Accounting, Financial, Taxation

Traditionally, the credit approval process is reactive; that is, a sales order arrives and the credit department evaluates credit worthiness of the customer. The credit process can be classified in three phases:

1. Assessing quantum of and collecting information about the customer
2. Evaluating the information
3. Deciding credit worthiness of the customer

Credit approval decisions encompass trade credit, consumer credit or equipment financing. The time and expense involved in credit decisions depends on whether the customer is new or established, availability of current information, whether an order is above or below the credit limit, algorithms applied to evaluate the credit worthiness of the customer, and other factors deemed important by the credit manager. This approach has worked fairly well in established traditional commerce.

However, in the new e-environment, this approach can be costly, delay credit approval and cause inconsistency in decision-making, and result in lost sales or un-collectibles. Now, incoming orders are automated, 24/7 and customers are geographically scattered. This environment forces corporations to respond to routine and non-routine credit approvals in real time. The traditional credit approval process may become a bottleneck in the revenue-generation process, since alternate suppliers are only a click away.

Historically, corporations have attempted a variety of techniques to accelerate the credit approval process; for example, reengineering, automation and artificial intelligence techniques. Internet resources provide other options to manage the credit approval process. Internet-based resources and services can be used to collect information on the customer, can provide standard and customized decision mechanisms, or can be used to automate the entire credit approval process.

The Internet has numerous resources to collect general information regarding new or prospective customers. The illustrative list of resources is provided in below exhibit.

Note: The above lists merely give some examples, but are not meant to be an exhaustive list of either resources or services. Additionally, nature of the services provided changes rapidly.

The resources listed provide the following types of information:

1. Financials, standard filings.
2. Address of the company, incorporation information, product lines and top management information
3. Current and historical stock quotes and movements
4. News and current events such as mergers, acquisitions, new products and new personnel
5. Industry and sector news

These services provide a good starting point in the credit approval process. Costs vary based on the brand name of the service, depth of the information desired and extent of the required information. However, information concerning small businesses or international businesses can be hard to obtain.

Specific information regarding the customer can also be obtained using the resources listed in below. These Web-based companies collect information from various sources and compile a comprehensive information portfolio. Available information is as follows:

1. Name, address and contact information
2. History of the business
3. Financials, financial summary, key financial indicators and graphics
4. Credit lines
5. Credit score based on proprietary models
6. Telephone, fax and Web address
7. Names and information of the top managers
8. Lines of business, product lines and Standard Industry Codes (SIC)
9. Public filings concerning tax liens, judgments and liens, and UCC filings
10. Competitors
11. Country risk analysis

The information provided is quite comprehensive and, according to vendors, updated constantly. These services are cost effective even for ad-hoc queries and accessible by a browser; search and retrieval of this information is available in real time.

For example: prices can vary from $X per query to thousands of dollars for an annual contract. Information on small businesses, privately held businesses and international businesses is also available. The disadvantages of these services are difficulty in verifying accuracy and integrity of the information, continuing need for cost-benefit analysis and stability of the service.

Internet-based services also provide tools to aggregate the information to derive credit rankings. Illustrative sites that provide these tools are shown in below exhibit.

The risk assessment tools use proprietary algorithms but also allow customization based on criteria specified by the customer.

For example: a vendor can tailor the program to a specific company’s needs, design rules and criteria based on that company’s input, offer standardized decision engines, interpret results and push the results to the credit manager’s desktop. The decision engines employ a variety of algorithms; for example, advanced statistical methods, expert systems and artificial intelligence techniques. The users need not understand technical intricacies of the program, but should have a general understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of various algorithms. The outputs of the system can include a credit risk score, comparison of risk level of the business with other businesses, background information regarding the business and other items specified by the user. These services can be tailored to small businesses, international businesses or large businesses.

The primary advantages of these decision tools are: minimized manual intervention, reduced cycle time for decisions, consistency in credit policy enforcement and reduced operating costs. However, the tool needs to be chosen carefully, and there are upfront and recurring costs, such as software and hardware investment, programming and validating the tool, continuing maintenance or monthly payments to Web-based services.

The traditional, off-line credit grantors will benefit from the resources listed so far. However, in the case of Web orders, the credit decision must be delivered in minutes or seconds. This calls for automation of the entire credit approval process. The credit approval decision can be completed in a matter of minutes. Web-based services that provide such support are listed in blow exhibit.

The process flow can be described as follows:

1. Business installs the automated credit decision-making system. The system needs to be integrated with a legacy accounting or ERP system, connected with approved credit bureaus, able to access designated public information sources and be embedded with the required decision expertise.
2. Customer information is forwarded to the credit system once the sales order arrives. The credit system pools data from the accounting system, credit bureaus and public information sources.
3. The collected information is filtered through the decision engine to arrive at a credit score and the consequent decision. The decision engine is provided by the vendor and is generally customized by the business.
4. If the decision is yes, then the system can generate the necessary documentation or can forward the decision to the approved personnel or machine.
5. Exceptions are handled on basis of the rules programmed in the system.

The costs and successes of such services are based on a variety of factors; for example, transaction volume; difficulty in integrating a credit system with accounting systems; types and number of credit bureaus used; and intangible costs, such as process redesign or reengineering, and resistance from the credit personnel, among other things.

A number of factors should be considered before using the Internet. An illustrative list follows:

1. The speed with which credit needs to be approved.
2. The frequency of routine vs. non-routine (such as exceptions, high-dollar value items or risky customers) credit approval decisions. The higher the frequency of non-routine decisions, the lesser the use of the credit approval system.
3. Accuracy and integrity of the information available on the vendor’s Web site.
4. The decision tool should be evaluated for accuracy, customization capabilities, expertise and training required for using the tool, updating routines and data import/export capabilities.
5. Ability of the automated service to integrate with existing legacy or ERP systems.
6. Relative costs involved in in-house vs. outsourced credit approval decision. For example, costs saved — such as redeployment of credit personnel, no investment in software and hardware, no recurring maintenance expense; against costs incurred — such as lost expertise, treatment of exceptional cases, monthly payments, cost of dedicated connections and stability of the service provider.

The Internet has opened new ways to approach credit approvals. The Internet-based resources can speed up the credit approval process and support various degrees of automation. Various levels of services are offered by such Internet-based companies. Acquiring information about the customers from proprietary and public databases, feeding customer information into decision tools available on the Web or customizing the entire credit approval process; whatever the requirement, the Internet can be profitably leveraged to improve the credit approval process.

Every day we trust our sensitive financial and accounting files to computers. If you share your PC with coworkers or your computer is always connected to a network or the Internet, your files might be under the threat of being revealed. Having password protected files is simply too easy for irresponsible person to decrypt and steal your data of file. Nasty hackers have double skill and passion to screw your data.

With a password protected folder does not meant that they (hackers) will not be able to steal your data, but it will at least make hackers work harder If you agree with me and want to lock your folder with password, try “My Lockbox”. My Lockbox is a no-cost-security-software enabling you to password protect any folder on your computer. The protected folder (lockbox) is hidden from any user and application of your system and also from the net.

Feature:

1. Almost any folder on your computer can be password protected.
2. Instant protection - no file scrambling or moving to another place.
3. Lockbox folder is inaccessible even by the system administrators.
4. Lockbox folder is inaccessible both locally and remotely.
5. Lockbox folder can be protected in Windows safe mode.
6. Windows XP x64 support.
7. Hotkeys support - you can popup Control Panel with a simple keystroke.
8. Skinned user interface.
9. At no cost (f.ree)

System Requirement: Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista

Download || 1.26 Mb

For detail instruction on how to install, how to set-up the fisrt time, enabling and disabling protection of folder passwording, you can read it | here |.

Kasus pencurian data (Data Theft) semakin marak terjadi. Jika data yang dipindahkan hanya MP3, mungkin tidak masalah. Bagaimana jika yang dipindahkan adalah data-data accounting dan keuangan yang begitu penting dan sensitive? Tidak bisa dibayangkan!. USB Technology sungguh fenomenal, begitu tinggi effesiensi yang ditimbulkannya. Dahulu memindahkan data ke external storage itu tidak mudah, hanya orang-orang technicion yang tahu. Dengan adanya USB port di computer, memindahkan data menjadi begitu mudah, plug external data storage anda (flash disk, HDD external, Ipod, MP3 player, name it), data bisa berpindah dalam hitungan menit bahkan detik.

Namun demikian, typically seperti benda-benda duniawi lainnya, semua ada baik dan buruknya. USB port bisa menjadi potensi masalah. Ada beberapa potensi masalah yang paling major ditimbulkan, antara lain:

1. Masuknya virus dan miliceous berbahaya lainnya: Melalui external data storage yang di plug ke USB Port, virus dan milicieous berbahaya lainnya bisa berpindah dan masuk ke komputer dalam hitungan minutes.
2. Pencurian data: external data storage beragam macamnya, mulai dari yang besar hingga piranti yang paling kecil (flash disk). Flashdisk adalah yang paling sering dipakai, karena ukurannya yang begitu kecil. Tidak mudah kelihatan ketika pencurian data dilakukan. Diam-diam membawa flashdik, lalu ditancapkan di USB port, data berpindah ke flashdisk pencuri dalam hitungan menit. Memindahkan data ke flashdik begitu mudah, office boy pun bisa melakukannya.

Kali ini saya akan berbagi tips, sekaligus bagi “free tools” untuk mencegah pencurian data melalui USB Port.

Pencegahan dapat dilakukan dengan cara me-non-aktif-kan fungsi USB Port pada computer tertentu (yang anda curigai sebagai tempat pencurian data).

Caution!

Cara yang akan saya beritahukan ini, sebenarnya mudah, tetapi memerlukan ke-akuratan. Lakukan cara ini hanya jika anda merasa yakin tindakan ini memang diperlukan, dan anda yakin bisa mengikutinya. Jika anda tidak yakin, sebaiknya jangan dilakukan. Karena yang akan dilakukan adalah memodifikasi setting registery, sebaiknya back-up dahulu registery anda (jika belum tahu cara melakukan backup registery, baca di sini (how to back up and restore the registery in windows).

Berikut adalah langkah-langkahnya:

Okay, saya asumsikan USB driver telah terinstal di computer yang akan di disable (sehingga untuk saat ini USB port berfungsi).

 Step-step berikut ini akan membuat USB port tidak berfungsi (sampai and amengembalikannya ke setting aslinya). Tepatnya dengan melakukan editing sederhana di registery computer anda: Set “Start value” di registery key berikut ini ke angka 4: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\UsbStor

Jika sudah anda lakukan, maka USB storage tidak akan berfungsi ketika user (pencuri) menancapkan device-nya ke computer yang telah anda setting.

Untuk mengubah “Start Value” lakukan langkah-langkah berikut ini:

1. Click “Start”, lalu click “Run”.
2. Pada box yang terbuka, ketik “regedit” (tanpa tanda kutip), lalu click okay (atau enter).
3. Maka akan keluar jendela ”Registery Editor” seperti gambar di atas.
4. Temukan folder dan file berikut ini: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\UsbStor
5. Pada panel di sebelah kanan, double-click “Start”.
6. Pada field value di box yang keluar ketik angka 4, click Hexadecimal (jika ini belum terpilih), lalu click OK.
7. Keluar dari “Registry Editor”.

Agak rumit? Tidak yakin bisa melakukannya?

Jangan khawatir, sekarang saya berikan satu free tool, yang bisa menggantikan semua langkah manual di atas. Nama toolnya adalah: USB Copy Notify v1.3.3

Setelah anda instalasi USB Copy Notify v1.3.3, maka anda akan bisa:

1. Memperoleh pemberitahuan dengan segera di desktop komputer anda begitu ada external device (USB Devices monitored, USB Flash/Pen Drives, USB Memory Sticks, USB Card Readers, Mobile Phones, Digital Cameras, iPODs via USB, External USB Hard Disks, External USB CD Drives).
2. 
3. Melakukan log ke semua catatan log detail atas penggunaan semua USB di network kantor anda.
4. Menerima e-mail yang berisi data penggunaan semua USB device di network kantor anda.
5. Memblok penggunaan USB pada computer tertentu yang anda inginkan saja.
6. Melakukan control mengenai metode bloking dengan cara remotely.

Supported Operating Systems:

Windows XP SP2 ( 32 bit & 64 bit)
Windows Vista ( 32 bit & 64 bit)
Windows 2003

Disamping USB Copy Notify v1.3.3, paket yang akan anda download ini juga berisi utility-utility terkait dengan fungsi USB berikut ini:

* USB to Ethernet Connector v2.4
* USB Copy Notify v1.3.3
* USB Safely Remove v.3.31.617
* Password Protect USB v3.6.2
* USB Smart Samsung Tool v1.12
* ID USB Lock Key v1.2.2
* USB Tolls info / Contents

Instal utility yang anda butuhkan, buka masing-masing foldernya, lalu baca file “read me.txt” nya, disana berisi short description termasuk petunjuk penggunaan masing-masing tool ini. Cukup, bukan?

Tools ini dapat didownload di sini: [[Download]]
Password: “www.maxgrab.org” (tanpa tanda kutip)

Download, buka folder masing-masing utility ini, un-pack (unzip), baca file “read me.txt”, lalu instal utility yang anda inginkan (USB Copy Notify v1.3.3 atau yang lainnya juga, terserah anda).