Planet or Plan It

There is much that is happening in our world which has interest for individuals. With the rise of the web and technologies associated with it we discover much more in a shorter period in time than before. However we need to be able to ustilise our time in order to be able to make the interests we have more important to us as well as ensuring we understand the interests of our family, friends, co-workers and business customers and not neglect them.

In order that we are able to satisfy our interests and not sacrifice the contact we have with our environment we need to be able to manage our time and as we are always busy rushing about from one place to another, suffering from the constant downloading of information it may not always be possible for us to give much of our time for when something very important is to be decided.

The recent news that Pluto has been demoted from the status of Planet is of great interest to me, but who else would be interested by that? Why would anyone else be interested in the fortunes of a rock sitting away near to the Kuiper Belt? In reality it is a piece of news which could be easily forgotten, yet it is the outcome of a vote that was taken in Prague that does raise my interest. How did this vote happen?

Today there is chaos in the world of astronomy represented by the International Astronomical Union's (IAU). The IAU meeting in Prague voted by a majority to remove Pluto as a planet, but here is the controversy. The vote was not based on the full strength of 10,000 or so members of the IAU but only on those who had the time to stay the full time of the meeting, of which there were 2,700 present but only 424 astronomers in total voted.

What else is there about the vote which we may not appreciate? Well it appears the astronomers were split into two camps;
the planetary geologists who wanted to keep Pluto as a planet and
the dynamicists who won the vote.

Professor Gingerich who chaired the IAU's planet definition committee and helped draft an initial proposal raising the number of planets from nine to twelve commented afterward the vote had been lost, “The dynamicists felt terribly insulted that we (the planetary geologists) had not consulted with them to get their views.”

With that in mind, what are the lessons to be learnt from this situation?

1. Understanding the meeting and the appreciation of Voting.
2. Communicate with all sections of your organisation and see that information is shared.
3. Ensure that your own Time management is planned in order to contribute in all parts of the meeting.
4. Appreciate the need for including all in the organisation decision making process and not have a vote based on a small representation.

In our own business lives, we hear many opinions, just as in the IAU are; Yet in order that our businesses can survive and grow we would need to plan our business structures and have these opinions recorded so that we have access to all the available information so that we can make quality decisions.

Good communication is important and Inspark’s mission is to assist Managers in being informed with the systems we are researching and working with, we believe that we can help business have information available and be constantly informed in order to know how to communicate internally and externally; Have systems which work together not work against each other.

One of the ways in which information can be maintained within a company is through a CRM solution, with full system integration the Customer and departments can be informed, either through SMS or e-mail even through a mail shot. So importance is given to all and the importance of the information is made known to all.

An effective CRM solution leverages technology to foster better business practices, facilitates effortless information exchange and enables you to analyse, manage and synchronise sales, marketing and customer care across all points of contact.

It is important for information to be shared, else business departments may go around to vote out of existence one of the departments which they feel does not work with them; it is, as ever, perspective and communication.

The text of this podcast can be found on our web site and on those pages I will leave some references to the web sites, the Kuiper belt web page and the IAU Web Page.

You can listen this podcast from the following link: http://www.inspark.com/podcast.asp?lang=1

Download Inspark_Podcast_2006_09_01.mp3 (12114.6K)

Kuiper belt web page:

http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/faculty/jewitt/kb.html

IAU Web Page

http://www.iau2006.org/mirror/www.iau.org/iau0601/iau0601_release.html

Introduction to Inspark Podcast Script

Hi I am Stephen Symes and I am the Managing Director of Inspark. This is the first of our podcasts and we want to take the opportunity to briefly introduce us to you. We will be making regular podcasts and believe that we will be every two weeks.

So let be start by telling you about Inspark...

Inspark, Intelligent Business Solutions has been in Turkey since 1993; established to provide services and application software solutions to the management of companies in Turkey, Europe and Africa. Inspark has been working in Turkey in the Western and Eastern European regions and Africa. We have worked for a number of multinational companies implementing their Financial Solution and advising management.

Today after 13 years, Inspark is still operational in those same markets, with clients in Spain, Algeria, Czech Republic, Kosovo, UK and also in Turkey. Inspark works with a team of people who are committed to maintain and develop their company which has the highest of ideals. As we begin to speak about Inspark we have to start with our operation in Turkey. As this is our home base we work in Istanbul with multi nationals, companies who arrive into Turkey and are looking for a company with good local Knowledge, International experience and a history of Success.

When we first began our business here in the period 1994/5, Turkey was coming out of a period where business was slow, isolated and protected. It was these years that started the change for Turkey, as a country on the outside of the mainstream of European business interests.

In 1998, Inspark began a relationship with Pfizer pharmaceutical to implement their Financial System Software. This was a relationship that started in Turkey and grew to be a relationship with almost 20 separate Pfizer offices around Europe and Africa.

The implementation and support of these sites was given primary concern for the office in Istanbul and the long relationship contributed much benefit on both sides. Inspark has supported companies in Eastern Europe and carried out and managed the tests associated with Good Manufacturing Practice, in regards the Pharmaceutical sector; which has to comply with the FDA regulations. Since 2004, Inspark has been joined by Serdar Susuz as a co-director and shareholder in the company. Serdar brought many good things with him, knowledge, commitment, integrity and a strong belief in the future not only of the company but of the people that were in the company. Although the business has seen many periods of economic crisis’ Inspark has held firm and continued to support their clients, developing new relationships, looking at technology change but continually looking to provide consistency of service.

If we reflect back to when the business started here in 1995, it feels in technology terms, a long time ago. The Internet was growing and Netscape was the number one in the Internet Explorer browser and the Microsoft Browser was still 3 years away! Today in 2006 most of the software is web enabled mainly using the Microsoft Browser and Netscape is no longer around. Oh and where was the mobile telephone? 

What about computers? Well in those days IBM was still making their PCs and today in 2006 they don’t. Dell was not known and Made in China was not to have the best. Another memory is that when we were working with our clients on one software installation, we had to load 21 Diskettes, whereas today we have a CD. In a matter of months we will have a Blu-Ray CD which will hold 50gbs of data, compare that with our first business PC back in 1987 which was an IBM and a hard disk of 20Mb!

The changes are dramatic in the world of Business Computing, but the importance of those changes is that there are companies who continue to evolve. Inspark is one of those companies. We were always looking at business from the perspective of Management, assisting management in running their business and being a position to provide the support and the range of expertise to assist in the development of their businesses.

As a consultancy company we have to look at the future, where ‘Nothing is permanent, but change’...

That is the reason why Inspark is here. We know that management time is valuable; as leaders and developers. The sector that Inspark is in covers solutions for Management, not just a solution for the accounting system and the accountants, but solutions for all parts of a mid market business. We see that businesses are not simple organisations, but complex in the relationships between departments and ultimately to the management at the senior level.

With the changes in the internet and the changes in how we react to messages from mangers and from clients, time has been shortened in how long we are prepared to wait for a reply to a message. Today senior Management is in closer contact with day to day operations through the changes in the technology. This should not be an issue and with the changes in the way that Business Processes can be managed then the company can become more effective and more efficient.

In our next PODCAST we will speak about the direction of the company with technology and look at how Inspark works with that technology and how we work with our clients. Till then thank you for listening...

You can listen this podcast from the following link:

http://www.inspark.com/podcast.asp?lang=1

Download Inspark_Podcast_2006_06_30.mp3 (10744.4K)