COMDDAP Davao Expo 2009

Last July 2 this year, some IC students including myself attended a seminar showcasing the new innovations of technology. COMDDAP or Computer Manufacturer Distributors and Dealers Association of the Philippines held an annual IT event, COMDDAP Davao Expo 2009. It was held at the Grand Ballroom of Apo View Hotel in the city that will last until July 4, 2009. As expected, I was entertained as I keep on seeing the sights of all the technologies or products exhibited in every booth from different companies. That event was really interesting because it not just let somebody see the new technologies but it also give someone the idea that technology is one good example of a thing we called fast changing.

Want to know the shortcut to brilliant? In my journey during that day was the fact that I am amazed and the one who attracts my attention is the products of ADOBE. Through their product you can always communicate that way you wanted to.
However, behind these successful event is an association of the country’s top information technology businesses. I have here an introduction of this organization. To promote the sustainable development of the country’s information technology industry through voluntary collaboration of its member companies as their primary objective. The associations objectives are: promote the use of information technology and elevate its standards in the Philippines; make computers affordable and available to the masses; provide and create opportunities for users to develop themselves to their fullest potentials; supply the market with quality products at reasonable prices with good after-sales support; to work closely with the government, the private sector, and international entities in promoting the use of information technology; provide a forum of discussion on matters relating to the computer industry; and foster and cultivate harmony, cordiality and camaraderie among the members so that they can work together as one for the benefit of the industry.

The vision of promoting and elevating the standards of Information technology (IT) in the Philippines fueled a group of prominent computer companies to form the Computer Distributors and Dealers Association of the Philippines or COMDDAP. Its initial member-companies represent the world's leading makers and providers of computer products, solutions and peripherals. COMDDAP holds regular exhibits, more popularly known as the COMDDAP EXPO, which has become a consistent crowd drawer and has in itself set new records in terms of the quality of the exhibit area, of its exhibitors, visitors, and venues. The annual COMDDAP endeavor encourages its participants to launch their products and services, as well as hold seminars with a variety of topics in the areas of technology, trends, applications, and information management. Indeed, COMDDAP has gone a long way from a mere assemblage of premier IT companies and enthusiasts. With the support and enthusiasm of its member-companies, COMDDAP expects and looks forward to accomplishing more worthwhile projects in the future as COMDDAP is committed to the stable growth of the Philippine computer industry.

Seminars are also one of the highlights during the COMDDAP Davao Expo 2009. It has two sets, three sets actually, but the last one is for those people who are invited. The first one was conducted by the Jupiter Systems Inc. and it was presented by Mr. Celmer Santos in which they presented their system, the Empowerment Resource Information and Control Dealer Management System or ERICDMS to make it short. The system was said to be an end to end software solution for automotive dealer operation, parts and other service businesses. The system also covers the full range of dealer activities from marketing to sales and services. DMS also includes a full Enterprise Resource Planning and completely automates and integrates back office operations all the way to financial reporting aside from its core business operations. According to Mr. Santos, with ERIC DMS you can have a full visibility over all operations and achieve total control over your dealership business schedule prospects for test drives and follow an appointment, monitor and increase sales, delight customers with gentle reminders for appointments, manage vehicle inventory, deliver impeccable service, control parts and consumables cost, monitor and correctly implement warranty for parts and service and report your financial bottom line.

The next session in the seminar was entertaining and you will really force to listen because they will be giving freebies like USB, T-shirts and mouse. The second speaker is a Market Development Manager from HP, Mr. Leonardo Zap. It was all about the new technology from HP which is the HP Thin Clients. A thin client or a slim client is a client computer or client software in client-server architecture networks which depends primarily on the central server for processing activities, and mainly focuses on conveying input and output between the user and the remote server. He also differentiates a thick desktop client from thin clients. As what I understand, in thick desktop clients, an application generally runs locally while applications run remotely in thin clients. Thin Clients has enhanced security, easy manageability, high reliability, environment friendly and has lower overall cost. HP Thin Clients can run well virtually on all types of applications it can run applications from stand-alone, to client-server, to web-based. One of its unique features is that it does not have any moving parts like the hard drive and fan but still it is more capable of performing most of the normal functions of a personal computer. Because the HP thin Client does not have movable parts, the machine can run on a lower power and more robust and can boot faster. Heavy lifting for processor or disk intensive applications can be done on the server. Thin clients have a much longer lifespan than standard computers and use significantly less power. Lower maintenance costs are another benefit as software application updates, virus scanning and patches can be executed on the server. Deployment costs are also reduced as thin clients can be remotely configured and do not need to be set up individually. Break-fix simply requires replacing the thin client.

This event is one of the best, so far, event I have attended. I learn a lot from it and hoping that there will be lots of the same kind of event to happen.
PS. The CR is nice..

need to be observant...sometimes

Assuming you were tapped by the university president to evaluate the new enrollement system implemented this semester, enumerate your observations/comments and suggest possible areas and ways where improvements can be made. Your observations/suggestions should be properly validated with facts and literatures... (You may start with the diagrams posted in the strategic locations of the university)... (3000words)

I am such an observant person. I should start with the diagrams posted all over the school premises. To be honest, the first time I have seen that tarpaulin demonstrating the enrollment process, I did compare it to my own illustration when we have our assignments in one of my subjects the previous semester. It was awful because I really feel upset because for me it was good compared to what I have done. Then by this time, I came to realize that was it really that good? Maybe it will be much nicer if the university will use my work and perhaps it would be the start of my career. Char. How boastful I am. Well, I must be the one to appreciate my work, right?

On the other hand, when I saw it again these past days, I am already in a doubt. Being straightforward won’t kill me. Other than being frank I also need to see the other side of it. On the safe side, yes it was good since it was made and planned by the teachers. If you know how to read and appreciate pictures then you can reach till the last step.

I was thinking that compared to other universities, when you want to enroll in our school, you need to waste at least three days before officially enrolled. Why is it? Is it because the university has lots of enrollees to cater? Or we have lack of staffs to attend the needs of the enrollees? Or perhaps, the process itself is the problem and we don’t just realize it?

Enrollment Steps:
This is the old enrollment steps for old students:
1. Signing of clearance and other miscellaneous fees
2. Validate scholarship for scholars
3. Advising of subjects
4. Encoding of subjects
5. Students accounts for scholars
6. Cashier for payments of tuition fees for non scholars
7. Registrar
8. Library for library card validation

This is the old enrollment steps for new students: (based on my experience)
1. Pay miscellaneous and other fees
2. Filling up students record at the UGTO
3. Apply for a scholarship at the Office Student Services for those students who have scholarship grants
4. Enroll in ROTC or CWTS
5. Go to your college adviser for advising of subjects
6. Encoding of subjects for you to have Certification of Registration
7. Verify student accounts at the bookkeeper for scholars
8. Pay tuition fee at the cashier for non scholars
9. Registrar for the submission of all the necessary documents for the students to be officially enrolled
10. Apply for a library card
11. Picture taking for school id

This is an image of the new enrollment steps:






When you will compare it, there is no difference. We are still following the same steps. The only thing that matter is that the enrollment system we are using is new. For old students, during enrollment time, students need to pay local fees first before any other transactions specifically headlight and other local council fees. Student’s clearance which is processed prior the scheduled enrollment is a must. In case that said clearance is not completely signed then she/he will not be entertained by the assigned class adviser. The students are obliged to bring all the receipts and the student’s clearance during advising as a requirement. During this period, the adviser will give a form commonly known as PRF for the student to write the subject he/she is advised to enroll for the semester.

When the student is already advised as to what subject he/she will enroll, encoding of the advised subjects will be the next step. In every college there are assigned offices or encoders who will handle this task. Sometimes this is where the students are stuck due to number of students per one encoder. After this, the student now have the COR or Certificate of Registration which consist of the said amount the student will pay.
If the student is a scholar, she needs to go to the bookkeeper window for the approval of their scholarship and for records purposes also. Otherwise, if you are just an ordinary student (katong scholar sa parents) you need to fall in a long line. This is where the student will pay his/her tuition fee. You also need to prepare coins because the cashier sometimes doesn’t provide coins. Partial payments are also accepted.

After paying the tuition fee, we need to go to the registrar’s office. There are assigned windows every college or department. The enrollee needs to present her receipts (headlight, local council fees and tuition fee) and also the student’s clearance before you will be officially enrolled.

When you are already officially enrolled, you need to go to the university library for the library card validation.

Nothing changes when it comes to the steps we need to follow because it is still the same. Even though the school has already constructed additional windows in the registrar it is still not enough to make the enrollment process faster. Students still experiences to line up in a long line and experience also the thing we called “singit-singit”.

Enrollment Procedure:
The first time the new system was applied to our enrollment last summer it was better though because there are only plenty of students enrolling. But in the start of this school year where in there were many enrollees, the new system was not doing so well. First factor is that the faculty and staffs still has to adjust to it thus making the enrollment process slow. Second, not only the staffs had to adjust but the new enrollees as well. But I strongly believe that students and staffs will soon be used in this system. Perhaps this is the first stepping stone to finding ways in improving our university. This institution has to stick not only with the high academic standards but also with the many method, system or structuring in order for the school to produce a smooth sailing system in all department.

Last semester, enrolment procedure in different colleges is different. Because there are only a small number of students in Institute of Computing, student doesn’t have to wait for their names to be called at the registrar’s office. But for the other colleges, they have to wait for them to be called. The problem with this kind of method is the students don’t have any idea when their names will be called.
I asked some of my friends who belongs in the college of education. According to them, the enrollment this school year is much better compared to the last one. Since there is a priority numbers given to each students. With this, you have already the idea if it is already your turn.

For IC students who are already used to directly going to the registrar’s office, the new scheme is making them feel embarrass.

I also have some observation with regards to the enrollment flow and that huge tarpaulin.
• With regards to the distribution of the certificate of registration, compared to the old system, there are four copies of COR, for the cashiers copy, registrars copy and for the students copy. But with the new system, there are just two copies given. In my own point of view, this kind of scenario makes the process time consuming. Since we have to wait for another extra time to wait for another copy. But I am happy with the paper they are using.

• On the other side, the new printer in IC department is a big help since it prints faster than the old one and it is not noisy.

• I also want to comment about the information printed in the COR. Instead of making it fourth year it is indeed third year. It hurts because I tried very hard in order for me to reach this year but suddenly in the COR I was still third year. I want this problem to be given an urgent solution for the reason that it affects the feeling of the students.

• About the tarpaulin, do we need to have that? According to my friends, it will be much better if they will just ask some friends than wasting time reading that tarp. It is easier for me to understand the old sheet they are using. Those enrollment process written in a simple coupon bond.

• The presentation of the diagram is not that so good also. As an IC student, I am more knowledgeable with regard to the diagrams given that it is taught in one of our subjects. Like what Kate said, the variance of the size of the arrows because there are different meanings to every shape and symbol or size.

• To give some credit about the good things, the chairs in the cashier, registrar and book keeper are the best things or help that the university have produce for students.

Since the university has always lots of enrollees every start of school year, I think it would be the center of attention for the school administration to create or build a new enrollment process that would solve the problem of “a three days enrollment”.

Nevertheless, if I were tapped by the university president to evaluate the new enrollment system implemented this semester I won’t hesitate to suggest to update not just the enrollement system but also the enrollment process. The administration is not aware about this problem, I think because if they do, they have already conducted some solutions. I will let them know and realize at the same time the sentiment of the students with regards to the enrollment procedure.

• Additional staffs or windows would be a big help especially in the cashier and book keepers office. Two windows over thousands of students are impossible to make a rapid process during enrollment.

• Additional staff in OSS that will entertain scholars upon validation and renewal of scholarship. In my years of existence in the university, this school year is the worst line of students I have encountered.

Forgive me if I am too much observant. A solution starts when there are mistakes and before you discover errors, it started by being observant. Being a student is not a lame excuse to keep on listening and watching and not doing anything because it is also our right to let them see what they haven’t seen. Let the higher administration hear the voice of the students because it takes two to tango.
I hope that this will serve as a stepping stone to improvements. Like what I have posted in the last assignment, I also believe that soon enough this university will develop far more better structure to make not just the enrollment process faster but with other systems or method that will contribute to the welfare of the school and to produce excellent and quality graduates always in the future. I just hope that with the university’s decision to make slight changes and development as well would lead to something that will function better.

a comparison..hahahha

in the decision to tapped in-house resources...

The decision of the university to appoint two of our teachers to develop a new enrollment system for the incoming school year made the whole thing peculiar. We were not able to perceive or forethought the schools possible plan to make changes in our enrollment system. We were not prepared yet to adapt to it but still what can students do about it but to adjust to the new condition, to the new environment which the school had in store for us.

Until now, I cannot still think of what are the reasons why the university decided to tap in-house resources. Maybe the institution are just making use or taking advantage of the available resources they have. But I believe that it was one of the right choices the university had ever made. Having both of them in developing the new enrollment system is already an accomplishment. Why? Because they are not just skilled but they are one good system developers. They have the ability to do something well since they are not just accustomed but they also have skills which they usually gained through training and experience. I am pretty sure that these two exceptional persons are perfect and they best fit the qualification the university was looking for to develop such system we have right now.

The university has made the right decision in choosing both of them because the higher personnel of our school knew they have the potential even though it would mean losing them in our class. They could have chose to continue teaching and imparting their knowledge to us and we could have gained many lessons from them but still they accepted the offer of the university to become developers of our school system.

Way back those time when we are still using the old system, there are plenty of complaints about the students’ big payment every month just for that system. It is much better when we used our own resources than wasting a lot of money paying for the old enrollment system. Since we are a school of high standards and people and the society are expecting good, organized and better system from this institution and we are also keeping important records of the students, it is better that we just tapped in-house resources and considering the fact that we are not that moneyed, I think it is a good decision. Another reason is that the university has lots of faculty and staff like the two teachers they assigned in developing the new enrollment system. It is an advantage for the school to have those teachers to become system developers than hire another applicant from other institutions or from the outside association. Aside from that, those teachers are already considered as an expert in the field of creating system. They are brilliant enough to provide the needs of the school.

Is the shortage of budget the real reason why the university decides to tap in-house resources to develop the enrollment system? Is that actually the reason? In my five years of stay in the university I can tell based on what I have seen that we don’t have enough resources with regards to facilities but when we are talking about manpower, and then perhaps we are abundant. If we have skilled and knowledgeable personnel or staffs inside the campus, then I think the school should take advantage with them. It is already a plus for the campus to have these teachers. Their skills might be a big help or maybe a great contribution in finding ways and means to improve whatever the school needed to develop. And I think that is the reason why they decided to hire Mr. Michael Angelo Cagape and Mrs. Tamaracher Mercado.

But on the students’ side, the only thing that brought difficulty to them which they consider also to be a not-so-good choice is because they have to change to a different teacher in the middle of the semester which makes us depressed because we have to adjust again. I partly agree with what Kristine has posted that we could have learned a lot from them if they were not pulled out from our classes to develop that system. But I don’t have any issue with regards to the instructors they have as a replacement. They are both exceptional teachers and good enough to replace what Mr. Cagape and Mrs. Mercado had started.
Because of the hard hitting decision which the university has made, students do not have any choice but to adjust and to cope up with the change. The students have to shift to another instructor which was not really that easy. It was at first unusual to us. The shifting of one instructor to another became a slight burden to us. It is because the kind of instruction we were used to was suddenly replaced. That situation creates a big difference in our daily routine and also on the other teacher which also needs to amend with the schedules. The new ways rapidly replaced the old.

The first time the new system was applied to our enrollment last summer it was better though. But in the start of this school year where in there were many enrollees, the new system was not doing so well. First factor is that the faculty and staffs still has to adjust to it thus making the enrollment process slow. Second, not only the staffs had to adjust but the new enrollees as well. But I strongly believe that students and staffs will soon be used in this system. Perhaps this is the first stepping stone to finding ways in improving our university. This institution has to stick not only with the high academic standards but also with the many method, system or structuring in order for the school to produce a smooth sailing system in all department.

I also believe that soon enough this university will develop far more better structure to make not just the enrollment process faster but with other systems or method that will contribute to the welfare of the school and to produce excellent and quality graduates always in the future. I just hope that with the university’s decision to make slight changes and development as well would lead to something that will function better.