:

Shaw’s has had positive feedback since implementing the ESS solution. "The reaction from our employees has been extremely positive," Penney, VP of Compensation and Benefits, says. "We even had a significant increase in our medical coverage costs, and it was almost a non-issue because the online enrollment featured the plan choices, the employee cost, and the company subsidy. An employee self-service application makes it very easy for them to understand their contributions and coverage options. I received several e-mails from employees saying this was a great change and how easy ESS was, which the case is not often when employees are selecting their benefit options." (Koven, 2002). By giving the employees more access to their information they are able to see the benefit choices available to them. Employees are also able to update their information online, which helps reduce the paperwork of the past. Shaw’s has also seen improvement in productivity because employees are updating information at home, not during work hours.

CS Stars, LLC

The Situation:
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has announced that New York State has reached its first settlement with a company charged with failing to notify consumers and others that their personal data had gone missing. Cuomo’s office, which enforces the state’s 2005 Information Security Breach and Notification Law, charged CS STARS LLC, a Chicago-based claims management company, with failing to give notice that it had lost track of a computer containing data on 540,000 New Yorkers’ workers’ comp claims.

The Response:

The owner of the lost data, which had been in the custody of CS STARS, was the New York Special Funds Conservation Committee, an organization that assists in providing workers’ comp benefits under the state’s workers' comp law. On May 9, 2006, a CS STARS employee noticed that a computer was missing that held personal information, including the names, addresses, and Social Security numbers of recipients of workers’ compensation benefits. But CS Stars waited until June 29, 2006, to notify Special Funds and the FBI of the security breach. Because the FBI declared that notice to consumers might impede its investigation, CS STARS waited until July 8, 2006, to send notices to the 540,000 New Yorkers affected by the breach. On July 25, 2006, the FBI determined an employee, of a cleaning contractor, had stolen the computer, and the missing computer was located and recovered. In addition, the FBI found that the data on the missing computer had not been improperly accessed.

The Outcome:

New York's Information Security Breach and Notification Law, effective in December 2005, requires businesses that maintain computerized data which includes private information to notify the owner of the information of any breach of the security of the system immediately following discovery, if the private information was, or is reasonably believed to have been, acquired by a person without valid authorization. The law affects not only businesses in their dealings with their customers, but employers in their role as custodians of employees’ personal data. (Cadrain)

Without admitting to any violation of law, CS STARS agreed to comply with the law and ensure that proper notifications will be made in the event of any future breach. The company also agreed to implement more extensive practices relating to the security of private information. CS STARS will pay the Attorney General’s office ,000 for costs related to this investigation. (Cadrain)

IBM

The Situation:

IBM's paperless online enrollment system, introduced in 1999, has proved to be a winner for both the company's 135,000 active U.S. employees and the company, according to Cathleen Donnelly, senior communications specialist at company headquarters in Armonk, N.Y. The company saves .2 million per year on printing and mailing costs alone, Donnelly says, and the employees’ can take advantage of a variety of technologies to learn about issues, research program information and access decision support tools from their desktop computers. (Heuring, 2002)

The Response:

One of those tools, a personal medical cost estimator, enables employees to calculate potential out-of-pocket health care expenses under each of the plan options available to them, Donnelly says. Employees log in personally and are greeted by name and with important information regarding their benefits enrollment, such as the deadlines and when changes take effect. They automatically get access to health plans that are available to them, and the calculator lets them compare estimated benefit amounts for each plan.

"Employees can select the health care services they expect to use in a particular year, estimate expected frequency of use, and calculate potential costs under each plan option," Donnelly says. "The feedback that we've received from employees tells us that this tool has really helped them to make a comparison between plans based on how they consume medical services." The calculator shows both IBM's costs and the employee's. (Heuring, 2002)

The Outcome:

"Since we began offering online enrollment, we've learned that employees want web access," Donnelly says, so they can log on at home rather than through the company intranet. So the company has been working to put in place a web-based enrollment system that employees and retirees can access from anywhere.

Employees can get summary information on the plans, drill down into very specific details and follow links to the health care providers for research. Donnelly says the system has received high marks for convenience because employees can "get in and out quickly."

WORKSource Inc.

The Situation:

To meet the challenge of handling 100 new employees, WORKSource Inc. acquired Web-based technology programs from GHG Corp. like electronic paystub, electronic timesheet software, time-off system, and human resource information system (“Tips,” 2006). These tools enabled CEO Judith Hahn to handling payroll procedures efficiently and effectively.

The Response:

WORKSource has eight workforce centers, with approximately 108 employees, located throughout a six-county region. Previously, payroll, benefits, and human resources for those employees were processed and managed by a Professional Employer Organization. The company also has 52 administrative staff in its headquarters office. When the contract with the PEO terminated on June 30, 2006, those 108 employees were immediately moved to the payroll of WORKSource, which meant Hahn’s workload more than doubled effective July 2006 (“Tips,” 2006).

Hahn, in an interview with PMR, said she relied on LEAN to help get a handle on what needed to change for her to manage the increased workload. Two years earlier, Hahn’s CEO had introduced her to LEAN, a Japanese management concept of eliminating wasteful steps and motion when completing processes. “I began to read as much as possible about LEAN and joined an HR LEAN focus group” (“Tips,” 2006).

The Outcome:

Mastering the concepts of LEAN led Hahn to develop and apply her own acronym of “REASON” to her department’s payroll and HR processes. Review the process: map payroll tasks from start to finish. Eliminate waste: determine how to complete a payroll task most efficiently without unnecessary steps. Analyze alternatives: research and evaluate the applicability of new technology. Sell innovations to management: document the return on investment of each innovation. Open the lines of communication: communicate openly—and often—with all stakeholders, including employees and top management. Never allow negativity: make change simple and fun. Give employees plenty of encouragement and time to learn (“Tips,” 2006). Judith Hahn was able to implement the right human resource functions using information systems.

Toshiba America Medical Systems Inc.

The Situation:

Lynda Morvik, director of benefits and human resources information systems at Tustin, California-based Toshiba America Medical Systems Inc. (TAMS), thought it would make sense to add a benefits communication component to it. By having all the benefit information online, the TAMS employee handbook would also be a living document, enabling Morvik to make changes when necessary. Such was the case halfway through the project, when TAMS changed health care plans from Aetna Inc. to United Health Group Inc (Wojcik, 2004).

The Response:

TAMS, an independent group company of Toshiba Corporation and a global leading provider of diagnostic medical imaging systems and comprehensive medical solutions, such as CT, X-ray, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, MRI, and information systems, had been using a payroll service bureau and an in-house solution for HR that didn't include easy-to-use consolidated reporting or an employee portal. After evaluating UltiPro alongside several enterprise resource vendors, TAMS selected Ultimate Software's offering and went live in September 2002 after an on-time and on-budget implementation. Almost immediately upon rolling out the UltiPro portal to employees, TAMS began seeing improvements, with an estimated 70% increase in open enrollment efficiency (Wojcik, 2004).

The Outcome:

In an effort to expand the usage of the Web beyond the benefits enrollment process, TAMS has posted a library of documents and forms on its HR portal, including the benefits handbook, which garnered a 2004 Apex Award for publication excellence. That same year, Business Insurance magazine also gave TAMS the Electronic Benefit Communication (EBC) award for outstanding achievement in communicating employee benefits programs over the Web. To continue elevating its use of Ultimate Software's HRMS/payroll solution, TAMS modified the UltiPro portal to meet the imaging company's unique needs (Wojcik, 2004). It was completely integrated with several proprietary applications created to address compensation and performance management issues so that TAMS employees have a central location for comprehensive workforce and payroll information from a Web browser that they can access with a single sign-on (Wojcik, 2004).

References

Byars, Lloyd L. & Rue, Leslie W. (2004). Human Resource Management, 7e. The McGraw-Hill Companies.
Cadrain, Diane (2007). New York: Company Settles Data Breach Charges. Retrieved June 3, 2007 from [http://www.shrm.org/law/states/CMS_021505.asp#P-8_0]
Clarifying IBM’s Strategic mission for social media (2007). Strategic Communication
Management. Retrieved June 1, 2007 from
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=17&did=1263791161&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=4&clientld=2606&RQT=309&VName=PQD.
Friesen, G. Bruce (2003). Is your client ready for eHR? Consulting to Management, 14(3), 27. Retrieved June 3, 2007 from ProQuest Database.
Hagood, Wesley O. & Friedman, Lee ( 2002). Using the balanced scorecard to measure the performance of your HR information system. Public Personnel Management, 31(4), 543-58. Retrieved June 3, 2007 from ProQuest Database.
Heuring, Linda (2003). IBM: Laying Outing Enrollment Options. Retrieved June 2, 2007 from [http://www.shrm.org/hrmagazine/articles/0803/0803heuring_paperless.asp]
Koven, Jeff (2002). Streamlining benefit process with employee self-service applications: A case study. Compensation & Benefits Management, 18(3), 18-23. Retrieved June 2, 2007 from ProQuest Database.
O’Connell, Sandra (1994). Security for HR records – human resources. HR Magazine. Retrieved June 3, 2007 from [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m349] 5/is_n9_v39/ai_16309018
Protecting Client Data (2006). Financial Planning. Retrieved June 1, 2007 from

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&VName=PQD.
Tips on Using Technology to Streamline Payroll Processes – and Cut Costs (2006). Payroll Managers Report, 6(10), 1-9. Retrieved June 2, 2007 from EBSCOhost Database.
Vu, Uyen (2005). Contracting out HRIS easy call at Terasen Pipelines. Canadian HR Reporter, 18(4), 5-9. Retrieved June 2, 2007 from ProQuest Database.
Wojcik, J. (2004). Toshiba Employee Handbook Goes Online. Business Insurance, 38(49), 18.
Retrieved June 2, 2007 from EBSCOhost Database.

Human Resource Information System - HRIS
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Steven Brown, MBA is a loving husband and father of two boys. He enjoys his time with his family by providing a strong family foundation of Christian Faith. After completing his Bachelors degree, Steven wanted to further his ability to teach and share to others his mindset that they can do anything if they would believe in themselves.

Monday, November 5, 2012

What is the Difference Between Blogging & Podcasting?

Are you a blogger interested in podcasting? Or maybe you're a podcaster who's ready to start blogging? Not sure the difference between the two?

Let's start with what's the same in blogging versus podcasting:

Syndication
This means that they have an RSS feed that allows the updated material to be distributed instantly across the internet. Most commonly blogs are syndicated through feed readers that update automatically whenever a new blog posts is available. For podcasts, they are syndicated through a similar type of reader for podcasts and a common example of this would be iTunes.

What is the Difference Between Blogging & Podcasting?

Content is Released
Unlike some typical content websites, a blog releases content on a fairly regular basis. Some popular blogs update daily or even multiple times per day. Podcasts are typically released on a weekly or monthly basis, though some also release a new podcast daily. When subscribing to a blog or podcast you know that you will be getting fresh content, unlike websites which may have articles and information that is months or even years old.

What is the difference between blogging and podcasting?

A blog is like a website, it is a place where content is hosted. A blog can be host to a podcast. A blog can also hold articles, interviews, images and just about any other kind of content that is available online.

A podcast is a media file, either audio or video that is released in a sequential order and syndicated out to various places.

Which to choose: podcasting or blogging?

If you're not sure if you want to be a podcaster or a blogger consider the following questions:
- Do you prefer writing or speaking or both?
- Can you consistently put out a podcast weekly or a blog post daily?
- How much time and effort are you willing to put it?
- Why do you want to podcast or blog?

The answers to these questions will help you decide which format may be for you. Podcasting and blogging are a great fit together. I personally have both a blog and a podcast. My podcast is hosted on my blog and every week I update a new show which gets posted to iTunes, my blog and on another site for extra exposure.

Some people are just not interested or comfortable with speaking and recording their voices, if this is you then podcasting might not be for you. However if you really want to podcast but feel shy and nervous don't let that stop you! Over time and with practice podcasting will become second nature as you share valuable information with the world.

What is the Difference Between Blogging & Podcasting?
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If you need more information on how to get started with your own podcast or blog check out these two resources: How to Create a Podcast (Beginner's Guide + Webinar Recording), How to Start a Blog (Beginner's Guide)