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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>dwabkms.info</title> <atom:link href="http://dwabkms.info/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://dwabkms.info</link> <description></description> <lastBuildDate>Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:47:03 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en</language> <sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency> <generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3</generator> <item> <title>Types of Paints</title> <link>https://dwabkms.info/types-of-paints,html</link> <comments>https://dwabkms.info/types-of-paints,html#comments</comments> <pubDate>Thu, 20 Apr 2023 19:21:43 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>admin</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[diy furniture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[diy furniture flip]]></category> <category><![CDATA[foureyes furniture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[furniture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[furniture design]]></category> <category><![CDATA[furniture flip]]></category> <category><![CDATA[furniture flipping]]></category> <category><![CDATA[furniture flipping tips]]></category> <category><![CDATA[furniture makeover]]></category> <category><![CDATA[furniture painting]]></category> <category><![CDATA[how to paint furniture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[new furniture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[painted furniture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[secret furniture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[small space furniture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[smart furniture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[space saving furniture]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://dwabkms.info/?p=74</guid> <description><![CDATA[Upon getting information about an upcoming school science fair and the need to consider a topic of interest, many students will typically have no idea where to get started. While the science fair is typically a common occurrence in any school at any grade level, there are different types of topics that should be taken [...]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> Upon getting information about an upcoming school science fair and the need to consider a topic of interest, many students will typically have no idea where to get started. While the science fair is typically a common occurrence in any school at any grade level, there are different types of topics that should be taken a look at depending on the age of the student. After first taking a look at the many different categories of science projects, you will be able to locate a suitable choice of topic to take to the next level.There is a wide variety of categories that fall under the types of science projects that can be chosen for a school science fair. These include biology, chemistry, physics, microbiology, biochemistry, medicine, environmental, mathematics, engineering, and earth science. While you may not have yet learned very much in any of these categories, don’t be afraid to see what each one entails. Taking a good look at your interests will allow you to focus on the right direction to take.Many resources are also available for those who are unsure as to the topic they are wanting to use to create their science projects. If you take a look at the topics that fall under the biology category, you will likely notice that there are topics that deal with plants, animals, and humans. For those who are in 2nd grade or 3rd grade, an interesting topic may be to determine if ants are picky over what type of food they eat. While this topic might not be of interest to an 8th grader, it is certainly something in the biology category that an elementary school student would enjoy.Along with the biology category, a high school student may want to take a look at diffusion and osmosis in animal cells as this would be a more appropriate topic for the grade level. A student in 6th grade would be more advanced than an elementary school student, but not as advanced as a high school student. At this middle school grade level, a topic of how pH levels effect the lifespan of a tadpole may be of interest.Whichever resource is used to locate a topic for science projects, it is always a good idea to consider the grade level of the student prior to making a selection. It is always assumed to be best to have a project at an appropriate level in order to keep the attention of the student and provide a fun and enjoyable learning experience. </p><div class="mads-block"></div>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://dwabkms.info/types-of-paints,html/feed</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>5 Elements of a Gambling Addiction</title> <link>https://dwabkms.info/5-elements-of-a-gambling-addiction,html</link> <comments>https://dwabkms.info/5-elements-of-a-gambling-addiction,html#comments</comments> <pubDate>Sun, 09 Apr 2023 15:31:52 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>admin</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Gambling]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://dwabkms.info/?p=72</guid> <description><![CDATA[A huge majority of the population will gamble at least once in their life, a perfectly normal occurrence. Gambling can be a fun way to spend an evening; lose a few bucks here, win a few bucks there. You may even be lucky enough win a large amount of money. Even though there are several [...]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> A huge majority of the population will gamble at least once in their life, a perfectly normal occurrence. Gambling can be a fun way to spend an evening; lose a few bucks here, win a few bucks there. You may even be lucky enough win a large amount of money. Even though there are several people out there who gamble carelessly for the fun of it, there is a small percentage of people that will start to form an unhealthy habit of gambling that could in fact lead to a terrible gambling addiction.If you suspect that somebody you know is suffering from a gambling addiction, a sure sign of this would be if that person is exhibiting one or more of these signs:The first and foremost way to spot a gambling addiction is if a person is constantly fixated on any form of gambling; be it poker, horse races, football or any other activity that presents an opportunity to gamble. If you suspect a person is suffering from a gambling addiction then he or she will always be thinking about it constantly. That person will always want to gamble and even plan out the next trip long before it happens. A lot of addiction specialists will refer to this fixation as “preoccupation.”If a person is always in pursuit of winning back lost money, then he or she may be suffering from a gambling addiction. This habit can cause some major financial problems because in the attempt to win back previously lost money, a person may end up actually losing double, triple or even quadruple what he or she lost in the first place. Whatever you do, if you know someone who is always attempting to win back lost money, he or she may be doing horrible financially and may end up trying to borrow money from you; Do not give it to them!A person who may be suffering from a gambling addiction will usually attempt to stop gambling on several different occasions. If you know a person that has tried to stop gambling on more than one occasion but ended up going right back to it, then that person most likely has a gambling addiction. Gambling addicts will usually exhibit the same behavior as controlled substance and narcotic addicts when they try to stop; behaviors such as irritability, anger and even insomnia.If a person you know has just been through something traumatic and has been gambling a lot ever since, then that person is most likely using gambling as a substitute to cope with said traumatic experience. A lot of gamblers will experience a euphoria similar to a “high” that lets that person escape from something in their lives and feel good. A bad side effect of feeling “high” when gambling is that to sustain the high, larger and larger amounts of money must be bet.Finally, probably one of the easiest signs to spot not only a gambling addiction, but any addiction, is lying. Gambling addicts will often lie when asked how much money they have spent, lost or won so that their true losses do not show and they can gamble feeling a little less guilty. However, some gamblers do actually feel guilty with every lie told which can actually cause that person to gamble more to cope with the emotional guilt.An addiction, no matter what it is from, will always prove to be an unhealthy aspect of a person’s life. This is why it is important to step in and intervene before an addiction gets to strong a grasp on family, friend or loved one. If you suspect someone you know is suffering from a gambling addiction, start by looking for the five signs listed above. </p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://dwabkms.info/5-elements-of-a-gambling-addiction,html/feed</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Home Improvement Loan – Some Steps to Obtain It More Easily</title> <link>https://dwabkms.info/home-improvement-loan-some-steps-to-obtain-it-more-easily,html</link> <comments>https://dwabkms.info/home-improvement-loan-some-steps-to-obtain-it-more-easily,html#comments</comments> <pubDate>Fri, 07 Apr 2023 20:11:17 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>admin</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Home Improvement]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://dwabkms.info/?p=70</guid> <description><![CDATA[If you have lived in your home for several years, now this is probably the right time for you to make some improvements. Minor or major improvement is usually needed to make your time at home more enjoyable. Besides, improvement will also add the value of your beloved home.When improving some parts of your home, [...]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> If you have lived in your home for several years, now this is probably the right time for you to make some improvements. Minor or major improvement is usually needed to make your time at home more enjoyable. Besides, improvement will also add the value of your beloved home.When improving some parts of your home, the budget that you own plays an important role. The amount of your money determines the coverage of your home improvement and surely the building quality. Commonly, people need much money when it comes to home improvement and it triggers them to obtain loan. If you plan to conduct the improvement but you don’t have a special budget to fund it, it is a good idea to consider obtaining home improvement loan. This type of loan makes your home improvement financing gets easier and gives you the peace of mind.To help you obtain the loan in an easier way, here are some steps that you can do:1. Determine the amount of money that you need for the project. The way you determine the budget that you might need is very easy, all you need to do is just checking the parts that you need to improve. After that, you can get help from a contractor to estimate the budget. Seeking help from professional helps you know the needed fund without wasting the time.2. Once you have determined the amount of money that you want to borrow; now this is the time to find the right lender. Nowadays, there are many lenders offer home improvement loan as more people need a simpler financing option. When searching for a lender, make sure that you check the most reputable ones. Loan types, interest rates, and closing costs are some things that you should also check when searching for a lender. You can make use of the internet to view lenders’ profile and the service that they offer. This may take some times but the information that you get will make you decide easier.3. Finally, you come to the last step of obtaining the loan. After choosing a lender who fits your need, now this is the time for you to apply for the loan. Mostly, lenders will require you to deal with the paperwork and then submit it to them. Applying for home improvement loan can also be done online today to save your time.It is easy, isn’t it? Obtaining home improvement loan can be much easier today as lenders are trying to improve their service to the prospective borrowers. If you don’t have any experience in obtaining the loan, it is a good idea to seek assistance from the professional. </p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://dwabkms.info/home-improvement-loan-some-steps-to-obtain-it-more-easily,html/feed</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Home Interior Design – Five Common Mistakes</title> <link>https://dwabkms.info/home-interior-design-five-common-mistakes,html</link> <comments>https://dwabkms.info/home-interior-design-five-common-mistakes,html#comments</comments> <pubDate>Thu, 06 Apr 2023 15:16:19 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>admin</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[home]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Building]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Buying]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Commercial]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Commercial Property]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Construction]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Home]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Home Staging]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Homes]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Investing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Property Management]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Real Estate]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://dwabkms.info/?p=68</guid> <description><![CDATA[Each time people think of home interior design, they will think of hiring an interior designer. Hiring a professional can be really expensive, but now you can easily turn your house into the home of your dreams on minimum budget. But in order to do that, you need to avoid these five common interior design [...]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> Each time people think of home interior design, they will think of hiring an interior designer. Hiring a professional can be really expensive, but now you can easily turn your house into the home of your dreams on minimum budget. But in order to do that, you need to avoid these five common interior design mistakes:1. Over furnishing a roomIt is important that you measure the dimension of the room you want to furnish before buying any furniture pieces. People tend to buy furniture that is too big for the room, which will only make it feel stuffy and crowded. Try to limit the number of pieces in the room.2. Hanging artwork too high on the wallDo not hang paintings or portraits too high, they should be hung at approximately eye level. But of course, eye level is different for different people. The rule of thumb is to hang the artwork 66″-72″ (165-180 cm) from the floor. If the artwork is big, you can hang it higher, but still around the midpoint of the wall. If there you want to hang a picture above a sofa, the bottom of the frame should be 6″-8″ (15-20 cm) on top of the furniture piece.3. DisorganizationPeople often keep things that they don’t really use, and at times they just leave stuff lying everywhere around the room. Surely you don’t want a room that looks messy or stuffy. Try to get rid of unwanted or unused items and store the things you want to keep in a box or other storage unit. You will be surprised at how spacious your room can be.4. Quantity versus qualityWhen decorating your home interior, more stuff does not necessarily mean better. It is important to get only what you absolutely love, and avoid cheap art. It does not have to be overly expensive, but it has to be the best that you can afford. High quality artwork or furniture will last longer and has good resale value if you choose to sell it later on.5. Insufficient lightingPeople rarely pay attention to the lighting in a room and they tend to utilize only one overhead light source. You should utilize several light sources instead. They are not only intended for lighting purposes, but they can help create an atmosphere in a room as well. You can add some table lamps in your study for reading books or a chandelier in the living room for a luxurious ambience. </p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://dwabkms.info/home-interior-design-five-common-mistakes,html/feed</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>3 Strategies for the Best Men’s Health and Fitness</title> <link>https://dwabkms.info/3-strategies-for-the-best-mens-health-and-fitness,html</link> <comments>https://dwabkms.info/3-strategies-for-the-best-mens-health-and-fitness,html#comments</comments> <pubDate>Thu, 06 Apr 2023 14:06:56 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>admin</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Acne]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Anti Aging]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Beauty]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cosmetic Surgery]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Diabetes]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Drug Abuse]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Health and Fitness]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Massage]]></category> <category><![CDATA[meditation]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Nutrition]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Personal Training]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Popular Diets]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Skin Care]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Spa and Wellness]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Speech Pathology]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Weight Loss]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Yoga]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://dwabkms.info/?p=66</guid> <description><![CDATA[These days, increasingly more men are interested in health and fitness programs. This is not surprising since most people are concerned about obesity and health conditions today such as diabetes, heart disease, prostate cancer and more.These are more than enough reasons to motivate anyone to get into good shape. I’m going to show you three [...]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> These days, increasingly more men are interested in health and fitness programs. This is not surprising since most people are concerned about obesity and health conditions today such as diabetes, heart disease, prostate cancer and more.These are more than enough reasons to motivate anyone to get into good shape. I’m going to show you three strategies for successful men’s health and fitness.There is no easy and quick way for you to get in good shape, so you must be prepared to put in the time and effort to achieve the desired results. A combination of a healthy diet, strength training and cardio exercises will go a long way towards your overall fitness.Just follow these three suggestions for a healthy and strong body:1. Record Everything: You want to write down what you are doing in your exercise routine so you can see how you are progressing. First, write down your weight loss goal. Then write down each exercise for your exercise routine.How many repetitions of each exercise did you do that day? Write it down in your log. You will then be able to see where you need to change things for the better and how well you can do. When you have achieved your weight loss goal, this is a good time to add weight in your weight lifting routine.2. Each Session: Make sure you include weight lifting three times a week in your routine. This will help you to get the best results from your training sessions.You will now be growing your muscles. As you weight lift three, maybe four times per week, you muscles have time to increase and rebuild. If you don’t continue to push those muscles, they just go back to where they were.3. Eat Lots of Protein: When compared to women, it is much easier for men to lose weight. Men’s health and fitness programs always recommend protein to grow your muscles and to help you recover.In general, men who are working out 4 or more times each week must eat about one gram of protein on those days for each pound of body weight. It’s also important to eat meals with 0.25 grams of protein right after each workout.If possible, try to eat thirty minutes after a rigorous workout because your body will need some high-quality protein to recover fully. Build your muscles by breaking down amino acids. The best way to do this is by adding proteins. You can have a protein shake, a chicken breast, or maybe some eggs to add protein.Hopefully, these simple men’s fitness tips for will help you achieve your goals. Remember that by using a regular exercise routine, you improve not only your body’s appearance, but your overall health. </p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://dwabkms.info/3-strategies-for-the-best-mens-health-and-fitness,html/feed</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Ticket to Success and Sales – Online Marketing</title> <link>https://dwabkms.info/ticket-to-success-and-sales-online-marketing,html</link> <comments>https://dwabkms.info/ticket-to-success-and-sales-online-marketing,html#comments</comments> <pubDate>Thu, 06 Apr 2023 13:11:29 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>admin</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[internet marketing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[online marketing]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://dwabkms.info/?p=64</guid> <description><![CDATA[“Ignoring online marketing is like opening a business but not telling anyone.” – AnonymousNothing sums up the brilliance of online marketing in today’s scenario quite like this quote. Online marketing is all about being at the right place at the right time. With the virtual space invading every nook and corner of our lives, this [...]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> “Ignoring online marketing is like opening a business but not telling anyone.” – AnonymousNothing sums up the brilliance of online marketing in today’s scenario quite like this quote. Online marketing is all about being at the right place at the right time. With the virtual space invading every nook and corner of our lives, this is where you’ll find your audience.Online is the place to beFrom social media to e-commerce portals, our present generations wake up to their handset screens, emote only through in beeps and blocks. No one physically meets or greets anymore, instead we only ‘like’ and ‘comment’. So, like any good marketing strategy that starts with going where the customer goes, the time now is to go digital. Online marketing has become the latest fad, a definite marketing must-do all the multi- national companies. Online marketing companies and services are the most sought after by major corporations. The benefits of online marketing when compared to its counterparts – the traditional/offline marketing, is so shiny and bright, that it has become impossible to turn a blind eye. Let’s review the prime benefits:</p><p>‘The World is your Stage’: With online marketing services, your reach is truly magnanimous. It expands in terms of demographic as well as relevance. Deep pockets and hefty bank account are no longer the requisites to get noticed and sell products. For example, A local farmer from one side of the world, can now take his produce and showcase it online to reach a potential customer living on the other side. All he’ll need to do is to use the internet to market this product, alongside some smart SEO strategies to place it amidst the right crowd.</p><p>‘Laugh all the way to the bank’- It’s no surprise rappers worldwide dish out such catch-phrases, ever so often. After all, how can anyone run from the fact that every business and corporation is the world works towards – ‘profit’ aka revenue, return, moolah? So, when the outcomes are so luring, who wouldn’t jump? With the chance to reach the target audience directly and personally, the sales are bound to go up, by default.</p><p>‘Straight from the horse’s mouth’ – With digital marketing you can document every move of your consumer. In the virtual space, everything becomes transparent – the good, bad and the ugly is out in the open for every to judge. No beating around the bush, you will get immediate feedback and instant report of your product’s performance. You can directly reach out to your customer and build a personal bond. Services can be customized. Also, since everyone is online all the time, being in this place will make you more visible.</p><p>‘Marking your territory’ – Digital marketing promises to cut marketing costs drastically. Over and above all other benefits, the Passover from traditional or offline marketing to online is bound to be tremendously economical. Your online marketing agency will help you pick your audience and invest in reaching out only to them. It will also reduce your cost per unique user. For example: while a 5000 AED investment on a hoarding or event sponsorship reach about 5000 prospective customers, an online campaign through a viral video on social media will keep 10 times fold more.</p><p>‘Something for everyone’ – Online marketing space isn’t reserved for the who’s who of the business world. Even a small business or a start- up can reap benefits in all the entirety. That’s the beauty of this medium. Such opportunity presents a fair chance to businesses to prove their mettle purely based on the quality of services/product. For the first time, a small enterprise can give the market’s big fish a run for its money. Making it an all-inclusive environment to run business in.</p><p>‘Survival of the fittest’ – The business world is booming, everyone wants a piece of it. So, in order to survive this mad rush, you have to a step ahead, always. Being in the digital gives you direct insights in your markets and demography. It gives you the opportunity to gauge your competitors move and plan a rebuttal. Online marketing companies help in giving your brand the edge and new-age glow. Hence, assuring the consumer’s that the product/services that you offer are state-of-the-art and cutting edge in all its entirety.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://dwabkms.info/ticket-to-success-and-sales-online-marketing,html/feed</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Entering Art Competitions – Nine Tips to Making Your Experience Rewarding</title> <link>https://dwabkms.info/entering-art-competitions-nine-tips-to-making-your-experience-rewarding,html</link> <comments>https://dwabkms.info/entering-art-competitions-nine-tips-to-making-your-experience-rewarding,html#comments</comments> <pubDate>Wed, 05 Apr 2023 07:10:01 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>admin</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Animation]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Arts and Entertainment]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Body Piercings]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Casino Gambling]]></category> <category><![CDATA[FictionTattoos]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Film Editing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Movies TV]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Music]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Music Industry]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Music Instruction]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Painting]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Performing Arts]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Photography]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Visual Graphic Arts]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://dwabkms.info/?p=62</guid> <description><![CDATA[When you are ready to enter your artwork in local art competitions, here are nine art tips that can help make this a great experience.Art Competition JurorsOne of the favorite pastimes of entrants is trying to predict the kind of artwork a particular juror will accept, based on that juror’s painting style. Sometimes picking your [...]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> When you are ready to enter your artwork in local art competitions, here are nine art tips that can help make this a great experience.Art Competition JurorsOne of the favorite pastimes of entrants is trying to predict the kind of artwork a particular juror will accept, based on that juror’s painting style. Sometimes picking your entries in this way works and you get in, but I’ve also seen jurors choose an eclectic mix of styles and subjects, only some of which were like their own.Art Tip # 1 – My advice is just enter your best work – art that shows skillful use of your painting medium, a well-designed composition and an image that shows creativity. These are three important criteria of most jurors.When you enter your best artwork, you are showing your strengths. After that, it is up to the juror and his or her viewpoint. And you’ll just have to accept the vagaries of the judging process. As a more extreme example of what can happen, I once had the same juror for two different shows. I entered the same painting in both art competitions and the juror rejected it from the first show and gave it an award in the later one. A nationally known artist told me a similar story about a painting of his. It was rejected from one national show and won Best of Show in another. I’m pretty sure he didn’t have my juror.Photographing Your ArtArt Tip # 2 – The second most important factor you control, after painting a great piece of art, is taking a good photograph of it. This is what the juror sees to judge your art; it needs to represent you well.The picture should, of course, be in focus and show colors that closely match your art, so become proficient at shooting your own work or find a professional to do it.What people who take pictures of their own art may not realize is the lighting conditions affect the color of your picture. Just like the old film cameras, shooting pictures with a digital camera using incandescent light bulbs will turn your picture more orange. Using fluorescent lights can turn the pictures greenish. Shooting outside when the sky is overcast can create a bluish tint, so look at your pictures closely before entering them.A lot of people make the mistake of leaving their digital camera set on Automatic. To get the color in your picture to match your artwork, you need to understand how to set the White Balance. Every time you shoot under different lighting conditions you should reset the White Balance. Check your manual for how to do this on your camera.Another award and entry killer is not submitting your entry in the required format with the required information. Always read the art contest prospectus. It’s amazing how many people don’t follow instructions, which instantly converts their entry fee into a donation.Art Tip # 3 – Film is going away, so my advice is to become familiar with how to prepare and send digital pictures.Art competitions that require digital entries often want your pictures to be formatted in a specific way. The prospectus will often say your entry should have a black background and be X number of pixels square. If you don’t want to buy software (like Photoshop or Photoshop Elements) that will help you do that, there are free internet sites you can also use to format your pictures.Framing your artOkay, you’ve been accepted into an art competition. There is another important decision to make. How well are you going to frame your work?Art Tip # 4 – Often, the juror doesn’t pick the award-winning art until he or she can see the actual work. Your whole presentation affects that decision.Matting and framing your art well are very important for two reasons.Reason 1: If you have a nice piece of art surrounded by a cheap-looking frame or a frame that’s scratched or dented, you’ve just reduced the award-worthiness of your work in the eyes of the juror.If you also have your art surrounded by gaudy or inappropriately colored mats, you’ve lowered your chances of an award even further. It’s best to be conservative. Use white or off-white mats.Reason 2: If an art buyer likes your art and would consider purchasing it, he or she often wants to be able to take it home and immediately hang it on their wall. If she feels she needs to spend more money to re-frame your art more appropriately, she is likely to decide it isn’t worth the wait, the cost, or the hassle.Art Tip # 5 – My advice is to frame your work as well as your budget will allow. If your work doesn’t sell, you can always reuse the frame for other art in other shows…but take into consideration Tip # 6.Art Tip # 6 – Ask yourself: How experienced are the people hanging the show?Let me explain. At one time I used to enter some of the smaller local art shows. The problem that changed my mind about this was I had so many frames scratched and ruined because they were badly handled. I use nice frames for my art – not the really high-end ones, but not the cheap ones either. In the smaller shows, what happened at times was the art was stored with the back of one piece of art leaning against the front of another. When that is done the screws on the back of one frame can easily scratch the frame or artwork behind it.Small art shows and small organizations may have volunteers who have little or no experience handling art. In these small shows especially, you have to make a judgment call as to how expensively to frame your work.I am much more trusting if the show venue is a professional gallery, since they have experience handling and hanging art.Glass for Your FrameIf you create art that needs to be framed under glass, you’ve got another decision to make. Do you use regular glass or the more expensive, non-reflective glass?Art Tip # 7 – Use the best glass you can afford.As expensive as it is, let me explain why I’m a strong proponent of non-reflective glass. Some years ago I was accepted into an art competition at a gallery. Normally, galleries have track lighting that can be positioned to reduce reflections.Unfortunately, my art (under regular glass) was hung on a wall facing the front windows. When the sun was shining on the street outside, the scene outside was all you could see reflected in my glass. This is a very effective way to guarantee you get neither a sale nor an award.But, being a slow learner, I continued using regular glass until a weekend a few years later. I had registered to display my art in an art fair. Now in an art fair, the artist pays for space to set up his canopy or tent to show and hopefully sell his work.Tents for this use are almost always white, as was mine. The white walls of my rented tent set up a reflective situation that the lights I was using could not overcome.Standing in front of some of the art was almost like standing in front of a mirror. Again, the only way to actually see the art was to stand off to the side. I had one sale that weekend.I may be a slow learner, but eventually the lesson does sink in. Since that disastrous weekend I have used nothing but non-reflective glass. It is almost as expensive as gold, but it works very well and eliminates a very important headache.Shipping your artYou might decide at some point to enter an art contest in another area, where you will need to ship your art.Art Tip # 8 – Total all your costs before you enter a competition, because the costs add up quickly.First, you need to buy a sturdy box to ship your painting. Air Float Systems (www.airfloatsys.com) carry boxes made especially for shipping art. The boxes are very sturdy, but they are not cheap. Or, you can build something similar to the Air Float boxes by purchasing a mirror box (available at U Haul and other packing stores) and some foam.Second, the art group organizing the show will designate a local shipping agent to receive your entry. The agent will unpack your art, deliver it to the show venue, pick it up after the show, repack it in your box and ship it back to you. The fee for this may be several hundred dollars in addition to the expense of your box and your original shipping costs.Art Tip # 9 – Never enter more pieces of art than you are prepared to deliver.If you call the art show organizer and try to weasel out of shipping one or more of your pieces that got accepted, you are not going to get a sympathetic ear. Or, if you just don’t deliver all of the art that was accepted, you could, depending on the rules of that art competition, be banned from entering for several years.So remember: Do your planning well ahead and follow these tips you are much more likely to have a rewarding experience when entering art competitions. </p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://dwabkms.info/entering-art-competitions-nine-tips-to-making-your-experience-rewarding,html/feed</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Health Care Reform – Why Are People So Worked Up?</title> <link>https://dwabkms.info/health-care-reform-why-are-people-so-worked-up,html</link> <comments>https://dwabkms.info/health-care-reform-why-are-people-so-worked-up,html#comments</comments> <pubDate>Tue, 04 Apr 2023 20:55:34 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>admin</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Acne]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Anti Aging]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Beauty]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cosmetic Surgery]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Diabetes]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Drug Abuse]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Health and Fitness]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Massage]]></category> <category><![CDATA[meditation]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Nutrition]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Personal Training]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Popular Diets]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Skin Care]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Spa and Wellness]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Speech Pathology]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Weight Loss]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Yoga]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://dwabkms.info/?p=60</guid> <description><![CDATA[Why are Americans so worked up about health care reform? Statements such as “don’t touch my Medicare” or “everyone should have access to state of the art health care irrespective of cost” are in my opinion uninformed and visceral responses that indicate a poor understanding of our health care system’s history, its current and future [...]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> Why are Americans so worked up about health care reform? Statements such as “don’t touch my Medicare” or “everyone should have access to state of the art health care irrespective of cost” are in my opinion uninformed and visceral responses that indicate a poor understanding of our health care system’s history, its current and future resources and the funding challenges that America faces going forward. While we all wonder how the health care system has reached what some refer to as a crisis stage. Let’s try to take some of the emotion out of the debate by briefly examining how health care in this country emerged and how that has formed our thinking and culture about health care. With that as a foundation let’s look at the pros and cons of the Obama administration health care reform proposals and let’s look at the concepts put forth by the Republicans?Access to state of the art health care services is something we can all agree would be a good thing for this country. Experiencing a serious illness is one of life’s major challenges and to face it without the means to pay for it is positively frightening. But as we shall see, once we know the facts, we will find that achieving this goal will not be easy without our individual contribution.These are the themes I will touch on to try to make some sense out of what is happening to American health care and the steps we can personally take to make things better.<br />A recent history of American health care – what has driven the costs so high?<br />Key elements of the Obama health care plan<br />The Republican view of health care – free market competition<br />Universal access to state of the art health care – a worthy goal but not easy to achieve<br />what can we do?<br />First, let’s get a little historical perspective on American health care. This is not intended to be an exhausted look into that history but it will give us an appreciation of how the health care system and our expectations for it developed. What drove costs higher and higher?To begin, let’s turn to the American civil war. In that war, dated tactics and the carnage inflicted by modern weapons of the era combined to cause ghastly results. Not generally known is that most of the deaths on both sides of that war were not the result of actual combat but to what happened after a battlefield wound was inflicted. To begin with, evacuation of the wounded moved at a snail’s pace and this caused severe delays in treating the wounded. Secondly, many wounds were subjected to wound care, related surgeries and/or amputations of the affected limbs and this often resulted in the onset of massive infection. So you might survive a battle wound only to die at the hands of medical care providers who although well-intentioned, their interventions were often quite lethal. High death tolls can also be ascribed to everyday sicknesses and diseases in a time when no antibiotics existed. In total something like 600,000 deaths occurred from all causes, over 2% of the U.S. population at the time!Let’s skip to the first half of the 20th century for some additional perspective and to bring us up to more modern times. After the civil war there were steady improvements in American medicine in both the understanding and treatment of certain diseases, new surgical techniques and in physician education and training. But for the most part the best that doctors could offer their patients was a “wait and see” approach. Medicine could handle bone fractures and increasingly attempt risky surgeries (now largely performed in sterile surgical environments) but medicines were not yet available to handle serious illnesses. The majority of deaths remained the result of untreatable conditions such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, scarlet fever and measles and/or related complications. Doctors were increasingly aware of heart and vascular conditions, and cancer but they had almost nothing with which to treat these conditions.This very basic review of American medical history helps us to understand that until quite recently (around the 1950′s) we had virtually no technologies with which to treat serious or even minor ailments. Here is a critical point we need to understand; “nothing to treat you with means that visits to the doctor if at all were relegated to emergencies so in such a scenario costs are curtailed. The simple fact is that there was little for doctors to offer and therefore virtually nothing to drive health care spending. A second factor holding down costs was that medical treatments that were provided were paid for out-of-pocket, meaning by way of an individuals personal resources. There was no such thing as health insurance and certainly not health insurance paid by an employer. Except for the very destitute who were lucky to find their way into a charity hospital, health care costs were the responsibility of the individual.What does health care insurance have to do with health care costs? Its impact on health care costs has been, and remains to this day, absolutely enormous. When health insurance for individuals and families emerged as a means for corporations to escape wage freezes and to attract and retain employees after World War II, almost overnight a great pool of money became available to pay for health care. Money, as a result of the availability of billions of dollars from health insurance pools, encouraged an innovative America to increase medical research efforts. More Americans became insured not only through private, employer sponsored health insurance but through increased government funding that created Medicare and Medicaid (1965). In addition funding became available for expanded veterans health care benefits. Finding a cure for almost anything has consequently become very lucrative. This is also the primary reason for the vast array of treatments we have available today.I do not wish to convey that medical innovations are a bad thing. Think of the tens of millions of lives that have been saved, extended, enhanced and made more productive as a result. But with a funding source grown to its current magnitude (hundreds of billions of dollars annually) upward pressure on health care costs are inevitable. Doctor’s offer and most of us demand and get access to the latest available health care technology in the form of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, diagnostic tools and surgical procedures. So the result is that there is more health care to spend our money on and until very recently most of us were insured and the costs were largely covered by a third-party (government, employers). Add an insatiable and unrealistic public demand for access and treatment and we have the “perfect storm” for higher and higher health care costs. And by and large the storm is only intensifying.At this point, let’s turn to the key questions that will lead us into a review and hopefully a better understanding of the health care reform proposals in the news today. Is the current trajectory of U.S. health care spending sustainable? Can America maintain its world competitiveness when 16%, heading for 20% of our gross national product is being spent on health care? What are the other industrialized countries spending on health care and is it even close to these numbers? When we add politics and an election year to the debate, information to help us answer these questions become critical. We need to spend some effort in understanding health care and sorting out how we think about it. Properly armed we can more intelligently determine whether certain health care proposals might solve or worsen some of these problems. What can be done about the challenges? How can we as individuals contribute to the solutions?The Obama health care plan is complex for sure – I have never seen a health care plan that isn’t. But through a variety of programs his plan attempts to deal with a) increasing the number of American that are covered by adequate insurance (almost 50 million are not), and b) managing costs in such a manner that quality and our access to health care is not adversely affected. Republicans seek to achieve these same basic and broad goals, but their approach is proposed as being more market driven than government driven. Let’s look at what the Obama plan does to accomplish the two objectives above. Remember, by the way, that his plan was passed by congress, and begins to seriously kick-in starting in 2014. So this is the direction we are currently taking as we attempt to reform health care.<br />Through insurance exchanges and an expansion of Medicaid,the Obama plan dramatically expands the number of Americans that will be covered by health insurance.<br />To cover the cost of this expansion the plan requires everyone to have health insurance with a penalty to be paid if we don’t comply. It will purportedly send money to the states to cover those individuals added to state-based Medicaid programs.<br />To cover the added costs there were a number of new taxes introduced, one being a 2.5% tax on new medical technologies and another increases taxes on interest and dividend income for wealthier Americans.<br />The Obama plan also uses concepts such as evidence-based medicine, accountable care organizations, comparative effectiveness research and reduced reimbursement to health care providers (doctors and hospitals) to control costs.The insurance mandate covered by points 1 and 2 above is a worthy goal and most industrialized countries outside of the U.S. provide “free” (paid for by rather high individual and corporate taxes) health care to most if not all of their citizens. It is important to note, however, that there are a number of restrictions for which many Americans would be culturally unprepared. Here is the primary controversial aspect of the Obama plan, the insurance mandate. The U.S. Supreme Court recently decided to hear arguments as to the constitutionality of the health insurance mandate as a result of a petition by 26 states attorney’s general that congress exceeded its authority under the commerce clause of the U.S. constitution by passing this element of the plan. The problem is that if the Supreme Court should rule against the mandate, it is generally believed that the Obama plan as we know it is doomed. This is because its major goal of providing health insurance to all would be severely limited if not terminated altogether by such a decision.As you would guess, the taxes covered by point 3 above are rather unpopular with those entities and individuals that have to pay them. Medical device companies, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, doctors and insurance companies all had to “give up” something that would either create new revenue or would reduce costs within their spheres of control. As an example, Stryker Corporation, a large medical device company, recently announced at least a 1,000 employee reduction in part to cover these new fees. This is being experienced by other medical device companies and pharmaceutical companies as well. The reduction in good paying jobs in these sectors and in the hospital sector may rise as former cost structures will have to be dealt with in order to accommodate the reduced rate of reimbursement to hospitals. Over the next ten years some estimates put the cost reductions to hospitals and physicians at half a trillion dollars and this will flow directly to and affect the companies that supply hospitals and doctors with the latest medical technologies. None of this is to say that efficiencies will not be realized by these changes or that other jobs will in turn be created but this will represent painful change for a while. It helps us to understand that health care reform does have an effect both positive and negative.Finally, the Obama plan seeks to change the way medical decisions are made. While clinical and basic research underpins almost everything done in medicine today, doctors are creatures of habit like the rest of us and their training and day-to-day experiences dictate to a great extent how they go about diagnosing and treating our conditions. Enter the concept of evidence-based medicine and comparative effectiveness research. Both of these seek to develop and utilize data bases from electronic health records and other sources to give better and more timely information and feedback to physicians as to the outcomes and costs of the treatments they are providing. There is great waste in health care today, estimated at perhaps a third of an over 2 trillion dollar health care spend annually. Imagine the savings that are possible from a reduction in unnecessary test and procedures that do not compare favorably with health care interventions that are better documented as effective. Now the Republicans and others don’t generally like these ideas as they tend to characterize them as “big government control” of your and my health care. But to be fair, regardless of their political persuasions, most people who understand health care at all, know that better data for the purposes described above will be crucial to getting health care efficiencies, patient safety and costs headed in the right direction.A brief review of how Republicans and more conservative individuals think about health care reform. I believe they would agree that costs must come under control and that more, not fewer Americans should have access to health care regardless of their ability to pay. But the main difference is that these folks see market forces and competition as the way to creating the cost reductions and efficiencies we need. There are a number of ideas with regard to driving more competition among health insurance companies and health care providers (doctors and hospitals) so that the consumer would begin to drive cost down by the choices we make. This works in many sectors of our economy but this formula has shown that improvements are illusive when applied to health care. Primarily the problem is that health care choices are difficult even for those who understand it and are connected. The general population, however, is not so informed and besides we have all been brought up to “go to the doctor” when we feel it is necessary and we also have a cultural heritage that has engendered within most of us the feeling that health care is something that is just there and there really isn’t any reason not to access it for whatever the reason and worse we all feel that there is nothing we can do to affect its costs to insure its availability to those with serious problems.OK, this article was not intended to be an exhaustive study as I needed to keep it short in an attempt to hold my audience’s attention and to leave some room for discussing what we can do contribute mightily to solving some of the problems. First we must understand that the dollars available for health care are not limitless. Any changes that are put in place to provide better insurance coverage and access to care will cost more. And somehow we have to find the revenues to pay for these changes. At the same time we have to pay less for medical treatments and procedures and do something to restrict the availability of unproven or poorly documented treatments as we are the highest cost health care system in the world and don’t necessarily have the best results in terms of longevity or avoiding chronic diseases much earlier than necessary.I believe that we need a revolutionary change in the way we think about health care, its availability, its costs and who pays for it. And if you think I am about to say we should arbitrarily and drastically reduce spending on health care you would be wrong. Here it is fellow citizens – health care spending needs to be preserved and protected for those who need it. And to free up these dollars those of us who don’t need it or can delay it or avoid it need to act. First, we need to convince our politicians that this country needs sustained public education with regard to the value of preventive health strategies. This should be a top priority and it has worked to reduce the number of U.S. smokers for example. If prevention were to take hold, it is reasonable to assume that those needing health care for the myriad of life style engendered chronic diseases would decrease dramatically. Millions of Americans are experiencing these diseases far earlier than in decades past and much of this is due to poor life style choices. This change alone would free up plenty of money to handle the health care costs of those in dire need of treatment, whether due to an acute emergency or chronic condition.Let’s go deeper on the first issue. Most of us refuse do something about implementing basic wellness strategies into our daily lives. We don’t exercise but we offer a lot of excuses. We don’t eat right but we offer a lot of excuses. We smoke and/or we drink alcohol to excess and we offer a lot of excuses as to why we can’t do anything about managing these known to be destructive personal health habits. We don’t take advantage of preventive health check-ups that look at blood pressure, cholesterol readings and body weight but we offer a lot of excuses. In short we neglect these things and the result is that we succumb much earlier than necessary to chronic diseases like heart problems, diabetes and high blood pressure. We wind up accessing doctors for these and more routine matters because “health care is there” and somehow we think we have no responsibility for reducing our demand on it.It is difficult for us to listen to these truths but easy to blame the sick. Maybe they should take better care of themselves! Well, that might be true or maybe they have a genetic condition and they have become among the unfortunate through absolutely no fault of their own. But the point is that you and I can implement personalized preventive disease measures as a way of dramatically improving health care access for others while reducing its costs. It is far better to be productive by doing something we can control then shifting the blame.There are a huge number of free web sites available that can steer us to a more healthful life style. A soon as you can, “Google” “preventive health care strategies”, look up your local hospital’s web site and you will find more than enough help to get you started. Finally, there is a lot to think about here and I have tried to outline the challenges but also the very powerful effect we could have on preserving the best of America’s health care system now and into the future. I am anxious to hear from you and until then – take charge and increase your chances for good health while making sure that health care is there when we need it. </p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://dwabkms.info/health-care-reform-why-are-people-so-worked-up,html/feed</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Strategies to Incorporate Project Management With SharePoint In Mid-Market Organizations</title> <link>https://dwabkms.info/strategies-to-incorporate-project-management-with-sharepoint-in-mid-market-organizations,html</link> <comments>https://dwabkms.info/strategies-to-incorporate-project-management-with-sharepoint-in-mid-market-organizations,html#comments</comments> <pubDate>Tue, 04 Apr 2023 18:15:03 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>admin</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[businesses]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Advertising]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Branding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Business]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Business Travel]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Careers Employment]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Consulting]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Furnishings and Supplies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Industrial Mechanical]]></category> <category><![CDATA[International Business]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Management]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Networking]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sales Management]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sales Training]]></category> <category><![CDATA[security]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Small Business]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://dwabkms.info/?p=58</guid> <description><![CDATA[IntroductionMany organizations today have implemented technology such as Microsoft SharePoint to provide a central portal into their organization’s information and operations. While the promise of a central portal is alluring, it can also be elusive for project based organizations. The reason for this goes to the very purpose of systems such as SharePoint and project [...]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> IntroductionMany organizations today have implemented technology such as Microsoft SharePoint to provide a central portal into their organization’s information and operations. While the promise of a central portal is alluring, it can also be elusive for project based organizations. The reason for this goes to the very purpose of systems such as SharePoint and project management systems.In addition, mid-market organizations have additional considerations. For the purposes of this paper, a mid-market organization is simply an organization that needs more than the tools that the low-end market provides, but does not have the resources, time, or budget for the tools provided for the high-end market. In other words, they are right in the middle and need the right balance between sophistication, ease of implementation, and cost. Whereas certain solutions may be obvious for large organizations because of the internal resources available, they are less obvious for mid-market organizations.This article will discuss strategies for how to solve these problems and properly implement project management capability with a SharePoint-type of information portal, within the bounds of the mid-market predicament.Different Systems, Different PurposesAn online portal, such as SharePoint, is generally defined as collaboration software with the benefit of sharing information in order to work better. In the last 10-15 years especially, information within the organization has grown dramatically. Emails, spreadsheets, documents, and all other types of information became scattered throughout the organization. The promise (and purpose) of SharePoint especially is to put some structure around this information, centralize it, and make it easily accessible to everyone in the organization. There is a lot of value in this. This is not to say that SharePoint cannot be configured to do a number of different things beyond what was just mentioned, only that this is the primary, stated purpose of SharePoint.For project organizations that are focusing on running projects, this focus causes some gaps if an organization is planning to rely solely on SharePoint for its project management needs. The primary reason is that SharePoint is not project management software and thus does not naturally have some project management features that project organizations need. These include items such as Gantt charts, project scheduling engines, and resource utilization tools. SharePoint does have natural capabilities that do support project management processes, such as lists, document management, and collaboration. It is just that, for project-based organizations, these capabilities tend to weigh too heavily on collaboration and not enough on more formalized project management tools. Organizations with heavy project loads find that they need a balance of both. The fact that this is true of SharePoint is evidenced by Microsoft’s push for deployment of Microsoft Project Server as a tool to be deployed in addition to SharePoint, although many mid-market organizations struggle with the implementation of two complex systems.Conversely, project management software systems, are designed specifically to help project based organizations manage their projects. As such, they generally include more formalized project management features such as Gantt charts and scheduling. A good project management software system will support the processes that a project based organization needs to follow to work better and be more competitive.On the other hand, most project management software systems are not designed as a portal for all information in the organization. They are focused on projects, the information pertaining to those projects, and the management of those projects. As such, it can be difficult for an organization to rely solely on project management software as a portal for the entire organization. It is not impossible to do this, simply difficult without the right mix of project management system capability (or better stated flexibility) and organizational needs.This all is not meant to frustrate the reader, only to reiterate what the fundamental purposes are of different types of software systems so that a coherent and practical strategy can emerge to meet the needs of mid-market organizations with project management requirements.StrategiesWhat are the strategies then that a project based organization can employ to achieve both the centralized portal and collaboration benefits of a SharePoint type of system and the project management benefits of a project management software system?There are three fairly obvious and logical strategies to be discussed along with their strengths and weaknesses.Strategy #1: SharePoint OnlyThe first strategy is to utilize the SharePoint technology exclusively and take the time and resources to configure and even extend its capability to fill in any gaps that arise. There are several advantages of this approach. These include the fact that there is only one system to manage. All of the information is in one system meaning that you do not need to develop knowledge regarding two systems or worry about integration between those systems.In addition, many organizations already have SharePoint implemented within their organization making it an easy decision to use existing technology.There are also some disadvantages to this approach. These include the fact that there will most likely be some gaps in the project management capability that will need to be filled in some way. This could be done via technical configuration or programming, or third party tools, but in some way the gaps will need to be filled to be effective. Another disadvantage is that technical resources will be relied upon to both keep the system operational and help it meet project management-specific needs. SharePoint is not a simple system to deploy, implement, and maintain.The idea with this strategy is to simply do the best you can with your existing SharePoint technology.Strategy #2: Project Management System OnlyThe second strategy is to implement only a project management software system and use it for all of the organization’s needs. There are advantages to this approach as well. Similar to the first strategy, one advantage is that there is only one system to manage. All of the information is in one system thus requiring less training and administration. Another advantage is that the system will be designed specifically for project management. If most or all of the organization’s information is project-based, this will work well.Some of the disadvantages of this strategy include the fact that most project management software systems are not designed for other types of information sharing. For example, you generally will not see information on open orders from the organization’s accounting system in the project management system’s dashboard. It should be noted that this is not impossible, some systems have the capability to link to other systems and display data, but this is not the native purpose of these systems. Stated another way, these systems are usually geared towards projects, and not an overall portal for all the information in the organization.Another disadvantage can be the fact that project management software systems tend to be more formalized which means there may be some additional training involved over a simple collaboration system. This is not necessarily a bad thing – if an organization needs that level of capability, then it needs that level of capability and must train its staff on the capabilities and desired processes – but it is still something to consider.The idea with this strategy is to go full-out into what your organization in reality does: delivering projects.Strategy #3: The Hybrid ApproachThe third strategy is a hybrid of the other two strategies and involves implementing both a SharePoint type portal system, in addition to a project management software system. In other words, you implement both types of systems and connect them together.There are several advantages to this approach. For one, this approach works well with the whole idea of a portal system in the first place. In other words, a portal system like SharePoint is not meant to replace every other system in the organization but to act as a portal and central processing point for the information from those other systems. For example, an accounting system does what it does, while sharing information with the SharePoint system so that SharePoint can act as the central “clearing house” of all information. Likewise, a project management software system does what it does, while sharing information with the SharePoint system. In this approach, SharePoint becomes a true portal for delivering all relevant information across the organization, while the other systems are used to do what they do best (i.e. accounting for the organization’s finances or managing projects).In addition, there is generally more flexibility that an organization has with this approach. Considering the focus of managing projects, if there is a specific need for technology to support a new or improved process, you have more than one option. You have the option of doing that in the SharePoint system or you have the option of doing that in the project management software system, or even in the connection between the two systems. Either system may do certain things better than the other so that you are not tied down to a single technology.As with the other strategies, there are disadvantages to this strategy as well. They include the fact that you have to maintain multiple systems. This is negated somewhat if you take a Software as a Service approach (i.e. you do not host the software yourself), but there will always be some administrative items that you will need to have internal knowledge to function effectively.In addition, you need to maintain an interface between the two systems so that project information can be easily displayed in the SharePoint portal. That is not terrible difficult these days, but still an item to consider that needs to be maintained.The idea with this strategy is to get the best of both worlds.ConclusionsAs with any evaluation of software technology, the conclusions depend a great deal on the specific needs, objectives, culture, and processes of the organization performing the evaluation. The purpose of this paper is to provide background information so that you can determine the appropriate technology direction, not to make the decision itself. Thus it is important to understand your own organization before making determinations regarding technology. Once you have done that, there are some general guidelines that you can follow.If you do not have formal processes and can operate the organization entirely by collaboration, then native SharePoint technology may work.However, if you are a project based organization with any type of scheduling needs, project management software capability will be needed. A distinguishing factor is often in the management of tasks. If a simple to-do list is all that your process requires, then collaboration-type of software may fit the bill. If there is a scheduling component to the process (i.e. tasks need to be done at certain times and the schedule of those tasks needs to be tracked), then project management software-specific capability is generally required. There are other factors (such as resource utilization tracking) that can be evaluated, but task scheduling is generally the most common factor determining project management software need.If your organization is small enough in size and the scope of its information sharing is primarily project management focused, then using a single project management software system is generally a good approach. In other words, if you are in reality delivering projects and that is your world, go with the technology geared towards that world.Conversely, if your organization is large enough in size and has broader information sharing strategies beyond just project management, then incorporating a project management software system combined with SharePoint provides a lot of value.SharePoint is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. EnterPlicity is a registered trademark of Team Interactions, Inc. </p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://dwabkms.info/strategies-to-incorporate-project-management-with-sharepoint-in-mid-market-organizations,html/feed</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>How to Gain More Value From Project Management Software by Understanding 5 Purposes of Technology</title> <link>https://dwabkms.info/how-to-gain-more-value-from-project-management-software-by-understanding-5-purposes-of-technology,html</link> <comments>https://dwabkms.info/how-to-gain-more-value-from-project-management-software-by-understanding-5-purposes-of-technology,html#comments</comments> <pubDate>Tue, 04 Apr 2023 17:41:49 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>admin</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[project management]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://dwabkms.info/?p=55</guid> <description><![CDATA[Introduction Technology (especially “project management software”) has been and will continue to be an important part of project management discussion and practice. This is justified. The right project management software that is implemented correctly can have significant, positive effects on an organization. However, the wrong software, or software implemented poorly can pull an organization down.In [...]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> Introduction<br />Technology (especially “project management software”) has been and will continue to be an important part of project management discussion and practice. This is justified. The right project management software that is implemented correctly can have significant, positive effects on an organization. However, the wrong software, or software implemented poorly can pull an organization down.In our experience, we have seen organizations struggle with the proper implementation of the right software. Many times we find this stems from a limited or misunderstood view of the purpose of technology in the first place. For example, organizations may look for a tool that can just “schedule projects”, or they simply do not think through the broader, strategic purpose that the technology should serve. This leads to selecting the wrong technology or not implementing it in a way that provides the most value for the organization.The purpose of this white paper is to provide a fresh perspective on 5 major purposes of technology (and project management software in particular) in project management.These purposes come from lessons learned in the aviation field. The aviation field is similar to project management in the sense that it seeks to create predictable, successful outcomes in an activity with inherent risk. It utilizes technology heavily to fulfill that objective. By studying the role of technology in aviation, we can derive the major and similar purposes that technology should serve in project management. In so doing, we can also boost the strategic use of technology to support our organization’s strategic objectives, needs, and processes.Purpose 1: Situational Awareness<br />Some of the most important aviation technologies, such as the ILS (instrument landing system), glass panel displays, and GPS (global positioning system) are focused on situational awareness: letting the pilot know at every moment where the aircraft is headed, how it is oriented, how high it is, where it needs to go, how it is performing, or a number of other pieces of information.Project management technology is no different. It needs to provide situational awareness of each project’s situation, where they are headed, how they are performing, and how they need to proceed. It also needs to provide awareness of the situation of an organization’s entire project “portfolio.” If you cannot utilize your technology to know the current situation of your projects, you are not utilizing technology effectively.The “current project situation” may be different depending on your organization and its particular processes and objectives. It may mean the status of the project schedules, the quality of the deliverables, the current degree of risk, the satisfaction of the clients, or the state of the budget or profit numbers.It may mean how current resource utilization will affect the project, what issues have arisen that would derail the project, or what has slipped through the cracks.The important thing is to always be aware of the project situation so that you can make intelligent, timely, well-informed decisions.You can factor this into your project management technology implementation by doing the following:<br />Identify the key information that you need to maintain situational awareness.<br />Ensure that your project management software tool(s) can track and provide this information.<br />Train your staff on providing this information within the tool.<br />Purpose 2: Decision Making<br />In aviation, pilots must be able to make quick decisions using accurate data. For example, a pilot needs to know exactly what is wrong with the aircraft to make a good decision on next steps. They need to know how much fuel is remaining to make a decision on weather avoidance.Similarly, managers need to have accurate data to make decisions in project management. They need to know what is wrong with a project so they can make a good decision on next steps. They need to know resource availability to prioritize efforts and choose directions. In many organizations, this type of information is not readily available, either because the right toolset is not in place or the toolset has not been implemented in a way that supports this strategic purpose.Over 10 years ago there was a project manager position that was held by the author of this whitepaper. Each week, the project management group would spend hours (literally) compiling long status reports for management. They would need to track down the status of everything and document them, along with a host of other information. Is it good to have this information compiled? Yes. But it sure is a resource-intensive way of doing it that could be substituted with good technology and good process. Was the information effectively and utilized? That was unclear.Ask yourself, what is the information you need to make good decisions? What problems does your organization routinely face? Do you have real-time insight into those problems? Do you have all of this information readily available at all times? If not, make a pro-active effort to use process and technology to enable your decision making to be much more accurate, informed, and effective.In order to make decisions, two things have to occur:<br />The information needed to make decisions must be compiled.<br />The information needed to make decisions must be readily available.<br />Project management software technology fits into this broader purpose, but again you need to ensure that:<br />You know what information you need.<br />Your project management software technology is capable of compiling the information you need to make decisions.<br />The information in your project management software technology is always readily available.<br />Your team is trained on how to correctly compile the right information into the tool so that you can retrieve it to make decisions.<br />Purpose 3: Automation of Routine Tasks<br />A recent article in an aviation periodical referred to a certain modern airliner as a 650,000 pound computer. There is a lot of technology in cockpits today and much of it automates routine tasks for pilots. For example, pilots can use automated engine management systems that eliminate the need for the pilots to manage the specific thrust levels, temperatures, and other engine parameters; checklists are automated; alerts (notifications) are automated; and so forth.This automation does three things:<br />It reduces the risk of human error (i.e. someone makes a mistake while following a boring, routine process).<br />It frees up the resources (aka pilots) for more important things.<br />It allows more tasks to be accomplished in the same amount of time with fewer people (a third pilot is no longer needed).<br />There are many, many routine tasks performed in project management which take an enormous amount of time. Every organization has routine tasks that it has to do to be operational. Sometimes it is inconceivable how many countless hours are spent on mundane activities. This may only be because it is more comfortable and easy to do things the same way that we are used to doing them. Some that come to mind include the notification of events, the reporting of status, finding out if something is done or not, finding a document, routing incoming requests for work, filling out and disseminating forms, and collecting time.The right project management software technology can automate the routine things that your organization does. This has similar benefits for project management:<br />It reduces the risk of human error in your processes.<br />It frees up resources to do more important things (such as billable work or taking work off someone else’s plate).<br />It makes it easier to perform the process (less skill is needed to perform it).<br />It allows more tasks to be accomplished in the same amount of time with fewer people.<br />If you implement or use technology without having this broader purpose in mind, you will not be using your technology effectively. In fact, you may be simply swapping one tool out for another without a net benefit.What are ways that technology in project management can automate routine tasks?<br />Taking status inputs (such as a team member entering percent complete) and automatically rolling that up into project-level status.<br />Automatically notifying key personnel when an issue has arisen.<br />Centralizing all information so that there is one place to find it.<br />Automatically routing incoming requests so that the right person can see and respond to it.<br />Collecting time reported information and automatically generating reports on actual time usage.<br />Automatically aggregating all project plans and schedules into useful resource utilization views and reports.<br />Automatically creating new projects from templates that follow a pre-defined path and eliminate the need to re-create that path.<br />Automating the generation of proposals and other templated documents.<br />What this looks like for your organization will be different because you have different strategic objectives, different processes, and different activities that eat up a lot of your staff’s time.The point is to understand the purpose of technology so that you can use it strategically to accomplish a specific purpose.As with other purposes, you need to take pro-active action to fulfill this purpose by ensuring:<br />You know which tasks are routine and time-intensive in your organization.<br />Your project management software tool(s) can automate those routine tasks.<br />Your project management software tools(s) are setup correctly to automate those routine tasks.<br />Purpose 4: Support for Standardized Processes<br />Standardized processes are a huge part of the aviation world and a big reason why it has had success at creating predictable, successful outcomes in a risky environment. In aviation, technology supports the standardized process environment. Technology is not implemented because it would be cool or neat. It is strategically implemented to support the standardized processes. For example, part of the takeoff checks process is to confirm that the correct runway is programmed into the flight management computer. Well, in many systems, the correct runway is displayed right where the pilot needs to see it to complete this standard process. It is also standard procedure that when an aircraft is descending in clouds towards a runway that they cannot proceed below a certain altitude unless the runway environment is in sight. Technology supports this process by displaying the minimum altitude and alerting the pilots if they go below it.Technology in project management tends to be separated from the purpose of supporting standardized processes. We may have a process, but we may also be looking for a “scheduling tool.” In other words, we look at them differently, but the two go hand in hand. One of the primary purposes of technology must be to support the standardized processes of an organization. Why is a standardized process important? Because you cannot have a predictable (ordered) outcome if you have a random process. The process must be standardized and ordered.Technology should help us implement, maintain, and improve standardized processes across the organization. Examples include online checklists and templates, exception reporting of items outside the process (aka alerts), and workflow automation that follows a particular process. These types of things support the strategic process and the overall goal of implementing strategic objectives.Your project management software tool(s) should fulfill this fundamental purpose as well. You also need to take the following pro-active steps:<br />Ensure that your processes are documented correctly.<br />Ensure that your project management software tool(s) support your processes.<br />Ensure that your team understands how to manage the process in the tool.<br />Ensure that your team is trained on executing the process within the tool.<br />Purpose 5: Insight into Trends, Problems, and Performance<br />In aviation, there are systems and even organizations in place to mine data and identify trends and potential future risks. Is there a trend of certain mistakes that pilots are making that need to be addressed via training? Is there an unusual spike in maintenance anomalies for a certain aircraft?This is often the furthest thing from the mind of a project manager. We are so busy with the day to day that we cannot (or will not) take the time to look at things like trends and potential problems. However, that is part of our job. Problems and risks are always lurking and will strike when we least expect it.This is where technology comes in to play. As in aviation, technology can make it easier to do this. The right technology will help us run reports, look at data exceptions, and provide similar views into our project management environments.There are two points here worth mentioning:<br />When you choose technology, you should keep this purpose in mind. How easy is it to mine for various types of data?<br />We should be experts at quickly drilling into data and extracting useful information.<br />Conclusion<br />Organizations continue to struggle with either poor project management software tools or project management software tools that are not implemented correctly. The purpose of this paper was to help organizations understand the broader purposes of technology in project management by looking at lessons from the aviation field. By doing so, organizations can expand their perspective and pro-actively implement these purposes in their own project management environments, thus creating a toolset that increasingly supports the strategic objectives, needs, and processes of the organization. </p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://dwabkms.info/how-to-gain-more-value-from-project-management-software-by-understanding-5-purposes-of-technology,html/feed</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> </channel></rss> If you would like to create a banner that links to this page (i.e. this validation result), do the following:
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