Technical Advise Week #22 - Resolution?!

As we sit on the edge of yet another year it serves us to reflect on 2007 and set about to set resolutions for 2008. 2007 was a really crazy year with lots and lots of new adventures, pursuits and the journey into the unknown corners of technology. We are sure that some of you are wondering where is the technical content (hint... look into the manuals and don't wait for us to read that bedtime story to you, haha!). Technical content is in the eye of the beholder and for most it's not enough to know a particular technology but rather it's an opportunity to ponder directions and avenues. Why would anyone wish to taken on a technology that is slated for the graveyard? Rather, we hope that our weekly rants serve to stimulate you to take an interest, blaze a trail, and to walk boldly forward. Heaven knows one would be the first to accept this advise, if they knew that success was just around the corner. On the other hand, many would prefer to hide their reluctance behind words of disbelief and ridicule for those who poke and prod them forward. Our joint resolution, for Max & I, is to never stop exploring and challenging the edges of the technology spectrum. Whether it's new found aspects of ERP or whether it's building an industry such as what we are doing with maturing the outsource supplier in far away places, we will continue to do this again and again. Humans have been quick to point out that a dog is man's best friend, and that a dog never forgets. We hold this as true from first hand account and for these reason we are fiecely loyal to our readership, to our parents and to the technology we love. So blow the horn, toast another year past and look forward to the future, not as a follower but as a leader. From Mabel & Max Happy New Year 2008! We look forward to stimulating your mind and your interests.

Technical Advise Week #20/21 - We Did It Again!

Happy Holidays and Seasons Greetings!

I guess we did it again and missed our regular weekly commitment. It's really hard to type using small hands and short fingers, but we do our best.

Dad just returned from another successful trip to China. This time he was in Beijing for a series of lectures and meetings with leading outsourcing companies. Later he traveled to Yantai to conduct a series of meetings with leading government officials, including the Deputy Mayor and the Director of the Information Systems Bureau. He even showed up on China/Yantai TV (http://a.jiaodong.net/av/tv/play.asp?contentid=31810). We hope you can see it and we hope that it's not time sensitive. The video is in Chinese but you will get to see Dad with the Deputy Mayor and other officials and also the work location at HighYai Software.

We wish to discuss a little bit about perspectives. Many of the articles and studies conducted on outsourcing are from the domestic perspective. Very few describe or provide insight into the views from the service provider standpoint. One must constantly assess how we can bring together these ventures rather than fire vollies at each other, and then complain about the results. We have read books that promote the concept of the world is flat, but what they don't talk about is that the world isn't what is defined by us, but what is defined by specific cultures. Learning and appreciating other cultures, and doing so with respect is the first step toward bridging the gap.

To close we wish you all peace, here and with our global friends.

Technical Advise Week #18/19 - Did We Miss One?

In the Agile paradigm the group is empowered to keep the project on track and to compensate for misgiving that occur. Given this condition, we would have expected that someone would have come forward to remind us that we had skipped a week. We got SILENCE... what does this mean? Is it that we have no readership, was it the holiday season, or was it something else? Max & my response is to provide guidance in what we can control therefore; 1. we have provided ourselves with a To Do list reminder, 2. we ask that you remind us if we are remiss, and 3. if we know that there is a condition (like a holiday) that will be occuring we will take proactive measures to address the issue before it arises. We wanted to bring this up because there are many lessons to be learned from this, all of which are project applicable.

Here is the lessons;

1. Group empowerment is important and a step towards responsibility & accountability,
2. If you are expecting something to happen take proactive measures to address it,
3. Don't rely on others, but don't be afraid to ask for help if it involves them, and
4. Remember that you can only control those things that are within your span of control. Others are accountable for self-control.

Next week Dad is going to Beijing and Yentai as a part of the International Institute for Outsource Management effort and the formation of the International Outsource Management Research Center (IOMRC). This is a great initiative and is uniquely positioned to mature the outsourcing market from the provider side. Given this it may be possible that we may have a couple of weeks lag, we will see whether Dad can do this remotely for us. Since we will communicate with him via Skype we are sure that he will be kept appraised of domestic matters.

- Mabel & Max