What Agile Business Management Addresses By Willson Marks

Agile business management looks at how an individual or an organization adapts to its environment to deliver top performance in a given amount of time. The baseline of this theory expects that each organization or individual is engaged in several projects simultaneously in an organization or in collaboration with another organization.

Moreover, each project is interconnected with various other projects in some way that derives the total proposed value. Defined upon these assumptions, a management tool is mandatory to help organization adapt to the constraints and facilitate an organized way of recognizing the business' value.

The business environment today is much more complex, challenging and competitive. Everyone should know whether they wish to be an integrator or an expert. As a result, projects are separated into different parts and are consequently managed by a group of people. Moreover, many projects require hiring highly skilled individuals which adds another hierarchy of complexity.

Looking at the division of projects in an organization, the two major issues that need to be addressed are:

1. How can an employee in an intense work environment with many projects that are incorporated with other projects be able to program his/her own work duties?

2. How can a business owner, project manager, or coordinator manage his/her own projects or other parts of projects?

Both the above mentioned issues are addressed to ensure the delivery of top quality work and sufficient employee engagement in a continuously changing environment. All organizations and individuals, that are a part of this extremely complex system need a process to manage its tasks and offer their clients the following support:

- Cost estimate and time planning

- Flexible work planning

- Controlling

In order to devise the best possible solution, organizations/ individuals should be organized and adapt their tasks as per the continuously changing environment. The primary idea of agile business management is based upon the assumption of well organized structure that is in conformity with the present business environment. Implementing this will also ensure better employee engagement in the organization.

1. Remuneration and trust

One needs to create trust for easy access of knowledge.

2. Social engagement

Based upon the fundamental assumptions of trust, the organization should be connected to its environment. This is important for further growth of an organization, projects and employees.

3. Optimization

To help the system develop in the long run, an organization requires optimization. This phase is significant in optimizing the entire entity and the delivery of values.

4. Coordination and forecasting

This phase is responsible for the coordination of the network of connected projects and forecast of the availability of those behind.

5. Task completion

In this phase, the panel is responsible for acknowledging the results for the sprint. Each team member has a predefined calendar that shows available time period and the tasks list for individuals.
About this Author

My name is Wilson Marks live in Chicago, writing about business strategies and techniques is my passion specially agile business execution.

Document Management Software Is For ALL Businesses

Many owners and managers of small and mid-sized businesses think that digital document management solution is for larger corporations or enterprise sized businesses when in fact, small businesses around the world have begun to deploy document management software into their business operations because the costs have gone down drastically. It is no longer as expensive as it used to be for you to now manage your business documents electronically and have to deal with less paper files while your business runs optimally.

There is no doubt that people all over the world are seeing the benefits of running a paperless office with efficient business document management though a slight learning curve might be experienced depending on your employees' capability to use the computer systems and the brand of digital document solution being deployed. While some electronic document filing solution will be easier for employees to use than other brands, once your staff gets accustomed to filing and managing your business documents by using computer applications, it will soon be evident to you the height to which document management software will help your business attain through efficiency and optimum employee productivity. Here are some benefits a document management solution will help you achieve:

Easy filing and retrieval of your business documents. Filing your business documents digitally will help you maximize the processes involved with the retrieval and management of files greatly. For example, you could search for documents based on keywords or certain phrases and get your desired results within seconds, whereas such search could have taken hours before. Instant retrieval of documents is possible because when you scan and convert your business files, you can apply optical character recognition which will make it possible for your documents to be searchable based on text content so that searches based on keywords or phrases will return all relevant results to your search query instantly.

Reduced cost for paper management while increasing employee productivity: Since time is more valuable in this modern business age than ever, integrating business document management software in your business setup will help your employees to do more in as little time as possible and hence improve their capacity to concentrate more on tasks that matters most to the growth and profitability of your business. Once efficiency is achieved in running your business, it should save you on costs of doing business while also helping your business to grow in a way that could be difficult to calculate.

Electric document management will make your employees happier and satisfied with doing their work: Document management solution helps employees to speed up their work and employees that accomplish much more in a relatively little amount of time are bound to be happier doing their job. With more productivity and on-the-job improved performance, your team can earn more incentives linked to productivity and business growth and increase their job satisfaction and commitment to the goals of your business. Digital document management software is a win-win for all businesses and their employees.
About this Author

Author is Steve Breault, CEO of Vircosoft.
For more information on Document Management Software contact Steve at http://www.vircosoft.com

Is The Property Management Business For You? Mini Guide For Real Estate Investors - Part 1

This mini guide for real estate investors is written to help entrepreneurs like you with the mystery of property management career. The investment risks are higher when decisions are made without enough information. By now you know that you want to invest profitably in real estate or already started the process. All the motivation is coming from your desire for financial independence. I know that, because I am with you right on the very same goal.

Assume you have just purchased your investment property. It does not matter whether it is a 10--unit apartment building, a small office building or a single--family home. It is an attractive rental property and you are asking a fair market value rent.

You should have no problem attracting tenants and maintaining a high level of occupancy. What happens with the tenants once they move in is going to depend on you.

The problems with property management are not caused by the business itself, as much as by a lack of education. The property management is the most misunderstood parts of real estate investing. If you do not have good property management, then you will have high management costs, bad tenant relationships, high vacancies and that will be the end of your business.

You would consider these ideas in making your managing investment decision; I did it when I started:

   1. The money you save, by doing property management, may mean the difference between a positive or a negative cash flow for your rental business.
   2. Managing your own properties, at least in the beginning and learning the management business is something to consider. After you become familiar with the manager responsibilities and acquire more properties, you will be able to do a better job of managing professional managers.
   3. More management and investment resources are available at my website.

How I start my property management? I went to school to gain my knowledge before facing the real life competition. I start my property management from the bottom up. My previous experience with real estate renting was being a good tenant for about five years in two different places.

Eight years ago I passed the real estate agent state examination and I worked for two brokers and managed properties on the side to build experience. I got my associate broker license in real estate about four years ago.

We resettled in the U. S. A. coming from communist collapsing East Europe, in 1990. Our assets at that time were intangible, mechanical engineering education and big hopes.

We did not have this game of "getting rich with properties" in the socialist economies. Actually, it was forbidden to even think about owning properties. It took me five years to comprehend there is a less risky way of investing by using real estate properties and rentals.

For $50 and about one hour conversation with our previous property manager -- a very nice lady -- I was in business. The management fnrms I received helped me to build my forms and gave me enough confidence before the closing on my first apartment building. I was on my way, investing in real estate and managing my own properties for profit. This is how I started my property management career. Now, I appreciate a property management career or a job in property management a lot more.

I am not preaching here to manage your rentals yourself forever. For us, property management is part of getting the necessary life experience to succeed in this new country.

Dealing with people and their needs gets messy if you do not use a system. Qualifying the potential applicant over the telephone saves time and money. Renting real estate is the toughest part of the property management job. Here is how ly qualifying filter system is working:

The local newspaper classified ads bring most of my renting real estate applicants. I call them Potential Applicants (PA) before submitting the rental application. I give to potential applicants enough info in the newspaper, so they may drive by and talk with our tenants. The prospect applicant should come ready, wanting to rent the apartments from us, because we take good care of the tenants and the apartments.

This is what I want with my ads.

"My town, clean 1 bedroom apt. $500 plus deposit, utilities included, A/C, coin laundry available, 123 Main Street, (222) 333-4444"

They have the address for the location, that the utilities are free and my cell phone number. Here are examples of first conversations over the phone with the potential applicants (PA).

PA: Hello, is the apartment available? Me: Yes, when you want to move in? My name is Ernest. PA: Thanks, my name is Mary. It is for my son John; He is planning to move soon. Me: Sorry, is it a strong reason way your son can't call himself?

(My experience tells me I may stop here and deal with the real party later, the relatives or friends have a different agenda sometime. In reality, I continue giving information about renting.)

The son is calling me later.

PA: Where is this apartment located?

Me: At the corner of Main and Grand, next to the gas station, across the Seven Eleven. Look for apartment no.30. You can drive by and get from "Take One" box, an application with info printed the other side. PA: Do you accept pets?

Me: What do you have in mind as pet? (Reptiles, rodents, dangerous dogs, etc are not on my list, I ask because the applicant will talk and I can mind his/her personality).

PA: It was my aunt' cat and she is 10 years old, etc. Me: Yes, we accept a qualified cat with a "Pet agreement". The no refundable fee is $175. Do you have some pay stubs from your job? That will help us to check your employment; or

PA: No, I receive social security checks, I am on disability.

(To assume when renting real estate that all tenants on assistance or seniors will be bad is wrong. Some may get a co-signer.)

Me: Sorry we only take applications if the total monthly documented net income is 3 times the rent. The no refundable application fee is only $20 and we do a credit report request and pay a different company for that service. (Some applicants just gives up after this phrase.); or

PA: Yes I work two jobs: manager at Mac Donald and telephone marketing at night. My girlfriend is working as telephone marketer. Together we make $1400 a month.

(This is a border line situation, they may pay for a few months and something is happening and girl/boy friend is gone. He/she no longer qualifies by income requirements. In this cases if the vacancy is hurting me and I cannot wait for a better applicant, I might take them, but the lease will have a clause: "If he or she intends to leave any time, they both must leave at the same time"); or:

PA: Yes, I work part-time at "Printing Nice" and I am full-time student. It is my fist time out of home; my mom may co-sign the lease.

Me: OK, bring your mom when you want to see the apartment.

PA: We want to see it, Saturday morning at 12 noon, it is our time to look for apartments.(PA may put some pressure on you)

Me: OK, see you then, at apartment no.30 second floor, a sign "For Rent" is in the window/door.

The potential applicant interview is very important. You have to see face to face the potential applicant and their pet. Watch their car how clean is outside and inside and get an idea about how much that person care about personal staff.

My "good tenant" definition is: A good tenant is paying always on time, takes care of apartment, is friendly and comprehends "quiet enjoyment" words.

It is better for me to wait for the right applicant and do not rush to make a buck. Also, I discovered that the service to society, the humanity we share is coming after you take care of our business. Otherwise you will not be in this business for very long time.

My next article -- part 2 will be about "Evaluating the renting applications"

Three Basic Business Management Concepts

When managing a business, it's not only the staff and employees you have to deal with. There are other areas such as IT, document management and others that you need to consider. Below are general outlines that can be used in the specific areas that need to be managed. Business owners can apply these to make management easier.

Set Rules

Setting rules is important because it provides everyone a gridline on how things work. Rules are needed so a business can operate efficiently. Once you make the rules, you need to be consistent and follow them as basic protocol. However, you should not be too strict and provide some flexibility and exceptions. Not all events and conditions may be applicable to the regulations and rules. When making rules, they need to be fair and help keep the business in order. You have to get these rules straightened up and thought over carefully before implementing them.

Use technology

It is nearly impossible to run a business without the help of technology nowadays. Computers and the internet have helped small businesses become easier to manage with computer programs and Apps. You can even use a tablet computer or a laptop, which you can take anywhere with you, to do all the accounting work you have to do. Think about what IT tools you need to run the business. Assess if you need a specific person or team to work on IT alone, or can your staff just manage it by themselves. A good thing to consider though is to have someone in your team that has knowledge on IT so that if something ever happens to the system, he or she can check on it right away and you don't have to outsource an IT expert.

Delegating Work

This is probably one of the most difficult things to do when managing a business. The question asked here is "who gets what?" Everybody needs to have a part to play. This way, tasks are organized and everyone knows where to go if they need something. Roles need to be clear and straightforward. Employees need to know the task that they are assigned with early on so as not to cause confusion. Giving everyone a role will also help in group dynamics and team building, they feel that they are part of a bigger picture and what they do is important in keeping everything running smoothly. You and your employees will help each other out in keeping the business successful.
About this Author

Manage your business more effectively by seeking help from the experts at SquadHelp. With a community of entrepreneurs and managers, learn how you can make your business thrive with some direction.

Get a Travel and Tourism Business Management Diploma in 46 Weeks

If you love travelling, and you have an aptitude for business, why not combine both and break into the world of tourism business management? All you'll need to do is enroll in a diploma program.

Designed to give students all the knowledge they need to be successful in the travel industry, tourism business management diplomas are comprehensive, but also relatively short. Most programs are approximately 1,000 hours in duration, spread over 46 weeks. This means that students can look forward to graduating and entering the work world in less than a year.

Not surprisingly, tourism management courses focus on the business aspect of the travel industry, and graduates complete their studies with a strong understanding of the economics of the travel world. Courses typically cover the following topics:

· Introduction to travel and tourism

· Accommodations basics

· Introduction to ground transportation

· Marine transportation basics

· Organizing tours

· Managing client bookings

· Understanding the airline industry

· Basics of airline fare structures

· Total client management 101

· Learning professional selling skills

· Designing group travel

· Marketing in the tourism business

· Tour guiding

· Business communications essentials

In addition to these courses, students are also exposed to the technology systems that are an integral part of tourism management, such as:

· Apollo "Live" GDS: the system used to manage flight, car, and hotel reservations

· SABRE: the system used to manage airline reservations

Instructors at most tourism business management schools have years of experience in the field. Since the classroom environment is very open, students have the opportunity to ask any question of their instructor in order to further their knowledge of the leisure and tourism field. Many schools also offer students a practicum. This part of the program is 160 hours of hands-on training in an actual tourism management environment. This allows students to apply their knowledge in a real-life setting, and in that way, learn more about their chosen career path.

Before you choose a tourism management school, do your homework. Ideally, your school should be an International Air Transport Association's (IATA) authorized training centre (ATC). It should also have an endorsement by the Canadian Institute of Travel Counselors (CITC). Finally, it should offer a curriculum based on the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council of Canada's national occupational standards. In addition to this, you should research the school in order to find out what kind of reputation it has, and what employment help it provides to recent graduates. It's also a smart idea to visit an open house to see the campus and talk with teachers in order to get a feel for the school's philosophy.

If you love tourism, and you want to combine that with business, consider enrolling in a tourism business management school. It may be the best move for your career.
About this Author

Contact the Canadian Tourism College (CTC) for more information on their tourism business management program.

Percey Evans is a freelance writer who works for Higher Education Marketing, a leading Web marketing firm specializing in Google Analytics, Education Lead Generation, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Mobile SMS Alerts, Social Media Marketing and Pay Per Click Marketing, among other Web marketing services and tools.

Corporate Event Management for Business

For many organizations, events have been used for a long time as a vital communications tool to get their messages across. Be the message internal or external, the range and variety of mechanics used has been as broad as imagination itself.

Over time, delivery of events has moved to using specialists in corporate event management rather than the wing-and-a-prayer activities that used to be delegated to employees seconded to this role. Financial circumstances have sufficiently improved over recent years to allow much more professional presentations to become the norm, showing off the organization far better in their marketplace.

In the changing world of corporate event management, many businesses can readily be found who are able to deliver to meet the demanding needs of organizations who need their help. With a budget that can be large or small, there are experts who can provide solutions for a very tight niche (and for tiny events), to those who have the resources to put together the biggest corporate events - with enough finance to match!

Yet budgets are not the only thing that matter of course. Finding a provider for corporate events who can deliver on time and exactly what is required needs a great team. One that has the experience and organizational skills to meet the needs of their client

Whilst there are corporate event management companies who started from one entrepreneur working from a kitchen table, there are others who transitioned into this work from other related industries, such as public relations, for example. Yet there are only a limited number who have the skills and history to blend with their interpersonal skills that are such critical ingredients for success in this market. Having an ability to learn and grow when things don't go quite to plan is a standard to look for, ensuring that quality and consistent improvement is always at the forefront of their brand.

With great planning overlaying their experience in the field, the good event management teams are totally focused on getting the best event delivery possible. Of course, the client comes first and achieving the outcomes they expect must be the priority. Once this is clear and their satisfaction is identified as the top priority, the best event managers have but this one goal in mind.

The most important prerequisite of any good event management business is the great customer service they provide to their clients. Of course they have to be pretty technically savvy these days and as new innovative ideas come along thick and fast, it's important to be very up to date. Nothing, but nothing comes before creating an excellent level of performance and liaison with clients in corporate event management for a business to be successful and thrive.

It's the highest priority, when providing corporate event management services, to clearly appreciate that it is the responsibility of the provider to get the communication process clear. No client will be prepared to accept that they 'should have been clearer' about what their requirements are. Great advice for event management providers is to ask, ask and ask again, whilst ensuring that any contract they sign up to is as detailed as possible. Being pro-active in being clear is both a safety feature as well as demonstrating excellent customer service skills.

Organizations have come a long way from those times where events were put together by individuals who were employees of theirs. Nowadays it's vital to get it right and use the activity as a strategic weapon to develop brand awareness and image. Where professional event managers now have the specialist expertise to deliver this challenging product for their clients, they can deliver so much more on behalf of their clients, often saving more than the cost of the services they provide.
About this Author

Rob Haworth is an event manager at international event management company, Entourage Live. Entourage Live specialise in large scale outdoor events, conventions, theatre, corporate event management UK and touring shows. Based in Gloucester UK and covering London, the UK and the world.

Web Based Project Management - Business Solutions That Work11

When it comes to running a business, there are a lot of different elements to think about. Having the right tools is one thing that can make all the difference. You need to be able to manage your business efficiently, including all of the different tracking and task assignment and completion tasks. If you are looking for all the right tools in one simple solution, you need web based project management software. This type of solution will allow you to handle reporting, scheduling, tracking, communication, and sharing within your business operations. Of course, there are many other features of online project management solutions to appreciate, as well.

The reason that web based project management is so effective and popular is because it is accessible and convenient. Unlike offline programs, this type of performance solution can be accessed from anywhere in the world. Whether you are on a company computer or not, you can gain access to all the information that you need to know, communicate with different people throughout the organization, and make sure that things are taken care of no matter where in the world you or your team members might be. This is a totally revolutionary solution for business project management because it used to be that people had to carry business computers with them or wait until they were back at the office to get the information that they needed.

Thanks to the internet, companies are now doing business globally through a virtual forum. Having access to the right web based project management software makes it easy to do business and communicate with others whether you are in the same building or in different countries. Because this software can be accessed from anywhere, security is almost always a question that people have. However, with web based solutions, encryption and security is a primary concern and these programs are designed to be safe for any type of business, no matter how confidential operations and projects might need to be. Your business might not be that high-profile or need much security, but having it available is definitely an advantage.

Time is money in business, and with the right web based project management solution you can save a lot of both. You will see increased productivity, better communication, better performance, and more efficiency in your daily business operations. It doesn't matter how big or small your business is because there are online project management solutions for all types and sizes of business operations. Check them out for yourself and see how many benefits you can find to appreciate. When it comes to succeeding in business, you need the best tools for the best results. Project management solutions that are web-based are among the best tools available today and they can help your business become more productive and successful.
About this Author

Handling project management is critical to your business success. When you are looking for the most efficient tools available, you need to check out web based project management programs. To learn more or see what programs are available, visit http://www.projecturf.com today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phil_E_Williams

Web Based Project Management - Business Solutions That Work

When it comes to running a business, there are a lot of different elements to think about. Having the right tools is one thing that can make all the difference. You need to be able to manage your business efficiently, including all of the different tracking and task assignment and completion tasks. If you are looking for all the right tools in one simple solution, you need web based project management software. This type of solution will allow you to handle reporting, scheduling, tracking, communication, and sharing within your business operations. Of course, there are many other features of online project management solutions to appreciate, as well.

The reason that web based project management is so effective and popular is because it is accessible and convenient. Unlike offline programs, this type of performance solution can be accessed from anywhere in the world. Whether you are on a company computer or not, you can gain access to all the information that you need to know, communicate with different people throughout the organization, and make sure that things are taken care of no matter where in the world you or your team members might be. This is a totally revolutionary solution for business project management because it used to be that people had to carry business computers with them or wait until they were back at the office to get the information that they needed.

Thanks to the internet, companies are now doing business globally through a virtual forum. Having access to the right web based project management software makes it easy to do business and communicate with others whether you are in the same building or in different countries. Because this software can be accessed from anywhere, security is almost always a question that people have. However, with web based solutions, encryption and security is a primary concern and these programs are designed to be safe for any type of business, no matter how confidential operations and projects might need to be. Your business might not be that high-profile or need much security, but having it available is definitely an advantage.

Time is money in business, and with the right web based project management solution you can save a lot of both. You will see increased productivity, better communication, better performance, and more efficiency in your daily business operations. It doesn't matter how big or small your business is because there are online project management solutions for all types and sizes of business operations. Check them out for yourself and see how many benefits you can find to appreciate. When it comes to succeeding in business, you need the best tools for the best results. Project management solutions that are web-based are among the best tools available today and they can help your business become more productive and successful.
About this Author

Handling project management is critical to your business success. When you are looking for the most efficient tools available, you need to check out web based project management programs. To learn more or see what programs are available, visit http://www.projecturf.com today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phil_E_Williams

Business Management - What Are The Good Traits

To start a business and have it up and running successfully, you will need to think of some realistic business management plans. With these plans and your dream in mind, you will have to work through the initial difficult stages to build up good business management strategies and the ways to achieve them. Your business-management skills may be the crux between mediocrity and success.

The first and most important step in a good business management plan is to set clear specific goals and objectives. It is easier to achieve goals or objectives that are distinctive and focused. In addition, it will take lesser time but produce better results continually. As such, design your strategies to achieve your objectives. It makes good business sense to organize the "to-dos" for each day so that there is better focus on every task.

Another important business management trait is align your own personal goals and objectives with that of the company's and give them full focus until each task has been completed. The more time you spent on perfecting a skill, the lesser will be the time taken to complete the task.

Another purpose of setting goals and objectives is to create a way to measure performance and track accomplishments. Such goals and objectives have to be challenging but achievable. You need to be creative and innovative in order to achieve the specific goals and strategic objectives set up in the business management plans.

At the same time, create your company's mission and vision statements and find solutions on how to implement or accomplish them. Outline the performance targets and the ways to achieve them. This is to avoid going in different directions. Define the company's passion and the methods to excel in it. Such business management strategies will strengthen the company's competitiveness in the industry. In addition, setting up long-term goals will determine the company's position in ten years' time and mark out the path to achieve them.

Some entrepreneurs may confuse activity with productivity. Most of the entrepreneurs who succeeded have the ability to identify and categorize specific activities that are extremely crucial or create an extraordinary significance that will contribute towards the overall success of the business. More time will then be allocated to ensure that these are carried out thoroughly and effectively. A successful entrepreneur also has an in-build drive that motivates them to persevere and make things happen. This is one of the most important business management traits.

Another business management characteristic is to know how to respond to industry changes and market conditions. A successful entrepreneur will learn through other people's knowledge and efforts especially those of their clients or competitors. Capitalize on these new ideas or concepts and your business may expand with lesser efforts contributed and within a shorter period of time.

Due to continuous changes, good business management is an ongoing process to constantly evaluate strategies and monitor performance to see if there are better ways to accomplish the goals and objectives or whether improvements and adjustments need to be made. This may even lead to changing the company's mission or vision statements.
About this Author

Ske Chay of www.inventoryanalytics.com [http://www.inventoryanalytics.com] Providing some comprehensive information on business management at www.trade-opportunities.com

How to Start a Property Management Business

Property management is a business that is regulated and requires a real estate license in many states. This first step requirement means that the potential buyer of an existing business would need to be qualified to run the business. They would also need to meet the same requirements to start one from the ground up.

One way to get experience in the business is go to work for a large management company and learn the ropes. At the same time you could be completing any educational requirements and prepare for taking the license required to professionally manage properties. Starting a company of your own will take some strong detective work to find a property that is looking for management or looking to replace the current management firm. This will entail a great deal of cold calling and phone work to come up with possible clients.

At the same time you could get a web site built so you will have something to point people to when you are speaking with them on the phone. You would also mention the website in all communications or advertisements. All of this would come after you have decided on a company name and have a phone number and address for your business.

Knowledge and preparation are requirements for success. Whether you buy an existing business or start one up, you will need to gain experience and first hand knowledge of the business from some source. The best way to gain real experience is to work in the business for a year or so for a management company. The requirements in your state should be checked also to see what licenses are needed. There could also be educational requirements that you would have to obtain. A smart person would make sure they have all of these ducks out of the way while working for someone else. The real estate department of your state will be able to give you the information you need to know. There also could be an association of property managers in your area. Both of these sources are a place to start to find the information you need.

Finding property management companies that are for sale The Internet will quickly give you and idea of what is for sale and where they are located. Business brokers are another solid place to find listings of businesses that are currently on the market. You can also get questions answered about the way to buy one of these businesses. One important facet of the businesses for sale is the asking prices. This may be eye opening for you. You might also check out local newspapers and the local real estate association. Lawyers that specialize in real estate transactions may also know of management companies that are looking for a partner or are for sale. Once you have an idea of the capital needed to pursue a purchase you can begin to figure if you can maje a deal. If you are going to need help with the money you will have to resolve that common problem also. The business brokers will have a good idea if the listed business is cash only or the current owner would consider terms. This type of information will speed up the process of finding a deal that you may be able to pull off.

Another aspect of property management is the properties handled. Are you going to only deal with large apartment complexes or single-family residences? The type of properties you wish to handle could determine the price of a management company.

Money makes the deal

Money talks when buying a business. The seller is usually anxious to sell and if a real money offer is made, they may bite even if it requires terms to complete. The point here is make an offer and see what the seller responds with. You never know what kind of help you may get from a motivated seller. Other ways to make up a short fall is a loan from the bank, a business lender found on the Internet, a partner and family or friends. Some deals take a great deal of creative financing to pull off. If the existing business has long-term contracts with their clients it may be easier to get a loan from a disinterested third party. The most common way to handle the short fall is to get the seller to take back paper to be paid in full by a set date in the future. Maybe they would remain a silent partner for a short length of time. The answer to this problem is how much you can put down and how long you would need to pay off the balance.

The only way you will ever know if a deal is possible is to make an offer and see what the counter offer looks like. The business broker in a deal can help in the negotiations and in many cases make it happen through their deal making skills.

If you come to a point in any deal that the final terms are too difficult for you to live with, then it is time to take a walk. Knowing when to walk a way in also part of good deal making. The wrong terms could make the deal a failure from the beginning. The last thing any buyer wants is to put a large down payment into a business and then watch it fail. The loss of this money could be the end of any possibility to own your own business. The thought process should go like this, this deal is not possible and there will be another chance down the road. Some times in the heat of negotiation the making the sale happen becomes the end in itself. This should never be the reason to make a bad purchase. This is a serious situation that needs to be well thought out.

Conclusions

Once you have the experience, education and licenses, the ownership of a property management company is possible. You can either start one up or buy an existing firm. The expense of buying one will be much higher than starting one from the ground up. Finding one you can buy will take effort and the willingness to commit a sizeable amount of money. The obvious way to start is through a business broker, as they will have a current list of business for sale. They should have a very good idea of what you will need to pay to buy a property management company Coming up with the money may be a problem for some buyers as the price of an existing successful firm will be higher than a startup. An existing management company's current customers will be a large asset, as they will supply immediate cash flow to the company. So the higher price is offset by the constant cash flow from contracted customers.

If you start a company from scratch, you will need to plan on a significant amount of cold calling, phoning and face-to-face meetings to find customers that need your help. This is a slow start but can be a reasonable way to get into the business
About this Author

And now I would like to offer you free access to information on a powerful integrated system of marketing, sales & advertising so you can thrive instead of survive in today's economic environment.

Henthorn is president of Spiral Marketers, a marketing firm which includes a number of partnerships that range from cutting-edge software development, business and personal improvement coaching, online e-commerce businesses, and more.

He was formerly was president and principal broker of a resort / commercial real estate brokerage in Honolulu which specialized in representing sellers in transactions up to $50MM.

Learn how to turn $1 into $6 all day long now:

Can you really turbocharge property management revenues? Get tools for property management business sales, marketing, advertising, and public relations to boost management success

Five Success Tips For Restaurant Management Business

If you are business savvy and have a strong passion for providing service to customers in the food service industry, you can prepare to set up your own restaurant business. It is quite surprising to note that almost 60% of the newly set up restaurants shut down within three years. Though new restaurant success rate is not quite promising, you can prepare yourself well for the practical realities of restaurant business to achieve success.

Given below are 5 important steps or tips that you follow to increase your chances of establishing a successful restaurant business.

1. Defining the Business Concept
First of all, you need to come up with a strong business concept and a unique theme. To become successful in your business, you must have a clear vision about your goals. Consider the restaurant locations and the requirement of local patrons while brainstorming to come up with a unique business theme. A catchy name for your restaurants is also an important part of entire process. So, try to come up with a name which is short, appealing and easy to remember.

2. Deciding the Budget
The next important step is to develop a budget for your business. Once you have decided the budget you need to stick to it. Do not underestimate the start-up cost, as it can have a negative effect on your restaurant business. You can also use resources for the first round of financing for your business. There are many investors who would like to finance your business. However, for that, you need to work out an effective business plan illustrating your business concept, risk management strategies and planning for return on investment (ROI).

3. Designing the Restaurant Space
The design of your restaurant space should be completely in tune with your business goals. Right from lighting to bathroom fixtures, you need to take into consideration all the fine details. The restaurant design should be done in a way that it reflects your business vision. Relaxing ambiance and functionality are the two most important components of the restaurant design. Pay attention to kitchen space, storage area and sitting room for customers.

4. Recruiting New Employees and Retaining Experienced Ones
While in the restaurant management business, you need to handle the human resource task as well. To achieve success, you should be ready to prepare for hiring a great staff. The success of a restaurant has a direct connection with whether your employees are happy. You can put up a 'Now Hiring' sign during the construction of restaurant and place advertisements in print media and online. The interviewing process and training of employees should begin at least six months in advance before the business actually starts operating. Maintaining a positive work environment and addressing to employee issues are essential to establish a successful business.

5. Publicizing Your Restaurant Business
Start publicizing your business as soon as the construction work begins. Hang banndrs around revealing the name of your new business and the tentative time of opening. It is a great idea to throw a free food samples party to create a buzz. Issue press releases to gain more coverage. After your business starts to operate, you can use the online media for advertising. Hosting local food events without spending too much on it is also an excellent tip to promote your restaurant business. Find other methods of low-cost business advertising as well.
About this Author

Do you want to Become a Restaurant Manager? To ensure this is the right career decision, Take a Free Career Test now. And remember, you need to have a strong passion for serving customers in the food service industry to make the most of your career.

Role of MIS in Business Management

Despite the vast improvements in information technology, computers (on which modern IT is based) cannot as yet take over business management. However, business information systems have transformed the effectiveness, power and efficiency of management.

In an earlier article on business management software, we looked at surface aspects of how modern management information systems help businesses. We saw how computers speeded up and improved the quality of operations. We also mentioned the existence of broad categories of business software - office suites, functional software such as accounting and inventory, and industry software such as retail management software. In this article, we seek to look more analytically at the role of information management systems.

Decision Support, Problem Analysis and Overall Control

Business managers often need to make decisions that can affect the business' fortunes one way or other. For example, a company with sales outlets or distributors spread over a wide geographic area might want to optimize the logistical operations of delivering merchandise to the outlets. The best solution might be affected by numerous factors such as demand patterns, availability of merchandise, distances involved and the option of using external carriers (who can find two way loads and might prove a lesser cost option over long distances) instead of own vehicles.

While it might be possible to use complex mathematical formulas by hand to compute the best solution, computers transform the whole process into a routine task of feeding certain information as input and obtaining suggestions for best solutions as output. The task can typically be done in a few minutes (instead of hours or even days) and it becomes possible to examine several alternatives before deciding upon one that seems most realistic.

Identifying problems and analyzing the factors that cause them also has been transformed by modern computer information systems. In a typical MIS environment, standard reports are generated in a routine manner comparing actual performance against original estimates. The software that generates the report can be instructed to highlight exceptions, i.e. significant variations betwedn original estimates and actual performance. Managers will thus become aware of problem areas in the daily course of their work simply by looking at the reports they receive, without having to do detailed data collection and computations themselves.

Identifying the factors responsible for the problem can also be routinized to some extent by using such tools as variance analysis. Variance analysis is an element of standard costing system that splits deviations from estimates (or standards) into causative factors such as increase in price of materials used, excessive usage of materials, unexpected machine downtimes, etc. With such a detailed report, managers can delve deeper into the problem factor, such as why there was excessive usage of materials.

Control is also exercised through variance analysis. Budgets are prepared for all business operations by concerned managers working in a coordinated fashion. For example, estimated sales volumes will determine the levels of production; production levels will determine raw material purchases; and so on. With good information system management, it then becomes possible to generate timely reports comparing actual sales, production, raw material deliveries, etc against estimated levels.

The reports will help managers to keep a watch on things and take corrective action quickly. For example, the production manager will become aware of falling sales (or rising sales) of particular products and can prepare to make adjustments in production schedules, and purchasing and inventory managers will become quickly aware of any mounting inventories of unused materials. MIS thus enhances the quality of communication all around and can significantly improve the effectiveness of operations control.

Effective MIS Involves Humans and Computers Working together

The major aspect to note is that MIS provides only the information; it is the responsibility of concerned managers to act on the information. It is the synergy between efficient, accurate and speedy equipment and humans with commonsense, intelligence and judgment that really gives power to MIS.
About this Author

Gopinathan is a business writer who writes Web content and publicity materials for Web businesses. With first hand business experience as a trained professional with decades of executive and entrepreneurial experience, he can write on business issues with authenticity. And as a trained writer, he can also produce clearly written and readable pieces.

His goal is to help small businesses build their image through written content that brings out their strengths. This goal is sought to be achieved through discussions with clients, and relevant and focused research before starting on the writing. This approach contrasts with that of delivering cookie-cutter articles stuffed with keywords.

He believes that articles should showcase the expertise of his clients in addition to creating links valued by search engines.

Visit his Writing Services website to see how your business can benefit from high-quality writing.

Property Management Business

Property management refers to managing the properties of landlords. You will be working on their behalf in taking responsibility of their portfolio. It can certainly be a lucrative and rewarding career and will provide you with many benefits. In order to get yourself started, consider these simple tips.

The first thing that you need to do is to check what the legal requirements are going to be in the state in which you live. Some states might necessitate that you get a real estate license while others will require that you get a separate license in order to manage properties. Many states will offer classes that you can go on and that will keep you up-to-date with state laws regarding Property Management.

Make sure you get a dedicated phone line that you can use for your business. It is going to be very important to you to get all of the hardware sorted out and therefore you will need a phone line, a computer with an Internet connection, and a fax machine. You will also need certain pieces of software on your computer such as spreadsheet software like Windows Excel.

It is important that you talk to a lawyer. This will be to ensure that you have all of the necessary legal paperwork ready to go. That you will be signing leases and management agreements, you will be hiring repairman, you will be sorting out tenants and possibly evicting them, and you will be doing all sorts of other duties.

Of course, you will also need to get a post office address. It is important that you have a dedicated P. O. Box so that tenants and other associates are able to mail rent and other such details to you. Constantly having tenants appear at your home in order to drop off their rent is not only a hassle, but it is very unprofessional and therefore you will want to avoid this particular situation, particularly if you are dealing with some difficult tenants.

Now you will need to actually start looking around for properties that you can manage. One of the best places to look will be adverts by owners that have properties to rent. Real estate agents will also provide you with some excellent leads. Spend as much time getting touch with relevant parties to build up your management portfolio.

In addition, get a Property Management website sorted out. Not only will this be extremely helpful in allowing you to manage everything together, but it will also make you appear much more professional as well.
About this Author

Priest Properties are a Nottingham letting agency offering Property Management Nottingham for landlords.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carolyn_Clayton

What Is Supply Chain e Management Business Softwar?

Excellence in business practice is achieved when a business successfully develops positive relationships vendors and customers, achieving a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Supply Chain Management Software, is a range of software tools that assist businesses achieve best performance outcomes in the supply of goods or services occurring within the supply chain from raw material to customer.

The Software packages can be purchased as an entire package with different modules, or purchased individually with only the modules required by the business to successfully conduct business transactions. Included in most packages are inventory tools, sourcing tours, supplier relationship tools and various analysis tools that enable the business to keep track of market demand for products and services.

There are many different packages that suit different sized businesses, depending on their needs. All packages are available for purchase on the internet and most packages allow for modification to suit the business type and the services or goods offered.

Such management program is an integrated system of people, organizations, information and resources that provide the movement of a product from a vendor to a customer. A simple example of this is a farmer producing a crop who sells his produce to a manufacturer. The manufacturer sells his product to a supermarket, which in turn sells the product to the customer. Such management system provides integration of these activities with the desired purpose of achieving market advantage by out performing market rivals in costs and reliability of services provided or products sold.

This useful management system involves tracking business transactions along the production path and involves tracking the prices charged, production times, and delivery options along the production path. Alternative options can then be compared and the best price and shorter delivery times can be factored into the supply chain to improve services provided to the customer.

The software can be used by any of the businesses and industries in the market and where there are good relationships existing in the chain, information gained by all the businesses can be used to improve performances of all stakeholders in the production change. Problems in this system are often identified immediately and alternative options can be implemented before there are any serious ongoing repercussions to the supplying demand.

An example of this may be if food is recalled due to a problem in the manufacturing stages of a productive food chain, a supermarket can quickly provide customers with a suitably priced alternative until the original supplier is able to commence distribution again. Information gathered previously through good business practice enables continuous supply of products despite interruption along the path.

Customer demand for a product and therefore increased production to meet demand needs can also be tracked on the application, ensuring that supplying equals the high demand. Shortage of a product or service may lead to customer dissatisfaction and successful businesses plan and prepare for any changes in the market. Supply Chain Software enables businesses to undertake this planning and preparation and provide service excellence to their customers.
About this Author

Reece is a copyright author, Supply Chain Management Software enables businesses to undertake this planning and preparation and provide service excellence to their customers. GoFrugal Technologies provides retail supply chain management solutions and Supports multiple warehouse for a retail store based on the product category or other parameters. For more information visit gofrugal.com

ITIL 3 - Problem Management That Is Business Centered

How Do I Stop Being Tired After Work? Fighting Career Tiredness for Managers
by Andrea Helen Jennings
Managers manage and supervise people. They too can experience tiredness from work. It can be from working too much, ineffective work delegation or problem subordinates. Knowing how to handle each situation will lead to success not only with career but also with fatigue problem.
Why Business Needs to Recognize the Value of Introverts in Leadership Roles
by Karen Switzer-Howse
In North America there is a strong bias to seeing successful leaders as outgoing, charismatic, strong willed, A-type personalities, in other words a fast talking Extravert. Because of this bias the qualities that Introverts bring to the workplace are often overlooked and undervalued when considering promotions into leadership positions. Only recently has research emerged indicating that Introverts have many qualities that are valuable for leading in to-day's work environment. Read on to discover what Introverts can bring to the leader's role in a diverse work environment.
Training Management Systems, Helping Your Company Grow and Prosper
by Eugene A Scriber
Training Management Systems are software which can help you manage your employees efficiently. If you own a small company with just a few employees then you won't need this, but you may use it for a much easier delegation of tasks.
The 7 Essential Behaviors of Accountable Leaders
by Alan Dobzinski
If you want your people to be more accountable, start with making changes to your own behavior. When you care for and support the people who report to you, they will thrive and you will see more of the results you're looking for. If you show integrity in everything you do and say, your people will walk through walls for you. If you say one thing and do another, it puts up walls between you. Are there walls up between you and your people?
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
by John J Matthews
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are a vital resource to managing your business. Each selected KPI can be your bellwether indicator for all departments and take the guesswork out of your strategy. Rather than relying on old adages and "I think" statements, KPIs help quarantine the operational data of your company and focus your go-forward actions to address specific needs.
Project Leadership: The Latent Power of Success
by Mohammed K Barakat
Increased complexity in contemporary projects puts heavy burden on the project management profession. Project Managers do no longer have the luxury to be task-oriented only; they need to evolve into project leaders in order to bring success to their projects. Accelerating business, environmental, economic, and political changes necessitate the invisible force of running projects, leadership, to emerge and save organizations.
Small Business Win Strategy for Government Contracts
by Andrew Bonneville
You have identified a great opportunity that matches your company's product or service, but you are not sure how to improve your probability of win. The following article discusses steps to take to improve your odds and also recommendations to improve your small business pursuit strategy of government contracts.
How Do I Stop Being Tired After Work? Fighting Career Tiredness for Managers
by Andrea Helen Jennings
Managers manage and supervise people. They too can experience tiredness from work. It can be from working too much, ineffective work delegation or problem subordinates. Knowing how to handle each situation will lead to success not only with career but also with fatigue problem.
Why Business Needs to Recognize the Value of Introverts in Leadership Roles
by Karen Switzer-Howse
In North America there is a strong bias to seeing successful leaders as outgoing, charismatic, strong willed, A-type personalities, in other words a fast talking Extravert. Because of this bias the qualities that Introverts bring to the workplace are often overlooked and undervalued when considering promotions into leadership positions. Only recently has research emerged indicating that Introverts have many qualities that are valuable for leading in to-day's work environment. Read on to discover what Introverts can bring to the leader's role in a diverse work environment.
Training Management Systems, Helping Your Company Grow and Prosper
by Eugene A Scriber
Training Management Systems are software which can help you manage your employees efficiently. If you own a small company with just a few employees then you won't need this, but you may use it for a much easier delegation of tasks.
The 7 Essential Behaviors of Accountable Leaders
by Alan Dobzinski
If you want your people to be more accountable, start with making changes to your own behavior. When you care for and support the people who report to you, they will thrive and you will see more of the results you're looking for. If you show integrity in everything you do and say, your people will walk through walls for you. If you say one thing and do another, it puts up walls between you. Are there walls up between you and your people?
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
by John J Matthews
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are a vital resource to managing your business. Each selected KPI can be your bellwether indicator for all departments and take the guesswork out of your strategy. Rather than relying on old adages and "I think" statements, KPIs help quarantine the operational data of your company and focus your go-forward actions to address specific needs.
Project Leadership: The Latent Power of Success
by Mohammed K Barakat
Increased complexity in contemporary projects puts heavy burden on the project management profession. Project Managers do no longer have the luxury to be task-oriented only; they need to evolve into project leaders in order to bring success to their projects. Accelerating business, environmental, economic, and political changes necessitate the invisible force of running projects, leadership, to emerge and save organizations.
Small Business Win Strategy for Government Contracts
by Andrew Bonneville
You have identified a great opportunity that matches your company's product or service, but you are not sure how to improve your probability of win. The following article discusses steps to take to improve your odds and also recommendations to improve your small business pursuit strategy of government contracts.
ore. Degree & workshop programs
Self Assessment for Driving Revenue Growth
by James Naro
I often get called into an organization when revenue growth stalls. I start at a high level to discover where there are missing links and broken pieces within the sales organization to determine what's needed to get back on track. What I've outlined in this article will give you a starting point for assessing your own organization.
5 Sales Power Leadership Techniques to Boost Your Sales Today
by Rick A Conlow
The economic growth rate could be better. Many companies have negative or low growth. That means sales departments are under-performing. Or, it means the loss of customers is greater than new customers coming in. Most executives will still equate that to not enough sales. In one company we engaged, in booming times they were selling 10% of total revenue or $400 million a year. Now they are at half that number. What does this mean to them and you? Commissions and bonuses are lower! This is a death-blow to sales reps motivation. As a sales leader you need to ramp it up and find an antidote to these depressing results. The good news there are five powerful sales leadership strategies you can use today to "fire" up your sales team. The kicker-you might have to change to succeed.
Important Qualities to Look for When Recruiting Sales Staff
by Kai Thorpe
Understanding what you are looking for is key to employing appropriate salespeople. This article lists qualities to look out for during the interview process and discusses how to assess whether interviewees have these traits.
Some Ideas for Sales Managers on Managing Their Top Performing Salespeople
by Richard A Stone
This guide is about managing tricky salespeople. Interestingly, it's often not a poor performer but rather the top salespeople who sales supervisors find challenging to handle. So this posting discusses how the sales supervisor should deal with these kinds of sales men.
Are You Throwing Away Sales?
by Barry Silverstein
The growing popularity of online marketing, in particular social media, is resulting in an interesting dilemma. Small businesses are finding that they can use blogs, videos, podcasts, search terms, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other such media to generate traffic to their Facebook page or website. The problem is they have no idea if these "leads" are any good for their business. Even large businesses routinely fail to qualify prospects effectively. That's why small businesses could be throwing away sales if they do not develop a lead qualification process that matches the way consumers buy today.
Understanding How and Why Customers Make Decisions
by Babette N. Ten Haken
Have your customers ever disappeared just when you thought they were going to make the decision to do business with you? Wondered where they went and what went wrong? It might not have been what you did as much as that decision they just didn't want to make!
Everyone Is a Customer of Everyone Else
by Babette N. Ten Haken
Our concept of customer should include everyone we come into contact with, both in our own organization as well as our customers' organizations. We serve and, in turn, are served. Compare this perspective with your current view of the customer - and your organization's.
Lost in Trans-Nation - Saving Ocean Export Companies From Unnecessary Loss
by Kirk Conole
Lost in Trans-Nation? Ed's not sleeping. As the owner of a growing export company, he knows that just one payment default could take his company down. His problem may be yours, too. What's your strategy for eliminating the risk of non-payment by new customers, especially those overseas? For companies selling on an unsecured basis, a smart solution is to analyze and transfer risk using trade credit insurance.
Suspicious Package? What Now?
by Russell Boon
Dealing with suspicious packages, whether a suspected bomb or a chemical/biological threat, businesses need procedures that are clearly defined and staff trained, not only to identify suspicious deliveries, but actions to take if a delivery is judged to be of concern. All companies and businesses should conduct their own assessments based upon their own historical data and determine the likelihood of receiving an explosive or toxic package.
The Importance of Governance, Risk and Compliance in Shifting the Business Culture
by Hernan Huwyler
Organizations are facing new management challenges from market, financial and regulatory uncertainties. Anticipating the potential impact of these new challenges on the companies is a time-consuming, and often frustrating task, for its leaders. The proper management of a Governance, Risk and Compliance framework will identify strategies to address these challenges.
Protect Your Company Through Business Continuity Planning
by Beverly Maniago
In any business enterprise, managers and owners are usually concerned with how things are going with the present and in keeping things running smoothly. However, conscientious executives need also focus their attention on how to manage their operations when disasters strike. It is understandable that when disasters strike, regardless of how big or small they are, will disrupt the regular operations of your organization.
Euro Collapse: What Is the Real Risk?
by Claude Nougat
The Euro crisis started nearly two years ago with the Greek sovereign debt scandal and has been a festering sore putting the global economy at risk of renewed recession. Can the Euro really collapse? Who are the players pulling the strings?
Governance, Risk, and Compliance Uneasiness: False Social Media Pages
by Jen Warriach
The utilization of social media in business today is being looked at with increasing enthusiasm. Although, social media is the latest buzz that has everyone talking, governance, risk and compliance (GRC) experts are not discussing some of the severe perils that come along with it. Unquestionably, social media provides astonishing worth and possibilities in numerous business applications; however, half-truths, "fake profiles", company intellect, and confidence in errant information pose serious threats to companies legal responsibility.
Which Business Structure Should I Use?
by Lee R Phillips
A little business is your best tax shelter. Everyone needs a business and the LLC, Limited Liability Company, is usually the best choice. But how do you know for sure, and set it up right to get all the advantages? Saving taxes and protecting assets is what it's all aboIT infrastructure Library (ITIL) has been around since 1989. Since v2 was released at the beginning of the millennium, there has been a shift in the perspective with which IT is viewed. Adopting ITIL 2 has cut the total cost of ownership (TCO) for billion dollar corporations by up to 48% according to internet.com.

While ITIL 2 has helped organizations who have implemented it apply the principles of process change management to their IT operations, it still stops short in providing guidance on how to integrate IT functions into the business. This has made it easy for management to overlook the very real benefits contributed to the business by IT.

ITIL 3 helps resolves this issue. Rather than focusing on process, ITIL 3 focuses on service. It's designed to incorporate the best practices of change management. A side benefit is that ITIL problem management process flow also becomes much more business centered in its scope.

The challenge many businesses face as they seek to implement ITIL 3 is how to approach IT problem management. What tools provide the 360 situational awareness necessary to implement this important process in ITIL 3? What products in the market deliver on the promise to facilitate the move towards ITIL and service oriented IT management strategies?

Business Transaction Monitoring

Gartner in the 2010 APM Magic Quadrant report and Forrester Research in its Competitive Analysis: Application Performance Management and Business Transaction Monitoring report have both identified these two technologies as key components of developing a service focused technology approach to business needs as contrasted to a function-based approach.

To borrow a term from design-form has roughly followed function. The form has struggled to provide dependable service. For too many years, form has preceded function. Multiple functional pieces (applications) have been developed in separate silos each dealing with its own business process. Each of these applications are supposed to be serving the business yet the design of the system, if form, makes consistent service impossible without outside help.

Problem management in a world of silos is very ineffective. This why business transaction monitoring is an important component for implementing either ITIL 2 or ITIL 3. It helps in the successful implementation of ITIL Problem Management as it enables the reconfiguring of IT operation structure from one where individual silos operate independently of each other, to one where many disparate processes and tools work interdependently.

Before the advent of business transaction monitoring (BTM), IT departments were so busy trying to discover where problems were occurring and then patching the problems up that providing dependable service was a nightmare. Business transaction monitoring changes this. BTM makes it possible to track a business transaction through its path of execution-which may include many Java,.NET, messaging middleware, CICS and database applications. Each IT transaction that comprises the business transaction must execute correctly and complete within the time allocated by the service level agreement (SLA).

BTM provides deep visibility into the application stack, enabling IT operations to readily see how a small IT issue can cause a large business impact. Testing application performance in QA can assess service impacts before new releases are deployed into production. It also provides the essential visibility to detect potential problems in transaction flow long before they have a chance to cascade into problems that impact customers.

Application Performance Management

Application performance management (APM) incorporates BTM but can do more. The right APM solution should employ an embrace-until-you-can-replace design. This means that an APM with a library of technology solutions designed to work with the leading IT technology lines: IBM WebSphere MQ, IBM WebSphere ESB, IBM WAS, IBM WBI, J2EE, TIBCO EMS, TIBCO RV, BEA WebLogic, Oracle Database, SQL Server, JMX, JBoss, and WMQ SPI for HP Operations Center, etc. will enable the implementation of ITIL all that easier.

Complex Event Processing

An application performance management solution must also have the ability to handle huge volumes of diverse data. In order to do this effectively, a complex event processing (CEP) engine needs to filter, correlate, contextualize, and analyze data captured from disparate live data sources (RSS feeds, internal IT technology, cloud-based technology, etc.). Then the CEP needs to respond to the information automatically with warning alerts and possibly automated repairs.
About this Author

Because ITIL 3 focuses on problem management from a service orientation, IT managers need to understand the existing complexity of the IT structure before they can begin developing an IT enterprise that is service focused. Application performance management with complex event processing and business transaction monitoring enables problem management within the existing IT enterprise while enabling the development of solutions that dovetail into the business' goals.

Denise Rutledge has been researching the topic of application performance management (APM) and complex event processing (CEP) since 2009. In the course of her research, she discovered an interesting smaller APM provider, Nastel Technologies. The company's AutoPilot software line has been using CEP to assist IT managers with implementing ITIL since it was first introduced. Forrester Research recognizes AutoPilot as one of the most successful integrations of CEP and application performance management in the market.