The terms “integration” and “interfacing” are sometimes thrown around interchangeably when discussing this subject – but is there a difference in the real meaning of these terms?

The answer is definitely Yes.

Let’s take one specific example, which involves Warehouse Management Systems. When it comes to ERP/legacy to WMS interactions, there can be a huge difference.

Here are my observations about this.

Inexperienced people do “interfaces.” Also, unfortunately, many IT people think about connecting systems as “interfaces.”

But experienced people and people who have operational sensibilities think about things as “integrations.”

Here is an example: In a recent project where we were integrating a WMS with SAP, I was discussing the intricate nature of inventory recognition. Sometimes the lines of the warehouse boundaries can be a bit blurry and sometimes it is more like a hard line. In this specific case, the IT members of the team, all smart well-meaning people, insisted we do a particular interface a certain way.  What they were proposing would place an unreasonable burden on the receiving operations, in my opinion.

This caused me to pull out a couple of lines that, if you’ve done projects with me you know, I am famous for.  The first is “Information is virtual.  If we can’t figure out a way to not impact the physical part of the operation with requirements that are merely virtual – we are all a bunch of idiots.”

To which there was silence on the phone.  After some more discussion, a manager who should of known better said “You are doing the interface, you are not in operations.”

I thought this might be coming and got to use one of my other favorite lines. Unlike the first one, I cannot take credit for this. This is Brendon Sullivan in his defense of Ollie North in the Iran/Contra hearings of the 1980s:  “Because I, sir, am not a potted plant.”

In other words, I was not here just to do an interface. I was here to do a proper integration.  In an integration discussion, someone has to be the defender of the operation. I like to call this role the “operational conscience.”

The role of operational conscience is entirely about understanding, mitigating and/or removing the pain points that operations might feel when certain decisions are made by staff in other areas, such as IT, who although well-meaning have little domain experience.

In other words, there are a lot of good IT people doing interface work who have never set foot in a warehouse or DC. They do not understand the consequences of things like an extra keystroke or field entry on a mobile terminal.  They don’t understand that saying something as simple as “You’ll have to hold all of the inventory in receiving for a return until it is all ready to be processed in our interface” means a clogged dock.

Well-meaning does not imply well-versed.

So, how can you tell the difference between someone doing interfaces versus integrations?  One is just working on plumbing, the other is doing the plumbing and making sure it fits in the best way with the rest of the structure.

Good integrators are not, to borrow Mr. Sullivan’s line, “Potted Plants.” They are the operational conscience that determines the difference between successful integrations and those that do not serve operations the way they could.  When you are building an integration team, make sure you get integrators and just a bunch of “Potted Plants” writing interfaces.

http://www.scdigest.com/assets/experts/Fralick_10-04-08.php

(Original Article Source:  http://EzineArticles.com/)

While identity theft is nothing new, the Web has opened up whole new world of opportunity for identity thieves.

According to the FBI, identity theft is the top online fraud. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission says that identity theft is its number one source of consumer complaints – 42 percent of all complaints, in 2001.

The thief will use your personal information to open credit card accounts, cell phone accounts, open bank accounts in your name and write bad checks-leaving the victim with the bills and ruined credit ratings. Identity thieves may pose as representatives of banks, Internet service providers and even government agencies to get you to reveal your Social Security number, mother’s maiden name, financial account numbers and identifying information.

In a recent article (http://www.msnbc.com/news/830411.asp), MSNBC reported the case of a man who fell victim to a fraudulent job listing that was posted at Monster.com.  According to the article:

“It was just the job lead Jim needed: a marketing manager position with Arthur Gallagher, a leading international insurance broker. And only days after Jim responded to the job posting on Monster.com, a human resources director sent along a promising e-mail. We’re interested in you, the note said. The salary is negotiable, the client’s big. In fact, the clients are so valuable and sensitive that you’ll have to submit to a background check as part of the interview process. Eager for work, Jim complied- and sent off just about every key to his digital identity, including his age, height, weight, Social Security number, bank account numbers, even his mother’s maiden name.”

Jim spent the day canceling his credit cards, checking his balances and contacting the credit bureaus, but he’s concerned that his information is now “out there”.

There are warning signs that can tip you off to fraudulent job listings. While these items don’t necessarily mean that the listing is a scam, they are indications that you should do further checking.

–Incorrect grammar and spelling errors

–Phone or fax number area codes don’t match the address given

–Unrealistic salary

Online job databases are not the only places that identity thieves cruise for personal information. In recent indictments across the U.S., individuals have been charged with obtaining and using personal information through various ways. In Miami, two individuals were indicted for illegally tapping the computer networks of restaurants using the cover of a dummy corporation. A clerical worker at the New York State Insurance Fund pilfered office files and used stolen identities (of people across the country as well as fellow office workers) to obtain goods and services. A phlebotomist at Kaiser Permanente admitted to using the personal information of patients and employees in order to open credit card accounts in various names.

Recently, an FTC investigation into a work-at-home scheme spawned an incredible “scam-within-a-scam” when a man pretending to be an FTC employee emailed hundreds of the scam’s victims. He requested personal information stating that it was to be used as evidence in the case.

While it’s impossible to completely eliminate the chances of becoming a victim, you can minimize the risk by putting the following to practice:

–If a would-be employer asks you for any personal information you should ask them for their contact information and then separately look up the company’s information and contact them to verify that they actually exist. While it’s not unusual for an employer to ask for certain work-related information (like your work history and former employers), it is not appropriate for them to ask for personal information (like a social security number) unless you are actually being hired (and you’ve checked them out to make sure they’re legitimate). Even then, you should never be asked for financial information such as a credit card number.

–On online resumes, never include your social security number and keep even your work history brief.

–Check your credit card statements often. Believe it or not, many people never even check them!

–Besure to follow up with creditors if your bill doesn’t arrive on time. A missing credit card bill may mean that an identity thief has changed your billing address to cover their tracks.

–Order your credit report from one of the major credit bureaus each year and verify that everything is correct.

What to do if you’ve been a victim of identity theft:

The FTC maintains Consumer Sentinels Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse, the nations repository for identity theft complaints. The FTC established the Identity Theft Toll-Free Hotline, 1.877.IDTHEFT (1.877.438.4338) and the ID Theft Website (www.consumer.gov/idtheft) to give identity theft victims a central place to report their problems and receive helpful information.

The Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC) is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C). You can use their online system to file a complaint.
http://www1.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp

To view the original article, please visit:  http://blog.careers.org/2009/01/09/articles/job-search-articles/identity-theft-and-your-online-job-search/

The good folks over at the Gartner Group have revealed the top 10 technologies that they believe will change the world over the next four years:

1. Multicore and hybrid processors
2. Virtualization and fabric computing
3. Social networks and social software
4. Cloud computing and cloud/Web platforms
5. Web mashups
6. User Interface
7. Ubiquitous computing
8. Contextual computing
9. Augmented reality
10. Semantics

What caught my attention were items 1-4. I think that Gartner got it right this time around. Muticore servers and virtualization will mean that firms will need fewer boxes and apps can be easily moved from box to box (and right out the door to an outsourced data center). Workplace social networks and cloud computing means that the need for a centralized IT department will go away. Firms will no longer need to own/maintain the boxes that they use to run their firm’s apps. With no need to touch a box, there will be no need to have the IT staff co-located with the boxes. Oh, oh — can you hear your job going away?

What does this all mean, and more importantly what should a successful IT staffer (or CIO) do today? The key to your future success is to understand how IT is going to change and what you need to do to change with it. IT is going to become much more about information and how it can be used to help the business grow and prosper. This IT function is going to leave the IT department as we know it today and will migrate into the business unit itself. What this means to you is that you need to know what your firm does, and even more importantly, how it does it. The next question will be what information is needed by the business units to improve how they do their work. This is what tomorrow’s IT staff will provide. Thanks Gartner for the peek into the future!

To find the original article, please visit

http://www.thebusinessofit.com/gartner/gartner-reveals-top-10-technologies