Operational Efficiency
Benefits are at the centre of change
Benefits are at the centre of change. Organisations change because of the promise of benefits, or beneficial outcomes. Benefits matter. Disruption is worthwhile to gain efficiency, increase revenue, reduce cost, increase security, achieve growth, solve a big problem or create new products and services. We all like benefits which is why business cases are full…
Read MoreIs digital transformation real?
Is digital transformation real? Are the benefits achievable? Every few years there is a new management fad. How do we separate the hype from the value? We look at what digital transformation promises and what it delivers, so let’s do that. What is digital transformation? The full incorporation of computer-based technologies into your organisation’s products,…
Read MoreOptimisation is more than a buzzword
Optimisation is used a lot in marketing. It can be a meaningless buzzword but it does have a real meaning that matters. Optimisation makes the best use of a situation or makes a thing as good or effective as it can be. If we all did that, we could produce more with less. That would…
Read MoreCreating value is what really matters
The purpose of organisations is to create value. That seems obvious but if you take a close look at most workplaces you will see lots of time and money spent on things that don’t add value. Remote decision-making holds up work. Inventory ties up cash. Property is underutilised. Smart people can’t contribute fully. Processes aren’t…
Read MoreOrganisational Improvement – 4 operating modes
Improving organisational capability is critical to raise productivity. Organisational improvement occurs in different ways. The language of disruption is common but true disruption creates new markets and industries. Most firms don’t do that. They adapt and change but they do so on a smaller scale. Four Operating Modes for Organisational Improvement I find that organisations…
Read MoreProcess Maps: The Importance of Clarity
Business process maps are a high-level visual representation of the flow of a business process and the different people, teams, or organisations involved in it. These diagrams help simplify complex processes. A process map lets anyone see, at a glance, how things happen and who does what without any prior subject area or technical knowledge.…
Read MoreImplementing Strategy: Balancing Innovation and Efficiency
Leading successful change can be paradoxical. There is a drive to disrupt the status quo while embedding new ways of working. Familiar processes get upturned and new processes need to be learned. We replace systems with new ones and map and transform data to fit. People have to give up their habits and behaviours and…
Read MoreCutting Costs while Adding Value: Is it possible?
Can we reduce costs and add value at the same time? Yes. You can. But it takes some objectivity, some research and reflection and a willingness to change. Cutting costs while providing more value sounds counter-intuitive but it need not be. My experience in consulting, and in management prior to that, is that necessity is…
Read MoreThe Value of Quantifying Waste
The city I live in has a big problem with its water pipes. The region’s water provider, Wellington Water, estimates 45% of the drinking water it supplies is lost through damaged pipes. The loss is from over 3,000 leaks in the water mains, not dripping taps on private property. Historic underinvestment, messy governance and an…
Read MoreFocus your Business on your Value Proposition
I moved into a new apartment recently and took on the internet account. What I thought would have been a simple, user-friendly task, unfortunately, was far from it. I’ve never seen something so simple made so difficult. The internet service provider’s (ISP’s) business processes are so poor. The customer is not the focus at all. …
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