We’re coming home

After much discussion amongst Jennifer and I, and the girls, we have decided that we are going to return to the USA when my contract in the UK completes at 31 March. This has been a wonderful experience for us but we recognize the importance of coming home and setting down roots back at home. One of the challenging things we are faced with is related to where to come home to. Since we sold our home in the USA, we have no place to come back to. Jennifer is taking a very pragmatic approach to evaluating cities and towns based on educational standards for the girls, job opportunities for her, and proximity to an international airport- for me of course. So I wanted to open this discussion up to the wider audience- where do you think we should come back to? We’d like to hear what you have to say. We are looking for a town that has a thriving Jewish community, good schools, a children’s hospital, and within driving distance to an international airport ( a real one please… not one that has the token flight to Mexico to brandish the international moniker! One that flies to London…) Please, let us know what you think. You have all been slow to leave comments, so I welcome them now, I want to know your thoughts. Some considerations thus far… Atlanta and Cherry Hill, NJ (close to Philadelphia). Click on the link below to leave a comment.

Beware the SIV

Not sure if many you have taken notice of the articles in the news lately regarding SIVs or Structured Investment Vehicles. The frequency of the articles in the Wall St Journal Europe have picked up pace and it is cause for real concern. Many people don’t realize that they themselves may be exposed to the woes of the subprime mortgage debt crisis that the markets have been reeling from recently. Here’s the issue. SIVs are the investment of choice for money market funds. Money market funds are usually considered to be safe investments but take notice. The nature of the debt crisis that we have had recently affects these once thought safe havens. Everyone should realize that the standard NAV (net asset value) of $1.00 per share on money market funds is NOT guaranteed and money market funds can – however unlikely it is- lose money. Further, money market funds are NOT FDIC insured. I hope that everyone will carefully consider this and their own personal situations. The full extent of the losses related to the subprime mortgage lending crash is yet to be known. Many large money centre banks are pulling together rescue plans for SIV’s that they have structured and the loses are expected to be in the tens of billions of dollars. On a personal basis, Jennifer and I have chosen to move our money into FDIC insured bank Certificates of Deposits (a.k.a CD’s) and to just keep some money in plain old FDIC insured checking accounts. One thing to take heed of- if your broker or financial advisor does you a ‘favor’ of sweeping your cash balances into money market accounts, he or she may be exposing you to risks that you are not aware of. A few weeks ago I was on my way to shul and I saw a line of people wrapped around the block waiting to take their money out of the Northern Rock bank in Golder's Green. This is the first time there has been a run on a UK bank in over 100 years. I don’t want to sound like Chicken Little saying, ‘The sky is falling’, but I do want people to understand the issue and take notice if they have not done so already. If you think it can’t happen to you… you may be wrong.

Oracle Release 12 and Sub Ledger Accounting

One of the things that really gets me excited about Release 12 of Oracle eBusiness Suite is the new functionality around sub-ledger accounting. Basically this is what we have been striving for in financial packages for a while now. Essentially the concept behind SLA is that all transactional level details are kept within the subledger so that the General Ledger does not become cluttered with extensive amounts of detail. Until now we have paid lip service to the idea of ‘thin’ chart of accounts but now it seems to be within reach. SLA has a number of other features that can benefit large and medium sized businesses, especially global companies that are forced to maintain separate charts of accounts for statutory reporting purposes. This is something worth reading about and I encourage you to do so. You can read more about SLA in this white paper from Oracle.

Dinner with Hans

On Wednesday (14-Nov) I was invited to dinner at Hans Kolbe's house. Hans is an old friend of mine from the time he consulted at BT. Hans has a beautiful home in the Noe Valley. It was a great alternative to the Oracle customer appreciation event and gave me an opportunity to catch up with some friends. It was truly great to see CJ and Patty. CJ and I shared stories about the kids and our careers. CJ is now at Booz Allen Hamilton.

This visit ended a very dynamic week. Thursday saw me packing my bags between conference calls and runs to Starbucks to synchronize e-mail. My only regret for the week was not having the chance to see John Stebel as our schedules did not permit.

Thanks for opening your home to us Hans, a fun time was had by all.

Case Study

On Wednesday (14-Nov) morning we had the presentation of the case study: Consolidating ERP Financials Instances at British Telecom. AR and I spoke about BT's systems consolidation plan for close to one hour and took some questions at the end. It was very well done. Hats off to AR for a very well prepared and delivered session. I was very proud to occupy the stage with him.

Panel Discussion

On Monday (12-Nov) afternoon was the Panel Discussion, Getting More with Less. There was about 100 people in attendance counting the BT people as well. I think it want very well and I was proud to have shared the stage with Tim Westendorf and John Abel from MasterCard and Symantec respectively. I was very interesting to hear the common themes expressed in each of the three presentations. We got some very good questions afterward and had a good networking opportunity with people from Rogers Communications, Garlock, Baxter, and Eaton.

Thank you Congregation Ner Tamid

I wanted to take a moment to say a special thank you to Congregation Ner Tamid of San Francisco for opening their sanctuary to me this Shabbat. I had a wonderfully deep and spiritual experience with them. All of the congregants made me feel so welcome. I was honoured with the Kohain aliyah. I enjoyed the lunch with the Beck family who were very warm and kind to me, even going so far as driving me back to my hotel when my taxi proved to be very late. Todah Rabah!

Time for a change America

So my early morning excursion today takes me to Walgreen’s as I need some snacks for the room. Jet lag hits me in two very distinct ways. My body neither knows when it is time to sleep nor eat. Anyone who knows me understands that the latter is a big issue for me. What me moody?? The hardest thing is being stuck in a hotel room when you’re starving at 3 am. Anyway, it struck me this morning that America is on the wrong track.

While standing at the check out with my bottles of water and Ritz Crisps, I noticed that the store had the ‘important’ things behind the counter, well from the reach of customers. It struck me that the Nicorette was heavily guarded behind the counter while the Chee-tos were available to the general population. Consider the subliminal messaging here. Its clear that if you want to improve your life and improve your health, that a post pubescent store clerk will need to get involved for you to analyze the back of a box of Nicorette. On the other hand you can decide to slowly kill yourself over the next 40 years with the artery clogging saturated fats found in the junk food aisle.

What if this were reversed? What if we were able to peruse the medicines behind the safety and security of the check out counter at will as opposed to having to ensure the embarrassing encounter with the check out clerk. How many more people would actually buy the Nicorette or the condoms if they could just reach them unassisted?

Then, we can really have the clerks guard the populace from the real dangers in life. Picture the gum smacking teen-ager confronting the double wide patron with the desire to get at the jumbo size of double stuff Oreo cookies safely stored behind the counter. An awkward conversation ensues with the clerk asking the patron, “Are you sure?” The patron fumbles with an acceptable answer, “Um, well, I guess…”

It seems out priorities have become juxtaposed.

There was evening, there was night, the second day…

Day two starts at a more reasonable hour. I am running the streets of San Fran at 4 am with my i-pod on and am thinking about all of the things that need my attention back in the office. Things are stressful for me now. I get back to the hotel and am in Starbucks by 5 am (that is NOT me by the way- its a file photo of some dude) to do e-mail and make calls to the UK. I am having a bit of a crisis and that continues to unfold. I take my 7 am call from the hotel and that makes me late for the taxi to day two.

Day two of strategy council is cool. We discuss how Oracle plans to weave Web2.0 concepts into its EBS solution. Now this is cool. How can we use tools that people use every day to drive productivity? I am on the edge of my seat with ideas and gushing them out all over AJ, AR and Steve. AJ is amused at first and then bored. I am excited. I see he is simmering on a few issues we learned earlier in the day that may materially alter our roadmap. It seems that the direction that Oracle has chosen on scanning technology cuts across some work that we have lined up for this year. He is troubled. I am talking with my hands and getting excited about things.

The afternoon is good too. Terrance Wampler provides an update on R12.1. Right! 12.1 is being discussed because Terrance has already moved on to newer things. I like the update and take good notes. I love when Oracle uses terms like ‘Superior Ownership Experience’. Firstly it makes me think I am buying a BMW, second, it’s like who else is there? You have basically acquired everyone else so superior to who?

Day two ends with a review of OOW sessions and I am on my way. I do some shopping and head to the hotel.

Strategy Council Day One

Day one of the Oracle Financials Strategy Council is a rough one. With my jet lag and general nervousness of what is going on in the HR Programme I am awake at 1:30 am. By 2 am I am down in the business centre and making phone calls to the UK. By 5 am I am in Denny’s having a fry up and by 5:30 I am in Starbuck’s synchronizing e-mail. The real challenge comes when I have to shower and get ready for the workshop that starts at 9 am. It is just about that time I am ready to go back to sleep! Day One is really good actually and the content is good enough to keep us all awake.

I love attending events like this with Oracle because they are run very well. The slide presentations are appealing and the presents know their sh1t. It is also a good time to bounce ideas off of peers and get a sense if they are having the same issues you are. Despite knowing that BT is big and that we have a very forward thinking agenda, it is confirmed by our attendance here. The synergies that exist by having me, AJ, AR, Steve and Chris at the same table to discuss strategy is awesome. Collectively amongst us there is over 60 years of experience on BT finance systems at the table. Every break is a chance to refine outlook and roadmap ideas going forward. I realize in looking around the table, my move to HR is bittersweet. I’ll be doing a lot less in the Oracle Financials space going forward and that is a bit of a downer. Not only do I really like oracle EBS, I really like working with these guys.

Oracle EBS is at a really cool turning point right now. The new functionality that Oracle is rolling out answers many of the issues we’ve had for a while. The first session of the day is dedicated to Sub ledger Accounting. This is cool. Keeping the GL lean and mean. Keeping the detail in the sub ledgers is where our thinking has gotten to over 18 months ago. The buzz around the table begins as Steve starts ticking off the number of issues that can help us resolve. An interesting debate goes on related to TP, we hit full stride in our discussion and we are excited.

The Business Intelligence update is a challenge. By now it is time for bed in the UK and my body struggles to remain focused. Plus, with Oracle’s acquisition on Hyperion, the strategy has changed and there is just a lot to absorb. Try as I might, I am getting about 30% absorption. The highlight of this session is the XBRL capability built directly into Hyperion. I latched onto XBRL early and have read about as much as I can on this subject. As a CPA I know this is the future of financial reporting and beyond.

The afternoon is a slight bust when we start talking about Fusion User Acceptance Module. Steve slyly notes that this is like 40 letters that otherwise spell HELP. I am giddy at this point and am trying to think if an acronym that can transform FUAM into fubar. Anyway, Fusion User Acceptance Module is bit like a cup holder in a Mercedes. Once you press the button you watch this thing unfold and you realize there are a handful of German engineers that had way too much time on their hands. My sense is that this is kind of over engineered. By this time I am starting to drool on the table as the jet lag is being unkind.

We wrap the day with a conversation around Applications Unlimited.

Overall a good first day and the big benefits coming during the breaks where we are speaking in real terms about the impact on BT.

Hold on, I will get the sommelier

So we sit down in a seafood place in Fisherman’s Wharf that seems reasonable. The menu is full of seafood goodies and by 7 pm we were dreadfully tired and starving. This is the kind of place that has the nerve to charge $7.95 for a starter salad but also has plastic table cloths. AJ decides wine is order but I know that if I had a glass of wine the four of them would be carrying me back to the hotel. Chris takes a look at the menu and in typical British style asks the 18 year old waitress if she’d recommend the Pinot Noir or the Cabernet. By now, I am so slap happy I can’t stop laughing. She’s not even old enough to drink wine!!

Size Matters

So there we are standing at the baggage carousel waiting for the first class bags to come off the plane. Of course, my frustration level with Virgin Atlantic surges as I am watching everyone else walk away with their bags first and mine has not arrived. Then we see AJ’s bag medium sized bag come off and we are all duly impressed that he can fit a week’s worth of clothing in that device. Then AR’s bad arrives and another minimalist packing job. Then comes my bag. Suffice it to say the ridicule will not stop even till now. You could fit all of their bags in mine and still have room for shopping.

Like a Virgin

My first Upper Class experience on Virgin is met with mixed reviews. The day started exceptionally well with my driver arriving promptly at 7:30 am and meeting at me at the door to take my rather large bag. When I asked for a few minutes to say goodbye to the family he did not mind.

The Volvo saloon (sedan for the US folks) was exceptionally well maintained and very comfortable. The morning paper was crisp and clean and waiting for me to enjoy. Of course I had to pull myself away from phone and blackberry to be able to enjoy it. The driver did a three point check (passport, itinerary, sharp objects in carry on) with me as I entered the car and then exclaimed to me, after pressing a few buttons on his PDA, ‘You’re now checked in’ I was impressed.

The driver was a professional. Anticipating all of the daily traffic snarls through London he took the streets to get to Heathrow and arrived on time.

As we approached the airport the driver arrived at a special VIP entrance to T3. Pacing the car at brisk pace was a highly polished, red-clad customer service representative that had a pre-printed baggage claim ticket to attach to my bag. Before I could even get out of the car, my bag had disappeared into a well rehearsed process of expedited check-in. Next the private security agent appeared from nowhere and asked me some questions and then applied his validation sticker to my passport.

Red then escorted me through the terminal to the private security point where I dutifully laid my bag on the belt and was scanned in a matter of seconds. I walked through the duty free shopping area straight to the club lounge.

Curb to cocktail in seven minutes!

The lounge at Heathrow has wow factor. Feels more like ski chalet than airport lounge. I was thoroughly disappointed in my lack of preparation for this event. I did not wear clothes to allow for a trip to the steam room, I had not pre-booked a haircut or massage appointment. I was just left to figure out how to use my time in the acre of space. Once reality hit I went to the library (yes, the library) to sync up my e-mail and to make a few urgent phone calls. Despite having to do the boring stuff, it was done in comfort with a great latte.

Boarding the plane was great. I got such a rush as I was able to turn left after entering the plane as opposed to turning right. Walking into the Upper Class cabin is like entering a banquet hall. Once you pass the bar, you see the seats which are more like pods dedicated to personal comfort.

The greeting was great. Got myself settled in and reviewed the menu, the video options, how the seat works, and all fun stuff. We took off an hour late, but who cared, for this brief moment, I was the man!

Then reality hit. After take off I realized that my video unit did not work. After three system resets- no luck. I was devastated. After flying internationally for a decade in the back of the bus, my shining moment had been marred by a technical fault. The travesty! How could this be? Was this some bizarre way of realizing that it is just a flight and not some right of passage to the big time?

The customer service dude offered me the portable video console. I was dejected and sad. I used that thing on a previous flight on Virgin when my video unit did not work. How can you sit in Morton’s and get a hamburger. I wanted the filet mignon!!! How could this be? There is not nearly enough functionality in a portable DVD to feed by blackberry starved fingers throughout the flight. I don’t think I have ever seen a movie all the way trough. I am the attention deficit disorder guy that checks the sky map every 15 minutes and quickly interpolates progress based on miles and airspeed. How could I just sit there and not know the speed of the beloved tailwind propelling me though the stratosphere at even greater speeds. What if we had a dreaded headwind? I am an information junkie and I was being starved of this valuable data. I just did not have enough gadgets to play with and I was very upset about it.

Instead of being smart, I sat and simmered in my discontent. I had mentally drafted my note to Sir Richard Branson at least a half dozen times wondering what silly threats I was going to deliver. ‘I fly over a 100,000 miles a year with your airline and now I am never going to fly again!’

The lacklustre response from the customer service agent irked me. I could select an item of up to £50 from the duty free catalogue to compensate me for my misery. £50? Are you %*^* kidding me? I spent over £4000 on this ticket and you trivialize my pain and agony by offering me a bottle of virgin vodka or a model airplane? I wound up taking a little gizmo for my i-pod that I would never buy myself and probably won’t ever use. The principle was that I got SOMETHING.

I declined the portable unit and focused on work for the trip. I broke out my laptop, strapped on the i-pod and cleared down 400+ e-mails.

Seriously… How hard could it be for them to test these things before the flight??? It is almost inexcusable to have something like this happen when you pay that much for a seat in front of the bus. I was the only one in this predicament. I was upset and obviously still am. I will seriously reconsider my allegiance to this airline. Perhaps I will just go back to United. Their planes are ugly but at least their systems work.

Then, not being able to do the math, they did not even prioritize me for my massage. These guys were rookies! Adding insult to my injury!

Looking back, I am sure I over played the experience in my mind. It was just a 10 hour flight. But my impression of Virgin’s legendary service has been altered now and I will reconsider flying them in the future.

Halloween

This Halloween was a very special one for me. After years of being out of town for Halloween this was the first one in a while that I was able to spend with Jen and girls. Being with them was very meaningful. Seeing them dressed up as opposed to getting the pictures via e-mail was great. The girls love this occasion and it was fun to trick or treat with them.