Software As A Service (SaaS), Are Companies Getting Serious?

According to a recent InformationWeek research survey of 250 business technology professionals, two out of three businesses are either buying or are considering the purchase of software via a subscription model. When asked “Why are you adopting SaaS?”, the top four responses were:

1. Ease of deployment and management - 69%
2. More flexibility to support evolving business needs - 52%
3. Lower, more predictable software costs - 43%
4. Easier to change number of users - 32%

The survey also found that 29% are using at least one licensed application that is hosted by a supplier and accessed over the Internet. Those that are planning or are considering to purchase software via a subscription fee model were at 35%.

Of interesting note, smaller businesses seem to be early adopters of SaaS. “SaaS is one of those technology delivery trends that will come from the bottom up: small and midsize companies will adopt it faster,” says Ken Harris, CIO at Shaklee, a supplier of nutritional supplements. Harris feels that large companies use integration and security issues as reasons not to adopt, but considers these as solvable problems.

How has your SaaS experience been? Please forward your comments to dlebaker@asil-inc.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

contributed by Deborah LeBaker

Spotlight: Knowing when to seek help

One of the most difficult challenges we all experience in life is failing to recognize in a timely manner when we need to get some help. Whether it is gaining a broader perspective or obtaining resources to complete an activity or seeking new skills to solve a problem, it starts with recognizing the need for help.

This challenge occurs many times every day all over the world throughout the business community. The impact can be seen in missed deliverables, missed profitability, lower customer satisfaction, lower employee satisfaction, and more.

So why does this happen? Some experts call it a 'blind spot' or an area that we cannot see and therefore are suceptable to failure. Others suggest it is an unwillingness to say 'uncle' and give in, to admit you need help. Perhaps it is because it can be believed and or perceived to be a weakness. This can be further compounded when someone is seen as the expert and they want to continue to be seen that way. The end result can be the same, utter disaster.

Sometimes it happens when people surround themselves with too many think alikes, and the outcome is a tendancy to self perpetuate and galvanize versus challenge the status quo and seek help to understand new possibilities. In other cases the work environment may be driven by fear and therefore showing signs of weakness could make someone appear vulnerable.

Based on observations over the past 25 years, those that have the ability to recognize their limitations or see the possibilities are more likely to seek support. Those that live in fear of ridicule, fear of personal failure, or are uncertain about their roles have a tendancy to avoid contact and try to stay out of the line of sight.

Next time you feel that you may need some help take the time to write down what you are experiencing and or feeling. What does success of the desired future look like and what do you need to do to get there. Learning to communicate effectively about your challenges will enable the business to gain a better perspective.

If more business professionals had the courage to seek help, the possibilities would be unlimited. By reaching out you can become part of a larger support network. The person sitting next to you can help you, and likely you can help them as well. Seeking help is not a sign of weakness. Have you helped someone today?

contributed by Peter Pazmany

Industry Trends

Going Green

In response to environmental concerns expressed by customers, many companies are launching “Go Green” programs. Here are a few:

Xerox – Introduced “green” printer paper. A new paper for digital printing that uses pulp that is produced by grinding wood into papermaking pulp instead of using the more widespread chemical pulping process. Xerox also says its new paper uses 90 percent of a tree, twice the proportion typically used to manufacture paper for digital printers. It also requires less water and fewer chemicals and is produced in a plant using hydroelectricity to partially power the pulping process, reducing the reliance on fossil fuels.

Wal-Mart – Laid out ambitious environmental goals in late 2005 to reduce waste, use more renewable energy and stock more “green” products. Wal-Mart’s fleet of about 7,200 semi tractor-trailer trucks is already about 15 percent more fuel efficient and the company knows what changes it needs to make to meet its target of 25 percent by next year. The annual savings in carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is equal to taking 67,744 cars off the road.

Tyson Foods – Announced its joint venture with Syntroleum to spend $150 million to build the first plant to refine animal and vegetable fats into diesel, jet fuel and fuel for the military. The new venture calls for the plant to be opened next year and will produce 75 million gallons of synthetic fuel each year. Conventional fuels will be able to be blended with the fuel produced by the joint venture, called Dynamic Fuels.

Chrysler – Announced its efforts to boost fuel efficiency. Its new family of V-6 engines will have the ability to drop to three cylinders when less power is needed, raising the fuel economy by 6 to 8 percent. They also plan to place its new two-mode hybrid power train in more vehicles in its fleet, a clean diesel engine in the 2009 Jeep Cherokee sport utility vehicle, and alter the 5.7-liter Hemi and 4.7-liter V-8 engines for better gas mileage.

What is your company doing to go "Green"?

contributed by Deborah LeBaker

Performance Measurement

Performance measurement is one of the most important aspects of achieving excellence for a company. There are many ways to effectively manage performance. In our experience, one of the best ways is the utilization of a Performance Scorecard. The key advantages of an effective Performance Scorecard are:

• Categorizes performance areas in order to provide focus and clarity
• Establishes the Key Performance Indicators, Goals and Objectives that are to be achieved
• Provides the minimum acceptable levels and the targeted levels of performance Identifies levels of achieved performance through a color coded display per deliverable
• Delivers flexibility in the entry of performance data (Program Manager, Provider, etc.
• Establishes Closed Loop Corrective Action for non-performance items
• Provides comparative and trended performance reporting

This process is known as Closed Loop Corrective Action (CLCA). This is an industry term and concept that many companies are striving to adopt. Any action that is taken to resolve an issue or problem must also have a component of supporting evidence that the issue has been resolved.

MAX Partnering™ from ASIL, Inc. provides an easy to implement integrated tool suite that guides users through the processes of Closed Loop Corrective Action management. What tool are you using to manage your CLCA process?

For a full feature description of the performance measurment software available from ASIL, Inc., click here.