...Microsoft International’s HR Team Microsoft International provides sales, marketing, and services for Microsoft Corporation’s locations outside of North America. The human resources (HR) team within Microsoft International is made up of approximately 600 employees and provides support for HR management teams in more than 100 countries. The HR team uses many global systems and tools across each of the international Microsoft subsidiaries. One key HR objective was to standardize common business processes of all subsidiaries across all Microsoft locations. Jean O’Connor, HR project manager for Microsoft International, explained: Experience with different HR business processes would vary significantly from one location to the next. Without documentation, each new HR employee will need to be trained by someone who may or may not know the process. Teaching new hires an inefficient process can introduce repeatable errors and decreases our overall effectiveness. Increasing HR Processes Efficiency The team wanted to find ways to improve process efficiency and effectiveness across subsidiaries. To start, the HR team needed to understand current business processes at each subsidiary and be able to discuss them, which they achieved by diagramming them using Visio modeling Software. Benefits of Business Process Modeling The HR team used Microsoft Visio Premium 2010 to design templates (also called models ) that define and describe the steps in each process . Benefits that the HR teams achieved...
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...system is very beneficial for a company as it increases both overall employee job satisfaction and improves overall performance by allowing all employees to come to a common understanding of an organization’s goals. Microsoft has made many changes within the recent months regarding the way they handle performance reviews. Many companies such as Microsoft have begun to ditch the traditional “performance review” system, which involves annual reviews, and adopted a new system which involves more constant consistent feedback (Colvin, 2015). This is system is being called the “Check in” system and is beginning to be adopted by more companies each day (Colvin, 2015). The “Check in” system can provide a number of learning opportunities for both Microsoft and the individuals within the company, as consistent feedback can be very beneficial to both employee development and growth. Compared to the traditional annual review system which provides feedback once a year, the new system allows for corrective action to be taken more frequently and more efficiently. Employees who receive regular feedback from their employers are more likely to enjoy their jobs, have increased job performance and provide more value to the company they are working for. Recently Microsoft has begun to eliminate problems within the performance review system that many companies have struggled with, with the worst being employee stacking (Warren, 2013). Employee stacking is when a company’s management team reviews...
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...Microsoft: Competing on Talent (A) In the summer of 1999, a front page Wall Street Journal article was attracting attention on the Redmond campus. Under the headline “As Microsoft Matures, Some Top Talent Chooses to Go Off Line,” the article reported: “Tired of grueling deadlines, frustrated by the bureaucracy that has accompanied Microsoft’s explosive growth, or lured away by the boom in high-tech start-ups, dozens of the company’s most capable leaders, all around 40, have opted out—at least temporarily . . .”i (See Exhibit 1 for the article’s list of senior level departures.) Steve Ballmer, the company’s recently appointed president and COO, was quoted as saying that some of the departures were voluntary and some were not, opening opportunities for fresher, smarter replacements. “We have a bench that is very deep,” he said. “We have people who are fired up—driven—to lead the next generation.”ii Yet despite the positive outlook, Ballmer clearly recognized that Microsoft had to change or adapt some of the human resource practices that had allowed it to assemble and retain what CEO Bill Gates proudly called “the best team of software professionals the world has ever seen.” Just six weeks before the WSJ article was published, Ballmer had announced a package of changes that sweetened salaries, allowed more frequent promotions, and softened some of the pressures that had long been part of the ”hard-core” Microsoft culture. Still, there were some who wondered if the rumblings...
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...AN INTERESTING STORY RELATED TO HR PEOPLE A small story for all HR people. A jobless man applied for the position of "office boy" at Microsoft. The HR manager interviewed him then watched him cleaning the floor as a test. "You are employed." He said." Give me your e-mail address and I'll send you the application to fill in, as well as date when you may start." The man replied "But I don't have a computer, neither an email." I'm sorry", said the HR manager, "If you don't have an email, that means you do not exist. And who doesn't exist, cannot have the job." The man left with no hope at all. He didn't know what to do, with only $10 in his pocket. He then decided to go to the supermarket and buy a 10Kg tomato crate. He then sold the tomatoes in a door to door round. In less than two hours, he succeeded to double his capital. He repeated the Operation three times, and returned home with $60. The man realized that he can survive by this Way, and started to go everyday earlier, and return late Thus, his money doubled or tripled every day. Shortly, he bought a cart, then a truck, and then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles. 5 years later, the man is one of the biggest food retailers in US. He started to plan his family's future, and decided to have a life insurance. He called an insurance broker, and chose a protection plan. When the conversation was concluded, the broker asked him his email. The man replied, "I don't have an...
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...successful. The following will describe these types of information systems and how the most accurate and useful software application helps manage the information which makes it easier to maintain a successful business. Management Information Systems (MIS) Management information systems in companies and businesses “develop and maintain all the computer systems to allow managers to operate and maintain a successful operation of business” (Burton & Kaliski, 2001). It is very important for managers to fully understand the different software applications and operating systems to perform quality and accurate communication throughout the company. “Microsoft is the most commonly used software tool” (Management Information Systems, 2012) which allows to you to create many different types of documents for any area of the MIS. Microsoft Word along with PowerPoint and Excel are applications used for specific tasks and is timely and efficient in improving business operations. On a personal view, these applications have been very resourceful in completing assignments and tasks in the home, school and job. Accounting Information Systems In accounting...
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...2001 CHRISTOPOHER A. BARTLETT Microsoft: Competing on Talent (A) In the summer of 1999, a front page Wall Street Journal article was attracting attention on the Redmond campus. Under the headline “As Microsoft Matures, Some Top Talent Chooses to Go Off Line,” the article reported: “Tired of grueling deadlines, frustrated by the bureaucracy that has accompanied Microsoft’s explosive growth, or lured away by the boom in high-tech start-ups, dozens i of the company’s most capable leaders, all around 40, have opted out—at least temporarily . . .” (See Exhibit 1 for the article’s list of senior level departures.) Steve Ballmer, the company’s recently appointed president and COO, was quoted as saying that some of the departures were voluntary and some were not, opening opportunities for fresher, smarter replacements. “We have a bench that is very deep,” he said. “We have people who are fired ii Yet despite the positive outlook, Ballmer clearly up—driven—to lead the next generation.” recognized that Microsoft had to change or adapt some of the human resource practices that had allowed it to assemble and retain what CEO Bill Gates proudly called “the best team of software professionals the world has ever seen.” Just six weeks before the WSJ article was published, Ballmer had announced a package of changes that sweetened salaries, allowed more frequent promotions, and softened some of the pressures that had long been part of the ”hard-core” Microsoft culture. Still, there were some who...
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...Microsoft cuts jobs as profits fall US software giant Microsoft is to cut up to 5,000 jobs over the next 18 months - including 1,400 immediately - due to a slowing economy and weak spending on technology. Microsoft employs 1,200 people at Sandyford in Dublin, but a spokesperson said the cuts would have only 'a very minor impact' in Ireland. It is believed fewer than 20 jobs will go. Microsoft said net profit fell by 11% in the second quarter of its financial year compared with a year earlier to $4.17 billion. Revenue was $16.63 billion, 2% more than the same period a year ago. The world's biggest software firm said that 'in light of the further deterioration of global economic conditions', it was eliminating up to 5,000 jobs. The cuts will be in research and development, marketing, sales, finance, legal, human resources and IT over the next 18 months. Microsoft employs some 91,000 people and the job cuts announced today amount to a reduction of about 5.5%of its global workforce. Rumours of job cuts at the firm had been circulating for weeks. Microsoft is cutting 5,000 jobs over the next 18 months, nearly 5% of its workforce, following a deterioration in the PC market. The layoffs are thought to include 60 jobs from the firm's UK workforce of 2,900 in London, Reading, Manchester, Edinburgh, Cambridge, and Chertsey in Surrey. Around the world, Microsoft employs 95,000 people and today's announcement represents a 5% cut. Announcing the redundancies, Microsoft said it...
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...Microsoft: Competing on Talent (A) Christopoher A Bartlett Summary of Case In summer 1999, a front page article on Wall Street Journal reported that: “Tired of grueling deadlines, frustrated by the bureaucracy that has accompanied Microsoft’s explosive growth, or lured away by the boom in high tech start ups, dozens of the company’s most capable leaders, all around 40, have opted out – at least temporarily….” Foundations of Microsoft’s human resources philosophies, policies and practices Recruitment: attracting the best and the brightest Bill Gates had long recognized that it took exceptional people to write outstanding software. In the initial stages, they recruited “smart friends” extremely intelligent but not necessarily experienced, new college graduates. In 1992, Gates acknowledged that “Take our 20 best people away, and I will tell you that Microsoft will become an unimportant company”. He considered helping his managers hire the best of all possible candidates as his greatest accomplishment. For Gates, acquired knowledge was less important than “smarts” – the ability to think creatively, and experience was less important than ambition – the drive to get things done. And, to raise the bar continually. One of the prime responsibility of Steve Ballmer, since he was hired in 1980 as assistant to the President was recruiting coordinator. Steve’s mantra was: ...
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...online behavior. There also needs to be an antivirus installed on the network like Norton or Symantec which blocks threats targeting the vulnerabilities. “With the firewalls you want to configure them in the reputable internet security program to block unsolicited request communication.” (Source 1) Email server needs to be sure that spam doesn’t get through the network. The ways that spam works is unwanted email messages get solicited to a large number of recipients. “Spam should be a major concern in your infrastructure since it can be used to deliver email which can include Trojan horses, viruses, worms’ spyware and targeted attacks aimed specifically in obtaining sensitive and personal identification information.” (Source 1) Microsoft Outlook has some known security risks. However, “most of the security configurations would be set on the Exchange server and passed down to all clients.” (Source 2) With the organization running Windows 2008 domain controllers with an integrated Active Directory and an Exchange server for email functions, “there are risks associated specifically to those types of...
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...with many polymers processing patents. In 1992 Dr. Riordan bought the Pontiac plant manufacturing plastic fans, then the purchase of the Albany in 1993 for their plastic beverage capabilities. The year 2000 saw the purchase of the China plant, where the fan manufacturing has been moved, allowing the Pontiac plant to be retooled for custom plastic parts. All these facilities are governed by a human resource information system (HRIS) implemented in 1992, as a financial package system to track employee information (Apollo Virtual Org.). Goal The purpose for this service request is to plan a new HRIS for Riordan Manufacturing. Mainly the beginning phase is to gather and understand the requirements for the new system; this will not only impact HR but Finance systems as well. Riordan’s HRIS is currently outdated and without a central database or networked compartments. Each record change must be submitted in writing (on specified forms) and manually entered into the system. Project Requirements To grasp the service being requested and the necessary requirements the following stakeholders will be questioned; Finance and Accounting, Training and Development, Recruiters, Managers, Employee Relations, and Dr. Riordan. Suggestions shall be gathered and discussed in the following manner/s: Focus Groups; collective interviews between individuals for both questions and solutions Workshops; ability to interact with many stakeholders Surveys; anonymous stakeholder suggestions Documentation...
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...Microsoft/Intuit Synergies There is a great deal of synergy between the Microsoft and Intuit that would be beneficial for Microsoft if an acquisition were to take place. Intuit’s position in the personal finance market would lend a considerable benefit to Microsoft given their difficulty in that market. Microsoft would also be able to take advantage of the similarity in their products and use their considerable marketing advantages to enhance the revenue created by Intuit. In 1994, Bill Gates envisioned an emerging future market as an online marketplace to handle consumer needs. In order for Microsoft to develop its capability to control its own destiny in online entertainment and commerce, it needed to acquire additional core competencies of “cable and/or telephone networks, on-line networks, electronic shopping networks, video on demand, and business networks.” Microsoft needed to evaluate what competencies would be developed in house and which would be acquired in an effort to most efficiently use its human resources and financial assets. With Gate’s vision of the future online consumer, Intuit’s product line could be a great benefit to Microsoft being able to position them as a leader in that market. In terms of market share in the personal finance/checkbook software market, Intuit had a 69% share in units and an 85% share in value. This is in comparison to a 22% and 7% share for Microsoft respectively. Bill Gate’s vision of the future relies heavily on personal financial...
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...MARK JEFFREY A&D High Tech (A): Administración de Proyectos para Obtener el Éxito En sus doce años como gerente de proyectos de tecnología en A&D High Tech, Chris Johnson contaba con una trayectoria sólida récord para la entrega de proyectos a tiempo y de acuerdo al presupuesto. Las técnicas que utilizaba para la planeación del proyecto, el cálculo, y la programación se habían convertido en una práctica para obtener lo mejor en la compañía de productos para computación con base en St. Louis. Acababa de dirigir a un equipo de proyectos que logró modernizar los sistemas de la cadena de suministro en un tiempo menor a los dieciocho meses. En lo particular, se sentía orgulloso puesto que muchos observadores habían puesto en duda que se pudiera concluir el proyecto a tiempo. Como parte de las iniciativas de estrategia que señaló el Director Ejecutivo y Fundador, Ted Walter, A&D sería la segunda compañía antes que otras en la utilización de tecnología que se aplicaría para incrementar la eficiencia operativa y reducir costos. El proyecto de la cadena de suministro recibió por lo tanto una atención importante en la sala de juntas y de parte de sus competidores. Una y otra vez, se le pidió a Johnson que abordara las tareas difíciles que se presentaban como críticas para el crecimiento y las utilidades de la compañía. Ya se le había dicho que sería el sucesor del vicepresidente de la sección de e-business, Chuck Gagler, Caso © 2006 por la Escuela de Administración de Kellogg, Northwestern...
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...Existing DBMS and Applications There is neither enterprise level application nor database exist in Huffman Trucking as of now. Each department has their own way of doing things. Huffman trucking has operations, human resources, sales and marketing, finance and accounting departments. Driver log application is using FoxPro DBMS and all the other departments use Microsoft ACCESS as their DBMS. Enterprise DBMS Selection New Application is a web based system with front end developed in .Net and backend database is SQL Server 2005. Main page of the application will have menu options that link to the corresponding departments. The menu options are HR, Operations, Finance and Accounting, and Sales & Marketing. As per the business specifications databases will be created for each department. There will be sub menus under each option on the main menu to provide the detail business functions of that department. For example under operations department there will be options for truck maintenance, driver logs, etc. Truck maintenance database will have tables such as part inventory, parts catalogue, vendors, vehicle maintenance. Similarly for other departments tables will be created with the help of the stake holders such as business users, developers, DBAs. Database Selection Process Mission statement of Huffman states that “Technology - we will be the industry leader in leveraging technology to the maximum to provide customer service and business efficiencies”...
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...Case 4a: Microsoft Q1: A company’s ability to attract, motivate, and retain superior people is a key determinant for success in any organization, and Microsoft was at one point unmatched in their ability to do just this. Subsequently, their recruiting and retention strategy was indeed likely their core source of competitive advantage when the company was an engine of exponential growth. As Microsoft entered the 90s however, with the company’s growth slowing, and the organization moving towards the behemoth we know today, the strength of this competency, and its importance to the organization began to shift as well. Inevitably, as a company grows, the ability for an individual to make an outsized impact declines dramatically. This is best expressed in the change in Microsoft’s vision statement from “a computer on every desk and in every home running on Microsoft software” to “to empower people to do anything they want, any place they want, on any device.” The first statement is concrete, concise, and measurable, while the second statement is considerably less so. Developers working to achieve the first vision statement were excited to be a part of something bigger than themselves. This was evidenced by statements like: “we were literally changing the world. You felt you were at the center of the universe,” and that Gates and his top managers had “created a culture where everyone felt like their excellence was material to the bottom line.” It’s difficult to feel...
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...operating system on a UNIX workstation. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IT SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR SOGEST-CONSEILS. (February 2012 to July 2013) ➢ Responsible for supporting: Windows XP/Vista/Windows 7/ Office 2003 and 2007, Windows Server, Small Business Server 2003, Active Directory, Backup products, Anti-Virus products, DNS/DHCP, TCP/IP, Ethernet, wireless router and Firewall Configurations. ➢ Diagnosis of desktop, application, networking and infrastructure issues. ➢ Implementing and maintaining RAID-1(Mirror) ➢ Troubleshooting PC’s, laptops and mobile devices. ➢ Working closely with software suppliers to resolve operational issues. ➢ Deploying and Administering SQL SERVER 2008 linked with SAGE SAARI (Accounting and HR Software ) ➢ Performed data backups, restorations, scheduling, and documentation and offsite...
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