Outsourcing IT

In the current business environment with ever-increasing organizational complexity, the use of outsourcing services has become almost necessary to simplify the operations. Regardless of its scale and scope, IT is definitely one of the most important choice for outsourcing that can help organizations to stay up-to-date with the latest technologies, reduce complexities, lower the costs and do the things more efficiently. IT outsourcing services should be designed with flexibility, scalability and agility in mind to properly provide first-class support for the various sizes of enterprises. With proper planning and execution, outsourcing IT services would allow enterprises to focus at their core businesses while enjoying the great benefits that vary from cost saving to risk reduction.

There are several different functions within IT services that could be outsourced to move the enterprises away from complex IT environments. Most obvious and mostly outsourced IT service is service desk outsourcing. Service desk outsourcing is designed to address client issues promptly and effectively either with on site or remote support capabilities. Outsourcing companies can ensure consistent quality by keeping highly qualified service desk staff in a shared talent pool to help enterprises get the best services at a reduced cost. Another common IT outsourcing option is cloud based services. Cloud based services can help enterprises to reduce the operating costs, mitigate risks, improve utilization and reduce complexity. Cloud based services can offer software, storage, computing and other types of IT infrastructure under a monthly billed operational expense instead of a capital expense. Network outsourcing would be another option for enterprises that would like to minimize the network downtime and reduce the network operating costs while establishing more secure and robust network infrastructure. In network outsourcing, enterprises have the option of outsourcing the entire network or a part of it at different levels of operations such as outsourcing only the network administration, virtualization or hosting the entire network. IT security outsourcing is yet another outsourcing option to ensure highly secure internal and external IT networks with frequently conducted security audits for constant improvement. IT departments in organization would manage a high volume of assets including hardware, software, services and contracts. Asset management outsourcing services would address the total lifecycle of these assets to to provide a rapid return on investments. By properly managing assets, organization could lower the asset costs and place themselves on the safe side for the software license audits. A lesser known outsourcing option is business analyst outsourcing. A business analyst is an IT professional who analyses and studies an organization’s business processes to enable efficient and accurate IT implementation. Business analyst outsourcing comes into play when enterprises who want to meet the needs of businesses without moving away from their core business focus, use outsourcing support for finding and developing business systems and services. Other IT outsourcing options may include IT consulting, IT audit, IT equipment rental, etc. Furthermore, some enterprises might not have the internal resources to quickly comply with new regulations; flexible, scalable and agile IT outsourcing companies would help in such cases to provide outsourcing services in specific areas such as e-invoice, e-archive hosting services.

In summary, IT outsourcing would help companies to reduce their IT operation costs, mitigate risks, help focusing their core operations, get access to a larger knowledge base and talent pool, free up internal resources to put in to effective use for other purposes, gain access to resources that might now available internally. No matter what reason is behind for practicing outsourcing option, benefits are similar for most of the enterprises and IT outsourcing quickly become a core component of their business strategies.

Vedat YOZKAT

A Cinematographic Approach To Project Management

A project is a set of interrelated tasks to be executed over a fixed period and within certain cost and other limitations and project management is planning, scheduling and orchestrating of these project activities to achieve objectives within a specified period of time with the specified resources.  There are several different project management approaches available such as Scrum, Kanban, Agile, Lean, etc. Traditional approach is most used in business projects as well as in movie making. Steps in the traditional project management approach for business and movie projects are as follows:  

• Initiation
• Planning and Design
• Executing
• Monitoring and Controlling
• Closing

Movies are large business projects in nature and movie making definitely requires an intensive project management. Especially in commercial movies, large number of staff, large sum of money and tight schedules are involved. Without applying certain principles of project management, keeping everything and everyone on track would be highly difficult. This is the main reason for the producers of the large commercial movies always hire a project manager to oversight all production. Similarly in business projects, without applying proper project management techniques, the projects are more likely bound to fail. Although, some different terminologies are used, the steps of project management in movies and in business are quite similar:

Movie Projects	Business Projects
Developing an idea Getting a producer Scripting Storyboarding Getting resources Scheduling Filming Editing Releasing the movie	Developing an idea Getting management approval Breaking down tasks Prototyping Getting resources Scheduling Executing Auditing Launching the project

For a successful project management in movies or business; definition and the objective of the project should be clear and concise, schedule should be realistic, the budget should be carefully considered and should be very accurate, resource planning should be viable, all the risks should be assessed beforehand and contingency plans should be developed, throughout the project, budget and all the other resources carefully monitored and all progress and problems should be communicated with everyone involved. Failing to do any of these properly might cause projects to fail.

Vedat YOZKAT

A Flexible Solution for the Modern Workforce

Telecommuting, also known as remote work or working from home, refers to a flexible work arrangement in which employees perform their work from a location outside of their office, such as their home or a remote location. The history of telecommuting can be traced back to the 1960s and 1970s, when technology advancements made it possible for employees to perform their work from remote locations. At that time, telecommuting was seen as a way to reduce traffic congestion, save energy, and increase worker productivity. However, it wasn't until the late 20th and early 21st centuries that telecommuting became more widespread, as advances in technology and the Internet made it easier for employees to communicate and collaborate with their co-workers from a distance. The rise of laptops, and other portable devices made it easier for employees to work from anywhere, and many companies think about embracing telecommuting as a way to reduce costs and improve worker satisfaction.

With advancements in technology, it is now more possible to have all job-related tools and equipment at home. This raises the question of whether a traditional workplace is even necessary anymore. More and more businesses could be conducted from home offices, with technology playing a major role in allowing employees to work effectively and efficiently. The Internet, with its increased availability and lower cost, is a key player in facilitating remote work. In addition, the widespread use of web-based applications allow for convenient and secure use of applications from anywhere. For businesses that require secure transactions, Virtual Private Network (VPN) applications are available to provide secure access to corporate networks. Communication tools can also be easily set up at home, giving employees access to the same communication capabilities as they would have in a traditional workplace. Telecommuting offers numerous benefits, including environmental benefits such as reducing fossil fuel usage and carbon emissions from commuting, social benefits such as reducing traffic and providing work opportunities for disabled and remote individuals, financial benefits such as lower overhead costs from reduced office space requirements, and personal benefits such as improved work-life balance and time management. For businesses, telecommuting provides advantages such as the ability to conduct business across multiple time zones, faster disaster recovery, and improved risk management. 

Companies could also offer employees to have the combination of two options to work from the office or from home, depending on their needs and the requirements of their job. This flexible work arrangement provides employees with a work-life balance and greater autonomy, while also giving companies the ability to benefit from the advantages of in-person collaboration and face-to-face interaction.

In conclusion, telecommuting has come a long way since its inception in the 1960s and 1970s. With advancements in technology and the widespread use of the Internet, telecommuting has become a viable and attractive option for both employees and businesses. It is clear that telecommuting is here to stay and will continue to evolve as technology improves. For businesses and employees, telecommuting offers the ability to work effectively and efficiently from anywhere, providing numerous benefits for both. Whether it is reducing costs, improving work-life balance, or reducing carbon emissions, telecommuting has become a valuable option for businesses and employees alike.