The Computer Manufacturers Distributors and Dealers Association of the Philippines (COMDDAP) held their annual event in Davao this year at Apo View Hotel last July 2-4, 2009. I was not able to read the information about COMDDAP Expo in the forum so I have no idea about it until my ex-classmate asked me if I will be going to attend the said exhibit because she was on the way there. Luckily I was able to witness the latest in information technology’s fast-phase development.
COMDDAP is an association of the country's top information technology businesses. COMDDAP was created with the primary objective of promoting the sustainable development of the country's information technology industry through voluntary collaboration of its member companies. The associations objectives are: promote the use of information technology and elevate its standards in the Philippines; make computers affordable and available to the masses; provide and create opportunities for users to develop themselves to their fullest potentials; supply the market with quality products at reasonable prices with good after-sales support; to work closely with the government, the private sector, and international entities in promoting the use of information technology; provide a forum of discussion on matters relating to the computer industry; and foster and cultivate harmony, cordiality and camaraderie among the members so that they can work together as one for the benefit of the industry. Its primary objective is to promote the sustainable development of the of the country's information technology industry through voluntary collaboration of its member companies. It is the goal of COMDDAP to be able to provide its members general views and updates from different sectors - private and government, and highly regarded individuals to further uplift the morale and knowledge of its organization.
The vision of promoting and elevating the standards of Information technology (IT) in the Philippines fueled a group of prominent computer companies to form the Computer Distributors and Dealers Association of the Philippines or COMDDAP. Its initial member-companies represent the world's leading makers and providers of computer products, solutions and peripherals.
COMDDAP holds regular exhibits, more popularly known as the COMDDAP EXPO, which has become a consistent crowd drawer and has in itself set new records in terms of the quality of the exhibit area, of its exhibitors, visitors, and venues. The annual COMDDAP endeavor encourages its participants to launch their products and services, as well as hold seminars with a variety of topics in the areas of technology, trends, applications, and information management.
Indeed, COMDDAP has gone a long way from a mere assemblage of premier IT companies and enthusiasts. With the support and enthusiasm of its member-companies, COMDDAP expects and looks forward to accomplishing more worthwhile projects in the future as COMDDAP is committed to the stable growth of the Philippine computer industry.
During the COMDDAP Davao 2009, the first speaker at the event was Celmer L. Santos for ERIC Dealer Management System (DMS). He introduced the Dealer Management System (DMS) as an end - to - end software solution for automotive sales, parts and service businesses. We found out that ERIC Dealer Management System (DMS) covers the full range of dealer activities from marketing to sales and services. Aside from core business operations, Dealer Management System (DMS) includes a full ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and completely automates and integrates back office operations all the way to financial reporting. He presented us the core functionalities of their system and showed the details of it. With ERIC Dealer Management System (DMS), you can have full visibility over all operations, achieve total control over your dealership business, schedule prospects for test drives and follow an appointment, monitor and increase sales, delight customers with gentle reminders for appointments, manage vehicle inventory, deliver impeccable service, control parts and consumables cost, monitor and correctly implement warranty for parts and service and report your financial bottom line. He also explained to us that the system can also be used not only for automotives but also in any parts and service businesses as well. I observed how detail oriented and organize their software (based on Mr. Santos’ presentation) which fit and completely automates and integrates back office operations.
The second speaker of the event was Mr. Leonardo Zap, the Market Development Manager for HP Thin Clients. He discussed the different models of HP Thin Clients and the value proposition for using the HP Thin Clients. He said that the HP Thin Clients has several features and advantages when use compared to desktop computers. The Hp Thin Clients has an improvised security, easier administration and manageability, improved power efficiency, and lower total cost of ownership. He also presented some applications that can run on HP Thin Clients. The HP Thin Clients can run well virtually on all types of applications it can run applications from stand-alone, to client-server, to web-based. The machine can run embedded Operating System such as Linux or Windows. One of its unique features is that it does not have any moving parts like the hard drive and fan but still it is more capable of performing most of the normal functions of a personal computer. Because the HP thin Client does not have movable parts, the machine can run on a lower power and more robust and can boot faster. Heavy lifting for processor or disk intensive applications can be done on the server. thin clients have a much longer lifespan than standard computers and use significantly less power. Lower maintenance costs are another benefit as software application updates, virus scanning and patches can be executed on the server. Deployment costs are also reduced as thin clients can be remotely configured and do not need to be set up individually. Break-fix simply requires replacing the thin client.
The students who attend the event have now a better appreciation of new, innovative and better value solutions available on the market. We are now aware of the latest of information technology’s fast phase development in trends, applications and information management from the world’s leading makers and providers of computer products, solution and peripherals. Of course this would not have been possible without the help of COMDDAP.
I have nothing against the present enrollment system, as a matter of fact I am happy and I do appreciate that the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) administration decided to tap in-house resources for the university needs instead of outsourcing. I do not know exactly the reason why the administration decided to change the old enrollment system but one thing is for sure, that the university has benefited a lot with the present enrollment system. I have many opinions and point of view why I think the university decided to turn in-housing. As I mention in the last assignment, I think that the primary reason why the administration decided to tapped in-house resources is to save the operational cost because I heard that the system is quiet expensive. Maybe the amounts save from the budget allotted for outsourced system will be invested in much more important needs (like constructing the USeP Institute of Computing building) of the university which can be beneficial for the students as well the university’s administration. I also think that finally the administration has finally recognized the relevance of the skills of highly profiled faculties of the Institute of Computing. The university has the qualified skills to provide its needs for today and in the future as well. And beside, the USeP employees may have a better understanding of the university’s faculty and students needs. We have special needs that only in-house resources can attend. In this way also, disadvantages in outsourcing can be lessen. Improper or poor communication between the vendor and the university can be diminished. Communication gap can lead to project failures to meet our needs and requirements. Also, the university can develop our own system that is more cheap since in-house have deep subject-matter expertise. Although the Institute of Computing students has slightly affected because of pulling two of the IC faculty, the overall result is going to be what is expected.
I have research about the disadvantages of outsourcing a business process. I found out that in outsourcing a business process, you tend to voluminous the managerial control. This is because it is harder to manage outsourcing service provider compared to managing one’s own employees. Another disadvantage is that outsourcing can also prove to be a threat to the security and confidentiality of issues of a company. If your company is outsourcing business process such as payroll, confidential information such as salary will be known to the outsourcing service provider. Therefore one must be very careful in choosing which business process to outsource and which one not. Outsourcing may also result into the possible loss of flexibility in reacting to changing business conditions, lack of internal and external customer focus and sharing cost savings. Loss of internally generated talent is yet another problem associated with the outsourcing as it may hamper the growth of an employee by depriving him from the experience he would have gained by handling the business issue himself then by passing it over to some other external party. There is lot of reasons why some preferred outsourcing but there are also a lot of disadvantages and this I think what the administration had just realized.
We can assure that technically, on the side of technical people the new enrollment system work faster and processes better compared with the old enrollment system. We are sure that the data and the information provided and produced by the present enrollment system is secure and accurate (I am confident about it. The developers’ profiles alone will prove it.). Engr. Michael Angelo Z. Cagape and Dr. Tamara Cher Rogers Mercado were the persons behind the new and improved enrollment system. They were chosen by the administration and have been in the university for a long period of time. They have been teaching and sharing with us their expertise in different field of computing. They have a wide knowledge in database, system analysis and design and etc. They were also at the same time (if I am not mistaken) were able to demonstrate their proficiency and capability in the information technology industry itself. The numerous systems and applications they developed will proved how knowledgeable they are in computing. Thus, it only proves that they obtained their highest and superior reputation technically.
Thus, we don’t have to worryabout technical matters because the developers were capable to handle possible problems that may occur in the future of our enrollment system. If I were tapped by the university president to evaluate the new environment system implemented in this semester, I will weigh and consider the things that I have research regarding the advantages of outsourcing first. Focusing on core activities is first thing to be considered because in the rapid growth periods, the faculty operations of the univesity will expand also. This expansion may start to consume resources (human and financial) at the expense of the core activities that have made the university successful. Outsourcing those activities will allow refocusing on those university activities that are important without sacrificing quality or service in the office (in our case is pulling of the two instrutors of the Institute of Computing). Second is the cost and efficiency savings. The office or faculty functions that are complicated in nature, but the size of the university is preventing the administration from performing it at a consistent and reasonable, is another advantage of outsourcing. During the first semester, a lot of freshmen will enter the institute, since we lack faculty members, pulling people from the institute can add the burden to the students. Third is reducing overhead costs of performing a particular office or faculty function are extremely high. Consider outsourcing those functions which can be moved easily. Fourth is the operational control. Operations whose costs are running out of control must be considered for outsourcing. The different departments of the university that may have evolved over time into uncontrolled and poorly managed areas are prime motivators for outsourcing. In addition, an outsourcing company can bring better management skills to the university than what would otherwise be available. An information technology department or the institute of computing in our case that has too many projects, not enough people and a budget that far exceeds their contribution to the university. A contracted outsourcing agreement will force the adminstration to prioritize their requests and bring control back to that area. Another is the staffing flexibility. Outsourcing will allow operations that have seasonal or cyclical demands to bring in additional resources when you need them and release them when you’re done. The sixth is continuity and risk management. Giving the developers the duty to handle this operation will add uncertainty and inconsistency to the operations. Outsourcing will provided a level of continuity to the university while reducing the risk that a substandard level of operation would bring to the university. Developing internal staff at a large project needs to be undertaken that requires skills that the faculty’s time may not be enough. On-site outsourcing of the project will bring people with the skills you need into the university. The new staff can be the solution whenever the developers were not available and they can also acquire the new set of skills from our developers.
Being a student in this prestigious university for almost six years now, I observed that the new enrollment system has a little impact on the student’s side (being a USePian as never been easy). Every time I recall my first year of college life, I could always think how hard it is studying here (with the high standard of education of course). Part of the experience and agony is during enrollment period. Falling in a very long line has caused so much hassle for those like me living in a faraway province.
The new enrollment system may have numerous benefits and advantages technically but for me as a student, I think that the new system’s procedure has a very slight difference compared from the old enrollment system. In my own opinion, I believed that more than anything else, the admin should find ways to help lessen the burden of the students in this university. I suggest that it would be better if they will also find ways to simplify the process and procedure and not just change the software system alone. Although it is too early to judge the new system, I believed that they should consider these factors. I believed that the newly implemented system will still undergo several revisions because the developers were only given a very limited period of time to implement the said system.
Every enrollment period, a student should seek his or her adviser to be advised regarding what she/ or he may take. The adviser also will determine if she or he is still qualified to enroll in a particular department or will be advised to shift a course or worst shift to another school. The adviser will be basing his or her decision on the grades in the evaluation sheet or on the handbook of the student. After that the student will now know and will be advised what and how many subjects he or she can take. The adviser will now issue a Pre Registration Form (PRF) and the student can now fill it up. After completing the Pre Registration Form (PRF), he or she will give it back to the adviser to let him or she signed. The adviser will evaluate it and if he or she finds out that there is no problem, the adviser can now finally signed it. Now, the student will pass the Pre Registration Form (PRF) to the encoder to encode all the subjects and the schedule written there. The system can determine if there is a conflict with regards with the schedule of a particular student. The encoder will ask the student if she or he is a scholar and if he or she is a scholar, the encoder will ask for the blue card to see if the student is still a qualified grantee. After the encoding process, the student can now proceed to the finance department. If she or he is not a scholar, she or he will pay to the cashier. After paying for the particular amount, the cashier will issue that particular student the receipt. On the other hand, if the student is a scholar, she or he will proceed to the book keeper. The book keeper will stamp the Certificate of Registration (COR). The student will go to the registrar to be considered as officially enrolled. The registrar will stamp the Certificate of Registration (COR). The student can now proceed to the library to validate its library card. The whole enrollment process will usually takes two to three days to complete.
With this semester, I observed that the only difference is that you will submit the Certificate of Registration (COR) to the book keeper or to the cashier and only the receipt or the blue card will be presented to the registrar. Before, you will go to the particular window assigned in a particular department but now, you can process it in any window. After presenting your receipt or the blue card if you are a scholar, the registrar will give the student’s copy as a proof that that particular student is now officially enrolled.
I suggest and I was thinking that it would be better if the university will have a Student Evaluation Record System and Scholarship Validation System that will be integrated with the present enrollment system.
STUDENT EVALUATION RECORD SYSTEM
One of the most time consuming process in enrolling is during evaluation. There are cases that the adviser will refuse to advice you because you do not have grade from your past subjects enrolled because your past instructors was not able to summit the grades to the registrar and they can no longer be found. Sometimes, your record is misplaced so you have to wait until they can retrieve it. So I was thinking that when we have a student evaluation record system that will automate advising, it will be better. This system will have dynamic features intended for the convenience of the adviser and to the student as well. All of the student’s record that includes the subjects enrolled and the corresponding grade and units will be stored in the system. The adviser can retrieve and view all these records to guide him or her in evaluating a particular student. The system can generate all of the needed information that the adviser may need. The system will give the subject and the corresponding schedule offered in a semester. The information that will be generated by the system will be based on the current record of that particular student. The adviser will based his or her decision on the information that will be generated by the system. No need to worry conflicting schedules because the system will take care of it. If there will be no problem, the adviser can print out a copy for the student.
SCHOLARSHIP VALIDATION SYSTEM
Another time consuming part of enrolling is during renewing scholarship. Every end of the semester, a particular scholar should renew their scholarship to be qualified as a scholarship grantee for the next semester.
Since large numbers of the University of SouthereasternPhilippines population are scholars, I am thinking that it will also be better if there is a system interconnected with the scholarship sponsors.
I heard so much complaints of how hard for the students to renew their scholarships (which is worth for the scholarship). I observed that scholars spend so much time in falling in lines waiting to be entertained.
I think that it will be better if there will be a computerized system wherein the sponsor can automatically set the status of a scholar after she or he can submit all the requirements for renewal. In this way, the book keeper will just refer to the system to view if a particular student is a qualified scholar and there will be no need for a scholar to fall in line just to get the renewal form. If their will be a system like this, renewing and validating will not be a problem anymore.
Maybe as the newly implemented enrollment system undergoes revisions the scenario will be like this:
A student will seek an advice from his or her adviser. The adviser will just refer to the Student Evaluation Record System. The adviser will enter the id number or the name of that particular student. All the grades of that particular student can be viewed and retrieve in the system. The system can then automatically generate the subject he or she can enroll on that semester together with the corresponding schedule. The systems will summarize the total amount to be settled by the student. The adviser can print the copy for the student so the student need no longer for the encoder because the system automatically did it. The students can now proceed to the cashier to pay his or her account. If she or he is a scholar, the bookkeeper will check in the Scholarship Validation System to see if the student is qualified scholar. If just in case there is a problem, that the time that the student will present his or her validation card (blue card) as a proof. After this, the student will proceed to the registrar to be officially enrolled then the last is to validate the library card.
I was also thinking that maybe in the near future, the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) can offer an online enrollment system in which students from the province will no longer fall in line to avoid penalty. Maybe soon, University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) will have online enrollment that will also offer online checking of grades, curriculum finder, calendar, evaluation of subjects, evaluation of professor, sending message to professor, create your profile, and it will have a feature like friendster wherein you can view your classmates and add friends to your list can even make testimonials. Prior to the online enrollment there will be pre-enrollment favorable to blockers wherein you do not have to do anything on actual enrollment you only have to verify the grades and pay tuition at any bank, cash, cashiers and managers check and creditcards.
I know that the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) is always late in terms of this innovation but I can see that the administration and the faculty are trying hard to cope up with the trend.