Businessimprovementselected

Business Improvement and Technology

Presented by Fergal Coleman, February 2009

www.buaconsulting.com/Business_Improvement

www.buaconsulting.com/business_improvement

Outline

• Introduction

• Bua Consulting.

• Key Facts.

• Tools.


• Case Study.

• Group Work.

• Conclusion.

Bua Consulting – Developing A Virtual Company

• Business Model: Virtual company delivering strategic internet advice and solutions from anywhere in the world.

• We help clients to create successful online businesses. And we practice what we preach!

• Business Processes automated and conducted via the internet (within reason!).


reason!).

• Collaborative projects with partners across Melbourne, Victoria, Ireland, India . Information on projects needs to be available anytime, anywhere.

• The internet will be the dominant platform in the near future (Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), Web 2.0)

Tools:

Google Apps www.google.com/a/

• Email, Calendar, Spreadsheets, Word Processing for up to 100 people.

Central Desktop www.centraldesktop.com

• Online Collaboration.

• Project Management – set tasks and timelines, milestones, notifications.

• Extranet for document sharing and development (wikis).


• Extranet for document sharing and development (wikis).

Bua Consulting Content Management System:

• Website.

• CRM system.

• SMS notifications.

• Booking system for seminars, Ecommerce for online training services.

• Automated, Email newsletter system, online logins.

• Blogs.

Tools

• Skype www.skype.com

• Free voice calls with partners

• Overseas telephone calls at local rates.

• Web Conferencing (www.gotomeeting.com, www.webex.com)


• Web conferencing with 1 to 1000 people.

• Ability to record sessions – also www.camtasia.com.

• Online Accounting Software (www.saasu.com , www.xero.com).

• Online Training and Coaching – Mindshop Online

• Online Presentations – www.docstoc.com , www.slideshare.net.

• Virtual Seminars (www.secondlife.com , www.vivaty.com).

• Virtual seminars where members watch and then discuss videos on set topics.

• Online Videos.

Facts

• Fact One: Society of Information Management Survey 2008: CIOTop 10 IT Management Concerns:

1. IT and business alignment

2. Build business skills in IT

3. IT strategic planning

4. Attracting new IT professionals


4. Attracting new IT professionals

5. Making better use of information

6. Manage change

7. Reducing the cost of doing business

8. Improve IT quality *

9. Retaining IT professionals *

10. Security and privacy *IT and Business Alignment has been top for 8 years

• Fact Two: Research clearly shows that a poorly defined scope or mission is the most frequently mentioned barrier to success of projects. In a recent study (Gobeli and Larson) of over 1400 US and Canadian project managers it was found that 50% of the planning problems relate to unclear definition and scope.

Business Model

Business Processes

Applications


Data

InformationArchitecture

Databases

What do you do?

How do you do it?

What software solutions should we use to collect and

present this information?


What information do you need to successfully run the business?

What technologies do you need to

provide the information to the

business?

How will you build and store your information?

Tools: SCA and Porter’s Five Forces

• What is your Sustainable Competitive Advantage (SCA)

• Tool at www.buaconsulting.com/business_improvement

Business Model

Business Processes

Data

Information

Architecture

Databases

Applications



Tools: Seven Wastes

• We conduct an audit of the business.

• Seven Wastes.

• Overproduction.

• Waiting.

Business Model

Business Processes

Data Databases

Applications


• Transport.

• Inappropriate Processing.

• Inventory.

• Motion.

• Defects.


Business Model

Business Processes

Data


Databases

Applications


Case Study – Automobile Repair Business


Group Work

• In groups of two (or three)

• Discuss strategies and areas where you can grow your business.

• What revenue can it add to your business?

• What technologies can drive or assist this strategy?

• Discuss where you can cut costs in your business.


• Discuss where you can cut costs in your business.

• What is the estimated dollar savings?

• What technologies can drive or assist this strategy?

• Remember the Seven Wastes (Overproduction, Waiting, Transport, Inappropriate Processing, Inventory, Motion, Defects) and Porters Value Chain.

Group Work

Which strategy will deliver the most value?

Decision Matrix


Key Criteria Weighting Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Option 4

Upfront cost of Implementation 25 12.5 11 10 8

Growth in Sales 20 10 9 15 18

Reduction in costs 20 10 15 15 18

Ease of doing 20 10 15 15 18

Increase in productivity 15 7.5 7.5 11 14

Totals 100 50 57.5 66 76


Conclusion

• The needs of the business should drive the implementation of new technologies. Technology should align with business.

• Use some of the tools discussed to develop better IT strategies.

• Summary of the tools will be made available on the website.

• Well managed companies can use technology to come out of the bushfire in a


• Well managed companies can use technology to come out of the bushfire in a stronger position.

• For more information contact Fergal Coleman at 0423 198184 or [email protected].

• Thank you for your time!

Businessimprovementselected

Business

business improvement

business processes

business skills

business alignment2

virtual company business

online collaboration

online presentations

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