Author : Tom McLaughlin
Underlying FactorsWe all forget from time-to-time but when it comes to work, forgetting can be a costly and damaging proposition. Unless properly addressed, it will occur most of the time. Given that most workers follow a routine,Memory of work details performed on a Monday is overlaid by events on TuesdayMemory of events just one week old can fade to the extent that recall is impossible.Memory is substantially heightened when recollection is facilitated with a "multiple-choice crutch" as opposed to "filling-in-the-blanks" wherein recall is solely dependent on memory. Workers may also view the importance of business information as secondary to their actual work assignment. Reporting solutions that are difficult to navigate and utilize further add to the potential for delays and inaccuracies.Business Damage Faulty reporting results in the need for follow-up and reconciliation processes, thus adding to delays in dependent reporting. Consider a staff of 500 who report five incidents per workday, or about 50,000 incidents a month.If just five percent (5%) of these incidents required reconciling, 2,500 incidents would be in the queueOne "reconciliation" every fifteen minutes would require four full-time reviewers, possibly costing $100,000 a yearOver time, the reconciliation backlog could grow exponentially. If ten percent (10%) or 250 incidents were not reconciled within the month, they would be carried overGiven the nature of memory, these would become more and more difficult to reconcile, thus more reviewers, more management involvement and more work-reducing interruptions for the incident reporters. As a cascading delay effect develops, the size of the backlog grows and the delayed mix becomes more difficult to reconcile. The reconciliation delays could also cause late billing, unhappy customers and a growing suspicion as to the validity of invoices, possibly resulting in additional follow-up calls, credits being issued due to now irretrievable information and an inevitable diminished business image.The CureTo eliminate the potential of business damage being caused by worker memory fade, treat the cause and not the symptoms. The answer is an unfaltering discipline. All reporting has to be submitted and approved within a specific brief time frame. Ideally, submission would be within twenty-four hours, thus circumventing the overlay of the next day's similar interfering information. This calls for a regimented process that stores and manages all reported information along with the means to efficiently pursue and make good on all missing and unapproved reports on a daily basis. To ensure the accuracy of reported information, a computer based solution using a "multiple-choice crutch" would be employed, such as drop-down boxes, which would limit the selection of information to be reported to the specific assignment of each individual worker. To further induce a cooperative report submission process, the discipline design should be:IntuitiveEasy to navigateRequire minimal training, andBe available from essentially anywhere and flexible enough to plan and report on any type of work assignment, whether it be administration, management, services, sales, projects or any other. Such a change in business mindset would require the unwavering support of business leaders who strive to achieve goals in strict alignment with their business vision and result requirements. The potential for dramatic efficiencies and profit improvement would be strong inducements to implement the needed change in overall business processes.Tom McLaughlin, President of A Turnaround Company saves service-based organizations approx. $500K a year by helping them get a better handle on operational strategy.
Contact him at 888.298.2828 X135 and save big bucks and Turn Your Company around FAST37 Years in IT Services Industry,
27 Years Corporate Executive,
11 Years Field Technical and Technical Management,
Responsible for Five Corporate Startups,
MBA Executive Management,
Co-Founder of theQ – A State-of-the Art Information Engine,
Founder of - A Turnaround Company,
http://www.aturnaroundcompany.com
Keyword : business turnaround, strategy, management, worker memory
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