Monthly Archives: January 2015

Microsoft Excel Vs SPSS Statistics Software: Which Should You Use for Market Research?

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If your data analysis is inaccurate, then it’s time to switch over to SPSS from Microsoft Excel. Read more to understand why SPSS wins over Excel.

SPSS Statistics is premium software product that is used for a wide variety of statistical analysis, that includes data compilation, preparation, graphics, modeling and analysis. This program, released in 1968 was originally named as Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Soon after its release, it quickly rose to become one of the most used statistical programs in market research, surveying, healthcare and social sciences to name a few.

If your business is currently employing Microsoft Excel for market research or any other type of business related research, you may want to consider using SPSS instead. Not only is the SPSS software specially created to carry out statistical analysis, it also has faster and easier-to-use features when compared with Microsoft Excel.

Read on to find out more about the SPSS software

What can be accomplished using SPSS?

Various types of analysis, such as ANNOVA, Cluster, Discriminant, Factor and Correlate can be successfully completed using SPSS. This software is also ideal for Curve Estimation, Liner Regression, Crosstabs, Descriptive Ratio Analysis, PLUM regression, Multi-dimensional scaling, reporting and testing.

Is SPSS better than Microsoft Excel?

Though Microsoft Excel and SPSS have a similar look and feel, with menus, spreadsheets and built-in statistical functions, SPSS is a definite winner when it comes to data analysis, as this software is especially designed for statistics. When compared with Microsoft Excel, SPSS has:

  • An easier and quicker access to basic functions, like descriptive statistics, in pull-down menus
  • A wide range of charts and graphs to choose from
  • Faster access to statistical tests

Top 3 benefits of using SPSS for market research Continue reading →

6 Invoice Tweaks to Get Paid Faster

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Here are a few simple adjustments and additions that you can make to your invoices, which will speed up the payment from your clients and ensure that you get paid.

For most businesses, getting paid on time is important, as payment delays can lead to serious disruptions in the cash flow. If you are searching for a way to speed up your payments, remember that the most effective solution is often also the simplest one.

Did you know that the invoice which you send to your customer is the most important form of communication in getting paid on time? By making small tweaks, additions and adjustments to your invoices, you can ensure faster payments from your customers and also make sure that you always get paid for your services.

1. Add “Please” and “Thank You”

When it comes to your invoices, good etiquette can maximize the probability of getting paid. By simply adding a “Thank You” or “Please” to your invoice, you can increase the likelihood of getting paid by 5%. Making this change to your invoices could result in adding thousands of dollars to your account.

2. Customize the invoice

Make it a point to ask all your customers what they actually require on their invoices. Though this will take time, it can save you time and money, as you will not have to re-invoice a client because of incorrect/missing information. For example, you could ask if the customer requires a general description or a detailed breakdown of the services.

3. Use “days” instead of “net”

Did you know that using the term “days” over the term “net” can actually help you get paid on time? Though terms like net 60 or net 30, make sense to you, customers may not always understand what they mean. Make it simple for your customers by including a phrase like “payment due within 35 days”. This will help your client to immediately identify the time frame. Avoid terms like “due upon receipt” which may confuse the customer about when the invoice should be paid.

4. Charge an interest fee

If you haven’t been charging an interest fee, then it is time you did. Including a late fee, will urge your customers to pay their invoices on time. Also include the fee percentage and when it is applicable. Continue reading →

8 FAQs on Finite Element Analysis (FEA)

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Read these FAQs on FEA to find out what is FEA, what it is used for, and how Finite Element Analysis can improve your product quality. 

1. What is FEA?

Finite Element Analysis or FEA for short is the process of selecting the optimal combination of material in a composite or product through the use of software analysis. This technique can be effectively used in structural, thermal and even in fluid analysis.

2. What does the FEA process involve?

In the FEA process, a three-dimensional model is developed and then connected to a complex mesh by a number of nodes. An area within the mesh that seems to be prone to high stress will require an additional number of nodes. The mesh will then be bestowed with material and structural properties which will relate to stress, loan and vibration levels.

3. What are the types of FEA?

Depending on the complexity of a project, different types of FEA analysis methods can be used. While structural analysis is used for simulating a product’s performance under additional loads, vibration analysis will take into account issues relating to vibration, in addition to other effects. Finally, fatigue analysis is used to examine the possibility of cracks in the physical structure.

4. What is FEA used for?

FEA can be used to evaluate corrosions on a particular machine component and can even predict future corrosion expansion. It can also help in figuring out the default frequency of a machine and its key parts, apart from calculating the possible effects of a nip load increase on a machine framework.

5. How does FEA improve product quality?

For manufacturing high quality products, there is nothing better than FEA. In fact, using FEA can guarantee better quality, efficiency and uptime. This will further increase the profitability of your users, customers and manufacturers. FEA can also throw light on the defects in the product design. Based on the results, you can make appropriate changes. Continue reading →

Engineering Services for the Marine and Shipbuilding Industry

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Outsourcing engineering services to India can help your marine or building business achieve a faster time-to-market, better productivity and lower overhead costs.

If you are involved in the marine and shipbuilding business, then you must be aware of the trouble that shipyards face when it comes to completing their orders on time. In fact, getting ahead of the cycle time is one of the biggest hurdles that shipyards have to overcome.  While customer demands are becoming tougher, the marine industry has to provide quality products within shorter time spans and at an affordable price in order to stay competitive.

Outsourcing can come to the rescue of your business. Outsourcing to India can help you reduce cost, complete orders on time and minimize the cycle time for production and detailing drawings. You can avail engineering services at every stage of the lifecycle of a ship, be it for basic/ detail design, analysis of marine structures or even training programs. Through outsourcing, you can achieve faster time-to-market, better productivity and lower costs.

Why outsource?

There is more than just one reason, why your marine or shipbuilding company should outsource:

  • Achieve a faster time-to-market
  • Benefit from better productivity
  • Enjoy lower overhead costs
  • Focus more on core business activities
  • Get access to the engineering skills of experts
  • Easily ramp up or down your requirements
  • Benefit from greater flexibility

Specialized Engineering services for shipyards, designers and manufactures

At Outsource2india, we offer customized services for manufactures, designers and shipyards: Our services include: Continue reading →