Managing Information Overload: Is it Possible?

We are observing increasing hype about the wonders delivered by newest information technologies in an era characterized by knowledge as the critical resource for business activity. With the advent of new technologies, such as datamining, intranets, videoconferencing, and webcasting, several technologists are offering such solutions as a panacea for meeting the business challenges of the knowledge era. Trade press coverage of the 'productivity paradox' has further added to the speed of the information technology (IT) treadmill by suggesting that increasing investments in new information technologies should somehow result in improved business performance. For instance, some recent stories published in the trade press have asserted that certain technologies, such as intranets, have some inherent capability for facilitating organizational transformation initiatives, such as knowledge management.

Interestingly, some technology experts and academic scholars have observed that there is no direct correlation between IT investments and business performance or knowledge management. For instance, Erik Brynjolfsson, a professor at MIT Sloan School, notes that: "The same dollar spent on the same system may give a competitive advantage to one company but only expensive paperweights to another." Hence a key factor for the higher return on the IT dollar is the effective utilization of technology. How industry executives should go about deciphering the mantra of 'effective utilization,' however, remains an illusive issue. This conclusion is supported by the industrywide analyses of IT investments by the technology economist Paul Strassmann. There is no relationship between computer expenditures and company performance whatsoever. On a similar note, John Seely Brown, director of the Xerox Parc research center in Palo Alto, California, underscores that in the last 20 years, US industry has invested more than $1 trillion in technology, but has realized little improvement in the efficiency or effectiveness of its knowledge workers. He has attributed this failure to organizations' ignorance of ways in which knowledge workers communicate and operate through the social processes of collaborating, sharing knowledge and building on each others ideas.

Toward A New World Order of Business

The contrast highlighted above may be attributed to a transition of the economy from an era of competitive advantage based on information to one based on knowledge creation. The earlier era was characterized by relatively slow and predictable change that could be deciphered by most formal information systems. During this period, information systems based on programmable recipes for success were able to deliver their promises of efficiency based on optimization for given business contexts. Success stories of IT miracles of this era, such as Mrs. Fields' Cookies, have been chronicled by the Harvard Business School case writers and many others in the academic and trade press. However, as argued by Brian Arthur, Dean of Economics and Population Studies at Stanford and author of Increasing Returns and Path Dependence in the Economy, the new world of knowledge-based industries is distinguished by its emphasis on precognition and adaptation in contrast to the traditional emphasis on optimization based on prediction. He suggests that the new world of knowledge-based business is characterized by "re-everything" involving continuous redefinition of organizational goals, purposes, and its "way of doing things." This new business environment is characterized by radical and discontinuous change which overwhelms the traditional organizational response of predicting and reacting based on pre-programmed heuristics. Instead, it demands anticipatory response from organization members who need to carry out the mandate of a faster cycle of knowledge-creation and action based on the new knowledge.

Knowledge Management in the 'Old' Information Era

In the information era characterized by relatively predictable change, technology gurus, as well as hardware and software providers, have been offering out-of-box solutions that are expected to enable knowledge management. Such off-the-shelf solutions are expected to offer means for storing best practices devised by human experts in information databases which may be later used for crunching out the pre-determined solutions based on pre-defined parameters. For example, a Software Magazine article defined knowledge management in terms of understanding the relationships of data; Identifying and documenting rules for managing data; and assuring that data are accurate and maintain integrity. Similarly a Computerworld article defined knowledge management in terms of mapping knowledge and information resources both on-line and off-line. The convergent and consensus building emphasis of such systems is suited for stable and predictable organizational environments. However such interpretations of knowledge management -- based primarily on rules and procedures embedded in technology -- seem misaligned with the dynamically changing business environment.

Such programmed solutions may be good enough for devising strategies for a game of business that is based on pre-defined rules, conventions and assumptions. However such mechanistic solutions based on the traditional information-processing emphasis of knowledge management are increasingly inadequate in a business world that demands increasing flexibility and resurfacing of existing assumptions. This is the world which requires not playing by the pre-defined rules, but understanding and adapting as the rules of the game, as well as the game itself, keep changing. Examples of such changing rules, conventions and assumptions of business are suggested by the changing paradigms of organizations with the emergence of virtual corporations and business ecosystems.

A Definition of Knowledge Management for the New World

We propose a definition of Knowledge Management that attempts to go beyond the quickfix solutions or unidimensional views offered by many others. This definition is intended to move the thinking of corporate executives towards the strategic, non-linear and systemic view of Knowledge Management reviewed in this article.

"Knowledge Management caters to the critical issues of organizational adaption, survival and competence in face of increasingly discontinuous environmental change. Essentially, it embodies organizational processes that seek synergistic combination of data and information processing capacity of information technologies, and the creative and innovative capacity of human beings."

Knowledge Management in the New World of Business

The traditional paradigm of information systems is based on seeking a consensual interpretation of information based on socially dictated norms or the mandate of the company bosses. This has resulted in the confusion between 'knowledge' and 'information'. However, knowledge and information are distinct entities!! While information generated by the computer systems is not a very rich carrier of human interpretation for potential action, 'knowledge' resides in the user's subjective context of action based on that information. Hence, it may not be incorrect to state that knowledge resides in the user and not in the collection of information, a point made two decades ago by West Churchman, the leading thinker on information systems.

The confusion between `knowledge' and `information' has caused managers to sink billions of dollars in technology ventures that have yielded marginal results. He asserts that the business managers need to realize that unlike information, knowledge is embedded in people... and knowledge creation occurs in the process of social interaction. On a similar note, Ikujiro Nonaka, the renowned Professor of Knowledge, has emphasized that only human beings can take the central role in knowledge creation. He argues that computers are merely tools, however great their information-processing capabilities may be. A very recent Harvard Business Review special issue on Knowledge Management seems to lend credence to this point of view. This issue highlighted the need for constructive conflict in organizations that aspire to be leaders in innovation and creation of new knowledge.

The 'wicked environment' of the new world of business imposes the need for variety and complexity of interpretations of information outputs generated by computer systems. Such variety is necessary for deciphering the multiple world views of the uncertain and unpredictable future. As underscored by the strategy guru Gary Hamel at the recent Academy of Management meeting address, non-linear change imposes upon organizations the need for devising non-linear strategies. Such strategies cannot be 'predicted' based on a static picture of information residing in the company's databases. Rather, such strategies will depend upon developing interpretive flexibility by understanding multiple views of the future. In this perspective, the objective of business strategy is not to indulge in long-term planning of the future. Rather, the emphasis is on understanding the various world views of future using techniques such as scenario-planning.  

Lessons for Business & Technology Executives

So what can executives do to realign their focus from the old world of 'information management' to the new paradigm of 'knowledge management' discussed here? A condensed checklist of implementation measures for business and technology managers is given in the following table.

Table 1. Implementation Measures for Facilitating Knowledge Management

Instead of the traditional emphasis on controlling the people and their behaviors by setting up pre-defined goals and procedures, they would need to view the organization as a human community capable of providing diverse meanings to information outputs generated by the technological systems.

De-emphasize the adherence to the company view of 'how things are done here' and 'best practices' so that such ways and practices are continuously assessed from multiple perspectives for their alignment with the dynamically changing external environment.

Invest in multiple and diverse interpretations to enable constructive conflict mode of inquiry and, thus, lessen oversimplification of issues or premature decision closure.

Encourage greater proactive involvement of human imagination and creativity to facilitate greater internal diversity to match the variety and complexity of the wicked environment.

Give more explicit recognition to tacit knowledge and related human aspects, such as ideals, values, or emotions, for developing a richer conceptualization of knowledge management

Implement new, flexible technologies and systems that support and enable communities of practice, informal and semi-informal networks of internal employees and external individuals based on shared concerns and interests.

Make the organizational information base accessible to organization members who are closer to the action while simultaneously ensuring that they have the skills and authority to execute decisive responses to changing conditions.

In the final analysis, managers need to develop a greater appreciation for their intangible human assets captive in the minds and experiences of their knowledge workers, because without these assets, the companies are simply not equipped with a vision to foresee or to imagine the future while being faced with a fog of unknowingness. As noted by Strassmann, elevating computerization to the level of a magic bullet may lead to the diminishing of what matters the most in any enterprise: educated, committed, and imaginative individuals working for organizations that place greater emphasis on people than on technologies.

The Business of Business

A business is an entity that provides goods and services to consumers with both a profit motive and social motive in view. There are two kinds of people in the world – the entrepreneurs and the salaried. It is said that those who are entrepreneurs take more risks and are braver to face life. That is why not everyone can get into business and earn a living out of it. It is a fact that the richest ever people in the world have been successful businessmen. We are, of course, not taking into account kings and rulers of various countries. The richest businessmen in the world are

• Andrew Carnegie – Founder of the Carnegie Steel Company. When adjusted, his net worth lies somewhere between USD 75 billion to USD 298 billion.
• Bill Gates – Founder of Microsoft. His current net worth is somewhere around USD 40 billion.
• Cornelius Vanderbilt – He was a shipping and railroad magnet. His personal fortune is estimated to be somewhere between USD 143 billion to USD 178 billion.
• Henry Ford – Founder of the Ford Motor Company. His net worth is estimated at USD 195 billion.
• John D. Rockefeller – Founder of the Standard Oil Company, John D. Rockefeller was the first person ever to become a billionaire when he achieved the feat in 1916. He is considered the richest American ever and his personal wealth is adjusted to be somewhere between USD 192 billion to USD 323 billion.
• John Jacob Astor – He started off trading in fur and later went into real estate and opium. His adjusted wealth is estimated at USD 116 billion.

Among the current entrepreneurs, the 10 richest businessmen include

• Bill Gates
• Warren Buffet
• Carlos Slim Helu
• Lawrence Ellison
• Ingvar Kamprad and family
• Karl Albrecht
• Mukesh Ambani
• Lakshmi Mittal
• Theo Albrecht
• Amancia Ortega

When it comes to business, there are many interesting incidents that come up from time to time. It is said that when Roberto Goizueta took over the reins of the company, Coca Cola was struggling in its fight against Pepsi, its biggest competitor. Goizueta took a stock of the situation and famously commented that Coke’s fight was not against Pepsi, but water. The words had such an effect that Coke shrugged off all competition and enhanced its position as the number one cola company of the world. As per Fortune Magazine, the biggest companies in the world currently are

• Royal Dutch Shell
• Exxon Mobil
• Wal-Mart Stores
• British Petroleum
• Chevron
• Total
• ConocoPhillips
• ING Group
• Sinopec
• Toyota Motor

Branding is something that no business can sustain without. Visibility among consumers is one of the most important elements for any business to flourish. That is why there is so much impetus on creating a logo and popularizing it among the masses. Consumers connect with the logos of their favorite companies and that helps businesses to earn more revenue. Some of the most popular brands in the world are

• Google – The Internet search engine.
• Apple – Producers of the iPod, the iPhone and the Mac.
• Nike – The world’s largest sportswear company.
• Target – Their Bullseye logo is considered to be known by more Americans than any other company.
• Starbucks – It brought in revolution in the coffee business and is still the leader in this field.
• BMW – It continues to remain the ultimate driving machine.
• Nintendo – Game lovers simply cannot do without this company’s products.
• Whole Foods Market – The leader in fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Disney – The ultimate in entertainment, Disney continues to attract tourists from all over the world.
• Coca Cola – The world’s largest beverage company still rules. (Half circle full circle half circle A, half circle full circle right angle A….the limerick to describe Coca Cola logo!)

There are many funny and interesting facts about business around the world. I have captured some of them below.

• In 1987, American Airlines decided to omit one olive from each salad course in the first class. As a result, they made a savings of $40,000.
• Bank of America started operations as Bank of Italy.
• If the entire population of the world is taken as 100, then half of the total wealth would be held by 6 people.
• More than 90% of cab drivers in New York are immigrants from other countries.
• The Mall, the biggest departmental store in Washington, D. C. is 1.4 times bigger than the Vatican City.
• Philip Morris, the first owner of the Marlboro brand, died of lung cancer.
• The top three valuable brands in the world in order of their value are Marlboro, Coca Cola and Budweiser.
• Dr. Lieven P. Van Neste owns more than 200,000 domain names.
• A Tupperware party starts somewhere in the world every 23 seconds.
• People in the USA get so hyper about the Super Bowl that the sale of antacids increases by 20% every year after the day of the game.
• Nauru, a small island in the Western Pacific, has fossilized bird droppings as one of its chief exports.
• The soft drink industry spends more than $100 million a year in stopping thefts involving their vending machines.
• The AA, or the Automobile Association was first started in 1905 to warn motorists about speed traps.
• Bill Bowerman, who founded Nike, first got the inspiration of creating Nike shoes after staring at waffle iron.
• David McConnell named his company Avon after the birthplace of William Shakespeare, Stratford on Avon.
• Kids in North America spend an average of about half a billion dollar annually on chewing gums.
• Canada and United States are the leaders in producing paper and paper products.

Businesses are reasons why common people exist. If there were no businesses and no businessmen, there would be no production. The average people would have nothing to buy and the human race would cease to exist. It is these risk takers who make life simpler for us. They reap the profits but where would we be without them?

A Career in Medical Device Sales: Strategies and Pitfalls

While securing a pharmaceutical sales job, or a medical device sales job is indeed a huge carrot to seek, and can be a very lucrative and professionally rewarding career move, these jobs are extremely competitive to land, and prospective candidates for medical sales jobs need to spend a significant amount of time preparing to seek these medical sales jobs. Simply possessing a college degree, and thinking that a career in medical device sales seems interesting, is certainly not enough!

Medical Device Sales by Job Boards

gorillamedicalsales.com is the leading online job board specializing in medical device sales jobs, medical sales jobs, medical sales representative jobs and pharmaceutical sales jobs. Find jobs from leading companies like Eli Lilly, Johnston & Johnson, etc.

In general, most medical equipment sales jobs, and their more lucrative cousins, medical device sales jobs and medical implant sales positions, require previous experience selling medical equipment, selling medical devices, or selling medical implants. So, how does an individual gain the needed experience to secure a medical sales job when the companies seem to want only experienced medical sales representatives?

The good news for those seeking to enter the medical sales representative field is that many companies look to hire entry level sales people, thus giving those without previous medical sales experience an entry point to this exciting industry. In particular, many pharmaceutical sales representative jobs require no previous medical sales experience. In addition, there are dozens of medical companies who will consider individuals who possess no previous medical sales representative experience.

There are many web sites dedicated to listing medical device sales, medical equipment sales, and pharmaceutical sales jobs. These sites, commonly referred to as “medical sales job boards”, allow medical products companies, as well as medical sales recruiters to post their current medical sales jobs, by location, on these job boards. Some boards are free for job seekers to register and view the medical sales jobs posted. One such board, Gorilla Medical Sales lists medical sales jobs, including entry level medical sales jobs, as well as pharmaceutical sales representative positions, posted exclusively by the leading medical sales recruiters in the nation. Since this board is currently free for candidates to register, Gorilla Medical Sales is an excellent place for entry level medical sales positions to be accessed by interested individuals.

Other medical sales job boards charge a fee for job seekers to register and view job postings. These fees vary greatly, and can range from $15 - $30 a month, to simply a one-time annual fee of $40 - $50 for one year of unlimited access. Regardless, these fees are very modest when one compares them to the fees charged by the large generalist job boards, none of which specialize in medical product sales. It is much more practical and targeted to spend your money accessing one of the medical sales job boards such as Gorilla Medical Sales rather than wasting your time on the large job boards.

But, these job boards are very specific in their recommended work background for candidates without previous medical device sales, or pharmaceutical sales experience. The candidates who will stand the greatest chance to secure an entry level medical sales position all share a common work history. Here are some of the desired work experiences needed to break into medical device sales, or pharmaceutical sales:

• At least two years of sales experience selling a tangible product

• A four-year college degree

• A documented record of achieving quota in your sales job(s)

You may ask, what is an example of a “tangible product”? Medical products companies love to hire individuals who have demonstrated in their previous sales jobs that they can “close the sale”. Therefore, your ability to sell tangible product, to obtain a signed purchase order from your customer to buy that product, and to close the deal in a competitive selling environment is essential to most hiring medical products companies. Some examples of tangible products that medical products companies love in your previous sales experience are items such as office equipment, office forms, printing, credit-card processing, communications, and copiers.

But, it is not always enough that you have sold a tangible product before. For many medical products companies, you must show them documentation that you were highly successful in your selling efforts. Remember, medical equipment sales jobs are among the most coveted sales jobs in the world. So, these companies want to hire only the best-of-the-best! And, they have the luxury of doing so!

Another key term which is important in discussing the qualifications and experiences necessary to secure an entry level medical sales position is the phrase “business-to-business sales experience” (sometimes referred to as B2B sales experience). This is a general term used to describe an individual who sells a product produced by his company to an individual at another company. B2B sales does not always involve selling a tangible product, but can also involve selling a service. The critical factor which makes a B2B experienced sales representative an attractive hire for a medical products company is the fact that the sales is closed by the representative, an order is taken, and the selling environment is competitive. Thus, a B2B experience level, even without selling a tangible product, is an attractive background for hiring medical products companies, and pharmaceutical sales companies.

Other factors can be very important when seeking a medical device sales position. Many medical products companies prefer to hire a candidate who has been an officer in the military. Military officers are very disciplined by training, and some medical companies believe that this discipline will help them manage their medical sales territory. In addition, former military officers are experienced at leading, managing, training, and delegating to subordinates. For this reason, they often make excellent sales mangers following their successful selling career, and are deemed very promotable by these companies.

Another factor which many medical equipment sales companies value when filling their medical sales jobs is previous job stability. In our fast-paced world of today, where frequent job changes are commonplace, many medical products companies place a high value on job stability. Candidates who previous job history is stable, with only one or two different jobs following college, demonstrate the desired commitment and loyalty relished by many of the medical products companies. Contrarily, a resume showing frequent “job-hopping” is a turn-off to many hiring managers.

In addition, candidates who have been promoted by their employer in a previous job are viewed very highly by hiring managers. Companies understand that only the best workers get promoted, and having a job history showing promotions is a valuable asset on a candidates’ resume.

Finally, in an age where liability plays an important factor for all companies, all candidates seeking an entry level medical devices sales job, medical equipment sales job, or pharmaceutical sales job, must be able to pass a background check and have a clean driving record before most medical products companies will hire them. Since sales involves many miles driven calling on customers, often in an automobile provided by the company, things like DUI’s, excessive traffic tickets, and accidents all provide an obstacle to becoming hired. Likewise, previous drug arrests are usually a knock-out factor to being hired.

Securing an entry level medical sales job is much sought-after commodity. And, the qualifications and prior job experiences are narrow. However, the rewarding career of selling medical products makes the search worthwhile for many.

Special Thanks to Dillarius for hitting the nail on the head!