Benchmarking is a cost-effective methodology to introduce better practices in an organization. Every year, of the annual revenues, companies achieve ten percent. According to consulting firms, these are the companies, which invest in successfully implementing quality initiatives. Research on benchmarking, highlights numerous successful practices across a variety of dimensions of business improvement and management. This […]
Conflict is a natural human condition. That conflict naturally occurs in the business environment. Just like in personal relationships, conflict in business relationships can become a destructive force. This is especially destructive when that conflict occurs between top leaders or the founders of an organization. That negative energy and environment can take a wildly successful […]
“…the more things remain the same.” As they gathered around the salad bar, one employee said, “that must be the umpteenth announcement this month.” One of the senior employees smiled. “Don’t worry. It’s all talk. There’s never any follow-through. Trust me, I’ve been here long enough. Things will NEVER change around here.” We remembered conversations […]
How many times have you heard that statement? You get what you give. It is like a life mantra we have heard since our childhood. When you think about the customer experience, the old adage could never be more applicable. The problem is that as we grow, those words of wisdom get diluted in the […]
Consider a situation where a number of different factors (called predictor or independent variables) interplay to determine an outcome (called the criterion or dependent variable). Depending on what the factors are different outcomes may be achieved. For example, the price at which a house sells (the criterion) may be determined by a number of factors […]
Background With billions invested in manufacturing across the world and a lot of talk about Quality Assurance, there is immense focus on what goes on at the production floor space. ‘Statistical Quality Control (SQC)’, ‘total Quality Management’, ‘Zero Defects’ and techniques for Inspection focus on similar issues: How to reduce the number of errors? How […]
Understanding the Trap Leadership failure can happen more often than you think. According to a recent survey, over 40% of new Chief Executive Officers (CEO) fail within their first 18 months. That is a very powerful statement! Newly hired CEO’s enter the arena with confidence and attitude that is success focused. They wouldn’t have gotten […]
Introduction Products have to be consumer centric. The manufacturers of any product must have a clear idea of what purpose their product is promising to serve. In other words, a clear-cut definition of the functionality of the product is very important. A pudding is good only if the person who is eating approves it (in […]
Are You Preparing? Leadership is often misunderstood. Often times, people define leaders as those appointed to positions of authority above them. It is expected that if you hold a position of authority, then you are a leader. Those same people then follow those in positions above them, with sometimes reluctant obedience. They see that their […]
Need for Failure Assessment Traditionally, a lot of emphasis was placed on designing a product. Those who planned ahead of time were given a pat on the back. Then, most of the effort was positioned towards manufacturing the product. Lastly, the product was checked for any defects or areas where quality was compromised. This cycle […]
Hiring a Police Officer Hiring a police officer can be a lengthy and costly process. Unlike many traditional professional hiring situations, the process for hiring a police officer is lengthy and detailed. A hiring agency must go through a multitude of steps with excruciating detail to ensure they have a candidate that is suitable for […]
When considering the many barriers to change efforts, a leader can become overwhelmed and easily frustrated. However, most of these barriers can be categorized into three areas, making them seem, perhaps, more manageable. These three categories include cognition, motivation, and obligations. Cognition deals with the way people think. It is understandable that many people hold […]
There is no dearth of advice and wisdom from marketers when it comes to product branding. Open the business section of your newspaper or surf to a marketing site and you’re bound to come across articles on the subject. We’re not sure though if anyone has discussed product branding within the framework of Six Sigma. […]
Years ago, a tennis coach told us that the follow-through was just as important as hitting the ball from the racket’s “sweet spot.” He described the follow-through as the swinging of the racket so that the racket ends upward, way above your shoulders. It was much better than hitting the ball and letting your elbows […]
Finding the Balance Lean and Six Sigma concepts are well understood in many business situations. Each concept has found its place and proven their value. Lean does its part, focusing on improving the process and eliminating waste. Six Sigma performs its role by eliminating variable in the process. Organizations implement each strategy differently, based on […]
Uncovering the Cover Up Customers. What do they really know? Fact is, my business is doing just fine and am pretty confident there aren’t any issues. Oh, I have a few ‘difficult’ customers, but I really don’t worry about them. They cause us more problems than there are worth in sales, so it really doesn’t […]
The Qualities We Seek Leadership. What is it and how do we get it? The concept is one of the most debatable subjects in business today. As individuals, we lean toward what we like. Your personality gravitates towards like personalities and that is where you find your comfort zone. Fact is, no one find success […]
Developing a Concept Can we change the old ways of manufacturer pricing? The impact of Lean manufacturing principles is well established. Manufacturers who follow Lean principles create significant profitability improvements over time, all while meeting and exceeding customer expectations. Can those same Lean principles and practices be applied to pricing and achieve the same type […]
Sharpening Your Skills Training is one of the most crucial habits you must practice on a daily basis to become a valued professional. If you look at the most successful business leaders, you will find that they place a high value on personal and professional development. They set aside time daily to practice their craft, […]
Are You Investing in Your Future? No matter what you read or hear about highly successful people, there are common habits they practice which can be directly attributed to their success. They have a determined, focused drive to be the best and their habits are religiously practiced. One of the most valuable habits highly successful […]
