Some of IT/IS Best Practices in Dole Davao

I and group 1 members namely: Anthony Rigor Aguilar, Athina Alorro, Jerusalem Alvaira, Michael George Guanzon had an interview with the MIS Programmer of Dole Davao and her name is Cristine Galindo. The interview was conducted in Dole Satellite Office located in SJRDC Building at around 12 noon last Thursday. This interview was recorded through celfone recorder and PSP recorder.


Company Profile: Dole Philippines

Dole Food Company's worldwide team of growers, packers, processors, shippers and employees is committed to consistently providing safe, high-quality fresh fruit, vegetables, and food products, while protecting the environment in which its products are grown and processed. Dole's dedication to quality is a commitment solidly backed by: comprehensive programs for food safety, scientific crop protection programs, stringent quality control measures, state-of-the-art production and transportation technologies, continuous improvement through research and innovation, and dedication to the safety of our employees, communities and the environment. Dole is committed to nutrition education to communicate to the public the health benefits of eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Dole is a founding member of the National 5 A Day for Better Health Program and is a leader in developing technology-based nutrition education programs for children.

Mission
Dole Food Company, Inc. is committed to supplying the consumer and our customers with the finest, high-quality products and to leading the industry in nutrition research and education.Dole supports these goals with a corporate philosophy of adhering to the highest ethical conduct in all its business dealings, treatment of its employees, and social and environmental policies.

Some of their best practices in IT/IS Davao:

1. Their systems are not centralized. According to Maam Cristine, their payroll, production, logistics, research and documentation, manufacturing have different systems. That is why they have internal IT personnel. For me, this is good because if one system will fail or crash, the other systems will not be affected. The whole operations of the company will still continue even if one system has failed.

2. When they develop or change any kind of systems, they conduct first a thorough system analysis. Maam Cristine said that the processes of making a system are system analysis, development, testing, and implementation. For me, this right because any single system of a big company like Dole has carried a lot of information and data and it is necessary to conduct a series of system analysis before any changes will be failed.

3. The IT/IS Department is divided into two groups. Maam Tina told us that the technical group is the one in charge of hardware maintenance and networking of hosts/computers. The other one is the application group that is composed of IT/IS software programmers. For me, this grouping of IT/IS personnel is necessary to have a separation and overlapping of responsibilities and duties.

4. The old and reliable systems should stay. Maam Tina mentioned that systems which are built before and still working robustly and perfectly should remain in IT/IS Department. For me, this is a right guideline. Why you change a system if it is still working perfectly according to the company’s needs. This saves money and time.

5. Integration of Systems. Maam Cristine spoke to us that integration of systems is important because for example their logistics system and production system have a common system to have a smooth delivery of company goods and services. For me, this is a right practice. Integration of systems means linking all different systems together to act as one powerful system that makes the whole process of company close to perfection.

6. Their IT/IS system is internal not outsourcing. Maam Tina believed that companies which have IT/IS System run by internal IT personnel get cheaper overhead cost in the long run. And it is good for the internal IT people because their programming skills will be honed more. In internal IT/IS System, the data files is more safe and secured. For me, internal IT/IS system is good for the IT employees because they have security of tenure. Unlike, the outsourcing companies, they only keep their employees as long as there are projects to be made. No projects, you are gone IT people.

7. Training is a must for IT/IS people. Maam Galindo expressed that consistent training for themselves is their tool for them to compete with the outsourcing IT people. Dole has annual budget for the training of their IT/IS Personnel. Maam Tina told us that what they learned from their trainings is for them to adopt the knowledge and make the company better. For me, being an IT/IS people is a continuing learning because Information Technology is the fast rising and fast changing technology right now.

8. Dole Asia is maintained by Filipino IT People. Maam Cristine stated that the web services and email services of Dole Latin America, Dole Hongkong, Dole Japan, Dole Korea and Dole Middle East are proudly managed and maintained by Pinoys like her. For me, this is the best. Filipinos can longer be left behind in any technology. Pinoy ITs can excel in information technology more there is proper trainings and seminars.

9. Dole IT/IS Data Security System is checked by respected company. Maam Tina talked that the vulnerability of their systems from hackers is verified by Verisign, a company based in overseas. They also use reliable firewalls for them to be secured from outside threat. For me, it is also better to have an outsourcing in the company once.

10. Making a backup copy of data files. Maam Galindo uttered that making a backup copy is standard operating operation procedures for all data that have stored in a database system. Maam Tina encourage us that we, students, must start from school to make backup copy of our own files just in case of operating system crash or hard disk crash. For me, making a backup copy of files is a must for the recovery of data that is too important for the organization’s stability and growth.

Reference:
www.dole.com

The Triple Filter Test

Next time someone starts to spread gossip , think of this:

In ancient Greece (469-399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom.
One day the great philosopher came upon an acquaintance who ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students?"
"Wait a moment," Socrates replied. "Before you tell me I’d like you to pass a little test. It’s called the Triple Filter Test."
"Triple filter?"
"That’s right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my student, let’s take a moment to filter what you’re going to say."

"The first filter is Truth . Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"
"No," the man said, "actually I just heard about it and…"
"All right," said Socrates. "So you don’t really know if it’s true or not."

"Now let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness . Is what you are about to tell me about my student something good?"
"No, on the contrary…"
"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, even though you’re not certain it’s true?"
The man shrugged, a little embarrassed.
Socrates continued. "You may still pass the test though, because there is a third filter - the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my student going to be useful to me?"
"No, not really…"
"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither True nor Good nor even Useful, why tell it to me at all?"
The man was defeated and ashamed.
This is the reason Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem…
V
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Mintzberg’s 10 Managerial Roles

1. Figurehead.
   Social, inspirational, legal and ceremonial duties must be carried out. The manager is a symbol and must be on-hand for people/agencies that will only deal with him/her because of status and authority.

2. The leader role
   This is at the heart of the manager-subordinate relationship and managerial power and pervasive where subordinates are involved even where perhaps the relationship is not directly interpersonal. The manager
   • defines the structures and environments within which sub-ordinates work and are motivated.
   • oversees and questions activities to keep them alert.
   • selects, encourages, promotes and disciplines.
   • tries to balance subordinate and organisational needs for efficient operations.

3. Liaison:
   This is the manager as an information and communication centre. It is vital to build up favours. Networking skills to shape maintain internal and external contacts for information exchange are essential. These ontacts give access to "databases"- facts, requirements, probabilities.

4. As 'monitor'
   - the manager seeks/receives information from many sources to evaluate the organisation's performance, well-being and situation. Monitoring of internal operations, external events, ideas, trends, analysis and pressures is vital. Information to detect changes, problems & opportunities and to construct decision-making scenarios can be current/historic, tangible (hard) or soft, documented or non-documented.This role is about building and using an intelligence system. The manager must install and maintain this information system; by building contacts & training staff to deliver "information".

5. As disseminator
   - the manager brings external views into his/her organisation and facilitiates internal information flows between subordinates (factual or value-based).

   The preferences of significant people are received and assimilated. The manager interprets/disseminates information to subordinates e.g. policies, rules, regulations. Values are also desseminated via conversations laced with imperatives and signs/icons about what is regarded as imprtant or what 'we believe in'.

   There is a dilemma of delegation. Only the manager has the data for many decisions and often in the wrong form (verbal/memory vs. paper). Sharing is time-consuming and difficult. He/she and staff may be already overloaded. Communication consumes time. The adage 'if you want to get things done, (it is best to do it yourself' comes to mind. Why might this be a driver of managerial behaviour (reluctance or constraints on the ability to delegate)?

6. As spokesman (P.R. capacity)
   - the manager informs and lobbies others (external to his/her own organisational group). Key influencers and stakeholders are kept informed of performances, plans & policies. For outsiders, the manager is an expert in the field in which his/her organisation operates.

7. A senior manager is responsible for his/her organisation's strategy-making system - generating and linking important decisions. He/she has the authority, information and capacity for control and integration over important decisions.

   As initiator/changer
   - he/she designs and initiates much of the controlled change in the organisation. Gaps are identified, improvement programmes defined. The manager initiates a series of related decisions/activities to achieve actual improvement. Improvement projects may be involved at various levels. The manager can

   1. delegate all design responsibility selecting and even replace subordinates.
   2. empower subordinates with responsbility for the design of the improvement programme but e.g. define the parameters/limits and veto or give the go-ahead on options.
   3. supervise design directly.

   Senior managers may have many projects at various development stages (emergent/dormant/nearly-ready) working on each periodically interspersed by waiting periods for information feedback or progress etc. Projects roll-on and roll-off,

8. the disturbance handler
   - is a generalist role i.e. taking charge when the organisation hits an iceberg unexpectedly and where there is no clear programmed response. Disturbances may arise from staff, resources, threats or because others make mistakes or innovation has unexpected consequences. The role involves stepping in to calm matters, evaluate, re-allocate, support - removing the thorn - buying time. The metaphors here are

   If you are up to your backside in alligators it is no use talking about draining the swamp.

   and

   Stop the bleeding as only then can you take care of the long term health of the patient. (not Mintzberg's anecdote)

9. As resource allocator
   - the manager oversees allocation of all resources (£, staff, reputation). This involves:
   1. scheduling own time
   2. programming work
   3. authorising actions

   With an eye to the diary (scheduling) the manager implicitly sets organisational priorities. Time and access involve opportunity costs. What fails to reach him/her, fails to get support.

   The managerial task is to ensure the basic work system is in place and to programme staff overloads - what to do, by whom, what processing structures will be used.

   Authorising major decisions before implementation is a control over resource allocation. This enables coordinative interventions e.g. authorisation within a policy or budgeting process in comparison to ad-hoc interventions. With limited time, complex issues and staff proposals that cannot be dismissed lightly, the manager may decide on the proposer rather than proposal.

   To help evaluation processes, managers develop models and plans in their heads (they construe the relationships and signifiers in the situation). These models/constructions encompass rules, imperatives, criteria and preferences to evaluate proposals against. Loose, flexible and implicit plans are up-dated with new information.

10. The negotiator
    - takes charge over important negotiating activities with other organisations. The spokesman, figurehead and resource allocator roles demand this.

Six IS leadership roles (CSC, 1996)

1. Chief architect. The chief architect designs future possibilities for the business. The primary work of the chief architect is to design and evolve the IT infrastructure so that it will expand the range of future possibilities for the business, not define specific business
outcomes. The infrastructure should provide not just today's technical services, such as networking, databases and desktop operating systems, but an increasing range of business-level services, such as workflow, portfolio management, scheduling, and specific business components or objects

2. Change leader. The change leader orchestrates resources to achieve optimal implementation of the future. The essential role of the change leader is to orchestrate all those resources that will be needed to execute the change program. This includes providing new IT tools, but it also involves putting in the place teams of people who can redesign roles, jobs and workflow, who can change beliefs about the company and the work people do, and who understand human nature and can develop incentive systems to coax people into new and different behaviors

3. Product developer. The product developer helps define the company’s place in the emerging digital economy. For example, a product developer might recognize the potential for performing key business processes (perhaps order fulfillment, purchasing or
delivering customer support) over electronic linkages such as the Internet. The product developer must "sell" the idea to a business partner, and together they can set up and evaluate business experiments, which are initially operated out of IS. Whether the new
methods are adopted or not, the company will learn from the experiments and so move closer to commercial success in emerging digital markets

4. Technology provocateur. The technology provocateur embeds IT into the business strategy. The technology provocateur works with senior business executives to bring IT and realities of the IT marketplace to bear on the formation of strategy for the business.
The technology provocateur is a senior business executive who understands both the business and IT at a deep enough level to integrate the two perspectives in discussions about the future course of the business. Technology provocateurs have a wealth of
experience in IS disciplines, so they understand at a fundamental level the capabilities of IT and how IT impacts the business

5. Coach. The coach teaches people to acquire the skillsets they will need for the future. Coaches have to basic responsibilities: teaching people how to learn, so that they can become self-sufficient, and providing team leaders with staff able to do the IT-related
work of the business. A mechanism that assists both is the center of excellence - a small group of people with a particular competence or skill, with a coach responsible for their growth and development. Coaches are solid practitioners of the competence that they will be coaching, but need not be the best at it in the company

6. Chief operating strategist. The chief operating strategist invents the future with senior management. The chief operating strategist is the top IS executive who is focused on the future agenda of the IS organization. The strategist has parallel responsibilities related to helping the business design the future, and then delivering it. The most important, and least understood, parts of the role have to do with the interpretation of new technologies and the IT marketplace, and the bringing of this understanding into the development of the digital business strategy for the organization

My First Day Reflections/Learnings

My first day reflections/learnings in MIS was the same with the HRM subject that I took last last year under Prof. Randy S. Gamboa. It was exciting and nervous because again it is under Sir Gamboa, The Main Man. I learned the prelude of MIS(Management Information System) and the definition of this subject. The LMIS term was introduced which is Sir Gamboa's own interpretation of MIS. I also learned the PDOC (Plan, Direct, Organize, and Control) term in Management Information System.

Again, this subject will be tiring because we have to look for companies that has MIS but this will be a new, fun, learning experience.♠♣♥♦