How to accept criticism at work

Criticism can often bring out the worst in people. It’s important for you to realise that being criticised is not a personal attack; it’s a key to success. Yes, success. When you’re criticised for a task, your employer is simply being honest with you. Use their criticism as a learning tool. Their knowledge could help make your work exceptional if you accept and consider their criticism. Here’s how to handle criticism like a pro.

Your first reaction is trouble
We’re human and our first reaction to criticism is often defensive. Avoid the urge to lash out and say the first thing that comes to mind. Rather take a step back from the situation, take a deep breath and think about what the other person has said. Is there truth in their words? If there is, implementing their suggestion may be very helpful to you.

Think positive thoughts
Criticism gives us a chance to improve. When you receive criticism always try to find the positive in it. Remember, honest feedback about your work is just one way that you can improve and be a better employee. Take the feedback into consideration and you’ll see that it could actually help you – and save your job.

Say “thank you”
You may not want to at the time, but thank your critic for their honest feedback. It could help you feel less resentful and prove to them that you can actually handle criticism without losing control. You might even surprise them too.

Be calm
Sometimes criticism is far from helpful, but it’s up to you to be the bigger person. Don’t damage your career and throw your reputation down the drain by lashing out and insulting the other person. Don’t stoop to their level; respond in a calm, friendly manner and show them, and others, that you will not let your anger or their petty insults get the better of you.

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The Difference Between E-Business and E-Commerce?

   

E -business and e-commerce are terms that are sometimes used interchangeably, and sometimes they're used to differentiate one vendor's product from another. But the terms are different, and that difference matters to today's companies.

 

Data integration is often underestimated and poorly implemented, taking time and resources. Yet it
              

In both cases, the e stands for "electronic networks" and describes the application of electronic network technology - including Internet and electronic data interchange (EDI) - to improve and change business processes.

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E-commerce covers outward-facing processes that touch customers, suppliers and external partners, including sales, marketing, order taking, delivery, customer service, purchasing of raw materials and supplies for production and procurement of indirect operating-expense items, such as office supplies. It involves new business models and the potential to gain new revenue or lose some existing revenue to new competitors.

It's ambitious but relatively easy to implement because it involves only three types of integration: vertical integration of front-end Web site applications to existing transaction systems; cross-business integration of a company with Web sites of customers, suppliers or intermediaries such as Web-based marketplaces; and integration of technology with modestly redesigned processes for order handling, purchasing or customer service.

E-business includes e-commerce but also covers internal processes such as production, inventory management, product development, risk management, finance, knowledge management and human resources. E-business strategy is more complex, more focused on internal processes, and aimed at cost savings and improvements in efficiency, productivity and cost savings.

An e-business strategy is also more difficult to execute, with four directions of integration: vertically, between Web front- and back-end systems; laterally, between a company and its customers, business partners, suppliers or intermediaries; horizontally, among e-commerce, enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), knowledge management and supply-chain management systems; and downward through the enterprise, for integration of new technologies with radically redesigned business processes. But e-business has a higher payoff in the form of more efficient processes, lower costs and potentially greater profits.

E-commerce and e-business both address these processes, as well as a technology infrastructure of databases, application servers, security tools, systems management and legacy systems. And both involve the creation of new value chains between a company and its customers and suppliers, as well as within the company itself.

All companies should have an e-commerce strategy. (Governments should have an e-public service strategy.) Electronic networks in general and the Internet in particular are too important for firms to ignore if they want to interact with customers, suppliers or distribution partners.

But some companies need to move beyond e-commerce and form e-business strategies - especially large companies that already have links to EDI networks or have completed major ERP implementations. These companies have already reaped some of the biggest benefits from e-commerce strategies. They're also likely to experience organizational pain as conflicts develop among their ERP, EDI, supply-chain management and e-commerce strategies. And last, they have enough experience and knowledge in electronic-network technologies - and in process redesign and integration - that they have a chance of being successful in an e-business strategy.

Still, the coordination and organizational obstacles to developing an e-business strategy are formidable. It involves major and potentially disruptive organizational change. The risks of failure and the consequences from limited success are higher in an e-business strategy than in an e-commerce strategy. Being a leader in e-business can contribute to long-term success, but the stresses and strains of business transformation can cause near-term damage.

A wise company may decide to consolidate its gains and complete the work involved in its existing and largely separate e-commerce, ERP, CRM or supply-chain initiatives before making the big leap to becoming an e-business. Jumping too soon can be as disastrous as moving too late.

 

http://www.dwdsolutions.co.za

 

Why You Need A Website - DWD Solutions

That's a good question. In fact, it's one of the most important and most frequently asked questions of the digital business age.

Should your business have a website, even if your business is small and sells products or services you don't think can be sold online? My answer is: Yes, if you have a business, you should have a website. Period. No question. Without a doubt.
Also, don't be so quick to dismiss your product as one that can't be sold online. Nowadays, there's very little that can't be sold over the internet. More than 20 million shoppers are now online, purchasing everything from books to computers to cars to real estate to jet airplanes to natural gas to you name it. If you can imagine it, someone will figure out how to sell it online.
Let me clarify one point: I'm not saying you should put all your efforts into selling your wares over the internet, though if your product lends itself to easy online sales, you should certainly be considering it. The point to be made here is that you should at the very least have a presence on the web so that customers, potential employees, business partners and perhaps even investors can quickly and easily find out more about your business and the products or services you have to offer.
That said, it's not enough that you just have a website. You must have a professional-looking site if you want to be taken seriously. Since many consumers now search for information online prior to making a purchase at a brick-and-mortar store, your site may be the first chance you have at making a good impression on a potential buyer. If your site looks like it was designed by a barrel of colorblind monkeys, your chance at making a good first impression will be lost.
One of the great things about the internet is that it has leveled the playing field when it comes to competing with the big boys. As mentioned, you have one shot at making a good first impression. With a well-designed site, your little operation can project the image and professionalism of a much larger company. The inverse is also true. I've seen many big company websites that were so badly designed and hard to navigate that they completely lacked professionalism and credibility. Good for you, too bad for them.
You also mention that yours is a small operation, but when it comes to benefiting from a website, size does not matter. I don't care if you're a one-man show or a 10,000-employee corporate giant; if you don't have a website, you're losing business to other companies that do.
Here's the exception to my rule: It's actually better to have no website at all than to have one that makes your business look bad. Your site speaks volumes about your business. It either says, "Hey, look, we take our business so seriously that we have created this wonderful site for our customers!" or it screams, "Hey, look, I let my 10-year-old nephew design my site. Good luck finding anything!"
Your website is an important part of your business. Make sure you treat it as such.

Good Luck
DWD Solutions

Why IT Struggles to Innovate................and how you can fix it!!

It seems that it’s virtually impossible for IT to meet all business demands with current budgets, resources, and approaches. But the business keeps changing and IT needs to respond rapidly and innovate in order to stay relevant to the organization.

Why does IT struggle to innovate?

According to Gartner and other analyst reports:

• 80%-85% of IT budgets are spent just "Keeping the Lights On" (KTLO)
• Backlogs are compounding annually at a rate of 10%-20%
• 42% of the initial cost of an application is spent year after year to maintain it

In this eBook we explore the root causes of IT inefficiency and discuss methods companies have used to overcome them, turning their IT departments into innovation superstars.