Skip to main content

Posts

A good ERP system needs more than just training

I was engaged in a really interesting conversation this week about ERP systems and the need for training. We discussed the training gap that was evident and then got talking about the other things you need in a business in order for ERP to 'fly'...

Continuous Improvement - Bring Out The List!

I was grumbled at today for bringing out my trusty list. Do you use a list? I use them all the time; there is too much to remember otherwise! One of my favourite reasons for using a list however is to capture the amazing range of improvement ideas that float around my client's businesses.

Discussing Improvements Is A Really Good Idea!

I see ideas getting implemented in all kinds of different businesses. Some get great results, some don't. Some happen quickly, some don't. And do you know the main difference?

Personal Productivity - e-book free on Amazon Kindle today

My book ' Personal Productivity ' is free to download, via Amazon, until the end of the 19th of May 2015. To get your copy please visit:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0087CUBRA Enjoy, Giles Johnston Author of Personal Productivity

Can going slower help you to go faster (with process improvement)?

I had two really good examples of going slower to go faster * take place over the last few days. Have you experienced that feeling when you are trying to get so much done that you get very little done at all? We think that we're multi-tasking but instead we are really treading water and feeling overwhelmed.

Using a skills matrix to improve processes

Many times I will enter a business and I'll see a skills matrix on a noticeboard. Do you use them? Many of the skills matrices I see are out of date and under used. So, how about this for an idea?

What Can A Detached Retina Teach Us About Standard Operating Procedures?

I had a fascinating / terrifying personal experience very recently that had relevance to a meeting I had this week... about Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). A few weeks ago I was diagnosed as having a detached retina. Thankfully I live near to a superb hospital and they worked their magic on my poorly eye (and yes, I got to watch them as the whole procedure was done under local anaesthetic...). Which brings me to my conversation about SOPs.

A Routine Can Drive Business Performance

Can that be true? Can developing a business routine really help to drive the performance of a business? For many businesses, the answer is 'yes'!

What's the next improvement step?

Also available for iPad. Improvement plans can be overwhelming for many businesses. On top of the day to day activities that you need to complete, the 'continuous improvement' plan can easily be left to one side. After months of being busy the improvements don't happen and eventually something else will take priority and the opportunity to improve risks being lost.

Move Your Thinking From Transactions to Processes

One topic of discussion that I find most beneficial for my clients is getting them to move their thinking from transactions to processes. Businesses are full of transactions; products being bought and sold, items being manufactured and distributed. And of course there are other essential tasks like paying the workforce! When we get lost within the hurly-burly of transactional work, we can lose sight of the overarching business process. This process is what we need to focus on, in order to improve how the organisation performs.

Making The Unknowns Known

When your business takes on a new production order one of the immediate challenges is to ensure that all of the information you need to start the job is present. I call this 'making the unknowns known'.