It is a sorry fact that many projects fail because the team members don't have enough time to dedicate to the project, in addition to doing their day jobs. This is particularly true if the appointed Project Manager also has a day job to do.
If your resources are stretched, we can assist you by managing your key projects on a contract basis, either full time or part time.
ProcessPilot is a unique software application which gives management an overview of the current status of each piece of work whilst assisting the user to plan and schedule their work SIMPLY!
ProcessPilot can also be used to map and schedule standard repeating processes - brilliant support for new or temporary staff members.
Whether you have formally defined them, or not, processes are at the heart of your business - an obvious fact. They are there in the background, the same as they've always been. When did you last review them? Within the last year? The last five years?
Maybe you regularly analyse your sale processes, incorporating the latest hand held technology to ensure that you gain maximum utilisation of your CRM system. But what about all the other 'back office' processes, your manufacturing processes and W&D. How do you measure up against your competition? Perhaps you've recently started to outsource parts of your business processes to agencies or suppliers - have you reviewed the resultant, more complex, process to ensure that it is efficient as it could be?
What about your marketing processes? These are often not as formalised as those in Operations and may not be properly documented. How do the members of your marketing team interact with their agencies? Do they all work the same way? Unlikely- why should they. However, there is a difference between having a 'loose' relationship with the agency and 'relying' on the agency to do most of the work (which, of course, your company pays for!). Doesn't happen in your company? Don't bet your pension on it!
If you have defined processes, with defined roles and responsibilities, the marketing team and the agency can work together more efficiently, knowing which tasks each other should (and should not) be doing within the overall process. This does not restrict creativity but does ensure that everyone follows a pre-agreed process, however loosely. Most importantly, it massively reduces duplication of effort and quickly facilitates formal inductions for new staff members. This will save your company a lot of money which can be re-invested behind your brands.
How effective are your staff at working with processes?
Are the processes documented?
If they are, do your people know where to look when they have a query?
Are Roles and Responsibilities defined?
How much duplication is involved because 'that vital document' isn't where it should be?
How often has somebody used an outdated version of a form or template?
When somebody leaves, who trains the new person? Chinese whispers, anyone?
If the person who usually does a particular job is on holiday, who takes over - how do they know what to do if something goes wrong?
Effective Efficiency can help you to review where you are and give you objective insight into how you might go about reducing waste (profit...) and increasing the efficiency of your processes.
We can facilitate 'Value Stream Mapping' workshops. We'll jointly review your existing processes and identify the waste. We will jointly define and map the agreed 'To Be' process, identifying any elements that could be outsourced and any efficiencies that may be gained through utilising an IT system to automate parts of the process.
We can advise where process automation would be appropriate and suggest a suitable technology to use.
The company/agency interface is a critical element in your marketing effort. We can review these interfaces for you and suggest ways to tighten up the process.
We run Efficiency Workshops which will demonstrably improve team working and intra-team working within the departments.
ProcessPilot, our VERY simple to use software application, can be used to assist 'non project managers' to run 'projects'. This will help them to manage the process, prompting them when they need to carry out a task. And lots more ...
Interested? If you recognise any of the scenarios above, why not get in touch?
Process