KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT seminar.
By Mrs. Sona Banerjee, Project Manager, SIEMENS. 8th July, 2006.

This was an interesting seminar! I could easily comprehend it due to my previous knowledge from System design and Analysis (2nd SEM BCA) and Software Engineering (5th SEM BCA). Mrs. Sona Banerjee gave us a comprehensive talk on how information systems are used in the industry and their importance. She also covered up the main syllabus on what MIS (Management Information System) is all about.

The Seminar covered:

Information Systems

The need for its development Alternatives to establishing information systems

System development controls Models of system development: Water fall, Prototype, Iterative, Spiral and V model.

Software Testing Tools and techniques for system development

Software quality assurance: ISO 9000 and SEI CMM levels and certifications

Our discussion and questions were based on the correct ERP packages available. Tally is supposed to be coming up with one soon and the difference between SAP (Simplified Access Protocol), Oracle and People soft. All in all, a very informative session.

The Art of Living Youth Empowerment Programme.

I will be starting off this programme soon in the coming week. I can't talk much on the programme as I am yet to start. I hope to benefit from it like the millions of other people have. For more information regarding what the course is all about do log on to http://www.artofliving.org/

Apart from the above programme, I have to coordinate the cartooning competition and it isn't as simple as it sounds. I just got to know that cartooning is a field on its own and it’s not how well an artist draws that matters but the idea behind his cartoons. Tomorrow I have the meet with our professors who are in charge of the talent hunt and lay out our execution plan. I have a Marketing Info seminar on GM's Hummer case, a comparative economic seminar on Kenya, The MR test that got postponed to this Thursday, my EX-COM talk which got cancelled last Monday and my studies for which I have to 'make' time. Writing all this I realize that I just don't have the time! If only I could buy it and make it more than 24 hrs. Now this is another thing MBA teaches you.. Time management and at the moment I am just a 7/10 for I get the work done but I still feel I can manage my time better. As for my Quantitative Technique survey, Prof. Dinesh was very happy with it. He volunteered to teach me how to use stats techniques in my analysis (Beyond what he is teaching in class) and even suggested me to go ahead and show my survey to the management. Now ain't that cool or what!

Already, I am now off to work away my Sunday so you guys take care and have a great week ahead!

Wow! 4 hrs of sleep and I ain’t complaining. Life sure seems to have changed for me. I have done night outs on computer projects though they were not as much fun as MBA projects. Now I actually enjoy it. Time is the greatest enemy I have to fight. I have so much to do and so little time.

My day started at 4.00 am. I revised my Marketing research notes and left for college at 7.00 am. At 8.30 am Prof. Tiwari came and gave us the choice of writing a 10 marks internal paper today or 25 marks next week. Those who were not confident of writing the test today opted for next week. What was the question for this week? Just your name! We will get 5 points extra and the test will be next week. I had heard of honesty and hard work pays but encountering it in real life is a little strange. I also realize I didn’t like not getting a test. Not being given the challenge of using my head. MR is a great subject. It is through research you can find out so many things. Long time back someone said,” Knowledge is power”, I object. It is in the APPLICATION of knowledge that POWER lays otherwise its just information. Information is your weapon. Use it wisely and you will win the war.

Linear programming was tricky! I can’t believe I didn’t trust myself enough. I knew there were 3 variables in LPP but I goofed up in more than 2 and more than 3. For both Qs I marked false while only more than 3 was false. I assume that is the only mistake I made but let’s see.At 4.00 pm we had our “30 best” event’s coordinators meet. I have been selected to coordinate the cartooning event and therefore have to come up with creative themes for the teams. At the same time prepare a judge sheet, select judges, organize the event and market the event! I have to make sure that I find every creative artist among the 180 students. Tough job? I don’t think so… I am getting a feeling on how HR planning works, searching for the right skills and recruiting them ;). Speaking of HR, My team was the only one who was close to the answer in today’s HR case study.

I am currently doing data entry for Prof. Dinesh’s probability class. I love his style of teaching. He tells you to forget the made up figures in the text book and collect live data. Live data which is relevant to our lives which we will have fun analyzing. Now that’s what I call a purple cow. Learning couldn’t have been anymore pleasurable.

I am off to enter my 100 samples. You take care and hey if anyone has cartooning ideas, themes, suggestions, please do let me know!

Ciao!

Branding Seminar by Mr.Kalyan Kumar,Area Marketing Manager (VAS), Hutch
Presented by 4p’s club in association with Hutch.


Today was an interesting day. We started off with a branding seminar by Mr.Kalyan Kumar where he specifically dealt in boarding advertisements. The thumb rule being keep them short and sweet. I had no idea hutch had gone from Orange to Pink. In fact as I was informed today, Orange collaboration with hutch is over and so Hutch has changed to pink and diesel color. Mr.Kalyan showed how a perfectly fine idea can get messed up with different people wanting different things. He showed Mona Lisa in various definitions and she ended up being uhhh.LOL.

As for Micro Economics quiz, Well I have to admit that quizzes do make you study and when you study your next class becomes much easier. Understanding supply elasticity was a piece of cake after demand elasticity. The paper was quite simple but tricky too. I assume that I have lost around 1 1/2 mark :( and well let's see. All in all, I learnt a lot. In a subjective test, you can blab away nonsense on your paper and get good marks. But in an objective test, if your concepts ain't clear, you’re down the confusion lane. As one of my English professors said "If you think, you're lost, if you're lost, you're wrong". You should be able to spot the answer right away.

Tonight I have two case studies to do. On Dear Mr.Vora and Company and 'The purple cow’. I must admit that though the purple cow theory is new and exciting, it really won't work in Kenya, or would it? In my country, People have all the time to listen to what you are selling, but they don't have the purchasing power. So what can we do? And to answer my questions I plan to do a case study of my CESD on Kenya. So far our group is made and this time we are going to do our ultimate best.

Oh by the way, due to a bandh, our school was closed down and so my EX-COM seminar will be next week. I have got 7 days to master my dialogues but have to say, acting isn't as simple as it looks. Not only do you have a set of dialogues (you can't speak what comes to your mind) but you have to say it so naturally! Ok ok... I know you're confused but I will let you in my secret only after my presentation ;)

Till next time, au revior.

Hey!! Oh my God I am really bad at this blogging stuff. In 2 years I have only said hi. Well this post will definitely be posted! Hehe

So what's up? Oh loads and loads and loads. As I have been able to email only a few of you, guys I started my MBA!! Finally. And what do I feel? It’s FANTASTIC! AWESOME! EXCELLENT! This is my calling. I love the subjects; I love the challenge, the projects and the seminars. I love the industry interface and the clubs. I love my classmates and professors.

Currently I have 16 subjects which keep me busy all throughout the day. And every other day we have a guest at college and these lectures are enlightening. Remember Art of living and how much I wanted to do it. Well guess what!! They came down to college and conducted a seminar which was real good. However, having attended Landmark's Programme I liked LP better. Though each offer a different set of tools. Art of living foundation concentrates on your breathing techniques to maximize your productivity (Spoken like a true MBA :)). InshaAllah, I plan to do the course too.

Today I have my EX-COM seminar and my topic is "Black is black and white is white" and I stand against it. Hopefully it should go great guys! My colleagues think I will bang 50/50 and that adds up the pressure.

All in all, MBA is great. After studying computers and banging my left side of the brain, I am glad I am getting to exercise my right side too. My college is ... I just don't have words for it. For the first time in my life I ask myself why the class ended! It’s the whole combination of my kind of subjects, excellent professors and the wonderful environment.

so I am off to another great day and wish you the same! :-)