Latest Articles
- Information – an Office’s Gold
As America moves to service based industries the raw materials needed to bring a service or product to market is information. This is the “gold” in an office. With today’s technology we are able to collect, measure and quantify our leads and customers. The question then becomes what do we do with that information?
- BPs Lack of Seeing the Big Picture
No matter what side of the political fence you fall, BP failed to take the proper quality control measures. As the weeks pass more information is coming to light how the organization cut corners with safety to keep costs down. Safety is not the place to take short cuts. In the long run this can cost you thousands of dollars and possibly your business. In BP’s case it is running in the billions not to mention what it is doing for their stock value. The ramification of poor quality control is costly. So how could a corporation
- Make Your Bottom Line Grow
No matter what size your organization doing things as efficiently as possible is not only ideal it is necessary in the new world economy. One area that can be significantly improved is the office. In fact, 60 to 80% of costs associated with providing a service or product to market is administrative. If you were able to reduce these by one third how much could you increase your cash flow?
- Proper Planning Can Ensure Success
Planning is the backbone of success. Not doing it can cost thousands of dollars, man hours and resources. Proper planning can save you money, increase your cash flow and help fulfill your mission. Here is a simple tool to aid in ensuring your success.
- Working Between Departments Means Faster Cash Flow
When you look at a traditional organizational chart it has silos which contain various departments and the people overseeing and working in those departments. In today’s business climate where information is your company’s gold this can be troublesome. Why, because the right hand may not know what the left hand is doing. We have all [...]
Croll Productive Synergy Blog
Blog Cloud Index | Tags | Blog Archive | Blog RSS
Our Monthly Blog Article is now on ProductiveSynergy.biz!
Information An Office's Gold
August 04, 2010, at 03:08 PM
I have been working with many clients that struggle with having an effective way to manage their data so it becomes an actionable tool. This led me to thinking about how to explain an effective data model. Check out this latest article to see what is the optimum information flow for maximum leverage.
BP’s Lack of Seeing the Big Picture
July 08, 2010, at 11:07 AM
I have been reading articles and listening to the BP disaster coverage and I am continuously surprised at the shortfall in quality control. I synthesized this information and came up with my new blog article:
No matter what side of the political fence you fall, BP failed to take the proper quality control measures. As the weeks pass more information is coming to light how the organization cut corners with safety to keep costs down. Safety is not the place to take short cuts. Click Here to read the article.
Make Your Bottom Line Grow
May 27, 2010, at 11:05 AM
I want to take you on a Lean Office journey. Imagine happy customers whose orders are fulfilled quickly. Employees enjoy their job, focus on satisfying you and your customers and have clear expectations of their roles. By using Lean Office principles & productivity tools you can create a friction free environment where everything flows smoothly. Click HERE to read my newest article on how to Take on more clients with less resources.
Proper Planning Can Ensure Success
April 27, 2010, at 12:04 PM
I just attended the ADO Conference last week and my insistence on planning to help ensure success is imperative to the desired outcome of any project was validated. Proper planning was stressed during all the workshops I attended especially in the campaign planning segment. One of the attendee’s in the campaign workshop was having difficulty because they did not perform a feasibility study for the fundraising goal. They did not discovered this pitfall until well into the campaign. This type of issue is not isolated to nonprofits. I find this to be an ongoing challenge across all business segments. Click here to read article.
Working Between Departments Means Faster Cash Flow
April 01, 2010, at 04:04 PM
As I finish my final touches on the Croll Productive Synergy organizational chart it is even more clear to me how important it is to share information between departments or areas. I use various outsourced services that if the information flow only remained in that department it would cause problems and reduce productivity. Below are some solutions for moving beyond your silos and maximizing your staff. Click here to read article.
People are Still the Most Powerful “Computers” Around
February 26, 2010, at 12:02 PM
I receive fantastic articles from Harvard Business and recently they had an article on this subject. I was not surprised that with the right combination of tools and human capital that they prevail against a chess supercomputer that has reined king for years. It all came down to a good process, the right tools and people using their minds. Many organizations are working on developing a computer that can simulate a human brain. So far, no Star Trek’s Data. Click here to read the article.
Where Did Toyota Go Wrong?
February 07, 2010, at 10:02 AM
Unless you are under a rock you have been hearing about the Toyota recall. This disturbed me because they have been the leader in quality and what a Lean enterprise looks like. So I did some research to see what went wrong.
As I have been learning all of the wonderful tools and innovation that Toyota brought to manufacturing I am astounded to say the least. And up until now their quality was unsurpassed. What happened? I was reading an article from the Harvard Business Review by Sean Silverthorne on this very subject. Apparently, a significant contributor to this accelerator problem was Toyota leadership abandoned their quality driven system for increased market share. This wonderful thing called capitalism comes with an underlying price – manufacturer responsibility to the consumer’s safety. Toyota let themselves be lured by increasing market share instead of their customer first ideals. I wonder if the leadership seriously considering the long term consequences of this direction.
“The flush of catching up to Ford and General Motors, coupled with a boom in demand, led Toyota's leaders to put sales growth above quality. Senior leaders became focused on becoming first in sales with a 15% share of global sales. This meant that new products had to be introduced more quickly, new plants had to be opened more rapidly, and supply networks had to be expanded more aggressively. We're now seeing the consequences of those decisions.” - Learning from Toyota's Stumble by Steven Spear
Another automaker that lost its credibility was Audi. “Volkswagen AG’s Audi luxury brand spent 15 years rebuilding U.S. sales after sudden-acceleration incidents in the 1980s almost wiped out demand, a possible sign of the difficult times Toyota Motor Corp. faces. Audi’s U.S. deliveries plunged 83 percent by 1991 from their peak in 1985 following recalls of the German automaker’s 5000 sedan. A class-action lawsuit in 1987 by Audi owners seeking compensation is still being fought.” Audi 1980s Scare May Mean Lost Generation for Toyota by Andreas Cremer and Tom Lavell.
Toyota was the industry example of how to run a manufacturing business at optimum performance. When they upheld Lean principles of the customer first in on all levels of their processes it was reflected in the quality of their product. Not just in production, but design and marketing. This Lean philosophy was translated into profit, brand loyalty and an impeccable reputation. They were truly a lean enterprise. I fear that they have now become just another automaker. Toyota is reexamining what made them great. However, it will still take years to recover from the brand damage now done.
Toyota is a clear example of what not to do when you have a successful business model. All companies can be what Toyota was and hopefully will become again. Before this recall Toyota had 15% of the global market. Amazing. On a local level, think of what is would be like to increase your market share just by doing things Lean. If you were able to set up best practices, reduce or eliminate mistakes, full utilization of staff, etc. how would that help you become an industry leader? The question to ask yourself is am I the Toyota of yesterday or the Toyota of today? This applies for service business too. Which one are you?
Capacity Building in an Unfriendly Economic Environment
January 15, 2010, at 06:01 PM
I have worked with nonprofits in the past and the new economic environment is extremely challenging for them. One of the ways I am looking to help nonprofits is through capacity building. Right now I am working with a producer Paul Ellis who is also a proficient grant writer. We were discussing the other day how funding cuts and downsizing is hurting the nonprofits across the board.
When I watch all the services and programs that are no longer available it becomes even more clear how much we need these nonprofits to pick up the slack. Who knows, one day it could be someone we know or ourselves who may need temporary or long term help from one of these organizations.
With this in mind I have written an article on capacity building in an unfriendly economic environment. I have other articles that are available through ezine or our Blog archives.
With the New Year here and many mature businesses not, we must reflect on what has to be done to operate effectively with out current resources all while taking advantage of the opportunities left behind from closed competitors. The silver lining is the opportunity to build capacity and increase market share. For non-profits this means providing more services for the community with the current resources.
Operating a Lean Enterprise means that you have a competitive edge, maximize your resources and reduce your overall costs. Why having a lean organization is significant is that 60 to 80% of costs associated with bringing a product or service to market is administrative. If you can reduce the waste this makes a big impact on your bottom line. This is common knowledge in the private sector but what is capacity building for the nonprofit sector?
This has become a very important topic for non-profits all over the country. As budgets shrink and donations decrease our non-profits are expected to do more with less. The disconcerting part is no one is telling them how. All processes and systems need to support the mission and strategic plan. For an organization to thrive everything including office work needs to be in alignment. In the nonprofit arena some of the areas that would contribute to capacity building are: communication, computer systems, technology issues, management systems, process improvements and changes. Implementing Lean Office allows a nonprofit to serve their community and do it well.
If you are an organization that has inefficient, outdated procedures this consumes time, resources, staff and equipment. As part of reexamining your operations, looking for opportunities to streamline is essential. What are some of the types of things you should be looking for? Low hanging fruit such as excessive mistakes, rework, motion and waiting. Ask the managers what the goal of their department is. Why do they feel it is not being met? Then go ask the people doing the job day in and day out. You will get a picture of where your waste is hiding.
With manufacturing it is obvious when there is waste. In an office you have to review your procedures, technology and policies. In an organization that has to adhere to inefficient regulations the challenge becomes how to be productive in spite of the regulations. What can you improve that you have control over? Do a waste audit in your organization. For a list and description of the different wastes visit Wikipedia and do a search for “Lean Services, The Service Wastes”. You will be amazed where waste is hiding in your office.
This is a new world economy. Those organizations that can do more with less and effectively utilize their staff, tools and resources will come out soaring. Being a Lean Enterprise is no longer an option but a necessity. Take a look at how your organizations can be an industry leader.
Lean Office - The Relentless Pursuit of Common Sense
December 31, 2009, at 06:12 PM
I was meeting with a colleague who said a very interesting quote but he could not remember what the origin was. “Lean – The relentless pursuit of common sense”.
As you can see that became to title of this article. I had a realization that what is considered common sense to one person or personality type is not for someone else. I thought of all the jokes about the difference between men and women. Being married I chuckled. This is the age old problem of what is “Lean Common Sense” and what is a traditional office environment.
Take a look at my article on Ezine...click here to learn more
What is Value Stream Mapping and How Can it Help Me Increase Profits?
December 31, 2009, at 06:12 PM
I am working with Tyramm International on developing the infrastructure maps for all their processes. As part of this project we have to decipher what the possible issues and delays are. Almost like using a “what if” crystal ball.
We developed a mind map of all the different areas that we would need to explore. We started with the customer fulfillment of orders first. Being that is revenue based no wonder that was top of the list. We used what is called a Value Stream Map to help us determine the flow of information and what actions where required to make it happen. We also looked at the lead and process times for this area. I wanted to share with others how powerful a tool this is. Check out my article on Ezine. ...click here to learn more