At the end of many projects there is usually a rush to achieve the deadline. In many cases additional tasks seem to appear and make the task of completing a project on time a lot more difficult. A way around this is preparation; understanding what tasks need to be completed at the end of the project helps to reduce the amount of surprises encountered. If you work backwards from the fully completed project you usually find it is relatively straightforward to identify the steps that need to take place. Likewise, knowing how the project is meant to start effectively can also mean that there is less to do at the end. This is usually the most defined part of the project (as crystal balls work best with short horizons!), but often steps are missed out that mean that work has to happen at the end and not the start. In the middle of the project there will be the bulk of the activity, the recommendation here is to understand how you close out the tasks, to ensure that they don'

A Tyneside entrepreneur is helping North-East businesses become more efficient. Giles Johnston is MD of Smartspeed Consulting Ltd, based in Jarrow. The 34-year-old Chartered Engineer specialises in helping businesses become leaner and fitter. One of the techniques he uses is called Kaizen, which originates in Japan. The term means improvement or change for the better. Giles explains, “The concept is that of continuous improvement through incremental changes. Implemented properly, it helps overcome resistance to change because it is designed to allay fears and involve all concerned. “Kaizen is very different from the big scale command and control management style that has so dominated British Industry for decades. This is because the technique focuses on solving particular problems through a step-by-step process. “In short, it promotes nibbling change and not chewing off too much! “Kaizen is very much about involving the workers in finding solutions as opposed to management