An Experience to Venture

[Note: This is a reply to Mr. G.'s thread in USEP-IC forum - Assignment 1: Identify a local organization(s) and discuss some of their best practices in IT/IS..this should be well-supported by any evidences..]

Wednesday, June 24, 2009, is just an ordinary day to me. No professors, no class. If only there were no assignments to do and no deadline to catch. But of course, to make things easier, I have to arrange things out. So to cut it short, I contacted my group mates and opted for an unplanned interview.

One of the companies we had in mind to visit was the Davao Light and Power Company. But for some reasons, the Information Systems department told us to have some pre-arranged schedule. We didn’t have to wait for more hours to waste though. So we set the first choice aside and decided to look for other establishment. Quite funny as I think about it (and somewhat with a little spirit of adventure), my teammates and I agreed to scout for companies on site, starting on the commercial establishments and private offices not far from our location. And so our next stop, the Columbia Computer Center in the City Triangle.

Columbia is located in the City Triangle near J. P. Laurel Avenue, Davao City. Being situated in the heart of the city, perhaps, gave an advantage to the center in publicity. Their display room and office is noticeably not that spacious, as what I have taken note, but various models and units of computer hardware and communication equipments fill the place. We approached one employee and the other about our questions but each of them was either surprised of our sudden arrival or a little busy over small things or just refusing to give his/her ideas for fear of not giving our expected answers. We ended up being passed on to one interviewee to another. Haha. (Of course, we didn’t mind. We understand. )

Luckily, after a couple of minutes, we had a considerable conversation with a personnel who, perhaps after noticing we had quite a harder time to get a substantial report from a newbie sales rep, gladly volunteered to entertain us and offered his help. And so with the ultimate guide question being asked primarily, the interviewee’s response was being discussed in details…

It happened that the interviewee we talked to is none other than the marketing development manager himself, of the Columbia Computer Center, Mindanao Area. He elaborated to us about the company’s best practices in IT / IS. One is the use of Biometrics System. This system is used for employees’ login and logout. For some of us who are not quite familiar with it, it is this type of fingerprint scanner in which each personnel or staff places his or her thumb(s) and/or index finger (I’m not really sure which is which, it just depends on the company) into it during login and logout. After which, the employee enters a corresponding four-digit code for the confirmation of the thumb mark. The fingerprint and code will automatically reflect on the Daily Time Record (DTR) of each employee, and by the end of each month, a summary of the attendance record will be completed. The company has been using this as a substitute for the traditional Bundy Clock’s manual system of checking their staff’s attendance.

Another practice the company has is the so-called MYOB. This is pretty unfamiliar to me but according to the personnel we asked to, it is a software program that the establishment is using in their inventory system. MYOB or Mind-Your-Own-Business as what our interviewee defines it (honestly, I was hesitant to jot down the meaning when he first mentioned it because it sounded ridiculous, but our interviewee was actually serious about it, surely…), controls their inventory – sales, credits, supply of products, prices of units, etc. I was wondering if they really made the program for their system so I asked where the software originated. He said that it was ordered from Canada (well…?). MYOB, however, is just local area based only. The company uses another software for online connection to other branches, and that is Quick Share. This is being utilized if data is being communicated from branch to branch and this is related to networking strategies of the company in sharing information.

Our interviewee also explained that Columbia Davao, being the main branch, holds the records of their sales not only in the city’s branch but also in Cagayan, Butuan, and General Santos respectively. These offices have their own records but only the main branch here in Davao can access the records of the other branches.

Stocks and sales records can also be monitored by Columbia Davao through CCTV cameras. CCTV or Closed Circuit Television, is a TV system that does not broadcast TV signals to public but transmits them over to limited monitor(s). CCTV system usually utilizes CCD video cameras (to produce the video), cable or wireless transmitters/receivers or Internet (to transmit the video), and monitors (to see the video). CCTV system is not only applied to the security and surveillance purpose but also to the other fields like laboratory in schools or in private companies, even to production lines in factories. As the application of CCTV system increased, the CCTV industry has developed variety of CCTV equipment like Time Lapse VCRs, combiners, infrared illuminators, Pan/Tilt, etc. The most recent development is web camera server which uses the Internet for remote surveillance. (http://www.cctvconsult.com/pages/cctv.htm) He even showed us live video footage when he accessed the other branches through CCTV cameras on it in his desktop computer. In general, everything can be monitored through CCTV cameras which can be accessed anytime depending on the internet connection.

Inside the office, staffs and personnel communicate through YM! or instant / personal messaging. Our interviewee admitted that even though the person they are communicating with is just a table away, they just PM each other.

In terms of management, he added that they still use the traditional hierarchy. From the administration down to the utility which is the lowest position. However, what I found unique about them is that, all the employees can be all-around clerks. Those who are in the utility know how to repair, entertain customers, do service works, carry stocks, do sales, network, operate software and / or hardware and many more. Our interviewee stressed the word “Daltans mi diri. Dala-tanan!” (The employees know every work of the other, and not just limited to one particular individual designation.)

And when asked if their company has established a Management Information System Department, Our interviewee said, “Murag dili na kailangan. Daltans man mi diri. It is not practical to put an MIS department.” (A Management Information System Department is not practical to be put in their company because every individual knows all the services/ works. No need for a standard rule to be followed, and information are being relayed by themselves.) He added that almost 80% of their personnel (utility) are jack-of-all-trades type. Normally, those who are in the rank (administration) knows very little and did not have any background about hardware and software and some other things related to what the company deals (I’m referring to the products and services.) but they get first-hand experience in the workplace, thus learning along the way while working. Most employees who deal with handling have skills not only limited to operating the computer’s system unit, CPU, or laptop, but also service repair, and carrying / arranging stocks. Mostly, too, are graduates of 4 year-courses.

Having learned about this, we asked if there were any problems in connection to the information being relayed and the performance of the employees since they do not have an MIS. Our interviewee said that certain problems relating to performance are being dealt with directly personal. They keep their human resource management under control. “Disiplina lang ang kailangan diri. Himoon nimo ang imong trabaho maski mo-tambling pa ka dira basta gihimo nimo imong trabaho, as long as dili ka makadistorbo sa uban, sa trabaho sa imong kauban, sa customers, ug sa company in general.” (Our interviewee stressed that minimal supervision is needed when dealing with the staff and personnel. Every employee has to do his / her work, regardless of how he / she do it, whether he rolls to the floor or what, as long as he does not do anything harmful or disturbing to his / her co-workers, especially to the customers and the company, of course.)

If someone happens to have done something unpleasant, he/ she will be approached directly and be told of his/ her misconduct. Dealing with personnel performance is something on-the-spot. Whatever you’re doing, you will be evaluated directly.

My grateful appreciation to Mr. SV (name withheld for privacy purposes :-)) for giving us the opportunity to interview him. And to columbia.com.ph for the references about the company background.