Professional Practices

CS 625

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 1
 Week 1 Topic: The Profession
❑ Introduction

❑ Professionalism

❑ Traits of a Professional

❑ Applying Professionalism in Daily Life

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 2
 Introduction
❑ Profession: A paid occupation, especially one that involves
prolonged training and a formal qualification.

❑ Professional: A professional is a member of a profession or any

person who earns their living from a specified professional
activity. The term also describes the standards of education and
training that prepare members of the profession with the
particular knowledge and skills necessary to perform their
specific role within that profession.
Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 3
 Professional Responsibilities

❑ With reference to Information Technology, Computer Science

or Software Engineering, the responsibilities of working
professionals in this area include network administration,
software development and installation, and the planning and
management of an organization's technology life cycle, by
which hardware and software is maintained, upgraded and
replaced.

❑ But these are not ENOUGH.

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 4
 Engineering Council states that other than
professional Knowledge, an Engineer must
know
❑ Technical decision making and its commercial and economic
implementation;…knowledge of government legislation
affecting work, e.g. safety, health, environmental requirements;
an understanding of the principles of management and
industrial relations; some knowledge of trade unions and their
organization; an understanding of the engineer’s responsibility
to the profession, to the community and to the environment
Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 5
 The Professionalism

❑ A profession isn’t just what you do, it’s who you are.

❑ Professionalism is a way of thinking and living rather than an

accumulation of learning.

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 6
 Traits of a Profession

Four Traits of Profession

1. Varied activities requiring special skills

2. Society-centric motivation

3. Personal standards of excellence

4. Giving back to society

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 7
 A professional behaves ethically

❑ Ethics means something more than ‘law’ and ‘morals’.

❑ It carries an additional connotation of ‘rightness’.

▪ Breaking the law: can earn a fine or jail time

▪ Breaking a moral: can ruin your reputation

▪ Breaking an ethic: can ruin your conscience

It’s possible to break all three, simultaneously!

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 8
 Traits of a Professional

❑ Being a professional means that they are certain traits which are
expected from you.

❑ We will go through Each of them

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 9
 Trait # 1 of a professional: Seriousness

❑ Serious about job

❑ The job is only a job. A means to an end

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 10
 Trait # 2 of a professional: Wanting to do
better

❑ Exhibit a never-ending quest to improve their performance in

every variable, every project, every relationship, and every
detail.

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 11
Trait # 3 of a professional: Dealing with the
Unexpected

❑ Stuff happens, things change, and the true professional rises to

the occasion

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 12
 Trait # 4 of a professional: Communication
Skills

❑ Clear

❑ Concise

❑ Confident

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 13
 Trait # 5 of a professional: Enthusiasm

❑ Attitude is everything. Those who exhibit enthusiasm for what

they do and greet each day with a positive attitude inevitably
become a leader

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 14
 Trait # 6 of a professional: Helpfulness

❑ Understand that real success in the workplace requires teamwork

❑ Always ready to lend a hand

❑ Make a suggestion

❑ Offer a compliment when it’s deserved

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 15
 Trait # 7 of a professional: Taking the
Initiative

❑ Takes the initiative to get things done

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 16
 Trait # 8 of a professional: Cool under
Pressure

❑ Level headed and calm

❑ Cheerful demeanor-even under stressful times

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 17
Trait # 9 of a professional: Remains Focused

❑ Stay focused on the task at hand and the goal ahead

❑ Navigate through obstacles or setbacks but never lose sight of

where they headed

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 18
 Trait # 10 of a professional: Don’t Follow,
Lead

❑ True Professionals aren’t faint of heart

❑ Analyze the situation and willing to take new paths and try new
solutions

❑ That’s why they call it LEADERSHIP!

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 19
 Applying Professionalism in Real Life

Scenario #1
❑ You are the owner of a software engineering company. Your
employees (engineers) want you to pay for them to attend
training.

❑ How would you respond in a way that is legal, moral, and

ethical?

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 20
 Scenario #2

❑ You are the owner of a software engineering company. Your

employees (engineers) want you to let them do pro bono work
for a local non-profit organization on company time.

❑ How would you respond in a way that is legal, moral, and

ethical?

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 21
 Scenario #3

❑ You are a software engineer at a company where management

routinely encourages you and your colleagues to use pirated
software.

❑ How would you respond in a way that is legal, moral, and

ethical?

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 22
 Thank you!

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 23
Professional Practices

CS 625

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 1
 Week 3 Topic: The Structure of
Organizations

❑ Introduction

❑ Legal form of organization

❑ Companies

❑ Types of Organizations

❑ Management of an organization

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 2
 Organization

❑ Impossible to live in a civilized society without close contact

with many large organizations

❑ Like schools, universities, public utilities, government and

local government departments, the Health Service, commercial
and industrial companies, and so on.

❑ In many ways, these organizations resemble each other.

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 3
 Legal Form of An organization
❑Law recognises individuals
▪ Enter into contracts

▪ Tried for crimes

▪ Sued

▪ Act of Parliament impose duties on the individual etc

❑Incorporation
▪ Making into a body (Corpus)

▪ Organization should be given a legal existence, through a

Free Powerpoint Templates

incorporation.
process known as Free Powerpoint Templates
Page 4
 Incorporated Organisations

❑ Incorporated

▪ Royal Charters – IET, BCS, IMechE, RAeS

▪ Acts of Parliament – Ceredigion County Council

▪ Public or Private Companies (Companies Act 1985 and 1989)

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 5
 Types of Commercial Organizations

1. Sole Trader

Local Shop, Plumber

2. Partnership

Doctors, Lawyers, Accountants

3. Limited Company

Private or Public

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 6
 Sole Trader

❑ Individual

▪ Sole person responsible for all debts

▪ All assets including “private” at risk

▪ Does NOT have to be the only employee

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 7
 Partnership
❑ Two or More People

❑ All at Risk. Similar to sole trader but >1 person

❑ Normally professionals

▪ Doctors

▪ Lawyers

▪ Accountants

❑ Inflexible in Normal Commercial World

▪ Movement of key Personnel

▪ Too risky
Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 8
 Companies
❑ Public or Private Companies

▪ Public – Public Limited Company (PLC)

❑Trades shares to public

▪ Private – Company Limited (Co Ltd)

❑Cannot sell shares to Public
❑Can sell shares privately
❑Limited by Shares
❑Commercial Companies
❑Limited by Guarantee
❑Charities, Professional Bodies
❑(Unlimited Companies)

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 9
 Companies (Contd)

❑Independent Existence

❑Divided
▪ Shareholders

▪ Or Members of the Company

❑Normally > 1 shareholder

❑1992 Act allows single member

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 10
 Company Constitution

1. Share Capital

2. Company Constitution

3. Directors responsibilities

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 11
 1. Share Capital

❑ Shareholders (Subscribers) own Company

❑ At start of Company

▪ Authorised share capital

❑Number & Nominal (par) Value

❑Say 100 shares @ £1

❑If debts > assets Shareholder lose shares

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 12
 2. Company Constitution

a. Memorandum of Association

a. Controls External Relations

b. Articles of Association

a. Control Internal Relations

c. Shareholders Agreement

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 13
 a. Memorandum of Association
❑Company Name
▪ Restrictions

❑Country of Registration
▪ England & Wales, Wales, Scotland

❑Objects of Company
▪ Companies Act 1989 allow general commercial company

❑A Liability Clause
▪ Liability of members is limited

❑Authorised Share value

▪ Nominal Share Value
Free and Number
Free Powerpoint Templates

Powerpoint Templates
Page 14
 b. Articles of Association
❑ Rules of Share capital

❑ Transfer of Shares

❑ Meetings of Members

❑ Rules Governing Directors’ Appointments

❑ Power of Directors

❑ Dividends and Reserves

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 15
 c. Shareholders Agreements
❑ Protect interests of minor shareholders

❑ Article of Association

▪ Changed at General Meeting

▪ Needs 75% majority

❑ Agreement Between Shareholders

▪ All must sign

▪ Can govern way voting is done

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 16
 3. Directors Responsibilities
❑ Directors Elected by Shareholders

▪ Act In best Interest of Company

▪ Honest

▪ Declare Interests

▪ Aware of Company’s Trading Position

▪ Executive & Non-Executive Directors

❑ Company Secretary

▪ Could be Director
Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 17
 Functional Units of An Organization
Five groups of functions exist in almost any organization:

1.Production: Activities that directly contribute to creating the products or

services that the company sells.

2.Quality management: Quality activities necessary to ensure that quality of

the products and services produced is maintained at the agreed level.

3.Sales and Marketing: Sales is concerned directly with selling the product,
while marketing is concerned with establishing the environment in which the
product is sold (e.g. through advertising) and with deciding how the range of
products sold by the company should develop.

4. Finance and Administration: To pay bills, to look after its funds, All
Free Powerpoint Templates

central services. Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 18
5. Research and development:

How can the company do better the things that it already

Does and what other things might it profitably be doing?

Geographical organization:
An organization operates in more than one country.

The most obvious examples are in the field of food and drink.

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 19
 Centralization v. decentralization

❑ In a centralized organization, the detailed operational decisions

are taken at the centre.

❑ In a decentralized organization, as many details as possible are

settled at local level.

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 20
 Management
❑ Mangers of organization can project manager, production
manager, general manager & Corporate manager.

❑ The goal of project managers is to produce systems which meet

the users’ needs, on time and within budget.

❑ Their main concerns are therefore planning, progress

monitoring, acquisition and allocation of resources, and quality
control.

❑ The tools of their trade are bar charts, activity networks, critical
path analysis, and so on.
Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 21
❑ Production Manager: Production management is concerned with
productivity, efficiency and maintenance of quality.

❑ General Manager: General or corporate management deals with

the management of the organization as a whole.

❑ Corporate Manager:

Corporate managers are responsible for the long-term strategy of the

organization.

Monitor the overall performance of the organization and be prepared

to handle serious problems which arise anywhere in the organization.

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 22
 Thank you!

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 23
Professional Practices

CS 625

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 1
Week 4 Topic: Anatomy of Software House
❑ Introduction

❑ The Company (Software House)

❑ Structure of Company

❑ Management of Staff

❑ Producing the budget

❑ Monitoring Financial Performance

❑ Long term Planning

❑ Conclusions
Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 2
 Introduction (The Company)
❑ A Hypothetical company

❑ Syniad Software Ltd was founded some ten years ago by four
friends.

❑ All four are members of the Board of Directors, along with two
others who were recruited later.

❑ The company specializes in the production of bespoke software

for clients who demand work of high quality.

❑ Syniad’s head office is in London. Other offices are in Man-

chester, Delft, Netherland.
Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 3
Company Structure

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 4
 Operations Director
❑ The Operations Director is responsible for all the revenue
earning operations of the company.

❑ It is his job to ensure that all projects are completed

satisfactorily

❑ And resources are available to carry out the projects that the
company wins;

❑ The personnel reports to him.

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 5
 Technical Director

The Technical Director is responsible for:

❑ Quality management;

❑ Research and development;

❑ Marketing at a technical level (e.g. arranging for staff to give

papers at conferences)

❑ Technical training (as opposed to training in, say, project

management or presentational skills, which are the
responsibility of the personnel function).
Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 6
 Syniad’s Organizational Structure Type

❑ shows elements of all three of the types of organizational

structure.

1. Functional division of responsibilities

2. Geographical element (represented by the director responsible

for overseas operations)

3. Centralization and decentralization has little meaning

(Centralized policies and procedures are widely used but they
have usually been developed within one part of the company and
have been adopted by general consent.
Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 7
 Centralized vs. Decentralized
❑ In theory, staff have a sense of belonging to a group and regard their
group manager as the manager who is permanently responsible for
their career in the company.

❑ In practice, because projects often require expertise from more than

one group, staff often find themselves working on projects for
groups other than the one to which they belong.

❑ In a company of the size of Syniad, the distinction between

centralization and decentralization has little meaning. Centralized
policies and procedures are widely used but they have usually been
developed within one part of the company and have been adopted by
Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 8
general consent.
 Management of staff
❑ New employees vs. Old employees…. OUTSIDER

Staff Appraisals:

❑ Employees’ achievements and contributions to the company

were properly recorded;

❑ Staff knew what was expected of them and what they needed to
achieve in order to gain promotion;

❑ Proper plans for training and career development were made and
regularly reviewed;

❑ Employees were aware of the company’s opinion of their

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 9
performance.
 Producing the Budget

❑ Staff in the company are broadly divided into

1. Technical or Revenue earning staff and

2. Nonrevenue earning staff

❑ Both require different capital to work.

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 10
 Monitoring Financial Performance
❑ Monitoring Syniad’s performance against the budget should, in
principle, be straightforward.

❑ Each month, the income and expenditure under the various

heads are compared and, if significant deviations are observed,
corrective action is taken.

❑ In practice, this simple procedure presents many difficulties.

❑ To monitor financial performance, company focuses on;

1. Cost & Revenue
2. Project Costing
3. Sales Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 11
 1. Costs and revenue

❑ A major problem is caused by random fluctuations, themselves

the product of many individual factors, for example:

1. Annual Budget n Staff hiring

2. Large projects cause deviation in Budget
3. Fixed Price Project Estimation

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 12
 2. Project costing
❑ Because of these difficulties in monitoring the overall
performance of the company, Syniad also tries to monitor the
financial performance of individual projects, through a project
costing system.

❑ The costs and revenue of each project are calculated each

month and the cumulative gross margin (i.e. the difference
between total costs and total revenue to date on the project)
calculated as a percentage of the total revenue.

❑ In practice, this system does not work well.

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 13
 3. Sales
❑ The budgeted increase in revenue derives partly from increased
charge rates, partly from better staff utilization and partly from
an increased number of staff.

❑ All these factors are influenced by the forward sales position,

that is by the staff required and the rates earned on the work to
which the company is committed in the coming months.

❑ Two reports are used for assessing and monitoring the sales
position.

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 14
 3. Sales (Continued…)

1. The confirmed sales report shows, for each grade, the number
of staff in that grade who are committed to contracts in each of
the following twelve months and the total expected revenue
from that grade in each month.

2. The sales prospects report shows, for each sales prospect, the
potential value of the sale, its likelihood and the likely start
date.

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 15
 Long Term Planning
❑ Strategic Planning for future

❑ The ability to plan strategically and to achieve strategic objectives

is the hallmark of well run, successful companies.

❑ Strategic planning in Syniad has two related aspects.

1. The first is to identify appropriate long-term goals

2. Second is to identify and formulate plans to overcome

those problems which are inhibiting it from attaining these
goals.
Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 16
 Long Term Planning involves

❑ Expansion Plans

❑ Company Image

❑ Product mix (Fee based revenue vs. Package Software)

❑ Finance (under-capitalization)

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 17
 Conclusions

❑ Syniad, despite its problems, is a successful and well-managed

company, however, they need to go multinational.

❑ Do directors have the expertise to manage this transition or to

run the resulting company?(agreements for collaboration with
comparable companies)

❑ Syniad has now reached a point where it can no longer thrive as

a private company and its future must, inevitably, be very
different from its past.
Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 18
 Thank you!

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 19
Professional Practices

CS 625

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 1
Week 5 Topic: Organizational Financial
Practices
▪ Introduction

▪ Need of Capital

▪ Sources of Funds

▪ Budgeting and Monitoring

▪ Working Capital & Cash Flow

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 2
 Introduction

❑ However good the quality of its products or services, no

organization can be successful for any length of time unless its
finances are soundly managed.

❑ Many young software engineers are attracted by the idea of

starting their own company.

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 3
 Need of Capital
❑ A group of new or recent graduates in computing decide to set
up their own company to provide software services and their
intention is typically to offer contract hire services

❑ A client is unlikely to pay an invoice within less than one month

of receiving it. Some large companies are notorious for not
paying invoices for as much as six or even twelve months.

❑ There will be a need to have some money with which to start

the venture.

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 4
 Need of Capital (continued)

❑ The group needs enough cash in hand to be able to live for at

least three months. Additional money will be needed for the
expenses of starting the company

❑ For large projects or packages, a much larger sum of money is

likely to be needed while they are being developed because
there will be no revenue coming into the company.

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 5
 Need of Capital (continued)

❑ For starting period cash will be needed for:

▪ Salaries

▪ rent rates, heating and lighting of the premises used

▪ equipment and consumables

▪ costs of advertising and marketing the products

▪ miscellaneous expenses, ranging from company stationery

to travelling expenses

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 6
 Need of Capital (continued)
❑ How does one set about raising this money? The first step is to
produce a business plan.

❑ It typically contains:

▪ a description of what the company will be doing, together

with information to show that it is technically feasible and
that founders of the company have the necessary expertise

▪ an assessment of the size of the market and the competition

▪ a prediction of the financial performance of the company

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 7
 Sources of funds

❑ They can be grouped into:

▪ Grants

▪ Loans

▪ Sale of Equity

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 8
 Grants
❑ A grant is a sum of money given to the company; while the
company is obliged to demonstrate that it has been used for the
purposes for which it was intended, it is not intended that the
grant should ever be paid back to the organization which gave it

❑ The availability of grants and other help for new companies

depends very much on where the company is located, how
many people it expects to employ, and on government policy at
the time.

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 9
 Loans

❑ A loan is a sum of money lent to the company; interest is

payable on it, at a rate that may be fixed or variable, and the
loan is usually for a fixed period

❑ The company is liable to pay back the loan and, if the company
goes into liquidation, the lender is entitled to recover the loan
from the sale of the assets of the company.

❑ In most cases, security is required for the loan

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 10
 Sale of Equity

❑ Equity capital is money paid to the company in exchange for a

share in the ownership of the company

❑ Shareholders are at a much greater risk of getting a poor return

on their capital or even losing it completely than are lenders but,
in compensation for this, they stand to make a greater profit
than lenders if all goes well

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 11
 Budgeting & Monitoring

❑ A budget is a prediction of the future financial position of an

organization covering , usually, the current or the next financial
year

❑ The ordinary manager in a company is, however, much more

concerned with budgeting for income and expenditure

❑ Budgeting is an iterative process

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 12
 Budgeting & Monitoring
❑ The first version of the budget is likely to show expenditure
exceeding income, since the operating managers will want to expand
their operations while the sales and marketing department will not
wish to give hostages to fortune by being over-optimistic about the
volume of sales it can generate. Adjustments will have to be made
repeatedly until a situation is reached in which budgeted sales exceed
budgeted expenditure with a reasonable profit margin; the
operational managers are happy that they can service the predicted
volume of sales with the budgeted staff levels; and the salesmen are
confident that they can produce the predicted sales
Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 13
 Working Capital & Cash Flow

❑ It is perfectly possible for a company to be consistently

profitable and yet be unable to pay its bills

❑ Accounting normally operates on an accrual basis

❑ The value of work in progress

❑ It is usual to negotiate stage payments rather than leaving all

payment until the work is completed.

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 14
 Working Capital & Cash Flow (continued)
❑ Cash has therefore to be found to cover the gap between what a
company has to pay out in cash and what it receives in cash—
working capital

❑ A document “cash flow prediction” is the amount of cash

expected to be received and disbursed in each of the next twelve
months

❑ The bank specifies the maximum that can be borrowed on an

overdraft but interest is only payable on the amount actually
owed
Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 15
 Thank you!

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 16
Professional Practices

CS 625

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 1
 Week 6 Topic: Human Resource
Management
❑ Introduction

❑ A model of Human Resource Management

❑ Training and Human Resource Management

❑ Health and Safety at Work

❑ Health and Safety Act 1974

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 2
 Introduction

❑ It is a function in organizations designed to maximize employee

performance in service of an employer's strategic objectives

❑ Management of people, staff training and development with a

strategic approach suggest that human resource management is
particularly appropriate for software work

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 3
 A model of human resource management

❑ A corresponding commitment to the organization is expected

from employees. They are therefore autonomous in the sense
of, to some degree, managing themselves.

❑ Human resource management is the responsibility of

all managers

❑ Maximum utilization of human resources available to the

enterprise.

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 4
1-Long-term, strategic and proactive in style

❑ The problems associated with personnel in an information

technology environment require a disciplined approach to
establishing numbers of staff; the utilization of personnel; the
development and education of employees, together with the
construction of comprehensive human resource management
policies that are not only responsive to immediate needs but
also are building blocks for the medium- and long-term
corporate requirements

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 5
 2-Commitment to the organization

❑ The real challenge is to shift employee attitudes from mere

compliance with rules at work to commitment and self
motivation

❑ This signifies a commitment to staff development as part of

the “learning organization” and firm-specific skills that are less
transferable between firms. Skills include attendance,
flexibility, responsibility, discipline, identification with the
company and, crucially, work-rate.
Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 6
 3-Self-management

❑ Team working is a vital element

❑ Direct and regular face-to-face contact between managers and

workers is emphasized. This builds trust and helps maintain
motivation

❑ The trick is to reconcile motivating individuals with team-

building because it is teams, not individuals, who complete
projects. Performance appraisal is central in HRM strategies

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 7
 4-Unitary perspective

❑ The entire enterprise is regarded as analogous to a team with

one focus of loyalty and one focus of authority

❑ A crucial part of keeping effective workers content is a system

where they can be promoted without having to become
managers

❑ At Microsoft a talented software developer can stay just that

and yet rise to the top tier of elite “architects”. These architects
are not company directors despite their seniority

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 8
 5-Maximum utilization of human resources

❑ It’s a difficult task specially in information technology

environment.

❑ It is the possibility of computer surveillance of work rate that

allows decision makers to look more critically now than ever
before at work output in offices

❑ Management gets the impression that the project is going well

and has no idea what’s actually happening at the grass roots
level. By the time they find out, it’s too late
Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 9
 Training and human resource management

❑ Despite universities establishing more IT and computing

courses and applications rising strongly, the industry continues
to generate more vacancies than capable recruits

❑ Computing companies find that IT graduates often lack

transferable or “people-handling” skills, such as
communications and a broader knowledge of how businesses
work

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 10
 Training and human resource management

❑ Dr Neil Barrett, senior fellow at Bull, reckoned that “from an

industry point of view, we are often better placed to take people
with good generalist degrees and turn them into engineers”

❑ Computer scientists are people who understand the finer details

of software programming but cannot program. We have to start
again and teach them the methods and tricks we work with.

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 11
 Health and Safety at Work

❑ Health and safety at work usually only hits the headlines when
there is a major disaster

❑ In many high risk areas, the safety systems themselves are often
computer controlled

❑ Around 200 employees each year still die as a result of accidents

at work

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 12
 Health and Safety Act 1974
❑ 1.Premises, i.e. factory, office etc.

❑ 1.Employment is the only necessary criterion.

❑ 2. Specific requirements

❑ 2. General (and far-reaching) requirements

❑ 3. No requirements on manufacturers or suppliers

❑ 3. Creates comprehensive new duties for manufacturers and

suppliers of articles and substances for use at work

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 13
 Health and Safety Act 1974
❑ 4.Regulations for specific industries and processes: rigorous but
difficult to keep up to date in the face of rapidly changing
technology.

❑ 4. Specific regulations but couched in general terms and

supplemented by approved codes of practice that are more easily
updated.

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 14
 Thank you!

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 15
Professional Practices

CS 625

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 1
Week 7 Topic: Intellectual Property Rights
❑ Introduction

❑ Confidential Information

❑ Patents

❑ Copyright

❑ Acts permitted in relation to copyright

❑ Remedies for breach of Copyright

❑ Plagiarism

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 2
 Introduction
❑ Intellectual property rights are often the most valuable assets
owned, used and developed by a software house.

❑ Intellectual property rights include:

▪ Confidential information

▪ Patents

▪ trade marks

▪ Designs

▪ Copyrights protecting computer programs

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 3
 Introduction (continued)

❑ They protect information stored by electronic means and all of

the paperwork which accompanies a program, such as the user
manual, plus any multimedia packages and most items on the
Web.

❑ Great care should be taken to protect, exploit and enforce

intellectual property

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 4
 Introduction (continued)
❑ The name under which a product is sold may be registered as a
trade mark

❑ the hardware or a process used in its manufacture may be

protected by a patent

❑ the look of the product may be registered in the Designs

Registry

❑ software can be protected by copyright

❑ the know-how which goes into the development of the product

may be protected as confidential information
Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 5
 Introduction (continued)

❑ Unauthorized use of intellectual property can be stopped by

injunction and damages may be sought for infringement of
these rights

❑ The law is constantly changing with technological advance

❑ General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) concerned

the protection of intellectual property rights in the face of
widespread piracy of software products

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 6
 Confidential Information
❑ Information “which is not public property and public knowledge”

❑ Any category of information, from personal confidences, to trade

secrets and sensitive government information, any or all of which a
computer scientist might handle in the course of his or her work, or all
or any of which a firm may want to protect against unauthorized use
or disclosure by others

❑ Information will be protected only if it is confidential. Non-

confidential information, unless protected, e.g. by copyright or a
patent is deemed to be in the public domain and can be used by
anyone.
Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 7
 Confidential Information

❑ Three conditions must be satisfied before an action for breach

of confidence can succeed:

▪ the information must be confidential

▪ the information must have been disclosed in circumstances

which give rise to an obligation of confidence

▪ there must be an actual or anticipated unauthorized use or

disclosure of the information

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 8
 Patents
❑ A government authority conferring a right or title for a set
period, especially the sole right to exclude others from making,
using, or selling an invention

❑ A patent gives to an inventor a monopoly in an invention. This

means that the inventor is given the exclusive right to use or
exploit the invention for a defined period

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 9
 Patents
❑ The monopoly granted by patent law is so strong, that the owner of a
patent may even exclude independent inventors from the market

❑ The better the patent and the more commercially desirable the
breakthrough, the more likely it is to be challenged. For example, if
competitors can produce a similar product or process, which is not
covered by the patent, they will be free to market it and to erode the
commercial advantage of the patentee. If they can prove that the
subject matter of the patent has been used or disclosed before, they
can invalidate the patent

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 10
 Patents
❑ Patent Act merely sets out a number of criteria which must be
satisfied before an invention can be patented

❑ a patent may only be granted if:

▪ the invention is new

▪ it involves an inventive step

▪ it is capable of industrial application

▪ the subject matter of the invention does not fall within an

excluded class

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 11
 Patents
❑ It is possible to patent something which is more than just a
program—something which can be called, for simplicity, a
“program plus”

❑ A computer program is not excluded from patentability if it

produced, or is capable of producing, a further technical effect
beyond the normal physical interaction between software and
hardware, i.e. it is potentially patentable if it makes something
else do something.

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 12
 Copyright
❑ The exclusive legal right, given to an originator or an assignee to
print, publish, perform material, and to authorize others to do the
same

❑ Copyright protects more items generated by businesses or by

individuals than any other aspect of intellectual property law

❑ It can protect business letters, manuals, diagrams, computer programs

❑ Copyright owners face the specter of unlimited piracy through

uncontrolled copying with the advent of internet

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 13
 Copyright
❑ What we will probably see over the next few years are stronger
laws, more rights for copyright owners, widespread licensing
schemes and greater use of technical anti-piracy or copy-
monitoring devices and electronic rights management systems

❑ Copyright law gives six exclusive rights to the owner of

copyright:

▪ copy the work

▪ issue copies to the public

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 14
 Copyright
▪ rent or lend the work to the public

▪ perform, play or show the work in public

▪ broadcast the work or include it in a cable programmed

service

▪ make an adaptation of the work or to do any of the above

with an adaptation

❑The rights apply equally to published and to unpublished

works
Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 15
 Acts permitted in relation to copyright
❑ Some acts are permitted under the 1988 Act, even though they
would otherwise amount to breach of copyright.

▪ Fair dealing

▪ Making back-up copies of computer programs

▪ Transfers of works in electronic form

▪ De-compilation for the purpose of interoperability

▪ Error correction

▪ Databases
Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 16
 Remedies for breach of copyright

❑ A copyright owner has all the usual civil remedies of search,

injunction, damages and an action for an account of profits
made in breach of copyright

❑ If it is shown that at the time of the infringement of copyright

the defendant did not know and had no reason to believe that
copyright subsisted in the work, then the plaintiff is not entitled
to damages against the defendant

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 17
 Remedies for breach of copyright

❑ A copyright owner is also given an important power to enter

premises without using force in order to seize infringing copies,
or articles specifically designed or adapted for making copies

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 18
 Plagiarism
❑ the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing
them off as one's own.

❑ All of the following are considered plagiarism:

▪ turning in someone else's work as your own

▪ copying words or ideas from someone else without giving

credit

▪ failing to put a quotation in quotation marks

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 19
 Plagiarism (continued)

▪ giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation

▪ changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source

without giving credit

▪ for a computer program changing variable names only, or not

changing the structure or flow of a program

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 20
 Thank you!

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 21
Professional Practices

CS 625

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 1
 Week:8 Computer Contracts

❑ Introduction

❑ Computer Contracts for supply of Custom-built Software

❑ Other Types of Software Services Contract

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 2
 Introduction
❑ An agreement between two or more parties for the doing or not
doing of something specified

❑ Contracts serve the following purpose:

▪ Set out the agreement between the parties

▪ Set out the aims of the parties

▪ Provide for matter arising while the contract is running

▪ Ways of terminating the contract and the consequences

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 3
 Introduction (continued)

❑ If the contracts are too harsh or unfair causing any issue

between parties to be unresolved, it is the responsibility of
contract laws to contemplate according to the rules

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 4
 Introduction (continued)
❑ There are almost never disputes over contracts which run
perfectly. Example marriage.

❑ Example of a ship carrying a cargo.

❑ In order to avoid disputes and future difficulties it is better to

draft a document which sets out:

▪ The terms on which both parties is to work

▪ Methods of payments

▪ Appropriate ways to terminate the contract-notice required

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 5
 Introduction (continued)

❑ Contract should be clear, concise and consistent. There should

be no ambiguity and the parties to the agreement should be left
in no doubt as to their rights and duties. Ambiguity and doubts
can lead to performance which is viewed as unsatisfactory. This
can lead to disagreement and the expenditure of time, effort and
therefore money, in resolving the matter.

❑ ……
Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 6
 Contracts for the supply of custom-built
software at a fixed price
❑ Software suppliers try to use what are known as standard form
contracts, which are used or intended to be used many times
over.

❑ Such a contract might consist of:

▪ a short introductory section

▪ a set of standard terms and conditions

▪ a set of appendices or annexes

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 7
 Introductory Section
❑ It states that it is an agreement between the parties whose names
and registered addresses are given.

❑ It is dated and signed by authorized representatives of the

parties.

❑ It often begins with a set of definitions of terms used in the

course of the agreement, set out either in alphabetical order, like
a dictionary, or in the order in which they appear in the rest of
the contract –The Company, The Client

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 8
 Other parts

❑ Terms and conditions

❑ Annexes must include any document stated like SRS. This is to

avoid, for example, the situation in which statements made by
an over-enthusiastic salesman while trying to win the business
are claimed by the client to constitute part of the contract

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 9
 Issues dealt with Standard Terms &
Conditions
❑ What is to be produced?

❑ What is to be delivered?

❑ Ownership of rights

❑ Payment terms

❑ Calculating payments for delays and changes

❑ Penalty clauses

❑ Obligations of the client

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 10
 Issues dealt with Standard Terms &
Conditions (continued)
❑ Standards and methods of working

❑ Progress meetings

❑ Project Managers

❑ Acceptance procedure

❑ Warranty and maintenance

❑ Termination of the contract

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 11
 Other types of software services contract

❑ There are four types of contractual arrangement which are

widely used in connection with the provision of software
services:

▪ fixed price

▪ contract hire

▪ time and materials

▪ consultancy

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 12
 Contract Hire
❑ The supplier agrees to provide the services of one or more staff
to work for the client

❑ The staff work under the direction of the client

❑ Supplier’s responsibility is limited to provide suitable

competent people and replacing them if they become
unavailable or said unsuitable by the client

❑ Payment is on the basis of a fixed rate for each man day worked

❑ Issues such as delay payments, acceptance tests and many

others simply do not arise
Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 13
 Time and Materials
❑ It is somewhere between a contract hire agreement and a fixed
price contract.

❑ The supplier agrees to undertake the development of the

software in much the same way as in a fixed price contract but
payment is made on the basis of the costs incurred, with labor
charged in the same way as for contract hire

❑ The supplier is not committed to completing the work for a

fixed price, although a maximum payment may be fixed beyond
which the project may be reviewed
Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 14
 Consultancy contracts

❑ Consultants are typically used to assess some aspect of an

organization and to make proposals for improvements.

❑ The end product of a consultancy project is therefore

usually a report or other document.

❑ Consultancy projects are usually undertaken for a

fixed price but the form of contract is very much simpler

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 15
 Thank you!

Free Powerpoint Templates

Free Powerpoint Templates

Page 16