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Greetings,
As we begin a new quarter, I want to thank you for your support and
look forward to even more success in the next few months.
We're over the hump...it's all downhill from here. The 3rd quarter has
started and we're less than 6 months from the New Year. How are your
projects performing? Are you attaining goals? Is your strategic plan
working? Have you looked at your business processes?
Business process re-engineering simply questions the efficiency and
effectiveness of each function your company performs. With a little
tweaking you want to increase productivity so the entire business
increases profitability. It supports your desire to revisit fundamental
assumptions that have guided an organization's founding philosophy.
If business does not question its status quo and the way it delivers
its products and services in an attempt to continuously improve, it seldom
succeeds.
Enjoy this issue. And go ahead, ask questions!
-aj-
Why a Consultant? 
A very common question I hear is, "on whom should I rely to help with
my strategy, systems and processes?" This is a good question, because
managers and executives can turn to technology vendor's, accountants,
attorneys, management consultants, system integrators, in-house staff --
or some combination of these.
I have the interesting perspective of having participated in business
process reengineering from the point of view of a systems integrator, a
technology vendor, a management consultants, and the in-house staff of a
company. There is a time and place to go with different combinations.
For many small firms seeking to implement a change or just review its
processes, it is an almost automatic choice to turn within itself and use
it's own in-house people. This is usually a pretty smart move. Your own
people are interesting in learning new skills and procedures and to make
themselves more marketable. Unfortunately they lack the experience of
"been there, done that" or as project managers call it, lessons learned.
So the in-house approach works best when combined with bringing in a
coach, mentor and/or consultant. Bringing one or two of these consultants
on to work with or train the rest of the staff can be a great strategic
move. They've seen many products, vendors and processes and have been
there and done it many, many times before. But make sure the consultant
isn't biased to certain products, technologies or processes. Conduct an
open and frank discussion with the consulting firm's project partner about
whether or not the consulting company gets a commission for the
recommendations they make, and make sure the results of that conversation
are in your contract.
One of the biggest hurdles implementing or changing your processes is
understanding your company's workflow. It always amazes me how many
companies do not have this well documented. Business process reengineering
will require changes to your processes and ideally will improve existing
workflow inefficiencies. Consider investing in objective research and
documentation before making any changes.
There is no single project plan that will work for every organization
or implementation. However, I would encourage you to explore the following
approaches:
- Invest in objective research and document your existing business
processes. Find out what the core business problems are.
- Bring in a consultant when you really need help understanding your
company's business processes and to help with an overall strategy.
- Avoid outside consultants with conflicts of interest.
- Send your staff to training (general and problem-specific). Define
new business processes to prepare for.
- If you plan to run the project in-house, think about bringing in a
project management advisor to help.
- Assess the impact of changes to the business. Determine risks vs.
benefits.
Use
a Business Assessment as your springboard to change...
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Mind Map Redux |
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 Wow! Lots of comments and
questions on last issues discussion on Mind Mapping. Thanks everyone
for your interest.
A recurring question was "What can I use it for?" Once you start
mind mapping, I'm sure you'll find all kinds of uses. So my first
response is download some software (I like MindManager) and start
investigating.
Executives, Managers and Self-Employed Business People
- outline projects, presentations, and speeches
- structure new ideas and strategies
- develop research programs
- lead, manage and communicate with others
- organize conferences and meetings
- create visual presentations
- facilitate creative brainstorming
Instructors and
Consultants
- Instructors can develop curricula, outline research and
illustrate key concepts to students with their Mind Maps.
- Consultants who specialize in training can use Mind Mapping in
management development training, skills training, self-management,
and scheduling.
Technical Workers
- who work with complex ideas and diverse information will
discover that creative Mind Management provides a unique approach
to data collection and correlation.
Try it, you'll like it!
WorkFlow
Mind Map »
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Book Report |
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 The Goal
by Eliyahu M.
Goldratt
Here's a book I re-read about every 4-5 years. It is a business
novel, that is, a fictional story describing real business
practices.
Alex Rogo manages a failing manufacturing plant, and his marriage
is on shaky ground due to his long work hours. When his district
manager tells him that profits must increase or the plant will be
closed, Alex realizes he needs help. He turns to Jonah, a former
professor, whom Alex discovers is now a management consultant. With
the help of Jonah and the plant staff, Alex turns the plant around
while at the same time abandoning many management principles he
previously thought were ironclad.
Peel away the story and you'll learn about the Theory of
Contraints. The author goes into detail describing how to identify
the constraint, how it impacts production, quality, and costs of
operations. While the story takes place in a production environment,
the theory and techniques can be used to resolve any process
problem.
You may want to pick up a companion book, The Race which
explains many of the theories without the trappings of Alex Rogo and
the rest of the players in the business novel. Then go on to the
sequel, It's Not Luck.
Get
it at Amazon »
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Have You Seen Your Projects? |
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 Project management doesn't get
the attention it deserves in small companies. In some situations,
owners, executives and managers don't realize that project
management efforts in their companies need improvement to be
effective. To identify whether project management needs attention to
reach its full benefit potential in your organization, answer the
following questions:
- Does your list of projects this year look a lot like last
year's project portfolio?
- Are you juggling too many projects?
- Are new project requests springing up every day?
- Do you lack confidence about dates and costs for your existing
projects?
If any of those questions draws a yes, it's a good time to review
your project management methodology and get control of the projects
ASAP.
PM
Help »
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You can quote me on that. . . . |
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 "In the business world, the rearview
mirror is always clearer than the windshield."
--Warren Buffett
"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a
person's determination."
--Tommy Lasorda
"Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective
management is carrying it out."
--Stephen Covey 
"There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits
of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder."
--Ronald Reagan
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What Bugs You? |
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 Thanks for your comments and
suggestions (and a little bitching now and then). It is only with
your comments, praises and complaints that I can get better.
Does anything in this newsletter or on the website bug you?
Nothing is too small or too big. If there is something I can fix,
I'd love to know. In fact, I'll give away a gift certificate worth
US$100 for the best bug report!
Thanks and let me know what you think.
What
Bugs You? »
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