Broken Systems Don't Fix Themselves
Have you ever thought about what constitutes a "system" – and what to do when one or more pieces of a system break?
Have you ever thought about what constitutes a "system" – and what to do when one or more pieces of a system break?
Have you ever wondered why certain things are done a particular way in one company, yet not another?
In a specialized world, are generalists still needed? Or are they needed more than ever?
We've been taught that greed is bad. If being greedy helped you solve a problem more quickly, would you consider that bad – or good?
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Increasing Customer Satisfaction by Improving Sales Order vs. Inventory Allocations.
How closely do Activities correlate with Results? What factors might affect a correlation between the two?
Tropical Storms Florence and Michael, while having similar rainfall, had one very significant difference. What was it, and how does it apply to business?
When you come across a bug in an application, what's your reaction? Annoyance? Satisfaction? Something else?
You've likely heard the phrase, "Good things come in small packages." You might also wonder "How does that apply to books?"
Many service providers will refer to the companies and persons they serve as "clients" instead of "customers." What's the difference? Does it make a difference?
When you hire a consultant or other specialist and the deliverable is an intangible, how do you “see” what’s invisible?
Early planes had few navigation aids, so pilots had to use their best judgement to fly successfully – thus, the origin of the term "fly by the seat of your pants." What is today's business equivalent of flying without navigation aids? What aids might enable you to fly your business better?
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Improving Planning, Accountability, and Profitability Using Workflow Automation.
You've probably heard the old saw, "Plan your work and work your plan." Sounds good – but wouldn't it be better if you communicated your plan, too?
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Improving Warehouse and Shipping Efficiency Through Web-Based Scheduling Application.
Do you think of yourself as a hero – especially in your workplace? Regardless of your answer, you are probably more heroic than you think ...
You’ve made the decision – you’ve undertaken a system integration project to more tightly align People, Process, and Technology. What's your best bet to capitalize on a successful implementation?
Close counts in horseshoes! In business, how close do you need to be to score?
Can three different clients, with three different needs, have the same overall goal? Absolutely!
Is a picture truly worth a thousand words? Given a choice, would you rather read one thousand words, or look at one well-done picture?
What is nearly every sales manager's biggest headache? Getting her sales reps to hold margin.
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Improving Margin and Standardizing Processes Through A Web-Based Quoting Application.
Further Thoughts on the "The Hottest Topic in Business Today"
Redefining "The Hottest Topic in Business Today"
Make your life easier! Say "Good-bye" to your over-dependence on spreadsheets!
Sometimes, brute force gets a job done. Sometimes, a little finesse is all it takes. Other times, you need to combine the two to accomplish your goal!
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Applying Technology to Reduce Unbilled Time.
Hugh MacLeod of gapingvoid art gave Todd inspiration for this summer's book reviews when he said "Attach emotion to logic and anything is possible" – a common thread in the four books Todd reviews.
Are your "evolved processes" bogging down your productivity? Todd takes a look at how Process Improvements or Technology, or both, may help you turn those evolved processes into "designed processes."
Todd wraps up his discussion on reducing cycle time, improving quality, and lowering costs by discussing factors affecting the "Project Management" and "Process" triangles.
Todd continues his discussion on how you can get "Better – Cheaper – Faster" all at the same time by understanding the link between Cost, Cycle Time, and Quality.
Todd explains the process of finding, buying, tailoring, and integrating business software.
Todd's Review of the 26th Year at Todd Herman & Associates
Todd outlines how you can get "Better – Cheaper – Faster" all at the same time, by describing a concept called "The Process Triangle."
Todd describes his idea of how to develop "Free Range Staff" – Employees who can take an idea, develop and run with it with little or no supervision – as he reviews four books he uses to teach and develop his staff.
What's the difference between "investing" and "spending"? From the perspective of current cash outlays, nothing is different – yet,taking the long view, there's a great deal of difference.
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Improving Pharmacists' Productivity by 400%.
Todd shares how important it is to have good information underlying your reports and analyses.
Todd shares how you can identify whether your Information Systems department needs a transformation.
Todd explains how your business can maintain access to your data after you've moved to the Cloud.
10 technology issues that need to be on your organization's tech priority list in 2015.
Why you should avoid compeating on 'Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt' and focus instead on CUF.
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Deliver Major Cost Savings by Using Technology and Improving Process.
Read 25 timeless lessons based on Todd's 25 years in business.
How to turn your great idea into a visual roadmap for your client.
Our 2014 Summer Book Review
Improve productivity by using these simple questions to ensure your business processes and expectations are crystal clear.
Do some of your business reports feel unintelligible? Then help make a change with these three vital questions.
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Win New Business With Understandable Lab Reports.
September 2013
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Software Configuration and Support by Implementing Office 365.
Learn the difference between complex and complicated and find out how your business can address its level of 'complicated.'
Are you struggling to increase revenue? Find out what assets in your business inventory you may be overlooking.
March 2013
February 2013
November 2012
August 2012
September 2012
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Supplementing a Scheduling Module to Establish Accountability and Evaluate Results.
Quarterly Update – 1995 Qtr 3
Quarterly Update – 1995 Qtr 1
Quarterly Update – 1994 Qtr 2
February 2008
Where long-term growth really comes from.
March 2012
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Managing Job Costs and Timeline.
The real reason people are vital to business.
October 2010
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Clarifying Business Needs and Issues to Specify Systems Requirements.
September 2011
Our 7th Annual Summer Book Review!
July 2011
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Delivering Meaningful Information to Executives.
May 2011
March 2011
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Improving Efficiency of Medical Technicians.
Finding a system just right for your needs.
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Designing and Managing Custom Development of Estimating Software.
Our 6th Annual Summer Book Review!
July 2010
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Incorporating EDI Documents and Automated Processing into an ERP System.
Power of Strong Project Managers
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Managing a Complex System Implementation Project.
February 2010
October 2009
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Overhauling Job Quoting with Process Standardization and New Technology.
What Value Means to Your Clients
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Developing and Unifying Applications to Support a Call Center.
May 2009
How to keep your business thriving through a difficult economy
Aligning People, Process, and Technology
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Improving Data Integrity and Management Analysis by Integrating Systems.
February 2009
October 2008
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Marking the Trail for Process and Technology Improvements.
July 2008
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Improving Customer Satisfaction with Electronic Billing Statements.
Turn raw data into valuable information for your business.
March 2008
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Developing a Fast and Simple Call Logging and Tracking System.
October 2007
To see how these concepts played out in our project for this client, please visit Designing and Managing Business System Customizations.
September 2007