Suppose that you own a retail store that does NOT have a computer. For the most part, the store’s current information system is paper-based. The most technological items in your store are 2 cash registers (which are not connected to each other), a point-of-sale credit card processing machine (which is not connected to the cash registers), and a fax machine. Other than that, you use paper and clipboards, file cabinets, etc., to keep track of everything (i.e., sales, inventory, customers, and employees). Your payroll and accounting are done manually.Suppose that you are thinking about buying a computer and the appropriate software in order to computerize your store’s information system. You haven’t made up your mind about any of this yet, and you have a lot questions that come to mind. Here are just a few of the things to consider: 1. How will you decide how much money to spend on a computerized information system? Will this be a portion of your profits and, if so, how much can you afford? 2. If you decide to buy a computer system, you will need specialized point-of-sale software (not just “office”products such as Excel). You will also need accounting software. Where will you get this software? Are you going to have to hire a programmer to design a software system just for your store, or can you buy software from some other place that is designed for retail stores? How will you find out where to look for the software you’ll need? How much do you expect to pay for this specialized software? 3. Once you decide on the software, what kind of hardware will you need, including the computer itself and any specialized devices you would need for input and output? How will you make the decision on the computer type/brand (PC running Windows, Mac, other) and the additional hardware you need to buy? 4. How will you decide on the best time to start computerizing? Do you do it as soon as possible or wait for the "slow season?" 5. How much time do you think it will it take to convert from your paper-based system to a computer-based information system? How long will it take for your employees to learn how to use the specialized software? Who will train them? If you get new employees, who will train them? 6. What happens if the computer system doesn't really do the job? Can you return it for a full refund of the money you spent on hardware and software? Do you have any contingency plans? 7. What happens if Amazon starts selling the same products your store sells? How will a computerized information system help you stay in business?

Respond to at least two of your colleague's postings in one or more of the following ways: Ask a probing question. Share an insight from having read your colleague's posting. Offer and support an opinion. Validate an idea with your own experience. Make a suggestion. Expand on your colleague's posting. Emily: Allies can be seen in a variety of different ways, whether it be through friends, family members, communities, groups, sports fans, etc.However, allies can also be achieved and beneficial throughout ones career.In social justice, allies are not only formed to assist a person with their needs, but to also help in reaching a common goal for a client or ensuring that social justice is met for all people (Edwards, 2006).As a school social worker, a population that I could become an ally with is the guidance counselors in the same school.When I first began as a school social worker, the guidance counselors were very territorial in thinking that I was here to complete the same tasks that they do on a daily basis.Teachers and school staff were also confused as to the difference between the school social worker and guidance counselors.However, after becoming allies and working together, we have been able to develop a system in which we know our limits and boundaries and refer students to one another when necessary.I realize that there are many things that I cannot do with students that guidance counselors do, and they realize that I can assist them with their workload and benefit our students by providing more of a mental health aspect and working with their families.Building this ally has not only assisted our students in being more successful, but it has also built relationships and allowed our jobs and school to run more smoothly. Identify a quote or create a motto to capture the intent of your ally-ship Guidance counselors work to make the schools a better place, school social workers work to make the student a better life. -Within this created motto, it is a short summary to identify that the guidance counselors work within every aspect of the school- scheduling, IEP/SAT meetings, disciplinary meetings, etc.The school social worker, rather, works with students individually to address their issues or problems within the school, at home, or at work. Identify potential obstacles to ally-ship and explain how to address them Building an ally with the guidance counselors can be very beneficial for myself as a school social worker, but it could also cause obstacles within the school and our students.One obstacle could be that if/when a student goes to a guidance counselor to talk about issues that they may be having in the home, the counselor may decide that it would be more beneficial for the student to speak to the school social worker.From there, the student has to speak to the school social worker and, again, tell their story and explain what they are going through or how they are feeling.As we know as social workers, it is frustrating, embarrassing, and annoying to the client for them to have to continue telling the same story in order to get help.If the counselor speaks to the social worker privately about the student's issues, the student may lose trust in the counselor for telling their problems and the counselor may have left out information or gotten information wrong about the student that could aggravate the student.With this obstacle, students could also be confused as to which person they need to seek out for information.In order to address this and eliminate these obstacles, the school as a whole can make it more clear to students to understand who to go to for what.The counselors and social workers could also come up with an initial intake document which does not have the client go into too much detail, but where they ask questions to be able to identify early which service the student needs.This will hopefully eliminate them having to explain themselves multiple times. References Edwards, K. E. (2006). Aspiring social justice ally identity development: A conceptual model. NASPA Journal (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, Inc.), 43(4), 39-60. Hollie: Identify a population with which you could become an ally A key component, for student affairs professionals, is working towards creating social change, by developing allies, with members of a dominant social group (Edwards, 2006).Working towards ending the system of oppression gives social justice allies greater privileges and powers, based on their memberships (Edwards, 2006).A social dominant member I would become allies are the heterosexual white college male.By engaging in social justice efforts to reform and dismantle systems of oppression, allies strive toward distributing equitable resources to members and keeping them physically and physiologically safe and secure (Edwards, 2006). Identify a quote or create a motto to capture the intent of your ally-ship “So as long as we are divided because of our particular identities we cannot join together in effective political action” (National Museum of African American History and Culture) Identify potential obstacles to ally-ship and explain how to address them By forming allies with the heterosexual white college male, they may find it difficult to form interpersonal relationships with members from the gay and lesbian communities, due to the stigma surrounding societal homophobia (Edwards, 2006).Members in dominant positions in society, who have inherited unearned privileges, suffer from a loss of authenticity and humanity (Edwards, 2006).To address the havoc unearned privileges reek on dominant group members, they may seek to dismantle the privileges they haven’t worked for, in order to become an effective, consistent, and sustainable ally (Edwards, 2006). References Edwards, K. E. (2006). Aspiring social justice ally identity development: A conceptual model. NASPA Journal (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, Inc.), 43(4), 39-60. National Museum of African American History and Culture. Retrieved from https://nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talking-about-race/top...