The post The Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Revolution appeared first on RMC Agency.
]]>With this progressive dynamic in mind, we thought a focus on automation and some of the domains that aim to monitor, control and improve the production and delivery of products and services we consume on a daily basis would be worthy of exploring. Over the next three months, we will be featuring a series in which we key in on various industries and their respective implementations of ML and AI and how these platforms enhance efficiencies.
This month, we are taking a deeper dive into manufacturing processes, an industry who has been an early adopter of AI with the adoption of Manufacturing Execution System (MES) solutions.
Specifically, we will be taking a look at manufacturing metrics of production processes and output via an Information Technology (IT) foundation.
Creating Value in Manufacturing with an IT Solution
By: Matt Holka
A Manufacturing Execution System (MES) is generally understood as an Information Technology (IT) solution used to monitor and control complex manufacturing processes and the data associated with them. While various industries might implement MES solutions for different reasons, the system’s benefits usually boil down to allowing an organization to have greater control of their manufacturing process and improving production output. With an MES platform that is fully integrated into factory floor equipment, an organization is able to gather critical production metrics in real time and make informed decisions efficiently. These metrics include but are not limited to; equipment uptime, machine & operator rate, work station yield, active schedule enforcement and part specific traceability. By leveraging the vast amount of information that is generated, an organization has the ability to reduce time spent manually generating reports and paperwork, increase inventory accuracy, improve schedule and shipment attainment, and increase customer satisfaction.
There is an adage that says, “What gets measured, gets managed” and this is never clearer than in a manufacturing plant. Daily production meetings and report outs are filled with various numbers and metrics that are being tracked, measured and micromanaged throughout the facility, sometimes as often as in 15-minute intervals. We can consolidate a majority of these metrics into a couple Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that directly impact overall business performance: Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and Throughput Yield.
Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is a convenient way to compare specific equipment or complete production lines against one another since it takes into consideration multiple metrics that are likely already being measured and combines them into a single and easily understood “score”. The simplest definition of OEE is what percent of time is being used productively in a specific area. A value of 100% OEE would imply that a machine is running at maximum speed for the entire shift and only making good parts. All three metrics that are used to calculate OOE are easily tracked by use of an integrated MES, they are; Equipment Availability, Performance, and Quality.
The first metric used while calculating OEE is Equipment Availability, which is the ratio of Actual Run Time verses Planned Run Time. Planned Run Time is the duration in which the equipment was scheduled and staffed. Let’s say that for an 8-hour shift, the operator has two 20-minute breaks, this means that the Planned Run Time for that machine is 440 minutes (480 min Total – 40 min Breaks = 440 min Planned Run Time). Actual Run Time is the time in which the machine was actively producing parts, taking into account Unplanned (machine failure) and Planned (changeover) downtime events. We could say that during a shift we had 20 minutes of setup time after a changeover and the equipment was broken for an additional 60 minutes at some point during the shift. In our example, this would mean that our Actual Run Time calculates to 360 minutes (440 min Planned – 20 min Changeover – 60 min Downtime = 360 min Actual Run Time). With these two numbers we can calculate our equipment availability by dividing the Actual Run Time by the Planned Run Time, in this example our equipment availability would equal 81.8% (360 min / 440 min = 81.8%).
Calculating equipment availability is fairly straight forward, the trouble in manufacturing comes in when we start to rely on human operators to accurately record dozens of different metrics throughout the day, such as the planned and unplanned downtime events. During a shift, it is very easy for an operator to lose track of the exact time their equipment failed since they will likely either be trying to troubleshoot the issue or contact someone who can repair it. At the end of the shift when their paperwork is turned in, it might say their machine was down from 10:30am to 10:45am for a total of 15 minutes. By interfacing the equipment directly with an MES, we would be able to see that the machine actually went down at 10:22am and wasn’t running again until 10:57am, giving us an actual total downtime of 35 minutes. The difference in Equipment Availability in this situation is 96.6% with operator reporting vs 92.0% with the MES recorded downtime. You can see that with this scenario and only one downtime event, management might look at the report and think their equipment is running better than it actually is. This type of misinformation could lead to the problem-solving team looking in the wrong location for why a specific shipment might have been short. In addition to being more accurate, the MES platform will free up the operator to focus more on making good parts than trying to keep track of the start/stop times of the downtime events that happens throughout their shift. Since the MES is integrated directly with the equipment, we can be certain that the data generated from the system is accurate and reliable.
Equipment Performance and Quality are the two remaining components required to calculate OEE. Equipment Performance is simply, “how many parts did a specific machine make in a given timeframe” or “how fast can a machine make parts”. While Equipment Quality on the other hand answers the question “how many of the parts that were made were actually good parts?” In the future, we will explore how a fully integrated MES takes the guesswork out of these metrics as well as diving into two of my favorite topics; Part Serialization and Traceability and how they relate to throughput yield.
If you have an emerging or innovative AI or ML topic you would like to contribute to our future newsletter content, please contact Adrienne Moulton, Marketing & Communications Manager at [email protected]
Matt Holka is a PMI Certified Project Management Professional and has several years of experience in quality assurance and process improvement in pharmaceutical and automotive manufacturing industries. Currently, he is leading the design, development and deployment of MES solutions as part of a team dedicated to process improvements for a West Michigan division of an international automotive parts supplier.
The post The Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Revolution appeared first on RMC Agency.
]]>The post Tips in the Era of Remote Working appeared first on RMC Agency.
]]>The Stay at Home order which went into effect on March 24th is beginning to show some signs of light at the end of the tunnel. Many states – including Michigan – have started to relax on a few restrictions and while we still have a ways to go before we are back to a real sense of ‘normal’, it appears we are headed in the right direction. With that said, by order of the Governor of the State of Michigan, a majority of the non-essential workforce still has at least two (2) weeks left of Stay at Home requirements. After six weeks of working remotely, for most a first time experience, settling in for another 14 days can seem like a never ending battle of freedom vs. convenience. Many have been able to ‘make do’, others have had to make some serious changes to their work-life balance in order to accommodate the situation. For the latter group I wanted to offer some help, by offering some advice based on my own experience as a full-time remote worker.
As detailed below, I will share tips and strategies which still benefit me today. My hope is that this document serves as a guide for all of us as we continue to work from the comfort and security of our homes.
If you are use to working at an office surrounded by coworkers, then it’s hard to deal with working at home. Personally, I relate with you given that I always preferred being onsite. I can also agree that for many employees and management alike remote working might seem new and overwhelming. But let me assure you that we are not the only people going thru this. Millions of people have been asked to remote work across the country and certainly all over the world. Secondly and very important point – remote working is not a new concept as it was introduced more than 40 years ago.
Back in 1979, IBM was the first company to implement remote working policies, not just IT but for all departments including marketing & sales. IBM even invested plenty of resources and money in its policies by for instance installing remote terminals at staffers homes. For IBM it was a novel initiative which attained tremendous success. By 2009, 40% of its nearly 400,000 employees were working remotely and all across the globe.
The most essential advice I can give you is to talk often with your supervisor on their expectations with regards to timings, work, schedule etc. As you establish an understanding of their needs set your own expectations with them. For example, with my current job I have a mutual agreement with my manager that I will work from 8 am till 6 pm and I will most likely be unavailable from 11:15 to 1 pm due to family commitments. Setting expectations help establish boundaries which are vital for our managers. Unfortunately, many of the tools and visual indicators that managers used to rely on while at the office are ineffective now that everyone is working from home. Thus, when you take an initiative to establish rules you get two benefits – one your supervisor will appreciate you taking the first steps to help him/her and secondly because you reach out first you may get the leverage over what works for you and can negotiate mutually agreeable and reasonable expectations.
Second tip is to set clear expectations as well as a structure with your family at home, or roommates if that is the case. Personally, it’s a bit difficult to achieve this with family & kids but nevertheless absolutely necessary. All this revolves around the basic concept of protecting your work life balance – work when you’re supposed to work, enjoy time with family during breaks. This means reducing distractions that impact your productivity while working, such as TV and use of phones/devices.
While working on your tasks, the best advice I can part with you is to over-communicate and share your work progress openly. Be intentional when sharing with your boss & coworkers and do this often. This seems counter-intuitive to when working at the office but to be honest it actually makes sense. When we are working at the office its painfully obvious what we are doing – we are completing our tasks for the day and any passerby can see that including your supervisor. However, when working from home all these visual cues are absent. Therefore, it pays to work loud and pull people into your work. This is also a good opportunity to build strong rapport with your boss & coworkers – let them know often that you are getting things done for them.
One final thought is that we need to create a dedicated workspace in our home where we can get our work done comfortably for hours on end. For some it’s a kitchen table and chair, for others it’s having a home office. To attain such a dedicated space, first try out places at your home and ask yourself where you feel calm & more productive. You can also have multiple spaces for different types of tasks. The key is finding a space that works for you & then sticking to it.
So, to summarize, there is a clearing in sight for us to emerge from Stay at Home, but we are not out of the woods yet. We have a couple more weeks until we will likely have some options to go back to work – physically. Until then hopefully the suggestions above provide some new insight on how to make the best of the situation. Remote working is not new and has been adopted by millions of employees worldwide. In fact, if you follow some of the tips detailed in this article such as setting expectations with your boss, sharing your work progress openly & often as well as creating a dedicated workspace then you too can work efficiently from home & enjoy this experience – while it lasts.
Kunal Bhatia is a Full Stack Developer with over 15 years’ software development experience in diverse projects that include building distributed applications, voice/IVR systems, mobile apps & web services. Currently working as a technology consultant for RMC and proud to be part of its family. If anyone would like to contact Kunal, please feel free to email him at [email protected]
The post Tips in the Era of Remote Working appeared first on RMC Agency.
]]>The post 7 Essential Tips for Effective Video Interviewing appeared first on RMC Agency.
]]>Amidst the unprecedented challenge the world is currently facing, including those related to employment, there happens to be a lot of hiring activity still taking place. The Michigan Dept. of Labor and Economic Opportunity reported this week that more than 2,000 Michigan companies are hiring right now, with over 40,000+ job openings in the state (see Pure Michigan Talent Connect). While the range of industries and jobs represented in these openings are broad, the IT related segment continues to be strong due to the virtual/remote compatible aspects most jobs in this sector offer.
In fact, out of necessity to proceed with 2020 hiring objectives in the IT sector, as well as others, companies have adapted their interview processes to be able to make hiring decisions based solely off of virtual
interactions. These interactions include but are not limited to Phone Interviews, Video Interviews (via Skype, Zoom, Teams etc), Virtual Skills Assessments and Projects that can be completed at home. With this shift to virtual interviewing, and specifically the use of Video, quickly becoming a prevalent component of the process, you want to make sure your video skills are on point.
Here are 7 Essential Tips for Effective Video Interviewing/Videoconferencing:
1. Find a Quiet Place to Setup for Your Interview
Look for a room or space in your house that is quiet and free from potential interruptions. Make sure pets cannot get in and be sure to notify others around you that you will be participating in an interview. Also be sure that the area is well-lit and if you need to, bring in additional lamps to increase the lighting. Avoid relying on natural light, because at any given moment clouds can cover the sun leaving you with dim-lighting or even shadows. You will want a neutral, clutter-free background as well.
2. Confirm You Have a Stable Internet Connection
This is imperative, as you do not want your interview to approach and then realize you are not able to join the video due to an in sufficient or unreliable internet connection. If possible, connect to the internet using an Ethernet cord for the duration of the interview. To be on the safe side, log on to your machine an hour in advance to give ample time to troubleshoot any connectivity issues.
3. Test Your PC or Mobile Device Webcam and Audio
You should test out your webcam and audio a few days prior to your interview to make sure both work well. Try a “mock” video interview with a family member or friend, so they can give you feedback in advance as to what they experience on their end.
4. Close All Unnecessary Programs or Web Browser Tabs
You don’t want emails or notifications from web applications popping up during your interview. Not only will it be a distraction for you and your interviewer, but it is also a bit tacky. Keep the focus on the conversation by avoiding this type of distraction.
5. Dress Professionally
Dress just as you would for an onsite in-person interview. You must still look the part so it is important to dress business professional from top to bottom, even if you will be sitting the whole time. You will also notice that when you dress the part, you will feel more confident. Avoid wearing bright colors or patterns that are too busy.
6. Prep Your Materials
Just as you would for an in-person interview, have a copy of you resume, a notepad and pen on your desk or table in front of you. You may also want a glass of water within reach as well. Ensure that your phone is out of reach so that it is not an unnecessary distraction. If you don’t have access to a computer for the video interview and must use your phone, place it in silent mode.
7. Be Cognizant of Your Body Language
Remember, eye contact is still important! However, when you are talking you want to look into the webcam rather than looking at the interviewer through the screen. This will help your eyes to align better with theirs. When you are listening, it is ok to watch them on the screen. And be sure to nod and smile to show that you are constantly engaged. You can also use hand gestures when appropriate otherwise keep your hands on the table in front of you or in your lap.
All in all, you want to treat your virtual/video interviews as if they were in-person interactions. The Golden Rule still applies: First Impressions are Lasting Impressions. Keys to success: Do research on the company ahead of time; Remember to smile; Be prepared with questions to ask at the end of your interview; Thank your interviewer(s) for their time; and ask for the job! Stand out from your competition by putting together a brief, and to the point, thank you note once your interview has finished, and send it that day. If you do all of these things, you will set yourself up for a successful outcome.
If you or any of your IT colleagues have been affected by layoffs, furlough, or If you are just ready to explore that next career move, please reach out to RMC by emailing your resume to [email protected]. and will connect you with one of our professional IT Recruiters. We have several clients eager to add talent to their teams – feel free to also check out all of our current career opportunities and apply here.
The post 7 Essential Tips for Effective Video Interviewing appeared first on RMC Agency.
]]>The post Organizational Impediments to Agile Transformation appeared first on RMC Agency.
]]>I’ve heard many managers of IT organizations proclaim to each other that we need to “Go Agile”. “If we can do that, all of our problems will be solved”. Interestingly, the same managers that make that proclamation rarely know what it means to “Go Agile”, let alone what their organization would look like or how it would behave when they are done. Contrary to popular belief, “Going Agile” may actually cause more organizational dysfunction and should be carefully thought out, understood and planned before embarking on the transformation.
First let’s review some of the values and principles of Agile that organizational culture and/or policy will impact. Be advised, items perceived as not related to organizational culture or policy were removed from this list.
Many organizations have been around for years and are set in their ways in terms of culture and process. The culture and organizational structure can and does hinder efforts to “Go Agile”. In some organizations, a culture of fear resonates. This fear actually hampers open, honest and candid communication. In its most insidious form, this fear, prevents the free flow of ideas to solve problems.
Human Resources Departments define the job descriptions, and then categorize them into salary ranges. Ranges are typically based on the number of years with the organization, years of experience or educational degrees. From there the organization defines a structure, the infamous Organizational Chart. In its traditional form the org chart creates inefficiencies in communication as information technology personnel are typically separated from the business folks they are assigned to support.
IT Departments can become hamstrung with Human Resource job descriptions, and organizational charts when forming project teams. They define the resources needed in terms of project roles, which likely are contrary to job descriptions. Conflicts arise as the project manager tries to explain the work to be accomplished by the Team. The phrase “that’s not my job” is the first symptom of this impediment.
From an organizational perspective, one of the biggest impediments is the lack of business collaboration. This is sometimes caused by the organizational hierarchy or the simple notion that the Project Team (business users and technicians) cannot be co-located to allow the collaboration and cooperation to take place. The lack of collaboration usually results in poor communication. To correct the perceived communication issue, managers and project managers will tell their Teams: “all communication must go through me”. This is usually done in the interest of consolidating the communication process so that we don’t bother the business areas. The reality of it is…it actually creates a bottle neck in communication. Team members must be empowered to go directly to the person who can help in the most effective, efficient manner.
Governance policies and procedures increase the rigidity of work flow. Project Management Offices by their very nature can create a work environment that can stifle the transformation. Strict adherence to methodology where documentation is more important than working software goes against the core values of being Agile. Audits that focus on the creation of documentation and approvals encumber the Team by artificially slowing the productivity while process catches up to the work being accomplished.
Legacy processes, techniques, status reporting, budgeting, and governance will likely change as part of the transformation. It is the responsibility of the Mgt Team to comprehend the change they are embarking on, understand it, embrace it and facilitate it. Without management support, to the executive level, the organization will not be able to embark on a transformation let alone sustain it.
An Agile Transformation will likely be the most complex organizational change experienced by the management team. It must be understood that the transformation will affect everyone in the organization. I invite those that are contemplating an agile transformation to first review the Agile Manifesto – Principles: https://agilemanifesto.org/principles.html. I also invite those responsible for leading the transformation to review the works of Dr W. Edwards Deming. While it is true that Deming’s work is pre – 2000, the concepts and philosophy are still relevant today, for ALL organizations.
Good Luck on Your Transformation!!
Mike Holka is a PMI Certified Project Management Professional with over thirty years of experience in the development, maintenance and implementation of computer systems for insurance, human resource and banking industries. As a project manager, he has led application development teams through the entire systems development lifecycle (SDLC). He takes a customer and business centric approach to information technology, has a solid IT background in multiple technologies, as well as a demonstrated track record of leadership and the ability to foster a team environment.
The post Organizational Impediments to Agile Transformation appeared first on RMC Agency.
]]>The post How to Get More Involved in Your Local Tech Community appeared first on RMC Agency.
]]>Want to learn something new? If you’re like millions of Americans, you probably set a goal at the beginning of this year. Maybe you want to learn a new technology. Maybe you want to help out in your community. Or maybe you just want to meet new people in your area. If so, you’re in luck! We have an incredibly welcoming and active tech community here in the Greater Lansing area. Keep reading to learn some tips on how you can join and become more involved in your local tech community.
Tip #1 – Try a new Meetup
We have so many amazing tech groups in our area! All of which are happy to see new faces and full of people who meet to chat about new technologies in our industry.
One of those Meetups, the Lansing JavaScript Meetup recently started a new series aimed at teaching individuals new to front end development. In the last session, we walked through a collection of tools including how to install and use those tools to create content. Next month we will be talking about the basics of CSS and how to style your new creations.
Another beginner-friendly Meetup is the Lansing Tech Demo Night Meetup. Once a month makers join together to share cool things that they have built or interesting ideas they have had. Each meeting is different from the last and always inspires me to build something new.
If you’re interested in learning more about the different tech groups in Lansing, check out the free Meetups list https://www.lansing.codes/.
Tip #2 – Join Lansing Codes Slack
Not ready to commit to a new Meetup? Maybe your calendar is already too full but you still want to talk about tech happenings? Well Lansing Codes has a Slack workspace that is free and open to all. There are dozens of different channels devoted to technical topics such as JavaScript and DevOps along with tons of non-technical channels.
Join #volunteer if you want to learn about volunteer opportunities within the Lansing Codes tech community. Or check out #100daysofcode if you are looking for accountability for your coding side project. There’s also #book-club if you’re a bookworm (or just enjoy talking about books over a beer).
Tip #3 – Offer to present
Passionate about a topic and want to share it with others? Have a conference coming up and need to practice your presentation? Or maybe you just want to improve your presentation ability? Meetup organizers are always looking for presenters. If you have a topic idea, reach out to an organizer and offer to present. 9 times out of 10 they will be over the moon to have you present at an upcoming meeting.
Hopefully these tips help you break out of your shell and crush your New Year’s resolutions this year. I hope to see you at a future Meetup or Slack discussions!
About Meg:
Meg is a software engineer at Vertafore. She loves to share her passion of front end development and software quality with others. She is a co-organizer of the Lansing JavaScript Meetup. You can find her on Slack at @MegBlaha or on Twitter at @Meg_The_Dev.
The post How to Get More Involved in Your Local Tech Community appeared first on RMC Agency.
]]>The post Five Must Read Books for Leaders in the New “Tech-ade” appeared first on RMC Agency.
]]>Welcome technology leaders to 2020 and the new decade, or “Tech-ade” as we’d like to call it! Start the new decade off right by downloading some new knowledge and growing into the best leader you can be. One great way to level up your leadership skill is reading new books and applying what you learn from them.
We often read books, both individually and as a part of book clubs, to grow personally and professionally. Even if you are not managing people you will benefit from the wisdom and tools from books on our must-read list. These books will enable you to engage in more productive conversations, improve team motivation, share candid feedback, lead with vulnerability, and set goals more effectively.
We consider these books to be transformative in upskilling our ability to lead ourselves and others. So, let’s get rolling on our five must-read books for the new “Tech-ade.”
Crucial Conversations
By Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, Switzler
Crucial Conversations tackles the space between opposing opinions, strong emotions, and high stakes. While people often avoid discussions deemed challenging or difficult this book speaks to facing the fears and engaging with tools to navigate those conversations effectively. Learn to start with your heart, clearly state your path, explore others’ paths, and move to a place of action. Try reading Crucial Conversations as part of a book club and practice what you read with others!
Primed to Perform
By Lindsay McGregor and Neel Doshi
Primed to Perform centers on the value of highly motivated employees as well as offering a way to put a number to how motivated you and your team are via their Total Motivation formula. The positive factors that make up the formula are: Play (how enjoyable is your work to you), Purpose (how well your work aligns with your personal values), and Potential (how valuable do you see this work to your future). The negative factors that decrease the score are: Emotional Pressure (are you trying hard at work to avoid disappointing someone), Economic Pressure (how much does your livelihood depend on getting rewards), and Inertia (how much are you just doing that work because that is what you were doing the day before). Primed to Perform helps you find ways to increase the positive motivators for your team and to reduce or avoid creating demotivating factors in the workplace.
Radical Candor
By Kim Scott
Sharing candid feedback with those around you is challenging – for both the one sharing and recipient. Radical Candor truly challenges the way you think about feedback and Scott’s four quadrant diagram ensures the concepts in the book stick very well. Learn how important it is to “care personally” and “challenge directly” when you want your feedback to be heard by the person with whom you are sharing it. If you believe impactful feedback is critical to being an effective leader, Scott’s approach is worth a read.
Dare to Lead
By Brené Brown
In Dare to Lead, Brené explains how strong leadership requires healthy vulnerability to be shared at work. She shows the importance of being introspective and understanding your own personal values. Aligning those values with the work you do and your environment help build you as a leader. At the same time, she brings an important focus to emotions in the workplace and why great leaders will create psychological safety within their teams. Reading Dare to Lead is a great way to understand the destructive power of shame in a team’s morale and productivity.
Your Best Year Ever
By Michael Hyatt
Goal setting is a challenge for many people. In Your Best Year Ever, Hyatt breaks down the process for setting goals by exploring the beliefs that are holding you back, thinking backwards to the past, and designing your future. His focus on finding your “Why” helps the reader anchor “What” they want to do to a broader purpose. This book includes practical tools, such as achievement and habit goal templates, and a life score assessment to determine areas in life where you see yourself doing well and where you need improvement. Start the year off right by planning your best year ever!
Scott Schmerer joined TechSmith as a Software Engineer in 2005. In the time since, he has written code on many of TechSmith’s product development teams, including Snagit, Camtasia, Morae, Fuse, and TechSmith Cloud. That experience and the challenge of helping teams improve interpersonally and technically have led him to serve teams as a Development Manager. These days Scott is spending his time driving his team’s psychological safety and focusing on automated testing.
Jess Lancaster is the QA Manager at TechSmith, the makers of Snagit, Camtasia, and other visual communication software applications. With more than twenty years of information systems and software consulting experience, Jess has been a consultant, test lead, and test manager with government, financial, insurance, and commercial software organizations. A frequent meetup and conference speaker, Jess is the Co-founder of the Lansing Area Software Testers meetup. He has also helped grow the next generation of software testers by creating and teaching software testing courses at Lansing Community College.
The post Five Must Read Books for Leaders in the New “Tech-ade” appeared first on RMC Agency.
]]>The post 5 Steps to Stack the Deck of Life for a Winning Hand in 2020 appeared first on RMC Agency.
]]>The start of a new decade is almost upon us. If you are like me, there are years in the past 10 that were filled with pride, excitement and joy. Other years were more cluttered with some confusion, sorrow and disappointment. The older and wiser me has learned how to stack the deck for a more fulfilling professional and personal life. If you want more out of 2020, give these a try:
#1 Skip the New Year’s resolutions – Do a Post Game Review Instead
“Lack of time is lack of priorities.” ~ Tim Ferris
I discovered Tim Ferris when he wrote the Four Hour Work Week and have been following him ever since. If you’re not familiar with Tim, he’s basically a human guinea pig that over documents, shares all results and prides himself on finding the most efficient way of doing things. You can catch this podcast where Tim describes how he does his annual analysis, hear which odd questions he asks himself, and get an explanation of the series of exercises he runs through to complete a very meaningful review of the previous year. Following Tim’s guide, I created a blueprint for 2019 that served me very well.
#2 Define your DNA.
“If you wouldn’t follow yourself, why would anyone else?” ~ John C. Maxwell
Companies have mission statements, brand guidelines, and culture definitions. Did you know that successful people have defined their personal brand too? Need a starting point, or just one to adopt? This is John Maxwell Team DNA and what I have vowed to live by. It is especially great for owners or managers in an organization and for individual contributors who want to reach new heights. Follow these and I guarantee you will be a leader that people will want to support.
#3 Create your Power Playlist
“Every year you close a chapter in your story. Please…don’t write the same one seventy-five times and call it a life.” ~ Rachel Hollis
It is hard for me to pick just one tidbit from Rachel Hollis. I’ve seen her documentary, “Made for More” at least 4 times and could go watch it again right now. She has been a mentor to me and she doesn’t even know it. If you have Amazon Prime, find two hours to watch it. Rachel is entertaining and she has packed her movie with actionable take aways and amazing insight. In it, she talks about having a Power Playlist. Pick a song to be your Fight Song plus a few more tracks with positive messages that build you up and make you feel like you can conquer the world. I put together 20 minutes worth of music that I could access within 3 clicks from my iPhone and that instant, no-need-to-think access has been a gamechanger to recharge when life knocks me down.
#4 Learn your Personality Style (and that of the people around you)
“To grow yourself, you must know yourself.” ~ John C. Maxwell
Have you ever heard about – Myers-Briggs, True Colors Test, DISC, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, Keirsey Temperament Sorter, and the list goes on and on. Why did a personality self-assessment type tool make my list? Because it has CHANGED MY LIFE. Understanding behavioral styles helps you become a better communicator, minimize or prevent conflicts, appreciate the differences in others and positively influence those around you.
For example with DISC, I’ve learned that: I’m an ISC. That means I’m talkative, optimistic, and value people. The C part of me likes to understand the details. If you’re my manager and you take a few minutes to ask me about my weekend, then tell me how xyz initiative is going to help xyz people and that we’re going to have funexecuting the plan – you are speaking my language. On the contrary, ask a strong C about their weekend and they are likely to be cringing inside.
My manager, I’ve come to realize, is likely a solid D. He is a good guy. He is confident and direct. He stays in the big picture. D’s are more focused on results, not the process. Once I put this together the aha light bulb went off. I shifted my communication style, adjusted my expectations and my happiness at work rose to a whole new level. Imagine having a guidebook for communicating more effectively with your employees, your boss, or that next job interviewer. Plus, DISC isn’t just a work tool. It has had a big impact on my relationship with husband and my kids too.
For more details about DISC and to be entered to win a free DISC assessment (I’m giving away 3 to readers from this newsletter) text RMC to 517-234-1717. If you don’t want to invest in DISC, this quiz from the Color Assessment is a free option for getting started with understanding your personality and human behavior.
#5 Create a Vision Board – be sure to include the steps it takes to get to the big goal
“If you can see it and believe it, it is a lot easier to achieve it.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
There are fascinating stories about people achieving dreams that they had pasted onto a nearly forgotten vision board. I had my own vision board achievement experience with a beach in Thailand. The adrenaline that raced through me when I woke up and realized where I was at is indescribable. My favorite story about using visualization for goal achievement is Jim Carrey’s story about his $10 Million check. Watch him tell Oprah about it. Bottom line: Creating a Vision Board forces you to get clear on what you want. Putting yourself into the picture, visualizing and seeing a goal as if it already exists in your life has a powerful effect. Just remember, positive thinking needs action to work.
About Lisa:
Lisa Nowak has more than a decade of experience working in the IT industry. She is Account Executive for Logicalis Inc, a managed services and IT Solutions provider that specializes in Cloud, IOT/Data Analytics and Security. She was the President of the Michigan Technology Network and volunteered on committees for MCWT when they had a chapter in Lansing. Lisa is also a certified speaker, trainer and coach on the John Maxwell Team. She spends her free time gardening, camping, finger painting and building sand castles with her husband and two young children.
The post 5 Steps to Stack the Deck of Life for a Winning Hand in 2020 appeared first on RMC Agency.
]]>The post Experimenting with Feature Toggle appeared first on RMC Agency.
]]>There are many reasons that someone might point out for wanting DevOps practices, but there is one unifying goal that many of these reasons tie to: be able to out experiment the competition. We are seeing FinTech startups taking market share away from incumbents that are over one hundred years old, by trying out new hypotheses, leveraging low cost, low risk methods. When you visit Amazon’s storefront, you may be unknowingly taking part in several A/B tests at once, determining if the color, font size, or placement of a pricing label makes you more or less likely to make a purchase. Microsoft tests new features within the Azure Portal in a phased rollout, allowing them to get fast feedback from users who opt in to early features, while avoiding frustrating more conservative users.
All three of the previous use cases can be replicated using a single robust technique, known as Feature Toggle. Feature toggles, or feature flags, have been around as a concept for quite some time, but recently there has been an explosion of feature toggle services available, including Launch Darkly, Split.Io, and services built into the major cloud providers. There is even a new programming language, Dark Lang, which takes this to a whole new level, replacing deployments completely with feature flags.
While the original use cases for feature flags were often times more manual and less fine grained, current feature toggle technologies can allow you to target new functionality to specific users based on geo-location, time of day, past behaviors, or pretty much anything you can imagine. This type of flexibility allows you to deploy new code one day, then wait until the next to release the new features for use, gradually adding more and more user load, and rolling the features back if there are undesired outcomes.
While newer feature toggle services and frameworks can make it much easier to track the usage of features, leverage different targeting strategies and automate rollouts of features, there is still a lot of work that needs to go into the development process. You need to make sure that the applications using this technique are backward compatible. You may need to account for multiple versions of your software running at once.
If the use of feature toggle is something that you would like to learn more about, then I invite you to come to the Lansing DevOps Meetup on Tuesday, December 3rd, 2019, where Heidi Waterhouse, Developer Advocate at Launch Darkly will be giving “An Introduction to Feature Toggle”. You can register at https://www.meetup.com/Lansing-DevOps-Meetup/events/263926846/
About the author:
Brendon is a DevOps Platform Engineer at the Delta Dental, building internal enterprise clouds. You can find Brendon in the Lansing Codes Slack, at the Lansing DevOps Meetup the first Tuesday of each month, and you can follow his blog at
The post Experimenting with Feature Toggle appeared first on RMC Agency.
]]>The post Web Development is About to Change in a Big Way appeared first on RMC Agency.
]]>I love writing software. It is absolutely thrilling to create something from scratch that provides a new capability, solves a difficult problem, or revises an existing process for the better. Each new project represents a personal challenge to leverage new tools and recently learned techniques to code better or faster than last time. After decades of software development, coding is still very exciting and rewarding to me.
But I have a confession: I do not like writing web pages, specifically JavaScript. I avoid it. Even with tools like Typescript and advanced frameworks like React, Angular 2, Vue, or Backbone, JavaScript development is frustrating, and the learning curve is high. This has left a hole in my software development skillset that I desperately want to fill. Finally, there is a solution!
Released just a week ago, Microsoft Blazor will finally allow me and other developers to create rich, fast, secure web applications much easier and faster without becoming JavaScript experts!
How does it work?
I will try to keep this simple. Code written in a Microsoft C#.Net Blazor project is compiled and passed to the browser which runs it using another new technology called WebAssembly. The result is an application that runs much faster than JavaScript, more reliable, more secure, and easier to code. That translates to better applications delivered faster, using skills already possessed by a much wider range of developers. Wow!
Isn’t this just Microsoft Silverlight all over again? That failed …
No, it is not. Silverlight was a plug-in that ran independent of the browser. That allowed it to do many extra things, including running buggy code that would crash the browser. Blazor runs inside the browser so it cannot do anything special, it must follow the same rules as any web page.
Will it work in my browser?
Blazor will run on any PC or mobile browser that supports WebAssembly for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. At this time, that includes Firefox, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Safari; I believe other browsers will support WebAssembly soon.
Note that Microsoft has essentially abandoned Internet Explorer and it is unlikely to ever support WebAssembly.
Is it true that I don’t need to know any JavaScript?
The most likely scenario is that you will develop the web page layout with HTML and CSS, adding some simple JavaScript for basic screen functions. Blazor components will deliver the advanced functionality beyond that. But the JavaScript learning curve for this is much less than building a full JavaScript application.
There is no need to throw away your existing JavaScript; you have the best of both worlds. Blazor can call JavaScript and vice-versa. You can add little pieces of Blazor to your existing JavaScript application or write your Blazor application to call JavaScript where it makes the most sense.
Is Blazor more secure than JavaScript?
It can be. JavaScript is text readable code in the page and therefore can be changed by a bad actor that can intercept the page before it is delivered to you. Any HTTP page (not HTTPS) is at risk for this. Blazor is binary compiled code that is not human-readable, so much less at risk for this kind of attack.
How does Blazor make me a more productive developer?
Write less code. The exact same C# code can run in both the server and the browser. Before Blazor, you had to write JavaScript to verify use input in the browser, then verify it again in C# when it was sent to the server. Now one copy of the validation does both.
Code more efficiently. Blazor applications are developed in Microsoft Visual Studio 2019. VS has continued to evolve since its first release in 1997. I believe VS to be the best development IDE available for Windows developers and little-brother VS Code is available on Mac OS and Linux. Blazor apps can be written in the Community Edition, which is free to students, individual developers, and open-source contributors.
Use existing code. Blazor applications can use existing tools for building layouts, navigation, unit testing, etc. You have much less code to write, just call what you need. Automated unit testing runs tests on your code to make sure it is working properly before you deliver it, much fewer bugs!
Who will benefit the most from Blazor?
Developers who are already comfortable with Microsoft C# will be the first.
Developers that are new to the web will appreciate the much-lower learning curve for C# compared to advanced JavaScript. Learning C# provides the benefit of using the same skills to also build desktop and cloud applications, not just web applications.
Those already proficient in JavaScript should learn Blazor to supplement and enhance their applications, using the best tool for the feature.
What do I see for the future of Web Development?
I expect to see other browsers such as Opera and Netscape Navigator adopting WebAssembly. I also expect to see other languages such as Java, VB.NET and Python eventually running on WebAssembly. The languages C, C++ and Rust can already run on WebAssembly. Over the next couple years, I expect to see more and more developers choosing Blazor over large JavaScript frameworks due to the improved productivity.
Is Blazor production ready?
Like any brand-new technology, Blazor has a few initial bumps. Initially loading the C# assemblies is a few seconds slower than JavaScript. However, once loaded, it runs much faster for the entire life of the web page. Microsoft has committed to improving this. Additionally, C# assemblies need to be translated into WebAssembly after they load in the browser; that translator called Mono for WebAssembly is not finished yet, with no release date announced at this time.
Now is the time to experiment with Blazor and decide how it will fit into your web development strategy. It will be ready for production use as soon as the new version of Mono is completed. This is a high priority for Microsoft, so I look to see it before the end of the year or early 2020.
About the Author
Joe Kunk is a Senior Software Architect for Dewpoint in Lansing MI. Joe is a five-time Microsoft MVP and former author at Visual Studio Magazine.
Joe is an organizer for the local GLUGnet Microsoft.Net Developers user group (https://www.meetup.com/glugnet/) and the GLASS SQL Server user group (https://www.meetup.com/GLASS-Greater-Lansing-Area-for-SQL-Server/).
Joe can be reached at Joe.Kunk at Dewpoint dot com or on his mobile phone at 517.719.9557.
The post Web Development is About to Change in a Big Way appeared first on RMC Agency.
]]>The post Soft Skills…the Competitive Advantage appeared first on RMC Agency.
]]>Competitive advantage…isn’t that a term used for corporations when developing new products or processes? While that is a true statement, competitive advantage also exists in many other contexts, one being the job market. It is important to realize the hiring process is also a competitive environment. You are putting yourself out there in competition with likely 100’s of potential candidates for a given position. Resumes are stored in databases and search software scours the database looking for key words, like Project Manager or Senior Developer. You must be able to differentiate yourself from the masses. Sometimes the only differences that can be perceived between candidates during the interview process are “Soft Skills”.
So, what are soft skills??? We hear this term a lot in interview panels and interviews. We likely have some of them listed on our resume, but do we really know how to demonstrate them to the interviewer, more importantly to our Team and the organization that we are working in?
Let’s start with a basic definition: desirable characteristics, traits or qualities that do not depend on acquired knowledge. That didn’t help very much, maybe a better approach to defining this elusive term is to provide some examples. Provided below are some common soft skills, in no particular order, that are needed to be a successful IT Professional. Be advised, this is not an exhaustive list of soft skills, only a few key ones for example. There is not enough room to explore each in depth, but I’ll put some context and ideas on how to demonstrate each of the characteristics and traits.
Leadership: Leadership is not necessarily directing work. Employees do not have to have a “manager” title to demonstrate leadership qualities. Organizations seek employees who can develop and nurture relationships throughout the organizational structure. Leadership can also be demonstrated by influence. Webster defines influence as: a person who inspires or guides the actions of others. Any person, any role, in any organization has the capability to influence process or decision making. Be advised, with leadership comes responsibility/accountability – yet another “soft skill”.
Teamwork: At work, we are all part of a Team, even if we are not on an “official” Team. Very little can be accomplished in the IT world without cooperating and collaborating with other individuals or other areas of the organization. We must all work together to achieve corporate goals/objectives. Teamwork starts with respecting and trusting the folks that you’re working with.
Communication (verbal and written): We’ve talked about the importance of communication skills in the work place. One of the important aspects that is often overlooked in communication is LISTENING. All too often we jump to conclusions and set off in a direction, doing something, without really understanding what we are trying to do or problem we are trying to solve.
Work Ethic: Organizations, in general, do not expect their employees to work 80 hours per week. That is not what work ethic is about. Managers do not want to spend their time micromanaging employees. Managers in work environments now have staffs of 20 – 25 people on their Team – it would be impossible for them to micromanage every member of their Team. Managers need to trust their employees to get their work completed and employees need to be responsible for getting their work done.
Let me take it a little further with a couple of things you can do to demonstrate a good work ethic. One of my pet peeves is being on time…always be on time to meetings, if possible, be a few minutes early. Arrive to work on time, if work starts at 8:00 a.m., then be there and logged in and ready to begin the day at 8:00. There will be times, like a system implementation (as example) where you may be required to work on a weekend. During the weeks prior and likely a couple of weeks after you may be required to put in some extra hours. Accept the challenge and willingly participate in the process.
Flexibility/Adaptability: In the IT world, things change on an hourly basis; shifting priorities, new projects, a newly discovered defect, a technical problem or changing resources to name a few. Team Members must be able to adapt quickly and continue moving the project forward. Organizations are also looking for employees who are willing and able to perform multiple roles. For example, if your primary role is a Business Analyst, are you willing and able to perform as a Tester or a Test Manager. If you are a Developer, can you also perform as a Database Administrator.
Employers value individuals who are willing and able to perform multiple roles. Including the ability to perform various roles on your resume will get you more looks during the job interview process. It also creates a more rounded IT professional.
Integrity: A person who demonstrates the ability to follow moral and ethical convictions regardless of the circumstance is said to have integrity. Integrity is the basis on which Team Members will build relationships. We all strive to demonstrate integrity in our personal and professional lives…but what does it really look like.
It is easier to explain integrity by providing a few workplace examples: Respect and follow company policies, processes and procedures. Be ready to work when it is time to work, no social texting or Facebook updates. Respect other opinions even if you do not agree, be accountable for mistakes, and do not take credit for other work. Keep commitments – the Team and project are depending on you and trusting you will be able to accomplish your assignments.
We all have soft skills listed on our resume. We need to be able to discuss our attributes and character traits in an interview. We also need to be prepared to give examples or relate a story where we demonstrated a soft skill.
Bulleted below are a couple of examples of interview questions that are trying to determine soft skills. Be prepared to give a clear, concise and candid answer. The questions are not Yes/No questions and are designed to open up a dialog with the interviewer. Answering these questions also help demonstrate communication skills.
All things being equal among candidates from a hard skills (technical aptitude and proficiency) perspective, the differentiator can be soft skills and your ability to demonstrate those traits in a 20-minute phone interview or a one hour in person meeting where you are one of five remaining candidates. As you prepare for your next job search and start updating your resume, do some introspection and do not under estimate the value of the soft skills you possess. They are invaluable to ALL ORGANIZATIONS.
Mike Holka is a PMI Certified Project Management Professional with over thirty years of experience in the development, maintenance and implementation of computer systems for insurance, human resource and banking industries. As a project manager, he has led application development teams through the entire systems development lifecycle (SDLC). He takes a customer and business centric approach to information technology, has a solid IT background in multiple technologies, as well as a demonstrated track record of leadership and the ability to foster a team environment.
The post Soft Skills…the Competitive Advantage appeared first on RMC Agency.
]]>