Businesses shouldn't be locking down social networking as a matter of principle. They should be embracing it and squeezing every opportunity out of it on a case-by-case basis.

Written by Steven C. Pitcher

So what really is social networking?

"Social networking" is one of those buzzwords that can mean a lot of different things. Wikipedia, which is an online, collaboration-based encyclopedia (for those who aren't aware or perhaps need a reminder in light of this article), defines a social network as a social structure "made up of individuals (or organizations) called 'nodes,' which are tied (connected) by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige."

Advanced output management systems (OMSes) can be an efficient way for IT teams to satisfy changing user needs.

Written by Michel Gaertner

Editor's note: This article introduces the white paper "Getting the Most from Your SAP Production Reports," which is available for free download from the MC Press White Paper Center.

Within each SAP module, there are hundreds of predefined production reports. Many of these are not used or are under-used because they are not available in the desired format, are poorly formatted, and cannot be easily broken into smaller reports and delivered to the appropriate users automatically. Converting them into the appropriate format based on users' needs has traditionally required the time and skill of an advanced business application programming (ABAP) or SapScript programmer. Consistently evolving requirements due to ongoing changes in corporate needs often creates a bottleneck within IT departments. Skilled IT resources tend to be scarce, and report modification often gets overlooked.

Bay Area Hospital uses T.L. Ashford's Barcode400 to help ensure prescription accuracy.

Written by Thomas M. Stockwell

When patients check into a hospital, the last thing that should concern them is the efficiency and accuracy of the hospital's pharmacy. Yet, at some hospitals, what the doctor prescribes doesn't always get to the right patient. That's why Bay Area Hospital in Southern Oregon invested in a solution that reduces prescription errors and streamlines the collection of patient data. By automating the data collection processes at the time the prescription is delivered, Bay Area Hospital can verify that the correct medication is being administered to the appropriate patient. In other words, they are making certain the patient gets what the doctor ordered.