Decision Making With Computers: The Spreadsheet and Beyond

Customer Reviews:

This book will open for you a new doors........1999-11-21

I'm teaching this book at the University of Bahrain, and I think it's a real interesting one. In-addition to that I'd like to share any comment with any person who could be interested in this book. Good Luck.

Book Description

Praise for the first edition:

"As a primary teacher for 33 years, I thought I had made all the time-management adjustments possible—until I read Time-Saving Tips for Teachers. Now I know you can ‘teach an old dog new tricks’ about conferencing, planning, assessing students, filing, handling absences, and a whole lot more. No more ‘Sunday Night Blues’!"
Marilyn Kirschner, Elementary Teacher
Taneytown Elementary School, Maryland

"This is a must-read for teachers who coach, serve on committees, have families, or do all of the above. New teachers will find that it makes that first year less overwhelming. The time spent to read this book will be recovered many times over. The reproducible pages are an invaluable resource."
Francis M. McCullin, Mathematics Instructor
Westminster West Middle School, Maryland

No time? Now the update to the best-selling first edition is packed with even more practical, tested ideas and resources to help you "contain" your job and still maintain high standards!

Let’s face it—as a teacher, you need and deserve a secretary and at least one assistant. But since that kind of support is unlikely, this is the book that will help you continue to be a good teacher without going crazy!

The format lets you browse through the chapters and apply the ideas that fit your immediate needs and style—and the second edition now includes over 60 reproducible forms that you can use right away, covering student and parent information, reading and writing coaches, homework, standards for assignments, and supplies, just to name a few. New tips include portfolios, substitute teachers, e-mail, handheld computers, and the Internet.

Chapters provide ideas on how to save time without diminishing quality by:

Communicating effectively—but briefly
Managing materials
Planning the week ahead
Learning to say "No"
Using the Internet to save time
Working with substitutes and volunteers
Creating a filing system that saves time
Avoiding distractions
Treating yourself as a professional

Learn to work smarter with Time-Saving Tips and enjoy your life outside of teaching once again!

Customer Reviews:

Excellent resource for all teachers........1998-11-07

This is an excellent book for all teachers. As a 35 year veteran teacher I found many new time saving ideas. My two favorite sections: 1) plans for substitutes, and 2) grading standards. New teachers might find the filing system suggestions an excellent way to manage all the paper.

Time Saving Tips for Teachers (Instant Idea Books)

Average customer rating:

Time Saving Tips for Teachers (Instant Idea Books)
Barbara Gruber
Manufacturer: Focus Publishing/R. Pullins Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Pedagogy | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0867340479

Apple Works for the Teacher: Time Saving Tips, Insights, and Techniques

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Apple Works for the Teacher: Time Saving Tips, Insights, and Techniques

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Operating Systems | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 9999859364

Teachers have class: Daily time-saving tips for teachers

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Teachers have class: Daily time-saving tips for teachers
Dick Webster
Manufacturer: Garborg's Heart'n Home
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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Time-saving Tips for Teachers
Clare Carhatt
Manufacturer: Sage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K2SK1O

Book Description

It is easier to describe vision and values than implement them. However this updated paperback edition of The Committed Enterprise shows how to achieve success by understanding the needs of stakeholders and maximising them.

It details the Seven Best Practices for making vision and values work and is based on research with leaders from 125 leading enterprises worldwide. Using a unique format to allow fast track or in-depth reading the book includes hundreds of examples from enterprises as diverse as PepsiCo, Caltech, Tesco, Mayo Clinic, BP, New York Police Department, DuPont, UPS and many others.

The text is essential reading for managers, and students of strategic organisational strategy.

* A systematic guide to understanding 'unstoppable' organisations, be they firms or orchestras.
* Takes managing vision and values from an art to a science
* Gives an unrivalled insight into managing the needs of all corporate stakeholders

Customer Reviews:

The Committed Enterprise - a 'must read for business leaders.......2002-06-21

At last - clear, concise and practical advice on the thorny issue of defining the purpose, vision and supporting values of an organisation. The Committed Enterprise is a thoughtful, thoroughly researched and well-presented book, which captures the experience of 125 organisations in private and public sectors. It is a practical necessity for those companies who would like to do `better' as well as for the consultants advising them.

12 firms committed to 62,000 s/f at Navy Yard.(Brooklyn Navy Yard): An article from: Real Estate Weekly

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12 firms committed to 62,000 s/f at Navy Yard.(Brooklyn Navy Yard): An article from: Real Estate Weekly

Manufacturer: Hagedorn Publication
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Real Estate Weekly, published by Hagedorn Publication on February 2, 2005. The length of the article is 587 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: 12 firms committed to 62,000 s/f at Navy Yard.(Brooklyn Navy Yard)
Publication: Real Estate Weekly (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 2, 2005
Publisher: Hagedorn Publication
Volume: 51 Issue: 25 Page: 12(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Is Microsoft Truly Committed to Open Standards? Presentation: presentation for SearchWebServices

Average customer rating:

Is Microsoft Truly Committed to Open Standards? Presentation: presentation for SearchWebServices
ZapThink , and Jason Bloomberg
Manufacturer: ZapThink, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Privacy | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Security | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Network Security | Networking | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Windows Security | Security & Encryption | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Web Services | Web Development | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Never too soon to save: Megan J. Stewart is committed to staying on the fast track to early retirement.(BLACK WEALTH INITIATIVE) : An article from: Black Enterprise

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Never too soon to save: Megan J. Stewart is committed to staying on the fast track to early retirement.(BLACK WEALTH INITIATIVE) : An article from: Black Enterprise
Sheryl Nance-Nash
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Black Enterprise, published by Thomson Gale on July 1, 2005. The length of the article is 1199 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Never too soon to save: Megan J. Stewart is committed to staying on the fast track to early retirement.(BLACK WEALTH INITIATIVE)
Author: Sheryl Nance-Nash
Publication: Black Enterprise (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 35 Issue: 12 Page: 71(2)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Teenpreneur award nominees: this award recognizes entrepreneurs under the age of 18 who serve as role models and are committed to advancing the rich tradition ... : An article from: Black Enterprise

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Teenpreneur award nominees: this award recognizes entrepreneurs under the age of 18 who serve as role models and are committed to advancing the rich tradition ... : An article from: Black Enterprise

Manufacturer: Earl G. Graves Publishing Co., Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Manager's Guides to Computing | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Black Enterprise, published by Earl G. Graves Publishing Co., Inc. on May 1, 2005. The length of the article is 816 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Teenpreneur award nominees: this award recognizes entrepreneurs under the age of 18 who serve as role models and are committed to advancing the rich tradition of black business achievement.(ENTERPRISE)(Najee McGreen of Techmaster Computer Works, Geneva Johnson of Hamilton Art Gallery, Brandon Griffin of Quality Web Solutions)
Publication: Black Enterprise (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2005
Publisher: Earl G. Graves Publishing Co., Inc.
Volume: 35 Issue: 10 Page: 54(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

WCA's accelerator program plays key role in helping to launch Westchester's newest business incubator.(The Westchester County Association Inc: committed ... from: Westchester County Business Journal

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WCA's accelerator program plays key role in helping to launch Westchester's newest business incubator.(The Westchester County Association Inc: committed ... from: Westchester County Business Journal

Manufacturer: Westfair Communications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Westchester County Business Journal, published by Westfair Communications, Inc. on March 15, 2004. The length of the article is 530 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: WCA's accelerator program plays key role in helping to launch Westchester's newest business incubator.(The Westchester County Association Inc: committed to business advocacy and economic vitality: March 2004)
Publication: Westchester County Business Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 15, 2004
Publisher: Westfair Communications, Inc.
Volume: 43 Issue: 11 Page: 36(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Average customer rating:

Committed Enterprise
Hugh Davidson
Manufacturer: BUTTERWORTH HEINEMAN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K7D8YI

The conversion of the world the grand enterprise committed to the church: A sermon, preached 14th January, 1840

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The conversion of the world the grand enterprise committed to the church: A sermon, preached 14th January, 1840
Andrew Somerville
Manufacturer: M. Paterson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

History | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0008BGS8O

The obligation of the church to prosecute the missionary enterprise to which it is committed: A sermon preached before the London Missionary Society, at Surrey Chapel, on Wednesday, May 10th, 1837

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The obligation of the church to prosecute the missionary enterprise to which it is committed: A sermon preached before the London Missionary Society, at Surrey Chapel, on Wednesday, May 10th, 1837
John Ely
Manufacturer: Fisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Amazon.com

The day when information system leaders and business executives could function blissfully in their own isolated worlds is long gone--if indeed it ever really existed. John R. Logan's Evolution Not Revolution emphasizes why such professionals must now work closely together and outlines a series of six related competencies to help them do it. Logan, founder and CEO of the Aberdeen Group consulting company, says separation between these managers winds up producing a negative drag on performance that could be eliminated by introducing "a common set of management goals and principles for both to follow." Hinging everything on an overall corporate-wide information-age executive skill he dubs "emagineering," Logan spells out his approach to planning, deploying, operating, and measuring the advanced technological steps that spring from his suggested core proficiencies: fulfill the public's shifting demands, forge ties with existing customers and attract new ones, develop a common vision with business partners, maximize economic returns, execute functions on-time throughout the organization, and introduce technical operations necessary for a secure and flexible information system. "Connect the known, the suspected, and the new together," he writes, "and you will surely have the next great idea for improving the value of your company." --Howard Rothman

Book Description

John R. Logan, the visionary founder of the Aberdeen Group consulting firm, has launched a call to arms for executives and managers with Evolution Not Revolution. In this book, Logan challenges executives and managers to use IT as a powerful tool to create and execute superior strategies that will help develop:

Marketing skills for strengthening existing customer bonds and finding new customers
Financial skills to pursue beneficial changes
Information systems management skills to organize a flexible, expandable info systems structure

Customer Reviews:

Outdated.......2005-04-21

I do NOT recommend reading this book. It is sooo outdated. Maybe this book would have salience in the mid-90s before the tech boom.

Most companies understand the issues laid out in the book now.

Review: Weak Content/Could Have Been Useful 5 Years Ago.......2004-07-05

Some guy sent this book to me (hardcover edition) about a year and a half ago, trying to get me to buy some educational training programs based on the book. I started the first page then but did not get around to reading the rest of the book until just recently.

I think Logan has done a decent job of outlining some IT adoption problems in corporations. Like some of the other reviewers have said, however, the book is simply not useful for large corporatations. It seems like Logan has always been a consultant. Never appreciating the politics and bureaucracy the IT department has to go through to implement new IT initiatives.

These guys like Logan come in with pie in the sky dreams. Fact of the matter is, we IT executives need to focus on getting maximum benefit out of minimum capital. The book simply expects too much. Dreaming.

Maybe business execs could read the book and get more out of it. But Logan is a soporiphic writer. I stopped used sleeping pills. All I needed to do was read a chapter of this book and I'd sleep well:)

Logan's problem is that he is writing a book for IT execs that he should be writing for business executives. He should have written the book with more succinct sentences. He should have cut the book in half at least.

Business guys don't like technology for the most part. To get them to pick up a boring and long book to teach them how to use IT is impossible.

That is the main problem with Logan's stuff -- ok content, terribly written, geared for the wrong audience, and pie in the sky dreams.

Overall, I would not recommend reading this book, unless you are having problems sleeping.

Maybe it would have been pertinent if I had actually gotten around to reading it when it was sent to me. The fact of the matter is that the book is now outdated.

Pass.......2004-04-28

It certainly is not one of the worst books I have read, but it is not the best. Perhaps I should be more objective. I am in charge of implementing IT initiaties for my firm. I saw the book cover and thought this might be helpful for me and my firm.

First chapter, good. Then the book got worse and worse. Clearly, the author has never worked in a large organization. He has no idea the difficulties facing CIOs in large and small companies. So while Login's ideas are ok, they have no benefit in the real corporate world in America.

But the book is not academic enough (i.e. good enough) for universities to use this.

I would NOT recommend this book. It is another one of those non-acadmemic, non-thought provoking books that just is not grounded in reality.

Fake Reviews/OK Book.......2004-04-05

I agree. Too many of these reviews look fake to me. Same day and 5 stars and flatter too much. Without little doubt I would consider many of these reviews to me marketing.

That is not right. Amazon should do something about this to ensure the integrity of these reviews.

Anyhoo, this book is decent. I'd recommend this book to mid-level managers in big firms who went to college after the tech revolution. Might have good insights for you.

But for a small firm these ideas dont work. And if you already are even broderline tech savvy, this book is not good. Basically just rehashes what everyone already knows.

If this book were written in the mid90s i would have recommended it to more people. But frankly, it is outdated now. This book came out a decade late.

I give it two stars. not horrible but not worht the money.

Dubious Reviews.......2004-03-22

Come on, the previous 3 reviews have to be fake! All were written on Feb. 17th?! All fawn over Logan and the Aberdeen Group. Reads like a marketing attempt to me.

Logan's book has some decent insights. Heck, he is right, more business and IT execs have to work together. Too many IT ventures fail.

But the book is terribly boring, even for a techie as an author.

The editor should have made the writing better.

I might give 2 stars to this, but those previous 3 reviews were soooo fake, I gotta give it 1 star to counterbalance those fake reviews.

Average customer rating:
Evolution Not Revolution: Aligning Corporate Technology with Corporate Strategy to Increase Market Valuation
R. Logan John
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OFKD3A

Average customer rating:
Evolution Not Revolution: Aligning Technology with Corporate Strategy to Increase Market Valuation
John R. Logan
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OGEUE2

Book Description

David Ricardo on Public Debt provides a comprehensive view of public debt from the Ricardian standpoint. It shows how and why Ricardo's analysis of public debt connects to other themes and issues in Ricardian economics. Nancy Churchman demonstrates that his writings and speeches on the subject of public debt provide an interesting exploration of issues still very relevant today. In addition, they furnish us with a rich source of evidence regarding topics of interest to all Ricardian scholars, including his theories of resource allocation and economic growth, the quality of his applications of analysis to practical questions, and the motives behind both his abstract reasoning and policy recommendations.

Debt and Deficits (International Library of Macroeconomic and Financial History)

Average customer rating:

Debt and Deficits (International Library of Macroeconomic and Financial History)
Geoffrey Edward Wood
Manufacturer: Edward Elgar Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Money & Monetary Policy | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Public Finance | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Debt & Deficits | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1852784199

Average customer rating:

DAVID RICARDO ON PUBLIC DEBT
Nancy Churchman
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OV7POO

Ricardo on the national debt and its redemption: Some notes on an unpublished Ricardian manuscript

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Ricardo on the national debt and its redemption: Some notes on an unpublished Ricardian manuscript
Pier Francesco Asso
Manufacturer: Monte dei paschi di Siena
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Debt & Deficits | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

the best study of a vital topic.......2004-04-22

Wakefield's book is by far the best study (and the only book-length study in English) of a vital topic for Chinese social and economic history. He draws on a rich range of sources from several regions of China, including Qing household division contracts and legal cases, and Japanese social surveys of rural China conducted in the early twentieth century. He confirms the longstanding view that the principle of equal division between sons informed social practice broadly throughout China, but also shows the many creative strategies ("orientations" is his term), varying by region and class, that people employed to get around the imperatives of "equal division." The book is a major achievement, made all the more impressive by the author's long struggle with cancer while he was writing; the book would have been even better if the author had had a couple more healthy years to rework it. Wakefield's book will be the point of departure for any future study of Chinese inheritance practices.

The Lost Scholar.......2003-01-27

He was my friend. I do so miss him.

Book Description

Before you spend two nickels on marketing, it is important to understand how those nickels should be spent. Q: With all the sexy new ways to do marketing from web sites to publicity with radio "shock jocks" what's an ambitious entrepreneur to do? A: Strip away all the hype and hoopla; get down to the basics of Naked Marketing. Here is a handy tool for business managers and entrepreneurs who want to get market-smart quickly and painlessly.

With real-life examples and effective techniques for nearly all business, the bare facts reveal how to: Develop a market plan, create the marketing budget, exploit publicity and mix mass media, personal selling and direct mail. Robert Grede offers lists of DO's and DON'T's. He shares winning strategies used by big-name companies and by small start-ups.

Customer Reviews:

No jargon. No hype-speak. Simple and direct as a laser........1997-11-25

Nothing grabs your attention like a book with the words "Naked Marketing" in huge letters splashed across the cover.

Like most retail offerings that draw you in with the word "naked," you half-expect to be disappointed with the finished product.

Not so with "Naked Marketing."

Author Robert Grede knows his stuff, and well he should as president of The Grede Company, a Milwaukee-based consulting firm that specializes in marketing and strategic planning. Grede's company has a diverse list of clients, including McDonald's, Procter & Gamble, Union Carbide and United Airlines, as well as a raft of small- and mid-size companies.

"Naked Marketing" lives up to to its billing as a no-nonsense, easily readable tool for business managers and entrepreneurs who want to obtain marketing savvy in quick order. Grede believes there is a growing army of men and women who are starting their own businesses and need marketing skills.

In Grede's book, readers learn the ropes of developing a marketing plan, budget preparation, creative copywriting and even the latest trends in high-tech marketing via the Internet.

Best of all, Grede does not use tons of jargon or hype-speak to impart his wisdom. His lessons in marketing are as precise and direct as a laser beam. Marketing -- which Grede contends has obtained a bad reputation from those who believe selling something is all sound and fury -- is boiled down to bare essentials. Naked, so to speak.

"Naked Marketing" should be on the "absolutely essential" list of any small business starting from scratch (right up there with pencils and a copying machine), and it would be a valuable text at any college offering an "Introduction to Marketing" course.

One word of warning: Long-time business and marketing professionals will already know the guts of what is in "Naked Marketing."

It's a great book for those venturing into the marketing jungle for the first time. Those who have already been there can probably skip it and move on to the Double Jeopardy round. by Mark Glover Sacramento Bee Staff Writer

Average customer rating:
Naked Marketing: The Bare Essentials )
Grede Robert
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OIY88S

Book Description

The "factory of the future" is here. We have the technology and professional knowledge, say leading manufacturing consultants Roy Harmon and Leroy Peterson, to implement revolutionary concepts that many managers might regard as futuristic. In this path-breaking book, Harmon and Peterson move beyond theory to document more than a hundred real-life applications of productivity improvement -- from the focused factory and assembly process design to the plantwide plan -- gathered from Andersen Consulting, Arthur Andersen & Co.'s offices around the world.

The reorganization of existing plants into multiple "factories within a factory" is the single most important feature of productivity improvement, according to Harmon and Peterson. These smaller units known as subplants, are honed to the smallest practical size to ensure the highest level of productivity. Multiple subplants can be clustered to focus accountability and authority for production of product families into easily managed groups of processes. With hundreds of diagrams and using examples of companies that operate focused factories in dozens of countries, Harmon and Peterson detail both the physical and organizational changes required to make the focused factory a successful and profitable feature of a plant's modernization.

In addition to creating subplants and subplant clusters, Harmon and Peterson show how manufacturers can dramatically increase productivity by adopting a plantwide plan. In its most basic form, the plantwide plan is a layout of a single factory. It includes, to the extent practical, not only the ideal layout but also step-by-step strategies for movement of individual processes from their current locations in the factory to final target destinations. Harmon and Peterson explain how managers can use the plantwide plan to eliminate the common problem of compromising ideals too early to accommodate assumed constraints and turn an existing factory into a competitive factory of the future -- today.

Flexibility, creativity, and dynamic planning are key concepts for attaining superior manufacturing results. For plant modernization to be profitable, the organizational structure must keep pace. Achieving world class status is not enough. The new hallmark of excellence must be continuous improvement to maintain a superior position. The plans and suggestions outlined in Reinventing The Factory allow the entrepreneur the responsibility and authority to effect ongoing improvements and render processes adaptable to reflect additions or removals of product lines, changes in sales volume over time and modifications resulting from previous or concurrent improvements. Harmon and Peterson provide the valuable tools and methods necessary to attain such goals. They highlight the dynamic nature of progress itself and show how managers can overcome the most tenacious habit: the resistance to change.

Customer Reviews:

A self help book for the factory.......2000-05-18

Now I get tired of everyone thinking that they know better or have a new formula for braking the bank. I also get tired of mamby pamby, touchy feely management books. So you can imagine what I thought of this book from the tittle.

Upon reading this book you find that it is not the fact that it is revolutionary, but that it points out the logic that was already there. It was simple to apply. We are using it where I work and the book helps in many ways. As the product quantity or type changes, all the production facilities are on wheels and we just move the work areas into different small sub-plants. There is no wasted resource and we even recovered some free space. Are parent company can not keep up with us as they are compartmentalized and static. However they stay out of our way, as we are the most profitable location.

Average customer rating:
Reinventing the Factory, Productivity Breakthroughs in Manufacturing Today
Roy L. & Peterson, Leroy D. Harmon
Manufacturer: The Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000S7ZBYK

Book Description

Arms IT professionals with a complete blueprint for developing successful Web hosting strategies
Written by a consultant who helped develop the Web hosting strategies at many of today's top e-commerce vendors, this book fills in IT professionals on the full range of services available. The book provides decision-makers with criteria checklists and other useful tools they need for determining what they need, why they need it, how to find it, and how to evaluate and manage it. Doug Kaye provides a clear, complete roadmap for building an effective Web hosting strategy, and offers practical advice and answers to critical questions. The book covers important topics, including the real cost of bandwidth, domain name services, shared versus dedicated servers, backup and recovery, service-level agreements, security, negotiating with and managing vendors, and hardware maintenance and support.
Companion Web site includes links to Web hosting directories, tools for evaluating hosting services, and online articles and white papers.

Customer Reviews:

WOW ! Get this book!.......2002-07-21

Don't listen to the guy who rated this book 2 out of 5 stars. He bought the book for the wrong reasons. If you are looking to learn what it takes to get a company to host your web site(s), this is the book for you. If you don't truly understand what it takes to set up a large web site, this book is a MUST read!

Doug covers everything. The first half of the book is about the different types of web hosts (shared, dedicated, co-location), and managed service providers (the people who can help you with whatever you might need to get done.) He tells you everything about the relationships between the managed service providers and the web hosts that you would have never known otherwise. He practically holds your hand and gives advice as to how you should select your hosting solution.

The second half of the book is where I truly believe the book really shines. Doug gets into Service Level Agreements which is absolutely critical when selecting a web host. He then talks about traffic models and how you should evaluate your site based on its projected traffic, bandwidth and so on. This is critical if you are planning a site, as it gives you a true sense for what's realistic, how many visitors translates into what types of servers and so forth.

Next Doug covers Web-Site Architectures and shows you the various models you will probably want to consider when initially setting up your site. He even goes into content caching, connectivity practices, storage, Backup and Recovery, Security and so forth.

I would have been lost and made so many mistakes without having read this book front to back. It is written well and is easy to understand!

I give this book an A+ as it is one of the top two technical books I've read. And don't take technical the wrong way. It is written in layman's terms, so anyone who feels comfortable with the Internet could pick this book up and understand exactly what Doug is talking about!

Great overview of the Hosting Industry and sourcing process........2002-03-10

As someone whom is very actively involved in the Internet and hosting industry, I have experienced first hand the difficulty in the Hosting Provider selection process, either as a consultant to clients or as an observer to an organization's dilemma. This book should prove to be a valuable resource for enterprises hoping to understand and navigate this complex industry and as well as prepare them for the some of the changes it is currently undergoing.

Any IT decision-maker whom is responsible for mapping out a web-hosting strategy would be well served to spend the time to read this well written book.

Although the focus of the book seems to be from that of a prospective client of a Hosting Provider, this book should also prove to valuable to those Hosting Providers, providing an external but otherwise legitimate insight into the industry and some of the areas where service providers could improve their service offerings.

A definite read, or at least a quick perusal, for those who are sourcing a Hosting Provider or hoping to better manage a current Hosting Provider relationship.

For Customers and Providers.......2002-02-22

Although the book's description states that it is intended for web hosting customers I found it to be invaluable for both customers and providers.

The first two chapters are clearly intended for hosting and services customers. They form an executive summary of what is to follow. Chapters 3 though 6 discuss various hosting and service options, While these, too, are written for prospective services customers I hope service providers will also take the time to read Mr. Kaye's assessment of service offerings. Where customers will get an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each alternative, service providers will see themselves in a mirror. The providers that want to rise to the top will spot opportunities to differentiate their services.

In a similar manner, the chapters on outsourcing, risk management and SLAs are intended for customers. However, service providers will gain much from reading these chapters because Mr. Kaye points out the many shortcomings in ISP/MSP services and business practices. Aggressive service providers will address those issues to attain competitive advantage. Customers who read these chapters, on the other hand, will have powerful negotiating advantages.

While I am not sure that the ten chapters on technologies and tools fit within the book's theme I learned a lot from them. I'm an IT consultant, but my primary skills and knowledge are IT operations, service level management and process improvement. The information in the final ten chapters got me quickly up to speed in the web technical infrastructure and related tools, but I doubt that the business decision makers, to whom the first part of this book caters, will find them interesting.

Overall this book is a valuable resource to both customers and providers. The strongest part in my opinion addresses service level agreements and vendor management. It stands out for sorting out the complex array of outsourcing and service alternatives, thus supporting sound business decisions. The web site and discussion forum that supports this book (the URL is provided in the book) increase the value because the material will never be out of date and you can pose questions directly to the author.

Only customer-centric guide I've found.......2002-02-20

This book's stated goal is to explain how to select a web-hosting service or MSP and how to manage that relationship once your site is up and running. It meets that goal in every respect by providing the customer side of the equation with a wealth of factors to consider, and a clear explanation of the significance of those factors.

Although the book has five parts, it can be divided into two sections that will serve two different audiences. The first section, comprised of Parts I through III, is focused on vendor selection, the hosting strategy itself (shared or dedicated servers, colocation or managed service providers), contracts, risk management, service level agreements and traffic forecasting. This is the heart of the book, and the depth of Mr. Kaye's knowledge and experience is nothing short of amazing. If you pay close attention to his advice and the pitfalls he points out, particularly in The Dark Side of Outsourcing and Service Level Agreements, you will be well armed to make informed decisions that will almost certainly avert the plethora of potential disasters inherent in web hosting and managed services outsourcing.

The chapter on service level agreements is essential reading. This is one of my areas of specialty and I came away with insights I hadn't thought of. I especially liked his treatment of traffic models, which underscores why any web hosting initiative (in-house or outsourced) needs to be a joint effort by business and IT. The spreadsheets used in the case study are available for download from the author's site that supports the book.

Technical issues are covered in the second section of the book. Topics include architectures, caching and content delivery (an area in which the author is a world-class expert), and details about connectivity, storage, back-up and recovery and security. This part of the book is more slanted towards IT than the business reader. However, I recommend that the chapter on security be read by all because it touches upon issues of which both the business and technical reader needs to be aware. The last part of the book covers tools. Again, this material is for technical readers, although I thought the chapter on monitoring would also be of interest to the business members of the book's audience.

What sets this book apart is that it's the only one I've found that focuses on the topic from a customer's perspective. Moreover, there is no other book that covers the rocky landscape of outsourcing, vendor selection and management, and contract service level management. If you're considering web hosting or managed services then you need this book.

Well-written and easy to navigate.......2002-02-19

This is a well-written, no-nonsense book that gets right to the point. An excellent guidebook to building a web-hosting strategy. Lots of information with available updates. Gets to the point - ideal for executives and other IT decision-makers.

Strategies for Web Hosting and Managed Services.

Average customer rating:

Strategies for Web Hosting and Managed Services.

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ICA3GQ

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