September 24th, 2010
The Project Leaders, Executives, Managers and Program Offices at organizations will all be seeking a robust platform on which continuous improvement can be based, so that consistent profit gain can become more feasible and visible.
These specialists are looking for a significant reduction in the amount of non-value added activity so that all resources can be concentrated on driving business execution effectively. Program managers often spend up-to 10 hours a week on updating spreadsheets – the most common tool used for managing a range of business execution activities. They also want any benefits from making use of Lean Six Sigma principles to be achieved quicker and more consistently, to ensure that the time spent managing programs can be reduced and the promises made to stakeholders can be followed through quicker.
The i-nexus Operation Excellence Program solution offers all of these organizational departments with the capabilities they need to achieve continuous improvement; by becoming more cost-effective and resourceful.
This solution gives Project Leaders the opportunity to create standardized templates based on improvement methodologies, and thus produce project reports at a more accelerated rate. It also allows Executives to see real-time benefits as well as the current status of all projects in relation to deployment to see how efficiently resources are being used.
Managers will have the ability to authorize projects more easily on an on-demand platform, and receive automatic notifications of costs and schedules for a more organized and efficient method of tracking their departments’ performance. To complement this, the Program Office will be able to effectively define which methodologies and policies are most useful for helping the organization to develop; thus contributing to sustainable growth.
Created to improve the speed at which benefits can be seen after the incorporation of improvement methodologies into a business execution strategy and address the long-term requirements of departments across an organization, the i-nexus Operational Excellence Program solution is the trusted program management platform of choice by Directors of Continuous Improvement and Lean Six Sigma Leaders in some of the world’s leading organizations, including Nestle, Alstom and Toshiba.
Tags: continuous improvement, Lean Six Sigma tracking, Operational Excellence Program, project tracking capabilities
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September 21st, 2010
As a senior manager in a large global company, the frustrations of finding out that the goals that you set out to achieve are not going to be delivered far too late is not uncommon. Many organizational leaders do not have the robust goal cascade, program management and performance review systems in place to ensure their organizational objectives are going to be achieved. Furthermore if the company is not on track for success, there is no platform where real-time information is shared that highlights problem areas so intervention can be made to turn around failing strategies. Even if they do the systems used for each process is often different, fragmented and do not connect with each other.
Business Execution is about bringing the process of goal management, program management and project benefit tracking together into a closed-loop process in order to align and energize the many thousands of employees within organizations in pursuit of your goals.
i-nexus offer a complete Business Execution Suite that can systematically translate your company’s goals into thousands of executable actions with an on-demand platform to review the performance of those actions.
Drilling down to the Operational Excellence Solution, the Lean Six Sigma project tracking capabilities ensures your large programs are managed with relative ease whilst eliminating the inherent limitations of using tools such as spreadsheets.
Many large global organizations have already started seeing the benefits of implanting such a joined-up approach to Business Execution. If you would like to find out further information about i-nexus or discuss your Business Execution requirements, contact us today.
Tags: business execution suite, closed-loop business execution system, Lean Six Sigma project tracking, review system
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September 17th, 2010
Many Lean Six Sigma professionals claim that such process improvement techniques can provide a solution to help improve NHS services as well as reducing costs. Whilst we agree that in principle this is true, successful implementation requires determination, and a systematic joined-up approach. Simply training individuals on Lean Six Sigma very rarely helps achieve the desired results.
The emerging discipline of Business Execution which integrates Hoshin Planning, Lean Six Sigma and Balanced Scorecard into a ‘closed-loop’ process is one which is being successfully applied in numerous private sector organisations that want to achieve their company goals.
Although the NHS faces unique challenges in the current economic climate, the response to those challenges does not have to be unique, and much can be learned from those organisations that have successfully demonstrated their ability to execute.
In order to improve the success rate of such programmes, business execution tools can make the critical difference. Spreadsheets are one of the most popular methods for tracking cost reduction programs and although it’s a simple enough tool to use for small projects, using them to manage large-scale initiatives can quickly result in what can only be described as ’spreadsheet misery’. This solution more often than not results in failed or delayed projects, lack of strategic alignment, poor accountability and low visibility of progress. The result is missed targets.
i-nexus offers a range of solutions to help senior executives to align, mobilise and focus the efforts of many thousands of employees within the NHS.
Tags: business execution in NHS, closed-loop business execution system, Lean Six Sigma tracking, private sector business execution
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September 14th, 2010
So you’re looking to streamline your business procedures and have incorporated Lean Six Sigma techniques in your operations function, but you’re struggling in the initial months to show exactly how it’s working and what benefits it has brought to your organization. What’s more there is a threat that the program could be scrapped completely if the new CEO (former Financial Director) sees no financial benefits coming through pretty soon.
The initial months of incorporating Operational Excellence initiatives such as Lean Six Sigma into a large organization can be some of the most demanding. You’ll want to show how your measures are improving process to your colleagues and the senior management teams, whilst also tracking which methods are working and which areas need some more work.
Because this period is always fragile, you’ll want to make sure that you have software that best highlights the progress being made with your Operational Excellence. Our i-nexus Operational Excellence Program has incredible project review and project benefit tracking capabilities to ensure there is on-demand visibility of the progress.
When looking to incorporate Operational Excellence into your business execution strategy, the accuracy of the management reports will also be of upmost importance. Through its Portfolio Status Reporting solutions, the i-nexus Operational Excellence solution can track your processes and help you stay on top of your program at all key stages of the project and provide the necessary management reports.
So if you want to ensure your operational excellence program survives the next CEO turnaround, ensure you have a robust business execution system, such as i-nexus in place.
Tags: business execution strategy, Operational Excellence Program, Portfolio status Reporting, project review and tracking
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September 10th, 2010
Scaling up operational excellence initiatives such as Lean Six Sigma is by no means an easy task. What was successful on a small scale may not always work when applied across multiple sites and numerous locations.
One of the reasons the scale-up initiative fails is the tools used to manage the programs. Spreadsheets are often used with small pilots however this can quickly become what can only be described as ‘spreadsheet nightmare’ when these are used for managing complex or large full scale operational excellence programs. Program managers end up spending up-to 10 hours a week simply collating and managing the inputs from several contributors, which only leads to out of date and inaccurate management reports.
If the pilot is managed using a robust business execution system like the i-nexus on-demand platform, the scale-up can be done with relative ease. The identification of good practices can be easily replicated using the project template functionality of the software and the Six Sigma tracking capability means that all the limitations of using spreadsheets are quickly eliminated.
With this particular business execution solution, organizations finally have the ability to prove that they have the tools in place that are necessary for achieving Operational Excellence. Organization’s CEOs can then make promises to their shareholders or consumers with the confidence of knowing that they can deliver on their desired goals.
Tags: Lean Six Sigma tracking, Operational Excellence Program, reporting software, robust business execution system
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September 7th, 2010
Program managers of large operational excellence initiatives, such as Lean Six Sigma, often find themselves spending a considerable amount of time collating and compiling the management reports necessary to track the projects using multiple spreadsheets. The process and method in which the information is collated often leads to out-of-date or inaccurate information being presented to the senior management team. The issue is not the competence of the program leaders but the tools available to manage the process.
Undoubtedly there is a real need to incorporate a robust business execution system within organizations that not only aligns the Lean Six Sigma projects with the organization’s strategic objectives, but also offer a comprehensive reporting and performance management capability. These business execution systems not only ensure that all actions that contribute towards the overall strategy are on track, but any scale-up activities of Operational Excellence initiatives can be done with relative ease.
The i-nexus on-demand business execution platform provide the necessary linkage between goal deployment, program management and performance management to ensure strategies are executed successfully and organizational goals are delivered.
i-nexus can offer a manageable, sustainable and viable alternative to the spreadsheet solution many Operational Managers struggle with.
Tags: Lean Six Sigma program management, on-demand business execution, Operational Excellence Program, performance and program management
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September 2nd, 2010
There are many programs available designed specifically to facilitate operational excellence and continuous improvement, and aim to address and tackle typical issues VPs of Operational Excellence face when striving for continuous improvement, such as replicating any beneficial processes and sustaining any gains made.
The i-nexus Operational Excellence solution was designed to eliminate all problems associated with sustaining continuous improvement, and thus is an ideal solution for combating the inherent difficulties involved in this process.
This solution incorporates Lean and Six Sigma project tracking capabilities, and is perfect for viewing the lasting effects that employing these principles is having on the success rate of your goal and wider business execution.
i-nexus’s operational excellence solution makes the process of prioritizing, analyzing and tracking any benefits a project is having extremely easy, and can contribute to the standardization of templates on which future projects can be based with limited hassle.
Determining the benefits that any projects are having can also be made simple with i-nexus’s Operational Excellence solution. It also has the ability to help you forecast what effect, if any, the actions underway are likely to have on the success of business and strategy execution.
With such project tracking-friendly capabilities, i-nexus’s operational excellence solution has already garnered excellent continuous improvement results for industry leaders Nestle, Toshiba and Alstom; consistently reducing the amount of non-value added effort incorporated into execution strategies, and cutting the cycle times of some projects by as much as forty per cent.
Tags: continuous improvement, Lean Six Sigma project tracking, managing programs, Operational Excellence Program
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August 26th, 2010
There are a lot of areas in the public sector that can give better service – if only the right methodology and business processes were used.
Those at management level of hospitals and other health sectors for instance will have mounds of paperwork to get through as well as ensuring that their wards and care systems are running efficiently and at their optimal level.
As part of the management team however, your time will be precious and you’ll need to utilize it as effectively as you can, as the processes you incorporate into your daily activities may actually be creating waste; costing both time and money.
You may benefit from incorporating a Six Sigma philosophy into your operations to ensure that quality and standards are always high.
i-nexus can help you to manage both your time effectively and improve your quality control with an incredible Operational Excellence Program Software that thoroughly complements the Six Sigma ideal. Whatever area you work for in the public sector our Operational Excellence Program Solution can be tweaked especially for your capabilities and will help with areas such as project opportunity management, collaborations, training and certification management and many more solutions besides.
The public health sector is an area where time is crucial and it needs to be optimized as much as possible. Our Operational Excellence Program can help you to cut project cycle times effectively, thus giving you an increase in quality and streamlined project solutions.
Tags: Operational Excellence Program, public health sector, Six Sigma philosophy, Six Sigma Project Tracking
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August 24th, 2010
The Lean philosophy can be incorporated into almost any organization or company to help reduce waste and streamline processes – especially in the public sector.
A justice department is one that’s overwhelmed by paperwork and other time-consuming responsibilities. Management is crucial in a department of justice to ensure that all cases are given equal attention and merit in a timely fashion.
Many justice departments may be making a rod for their own back however; with the processes they are using being cumbersome and causing potential blockages in the system. A Lean philosophy incorporated into a justice department can help reduce instances such as the time spent reporting on a case and improving overall times in general.
Take our i-nexus Operational Excellence Program software for instance. It can help to incorporate the Lean philosophy into most organizations to help them reduce waste, save time and simplify the project integration process.
It has been shown that in some instances case times in the judicial system have been reduced from seventy-seven days to a mere six, thanks to a change in the overall thought process and adoption of the Lean philosophy. By deprecating some processes and making their overall system more streamlined, those working in the justice sector have been able to get results on a quicker basis, making for a better judicial process.
Our Operational Excellence Program at i-nexus can help you to effectively incorporate the Lean philosophy into your operations, which will help cut overall project times and address all of your key challenges.
Tags: Lean philosophy, Lean Project Tracking, Operational Excellence Program, Program Management
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August 20th, 2010
Waiting times in the public sector are a burden everybody has to bear – from patients and medical staff to management teams whose responsibility it is to oversee areas of the hospital.
When working in the care sector however, the responsibility must always lie at the feet of the manager to make sure that patient waiting times are as short as possible. In the current environment though, this is proving to be a tough task for many managers who need to manage their time more efficiently.
Employing Six Sigma methodology into your working practices can be an excellent way to reduce waste and is a feasible way of cutting patient waiting time. Statistics show that in certain areas across the UK, the waiting time for a patient to get their first NHS appointment was reduced from 23 days to just 12.
Targets including the time when a patient needed to be seen by a doctor also rose, showing that the Six Sigma method is a brilliant way of reducing waste in some areas of the public sector. We can help with our Operational Excellence Program Solution, which effectively complements the Six Sigma philosophy and will help you incorporate it into your daily routine.
Our Operational Excellence Solution can help you to adjust your routines and philosophies in daily business life. It can help to construct customizable project templates, help with overall project management, project reporting solutions and much more. Our Operational Excellence Software can give you a timely boost if you need better management solutions in the public sector.
Tags: meeting targets, Operational Excellence Program, public sector efficiency, Six Sigma benefit tracking
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