Leaders are always challenged with improving the productivity of their business. Historically, productivity has been thought of as improving the output of people in the organization. But productivity is about realizing more with less:  Fewer people, less overhead cost, less working capital, and various other measures. My view is that the productivity of your business is really measured in terms of $ of revenue/ $ of cost. The higher the number, the better your productivity. Productivity isn’t just about people anymore. It is about people, systems, and processes throughout your business: Back office, supporting functions, sales, marketing, product development, the shop floor and throughout the supply chain. The productivity cycle below is applicable to any business process.

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Question: Does your company have an opportunity to streamline business processes and staffing?

Answer: Every company has the opportunity to streamline business processes and staffing, regardless of what the economy is doing.

In every business we have worked with over the last 20 years, (more…)

Change happens. Every business environment requires continuously changing strategies, processes, tools and skills. Implementing a Continuous Improvement program is one way a company can harness their response to change and create competitive advantage. As companies launch Continuous Improvement programs, they need to have a plan. Effective programs require the following 5 elements leading to successful and sustainable (more…)

At Group50®, we have brought back to life an old form of Value Stream Mapping called the Brown Paper Exercise. Long before computers were invented, the only way to do Value Stream Mapping was on paper.  Utilizing paper allows you to be produce maps that are not limited to the size of a computer monitor or projection screen. It is interactive, fun and can be done via a hybrid model of in-person and virtual. 

Group50’s Brown Paper Exercise is an important tool that we use every day in process reengineering. It is part of our Value Stream Mapping process.  It provides an engaging, non-threatening way for (more…)

The most successful way to look at unneeded business processes and their costs to the business is through a Value Stream Mapping (VSM) project. VSM provides a clear view of how various business processes are related to each other and assesses the need for those processes and how efficient they really are.

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Every organization views Customer Service as a critical function for their business.  It has a significant impact on your Voice of the Customer (VOC).  Customer service is on the front line of interfacing with the customer, but it isn’t the only function that interfaces with your customers.  Finance, Shipping, Sales and Marketing also play an important role in customer service.  The Customer Service group acts  (more…)

Laws are created to deal with a problem that exists today and may not exist years from now. Business processes are the same. They are created to deal with current needs. Over the years the legal system has accumulated a series of laws that may have been appropriate for their time but have never been abolished. Here are a few examples: (more…)