5 Truths and 1 Lie About Business Productivity Software

Business productivity software is the key to having everyone working off of the same “page” as it were in your business. Being able to have an integrated set of packages that works together means data can easily shift from one program to the next, data can be shared and collaborated on, and all of that flexibility has led to a certain amount of confusion about exactly what business productivity software is, and what it isn’t.Here’s a list of things that good business productivity software is:* It works off of a common data platform giving everyone a common standard to work with
* It allows for collaboration through IM and other services
* Reporting software works flawlessly through all the different modules
* Modules that work together covers every aspect of the enterprise including accounting, marketing, sales and production
* Everything works together in real time without time lag including all phases of the enterprise.Part of the confusion, aside from being clear about how well everything works together is the fact that there’s one lie about well done business productivity software* It is hard to implement and maintain.This is actually as far as it gets from the truth. Well designed business productivity software is actually easier to install, set up, configure and maintain than any other set of packages could be. If the software is designed properly, then all it takes is one install on the server and one install on each client unless the implementation is web-based. Then all it takes is the server side setupMaintenance is easy as well. From a single point password and profile setup through apply once patching and upgrading, the best business productivity software reduces labor costs for IT dramatically. Instead of having to dedicate IT staff specifically to doing system upgrades and software patching, having the right business productivity software means that all the labor is centralized in a single process. No longer do techs have to track down salesmen and marketers to update their laptops, updates are handled automatically once installed server side.Between the flexibility business productivity software offers your accounting, sales, marketing and senior staff and the ease of setup and maintenance for the IT staff, having the right package enables your entire enterprise to work more smoothly than ever before. Check out the packages available and see which gives you the flexibility you need and the ease of use your IT department will appreciate.

The Health Care Evolution – Ten Trends That Can Revitalize Nursing

Nurses are at the forefront of an evolutionary wave in health care. Whether we take leadership or not will determine nursing’s future.These ten trends can revitalize nursing if nurses break free from the confines of the medical model and use their education and skills to become wave riders.1. Aging Boomers
Boomers are living longer. Quantity of life is driving a desire for better quality of life. This generation wants to learn how to stay vital, mobile, healthy and productive. They are looking for guidance in health promotion and wellness, not only disease prevention and treatment.2. A 2nd Boom
Boomers Grandchildren are driving a huge demand for family health information and support for new and working moms. From birthing to family health education and sick child care, family systems need and want professional advice and innovative strategies to raise a brighter, stronger next generation.3. Information explosion
Internet access provides health consumers with tons of information, but not the knowledge or wisdom to know how to use it without getting confused. They need knowledgeable health professionals as gatekeepers, trusted advisors, or health system navigators.4. Holism
People are increasingly spending out of pocket dollars for alternative and complementary health care. Nursing education focuses on systems, whole person, life cycle perspectives that can guide in selecting appropriate options along a continuum of care.5. Consumer driven health care
As consumers rely less on employer health coverage and more on personal health spending, they are seeking innovative and home based solutions for care including advanced home monitoring, telephone consultation, personalized care, and individualized treatment.6. High Tech – High Touch
The need for personal connection, listening, and caring has never been higher. Nurses consistently rank first in every consumer poll for most trusted professional.7. Shortages and Cost Containment
Professional shortages and a drive to contain costs, creates a push to use mid-level and low-level providers for technical care. Nurses will continue to be driven away from the institutional bed side. With decreasing numbers of people in institutional care, face to face professional health care will be delivered in the home and community.8. Accessibility
Health information and care will be delivered on a global, mobile, remote, phone and internet basis. Nursing phone advice lines are increasingly popular with consumers.9. Back to Basics
With increased interest in information and coaching on proper food and nutrition, supplements, stretching, meditation, simplicity, life balance, joy in work, and relationships wellness and health coaching is a growing field.10. Self-Care/Self-Responsibility
People are realizing that doctors, medication and illness care are not going to keep them well. Employers, third party payers and common sense are driving consumers to take health care into their own hands. This trend will continue to drive an increase in self care information and reduction in in-patient and long term care.Tomorrow’s nurses are not working under a doctor’s direction, or in an institution. To remain viable, nursing will have to think beyond the institutional medical care box.Consumers are desperate for professional nurses to fill the need for proactive community
and home based health care.Tomorrow’s nurses will be innovative community health leaders, who develop and deliver services directly meeting the changing needs of health consumers.Progressive, professional nurses will form cooperatives, and creative health delivery systems that support families throughout the life span. They will provide continuity of health information and care while supporting people to navigate an ever more specialized and complex techno-medical system.Grab A Board – Surfs Up!© Aila Accad, RN

The Best Art Schools In America

Of the thousands of art schools in America, a few stand out in the art world as the best schools based on academic value. Some are dedicated art schools and some are colleges of general education with outstanding departments.Rhode Island School of Design enjoys the highest profile in art and design, and superlative respect among experts in the art world. A student with a degree from RISD will have their resume’ moved to the top of the pile. It is, however, not without substantial investment. At an average cost of over 100,000.00 per year, only the very serious artist major need apply. That may, in fact, be a large part of the respect given to graduates of this school.Yale University, already one of the most respected centers of education in America, also enjoys the status of having one of the best art schools in America for undergraduate work. Yale offers courses for several areas of visual art and techniques, as well as art history – a firm foundation for more intense graduate work.The Art Institute of Chicago offers one of the most unique opportunities for interpolation of art education and history to be found. AIC is actually located INSIDE one of America’s finest museums offering an outstanding experience for those who relish saturation in their passion and discipline.Cranbrook Academy of Art, located in southeast Michigan north of Detroit, has developed its reputation for modernism in architecture as well as many other genres in the field.At Maryland Institute College of Art the primary focus (no pun intended), is on visual arts such as graphic design, illustration, animation, and video film. A graduate from MICA applying at Pixar or Disney would be well positioned for serious consideration.Virginia Commonwealth University, a public college, offers some eighteen undergraduate majors from fine arts to many of the modern forms of digital and design. This is a quality education at a more affordable price. But, it’s not a shoe-in. Entrance is moderately difficult, so this is not for the student tenuous about a career in this field.California Institute of the Arts is well-known as the first academy to offer programs in both visual and performing arts. This only makes sense since Hollywood is the entertainment industry’s capital. Majors are offered in fine arts, theater, dance and music.Carnegie Melon University College of Art offers a well-rounded choice in schools of Art, Architecture, Design, Drama, and Music commensurate with CMU’s overall reputation.University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) offers possibly the most interesting variety in majors at their School of Arts and Architecture. Majors in World Arts and Cultures, Ethnomusicology, and Urban Design are definitely for out-of-the-box thinkers looking for highly specialized careers.Art Center College of Design, a private college located in Pasadena, CA, originally built its reputation as a vocational school. It still maintains a real-world focus on craftsmanship, technique and professionalism. If practical skills and abilities are your goals, Art Center’s roads to real-life clients such as Nike and Disney have earned it a position as one of the 11 best design schools in America.