Controls Books

Un bilancio ordinato è lo strumento fondamento per consolidare la stabilità dello Stato, nell`osservanza dei principi dell'«economia, eficiencia y efectividad» le tre «E», secondo l'Autore basilari per una amministrazione pubblica corretta e dedicata al bene deì Paese.

Con un'ampia indagine (oltre cinquanta collaboratori e duecento interviste!) sono poste a raffronto le esperienze di paesi industrializzati che hanno saputo darsi una metodologia corretta (Stati Uniti, Canada, Regno Unito, Svezia, Australia, Nuova Zelanda e Spagna) con quelle dei principali paesi latino americani (Argentina, Brasile, Cile, Colombia, Messico, Venezuela) che nell'ultimo decennio si sono mossi verso una corretta direzione.

Che cosa si vorrebbe ottenere: I'ideale cérto sarebbe, per ciascun componente la collettività, il migliore apporto dell'intervento pubblico con il minore sacrificio. Ma si scatenano forze spesso contrastanti, costituite dagli elettori, dai politici, dai «gruppi di interesse» e dalla burocrazia.

Gli elettori danno il voto nella speranza di ottenere servizi in quantità e qualità tali da soddisfare le loro aspirazioni. I politici «comprano» i voti mediante promesse avanzate durante la campagna elettorale e la loro credibilità dipende dall'adempimento delle promesse. I gruppi di interessi danno il loro appoggio, di solito di natura economica, ai politici disponibili ad influire per l'approvazione di leggi e regolamenti che soddisfano le loro esigenze particolari. Infine la burocrazia generalmente ha come obiettivo quello di mantenere il potere e il posto di lavoro.

Il bilancio dovrebbe contemperare i vari interessi ed è per questo che la sua formazione e il controllo sono essenziali per la vita ed il progresso dello Stato, ma sempre all'insegna della «economia, eficiencia y efectividad», non raggiungibile nel caso di prevalenza di una delle forze contrastanti.

L'autore analizza la normativa che sovrainltende la formazione del bilancio, con indagine approfondita Stato per Stato, elaborando anche tavole sinottiche relative alle varie fasi. sia per quanto concerne la tempistica che il contenuto.

Assai interessanti e significatitivi sono gli indici di scostamento del consuntivo dalla stima previsionale, di modestissimo importo nei paesi industrializzati considerati e con notevole avvicinamento nei paesi dell'America latina che hanno sconfitto l'inflazione (quale l'Argentina).

A questo risultato si perviene, oltre che per una corretta impostazione del bilancio anche per un'attenta azione di controllo, particolarmente rigorosa nei paesi industrializzati presi in considerazione.

Nei paesi in via di sviluppo, per incentivare gli investimenti, spesso sono accordate agevolazioni fiscali: I'autore raccomanda, per una corretta impostazione del bilancio, la indicazione del costo per il minor gettito (ed aggiungo per una conoscenza dell'opportunità di conservare, aumentare o diminuire siffatte agevolazioni).

Il lavoro del prof. Petrei, che alle capacità accademiche (è professore di finanza pubblica nell'Università argentina di Cordoba) unisce quelle di esperienze c oncrete di alto livello (e fra l 'altro quale consigliere del Ministro dell 'economia e di amministratore del BID), non solo costituisce un grande apporto pergli studi (ricchi ssima è la bibliografia) , ma è basilare per chi debba occuparsi del tema anche per ragioni operative offrendo una serie di opzioni da adottarsi a seconda delle circostanze. E l'apporto può essere particolarmente utile non solo ai paesi dell'America latina, ma anche a quelli industrializzati non menzionati (mi riferisco ovviamente al nostro Paese).

Cerca de 500 páginas dedicadas a la revisión de la teoría presupuestaria y a la exposición crítica de la experiencia en la materia, en un núcleo significativo de países, es el resultado del esfuerzo no habitual encarado por el doctor Petrei. Cuando la teoría general o, mejor, la generalización de la teoría, parece dominar infecundamente el panorama hecho visible por la desaparición del sistema soviético, que con similar liviandad a menudo nos contentamos con bautizarlo globalización, el trabajo de Petrei agrega, a sus méritos intrínsecos, un oportuno llamado a la realidad. Porque, si no caben dudas en cuanto a que la vida de los hombres y mujeres transitará por las virtudes y por los vicios del capitalismo por el tiempo humanamente previsible, que es el ámbito de la política, con tal tautológica comprensión del fin de la polarización militar e ideológica la cuestión no concluye; más bien, comienza. Hace poco, en Buenos Aires, Manuel Castells precisaba: no importa tanto el sustantivo, capitalismo, como el adjetivo: ¿qué capitalismo?, europeo, asiático, norteamericano, etcétera. Por otro lado, este mundo sin alternativa visible está mostrando ciertos aspectos que fueron habituales del capitalismo pre Guerra Fría. Uno de ellos es la importancia central del presupuesto. En Inglaterra también con el presupuesto se sigue una tradición. Recuerdo al antecesor laborista del actual Chancellor entrar al Parlamento mostrando victoriosamente el viejo portafolio, en el que llevaba el proyecto de presupuesto, incluye los impuestos a las personas y las sociedades, de renovación anual, para su discusión por los comunes. Un símbolo: en buena medida la política bajo el capitalismo podría definirse como la resolución del conflicto de quién paga y quién recibe; cómo se cobra y cómo se gasta. Y una buena cultura en materia presupuestaria sin duda favorece -diría más, es condición- para que ese conflicto esencial se resuelva con eficacia, entendida ésta como la realización práctica de la voluntad política que define cómo se pone y cómo se saca o, para decirlo en los términos más estrictos que utiliza el prologuista, Enrique Iglesias: los resultados fiscales no son independientes de las instituciones y procedimientos que rigen la elaboración del presupuesto, su aprobación, su ejecución y su control. En la parte I, el doctor Petrei revisa la teoría del presupuesto -un punto de reunión de fuerzas de la sociedad, define-, expone las tesis tradicionales, y se detiene en el gerencialismo, new public management: un conjunto de ideas en proceso de sistematización... subyacentes en las reformas de los últimos años. El managerialism busca reemplazar a la administración tradicional de lo público -un sistema jerarquizado clara y rígidamente transformando la relación de poder en una relación de servicio, del funcionario hacia su cliente, el ciudadano. En materia de presupuesto, explica el autor, se traduce en poner el control de los fondos en manos de quien pueda utilizarlos mejor y de quienes estén cerca de la demanda final. Con ese instrumental, lleva el doctor Petrei al lector por la experiencia de Estados Unidos, Canadá, Reino Unido, Suecia, Australia, Nueva Zelandia, España, que luego recapitula. En la coordinación de políticas se tiende ahora a un trabajo colectivo del gabinete en donde cada ministro debe discutir cifras o programas con todos sus pares; se generaliza la inclusión de proyecciones macroeconómicas para períodos que van de tres a cinco años; disminuyen las ya pocas diferencias entre lo que se prevé y lo que se ejecuta; se da cada vez mayor publicidad a los informes del órgano de control externo, cuya sólida influencia está dada por la capacidad técnica y su dependencia del Poder Legislativo. Para Petrel, el nudo alrededor del cual quedan marcadas las diferencias más notables entre los países industrializados analizados y los países latinoamericanos es la aplicación de criterios de eficiencia, materias en la que los primeros han logrado buenos progresos en la utilización del presupuesto, mientras han ido pasando de un presupuesto de recursos a uno de resultados. En cuanto a las reformas apunta Petrei que buscan fortalecer las unidades de decisión y la capacidad de ejecución, pero no encarando la totalidad del sector público, sino selectivamente, avanzando donde se puede avanzar, buscando el consenso y la participación. Ese resumen sirve como introito para la parte III: la Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Colombia, México, Venezuela. El panorama es contrastante. El apoyo técnico con que cuenta el Legislativo es pobre. Hay una preocupación creciente par la estabilidad, pero no se ha puesto un énfasis similar en lo referente a la publicidad de los actos del Ejecutivo ni en la obligación de información regular al Legislativo. Se va creando una cierta rigidez en cuanto al manejo del déficit con reglas que dejan poco margen para la políticas anticíclicas. Así, la posibilidad de hacer política compensatoria es mayor en los países de la región que en los países industrializados, par la inexistencia o poca relevancia de los programas de desempleo. No se publican proyecciones ni éstas forman parte de la discusión presupuestaria. En los 80, década de alta inflación en toda la región, es grande la diferencia entre proyección y ejecución, brecha que en la estabilidad generalizada de los 90 disminuye acentuadamente. Se tiende a aplicar el modelo de los industrializados en cuanto al control externo - aunque se carece de los equipos multidisciplinarios necesarios- mientras es lento el avance en materia de evaluación y de eficiencia: Ha habido una continua presión a gastar menos y en muchos casos esa presión se ha transformado en gastar mejor, pero ha habido muchos casos en que tal presión ha significado gastar peor, concluye Petrei. En la parte IV el autor efectúa el examen comparativo de las diversas experiencias y estrategias de reforma y reitera la necesidad de una constante búsqueda de eficiencia, a partir de tres focos principales: la oficina de presupuesto, el gabinete y el órgano de control externo. El libro concluye con dos anexos: en el primero, expone el autor los diferentes conceptos de déficit; en el otro, se refiere al ámbito internacional: la búsqueda de transparencia entre naciones. Trabajo arduo y fecundo, que recoge la experiencia profesional del autor y más de dos años en su preparación directa, con visitas a los 13 países que estudia y describe, con más de 100 expertos entrevistados, etcétera, su resultado conforma una obra de consulta imprescindible para toda persona interesada en la organización de lo público y que debería ser de lectura obligatoria -cito nuevamente al presidente del BID- para todos aquellos que participan en el proceso de presupuesto, tanto a nivel del Ejecutivo como del Legislativo, para aquellos encargados de proponer y llevar adelante los procesos de reforma institucional en los diferentes países, y para quienes desde los organismos multilaterales de crédito tenemos la responsabilidad de ayudar a los países a avanzar en la modernización del Estado y en la profundización de las reformas del sector público.

Esta obra ofrece un análisis pormenorizado de las instituciones del presupuesto y los organismos de control en siete países industrializados y en seis de América Latina. El análisis se nutre de dos importantes ramas de la teoría económica: la teoría de las finanzas públicas y la teoría de las decisiones colectivas. Mientras que la primera asume la existencia de una función de utilidad social que se busca maximizar, la segunda reconoce la dificultad de agregar preferencias individuales y destaca la importancia de los incentivos de cada uno de los agentes que participan en las decisiones públicas. Incorporar este segundo enfoque como complemento del primero es fundamental para hacer un análisis institucional como el que se desarrolla en este libro.

Cada estudio de caso incorpora una perspectiva histórica que permite comprender la manera como los países van cambiando sus instituciones en respuesta a distintos problemas. El libro tiene además un enfoque comparativo, tant! ! o al interior de cada categoría de países como entre los países industrializados y los de América Latina. Este enfoque comparativo es muy útil a la hora de pensar en posibles reformas institucionales en los países latinoamericanos, que es en definitiva la razón última del libro. El trabajo concluye con una serie de reflexiones acerca de las lecciones aprendidas y de las posibles estrategias de reforma para los países de la región.

PRESUPUESTO Y CONTROL es de lectura obligatoria para quienes participan en el proceso presupuestario, tanto a nivel del ejecutivo como del legislativo, para aquellos encargados de proponer y llevar adelante los procesos de reforma institucional en los diferentes países, y para quienes desde los organismos multilaterales de crédito tienen la responsabilidad de ayudar a los países a avanzar en la modernización del Estado y en la profundización de las reformas del sector público.

I took an Ecotoxicology course as a fun class, so far the class is great and the book helps clarify some of the topics we are discussing. The chapters are short compared to other textbooks, making it much easier to read. The book contains great diagrams and illustrations/pictures, there are also additional reading suggestions that helped when I was trying to find a project topic. I am glad I decided to take the class and happier that I purchased the suggested book.

This text does an excellent job of addressing the subject from a multi-discipline perspective. It is well written but requires some background in chemistry; as it addresses the biological fate of many chemical/organic compounds. It does so in a format that does not prepare the reader for immediate sleep but does require active participation on the part of the reader. This is not a High School or Doctorate level reference but aimed well at the BS level reader.

I received the text book very quickly and the book was in mint condition. The service was perfect.

This textbook of virology provides a significant background of many kinds of virus that we now know much about. A few textbooks in virology available in the market such as Field's Virology or Fundamental Virology are often too complicated for a beginner and they are also quite expensive for a student. This book comes out as an excellent supplement that is ideal for both undergradaute and graduate courses. Written by very well known experts, you can be assured that you will get a very accurate concept in this book. For example, Jane Flint is an expert in Adenovirus and Robert Krug is a well-known pioneer in influenza and many more.... All of the writers do the great job exploring their expertise that is evident in this book...Try it and you will see.

Watson & Crick take a backseat to the finest virology text in the history of science. The 20th Century has seen no scientist/editor like Jane Flint. Her incisive, detailed investigations into the genesis of Adenovirus study will likely not be equalled in the next millenium.

Newcomers will be happy to know that this book is highly readable and I found that with a glass of Cognac and a cigarette after dinner created just the atmosphere needed to further a keen interest in Influenza virus, HIV. and the immense body of work that has gone into peeling back the layers of the actions of these killers and their close relations.

Field's Virology completely misses the boat the Jane Flint sails, DiCaprio-like into the Atlantic. We all toast her and her comrades in this undertaking . FIVE STARS!

Having used this book for my Virology class at Princeton (taught by Lynn W. Enquist), it was probably the best accompanying text to this sort of introductory survey virology course. The book can be read through, skipped around or used as a reference - it shines in all three uses. A great categorization of viruses, explanation of all the myriad replication methods they employ, the book is more than an intro text - the references at the end of each chapter point you toward very very good sources for further research. Highly recommended!!

This book is quite possibly one of the best books writen on the subject of creating custom controls inside vb. By reading this book I have already improved my applications performance and reduced my design development time using my own custom made control. Great book all around.

This book is full of simple tidbits for binding controls to data objects and custom objects. The examples are short and easy to follow so you don't get lost in the code. Matthew does not spend a lot of time explaining background code (specifically, using ADO) because this is not the forum for those topics. What you get is 1000+ pages of explanations and examples focused on the task at hand: binding data. He does spend a few chapters introducing you to the various objects, covering many not-so-common functions. I found myself thinking "Wow!! That's cool!" several times. I highly recommend this book!!

This book really hits the nail on the head. I've been struggling with custom controls for weeks searching every article on the web and all over Microsoft and MSDN. No place has demonstrated the depth of understanding anywhere near as well as Matthew MacDonald has done. Not only are there clear and to the point examples without getting bogged-down in some lengthy, arcane and mythical tasks, but the accompanying text describes the underlying 'why' that is almost more useful than the code. Every page has some exceedingly useful information. My project has been in C# but the translation from VB from the book to C# is a no-brainer (assuming you've written in both over the last few years).
I pride myself as a descriptive writer but this book is far better than I could have written myself. It is to the point and thorough. If were any better it would wake you gently in the morning and make your coffee.

The process-focused organization differs from traditional organization in three ways: it designs end-to-end business processes; it measures and manages process level results rather than tasks; and it thinks in terms of customer goals, not localized functional goals.

This book distinguishes itself from so many others concern processes in that it presents a clear, well reasoned and structured road map to achieve the features and power of a process-focused organization. The approach also gives recognition to the broader system of the organization.

Gardner makes clear, from the outset, that process improvement, while powerful, is not the complete solution to performance management. Process improvement is not a magic bullet, it has limited applications, and it is not the final answer. Process improvement must be linked to organizational strategy, and consideration must be given to how to integrate process with organizational structures and systems, and how to proactively manage process.

Gardner's has produced a highly readable book that reflects this broad and rich understanding of his subject. The road map presented in this work is unique in reflecting an end-to-end orientation-not the components; it is not issue-based but is centered on the higher levels of organizational capability; and the map provides a pathway with clearly discernible steps, indicating where you are and what's ahead.

The book offers an operating model that describes key operating and structures and relationships; a road map to guide process improvement work; and a transformation strategy that combines the model and road map into a plan for navigating the journey to process focus.

This book is exception in its scope, depth and clear thinking. As a consultant in organization design and change (...) I believe this book will prove highly valuable to any enterprise seeking major, lasting process improvement. 230 pp.

Mr. Gardner's premise that organizations should be managed horizontally by processes instead of the traditional vertical method is long overdue. Once customer value is indentified, a PFO (Process Focused Organization) can concentrate on identifying, developing and tweaking value creating processes that lead to increased market share and improved profits. This is a must have how to book for any manager who wants to make their organiztion number one in their industry.

I can say a lot about this book, I can actually write a book about how good this book is. But I rather you spend your time reading it than my review. Simply put, I have been in this field for over 20-years and read many process books from many so called experts. But none of them come even close. If you are just starting, consider yourself an expert or anywhere in between, you owe it to yourself to buy and read this great book. I actually gave a few to my clients for X.Mas. I would like to personally thank Mr. Robert Gardner for writing this book and sharing his knowledge with us!

Mortaza Zainaleain EE, PMP, SSMBB
Prevail Services™ Profitability Engineering™ Consulting
President, Profitability Engineering™ Infrastructure Architect
Mortaza@PrevailServices.com

Has a lot of information to understand about de Production and Inventory Management

This book, while a bit old, still covers the basic fundamentals of inventory management very well. I would recommend it highly to anyone who is studying for their CPIM certification.

In 7 large steps the writers show the reader the basics of production planning. Master planning, inventory management, MRP, capacity management, production activity control, JIT and the theory of constraints are explained, not only as basic statements, but also including some standard calculation approaches. 1991, the first production computer systems were introduced, but this book stays at the basic. What to do if the current ERP-systems fail and the millennium bug strikes again? Step-by-step, with a calculator in the hand.

From Front Flap:

"This outstanding book offers a broad and indepth coverage of all important construction management topics, paying particular attention to professional construction management (PCM) as a contractual alternatives. This emphasis reflects the growing importance of this newly emerging area. The first nine chapters discuss administrative aspects of construction, while the last nine cover project control tools such as procurement, quality assurance, safety, and labor relations. The book assembles all the information needed to successfully manage a construction project. A general overview chapter is included on computer concepts and applications related to construction. The book is easy to understand because it features a wide range of worked examples, a detailed case study (the Mountain Town warehouse project) discussed throughout the book, and summaries concluding every chapter."


Sample Topics Covered:

* Types of Construction Projects, Organizations and Contracts; The Life Cycle of a Construction Project; Organization for Professional Construction Management; Preconstruction Site Investigation, Planning, Scheduling, Estimating, and Design; Value-Engineering Program, Work Packages, Summary Schedules, Developing Construction Packages; Preparation of Bidding Documents; Contractor Qualifications; Safety Responsibilities; Legal Considerations; Management-Level Reporting; Schedule and Progress Controls; Selecting a Professional Construction Manager; Estimating Project Costs; Cost Codes; Control Budges; The Procurement Cycle; Control of Materials Procurement; Inventory Theory; Value Engineering; Industrial Relations; Safety and Health & Construction; and a sample Bid Package & Contract Forms. (1984)

I got the book's info from my college professor. He strongly recommends this book for me as a junior engineer. I found many useful tables and info from book that mostly I also get from job. Mr Barrie is a consulting engineer and he shared his experiences with us, I felt happy what he did. In the Cve field, most of the things are gathered from experiences. It is quite diffirence from the IT or EE field, it need much time to do it. Mr Barrie give us what he did in recent decades, and I hope we will done better.

I used this book in my CM class as a senior in college. The book is pretty comprehensive and a lot of the info didn't make sense until I actually started in the field of general contracting and construction management. Now the info in the book is understandable. I would recommend the book.

If you only buy one book on the application of statistics and probability to the creation of control charts (SPC) and acceptance sampling, this is it. Dale wrote the original first text on SPC back when the only literature on the subject was found in periodicals and research papers. It took him over 3000 manhours to write this concise text and it's bank of clear, understandable problems. The text earned him the title of full Professor at Southern Illinois University and a national reputation as it was used by Ford Motor Company and others for internal training. After teaching from it for almost 20 years I can assure you there is no better book on the subject in the field. (And, yes, I know Dale personally, but have had virtually no contact with him since his retirement many years ago).

This is a professional's book! It covers quality control at the level that you need -- whether a novice in the field or an experienced professional. It does an excellent job of interrelating all of the aspects of quality control, while letting you focus on the topic at hand; you never feel that you are "out of place" in the process. This book is so good that we are going to use it as the reference/source for our training programs that cover not only quality control but quality control's relationship with other aspects of operations management and program management. I have even incorporated it into an undergraduate course I teach on quality management and productivity. There's something in it for every technical professional in the workplace today.

Besterfield made a true tour de force respect the edition and contain of Quality Control. It provides you of abundant and concise information, explicit and deatiled around the last innovations and advances in this field.

More than a tool, this book is a must for you; in your daily job, as consult text, as fundamental reference for students and an invaluable supporting guide for teachers and professionals.

One of the most remarkable texts written in years. A monumental issue without any doubt. Go for it and you will be absolutely rewarded.

This is an excellent, if not comprehensive book for everything from TQM to Six-Sigma. I give it four stars for value and five for price. All in all, an excellent overview.

If this review was helpful, please add your vote -- Thanks.

I keep this book nearby because it serves as an encyclopedia of quality techniques that span the full spectrum, as well as a step-by-step guide to using each of the tools listed.

The entire collection of tools contained and described within are put into context in the first chapter that covers the continuous quality improvement story and its five steps - reason, current situation, analysis, action plan and results. Subsequent chapters are devoted to classes of tools: the basics (flow charts, check sheets, facts vs. inference, and how to construct tools such as Pareto diagrams, histograms, and control charts). Supporting tools, covered in the next chapter, include pie and bar charts, frequency charts, Likert scales and related diagrams.

Basic quality improvement techniques given in the next section go beyond just tools, and include vision and mission statements, group interaction techniques, problem classification and concepts. Among the tools are development charts, force-field analysis, checklists.

Advanced techniques, covered in the next chapter address process ownership, and some fairly substantial tools such as quality function deployment and Taguchi techniques, both of which are explained well in a surprising few pages.

The remainder of the book discusses quality improvement systems, such as JIT, ISO standards; and brief bios of Deming, Crosby and Juran and their approaches. Selected readings on various quality standards round out this book's treatment of the subject.

What I like about this book is the way a large number of topics and associated tools are thoroughly covered in a relatively short book. I also like the way you are clearly led through the construction and use of various charts, and how to effectively use tools in a step-by-step manner. This is clearly a useful introduction to quality tools and techniques, as well as a desk reference.

I am just learning about Continuous Improvement and the tools that are available to make that happen in the workplace. Our company is considering implementing a Six Sigma program and this book provides me with a related and large tool set to add to my tool belt.

This is a splendid volume. Harry Roberts and Bernard Sergesketter have written an excellent and helpful book. The great strength of the book is that the reader gets to apply the ideas for themself, not just in an "organizational fashion." Introducing the idea of a Personal Quality Checklist, the authors discuss how to manage self-improvement in a data-based way. In the process they dispense a good amount of useful wisdom about improvement, quality and psychology.

Strongly recommended. It is easy to build individual or team-based projects in courses based on the idea - and to give the students the opportunity to actually apply the tools they are learning about. And the best method of learning involves doing!

The late Harry V. Roberts and Mr. Sergesketter have written an outstanding book. Intended in part as an introduction for managers to how quality improvement programs FEEL for workers, it does much more. It is an introduction to systematic self-improvement for those looking for provable results.

The approach is simple. It starts with the "Personal Quality Checklist", an idea that goes back at least as far as Benjamin Franklin. The goal is to eliminate defects and reduce cycle times on repetitive personal processes. The means is systematic record-keeping. The personal processes could be brushing one's teeth, being on-time for appointments, maintenance of an exercise program. In other cases the focus might be on defects, such as saying "like" as an interjection in speech (as in, "I was, like, soooo bored, dude.") or fidgeting in class or at a meeting.

The book takes various ideas from the quality movement in industry and illustrates or suggests their application in personal processes.

I am sure that the very idea of this will upset some folks. They probably aren't going to be persuaded. But, if, like me, you are skeptical of most over-blown self-help books and courses, this modest, semi-scientific approach may be just the ticket for demonstrable, lasting self-improvement.

If it was good enough for Ben Franklin, ....

This is a life-changing guide to quality in simple relatable terms. I always thought Quality was an enterprise thing and it didn't relate to me, the individual. It has helped me address everything from responding to requests on time to routine exercise and weight control. A must read for anyone who believes in quality principles. Everyone talks quality but to apply it personally is to truly understand the word.