2009 Digest Number 2
NEXT MEETING:
TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2009 - 3:30 p.m.
The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, 19 S. 22nd Street, Philadelphia
Agenda:
3:30 PMWorkshop - “The Green CIO - Imperatives, Progress and Initiatives for Greening the CIO Function" – Panel Discussion - Dr.Andres Fortino, Associate Provost, NYU-Poly, FWSIM Board Member; Mr. Armand Keim, Adjunct Professor, NYU-Poly and Former CIO; Mr. Christopher Bernard, Leader of IBM Green Initiatives, IBM Corporation, FWSIM Board Member
3:30 PMRLF Roundtable Session (meets in second-floor Library) (for past and present RLF members)
5:00 PMCocktails, Networking
6:00 PM Evening Session – “Making Technology Easy to Use” – Harold Hambrose, CEO/Founder, Electronic Ink
7:15 PMDinner
Evening Speaker:
“Making Technology Easy to Use”
The feature that makes so many products easy to use, and the one most commonly missing from software, is design. The greatest successes of the industrial and technological revolutions, from automobiles to iPods, have been developed through a process that asks practical questions about how these products will be used.
Traditional methods of product design have given us an abundance of electronic notebooks, personal digital assistants, and other electronic devices that fit comfortably into our lives. But too often, the software we need to communicate and to manage information is unwieldy and inefficient. The reason is simple: Most software is programmed rather than designed.
Many of the executives who approve the purchase orders are convinced that if an information system fulfills its business requirements, the people who use it will fall in line and adapt to its eccentricities—because they have to. The reality is different, and the cost of continually circumventing obstacles in poorly designed software is a hidden expense that lowers productivity and reduces profits. When problems with business systems become too serious to ignore, the most commonly recommended remedies are more training and newer technology.
A product is only as good as its specifications, and much of our software is built according to incomplete specs because its makers lack the information to bridge the gap between what our technology is meant to communicate and what its users need to know. Only a collaboration among experts in business, design, and specialists in human factors can gather all the information technologists need to deliver better tools of business intelligence.
What’s the problem?
The software industry’s ugly secret is that when it comes to ease of use, standards are low. Competitive pressure creates a rush to market, and manufacturers have few incentives to make software easier to use, especially when they can bundle their most complex products with training fees and consulting agreements.
What’s the risk?
Software that’s difficult to use causes errors and delays that pose a major risk to any investment in technology: The bigger the investment, the bigger the risk.
Can’t technology solve this problem?
It’s not about the code. Even our most brilliant technicians lack the knowledge and the skills to find out what people need and to design products that satisfy those needs.
What’s the solution?
There’s no reason that most software can’t be as easy to use as driving a car. What’s needed is a development process that’s designed to serve the people who use these products—an approach that has the power to revolutionize a young industry whose greatest achievements are just ahead.
About Our Speaker:
Harold Hambrose, CEO Founder, established Electronic Ink in 1990, in order to introduce Design's concern for the human experience with form to the technology industry.
As a Graphic Design major at CarnegieMellonUniversity, Harold recognized that a burgeoning software industry was focused more on features and functions than on how usable these products were in the hands of human beings. Harold's influence in his industry has pushed technology and technologists to be more conscious of the human experience with software products.
Harold is a pioneer in user-centered system development. He contributed to the design of the first public access banking machine for Citibank Corporation, the first computerized patient record for First Data Corporation’s Health Systems Group and the user interface for IBM's OS/2. For 19 years, his unique approach to the design and build of digital products, and an unwavering concern for the user of computer-driven products and services, has attracted leaders in the technology industry to award landmark projects to Electronic Ink. The company’s client roster includes AstraZeneca International, British Petroleum, Mc Donald’s, Merrill Lynch, the New York Stock Exchange, Bloomberg, Reuters, and Wyeth, to name a few.
Harold lectures extensively in the U.S. and Europe on the importance of Design and consideration for the end-user in the creation of business systems, and has spoken at conferences including the Internet World Conference Usability Workshop, London, England; the International Conference on Computer Human Interaction (ACM-CHI); IBM Interact; Carnegie Mellon’s Emergence 07; and the Designing Digital Communities Workshop, a presentation of Temple University’s Fox School of Business and the Philadelphia Wireless Project. In 2006 CarnegieMellonUniversity awarded Harold its Alumni Achievement Award for significant contributions to the fields of Technology and Design.
Workshop Presentation:
"The Green CIO – Imperatives, Progress and Initiatives for Greening the CIO Function”
Panel – Dr. Andres Fortino, Armand Keim and Christopher Bernard
Our afternoon workshop will feature a panel discussion by industry experts and CIOs on how to make the CIO function more efficient, cost effective and environmentally friendly. Panel members will discuss practical actions the CIO can take to improve data center operations while reducing carbon footprint and costs. Results of a survey of SIM members will be presented to show where they stand on this issue.
Please complete the survey prior to the meeting. Go to:
Our Panel Participants:
Dr. Andres Fortino, Associate Provost for Corporate Graduate Programs, Polytechnic Institute of New YorkUniversity, FWSIM Board Member.
Armand Keim, Adjunct Professor, Polytechnic Institute of New YorkUniversity and Former CIO
Christopher Bernard, Leader of IBM Green Initiatives, IBM Corporation, FWSIM Board Member
RLF Roundtable:
By invitation to past and present RLF members. Meets at 3:30 p.m. in the second-floor Library.
Regional Leadership Forum (RLF) Roundtable Agenda
DATE: Tuesday, April 7th
TIME : 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
LOCATION : Second-Floor Library
AGENDA (Facilitated by Kathy Sinatore, SIM Board RLF Chair & RLF Sub-Committee)
- Informal Networking and Find a "Buddy" Program
- Update from the "Communications Team" - Dave Kelble (SIM Board Communications Team Chair)
- Purpose of Team, future plans
- LinkedIn+
- Suggestions from the RLF group
- Update SIM Strategy Team – Bob Ehlinger (SIM Board Strategy Team Chair)
- General Discussion - RLF Sub-Committee Update,Next Steps
For planning purposes, please RSVP back to Kathy Sinatore at and Pat Brown, at if you plan to attend the RLF Roundtable on April 7th.
How to Register for the Meeting:
The fee for cocktails and dinner is $75.00 for guests, $60.00 for academic members, members in transition, RLF members and retired members. Corporate members' dinner fees were included with the 2009 membership dues. Appropriate business attire is required.
MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO SIM PHILADELPHIA and send to Patricia A. Brown, Philadelphia SIM Administrator, 240 Center Point Lane, Lansdale, PA19446.
Telephone reservations will be accepted up to the close of business on Friday, April 3, 2009 at 610-584-8546 or e-mail your reservation to . Please make your reservations promptly so that we may have an accurate count.
* Please advise if you have any special dietary restrictions or requests.
FOR YOUR CALENDAR:
2009 MEETING DATES and EVENTS
2009 Chapter Meetings:
April 7,June 2, October 6, December 1
TMP Workshop:
April 8 (for our TMP participants)
Breakfast Meetings and CIO Roundtables:
Breakfast Meeting (rescheduled) – May14, 2009 (Union League)
CIO Forum and Executive IT Summit: April 16-17 (CrownePlaza, King of Prussia)
Annual Golf Outing: June 29 (North Hills Country Club)
MEMBER NEWS:
The Chapter Welcomes Our New Members
James E. Healy, CIO
The Clark Group
Tom Benz, Vice President, IT
ALLTEL Communications
Scott Witmoyer, Vice President of IT
Nobel Learning Systems
Patricia Oelrich, Vice President Global IT Risk Management
GlaxoSmithKline
Welcome to our new Enterprise Premier members from Astra-Zeneca, Lancaster General
Carpenter Technologies and Amtrak
OF INTEREST TO OUR MEMBERS:
Don’t forget to pay your 2009 dues! Pay online at Need a copy of your invoice? Contact Pat Brown at
Whenever we ask our members what they get out of SIM, the ability to network with your peers always comes in the top three reasons. The ability to seek advice and bounce ideas off of someone with similar experiences and issues, but without their own agenda is invaluable. The growth of social networking sites, used for business purposes, enable our members to continue networking outside of our regularly scheduled chapter meetings..
One such site is LinkedIn and we have set up a group on that site titled “SIM – Philadelphia Chapter” in the professional groups section. By joining this group you will be able to use the facilities of LinkedIn to network with other chapter members, to ask for advice, discuss issues etc all the while knowing that you are talking with trusted colleagues in the SIM chapter.
If you would like to join this group please click on the invitation below. If you are not yet a member of LinkedIn, you will need to register, but it is free.
GPSEG Golf Outing Invitation to SIM
Where: Tavistock Country Club
P.O. Box 300, Haddonfield, NJ 08033
(856) 429-1866
Directions:
Who: All members, their guests and the merely curious. Come network with other senior
executives from a variety of industries and bring others for a round on a great course. Come
for the Reception only if you can’t make the golf.
When: Monday, May 4, 2009
11:00 a.m. Registration/Warm Up/Box lunch
*Range balls available at Club
12:15 p.m. Shotgun Start
5:00 p.m. Reception
What: 18-Hole Scramble With prizes, non-alcoholic refreshments on course. Cocktail Reception with Cash bar, hors d'oeuvres and awards ceremony
* Men and Women’s Lockers and Showers available at Club
Cost: Golf and reception $135 members, $150 guests
Reception only $35 members, $45 guests (SIM members can attend at the member rate)
Register at (before April 27th) Advise name, telephone number, e-mail address, GPSEG member (yes or no) and handicap/average score for each golfer.
Registration forms and payment due by April 27, 2009.
Questions? Paul Mitchell 215-870-6326, or Doug Hepburn 610-933-4442,
I
Fax or mail to:
GPSEG
P.O. Box 187
Montgomeryville, PA 18936
FAX: 215-893-4872
WEB RESOURCES:
Keep current with SIM International by visiting
While there, visit the Philadelphia Chapter page at:
NOTES:
Solicitation - In order to ensure high standards and professionalism in our organization, we would appreciate that all members keep in mind our chapter’s strict policy of non-solicitation at SIM events and the prohibition of using the SIM membership list for commercial purposes. Violation of this policy may result in loss of the offending member’s membership. If you encounter a problem of this nature, please let us know so that the matter can be addressed and corrected.
If you know of a prospective SIM member and are not certain whether he/she meets our membership criteria, please contact our Membership Chair, Cari Kraft, at for guidance.
CHAPTER GUEST POLICY (Note: The December meeting is open to spouses, personal guests and colleagues)
The Philadelphia Chapter of SIM has endeavored to keep our membership balance of senior-level executives, practitioners, academics and consultants in line with the guidelines established by SIM International. In an effort to keep that balance and maintain a standard of conduct at meetings, the Board of Directors has approved the following policies regarding guests and a SIM Code of Conduct.
As the number of members within the Chapter expands along with the number of guests at meetings, the Board of Directors feels that a formal policy concerning guest attendance at Chapter functions will assist members in offering invitations and help guide proper behavior at Chapter functions. The goal is to ensure that attendees at our events reflect the balance of practitioners and non-practitioners in our bylaws and preserve SIM meeting etiquette.
Please note that this policy is not meant to reduce the number of guests attending meetings. We recognize that our meetings are one of the most valuable ways to attract new SIM members and encourage everyone to bring guests that meet the SIM practitioner criteria.
Who qualifies as a guest?
Members are permitted to invite colleagues to any SIM regular dinner meeting or breakfast meeting under the following guidelines:
Guests meet the Chapter practitioner membership criteria.
Practitioner members may bring a subordinate or another member of their company who has a particular interest in the topic being covered at a workshop or evening session.
Members of other SIM chapters
In order to ensure that the 15% consulting cap we maintain in our membership makeup is reflected in our event attendance, members will not be permitted to bring consultants as guests unless prior approval is received from the Membership Chair.
If you have a question about your category of membership, contact the Chapter administrator (Pat Brown) at .
Feeling the pinch at the grocery store? Make dinner for $10 or less.