Source:
http://www.mgmt.iisc.ernet.in/websites.html
Websites
Advertising and Marketing 19th Century Advertising Banking and Finance AAAdir Economics ArgMax Knowledge Management Brint.com |
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
IISc : Department of Management Studies
Monday, May 23, 2011
"Six laptops under Rs 45,000 that you could buy for b-school"
http://www.pagalguy.com/2011/05/six-laptops-under-rs-45000-that-you-could-buy-for-b-school/
Six laptops under Rs 45,000 that you could buy for b-school
in Admissions 2010-11, Laptop reviews, Life@b-school
100 comments
For those with 'good news' at the end of the MBA admissions season starts an entirely new and bigger phase of money-bleeding — for paying tuition fees, living expenses and buying that inseparable appendage of business education — the Laptop.
Believe it or not, the laptop will be both the source of stress as well as its antidote at b-school. When you are not using the laptop for rigorous class assignments and presentations, it will be your all-in-one tool for watching movies, playing games, haunting social networking sites and staying in touch with your near and dear ones.
We looked up some of the best MBA-friendly laptops out there in the market and are briefly reviewing them for you. But before we begin, some de-jargonizing of typical computer terminology is in order.
The Processor
It being the brain of the computer, we suggest you opt for the most powerful multiple core processors for the best computing performance. 'The more the merrier' couldn't have been more applicable than while selecting processors. Look out for the generation of the processor as your laptop's efficiency depends on it. You can find out the generation of the processor by simply looking at its code. A code that read like 2xxx, means that the processor belongs to Intel's latest 'second-generation' of processors. These line of processors offer better graphics and video processing capabilities while consuming lesser power over its first generation counterparts. Your laptop will thus work for longer hours.
Here is how to interpret a processor's nomenclature. Suppose a processor is named 'Intel Core i3-380M Processor (2.53GHz, 4 Threads, 3M cache)'. Then,
i3-380m is the processor code. This is an Intel first-generation core processor (a second generation processor will have codes along the lines of 2xxx, for example '2130′).
2.53 GHz is the clock Speed; higher this number, better the performance.
4 Threads indicates the multitasking capabilities of your processor. The more the number of threads, better the processor.
3M Cache – the L3 (Level 3) Cache Memory of the CPU.
Random Access Memory (RAM)
The higher the RAM, the lesser a computer's tendency to hang while you multitask between multiple software applications. For a new laptop, a DDR3 RAM of 3GB is sufficient for running Windows 7 and other ancillary applications that you will use extensively in your b-school curriculum. We are talking about applications such as Microsoft Excel, SPSS or Minitab. Make sure that the RAM in you laptop is upgradeable, as you never know when you might want to pimp the machine up.
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
A GPU in a laptop is quite like the power-windows feature in a car: it is good if you have one, but it is not necessary. Most modern processors powering today's laptops have an in-built GPU which allows them to produce decent graphics. But if you would like to use your laptop for high-end gaming or watching high-definition movies, you should consider adding an external GPU. You will have to shell out more, but it will significantly enhance your gaming and multimedia experience. Oh and yes, GPUs tend to be battery drainers and cause laptops to heat up. So do look up reviews of the particular GPU model on the Internet before buying the laptop.
But if you're going to largely keep your laptop usage limited to b-school-related software and watching standard quality movies, you can give an external GPU a miss.
Make sure your laptop has a VGA-out port. You will need it to connect to projectors for showing those dazzling Picasso-shaming Powerpoint presentations that you will subject your professors to.
After-sales Service
To limit the damage caused by malfunctions for a longer period of time, opt for the 'extended manufacturer warranty' at an additional cost. Ask your seniors how good their service experience has been with various brands in the city your b-school is situated in.
Onwards ho to the laptops. We are suggesting a few laptops priced below Rs 45,000 for,
1. Running academics-related software
2. Watching movies in hi-definition and
3. Playing the occasional game (like Need For Speed (NFS), Grand Theft Auto (GTA), CounterStrike, Warcraft III, etc)
Best Laptops under Rs 45,000 for Indian b-schoolers
#5: Acer AS4820TG – 5463G50Mnks
Specifications:
Processor: Intel i5-460M – 2.53 Ghz 3M Cache
RAM: 3 GB DDR3 (Upgradable to 8 GB)
Hard disk: 500 GB SATA 5400 Rpm
Screen Size: 14′ Active Matrix TFT Colour LCD Resoultion: 1366 x 768
GPU: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 1 GB
OS: Genuine 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium
Weight: 2.20 kg
Price: Rs 42,500-ish
The goods: Fast processor, ample HDD space, very good GPU, Windows 7 home premium (better multimedia capabilities), Thin and light form factor.
The bads: Better deals available at lower prices, glossy screen makes it difficult to see in the sun.
Why is it here?
This is is a good laptop which can easily transform from a business laptop to a gaming one. However it is a little too pricey for its configuration as you will find out.
#4: Dell Inspiron 14R New Laptop
Specifications
Processor: Intel Core I3-380m (2.53 GHz, 4 Threads, 3M)
RAM: 4GB DDR3
Hard disk: 500 GB SATA 5400 Rpm
Screen Size: 14″ (35.6cm) HD WLED Glossy Display with TrueLife™ (1366×768)
GPU: Intel HD Graphics
OS: Genuine Windows 7 Home Basic SP1 64bit (English)
Weight: 2.25 kg.
Price: Rs 34,400-ish.
Pros: RAM, and HDD, lower price, easily portable (14'' screen). Accidental Damage cover by Dell in the warranty period, which can be extended to second year at an extra cost of Rs 3235. Recommended if there is almost no need for gaming and/or viewing HD content.
Cons: No GPU, basic 1st generation i3 processor.
Why is it here?
This is a laptop that is purely for people who are looking for something that matches the rigours of a curriculum; nothing more, nothing less. This laptop can easily take the load of the applications needed in the MBA course, but might tire out if used for gaming or extensive multimedia. Recommended if you absolutely do not need a laptop for gaming or viewing HD content.
#3: Hewlett-Packard HP G6-1017TU
Specifications
Processor: Intel Core i5-2410M (2.30GHz, 4 threads, turbo boost up to 2.93 Ghz, 3M cache)
RAM: 4 GB DDR3 (Upgradable to 8 GB)
HDD: 320GB SATA 5400 Rpm
Screen Size: 15.6″ (39.6cm) HD LED HP BrightView Display (1366×768)
GPU: Intel HD Graphics 3000 (Internal)
OS: Genuine Windows 7 Home Basic SP1 64bit (English)
Weight: 2.4 kg
Price: Rs 40,500
Pros: 2nd Gen i5 processor (fast, really), decent RAM.
Cons: No separate GPU.
Why is it here?
A very well-rounded package for business needs, with a fast processor and ample RAM. Well suited for delivering rich multimedia experience coupled with superb performance in routine tasks. The lack of a separate GPU means that avid gamers might want to look for some other options, but it can handle casual games quite well with Intel HD Graphics 3000 integrated GPU.
#3: Lenovo IdeaPad Z570 59-067847
Specifications
Processor: Intel Core i5-2410M (2.30GHz, 4 threads, turbo boost up to 2.93Ghz, 3M cache)
RAM: 4 GB DDR3 (Upgradable to 8 GB)
HDD: 640GB SATA 5400 Rpm
Screen Size: 15.6 HD LED Glare (1366×768)
GPU: Integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000
OS: Win7 Home Premium( 64 Bits)
Weight: 2.5 kg
Price: Rs 40,990+tax
Pros: Good processor, RAM and HDD config, Windows 7 Home Premium
Cons: Price, absence of a separate GPU will cause problems for gamers.
Why is it here?
This model has slight edge over the Hewlett Packard HP G6-1017TU as it offers an additional 320GB HDD space and Windows 7 Home premium, which offer better multimedia capabilities over Windows 7 Home Basic. But because of its price the Lenovo ties with HP for #3.
#2: Lenovo IdeaPad Z570 59-069600
Specifications
Processor: Intel Core i3-2310M (2.10 GHz 3M cache)
RAM: 4GB DDR3 (Upgradable to 8 GB)
HDD: 640GB SATA 5400 Rpm
Screen Size: 14″ (35.6cm) Widescreen HD WLED Glossy Display with TrueLife™ (1366×768)
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GT 520M – 1GB
OS: Genuine Windows 7 Home Basic SP1 64-bit (English)
Weight: 2.6 kg
Price: Rs 38,990+tax
Pros: 2nd Gen i3 processor, ample RAM and HDD space, and a separate GPU too!
Cons: The processor could have been faster, like a first generation i-5.
Why is it here?
A gaming laptop, akin to the #1, albeit with slightly downscaled performance parameters. However, the price is lower as well.
The only difference between this and the #1 laptop is the processor. The i3 second generation here, we feel is slightly underpowered. Both of them are at par as far as graphics is concerned with Lenovo's Nvidia 520M only slightly losing out. However with Nvidia's optimizer solution Optimus, the GPU power consumption is regulated for giving an optimum battery life. All in all a very good buy. Let us say Lenovo lost in a photo finish.
#1: Dell Inspiron 14R
Specifications
Processor: Intel Core i5-480M (2.66GHz, 4Threads, turbo boost up to 2.93Ghz, 3M cache)
RAM: 4 GB DDR3 (Upgradable to 8 GB)
HDD: 320GB SATA 5400 Rpm
Screen Size: 14″ (35.6cm) Widescreen HD WLED Glossy Display with TrueLife™ (1366×768)
GPU: ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 5650 – 1GB
OS: Genuine Windows 7 Home Basic SP1 64bit (English)
Weight: 2.25 kg
Price: Rs 40,626 for this configuration, Rs 35,400 without Graphics card and 3 GB RAM.
Pros: Everything. Accidental Damage cover by Dell in the warranty period, which can be extended to second year at an extra cost of Rs 3235..
Cons: HDD space could've been larger.
Why is it here?
An i5 processor with 4GB RAM, coupled with a high-mid range separate GPU we guess that the configuration speaks volumes. And as stated earlier, Dell is known to have a superb after-sales service. It edges out the Lenovo Ideapad Z570 mainly because of its processor and its graphics handling capabilities are far better than the others in this range. The best laptop at this price, for b-school requirements, high definition movie watching and occasional gaming.
PS: For people willing to put a graphics card in their laptops and run the machine for more than 12 hours a day, you might want to invest in a laptop cooling stand. And if you want to use/play unplugged, a 9-cell battery would take care of the extra power consumption.
PPS: Apple makes excellent laptops. It's just that they never bother to come down to this price range.
Advisory
We have observed some people considering the Apple iPad or other tablet devices as a substitute for a full-fledged laptop. If you ask us, tablets such as the iPad or the Blackberry Playbook have not been designed and are not intended to replace a laptop. So please don't think of the iPad as a substitute to a laptop. Tablets for now are niche media consumption devices not geared up for complex spreadsheet or presentation-creating activities.
(With important contributions from Prashant Bist and Sarath Kurup.)
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
MBA Course Books
Business Economics
Managerial Accounting
Marketing Management
Supply Chain Management
These are the books generally referred to in most B-Schools...However,
I woudl not advise you to purchase any of these apart from Kotler &
Narayanswamy at the moment for your preliminary studies. All these
books would be available in the library of the B-School you join. (i
assume you would be joining a B-School with a good library facility).
It would also be great if you could get a copy of Statistics for
Management by Levin & Rubin and start working on it coz this would
prove to be the mst useful book for any course during your MBA.
Organizational Behaviour
1) Organisational Behaviour : Concepts, Controversies and Application
- Stephen P. Robbins
2) Organisational Behaviour - Fred Luthans
Business Economics
1) Economics - P.A. Samuelson
2) Introductory Economics - Michael Veseth
3) Managerial Economics - H.C.Petersoen,W.C.Lewis and S.K.Jain
Managerial Accounting
1) Financial Accounting: An Integrated Approach: Anthony Joseph H &
Louderback Joseph
2) Financial Accounting For Business Managers: Bhattacharyya A K
3) Taxmann's Financial Accounting For Managers: For Mba Students: Ghosh T P
4) Introduction To Financial Accounting : Horngren C T, Sudem
5) Financial Accounting: A Managerial Prespective:Narayanaswamy R
6) Financial Accounting For Business Managers: Bhattacharyya A K
Marketing Management
1) Marketing Management - Kotler & Keller
for general indian eco gyan u can read
India Unbound -- Gurbachan Das
is pretty good book....
Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish.
Good judgement comes from experience which comes from Bad judgement
An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind
Apne Aangan Ka Diya Giving Light To Neighbours House
regards,
THE0NE
http://the0nesjourney.blog.com
http://mouthshut.com/mindshut/reviews
Business Analyst Requirements
Business analyst
A Business Analyst (BA) analyzes the organization and design of businesses, government departments, and non-profit organizations; BAs also assess business models and their integration with technology.
Contents[hide] |
[edit]Levels
There are at least four tiers of business analysis:
- Planning Strategically – The analysis of the organization's strategic business needs
- Operating/Business Model Analysis – The definition and analysis of the organization's policies and market business approaches
- Process Definition and Design – The business process modeling (often developed through process modeling and design)
- IT/Technical Business Analysis – The interpretation of business rules and requirements for technical systems (generally IT)
[edit]Alternative descriptions
BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, proposes the following definition of a business analyst: "An internal consultancy role that has responsibility for investigating business systems, identifying options for improving business systems and bridging the needs of the business with the use of IT." [1]
The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) describes the role as: "a liaison among stakeholders in order to understand the structure, policies, and operations of an organization, and to recommend solutions that enable the organization to achieve its goals."[2]
The Certified Software Business Analyst (CSBA) Common Body of Knowledge, defines this as: "uniquely placed in the organization to provide a strong link between the Business Community and Information Technology (IT)."[citation needed]
The role of Business Analyst has evolved from someone who was a part of the business operation and worked with Information Technology to improve the quality of the products and services being delivered by the IT organization to someone who apart from gathering Business Requirements, also assists in Integration and Acceptance Testing, supports the development of training and implementation material, participates in the implementation, and provides post-implementation support. Business Analysts today are also involved in the development of project plans and often provide project management skills when these skills are not available in other project participants.
[edit]Typical deliverables
Depending on the level of thinking about business analysis, the areas range from the technical Business Analysis role (converting detailed business rules into system requirements), to conversion of shareholder return and risk appetite into strategic plans.
The following section focuses on the IT sector perspective around business analysis, where much of the deliverables are around requirements. The BA will record requirements in some form of requirements management tool, whether a simple spreadsheet or a complex application.
- Business requirements
- (project initiation document), what the needed achievements will be, and the quality measures. They are usually expressed in terms of broad outcomes the business requires, rather than specific functions the system may perform. Specific design elements are usually outside the scope of this document, although design standards may be referenced.
- Example: Improve the readability of project plans.
- Functional requirements
- describe what the system, process, or product/service must do in order to fulfill the business requirements. Note that the business requirements often can be broken up into sub-business requirements and many functional requirements. These are often referred to as System Requirements although some functionality could be manual and not system based, e.g., create notes or work instructions.
- An example that follows from previous business requirement example:
- The system shall provide the ability to associate notes to a project plan.
- The system shall allow the user to enter free text to the project plan notes, up to 255 characters in length.
- An example that follows from previous business requirement example:
- User (stakeholder) requirements
- are a very important part of the deliverables, the needs of the stakeholders must be correctly interpreted. This deliverable can also reflect how the product will be designed and developed, and define how test cases must be formulated. However, stakeholders may not always be users of a system.
- Quality-of-service (non-functional) requirements
- are requirements that do not perform a specific function for the business requirement but are needed to support the functionality. For example: performance, scalability, quality of service (QoS), security and usability. These are often included within the System Requirements, where applicable.
- Implementation (transition) requirements
- are capabilities or behaviors required only to enable transition from the current state of the enterprise to the desired future state, but that will thereafter no longer be required.
- Report specifications
- define the purpose of a report, its justification, attributes and columns, owners and runtime parameters.
- The traceability matrix
- is a cross matrix for recording the requirements through each stage of the requirements gathering process. High level concepts will be matched to scope items which will map to individual requirements which will map to corresponding functions. This matrix should also take into account any changes in scope during the life of the project. At the end of a project, this matrix should show each function built into a system, its source and the reason that any stated requirements may not have been delivered.
Within the systems development life cycle domain (SDLC), the business analyst typically performs a liaison function between the business side of an enterprise and the providers of services to the enterprise. A common alternative role in the IT sector is business analyst, systems analyst, and functional analyst, although some organizations may differentiate between these titles and corresponding responsibilities.
[edit]Prerequisites
There is no defined way to become a business analyst. Often the BA has a technical background, whether having worked as a programmer or engineer, or completing a Computer Science degree. Others may move into a BA role from a business role – their status as a subject matter expert and their analytical skills make them suitable for the role. Business analysts may overlap into roles such as project manager or consultant. When focused on specific systems, the term Business Systems Analyst may be used.
A BA does not always work in IT-related projects, as BA skills are often required in marketing and financial roles as well.
The International Institute of Business Analysis provides a certification program for business analysts (Certified Business Analyst Professional or CBAP), as well as providing a body of knowledge for the field (Business Analysis Body of Knowledge or BABOK).
A few consulting companies provide BA training courses and there are some consulting books on the market (UML, workshop facilitation,consultancy, communication skills). Some helpful text books are:
- Customer-Centered Products by Ivy F. Hooks and Kristin A. Farry (Amazon, USA, 2001).
- UML for the IT Business Analyst: A Practical Guide to Object-Oriented Requirements Gathering by Howard Podeswa,
- Writing Effective Use Cases by Alistair Cockburn
- Discovering Real Business Requirements for Software Project Success by Robin F. Goldsmith.
- Business Modeling with UML by Eriksson & Penker
- Software Requirements, 2nd Edition by Karl E. Wiegers (Microsoft Press, 2003)
BAs work in different industries such as finance, banking, insurance, telecoms, utilities, software services, and so on. Due to working on projects at a fairly high level of abstraction, BAs can switch between industries. The business domain subject areas BAs may work in include workflow, billing, mediation, provisioning and customer relationship management. The telecom industry has mapped these functional areas in their Telecommunications Operational Map (eTOM) model.
Finally, Business Analysts do not have a predefined and fixed role, as they can take a shape in operations (technology architect or project management) scaling, sales planning, strategy devising or even in developmental process. Hence, they get a different name for the played role. Even the International Institute of Business Analysis and its associates have had several editions of the roles and responsibilities of a person undertaking the BA role.
[edit]Possible benefits and drawbacks of including Business Analysts in software projects
The role of the BA is key in software development projects. They serve as the mediator or the bridge between the Technical and Business end of stakeholders. Typically, in organizations where no formal structure or processes exist, the Business Owners and Developers communicate directly. Assuming that Developers have no organizational skills, this can present a problem: the goal of the Business Owner is to get what they want very quickly, and the goal of the Developer is to give the Business Owner what they want as quickly as he/she can give it to him/her. This probably leads to creating changes in a vacuum, not necessarily taking the needs of all users of the system into account, depending on the organizational skills of the involved Developers. There is rarely any detailed definition of the requirements, and many times, the real reason for the request may not make good business sense. There tends to be no emphasis on long term, strategic goals that the business wants to achieve via Information Technology. The Business Analyst can bring structure and formalization of requirements into this process, which may lead to increased foresight among Business Owners. It is very helpful in business development. However, when the Business Analyst just works as 'man in the middle', without helping Business Owner and Developers to streamline the long term goals results in a loss of time as well as information. [3]
In recent years, there has been an upsurge of using analysts of all sorts: business analysts, business process analysts, risk analysts, system analysts. Ultimately, an effective project manager will include Business Analysts who break down communication barriers between stakeholders and developers.[4]
[edit]See also
- Business analysis
- Business process reengineering
- Information technology
- International Institute of Business Analysis
- Systems analysis
- Information Architect
- Use case
- Spreadmart
[edit]References
- ^ Paul, Debra; Donald Yeates, Keith Hindle (April 2006). Business analysis. BCS. p. 4. ISBN 978-1-902505-70-1.
- ^ IIBA (March 2009). Kevin Brennan. ed. A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (2.0 ed.). IIBA. p. 3. ISBN 978-0-9811292-1-1.
- ^ "Business analyst role key in SOA software development projects". TechTarget. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
- ^ "Rethinking the Role of Business Analysts". Retrieved 2008-08-26.
[edit]External links
- Australian Business Analysis Association (ABAA)
- International Institute of Business Analysts (IIBA)
- Business analysis and the project lifecycle in practice – a briefing study guide
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| · To manage and implement project based solutions for various applications like Core Banking, ATMs, Credit Cards, Treasury, Payment Systems, Internet Banking etc. · To suggest procedural/ process improvements both from a technology and a process point of view, advise system features and propose system amendments. · To study the business requirements, prepare BRS, coordinate development, UAT, bug-fixing and implementation of project · To tailor implementation schedules in such a way that the implementation is a well-coordinated process, managing the application in its entire life cycle to include maintenance, bug fixing and enhancements etc. · To have vendor interactions i.e. vetting out solutions given by vendors , monitoring the work done and maintaining the relation ship as a whole. · Experience with web based applications/ Java platform. · Assist management with accepting new projects analysis including cost estimates, system application analysis and design recommendations based on application knowledge and project experience. |
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| · Understanding Business and IT processes. · Basic understanding of Banking processes. · Understanding of System Development Life Cycle. · Awareness of basic compliance issues. · Skills to establish & maintain collaborative partnership. · Understanding of workflow based systems. · DB knowledge (SQL / Oracle) · Project Management experience · Knowledge of Finacle/Finone desirable. · Co-ordination & liaison with internal groups and external parties. · Written communicion skills. |