Sitting is Killing you

Courtesy: http://www.medicalbillingandcoding.org/sitting-kills/

As we enter the second decade of the 21st century, there is one thing nearly all modern Americans have in common: we sit all the time. Though our great shift towards computer-based work has done great things for productivity, it has, unfortunately, done terrible things for our health. From increased risk of heart disease and obesity in the long term, to sharply hampered cholesterol maintenance in the short term, the negative health effects of sitting are starting to weigh heavily against the benefits. Even the medical field – the greatest advocates of reducing sitting time – is plagued by this new health issue. Though doctors and nurses get plenty of walking time, it usually falls to the secretaries, billers, and coders to do all the sitting. And, as we can see, something has to change.


Via: Medical Billing And Coding

How to Surf The Internet Without Losing Your Soul

How to Surf The Internet Without Losing Your Soul


from http://lifebeyondlogic.com/ blog of Nate Klemp....

So for this week’s experiment, let’s explore bringing this inner awareness into the virtual space of the Internet.
One strategy for overcoming this problem is Internet abstinence. To return to that yogic state of inner awareness, I could always stop posting on Life Beyond Logic and shut down my Twitter and Facebook accounts.
But that would be too easy. The more challenging task is to explore keeping the inward awareness that Emerson describes while surfing the virtual waves of the Internet.
So here are four practices to use this week as we explore the art of inner web surfing:

• 1. Enter Consciously – It’s easy to shift from real to virtual space without awareness – to flip open the computer and lose yourself in YouTube videos or email. See what happens when you make this transition consciously. Before you fire up Safari or Internet Explorer, take a few breaths, close your eyes, and go inside. Become aware of the shift in your conscious reality.

• 2. Surf With Your Feet, Not Your Head – I know, this sounds crazy. But the key problem with the Internet is that it’s an ungrounded space. It’s a purely external world that has no tangible physical reality. Here’s one way to stay grounded in your inner space: bring your awareness to your feet. Try it right now. See if you can read the rest of this post with your awareness on the connection between your feet and the floor. By continually shifting your awareness back to your feet, you anchor it to the inner world of experience.

• 3. Breathe – You’ve heard me talk about this at length a few weeks ago in the Breathing Experiment. The more you breathe consciously, the more you stay grounded inside.

• 4. Exit Consciously – Just as we tend to enter the Internet without awareness, we leave it without consciousness. So when you’ve finished surfing through emails, status updates, and tweets, put down the computer and take a few minutes to go inside. Focus on your breath and the sensations in your body. This is the time to shift back to the inner world of experience.

5 ways to measure Mutual Fund

http://www.investopedia.com/articles/mutualfund/112002.asp

There are five main indicators of investment risk that apply to the analysis of stocks, bonds and mutual fund portfolios. They are alpha, beta, r-squared, standard deviation and the Sharpe ratio. These statistical measures are historical predictors of investment risk/volatility and are all major components of modern portfolio theory (MPT). The MPT is a standard financial and academic methodology used for assessing the performance of equity, fixed-income and mutual fund investments by comparing them to market benchmarks.

All of these risk measurements are intended to help investors determine the risk-reward parameters of their investments. In this article, we'll give a brief explanation of each of these commonly used indicators.

1. Alpha
Alpha is a measure of an investment's performance on a risk-adjusted basis. It takes the volatility (price risk) of a security or fund portfolio and compares its risk-adjusted performance to a benchmark index. The excess return of the investment relative to the return of the benchmark index is its "alpha".

Simply stated, alpha is often considered to represent the value that a portfolio manager adds or subtracts from a fund portfolio's return. A positive alpha of 1.0 means the fund has outperformed its benchmark index by 1%. Correspondingly, a similar negative alpha would indicate an underperformance of 1%. For investors, the more positive an alpha is, the better it is. (To learn more, see Adding Alpha Without Adding Risk.)

2. Beta
Beta, also known as the "beta coefficient," is a measure of the volatility, or systematic risk, of a security or a portfolio in comparison to the market as a whole. Beta is calculated using regression analysis, and you can think of it as the tendency of an investment's return to respond to swings in the market. By definition, the market has a beta of 1.0. Individual security and portfolio values are measured according to how they deviate from the market.

A beta of 1.0 indicates that the investment's price will move in lock-step with the market. A beta of less than 1.0 indicates that the investment will be less volatile than the market, and, correspondingly, a beta of more than 1.0 indicates that the investment's price will be more volatile than the market. For example, if a fund portfolio's beta is 1.2, it's theoretically 20% more volatile than the market.

Conservative investors looking to preserve capital should focus on securities and fund portfolios with low betas, whereas those investors willing to take on more risk in search of higher returns should look for high beta investments. (Keep reading about beta in Beta: Know the Risk.)

3. R-Squared
R-Squared is a statistical measure that represents the percentage of a fund portfolio's or security's movements that can be explained by movements in a benchmark index. For fixed-income securities and their corresponding mutual funds, the benchmark is the U.S. Treasury Bill and, likewise with equities and equity funds, the benchmark is the S&P 500 Index.

R-squared values range from 0 to 100. According to Morningstar, a mutual fund with an R-squared value between 85 and 100 has a performance record that is closely correlated to the index. A fund rated 70 or less would not perform like the index.

Mutual fund investors should avoid actively managed funds with high R-squared ratios, which are generally criticized by analysts as being "closet" index funds. In these cases, why pay the higher fees for so-called professional management when you can get the same or better results from an index fund

4. Standard Deviation
Standard deviation measures the dispersion of data from its mean. In plain English, the more that data is spread apart, the higher the difference is from the norm. In finance, standard deviation is applied to the annual rate of return of an investment to measure its volatility (risk). A volatile stock would have a high standard deviation. With mutual funds, the standard deviation tells us how much the return on a fund is deviating from the expected returns based on its historical performance.

5. Sharpe Ratio
Developed by Nobel laureate economist William Sharpe, this ratio measures risk-adjusted performance. It is calculated by subtracting the risk-free rate of return (U.S. Treasury Bond) from the rate of return for an investment and dividing the result by the investment's standard deviation of its return.

The Sharpe ratio tells investors whether an investment's returns are due to smart investment decisions or the result of excess risk. This measurement is very useful because although one portfolio or security can reap higher returns than its peers, it is only a good investment if those higher returns do not come with too much additional risk. The greater an investment's Sharpe ratio, the better its risk-adjusted performance.

Conclusion
Many investors tend to focus exclusively on investment return, with little concern for investment risk. The five risk measures we have just discussed can provide some balance to the risk-return equation. The good news for investors is that these indicators are calculated for them and are available on several financial websites, as well as being incorporated into many investment research reports. As useful as these measurements are, keep in mind that when considering a stock, bond, or mutual fund investment, volatility risk is just one of the factors you should be considering that can affect the quality of an investment.

Lean SCM

The ten rules of lean Supply Chain Management can be summarized:

1. Eliminate waste
2. Minimize inventory
3. Maximize flow
4. Pull production from customer demand
5. Meet customer requirements
6. Do it right the first time
7. Empower workers
8. Design for rapid changeover
9. Partner with suppliers
10. Create a culture of continuous improvement

How to select a Consultant?

How to Choose a Consultant

Inspired by an article from http://www.handsongroup.com/lean-articles/how-to-choose-a-lean-consultant 
 

Choosing the right mentor to help you make the difficult transition from “traditional” to “world class” is absolutely critical. The wrong choice can literally cost you Millions.

LOOK FOR THESE CRITICAL ATTRIBUTES

1. IMPLEMENTATION EXPERIENCE:

Three or four successful client companies are NOT sufficient. Companies and industries vary significantly, and so do the implementation techniques. Look for someone who’s successfully done it in at least 20-30 plants, in as diverse a set of industries as possible.

CAVEAT: Experience is of little value if it resides in a person who is not actively engaged in YOUR company’s transition. Beware the cadre of green MBA’s! Demand that the “gurus” be intimately involved.

2. RESULTS, RESULTS, RESULTS!

What did your prospective consultant’s previous clients actually accomplish? What kinds of clients have they worked with? How long did it take to realize these gains? What was the net value generated? Minimum ROI’s should exceed 10 to 1.

Caveat: Look out for the “microcosm trick”. It’s very easy to generate big results in one small area. What kind of results did they generate for the TOTAL COMPANY?. Improvement Process should generate huge gains in

• CASH (through inventory reduction),
• Responsiveness (through lead-time reduction),
• Quality,
• Delivery Performance, and
• Operating Costs.

See some actual Results achieved

3. MATURITY / CREDIBILITY:

A successful change agent must have the ability to convince people at all levels of the organization. Lots of consultants can do an adequate job on the shop floor. Make sure your mentor can be effective in the boardroom as well.

4. CORPORATE EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE:

Look out for the “purist.” Your sensei must be grounded in real-world business realities. There is no better way to gain this perspective than to have “served time” as a senior executive in a manufacturing enterprise. “Those that can… Do. Those that can’t… Teach” Find someone who has proven he / she can “DO.”

5. ACTION BIAS:

I recall a plant that I visited. They’d been “transitioning to lean” for 14 months. The total result: a notebook full of data! Don’t pay for “studies”. Pay for results. A good consultant should be continuously pushing your company. DO IT! DO IT NOW!.

6. PROCESS:

Look for a consultant that has a proven overall process. One that will generate not only substantial quick returns, but will also enforce a culture of continuous improvement. Beware the “solution looking for a problem” approach. Ensure project closure not ending at harvest of the “Low Hanging Fruit”.

7. VALUE VS. COST:

Consultants come in all shapes, sizes, and capabilities. Literally anyone can “hang out a shingle” and claim to be an expert. However, like the other professions, the best value is generally NOT the least expensive. When attempting to make the difficult transition to World Class operating practices, the “low-cost bidder” can save you thousands of dollars, … And quite literally cost you millions. This is “open heart surgery” for your company. Hire the best.

What’s the next step? Schedule a site visit.

Top 15 Home Remedies For Obesity

http://obesity.ygoy.com/top-15-home-remedies-for-obesity/

Keeping a strict eye on your weight not about allowing one to become too thin or too fat, but trying to keep one physically fit. Generally, youngsters also stay very close to ideal weight for their size and age if they are healthy. But problem starts to crop up in the late twenties and it reduces a person’s physical fitness. Lethargic habits begin to develop as the individual loses his interest in running, swimming or healthy activities.

To fight with this severe condition, you can take help of some simple home remedies. Below are some easy and simple home remedies.

• To prevent obesity, there is no better option than physical exercise. Brisk walking is the best exercise to begin with. As soon as you wake up in the morning, workout for at least 30mins to an hour. Burn up unwanted calories by putting large leg muscles to work.
• Honey is considered to be an outstanding home remedy. Make a mixture of two teaspoon of lime juice, one teaspoon of honey, in a glass of water, add some pepper to it & have it regularly.
• Stop nibbling between meals. Train yourself to have less food. You will enjoy living on a reduced diet. Instead of eating only 2 meals during the day like lunch & dinner, try to eat 4-5 more small mini-meals spaced 2-3 hours apart during the day.
• Spices like ginger, cinnamon, black pepper etc. are good for losing weight. Drink ginger tea 2-3 times a day. It is also a good remedy for obesity.
• Two teaspoon of lime juice added to water also helps in losing weight. Have it frequently. Drink a glass of boiled water daily after every meal. It will also help you in obesity natural cure.
• Your diet should include green leafy vegetables, tomatoes and carrots. They are low in calories, but high in vitamins and minerals and have real food value. Increase the quantity of fruits and vegetables and low calorie foods. Eat tomato in the morning and in salad. Make it a regular habit.
• Try to eat 10-12 fully grown curry leaves every morning for 3 to 4 months. It may prove beneficial for the obese people in losing weight.
• Take a handful of jujube or Indian plum leaves. It should be soaked overnight in water. You can drink this water in the morning, preferably on an empty stomach. This treatment should be continued for at least one month to achieve good results.
• Cabbage is considered to be an excellent home remedy for obesity. Adding cabbage in a meal would be the simplest way to fight with obesity. Raw or cooked cabbage inhibits the conversion of sugar and other carbohydrates into fat. Cabbage has a great value to control obesity. Adding cabbage in a meal would be the simplest way to fight with the obesity.
• A mixture of ragi is helpful in decreasing the constant desire to eat, thus, reducing the daily calorie intake.
• Chew a thin slice of fresh ginger root a few minutes before meals. Or grate a little ginger, mix with some lemon juice and salt, and eat a pinch or two.
• Finger millet is an ideal food for the obese, because its digestion is slow and due to this, the carbohydrates take a longer time to get absorbed.
• Chutney of green mint with some simple spices can be taken with meals. Mint tea also helps. Mint is very helpful in losing weight.
• Make a mixture of 1/4th teaspoon powdered black pepper, 3 teaspoon lime juice and 1 teaspoon honey in a cup of water. Drinking this for 3-4 months can be helpful for the obese people.

Choosing the right customer is not a luxury. It is a requirement!....Bal Palekar.....Marketing Guru

A professor of operations recently told me; "You marketing people said that a customer is the king and the center piece of any business. Would you therefore advise a business to accept and serve any customer that chooses to come along?". I realized he had me there ! If strategy is about making choices, one of the most important choices you need to make in marketing is the very reason for you to be in the market - what type of customer you will serve. By making this choice, you also automatically choose its implication - what type of customer you will not serve.

FROM LOSS TO PROFIT

I know of a B2B service company which went from making losses to making profits. One of the main cornerstones of their turnaround strategy was clear guidelines about what type of customers will the company go after and what type of customers it will not waste time on. I know this case intimately and just this bit made a huge difference. Within a time of mere two months the atmosphere in the company turned positive when the whole organization began realizing what a difference this choice made to the morale of the business development people and operations people.

Counter intuitive - sometimes throwing out the customers you do not want, improves business results. The CEO of a company said recently "I used to see red when a certain client was on the phone. The client made us jump through the hoops and fire unnecessarily and tired us completely. We were doing more work for her business than what we did for the other top 4 clients of ours put together. It was not easy but I decided to sack the client". And what do you think happened ? The morale and productivity of employees went up, its service level to its good customers improved and they responded by giving more work to the company.

WHO IS THE "RIGHT CUSTOMER"?

The lesson is not to fire bad customers but to choose the right customers in the first place. So who is the right customer?

First and foremost, the right customer is the one to whom your uniqueness and competency can make a big difference - in a way that your competitors cannot. The fundamental truth hidden in this statement is that intrinsically there is no wrong or right customers - they become so only when you know your own competencies. The wrong ones are the customers to whom your uniqueness does not make much difference.

If you are designed to create high quality products and if your sales department recklessly brings in more customers who do not value quality but only price, you will find yourself inundated with frustrated business development people pressuring you for more discounts, irate cost accountants asking you how you will meet profit targets, customers nagging you for price and delaying your payments. All because you went after wrong customers.

In fact, your choice of customers is a very important part of your strategy because ultimately a business can practice only that strategy which its customers permit it to. A company cannot be in search of better quality if its customers are in search of lower price - it is an unstable situation.

While choosing your customers make sure they are

(a) not too small (less than 5% of your existing sale) : small customers increase the cost of serving them

(b) not too large ( not more than 25% of your existing sale) because big clients cause havoc if they leave and cause an unbearable shock . If they stay they behave as if they have bought your body and soul

(c) not unprofitable : sometimes big clients ask for discounts and credits and rework - such that in the end they may contribute to the revenue but not much to the profit

(d) not obsolete and heading towards sunset themselves : if your clients are from industries which are in long term decline - or which are becoming non-remunerative due to hyper competition - your own long term prospects are suspect

(e) the ones that will make you expert in the area you have chosen for your future - they will help you gain the right competencies, help you along your selected path and accelerate your progress on the path you have envisioned for yourself.