| |
| |
|
Strategic Planning Information |
|
|
|
Business Process Methodologies
I've either been involved with or held a process-related role since 1994. It started in the government with TQM (Total Quality Management). Then before I left the government, I worked with ERWin and some process standard model -- I've forgotten its official name. We had pages and pages of flows that were not easy to follow. In 1997, we worked with a fancy software application that was not user-friendly and spit out huge process maps. In 1998, I joined another company and the department had its own process for managing process additions, changes, and deletions. The organization got much bigger and then we dove into CMM. I've written several articles on process. I bring this up because Will pointed me to this, which led to my finding Katie's version of RUP: Step 1: Write about running really fast. Step 2: Go and draw a plan of the racetrack. Step 3: Go and buy really tight lycra shorts. Step 4: Run really, really, really fast. Step 5: Cross line first. Unfortunately, the outcome of RUP is that you end up with extremely well documented TERRIBLE designs. This blog has the best quote: "Process won't help you if you suck. It will just make you suck more repeatably." I believe process is important and necessary. Documenting everything doesn't help because no one studies the document. We're too busy with our own little world. It's the new employees who benefit most. Anyway, templates are useful to ensure you consistently document with every project and remember all the components. If you can make it better, do it! There's always a better way of doing something. That's why we have CPI: Continuous process improvement. The hard part is finding an effective way to do things and documenting it. Meryl K. Evans is the Content Maven behind meryl's notes, eNewsletter Journal, and The Remediator Security Digest. She is also a PC Today columnist and a tour guide at InformIT. She is geared to tackle your editing, writing, content, and process needs. The native Texan resides in Plano, Texas, a heartbeat north of Dallas, and doesn't wear a 10-gallon hat or cowboy boots.
MORE RESOURCES:
Strategic-Planning - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
In Business Planning, Competition is Good When developing the competition section of your business plan, companies must define competition correctly, select the appropriate competitors to analyze, and explain its competitive advantages.To start, companies must align their definition of competition with investors. Corporate Contingency Planning Part 1A few weeks ago I attended a seminar sponsored by Independent Solutions Insurance Inc (Edmonton) entitled "Seminar On Disaster Preparedness", during this seminar I heard stories from individual company owners who told us of their misfortunes and how they coped with their crisis. In both cases these crisis were caused by accident, however, a potential catastrophe nonetheless. Online Promotion: 10 Ways To Use Focus Groups To Ignite Your Profits A focus group is a group of employees or current customers that discuss and brainstorm new ways to improve different parts of your business.Below are online promotion secrets to use focus groups for marketing intelligence. 6 Steps To Laying Out Your Competitive Strategy Why do so many companies languish and watch as their business turns into a zero profit zone, while others seem to thrive?When you look at your business, whether it's a new venture or a company with a long history, can you answer the following questions?What does my company do better than anyone else?What unique value do I provide to my customers?How will I increase that value next year?Companies that fail to answer these questions, and don't believe they are of paramount importance, relegate themselves to marginal profitability at best and failure at worst. But companies that can answer these questions are able to raise the value bar for their customers and reap the benefits of success. 6 Changes You Can Make to Increase Business Profits I read once that something like 30 percent of all drinkable water gets wasted on the way to the consumer by leaky pipes. Likewise, your business may be letting potential revenue drip away, to be lost forever, all over the place. Vision Getting Dim? A recent conversation started with a typical question, "How's business?" The reply was equally typical and prefaced by a sigh, "You know (another sigh), same old / same old."Clearly the person responding has "VCD" or "Vision Challenge Disorder. The Power of Strategic Thinking: Creating Meaningful Success Too much goal setting and strategic planning can leave you feeling like you're working against the forces of nature; too little and you end up where you never intended to be-with a life or business that is bigger, smaller, or different than what you genuinely desire. Though getting you and your organization where you most want them to be at any given time can be hard work it can also be exhilarating. Site Selection and Demographic Tips for Establishing Outlets Many cities have home pages on the Internet. Many of these cities use these sites to promote their town. Sony's PSI Project In 1989, Sony founded its Institute of Wisdom at the request of its founder Masaharu Ibuka and former chairman Akio Morita.What the Institute did was something only whispered for a time. College Students and Graduates to Run Company Outlets or Franchises Does your overall business strategy include the recruitment of college students to run your locations? Are you a franching company and looking for young, talented, hardworking and dedicated franchisees? There are some things to think about before you deploy such a strategy. There are both positives and negatives to focusing your recruitment efforts on college students, for instance best reason's to use college students include some of the following:They May Have Rich Parents Who Can Pay Outright For A Franchise;They May Have Parents Who Are Willing To Co-Sign For A Franchise;They are Young With Plenty Of Energy;They Have Little Business Experience And Will Not Try To Rewrite Our System;They Are Used To A Very Structured Environment;They Want To Succeed;They Might Have A Business Degree;They Are Sociable Animals And Good With People;They Will Study Our Operations Manual Cover To Cover;They Will Make Two To Three Times As Much With A Franchise Than Their First Corporate Job;They Love To Have Fun And This Is A Fun Job. The Top Five Reasons Strategic Plans Fail "Most great plans aren't. They are just nice, high-level ideas. The Six Sigma Method and Design of Experiments Six Sigma is becoming a proven approach for businesses and organizations to improve their performance. The spectrum of companies actively engaging in Six Sigma today is wide from industrials like Celanese, Caterpillar, GE, Honeywell, and 3M to service/retail organizations like Starwood Hotels, Sears, and Home Depot. SWOT Analysis Is No Magic 8 Ball Q: A key investor in my business has suggested that I hire a consultant to do a SWOT Analysis to help plan for the future. I try not to argue with my investors, but I'm not so sure I need to have this done. Nine Succession Planning Mistakes Small Businesses Should Avoid 1. Attempt Succession Planning Without Other Strategic Plans. Are You Aware of Planning in Business? Human beings are rational agents. Rationality endorses one to take up planning in every sphere of life from shifting to a new house to marriage, as well as business. How to Grow Your Business by Clearing the Way to Growth Is your business growing as fast and effectively as it could, or is it stuck at the same level it has been at for years? Research (Larry Greiner, 1972) has discovered 5 specific stages of business growth. Most business never grow beyond the second level. Connecting Your Offline Business to Your Online Business These may sound like no brainers, but you'd be surprised. No matter how high-tech your business has become, there is no doubt you still have some non-electronic aspects of your company. Laying It Out On Paper You might be thinking to yourself, "Why should I waste my time writing a business plan? I know what (web designers, freelance writers, professional organizers) do!" Knowing intellectually what your industry is all about and pinpointing exactly where you want your business to go are two entirely different propositions.Something happens when you empty vague ideas out of your head and SOLIDIFY them on paper. Microsoft Great Plains Implementation: Healthcare/Hospital example - overview for consultant Microsoft Great Plains fits multiple services market niche and healthcare is not exemption. In the case of Healthcare/Hospital there is usually healthcare patient history tracking system in place and backoffice or accounting application should be integrated on the ongoing basis with the above mentioned system plus often Hospital or association is non-profit organization and non-for-profit accounting specifics should be taken into consideration. Clearing the Path: 4 Ways Fear Wreaks Havoc on Your Dream and What to Do About It Please take a moment before you read any further and answer these three simple questions:1. Are you making daily progress towards accomplishing your business vision?2.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |