In today’s employment environment, HR managers are faced with the monumental duty of hiring and maintaining, as well as the ongoing development, of employees. But the single most difficult task lies first in hiring the right people.
Not only are prospective employers faced with the largest available potential workforce since the Second World War, but, as things have become more sophisticated, so have the deception techniques of those who would shaft you and your company. Negligent hiring, sexual harassment, and frivolous employee lawsuits have increased sharply in recent years, as have the incidents of workers’ compensation fraud and employee theft.
What Can You Do?
In the area of hiring the most qualified candidate for the job, there are the reference checks, the employment and education verification and the background check. A good background check should include thorough candidate identification, financial and driving histories and criminal convictions at any and all court levels. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, it isn’t that easy.
Today, you must conduct as thorough a check on the company doing your screening as you would on screening your candidates. Why? As mentioned, a lot of little companies have sprung up touting the wonders of overnight background checks, some of which could be illegal. A number of these firms, which rely upon database research to compile the background data, without so much as a verification of the information, discovered.
Case in point. A well-known HMO recently settled out of court with a group of families, two of whom suffered the loss of their mothers because a psychopathic orderly took it upon himself to call patients and tell them that they had cancer. Two women committed suicide and fourteen others sought serious psychiatric help to get them through the problems that didn’t really exist.
Yes, the HMO did indeed do a background check – one that was low-cost and was ordered on a computer screen. No record was found, and the candidate was hired. No one took the time to learn that this individual had just been released from prison in Massachusetts one year before for doing the same thing at a Boston-area hospital. In this case, the HMO saved a few dollars on the background, but the result was a $14 million settlement!
When hiring a background check firm, look for stability, longevity, a good track record, and one that isn’t afraid to refer you to any of its clients. Look for professional memberships, and above all, find out how they do their criminal conviction research. If they do it by database or computer, you could be better off if you stay away.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Build Your Online Database
Anyone who depends on building a database with online subscribers knows this is becoming more difficult by the day. Primarily, the competition for the consumer’s attention is fierce. Today’s consumer has become much more demanding and savvy when it comes to buying products online or signing up for “stuff.”
Smart marketers realize the power and profit that comes from a strong alliance through joint venturing. JV’s can be one of the smartest marketing moves any online marketer can make.
Something that has become very popular in recent months is where one person or company sweetens the offer of the product they are selling with lots of bonuses. The bonuses can be their own information products or those of others who understand the benefits of this type of campaign. Of course, there is no charge for the bonus products.
There are two primary ways to participate in a JV of this nature. One is to simply give the PDF file to the person who is selling a product. The seller gives the PDF directly to the buyer. The advantage to this is your bonus product gets seen by others. The disadvantage is you don’t get access to the buyer’s contact information.
The other option is to require anyone who buys a product to go to a link provided by the bonus giver. The link is connected to a page with a form that the consumer fills out. They must leave their name and at a minimum, their email address before they can download the bonus.
When offered the opportunity to partner with other online marketers I usually jump at the chance. However, I the campaign I am most likely to join in on is the one where people sign up to get my bonus. Additionally, I do all I can to make sure the person I partner with is reputable.
Here are the primary benefits to participating in a joint venture.
1. Expanded market reach
2. Gain name recognition within that market
3. Increase credibility through name association
4. Build a database with minimal effort
5. Create incredible value for the consumer
If you are looking for ways to increase your database, reach, credibility and visibility while providing more value to your market, consider joining forces with other progressive thinking entrepreneurs. It could be one of the smartest business moves you make.
Smart marketers realize the power and profit that comes from a strong alliance through joint venturing. JV’s can be one of the smartest marketing moves any online marketer can make.
Something that has become very popular in recent months is where one person or company sweetens the offer of the product they are selling with lots of bonuses. The bonuses can be their own information products or those of others who understand the benefits of this type of campaign. Of course, there is no charge for the bonus products.
There are two primary ways to participate in a JV of this nature. One is to simply give the PDF file to the person who is selling a product. The seller gives the PDF directly to the buyer. The advantage to this is your bonus product gets seen by others. The disadvantage is you don’t get access to the buyer’s contact information.
The other option is to require anyone who buys a product to go to a link provided by the bonus giver. The link is connected to a page with a form that the consumer fills out. They must leave their name and at a minimum, their email address before they can download the bonus.
When offered the opportunity to partner with other online marketers I usually jump at the chance. However, I the campaign I am most likely to join in on is the one where people sign up to get my bonus. Additionally, I do all I can to make sure the person I partner with is reputable.
Here are the primary benefits to participating in a joint venture.
1. Expanded market reach
2. Gain name recognition within that market
3. Increase credibility through name association
4. Build a database with minimal effort
5. Create incredible value for the consumer
If you are looking for ways to increase your database, reach, credibility and visibility while providing more value to your market, consider joining forces with other progressive thinking entrepreneurs. It could be one of the smartest business moves you make.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Marketing databases
Quick, what is the most important component of your business? If you belong to a product based company and said the intellectual property or patents, you are only partly right. If you belong to a service company and mentioned the human capital invested in your services, you are again partly right. If you belong to any other company and mentioned any of the array of things that make the modern enterprise thrive, you are again, only partly right. But if you are among those rare breed of professionals, whose job it is to harness data, especially marketing databases, then you have your finger on the money!
It may seem difficult to believe, but marketing databases, especially those with true data are the ones that drive the modern enterprise. Think about it. Any number of companies make products, even good products or excellent products. The same is the case with service companies who may offer good, great or even exemplary service. But unless these companies can pitch their products and services to the right kind of target audience, they will not be able to sustain their business. This is where marketing databases enter the picture. Over the past few decades, marketing databases have become more and more important. They have not only guided the way marketing professionals do business, they have in fact shaped the very way products and services reach us.
While the mass media still continues to be the mainstay of advertising a product or service, marketing databases have taken this sort of promotion one step further by making the communication more personalized. The earliest marketing databases were little more than the contact details of friends, acquaintances and professional contacts. Slowly, as marketers realized the wealth of opportunities these provided, the scope and nature of marketing databases grew. Today, typical marketing databases can contain not just the contact details of the intended target audience, but also a wealth of information on the likes, dislikes, preferences and even more such information on the target profile.
It is indeed difficult to imagine how a company would survive in the present day world without suitable marketing databases. In fact, it is difficult to imagine anyone going into business without proper access to good marketing databases. Today, access to such information is what spells the difference mediocrity and success. And for those who are not equipped with the right tools like marketing databases, the battle for the consumer is going to be very tight indeed.
It may seem difficult to believe, but marketing databases, especially those with true data are the ones that drive the modern enterprise. Think about it. Any number of companies make products, even good products or excellent products. The same is the case with service companies who may offer good, great or even exemplary service. But unless these companies can pitch their products and services to the right kind of target audience, they will not be able to sustain their business. This is where marketing databases enter the picture. Over the past few decades, marketing databases have become more and more important. They have not only guided the way marketing professionals do business, they have in fact shaped the very way products and services reach us.
While the mass media still continues to be the mainstay of advertising a product or service, marketing databases have taken this sort of promotion one step further by making the communication more personalized. The earliest marketing databases were little more than the contact details of friends, acquaintances and professional contacts. Slowly, as marketers realized the wealth of opportunities these provided, the scope and nature of marketing databases grew. Today, typical marketing databases can contain not just the contact details of the intended target audience, but also a wealth of information on the likes, dislikes, preferences and even more such information on the target profile.
It is indeed difficult to imagine how a company would survive in the present day world without suitable marketing databases. In fact, it is difficult to imagine anyone going into business without proper access to good marketing databases. Today, access to such information is what spells the difference mediocrity and success. And for those who are not equipped with the right tools like marketing databases, the battle for the consumer is going to be very tight indeed.
Criminal database
Let me tell you a story about my closest friend. The guy spent his whole life living in North Carolina. He loved the place, and thought he'd be there forever. Until one day he found a job out in Los Angeles, California. It was the jab he'd been looking for and it was his for the taking. So he decided to grab his wife and little boy, and head out to LA. They moved into a nice suburb and he started his dream job. In no time at all, he heard about a child that was abducted from his neighborhood. Naturally this was upsetting, because he had a young boy of his own. The last thing he wanted was for his family to be in danger. When I spoke with him on the phone not long after, I told him to check out the national criminal database. This way he could research his area in particular and see what registered sex offenders were living near by. Well, as it turned out, 8 of them lived within a few miles. YIKES! He suddenly regretted moving there. I told him that 8 did sound like a high number and it was rather unsettling, but chances are he had sex offenders living near him before also. These guys are everywhere. If you think they're not, guess again.
When was the last time you checked out the local criminal database for registered sex offenders? If you haven't at all, you may be in for a rude awakening. And please don't tell me you're in some rural Midwestern town, because I live in one as well, and there are three registered sex offenders within minutes from my home. As a matter of fact, those are just the ones who've been caught. Imagine how many others are out there who haven't. This is a dismal and infuriating topic, I know. However, it is one that deserves discussion. My point is that you should take advantage of your online resources by checking out the local criminal database. Find out what sex offenders do live in your neck of the woods. This way you can at least let your children know where it's not safe to play. Furthermore, wouldn't you want to know if a pedophile was living next door to you?
I appreciate the online system and the fact that it's free to the general public. Having access to a criminal database can even assist you when you're searching to buy a home. Find out what the neighborhood is like before you move there.
When was the last time you checked out the local criminal database for registered sex offenders? If you haven't at all, you may be in for a rude awakening. And please don't tell me you're in some rural Midwestern town, because I live in one as well, and there are three registered sex offenders within minutes from my home. As a matter of fact, those are just the ones who've been caught. Imagine how many others are out there who haven't. This is a dismal and infuriating topic, I know. However, it is one that deserves discussion. My point is that you should take advantage of your online resources by checking out the local criminal database. Find out what sex offenders do live in your neck of the woods. This way you can at least let your children know where it's not safe to play. Furthermore, wouldn't you want to know if a pedophile was living next door to you?
I appreciate the online system and the fact that it's free to the general public. Having access to a criminal database can even assist you when you're searching to buy a home. Find out what the neighborhood is like before you move there.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Stydy About Database Services For Customer Records
NEWTON, MA, (November 3, 2004) - FreshAddress, Inc., a leading email services provider, released the industry's first benchmark data on email appending and ECOA (Email Change of Address) solutions. Based on an analysis of nearly 75 million customer records processed for its clients over the six months ending September 30, 2004, the study found the following:
* The average email append match rate for commercial clients was 15.1%, with a range from 9.5% to 24.3%.
* The average email append match rate for nonprofits was 10.3%, with a range from 5.5% to 15.4%.
* Regular quarterly append processing resulted in more than doubling the above figures on an annual basis.
The research found that the discrepancy between match rates for commercial clients versus those for nonprofits was directly correlated with the age of the underlying customer base. Nonprofits with younger donor bases performed in the higher range while commercial clients with older customer bases performed in the lower range.
For ECOA processing, the study found the following:
* The average ECOA update rate for bounce lists for both commercial clients and nonprofits was 10.2%, with a range from 5.7% to 24.2%.
* Regular quarterly ECOA processing resulted in more than doubling of the above figures on an annual basis.
The research found that the update rate for bouncing email addresses for individuals who are already online bore no correlation with the age of the underlying population.
"This study provides companies and nonprofits alike with the missing data necessary to evaluate the ROI of the critical email services for multi-channel marketing," said Bill Kaplan, CEO of FreshAddress, Inc. "Research has shown that multi-channel customers spend more money. We are pleased to see the email industry mature to the point where updating one's email database is now considered as essential as NCOA services are to direct mail."
FreshAddress, Inc. is the original developer of Email Change of Address services and was recently granted a U.S. Patent on its ECOA service for clients and the underlying consumer technology. Through its partnerships with the major database providers including Acxiom, Equifax, and InfoUSA, FreshAddress's appending services cover the universe of available opt-in data with over 200 million records, providing clients with the industry's highest match rates of guaranteed deliverable email addresses.
About FreshAddress, Inc.
FreshAddress, Inc., The Email Address Experts(tm), provides the industry's leading services to help companies 'Build and Update' their email address databases and maximize their email performance. FreshAddress, Inc.'s services include its patented business and consumer Email Change of Address (ECOA) solutions as well as email address appending, correction, real-time validation, and deliverability. FreshAddress has "freshened" thousands of lists for office superstores, telecommunications providers, catalogues, newspapers, retailers, airlines, non-profit organizations, and Internet companies. The FreshAddress.com consumer database is the Internet's largest linked opt-in directory of old and current email addresses. The privately held company was founded in 1999 and is based in Newton, MA. For more information on our business solutions, visit www.freshaddress.com/biz or email biz@freshaddress.com
* The average email append match rate for commercial clients was 15.1%, with a range from 9.5% to 24.3%.
* The average email append match rate for nonprofits was 10.3%, with a range from 5.5% to 15.4%.
* Regular quarterly append processing resulted in more than doubling the above figures on an annual basis.
The research found that the discrepancy between match rates for commercial clients versus those for nonprofits was directly correlated with the age of the underlying customer base. Nonprofits with younger donor bases performed in the higher range while commercial clients with older customer bases performed in the lower range.
For ECOA processing, the study found the following:
* The average ECOA update rate for bounce lists for both commercial clients and nonprofits was 10.2%, with a range from 5.7% to 24.2%.
* Regular quarterly ECOA processing resulted in more than doubling of the above figures on an annual basis.
The research found that the update rate for bouncing email addresses for individuals who are already online bore no correlation with the age of the underlying population.
"This study provides companies and nonprofits alike with the missing data necessary to evaluate the ROI of the critical email services for multi-channel marketing," said Bill Kaplan, CEO of FreshAddress, Inc. "Research has shown that multi-channel customers spend more money. We are pleased to see the email industry mature to the point where updating one's email database is now considered as essential as NCOA services are to direct mail."
FreshAddress, Inc. is the original developer of Email Change of Address services and was recently granted a U.S. Patent on its ECOA service for clients and the underlying consumer technology. Through its partnerships with the major database providers including Acxiom, Equifax, and InfoUSA, FreshAddress's appending services cover the universe of available opt-in data with over 200 million records, providing clients with the industry's highest match rates of guaranteed deliverable email addresses.
About FreshAddress, Inc.
FreshAddress, Inc., The Email Address Experts(tm), provides the industry's leading services to help companies 'Build and Update' their email address databases and maximize their email performance. FreshAddress, Inc.'s services include its patented business and consumer Email Change of Address (ECOA) solutions as well as email address appending, correction, real-time validation, and deliverability. FreshAddress has "freshened" thousands of lists for office superstores, telecommunications providers, catalogues, newspapers, retailers, airlines, non-profit organizations, and Internet companies. The FreshAddress.com consumer database is the Internet's largest linked opt-in directory of old and current email addresses. The privately held company was founded in 1999 and is based in Newton, MA. For more information on our business solutions, visit www.freshaddress.com/biz or email biz@freshaddress.com
Database Management Systems And Services
A 'database management system' commonly referred as DBMS is computer software designed for the purpose of managing databases based on a variety of data models. A DBMS is a complex set of software programs that controls the organization, storage, management, and retrieval of data in a database.
A DBMS includes:
* Modeling Language
* Data Structures
* Database Query Language
* Transaction Mechanism
Modeling Language: A modeling language used to define the logical schema of each database hosted in the DBMS, according to the DBMS data model. It has several models but most commonly used today is ad hoc one embedded in SQL. Data Structures: It is used to tackle with vast amount of data stored on permanent data storage devices. Database Query Language: A database query language and report writer to allow users to interactively interrogate the database, analyze its data and update it according to the users privileges on data. It also controls the security of the database. Transaction Mechanism: It Ideally would guarantee the ACID properties to ensure data integrity despite concurrent user accesses and faults. It also maintains the integrity of the data in the database.
Some of DBMS Benefits:
* Improved strategic use of corporate data
* Reduced complexity of the organization's information systems environment
* Reduced data redundancy and inconsistency
* Enhanced data integrity
* Application-data independence
* Improved security
* Reduced application development and maintenance costs
* Improved flexibility of information systems
* Increased access and availability of data and information
Examples of DBMSs include:
* Oracle
* DB2
* Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise
* Informix
* Microsoft Access
* Microsoft SQL Server
* Firebird
* MySQL
Now with the advent of 90's, the shift is towards having accurate database management systems. The focus is also to have automated database management systems. Encodex Technologies is one of the growing offshore softwares companies which provides effective data management solutions which include data modeling, OLAP analysis, ETL Development, Data Migration etc. There expertise in BI has helped companies to achieve clean and timely data distributions, reconciliation and quality reporting with great performance. And they also provide services in offshore software outsourcing and offshore softwares development.
A DBMS includes:
* Modeling Language
* Data Structures
* Database Query Language
* Transaction Mechanism
Modeling Language: A modeling language used to define the logical schema of each database hosted in the DBMS, according to the DBMS data model. It has several models but most commonly used today is ad hoc one embedded in SQL. Data Structures: It is used to tackle with vast amount of data stored on permanent data storage devices. Database Query Language: A database query language and report writer to allow users to interactively interrogate the database, analyze its data and update it according to the users privileges on data. It also controls the security of the database. Transaction Mechanism: It Ideally would guarantee the ACID properties to ensure data integrity despite concurrent user accesses and faults. It also maintains the integrity of the data in the database.
Some of DBMS Benefits:
* Improved strategic use of corporate data
* Reduced complexity of the organization's information systems environment
* Reduced data redundancy and inconsistency
* Enhanced data integrity
* Application-data independence
* Improved security
* Reduced application development and maintenance costs
* Improved flexibility of information systems
* Increased access and availability of data and information
Examples of DBMSs include:
* Oracle
* DB2
* Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise
* Informix
* Microsoft Access
* Microsoft SQL Server
* Firebird
* MySQL
Now with the advent of 90's, the shift is towards having accurate database management systems. The focus is also to have automated database management systems. Encodex Technologies is one of the growing offshore softwares companies which provides effective data management solutions which include data modeling, OLAP analysis, ETL Development, Data Migration etc. There expertise in BI has helped companies to achieve clean and timely data distributions, reconciliation and quality reporting with great performance. And they also provide services in offshore software outsourcing and offshore softwares development.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Professional Database Administration Technology
Nearly every industry today keeps their customer data and financial records in a computer database, requiring computer technicians with database administration degrees to organize and manage all that information. A well-educated database administrator (DBA) can easily find employment with Web search portals and Internet service providers; or doing computer systems design, data-processing, hosting, and other computer data-related services.
Undergraduate degrees or professional certificates in database technology are available in most community colleges, trade schools and technical schools. These courses can take up to two years to complete. Voluntary certification also is available through various organizations associated with computer specialists. Graduate degrees in Database Administration are available from four-year colleges, universities and online schools across the U.S. and Canada.
An associate degree in computer science or a related information technology field will go a long way toward helping you find entry-level work in the field. However, many employers prefer workers who have a bachelor's degree in computer science, information science, or management information systems (MIS). Perhaps the most coveted of all the database technology degrees is the master's degree in business administration (MBA) with a concentration in information systems.
The curriculum to earn a degree will instruct in how to efficiently store, organize and manage computer data. Future database administrators will become familiar with various software applications as they set up databases and test systems. Students will learn about Information Security and how to plan for security measures, as well as archiving and retrieving critical information.
If you are wondering if degrees really make a difference, just look at the excellent salary a degreed professional can expect: Today's professional DBA will earn between $45,000 and $98,000 per year.
Proper Access To Good Marketing Databases
Quick, what is the most important component of your business? If you belong to a product based company and said the intellectual property or patents, you are only partly right. If you belong to a service company and mentioned the human capital invested in your services, you are again partly right. If you belong to any other company and mentioned any of the array of things that make the modern enterprise thrive, you are again, only partly right. But if you are among those rare breed of professionals, whose job it is to harness data, especially marketing databases, then you have your finger on the money!
It may seem difficult to believe, but marketing databases, especially those with true data are the ones that drive the modern enterprise. Think about it. Any number of companies make products, even good products or excellent products. The same is the case with service companies who may offer good, great or even exemplary service. But unless these companies can pitch their products and services to the right kind of target audience, they will not be able to sustain their business. This is where marketing databases enter the picture. Over the past few decades, marketing databases have become more and more important. They have not only guided the way marketing professionals do business, they have in fact shaped the very way products and services reach us.
While the mass media still continues to be the mainstay of advertising a product or service, marketing databases have taken this sort of promotion one step further by making the communication more personalized. The earliest marketing databases were little more than the contact details of friends, acquaintances and professional contacts. Slowly, as marketers realized the wealth of opportunities these provided, the scope and nature of marketing databases grew. Today, typical marketing databases can contain not just the contact details of the intended target audience, but also a wealth of information on the likes, dislikes, preferences and even more such information on the target profile.
It is indeed difficult to imagine how a company would survive in the present day world without suitable marketing databases. In fact, it is difficult to imagine anyone going into business without proper access to good marketing databases. Today, access to such information is what spells the difference mediocrity and success. And for those who are not equipped with the right tools like marketing databases, the battle for the consumer is going to be very tight indeed.
It may seem difficult to believe, but marketing databases, especially those with true data are the ones that drive the modern enterprise. Think about it. Any number of companies make products, even good products or excellent products. The same is the case with service companies who may offer good, great or even exemplary service. But unless these companies can pitch their products and services to the right kind of target audience, they will not be able to sustain their business. This is where marketing databases enter the picture. Over the past few decades, marketing databases have become more and more important. They have not only guided the way marketing professionals do business, they have in fact shaped the very way products and services reach us.
While the mass media still continues to be the mainstay of advertising a product or service, marketing databases have taken this sort of promotion one step further by making the communication more personalized. The earliest marketing databases were little more than the contact details of friends, acquaintances and professional contacts. Slowly, as marketers realized the wealth of opportunities these provided, the scope and nature of marketing databases grew. Today, typical marketing databases can contain not just the contact details of the intended target audience, but also a wealth of information on the likes, dislikes, preferences and even more such information on the target profile.
It is indeed difficult to imagine how a company would survive in the present day world without suitable marketing databases. In fact, it is difficult to imagine anyone going into business without proper access to good marketing databases. Today, access to such information is what spells the difference mediocrity and success. And for those who are not equipped with the right tools like marketing databases, the battle for the consumer is going to be very tight indeed.
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