Archive for November, 2007

by David Done
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is a commonly quoted saying, but how many of us procrastinate taking actions we know would save us much headache? Making a home inventory of your home is one of those “ounces of prevention” every homeowner should insist upon doing.

Why should I take an inventory?

Imagine for a moment a tragedy you’ve heard about recently — hurricane damage, flooding, wildfires — and think about the damage done to the homes involved. We all consider important to install things like fire alarms and smoke detectors, and home owners insurance is a must, but have we considered all the money we’ve spent on the possessions inside our homes? Consider now what would happen if your home was destroyed.

Many of us assume our home owner’s insurance would cover all of our possessions, but this is where people are mistaken. An appraiser would have to take a guess — using averages — at the value of the contents of your home, should a catastrophic disaster happen to your home. From the charred remains, would you trust an appraiser to accurately estimate the value of your possessions? That’s why making a detailed list of your possessions is essential for protecting the money you’ve spent.

But it will take so much time…

It’s true: going through your house and making an accurate list of all your possessions would be a tedious task indeed. This is where home inventory software comes to the rescue. By simply taking digital photos of the rooms of your home and uploading them to your powerful home inventory software, you have an instantaneous record of the possessions of your home. Using the software you can easily detail the cost and value of each item in each room, saving yourself much time and effort. An average-sized home can be inventoried in a few hours. Then store a copy of the inventory with a trusted friend or in a safety deposit box.

But how do I keep the home software inventory up to date?

Keeping the software up to date is easy. Simply take time to add photos and update the inventory record as you buy new items or dispose of old ones. Make it a part of your routine, like monthly paying bills, changing your smoke detector batteries or bi-annual spring and fall deep cleaning.

Realize the monetary value of using home inventory software.

You already spend a lot of money on home owner’s insurance, but if you do not have proper documentation of the items you own, you have no assurance you will recover the money you have spent decorating and furnishing your home. Spending a small amount on versatile home inventory software will significantly increase the value of your homeowner’s insurance.

That sounds like a great idea! I’ll do it later…

Don’t procrastinate! Just like you wouldn’t let your homeowner’s insurance lapse, take advantage of the awareness you have right now. My Edge Software is a quick and easy solution to home inventory challenges. Simply go to My Edge Software, purchase and download the software right now, and schedule a time to take inventory of your possessions.

Learn More

My Edge Software - Making an inventory of your household with My Edge Home Inventory.

About Author

David Done works with DONE! SEO as a copy writer. You can reach him at DONE! SEO Services

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by Andrew Watson
Hard disk is a permanent storage device for storing electronic data on a magnetic surface. Hard disk was invented by Reynold Johnson which was capable of storing five million characters. Now-a-days hard disk capacity has increased tremendously with storage capacity of 1 Terabytes. As storage capacity has increased so chances of losing such a huge amount of data form the hard disk.

Hard disk failure can when there is a break down of the hard drive (termed as physical failure of the hard disk) and data stored on the disk cannot be accessed. There are various kind of failure which our hard disk suffer the most common is “Head Crash”. Head of the drive is an important component which is used to read and write the information from the hard disk. Head just moves over platter only at a distance of micrometer. Any sort of collision results in severe data loss. If we try to do the recovery by our own can result in further damage of the data.

There are numerous factors which causes hard disk failure. The most common are power
surges, voltage fluctuations, electronic malfunction, physical shock, wear and tear, corrosion, exposure to high magnetic waves, sharp impact, high temperature
exposure etc. Hard disk failure is increasing higher, as to increase the speed or read/write operation we are rotating the hard drive with great speed. If any thing goes wrong with the normal operation of hard disk causes severe damage.

There are several techniques used by data recovery experts to recover the data from the failed hard disk. It is done by moving the hard disk to working system. Hard disk is open to replace the parts like head of the drive, arm and chips and sometimes change of platter is also done to make it working such that data recovery can be done on failed hard disk.
Hard disk recovery requires clean and dust free environment such as Class 100 Clean Room

Apart from the physical failure of the drive, if our hard disk has suffered a logical crash then in this case data recovery software is helpful. Logical crash can be termed as inability to access the data from hard drive or data lost due to accidental format, viruses or software malfunction or even sabotage.

In case of recovery of data from severely damaged hard disk you should consult data Recovery Company for saving your important data which is trapped inside the failed hard disk.

Andrew Watson a student of Mass Communication doing research on data recovery software. He is also a freelancer for http://www.stellarinfo.com

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by SapSecurityconsultancy
An explanation of SAP GRC, and the benefits of using it for your company.

SAP GRC

Businesses all need to hold records, be it for their customers, staff, purchasing, selling and auditing purposes. Obviously this information needs to be highly secure as any breach of this can result in massive problems. SAP is a carefully configured system which will encompass all of your businesses needs. Once you have had a SAP system configured for your business you need to ensure that is it is secure and able to withstand both fraud and error. You may think that this is not a real risk, but it is. Every day your competitors will be trying new and different ways to get the data that you hold on your system and you need to protect against this. The security of your system can be tested and improved by using a SAP GRC company.

Such companies will work for you in order to discover any risks or breaches of security that you may have been totally unaware of. These unknown risks are the ones that can potentially have the worst impact on your business, so it is essential that you test the SAP security. SAP GRC (Governance, Risk and Compliance) is becoming commonplace for businesses that have a SAP system in place. It helps a business to identify, contain and address any SAP security risks that may be discovered. Sometimes a risk is discovered with the data that is held about employees and this is just as important as the information held about customers. As such data will contain bank and personal address and contact information. So obviously internal staff data should also be held as securely as other data and treated in the same way, and this is where the help of s SAP GRC is crucial.

When a SAP security test has been carried out the next step is for the SAP GRC company to assist you in resolving the problems with security. This can be done in different ways depending on what risks were found. If the risk was found to be within the actual system itself a specialist security team will be put onto the task and work to improve the system and prevent any further security breaches. Sometimes a risk can come from staff not adhering to security measures. This can be anything from not locking computers when away from workstations, sharing passwords or not shredding confidential material. If such a security problem is found to be down to staff then workshops can be created in order to highlight these problems to staff. Or in some cases additional training is needed to show staff the importance of complying with these security measures. Compliance is a highly problematic area for some businesses as many staff do not fully realise the implications of not being security aware at all times. However by investing in the services of a security specialist you will be able to make sure that your SAP GRC is up to speed and that all your staff are complying with the standards that you expect.

By using the services of a SAP security company you know that you are getting the very best testing, advice and solutions all in one package. Why take unnecessary risks with the data that your business holds — which after all is the key to a businesses success, when you can have security risks tested and problems solved? Too many businesses believe that their methods and practices are the best and that there are no security risks. This is the wrong attitude to have in business as it can lead to costly mistakes and huge security risks. SAP GRC will make sure that your company is not losing vital data to competitors by rooting out any problems and coming up with solutions to them, no matter how big or small.

In short using SAP GRC will mean that you identify risks using industry standards, this will then lead to a tailor made solution for you and ongoing training and support to make sure that these changes are complied with. Remember using Governance, Risk and Compliance could be the best decision you make for the security of your company.

Cathy Mc Leod is a senior SAP Security Consultant with SU53 Solutions specialising in SAP Security and SAP GRC (Governance Risk and Compliance).

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by James Walsh
Internal hard drives have more space than ever before. But obviously, we cannot keep pulling it out of our computer and taking it around with us when we travel. Nor can we insert it into anybody’s computer each time we want to share something. A laptop is still not affordable for all and not suited for all situations. The portable hard drive has come up as the answer to such needs. The external hard disk is a plug and play device — just like the tiny USB drive — but with all the advantages of being a complete hard drive by itself. It is now possible to carry around 1 Terabyte of data in a small packet.

The Advantages of External Hard Drives

Let us first weigh the points in favour of external hard disks.

• The first advantage is space — and this alone can be its winning streak. The portable hard drive is as good as the old desk top at home when it comes to storage space. For those who have to move around frequently with their data, have the laptop already, and still need more space, this is the answer to prayers.
• Its sheer ease of use is a boon that cannot be discounted. The rise in the demand for easy sharing of music and video files has been particularly facilitated by this gadget. Media files are huge in size when compared to data, and require both more storage space and good reproduction quality. If the DVD was an improvement on the CD in this regard, the portable hard disk is a great leap forward. It is definitely more secure than online sharing as well.
• Security, in fact, is a major advantage offered by the external drive. After all, it is sitting on the table physically outside the computer case. It can be disconnected at even a hint of an impending hardware failure. It can be scanned for virus prior to being plugged in, and disconnected immediately at the slightest warning. What is the use of creating a backup if that is going to be virus infested as well? The external hard disk has solved this problem. Our favourite songs and video clips can be downloaded from the net, scanned and then saved on the external hard drive in a ‘clean’ condition.
• Manufacturers of portable hard drives are competing with each other to make it more attractive. Some of them come with built-in antivirus, firewall and other security utilities. We can buy external hard disks with an OS already loaded, making it as actually like an independent computer by itself. Besides, there is a whole software package that comes with it, along with backup provisions so that automatic copies are created each time we work on a file.

The Disadvantages of External Hard Drives

There are some disadvantages too, but hopefully they can be remedied to a degree with time.

• The first hurdle is, of course, the price of the hard disks. The external hard drive is more costly than even USB drives. This issue will be solved only when larger scale of mass production starts off after the product has gained enough popularity in the market.
• Size is a factor for portable devices. A pen drive is, after all, tiny, light, and very convenient.

Data Loss from External Hard Drives

The easiest way to lose data from a portable storage media is by losing the device itself. Given below are some of the ways in which data can be lost from external disks.

• We are always open to data loss at any given point of time. A thunderbolt will not announce itself before striking our rooftop and sucking the data away. Yet, very few people give importance to creating a logical partition for automatic backup within their external drive. This is as important as the recovery disk of a laptop.
• Regular virus scans and updating of the given software is very important. The built-in software will get deactivated unless the registration is renewed within a given period of time.
• Like all other devices, the external hard disk is also susceptible to fire, water, heat, humidity, dust, shock, electric discharge and direct sunlight.
• We must be very careful while removing the hard drive. If we pull it out with the programme still running, we can’t blame anyone else for the data that will disappear.

James Walsh is a freelance writer and copy editor. If you are concerned about data loss and would like more information on Data Recovery see http://www.fields-data-recovery.co.uk

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by Ken Wilson
The general purpose of the world is to move on and do bigger and better things. While technology expands at an alarming rate, our children may find it a little difficult to keep up the pace. There are a large number of homes that have a computer and the children are starting to get familiar with them from an early age. The best thing we can do is support them.

Owning a computer does not imply just turning it on and off every once in a while. To make a computer useful you need to have software to run on that particular PC. Microsoft is the first name that comes to mind when it comes to computer software, but there are other names that can be reminded as well, like Macintosh, which have their own operating systems.

Even though you may have an operating system running on your computer, you need to have other applications as well. Children love video games, which are a lot of fun and some of them even have an educational benefit. There is also software available for educational purposes like teaching your child math, history or other disciplines like that. But what about when your child has grown and his or her needs have developed?

You can choose academic software to aid your child’s learning process. Academic software involves lots of interesting things like editing documents, pictures, even designing a website with a much more user friendly interface.

All over the internet you can find documents which pose interest to you. Each of those documents has been created using academic software as the ones mentioned afore. A popular name in this area is Adobe, which has contributed to software development since 1982.

Let’s say a few words about the company that develops Adobe academic software. The founders of the company are John Warnock and Charles Geschke. They left Xerox PARC to found the company which bears the name of a creek that ran behind the house of one of them.

The history of the company has a lot of interesting events along its path. In 1999, the acquisition of GoLive Systems marked the release of the software called Adobe GoLive, academic software which consisted of a HTML editor that also served the purpose of an application for managing websites.

In 2003, another important acquisition was made that contributed to the Adobe academic software developments. This year marked the release of Adobe Audition, which represents a computer program that serves as a digital audio editor.

The year 2005 is very important for this company. Macromedia, a former rival company, was acquired and it represented a major step in the development of Adobe academic software. Lots of the applications developed by Macromedia, as well as others developed by Adobe, are now included in one big package called Adobe Creative Suite.

The Adobe academic software package mentioned afore can be found in different combinations, also named editions, each of them meant to satisfy the specific needs of a user. If you are interested in purchasing any edition of this software, please visit genesis-technologies.com.

While we struggle to better our skills on a computer, a helping hand can’t hurt. Academic software is meant to serve just that purpose. One of the leading companies in this area has been developing new ways to help users around the world and, because of this, your educational process has a new and better starting point: Adobe academic software.

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by SapSecurityconsultancy
A short piece taking a look at the various ways in which using SAP security can help a business.

SAP or Systems, Applications, Products in Data Processing is an application that is being used in more and more businesses all over the world. It can used to create orders, build product and customer databases, handle employee information such as wages, holiday entitlements and sickness absence and much more. In fact SAP is the all round business solution that is the smart choice for any thriving business. SAP is created for each business that requires it and as a result all systems are different, but all have one thing in common, they all use SAP security solutions.

Why Use SAP Security?

SAP security is purpose built for each and every client, but it is made with one thing in mind, and that is to provide the most up to date, secure SAP system possible. Today security threats for businesses have never been greater. From the risk of attack from viruses and hackers to fraud and theft all businesses need to implement SAP security to protect themselves.

Once a SAP system has been implemented in a business, that business can then request a SAP security review. The SAP security review will be carried out by an individual or team of SAP security experts. The SAP security review will look at all threats both real and potential and then report these back to the business. These found SAP security threats can be a shock to a business who had previously thought that their SAP security was fine. Once these threats have been determined the next steps is to come up with SAP solutions to the SAP security threats. This will also be done by SAP security experts. There are three main ways in which these SAP security threats can be addressed –

1. People — these are the employees of the business who use SAP technologies. If a SAP security threat is found that is due to the employees not following certain SAP security procedures then the SAP experts will put together an easy to follow training program which will increase staff awareness in SAP security and help to further protect the systems. The SAP security threat posed by staff simply not adhering to SAP security measures by sharing passwords and leaving computers unlocked when not at their desks is astounding. And sometimes a SAP security review can highlight this in such a way that staff can clearly see what implications their lax SAP security and start to improve their working methods. Staff sometimes unwittingly put systems at risk from not being as SAP security aware as they could be, and using SAP training for your staff can bring about a change in SAP security measures.
2. Processes — this is of key importance in order to analyise business processes and highlight any SAP security threats which are found. This kind of risk assessment is crucial in determining future risks and ensuring compliance with SAP security measures. The SAP security consulting and support services can help to create methods that ensure that all business processes and systems are secure and pose no risk to SAP security.
3. Technology — every single SAP systems are created and designed with high levels of SAP security in mind. The SAP NetWeaver platform is used which helps to create a highly secure system that has a strong foundation. As SAP is designed using stringent security standards you can be assured that the system you are using has been built with SAP security at it’s base. This makes for a more secure system that has increased SAP security as standard.

Added Security

It is also worth noting that every SAP security expert and developer is trained to a high standard in security issues. And when testing SAP systems for any security risks you can be assured that risks will be identified and then solutions for them will be presented. Such risks could take the form of the potential risk from hackers or identity theft from systems both of which can be identified and solved using SAP security solutions. Whatever security risks are found there will be a solution for it, or one that can be developed for your business.

If SAP security is a concern for your business you need to have a SAP security review undertaken as soon as possible. That way you can find out if your SAP system has any security risks. And if there are found the SAP security experts can work with your business to develop new methods and systems to minimize SAP security risks. Anyone in business who uses SAP really should get a SAP security review performed. At the best the SAP experts will find little wrong with your SAP security, at worst they will uncover a SAP security risk. Either way the SAP security of your business should be reviewed to make sure that you are running SAP systems which are secure and safe.

Cathy Mc Leod is a senior SAP SecurityConsultant with SU53 Solutions specialising in SAP Security and SAPGRC (Governance Risk and Compliance).

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by Phil21
What can you or your company that is developing software do, if you want to sell your software online. There is a factor of luck, but there is also one thing, between many of things, that can be done and that is to submit software to online software directories. Online software directories are a kind of libraries that holds collection of software and are usualy organized in categories and subcategories, for better review.

In this time when more and more companies are developing software and the internet market is filled with all sorts of different software, the race to sell more products on internet is bigger then ever.

So, on more software directories, that you submit your software, the more people are likely to see this software and the greater chance is that more people will actually buy this software. It is also usefull, for another thing. When your software gets approved, this software directories will link back to your site. In result you will have a better site popularity, also known as page rank. The final result could be even more sales or downloads from your page.

This software sites also offers advertising for software. Advertising could be a banner on main site of software directory, a software boxshot with description and links to download or buy software and a lot of other options. That means, that some software doesn’t dissapear between hundreds of similar ones, but stays visible in front of others for payed ammount of time.

Phil Geford is an expertise on online software marketing and suggests the following site to submit software.

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by Valentina Vasquez
As time passes by, Information Technology continues to become more important for organizations of all sizes; facilitating growth and expansion locally and all throughout the world. IT allows for employee and staff productivity - in or remotely while out of the office - to increase at an all time rate. Unfortunately, as businesses embrace IT for its plentiful pros, it also draws concerns that can cause a number of issues that, if let unattended, can hinder the efficiency of an organization. Living in the “break-fix” model has left small to medium sized businesses (SMBs) undermanned and large corporations discouraged at the sight of their IT staff having to spend their time putting out fires, instead of performing the daily tasks that their job requires.

Gartner, a technology research and analysis group based in Stamford, Connecticut, has found that the majority of IT departments spend more than 80% of their time reacting to problems that arise in a day-to-day basis, while putting their key duties on hold. The reason for this is that most of the previously mentioned IT issues are caused by human error - as projected by Yankee Group. In an effort to excel among the thriving competition, several managed service providers (MSPs) have aimed to out-task these recurring problems, allowing the end user to concentrate on the heart of their business. At the same time, MSPs must keep in mind that the service desk function they apply must also be effective and lucrative.

Businesses are faced with other options such as Network/System Management platforms (NMS); however, these do not necessarily fit the bill. NMS software solutions require significant and constant manual effort - without automation, problem resolution is time consuming and costly. NSM platforms such as HP’s OpenView and IBM’s NetView have made their services too difficult to deploy for large corporations, and overly expensive for the majority of SMBs out there. At the same time, legacy applications such as Siebel and SAP also make full deployment too complex. At the end of the day, traditional NSM platforms have not been successful at addressing the issues that haunt all-size organizations.

Searching for ways to develop IT operations that are more efficient, reliable and cost effective continues to become essential for the vitality of both SMBs and large corporations. In today’s fast paced world, improving a business’ operating efficiencies is critical if the business wants to position itself higher than the rising competition. For a number of organizations, the only way to achieve this goal is to strengthen their in-house IT resources and skills by utilizing the right software and training tactics. On the other hand, some organizations might find it closer to their business model to out-source the service desk to an expert provider, focusing their energy on completing the company’s core objectives.

Kaseya’s technology has been deployed on over one million machines in 25 countries around the world. Kaseya allows businesses to proactively manage their distributed IT infrastructure easily and efficiently with one integrated web-based platfor

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by Paul Walsh
An Ethical Hacker is an expert hired by a company to attempt to attack their network and computer system the same way a hacker would. Ethical Hackers use the same techniques and tactics as those used by illegal hackers to breach corporate security systems. The end result is the company’s ability to prevent an intrusion before it ever occurs.

A company can’t know if their security system is solid unless they test it. It’s hard, though, for a company’s IT team to thoroughly ring out the system. Try as they might, the techs can’t go at the system with all the malicious or mischievous motives of a true illegal hacker. To thoroughly uncover vulnerabilities, the theory goes; you must examine your security system through the eyes of an illegal hacker.

The word hacking has strongly negative connotations, and, for the most part, rightly so. But ethical hacking is much different. It takes place with the explicit permission of the company whose system is being attacked. In fact, their “good guy” role is underscored by the nickname “white hat” Ethical Hackers have been given. The nickname is a throwback to old Westerns where the good cowboys could be identified by their white hats.

The company and the Ethical Hacker enter into a legally binding contract. The contract, sometimes called a “get out of jail free card,” sets forth the parameters of the testing. It’s called the “get out of jail free card” because it’s what harbors the Ethical Hacker from prosecution. Hacking is a felony, and a serious one at that. The terms of the agreement are what transform illegal behavior into a legal and legitimate occupation.

Once the hacker has exhausted his attempts, he reports back to the company with a list of the vulnerabilities he uncovered. The list in and of itself, however, is not particularly useful. What’s most valuable is the instructions for eliminating the vulnerabilities that the Ethical Hacker provides.

An Ethical Hacker works to uncover three key pieces of information. First, he determines what information an illegal hacker can gain access to. Next, he explores what an illegal hacker could do with that information once gained. Last, the Ethical Hacker ascertains whether an employee or staff member would be alerted to the break-in, successful or not.

At first it might sound strange that a company would pay someone to try to break into their system. Ethical hacking, though, makes a lot of sense, and it is a concept companies have been employing for years. To test the effectiveness and quality of product, we subject it to the worst case scenario. The safety testing performed by car manufacturers is a good example. Current regulatory requirements including HIPAA, Sarbanes Oxley, and SB-1386 and BS 799 require a trusted third party to check that systems are secure.

In order to get the most out of the assessment, a company should decide in advance the nature of the vulnerabilities they’re most concerned with. Specifically, the company should determine which information they want to keep protected and what they’re concerned would happen if the information was retrieved by an illegal hacker.

Companies should thoroughly assess the qualifications and background of any Ethical Hacker they are considering hiring. This individual will be privy to highly sensitive information. Total honesty and integrity is of the utmost importance.

Paul Walshwww.protocolsolutions.co.uk

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by Marci
Americans are familiar with the concept of waste. Since grade school their brains have likely pondered (only for brief moments of course) statements that may resemble the following:

• Americans waste 10 times more biodegradable material than do the Japanese.
• Americans waste 20 times more (per capita) non-biodegradable material than do per capita units within the U.K.,
• Etc., etc.

Regardless of whether or not these statements are true, the concept of waste is a familiar one in the U.S. However, waste, like most problems, is a controllable issue and one that is changing rapidly in the face of emerging technologies.

Life Science Companies and Waste

Regulated life science companies are one of the key industries that stand to reduce vast amounts of paper waste with the help of electronic systems (i.e. computers and software). Why? Because regulations (FDA, ISO, CLIA, SOX, etc.) and efficient quality control systems require increasingly large amounts of documentation, which unfortunately is often routed and approved by life science companies in hard-copy form. The FDA however in regulation 21 CFR Part 11 states [statement paraphrased] that electronic signatures and approvals can now be considered as equally valid to those on hard copy paper work, which for life science companies, means that paper work can (and should) be digitally remastered, not only to prevent vast amounts of waste but to save valuable man hours as well.

Search for Change Control Software

When searching for a change control software solution there are many factors to consider. As a life science or high-tech representative, you may choose to consider the following aspects when contemplating the purchase of a potential change control software solution:

1) Web-Based Functionality

When searching for a change control software solution, consider a web-based solution. A web-based solution allows in-house employees to access the change control system from virtually anywhere and also allows 3rd parties (such as suppliers) to access the system as well when approved.

2) Connectivity

Change control is not a “lone entity” process. In fact, change control is closely related to other quality control processes such as CAPA (Corrective and Preventative Action), nonconformance management, deviations management, customer complaints handling, audits, training, etc. For best results, look for a solution that can be integrated with additional (and essential) quality control solutions.

3) Forms Control

Since forms, or documentation, are the lifeblood of the change control process, it is essential that forms be controlled from start to finish. Look for a solution that tracks forms electronically from start to finish.

4) Forms with Priority Levels

In addition to electronic forms management, search for forms that automatically identify priority levels for change control tasks (i.e. a task that can wait vs. an emergency).

5) Centralized Archive

Search for a change control solution that provides a centralized archive for electronic forms. A centralized archive makes forms easier to locate and retrieve.

6) Accountability Features

A problem among many manual change control processes is a lack of easily searchable who, what, when, where, and why documentation. Make sure to shop for a change control solution that includes accountability and easy-search features. For example, when an approved user makes a change to an electronic change control form, there should be a form field that requires user justification. The tracking features and centralized archive will also ensure that the whos, whats, whens and whys are never a hidden secret.

Conclusion

Decrease the waste that is so prevalent within the life science industry by investing in change control software and additional quality control solutions.

Marci Crane is a copywriter for MasterControl in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information regarding a change control solution, please feel free to contact a MasterControl representative.

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