The Moment

Salam,

All the best wishes to everyone...

Forgive me for all broken promises, bad thoughts, ignorance

Thank you for all kindness shared...

Today I had a thought...

I always had a thought, on and off  of this worldly existence....tend to be confusing if I'm not careful. Anyway, theres nothing to worry there....

What was I doing during the thought ~ nothing much actually, just got back from the city centre doing some purchase for some activity at the end of the year.

I was looking at the roadside, at some of the cars and people in general in the area. Some car looked better than mine, and some looked average. Nothing new there....if they are better than me, then its fine with me, if they are less fine than me, I will have the thinking they definitely are having less debt than me... ha ha.

Suddenly it just came to me, in that one moment, a splurry of thought...
'How do I sustain my standard of living when I retire?'
'Will I have enough savings for my needs?"
"Will I continue to have monthly commitments that I have to worry?"

These thoughts filled my head for a little while...

Then suddenly, just like a gush of wind in the middle of a big thunderstorm, this thought strike me hard...
"You're worried about your retirement days...."
"Have you worried about your savings for the day after?"

.......it felt like a big hammer had knocked on my head....

I was stunned.....its such a great reminder....that my 'due date' is indeed getting near.

"Tiap-tiap diri akan merasai mati, dan Kami menguji kamu dengan kesusahan dan kesenangan sebagai cubaan; dan kepada Kamilah kamu semua akan dikembalikan." (Surah al-Anbiyaa': ayat 35)

“Setiap yang bernyawa itu pasti akan mengalami kematian.”(QS. Ali ‘Imran: 185)

Therefore, to all my family and friends, please forgive me..

If I have debts, I will try to repay them as much as possible, as long as I can remember....

If I failed to pay, I seek your forgiveness and may you release me from the obligation, and for that to The God Al-Mighty Allah SWT, I seek the forgiveness for you, and may he repay you many times over...

Be kind to my kids and family...

WIth that, I pray that I be happy in the companion and blessing of Allah. May I be forgiven and become a prayer and saviour to my family.

I am different, and will always be different. And that is as exactly as how Allah created me.

Astarghfirullah Hal'Azim
Alhamdulillah
AllahuRabbi Muhamaddan Nabiyyi
Aku bersaksi bahawa tiada tuhan melainkan Allah dan Nabi Muhammad itu pesuruh Allah.

Rumbling About - The question of why..

Today I have the opportunity of sending a family member to a public hospital.

He had been referred to a private GP clinic and confirmed with dengue, thus swiftly recommended for further case management and expected to be hospitalised. All in ... the process completed in less than 20 minutes despite having to wait for our turn, blood sampling work & a quick check on the stool or s'thing.

When we reach the hospital, we quickly went to the Fever Centre that swiftly 'escalate' us to the next room for further check-up.  The question is...we reach the 'Fever Centre' at 1:32pm. Now its 2:41pm. Since being escalated to the next room, nothing had happened.

Less than 4 patient had been managed since we walk into the next room.

At 2:42 according to the wall clock of the hospital, we were called in. And after 5 minutes of consultation we were escalated to ER for further tests.

The invaluable questions are:
a) what is the waiting time KPI

b) why does it take such a long time for the doctor to get to see the next waiting patient when the actual consultation duration is only about 5 minutes

c) Is there a proper and efficient duty handover process during personnel's shift transition period.

d) what kind of support is made available to doctors and patients in ensuring a smooth and swift case management and is it at the required 'quantity'

e) is there a 'culture' to swiftly resolve and escalate patient that is tagged starting from the entry point to the end.

From a simple perspective, a simple modified version of 5S methodology can be applied to resolve the issue. The original 5S is all about keeping the workplace clean, neat and organised. Make the patient as part of the items to be 5S...sort it, store it and bla bla. So that the patient
a) will not be a burden to the attending staff and doctor
b) can feel their needs and medical request is being managed efficiently
c) eliminate the source of complain to the hospital
d) can feel appreciated and thankful to the service consumed...

So that is my rumbling...for now..

New Ways...New Things

Salam,

Today when I read Harian Metro, I came across this :
http://www.hmetro.com.my/articles/Niatsuka-suka/Article/artikelMA on the front page.

I find it interesting. Her blog and You Tube Channel are as follows:
http://cikshidadariparitmimingartvideos.blogspot.com/
http://www.youtube.com/results?suggested_categories=24&search_query=channel+cik+shida%2C+channel

This is the result of the availability of new technology and media that brought new media and method in expressing one-self. And for that matter, new way of doing things.

And while Malaysia is at a stage of upgrading its internet backbone or maybe more like making better speed availability to the end users, we should be able to see more content to be made available from Malaysia once its fully ready and fully deployed. Rather than just be the net consumer in terms of online content, Malaysia may become more of the content creator as well.

And in achieving that, a cheaper "access point" will be most welcomed. Its almost a chicken and egg scenario. With cheaper + easier access to the Net, there should be higher penetration rate, thus better economies of scale for service providers.

Once its become a "lifestyle" the penetration rate is irreversible. It will stay and increased as the population grows thus it should be taken as a "guarantee" to the service providers; profit is guaranteed while fulfilling national responsibility at the same time.....

Imagine if the digital lifestyle is fully made available with wide range of accessibility from the home, while shopping, while waiting for the food to be served.

Imagine, how much informed decision can you make; you can browsed for a product review on the product that you're buying while "haggling" with the seller.

Imagine you can talk to your family members all the time, no matter where they are, with VOIP applications etc.

And I can only imagine the greatness of benefits from all of this.

And perhaps, you can trade your Forex, shares while ordering breakfast and lunch. The online service had been around for years, but the accessibility and tools to make use of these facilities had not been particularly "price friendly"

So how can we move forward?

Everyone must answer this question in the support of everyone...

Me ? I'm writing this from a tablet, while waiting to pray maghrib!!...at home....net access is via home wifi network... How could I wished for a cheaper Unifi and of course for a cheaper mobile tools.....duhh.

Imagine that you can have a video call with your kids when they are on 'Rehat time at school...wouldn't that be nice? And perhaps, the many kilos of textbook can be ASAP converted to digitals and education to bedelivered via cloud computing. No more missed books, incomplete homework, lost in transit messages...

Are we ready?



Adios for now.....

Rozaiman Ali

STRESS

Stress

By defination, what is a “stress”?
According to the Cambridge Dictionary - http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/stress_1 - is:
“great worry caused by a difficult situation, or something which causes this condition”

So, stress = woryy

Why do we worry?
Thinking outside the box, there’s nothing to worry.

In simple sense, life is all about managing change. It happens all the time, everytime.

What’s more important is the way on how do we want to accept the change. Especially changes that we didn’t like or not expected.

But then again, there is fate and effort.

The last “Rukun Iman” is Qada’ & Qadar. While there is nothing to worry, its is obliged that we must struggle hard to achieve things.

The process of that struggle is important.

But at the end of the day, it’s the acceptance that is the utmost important, regardless of the outcome. We are only human on this world. We are the servant to God.

If things turns out to be good, we must be thankful, insaf.

If things turns out to be bad, we must be thankful, insaf.

In goodness, be thankful for being blessed with the success.

In goodness, insaf – for being given the chance to savour, enjoy the sweetness of success, for being chosen to be better.

In failure, be thankful that its not worse than that, count other blessings that we have.

In failure, insaf – for being given the chance to savour, enjoy the bitterness of failure.

So what is the bottom line to all this – we the servant, has no strength, energy, clarity of anything. It’s all up to him. We worked, we spend and spent, but nothing belongs to us, nothing owed to us.

After all, can we create that ounce of air to breathe?

Can we create that 1 grain to eat?

None and never is the answer.

Thus, we pray and brings our heads down. If this is the things that I have to do, I’ll do it in the greatest honor of God. Good or bad, I’m the servant seeking the divine forginess.

Ya Allah Ya Tuhanku, kepadaMu aku tunduk dan patuh. Darimu aku datang, KepadaMu aku kembali. Tiadalah aku daya upaya. Aku sujud berserah.

Management – Operations Management

What is an “Operation”? According to the Cambridge Dictionary:

What is a “Management”? According to the Cambridge Dictionary:

So, what is “Operations Management”?

To my own understanding:
The art of managing, handling, planning preset targets, activities to achieve desired goals or activities


It’s actually the art of harmonizing multiple variable factors such as:
1. Financial status
2. Preset management goals
3. Available resources
4. Legal requirements
To achieve a certain set of returns/benefits out from the activities carried out.


For example, in running a successful operations management, the following key activities may be carried out.

1. Planning
2. Requirement understanding
3. Observations/Monitoring – take note of all the critical dates milestone – recruitment, licence applications, safety permits, recruitment etc
4. Management support – we must have this, if not whose going to praise us for the good work done ? He he....
5. Marriage of multiple skill sets
6. Execute and control

In detail, the following may actually be carried out in having a successful operations management in a given set of activity:

1. Evaluating and commenting on systems deployed:

• In many circumstances, this is one of the most important part that need to be observed in any operations. With a good understanding and grasp of this process you will have the following benefits:
• knowing your strength
• knowing your weaknesses
• knowing whether the system can deliver the needed "support"
• will help you to plan better in how best to merge the skills of the machine with the skills of the human
• In many circumstances, in the hurry of starting an operation, top management tend to overlook the criticality of spending time and may be more resources in understanding this requirement

2. Recruitment of personnel, with the consideration/assistance of:

• Budget setting
• Networking
• Planning
• Talent ID

3. Planning and setting of operational requirements:

• reporting structures
• creation of procedures
• Effective control of operations operational cost
• Creation of a clear budgetary function

4. Monitoring of key costs, which may be achieved via "Operations Optimisation", through:

• Manpower requirement analysis
• Resources requirement analysis
• System analysis

5. Establishment of an effective data and operational analysis for management’s consideration and consumption:for the benefit of:

• Providing clear understanding to top management on actual operational achievement and issue
• Gathering the necessary mandate on operational needs etc
• Creation and formulation of strategic planning

In summary, the key point in having a successful operations management are as follows:

1. Clear understanding of the needs and requirement
2. Clear understanding of relevant risk factors
3. Clear understanding of the difference in between “Being Effective” and “Being Efficient”

So, that’s it…. doesn't look too complicated isn't it ?



In the real world, many books had been written covering many of the areas/topics mentioned above.



Where are the books ? Here’s the link to few online bookstores:

• MPH Online
• Kinokuniya Online
• Amazon

Happy thinking and happy reading.




Cheers.....

EXCEL -Using “Names” in a Range(Cells)

Salam,

Kita sebenarnya boleh memberikan nama kepada “cells” atau satu kumpulan cells(range of cells) didalam Excel.

Dengan memberikan nama kepada cells atau range of cells, ianya nanti boleh digunakan bila kita merujuk kepadanya dibahagian yang lain.

Sebagai contoh:
1. Masukkan nilai 2000 pada Cell A1
2. Kita boleh namakan Cell A1 sebagai “TapakMula”
3. Pilih Cell B10
4. Masukkan formula “=TapakMula” pada Cell B10
5. Excel akan memberikan nilai 2000 pada Cell B10

Bagaimana nak menamakan sesuatu Cell?
1. Pilih Cell yang dikehendaki
2. Taipkan nama pilihan di”Name Box” dan tekan enter
3. Lokasi “Name Box” adalah seperti dibawah

Kelebihan terbesar menggunakan “Name Range” ini ialah bila kita hendak merujuk kepada data-data didalam formula bila kita mempunyai satu sheet yang besar dengan jumlah data yang banyak.

Formula yang ditaip sebagai sebagai “KadarBank*PinjamanRHB” adalah lebih bermakna berbanding dengan formula yang ditaip sebagai “D3*W25”

Demo video adalah seperti berikut:

That’s it……………

Excel

Salam,

EXCEL ... This is an interesting piece of software.

Dibuat oleh Uncle Microsoft, hasil perahan idea Abang Bill Gates etc.

Why did I say its interesting ?

Its interesting bcoz:

It can show you a quick page of lines across a screen..... ha ha ... not so terror la this one.

To the beginners:

• you can quickly have sheets with many self calculated totals i.e. autosum function

• its has many built-in functions that will speed-up your work
• you can set-up a quick What-Ifs scenarios of your various calculations and projections
• its useful for almost everybody - students, accountants lawyers

To the advance users:

• it can be programmed to create self styled tools to impress ........ your boss is a great candidate
• eliminate key-in error in that huge data compiling task that you're doing
• save time ..... you save time when you let the codes do it for you
• And down here is just a sample how I manipulate those codes to do the dirty work for me and saving my shoulder from that ache...
  

In the sample above, what I've coded is:

• Excel to open my data file from designated folders
• Extract data from the opened file
• put it into my pre-prepared template
• process the data
• and give me results

This is actually part of my month end routine, to process about 300 over files, and this can be completed in just about 3 to 5 minutes.

So, if you think this is something useful and great that you want to know more.... search for Excel VBA in your search engine.

The result page should be able to give you more insights to what it is all about.

For a start you may read these article .....
http://www.math.vu.nl/obp/edu/project-obp/VBA-intro.pdf

If you want to buy a book.... consider books from Mr Walkenbach...
http://spreadsheetpage.com/

There you have it. Pick that heavy butt from that lazy chair and learn something new today....


OK then.....

Study Skills

Dry topic ha? Yes I bet it is to most people….

We live too much on a diet of take it easy and to be entertained all the time.

And this is a selfish act, if we think about it “deep” enough.

In fact, anything that is done excessively may be considered selfish.

Why selfish? To my mind, if you overly doing something, you must have neglected something in the process…. Thus that is not a thoughtful thing to do right?

Back to the topic…. I cannot comment what others are doing or professing, but I personally sum it into these:
“You must know your own self” and match it against the needs"

Why must one know his own self in coming up with a good studying strategy? It is bcoz of these:

1. only you knows whether you’re a morning person, midnight oil man, afternoon man or whathever
2. only you should know what is the easiest way for you to absorb information
3. How steady is your mood swing
4. Do you need it to be ultra quiet … or doing it while blazing away the Ipod is the way?
5. Are you the solo man type? or are you the one who likes to do it in pairs/groups?
   

Build the strategy around these “needs/strengths” and weigh it against the needs.

What are the needs then … emmm… :
1. how far away is the exam
2. which subject is the worse and the best
3. how helpful is the lecturer
4. and some other things … think a bit la….

Those written above are potent strategies that can be adopted to marshal the way to your success, and all kinds of success actually.

If you don’t believe me, grab a book on “Sun Tzu The Art of War” and reflect it against your studying strategy.

1. Who is your enemy? – the books, material, the course
2. What is the strength/advantages?-reference material, teachers and friends
3. Time to attack – you know yourself la
4. What is the limitation? Time, resources…
5. The rest you may continue yourself…

That’s it. Simple isn’t it?

Well, I’m not clever. I’m just so happen to must have been "exposed" to the book earlier and got a good reflection by it and acted on it…well I have at least partially acted on it. If not I won’t be writing this blog, I write a book instead, and you have to pay to read it!!

So is the rest of the knowledge in this world… ha ha ha … but that’s another story.

OK, then ….

Me Going To Land In Planet 40 .....

Salam,

I'll reach that precious milestone, turning point soon.

Some people say, life begins at 40.

Others then say, if you don't change for the better by that mark, caveat emptor..... "sendiri mau ingat la".... or in other words .... you're reminded Bro....

With that I like to share this from the Holy Quran....

"Dan Kami wajibkan manusia berbuat baik kepada kedua ibu bapanya; ibunya telah mengandungnya dengan menanggung susah payah dan telah melahirkannya dengan menanggung susah payah. Sedang tempoh mengandungnya berserta dengan tempoh menceraikan susunya ialah dalam masa tiga puluh bulan. Setelah dia besar sampai ke peringkat dewasa yang sempurna kekuatannya dan sampai ke peringkat umur empat puluh tahun, berdoalah dia dengan berkata: Wahai Tuhanku, ilhamkanlah daku supaya tetap bersyukur akan nikmatmu yang engkau kurniakan kepadaku dan kepada ibu bapaku dan supaya aku tetap mengerjakan amal soleh yang Engkau redai; dan jadikanlah sifat-sifat kebaikan meresap masuk ke dalam jiwa zuriat keturunanku. Sesungguhnya aku bertaubat kepadamu dan sesungguhnya aku dari orang-orang Islam (yang tunduk patuh kepadamu)."
Qs.46:15 AL AHQAF Ayat 15

In English:

"And We have commended unto man kindness toward parents. His mother beareth him with reluctance, and bringeth him forth with reluctance, and the bearing of him and the weaning of him is thirty months, till, when he attaineth full strength and reacheth forty years, he saith: My Lord! Arouse me that I may give thanks for the favour wherewith Thou hast favoured me and my parents, and that I may do right acceptable unto Thee. And be gracious unto me in the matter of my seed. Lo! I have turned unto Thee repentant, and lo! I am of those who surrender (unto Thee)"

You can listen to the audio at Here ... select Sura/Chapter 46, Verse 15.

So, emmm ... to The Al-Mighty God, I surrender, La haula wala quwata illa billah.

Welcome....to my personal blog

Salam and Hi there,

I am a not so young yet so old male living in Klang Valley.

This will serve as my personal reflections and maybe a platform for me to share my thoughts, things I like, things I think I know etc.

Personally, I've accomplished these personal egos.....

1. I'm married, and i think she's quite happy with me....
   
2. I have 4 kids .... still struggling with this one.... hopefully in the end it turns out fine
3. I have a steady job -
   
4. I have debts - haaahhhh... some are productive debts, some are legacies from past "stupidity"

As a whole, I'll try to blog in both BM and English......

Lets fire away .....

18/2