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The evolution EDI over the years

The evolution EDI over the years

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Summary: EDI is a 50-year-old protocol that started with dial-up modems, and then moved on to VANS. Further evolutions in the technology led to its continued growth and its popularity will continue to grow as it adopts modern technology.

Electronic data interchange (EDI) is over 50 years old as a protocol. It is the primary method through which suppliers and customers exchange business and financial information. The technology and standards have evolved over the last few years. Let’s take a look at some parts of that evolution:

The original age of EDI is the period before the early eighties. Communication was very basic, with companies using modems to dial each other and exchange information. It was during this period that standards like EDIFACT and ANSI X12 were created. Because of the slow transfer speeds, information exchange was done in batches, with larger files taking minutes per file.

After the original age of EDI, starting in the mid-eighties, we saw the growth of VANS and the proliferation of EDI into other verticals. It was during this decade that desktop computers and the internet became available to smaller organizations. These small and medium sized businesses could now afford to use enterprise level software and services like EDI.

The growth of VANS opened up EDI to many different types of organizations. With a VAN, there were so many more options in terms of communication, speeds, protocols, and security. The ability to buffer data, waiting until the trading partner was ready, and the ability to split payment for the exchange of data were two of the reasons for the continued growth of the technology.

EDI has come a long way and will continue to evolve taking advantage of all the new technology and protocols.
Keeping it Cool with Portable AC Units

Keeping it Cool with Portable AC Units

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                Most companies and schools place all their computers in one designated computer room. Not only it is convenient for all the people in the office or school since there is only one place for them to go to in order to access a computer, but also it is a nice solution as multiple people can work together on computers at once with this configuration. The only main problem that arises from this is heat. With several people in the room and a ton of computers powered at the same time, heat is going to start getting higher. That’s when air-conditioning steps in. An efficient yet powerful air conditioner can do the job and successfully keep your computer room and everyone in it at a proper temperature to maximize productivity and minimize computer damage.

                Spot cooling is a more effective way of keeping your computers cool as some computers, especially ones being used, will heat up more than others. A normal air conditioning unit will keep the room at a certain temperature but not each computer. Potable air conditioning units can be used and directed at specific computers or areas for spot cooling. Proper cooling for your computer room can assure your computers’ lives will last long and will help your company achieve its goals. Rental portable air conditioner units are a viable option in case your company or school’s computer room does not always need spot cooling for intensive use of the computer terminals.
Why You Should Do Team-Building Activities for Work

Why You Should Do Team-Building Activities for Work

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Summary: A company outing could help build comradery and boost employee satisfaction.

While a solid idea has the potential to get you far, it simply is not enough to help a business grow and succeed. A lot of work goes into running a business. Figuring out a business plan that is viable and executable is key. Finding employees who you can work with and getting an office space where they can work are among some of the other important aspects of running a business that you cannot overlook.

How your employees feel at work is very important. They are, after all, the people who will be helping you grow the company. When your employees feel comfortable, enjoy the work they are doing, and feel like their efforts are making a difference, they will produce the best work. In contrast, if your employees are sluggish, unmotivated, and look like they are simply counting down the seconds until they can leave for the day, it should come as no surprise that this will also be reflected in the work they do. Although getting paid is something most people enjoy at their work, they usually want to feel like they are part of a community they can relate to. Team-building activities are some of the most effective ways to help improve your office.

Forming Personal Bonds

When you think of team-building activities you probably think of trust falls in a park and other cliché activities that might not appear to be all that effective. The point of these activities is to get people out of the office and to give your employees the chance to interact with each other in a different setting. Rather than discussing work-related matters, your employees can talk to each other about other things going on in their lives.

The stronger the personal bonds your employees have with one another, the more engaged they will be at work. You might know how a particular coworker behaves at work and how well they do in the office but you might not know much beyond surface-level details. Going to the movies and out for dinner with your employees could help you go beneath this surface and learn more about where they are from, what their hobbies are, and so forth.

Get Creative

Doing team-building activities does not necessarily need to involve doing icebreakers in a park. You can get creative with what sort of activities you do. For instance, laser tag, go-karting, and virtual reality environments are all fun experiences that people will be excited to check out.
How to Limit Eye Strain from Screen Usage

How to Limit Eye Strain from Screen Usage

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Summary: If you use screens on a regular basis you might start to experience eye strain. There are techniques you can use to limit the amount of pain you feel.

There are many different approaches you can take when trying to grow your company and increase profits. You can focus on numbers, such as the prices you sell at, where you can cut costs, and so forth. Alternatively, you might come to the conclusion that your company needs to focus on the actual product or service.

If you work in an office and spend a lot of time staring at screens it is understandable that your eyes might feel sensitive and tired. The blue lights that are emitted from screens can lead to physical fatigue, making it tougher to use screens for long periods of time. There are steps you can take to limit eye strain.

Filter Out Harmful Rays

Blue lights are the fastest and most powerful lights you might expose your eyes to on a daily basis. The light can come from the sun and the screens you use. To protect the amount of blue light that your eyes are exposed to you can wear sunglasses. If you are indoors or need to wear eyeglasses, there are special blue light coatings you can get on your lenses to decrease the amount of blue light that comes into contact with your eyes.

View at a Safe Distance

Depending on your circumstances, limiting the amount of time you spend staring at screens each day might not be the most practical solution. What you can do, however, is make sure the screen you are looking at is not too close. Exposure time is important but so is proximity to the source of the blue light. Position your monitor or phone a bit further back when you use them.

Top 3 Tips to Improve Operator Efficiency

Top 3 Tips to Improve Operator Efficiency

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Summary: The amount of increased productivity a command center can bring to an organization depends on how integrated it is.

 

Command centers can get implemented into a wide variety of different organizations, from ad agencies to sports stadiums. These centers use some of the most advanced technology on the market to connect companies to their data and any critical information that must be brought to their attention.

 

If you want your operations center to be as useful as possible, there are tips you can follow to improve operator efficiency.

 

  1. Practice: A simple yet oftentimes overlooked aspect of efficiency is practice. Operations centers are fast-paced environments that can be stressful and overwhelming for someone who has not had enough time to get comfortable with using the system both quickly and effectively. Learn the different commands and macros to navigate the center with confidence.

 

  1. Reliable hardware: Another important tip for efficient work in your command center workstations is to have reliable and robust hardware. Since there will be many processes working simultaneously and information from different sources coming together, it should come as no surprise that many things need to work for it all to function smoothly. The hardware can be thought of as the base of the entire operation, meaning that slow processors or unstable server connections can ultimately slow the operators down drastically.

 

  1. Communication: Operations centers, such as those designed by Constant Technologies, Inc., are rarely run by just one person. Chances are, you will be working alongside others to run the system. If you are working in a broadcast room for a sporting team, for example, run through practice scenarios with your team to improve communication and cooperation before the big game.
Avoiding Heat Buildup in the Server Room

Avoiding Heat Buildup in the Server Room

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Servers generate a lot of heat. In fact, without a cooling system in place, closed server rooms can exceed 90F in temperature, which can damage the servers’ sensitive components and reduce their expected lifespan, according to experts. Many server rooms, when examined, are found to be between 78F and 82F, which can have negative long-term impact.

Ideally, server rooms should be between 60F and 70F for best performance and outcomes. Some models may have a broader range of tolerable temperatures; however, this range is considered standard for many modern servers.

Maintaining this cool environment can be challenging, especially in buildings with poorly functioning cooling systems or those that lack appropriately zoned HVAC. Afterall, keeping an office at 60F would be uncomfortable for many workers and quite expensive during the summer.

Fans are not always enough in warmer climates and can be loud and disruptive. They can also promote the growth of mold and the spread of particulate and allergens, creating an environment that is unhealthy for servers and humans alike.

A more practical solution is using a portable air conditioning unit to cool the server room. This maintains the necessary temperatures in a targeted, cost-effective way without impacting the environment outside the room. Spot cooling in this way can also help prevent mold, which can grow easily in a warm environment.

Maintaining proper temperatures in the server room is an important part of managing technology, but too frequently neglected. It is important to find a cooling solution that works for your server room and to have a back-up plan in case of failure.
How Ergonomic Furniture Can Boost Performance in a Command Center

How Ergonomic Furniture Can Boost Performance in a Command Center

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Summary: Keeping your employees comfortable and supported can actually increase productivity levels.

Each piece of control room furniture serves its purpose in some shape or form. For instance, the video wall displays assist specialists in monitoring everything that’s require for the company to stay alert. The design of the command center plays a role in keeping everything in a specific pattern so it’s easy to navigate and communicate amongst everyone within the room. However, one of the most neglected aspects of control room furniture is the ergonomic factor.

Every specialist that works within a command center must be alert at all times in the case of a security risk or a breach. As a team, they need to be able to communicate effectively and focus merely on the task at hand without any distractions.

The Benefits

Having an ergonomic setup for each specialist will now only allow each person to work more efficiently, but they’ll also be more comfortable while doing their job. Now, you might be asking why this is important? First off, someone that’s uncomfortable – whether it’s soreness from a shoddy chair or pain from an awkward typing position – will underperform. This not only impacts the speed at which the person works, but it also affects your company as a whole.

It’s recommended that when you start a command center from scratch – or even alter your current one – that you consider utilizing ergonomic furniture as it’ll provide an immense amount of benefits for you and your employees. After paying so much money to create a quality setup from companies like Constant Technologies, Inc. or some other major contractor, the least you could do is provide your employees with an environment that they can work comfortably in.
The technology behind goalkeeper gloves

The technology behind goalkeeper gloves

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Summary: Just like other aspects of the sport, soccer goalkeeper gloves have their share of modern technology. The fingertips, flexibility, impact absorption, finger protection, and thumb flexibility are just a few of those areas.

Soccer is one of many sports that sees improvements to almost every aspect of the game through technology, without changing the actual rules or standard of the game. In soccer, there are dramatic improvements in players clothing, shoes, and training. Goalkeeper gloves also see dramatic improvements thanks to advances in fabric and material technology. Here are some examples of how the goalkeeper’s gloves improved over time:

Fingertips

Using modern materials, manufacturers use expanded fingertips to improve the latex-to-ball ratio. Doing so increases the contact area and provides better control of the ball for the goalkeeper.

Flexibility

One of the key limitations of a glove is the lack of flexibility. Modern gloves use inserts that provide improvements in flexibility in all four directions without compromising the durability and protection of the glove.

Impact

When a goalkeeper defends against a strike, there is a lot of impact that the glove/hand has to absorb. New gloves use advanced protection to provide more safety while giving as much impact absorption as possible.

Finger protection

One of the biggest areas of injury risk is the fingers. A lot of effort and attention has gone into improving finger protection in modern gloves. Using inserts that adapt to the shape of the fingers, the player can still maintain flexibility while making it impossible for the fingers to bend backward.

Thumb

A lot of work goes into improving the protection of the thumb. It is the one area that does not have other supporting elements to prevent injury. Inserts protect the thumb as much as possible while the seam between the thumb and index fingers providing flexibility.

Written by Soccer Garage. Every single piece of your soccer kit is available in their online store at great prices. Whether you are looking for the latest cleats, balls, or goalkeeper gloves, everything you need is one click away.
Top Ways to Reduce Chargebacks for Your Business

Top Ways to Reduce Chargebacks for Your Business

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Summary: Chargebacks aren’t just bad for business, it can also jeopardize your merchant account.

Chargebacks occur with nearly every business. Every transaction businesses process, they will usually pay a penalty for these chargebacks. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, a chargeback refers to a dispute between the credit card company and the consumer. With too many of these, a business’s account could be revoked or be placed in a “high risk” category – which will indefinitely hurt your business. This guide is focused on how you can reduce chargebacks so you avoid falling into this pithole.

Your Policies Should be in “Fine Print”

Major retailers will print out their return statements on the back of their receipt due to the fact that customers will need to understand the policy information. Remember, not ever business has this options, so it’s crucial that you create a separate page on your website that tells the consumer every detail. Also, remind your employees to always inform the customer about the return policy.

Analyzing Refunds

Ask any business owner about refunds and their first thought will likely be that it’s detrimental to the overall sales. Unfortunately, refunds are unavoidable. But, refunds on the other hand, can be good for your business due to the fact that it avoids chargebacks. Remember, if you choose not to refund a customer, and the customer decides to dispute the charge, you’re facing a mark on your merchant account – along with losing a customer.

Always Verify One’s Identity.

Ask your customers to present a valid ID for any transaction involving a credit card. Be sure that you take a close look at the CVV or CVV2 code prior to completing the purchase. Depending on your business, decide whether or not you want to perform this periodically or with every customer.

 
How Programmers Fit In the Aviation Industry

How Programmers Fit In the Aviation Industry

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Summary: The aviation industry hosts thousands of programmers that play a pivotal role in the overall efficiency of operations.

Programmers have solidified their place as vital members of the aviation industry.

Programming in a Versatile Setting

Now, software is required at nearly every level of aviation and airlines. For one, you have the air traffic control and remote control level of software that programmers need to continuously keep an eye on in terms of maintenance and efficiency. Additionally you have things like crew planning, equipment assignment, qualification maintenance, load planning, ACARS support, employee portal management, human resources, and much more. Larger companies tend to utilize ITs and programmers to create their software in-house, while others opt for companies that specialize in aviation software.

Whether it’s creating a program that calculates how many 28 volt battery pack systems there are coming and going through transit, or simply taking a backseat approach and catering to developing employee payment and time systems, there are endless opportunities present for today’s programmers.

For instance, say you’re conducting an inventory check to determine what products are coming in as opposed to other aviation maintenance equipment companies. By developing an automated in-house software that automatically deduces where these deliveries are coming from, the team can work in cohesion by leaving a “paper trail” in the case that pieces need to be returned or sent out for calibration.

The Bottom Line

The aviation industry provides a bountiful assortment of opportunities for both ITs and programmers. With technology playing a crucial role, programmers need to stay on top of the latest in both aviation protocols and computing.