Having just finished a distance learning version of the Business Architecture training I thought it was worth talking about the delivery process and technology.
Being it was 121 facilitated via VOIP and screen sharing I was pleasantly surprised at the effectiveness of teaching like this. The learning management system provided bespoke material to the learner and made an easy place to leave material to be browsed securely whilst between sessions.
The Skype worked well as the new version 5 seems to be bug free and didn't have any of the disappointments of the previous versions ; no video freezes or issues whilst flicking from video to screen share. Whether I would use this for larger groups is another question but some of the more familiar commercial versions of web conferencing are a bit pricey for low casual use like this.
Upsides are substantially lower delivery costs and therefore lower pricing for the client, no travel costs no venue charges, overnight accommodation or travel time to be billed. A classroom event needs a minimum number of people to make it financially fly; so this is ideal for individuals particularly those who are self funding.
The other upside was it fitted the clients time scheduling an hour session once a week - well we often over ran in reality but that was OK - as long as value was perceived I am happy with that.
Downsides are you loose the flow and ebb of group discussion facilitated by social interaction over a more traditional residential delivery model. Kinaesthetic exercises obviously are not so clever and neither is syndicate work for obvious reasons; syndicates with one member aren't that effective!
Overall from a trainers point of view this approach has some merits and we will be pursuing it further as part of the mix of offering.
Monday, 6 December 2010
Strategy and the SME
I have been putting some material together for a business strategy unit and it contains the usual candidates Ansoff, BC Matrices, SWOT and Pestle; most of the literature is written about big corporates and very little on smaller organisations SMEs and even less on micro businesses and in particular life style businesses. Banks don't seem to understand life style businesses underwriting loans based on balance sheets rather than income generation.
It seems that many seem to look down on life style businesses and yet these form much of the small business economy. In fact if you look at your average local authority facilitated business group most of the members will be life style businesses.
What is needed in terms of a strategic point of view is a different perspective on some of the techniques deployed which are clearly emphasise on growth and value creation. Lifestyle businesses give focus to enjoyment of an activity that a so called lifestyle business creates. i.e. the fun or delivery of an activity, perhaps an interest or hobby, that also creates income is clearly a different matter.
I don't think corporate types and bankers should look down their noses so much on these businesses; lets face it making a living doing something you enjoy rather than commuting up to London three hours a day and attending meetings filled with corporate group think isn't really all that clever - is it?
SMEs and lifestyle businesses at the smaller end of the SME spectrum have specific strategic and tactical issues that need addressing.
These ideas need to be explored more and my new unit will contain some thinking on this as well as the traditional blue chip large corporate approaches.
It seems that many seem to look down on life style businesses and yet these form much of the small business economy. In fact if you look at your average local authority facilitated business group most of the members will be life style businesses.
What is needed in terms of a strategic point of view is a different perspective on some of the techniques deployed which are clearly emphasise on growth and value creation. Lifestyle businesses give focus to enjoyment of an activity that a so called lifestyle business creates. i.e. the fun or delivery of an activity, perhaps an interest or hobby, that also creates income is clearly a different matter.
I don't think corporate types and bankers should look down their noses so much on these businesses; lets face it making a living doing something you enjoy rather than commuting up to London three hours a day and attending meetings filled with corporate group think isn't really all that clever - is it?
SMEs and lifestyle businesses at the smaller end of the SME spectrum have specific strategic and tactical issues that need addressing.
These ideas need to be explored more and my new unit will contain some thinking on this as well as the traditional blue chip large corporate approaches.
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
Security and productivity
An organisation that restricts access from the outside in terms of emails both in and out although best intentioned creates great delays and extended delivery times when it tries to work with outside suppliers or contractors. What happens here is an organistion that has made a decision, usually by risk people, who have not considered the consequences to the organisation as a whole.
It then begins to complain when deadlines are missed as working productivity dives for the partner as it sends its staff into the client building 200 miles away to use a PC; after of course the obligatory 6 weeks it takes to set up a new user. When companies are paying time and materials just why do they do this?
The decision may well be right; but has the downsides been discussed and agreed, or is this a risk decision made without recognition of the overall needs.
A colleague once said "the easiest job for a risk manager is to say no - the real skill in risk is in knowing when to say yes".
It then begins to complain when deadlines are missed as working productivity dives for the partner as it sends its staff into the client building 200 miles away to use a PC; after of course the obligatory 6 weeks it takes to set up a new user. When companies are paying time and materials just why do they do this?
The decision may well be right; but has the downsides been discussed and agreed, or is this a risk decision made without recognition of the overall needs.
A colleague once said "the easiest job for a risk manager is to say no - the real skill in risk is in knowing when to say yes".
Wednesday, 27 October 2010
Value Add Very Low Percentage of Cycle Time PCE%
When you first explain that the amount of value add in a process is often less than 5% the rest being waste you get some odd looks as if "that can't be possible surely".
Well, if you take the total cycle time i.e. the time the process takes from initiation by a customer until when the customer considers it finished and then see what time is spent adding value from the customers perspective then 5% in service processes is the norm. Sound bad well it is.
This is known as the process cycle efficiency figure PCE %
Why am I thinking of this today? Well my son has need of some orthodental work and we have been for yet another appointment.
This all started five months ago, we still await some actual work to be done, the rest has been in consultations and differences of opinions across three health silos.
In fact the value add so far is about 1.5 hours i.e. time in the chair so to speak; the rest is in waiting caused by queing and unfortunately delays caused by defects in process due to poor communication between seperate dentists and othodontists working in different practices.
So, even by being kind in removing weekends and non working hours! the process cycle efficiency is at about 0.18% and we still haven't achieved much yet either!
The waste to the NHS is another matter; poor letter writing and mis-communication, confusion as to who should be responsible for doing the x rays, asumptions of what has done whom and what each party thinks the other is responsible for adds to the list of delays and obvious cost of this "should be" simple process.
No wonder the NHS costs so much. Why of why do they make such a meal of everything!
Well, if you take the total cycle time i.e. the time the process takes from initiation by a customer until when the customer considers it finished and then see what time is spent adding value from the customers perspective then 5% in service processes is the norm. Sound bad well it is.
This is known as the process cycle efficiency figure PCE %
Why am I thinking of this today? Well my son has need of some orthodental work and we have been for yet another appointment.
This all started five months ago, we still await some actual work to be done, the rest has been in consultations and differences of opinions across three health silos.
In fact the value add so far is about 1.5 hours i.e. time in the chair so to speak; the rest is in waiting caused by queing and unfortunately delays caused by defects in process due to poor communication between seperate dentists and othodontists working in different practices.
So, even by being kind in removing weekends and non working hours! the process cycle efficiency is at about 0.18% and we still haven't achieved much yet either!
The waste to the NHS is another matter; poor letter writing and mis-communication, confusion as to who should be responsible for doing the x rays, asumptions of what has done whom and what each party thinks the other is responsible for adds to the list of delays and obvious cost of this "should be" simple process.
No wonder the NHS costs so much. Why of why do they make such a meal of everything!
So 5% PCE in service industries is quite good really!!
Answer: improve communication and manage the process from end to end not within silos.
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
IGrafx Reference Models
I had a call from Trevor Moore of IGX solutions today he informs me IGrafx are providing some reference models in their process modelling suite.
The models are for ITIL and SAP they are also working on a Solvency 2 model.
This is going to save loads of time for people implementing one initiative or another rather than having to start from scratch and pay the high consulting bills for the IP. this approach looks an interesting development.
The models are for ITIL and SAP they are also working on a Solvency 2 model.
This is going to save loads of time for people implementing one initiative or another rather than having to start from scratch and pay the high consulting bills for the IP. this approach looks an interesting development.
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