Week 11 Clear Database 2

http://www.ign.com/boards/threads/are-you-a-meat-and-potatoes-kinda-guy.250043499/

This week my confidence is riding high! Following the Access project from last week, which I feel pretty confident about too, we focused on The Data Asset. This lesson was what I'll call the meat and potatoes of data management. Here we learned about what data is and some of the ways that data is driven. 

http://www.cu.edu.ge/?i=12566&l=1

First, what is data? Data is raw facts and figures. There is structured data, data that is organized, and unstructured data, data that is, well.....not organized. In the business context, data comes from all places. It comes from suppliers, manufacturers, and most importantly, from customers. Putting data together to answer a question or make a decision becomes information. A key source for this data comes from Enterprise Software. This software makes it easier to combine data across all business units to get a more robust picture for the company. The company can formulate a plan based on this data to carry out their business objectives. So as you can see, management of data is a vital skill that is constantly being utilized as the data changes, which could be quiet often.

Next, we learned about storing data. This is done using data warehouses or data marts. This is where data gets turned into information. Data warehouses are a broad type of system where several databases are used to support decision making in an organization. Data marts, on the other hand, are a more focused system that concerns a specific problem. Since data growth is the number one challenge for IT organizations, these tools are an important asset to streamlining data into information.

As you may be able to see, having the skill set to manage all of this information is a make or break difference. It can be something that will push your firm forward to success or pull it back into the business failure abyss. Our text book did a great job of giving us successes and failures to illustrate my point. 

Addhttp://symbolphotos.blogspot.com/2008/10/danger-symbol-sign-photos.html caption

 The final point I would like to make about this week's lesson was the danger of data. Mr. Olsen's lecture concerning this topic was very important. He said that the bigger the size of the data, the bigger the problem with breaches of that data. This has been documented very well in the media with the most recent being this week with a credit card payment processing company. Advancements in technology and the enormous amount of data tracking have become a double-edged sword. This sword is wielded for just as much evil as it is for good. As keepers of the sword, managers must be diligent not only in the gathering but also in the protection of the much sought after data and information. Unfortunately, evil dates back to the Bible. So I also feel confident in saying that it will be around for a very long time to come.



Until next week, GO GATORS!
 

Database Project

Well, the Database Project is complete! I feel like I have garnered a tremendous amount of useful information regarding Microsoft Access. While I understand that there is a whole lot more to Access than what was required for this project, it was a very meaningful exercise for me. Meaningful in that I learned that playing around with this software is a very useful teaching tool. There were a couple of instances where I was presented with a problem that was not fixable by just watching the lectures. For example, when I worked on the Reports part of the project everything turned out perfect except for the zip code and left date sections. When I tried to view the report in "print preview" mode, the numbers were not displayed. There were # signs in place of the digits and I couldn't understand why that was occurring. My first thought was to use the "Property Sheet" tab on the ribbon to fix it. However, after trying for probably too long with no success, I moved on to see if there was another way. Finally, I stumbled on a way to fix it. I was in Layout View and noticed when I moved a column over a bit, I could see digits. I then realized that I just needed to add space between the columns. Upon doing so, I was very pleased to see all the data displayed to specification. So while I learned how to maneuver within Access and how to use the software to achieve a desired goal, maybe the biggest takeaway for me was to not be intimidated by the unknown and to take a relaxed approach when an unforeseen problem arises. In other words, don't panic. It can be fixed!

One way to enhance the functionality of this database would be to add a form called "Reason for Leaving". This would be something filled out by members upon termination. You could use this information to see if there is a common element as to why members are leaving. You could then create a marketing campaign to address these issues based on the feedback. This would be a great way to get former members to return and possibly retain current members, while hopefully attracting new members concerned with similar issues at the gym they currently use. Since the member mailing information is already on file, a direct mailing effort would be a perfect way to inform all current and former members of the changes being made to improve service.

That's all for this week! Go Gators!

Week 10 Muddy to Clear Skills Track

This week's lesson on Microsoft Access started off muddy but by the end it had become much clearer. The main reason I say it was muddy is mostly because my only exposure was in my introductory class. Viewing the lectures actually helped me to recall certain functions that are available in Access. So, I have to say there is great value in viewing the lectures, not just to help with the project, but to also bring to the forefront of your mind things that you remember vaguely from lack of use.

The area that was most interesting was the forms and reports sections. Most people equate Access to tables. At least that was how I viewed Access. However,  to manipulate the data and display it in a specific form or to create a variety of reports is a feature that I was very unfamiliar with initially. After being exposed to these features, through the lectures, I see what seems to be endless possibilities with regards to data sets. 

My initial feeling about the Access project was a feeling of trepidation. I have never used any aspect of Access, so the thought of  having to complete a project using it caused me to feel this way. I did find a video prior to viewing the lectures that gave me a good overview of what Access was and it's usefulness with databases. Check it out here below if your not privy to the lectures we have in class. 



Well, I hope that gave you an idea of how to use Access and the different ways to group and display all sorts of data. I particularly like the way they describe how Access understands how lists and their contents relate to each other. The video also calls this "relational databases". Here is where I began to understand how useful Microsoft Access could be in a business setting. 

It is now time to tackle this week's project. I have my "cheat sheet" from the scavenger hunt and feel a whole lot better going into this assignment. Believe it or not, I am actually looking forward to playing around with Access to get a better understanding of what it is capable of doing.  

So, until next week, happy computing!

Week 9 Clear Moore's Law

This week's lesson was very interesting and informative for me. Moore's Law definition is that chip performance per dollar doubles every eighteen months. This simply means that in eighteen months, you should pay the same price as you do today but with twice as much storage. This also means that the size of the chip will continue to get smaller and smaller, to a limit.

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/silicon-innovations/moores-law-technology.html

That was the interesting part. That eventually, Moore's Law will no longer be in existence. As the text states, nature will have to takeover at some point. Size, heat, and power will ultimately hinder the extent at which Moore's Law will prevail, as it has for decades. Which means that software will need to take the lead in contributing to the progression of computing. More specifically, Quantum Computing is the technology on the horizon. This technology uses qubits that can be one and zero instead of the computing of today that uses one or zero.

Probably the most interesting part of this week's lesson was the video by Dr. Michio Kaku on the future of technology. He has a few fascinating theories of what life in the future will be like with "smart machines". He talked about programmable matter, which he described as shape shifting or invisibility cloaks ala Harry Potter. It was enough to make me wish I could live to see all the possibilities to come. For those not in our ISM 3004 class, I have added the video below so you can have a window into the vision of our modern scientists.

The Future of Technology




The vast potential of what is to come in computing is just beginning to be tapped. Dr. Kaku stated that he felt we as a human race will reach his Type 1 Civilization in about 100 years. This will be the age where all human kind will work together for the benefit of the whole planet. This by itself is a fascinating notion and only means that the stuff of our modern science fiction movies will actually become a reality. To borrow a famous line, our future possibilities will reach to "infinity and beyond"! 

So, beam me up Scotty!

Excel Project

This week was all about Microsoft Excel. Our project involved 1000 exercise subjects with 21 different heart rate measurements and additional data like age and sex. We were to manipulate the data in various ways including using pivot tables. Not being exposed to Excel, except for my introductory computer course, I was at first a little intimidated. However, I jumped right in with both feet and started with the scavenger hunt. This is actually the best way for a novice such as myself to get acquainted with the material. It was definitely useful when it came time for the actual project because it provided a little "cheat sheet" to use throughout the process.


Once I started the project, I was surprised at how fast it went and realized that I was at the pivot table section before long. Looking back, I remembered more than I thought I would from my intro class. The biggest help feature that Mr. Olsen gave in his lecture was the F1 help key. I used this many times and I highly recommend it to everyone. I can't overstate this enough! It's easy to use and right at your finger tips. It gets you right to the information to answer your questions and is in easy to follow instructions. Again, the F1 help key is Excel-ent!


The pivot table part of the project was, for me, probably the most difficult. It definitely took the most time and that was due in part to not knowing anything about it. Also, formatting the data took several attempts. One click here, and EVERYTHING disappears! OMG! Yet, data recovery is simple in Excel. High praise to the "undo" key. Oh yea, did I mention the F1 help key? ;) Anyway, I learned a great deal from this project, especially pivot tables and their usefulness, and know it has real world use. I feel that the intimidation factor has disappeared.


Below is one of my tables. Looks good if I say so myself!