Wow, despite our free book offer, and despite a rousing positive conversation last night with my close friends Jamie and Trent trying to elicit a positive story out of them I came up with nothing.

Hmph. Either no one is reading this blog or you are all still stuck in a negative wormhole. Are you used to coming up with why things are wrong?
Have you forgotten about the times when things go right?

I’m giving you a PPFS (Proverbial Positive Face Slap).

Instead of regaling us with the amazingness of your business (and winning a free book and free advertising while you are at it), you will have to listen to me talk about the Glasgow Airport’s Security Screening Area. Don’t yawn yet – it’s actually quite exciting – especially if you love travelling and hate airport screening.

Memorable Client Experiences at Airport Screening

Appreciative Inquiry Questions : Tell me a story about your best Airport Screening Experience? Where was it? What made it so great? What made it memorable for you? (Instead of: Tell me about why Airport Screening is always so unpleasant? What is your major pain point about airport screening?)

Last March I got the opportunity to visit my family in Scotland for a week with my Dad. It was the most amazing experience meeting family I’d never met before. My Uncle David and Aunt Jean, My Cousins Hayley and her daughters Deany and Samara were the sweetest family that, prior to that week, I’d never met. After a week I was over the moon for them. Leaving was TOUGH. With our early flight home to Toronto and my father not trusting the GPS (or SATNAV as its called there), I was not looking forward to the airport process.

I was pleasantly surprised! Here are the things I LOVED about the experience:

• the line-up had information all along the way to keep us occupied, and so that we were completely prepared when we arrived at the x-ray area.
• the x ray area had really long counters, so you never had to wait for someone to take off their shoes, belt, jackets (it’s a bit like a striptease isn’t it?), take out their laptop. Everyone was ready to go by the time they needed to put their bins on to the conveyor belt.
• They cared about what customers thought about them. They had computer screens that allowed you to vote on your experience on the left hand side, and then on the right they had screens showing what the average ratings were. Wow! That’s brave! Not alot of companies collect voice of the customer data, let alone publish it right there at the airport!
• In my opinion, because of the above, the line moved FAST! I never once thought about how many wickets they had open, I just enjoyed a pleasant customer experience.

Now if we had many customer experience stories from airport screening I bet we’d hear some key themes –

*wait times (perceived or real)
*clarity of expectations
*process efficiency (perceived or real)
*feeling like they care about us

What are the key themes in your “Best [insert Customer, client, interaction etc.]”?

How do you take this lovely tale and turn it into making your business #betterfastercheaper?

Well you’ll have to find out next week, where I force Ruth to read the Appreciative Inquiry Books in 3 days and write a blog about the next steps. Otherwise we’ll probably have to read a story about Hawaii (yawn).

Or I’ll give you ONE more chance to win a free book and free advertising on why your organization is great (and Ruth an extra week to learn about Appreciative Inquiry):

Think of your story – we’d love you to share with us at info@whiteboardconsulting.ca/staging or @whiteboardcons using #betterfastercheaper.

Share your positive business story to be the focus of our next blog (hey that’s like free advertising) and we’ll send you a business book on a topic of your interest (value of up to $40). Click to Tweet! Sounds like a deal. Best positive story wins! Be descriptive. Tell me the story. Set the stage. Introduce the characters. This is your chance to be business-ey and creative.

Consider yourself challenged…..

Until next week,
Nicole

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Its been an exciting week while Ruth has been galavanting in Hawaii. We had lots of client work, new client requests, proposals to write, I attended the first half of my Appreciative Inquiry Certification course, and…

Whoops, I flipped my paradigm!

So in process improvement, we so often look at the gap analysis, or pain points, or what’s bugging you. The the outputs and resulting improvements can be enormously beneficial to clients – particularly clients who are receptive or resilient to change, or who are incredibly self aware and thrive on continuous improvement. But what about when you are tired of getting sucked into the deficit vortex?

Have you been to one of these meetings where suddenly the mood goes south? Has your smile turned into a frown after an hour of this kind of talk?:

“We have horrible communication, nothing works well around here!”
“Things would be better, if we didn’t have all these problems with our sales folks.”
“This process never works, we seem to slip all the time.”
“If [insert employee name here] could do their job, things would be fine.”

Sometimes it feels like gap analysis sucks you into a vortex of misery.

Read on for how to have less depressing analysis tools to make your business better, faster, or cheaper.

Have you ever thought about the time that communication was really great at your organization? Have you thought of a really great sales person, that suddenly seemed to make the whole process a breeze? When was a time that your [insert process here] worked the best? Who were the players? How did it feel? What happened.

As a colleague of mine would say….“TELL ME MORE!”

The Power of Positivity

I’m going to keep today’s blog short, because I want you to take a minute and think about it and actually jot down a few notes. Next week we are going to go Back to the Future – or er Forward to the Future.

Tell me about your best client interaction? Think about your proudest moment as a manager/business owner?
Tell me about the year you really excelled at your business? (highest profit, best sales…whatever!)
Tell me about the best client feedback you ever received? What were the circumstances, who was involved?

By thinking in the positive, humans are naturally more creative and innovative – so instead of focusing on “fixing” something, we are going to recall when it went really well – and capitalize on the features of that incident.

Think of your story – we’d love you to share with us at info@whiteboardconsulting.ca/staging or @whiteboardcons using #betterfastercheaper.

Share your positive business story to be the focus of our next blog (hey that’s like free advertising) and we’ll send you a business book on a topic of your interest (value of up to $40). Click to Tweet! Sounds like a deal. Best positive story wins! Be descriptive. Tell me the story. Set the stage. Introduce the characters. This is your chance to be business-ey and creative.

Consider yourself challenged…..

Until next week,
Nicole

Tweets by @WhiteboardCons

Ruth and I are THRILLED to have a guest blogger today from Kobayashi Online, courtesy of David Hamilton. With solid reporting and technology experience, David Hamilton is a writer and content strategist who fuses content and purpose to make organizations stand out online. Kobayashi Online is a Toronto web development and digital marketing agency specializing in online friendly solutions for small businesses.

What a fantastic process focused blog it is. We hope you enjoy it!

Use your Processes to Market your Business

Customers will appreciate the “placemat” version of your project roadmap. Don’t overwhelm clients with details or keep them fully in the dark: Focus in on the key processes or landmarks.

Many of us in industries described as creative, entrepreneurial or agile think of our work as complicated and entirely unique, and this approach helps customers choose us over more by-the-book competitors.

Working in digital marketing and web design, experience has shown us that being aware of the processes that are common in the work often separates the successful creative types from the very successful ones.

Breaking a project down into roles and tasks doesn’t devalue the work or make it more rote – it simply clarifies the steps that need to be undertaken. Click to Tweet! An end-to-end examination of your processes can lead to improvements and greater efficiencies. Instead of spending a lot of energy – creative and otherwise – developing a new process for each project, you can concentrate on the aspects of your business that add value.

Once you’ve mapped your procedures and identified the roadblocks and shortcuts…

Flaunt your Processes!

Having a coherent workflow not only helps your business run smoothly, but it can help the public understand your service, know what to expect, and, importantly, what makes you different.

Clients having a baseline understanding of your processes will help them understand what your service entails. And it might even make them better customers.

For instance, when we build a website at Kobayashi Online, we have a set process that gives structure to our work. But it also tells us when to get input from clients to provide a unique and original website, as well as the the flexibility to solve problems as they arise. This is all included in a project roadmap that we give our clients.

We think it’s important – especially with large projects – that our customers know our process upfront so that we can get input from them at the right stages, and that they’re assured that we finish project stages by key dates. This means the website is delivered on-time and represents our best work.

Simplify your Processes: Make them Understandable and Marketable

You might be thinking, “Our internal processes are incredibly complex – how can we even begin to explain them?”

The key to making your process marketable is to simplify:
Try to reduce your processes to just a few steps.
Remove industry jargon that might make sense to you and others in your industry (unless your intended customers are technical and fluent in your jargon).
Think about how your processes would appear to your customers, and what language can make your processes understandable and enticing.
When you have a high-level process overview from the customer’s perspective, you can present this on your website, in brochures, newspaper ads, and however else you find customers. We think this paints a better picture of your service than a simple description that’s nearly identical to competitors. Breaking down your processes into understandable steps shows you have the plan needed to get the work done.

When we build a website, we simplify hundreds of steps into a process blueprint that customers can understand:

When clients sign on for a service – whether it’s web design or anything else – they’ll get exactly what they expected (if you hold your side of the bargain – that is), so they’ll have more realistic expectations and be more knowledgeable about the state of their project.

Understanding your internal processes gives you a detailed roadmap; your customers will appreciate a simplified this roadmap, like the map you’d find on a placemat or a tourist map that removes some details so it can focus on landmarks and things to do.

This simplified version shows enough for customers to feel confident but not enough to be overwhelmed. This way, you and your clients will understand precisely where the project is heading and what’s involved. And since you all know the processes, you’re less likely to get lost when work’s underway.
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Tell us what processes you need in your business! Follow us on Twitter @whiteboardcons and use #betterfastercheaper.

Until next week,
Nicole (& our friends from Kobayashi Online!)

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I read recently that “process has become a cliché: what value the idea once had has been destroyed by its overuse.”

Really? I disagree.

What is cliché, anyway? I found one definition describing it as a metaphor characterized by its overuse. Another said that it’s a very predictable and unoriginal thing or person.

Fine. So it’s an over-used term. It’s predictable and unoriginal. I’m not arguing – in fact, a good process is entirely predictable, and process by definition is unoriginal because you do the same thing over and over. Seems to be circular reasoning to me, all in support of moving away from something which is proven to have multiple benefits.

Don’t Be an Ageist

Take a look at these clichés for instance:

• What gets measured gets done.
• Measure twice, cut once.
• The customer is always right.
• You’ll never know until you try.

Are they wrong? No. No, they’re not. They’re old sayings that stand the test of time. I say, exalt them! Use them! Run them up the flagpole and see who salutes! (See what I did there? Now THAT is an overused business buzz phrase if I ever heard one.)

Pardon Me While I Freshen Up

Let’s look at a couple of those “clichés”. “What gets measured gets done” is a classic catchphrase, cliché if you must, for process geeks everywhere. Why? Because it is 100% true that if you do not identify the key metrics that describe the health of your business, then there will be no focus on those metrics, and no one will be accountable for their performance. If you happen succeed anyway, it will be more good luck than good management.

Is the customer always right? Yes. Should you measure what the customer is thinking, even if you have little impact on customer perception in your role/team/department? Absolutely. Because you always have an impact. If not directly on a customer, then on someone else who does. This means that your processes must consider the customer perception everywhere in your business, not just in direct customer-facing areas.

The concept of process isn’t clichéd. The fact is, it’s more important than ever. From design to production to delivery to administration – you can not over stress the importance of efficient processes to the success of your business. It’s time to freshen up your processes and give them a makeover to ensure they are still relevant to your business. Click to Tweet.

Embrace the cliché. Think outside the box. It’s a win-win! At the end of the day, it’s still the right thing to do.

Until next week,
Ruth.

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Tell us what processes you need to “freshen up” in your business! Follow us on Twitter @whiteboardcons and use #betterfastercheaper.

Until next week,
Ruth

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Now whether it be
Bestial oblivion, or some craven scruple
Of thinking too precisely on th’ event—
A thought which, quarter’d, hath but one part wisdom
And ever three parts coward—I do not know
Why yet I live to say this thing’s to do,
Sith I have cause, and will, and strength, and means
To do’t.

Hamlet Act 4, scene 4, 39–46

We work with a lot of clients who are brilliant and amazing at their areas of expertise, but sometimes thinking too much keeps them from taking action and seeing success.

Have you ever wanted to have a tough conversation with an employee but over thought it and never made it happen? Do you want to implement something and keep stumbling over the “what if’s?” and possibilities of failure? Have you wanted to write an article or start a business but get caught up in logistics or everything being perfect?

What’s Hamlet got to do with it?

Hamlet pondered that he thought too precisely of his revenge, but never took action. “Thinking” in general, lingering over implications, risk, fears, possible outcomes – to the point where opportunities are missed.

Everything doesn’t have to be perfect to take action. Look at the real implications of taking a calculated risk, and if it makes sense, just get started. (Click to Tweet.)

So how can you take action….keep reading for 3 simple tips!

Accountability Rules

How can someone who gets lost in their head worrying about what the outcomes could be, actually take action? Easy: Write it! Tell it! Risk it!

1. Write it! Write down your objectives. People who write down their goals are more likely to achieve them. Write down what it is and when you intend to accomplish it.

2. Tell it! Be accountable to someone. Tell someone you respect and trust what your objectives are and when you want them achieved. Make sure the person you choose will actually call you on it.

3. Risk it! Don’t be (too) afraid of nominal risk or failure. What is the worst that can happen? And does the worst really have great impact?

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Tell us what risks you take this week! Follow us on Twitter @whiteboardcons and use #betterfastercheaper.

Until next week,
Nicole

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You bump into a colleague in the hallway. “How are you?” she asks. “Busy. So busy,” you reply with a shrug. She smiles a knowing smile and says, “yeah, me too,” and you both go on your way. It seems that no one smiles and says, “fine thanks” any more – it’s always “busy, you?”.

Or, maybe you’re like one of our clients, who recently told us that he is “addicted to firefighting” at work because it makes him feel productive and useful. He hurries from fire to fire, and then does his “day job” at the end of day and into the evening, rushing to get things done on time.

Like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, we all have those times when we rush around saying “Oh dear, oh dear, I shall be too late!” But what happens when it becomes the norm instead of the odd time now and again?

A Mistake Waiting to Happen

A friend told us of something his mother said to him over the holidays. “Hurry,” she said. And then almost as an afterthought she added, “but hurry slowly!”

Genius.

A sense of urgency is a good thing, particularly in business, and that sense of urgency needs to be intentional in order to be effective.Click to tweet. If you’re running about like Alice’s rabbit all the time, you’re going to make a mistake. And some day, it will cost you.

Many people thrive on a pressure situation. They do their best work when it’s down to the wire and that deadline is looming, and that’s ok. When it becomes chronic behaviour, however, the potential to make a mistake increases exponentially.

Good Intentions

A great resolution to make for your business this year is to add intentional urgency to your focus. Talk to your teams about having a sense of urgency in their work. Ensure that timelines aren’t set in a certain way “because it’s always taken that long to do this type of work.” Can things be done faster? Can the team wow the customer by beating the deadline? Can they plan to beat the deadline?

If you hurry, but hurry slowly, you are ensuring that your activity is completed as fast as it can be, with thoughtful planning and consideration for risks along the way. You’ll be more productive, and less exhausted at the finish line.

Intentional urgency. It’s one way to become Better.Faster.Cheaper.

How are you coaching your teams (or yourself) to add intentional urgency to your business this year? Drop us a line at info@whiteboardconsulting.ca/staging or on Twitter @whiteboardcons using #betterfastercheaper.

Until next time,
Ruth.

’m sure I’ve mentioned it before, but a favourite line from a client of ours was: “I’m addicted to firefighting. Answering emails and putting out fires is more satisfying than putting together a strategic plan for 2013”.

Well, I hear it over and over again from businesses we work with:
“I would do more process improvement work, but I don’t have time.”
“I have SO many emails to get through every day.”
“I’m buried in emails? When can I do a strategic plan? Help!”

Sound like you? Well, I feel the same way.

Today’s post is a simple one: New year. less Email.

The tip below is beyond simple. I mean it. Its barely bloggable, but I think if I saved every person that reads our blog (there must be millions right?) a few seconds a day, I can validate the fact that I am sitting on my couch today writing this blog with my dog Barkley sitting at my feet keeping them warm. 🙂

I figure I should use the Whiteboard way. So first I started with defining my simple problem:

I spend too much time reading and deleting non-value added emails. I receive about 35 emails from various clothing stores, shoe stores, women’s health magazines etc. every day that I delete and archive. They make my personal inbox cluttered and make it difficult to find important emails. I spend 5 minutes every day reading these emails * 365 days a year= 30.42 hours a year.

So I invested 20 minutes to unsubscribe from all the emails that weren’t valuable to me.

That leaves 30.22 hours a year to me doing value added things.

I’m working on Proving It! I’ll keep you posted on the results of my improvement, as some email subscriptions don’t take effect for up to 10 days.

Next time, I’ll tell you how to book a meeting (or girls night) in less than 15 emails.

It is a small step, but every big change takes a number of tiny steps. Today, let your tiny step be to free yourself from the email beast! Click to Tweet.

Tell us how it worked at info@whiteboardconsulting.ca/staging or on Twitter @whiteboardcons using #betterfastercheaper.

Until next week,
Nicole.

Small business owners wear many hats. In fact, they often wear ALL the hats! They are, in turn, the book keeper, IT specialist, strategic planner, customer service agent, project manager, logistics specialist, business development expert, social media planner, and sales manager.

Or rather, they think they are. All too often one or more of those roles are left undone – usually because of time constraints, and sometimes because the topic makes the small business owner squirm.

Are you a small business owner who wears several hats, but leaves a few off because they aren’t comfortable? Here are 3 tips to help you juggle the hats in 2013.

It’s a Process, It’s a Process, It’s a Process

If you’re a regular reader you remember our post way back in July that explained EVERYTHING is a process. It also taught you that simple processes are the best – not only do they save you time and energy, but they can help get rid of that “I’m so overwhelmed!” feeling shared by many small business owners.

So Tip #1 for juggling your small business hats: examine your business processes. You have them. They’re everywhere. Which ones are taking up too much of your time and energy? Can you simplify them? Get rid of them?

Which brings us to our next tip.

Where is your time best spent? Ideally, the small business owner should focus on business development and sales, right? That’s where the money is, and the money is what will keep your business going (and pay your mortgage!). Do you find yourself spending too much time on the other hats that don’t generate any revenue for you?

Tip #2 for juggling your small business hats: outsource where ever possible. If you can hire a book keeper who is expert in that field and who will save you time, identify potential savings for you, and keep you out of jail – isn’t that worth it? Consider it an investment in your sanity, and an investment in the financial health of your business.

Management by Avoidance Is Not a Good Thing

What about those hats that don’t fit because they’re not comfortable? Perhaps you really don’t “get” the social media boom but you know it’s important for your business. Maybe you know a little about process improvement but it’s not your thing and it drives you crazy to think about it. And a business plan? “Ugh!” you think. “Stay away from me with all those templates!”

Many small business owners simply ignore those tasks with which they are not comfortable. And in so doing, they miss out on business opportunities that could significantly grow their business.

Tip #3 for juggling your small business hats: If you aren’t the expert, find someone who is and hire them, even for a short time.Click to Tweet

It’s really not rocket science, but it does require a little thought. Let’s recap:

1. Organize your business processes.
2. Outsource activities that take time away from your business development work.
3. Don’t ignore critical business activities because you don’t like them. Hire experts.

By following these three tips you can make sure your small business is well organized for 2013. Who knows, your small business might even become a big business!

Tell us about your small business process solutions at info@whiteboardconsulting.ca/staging or on Twitter @whiteboardcons using #betterfastercheaper.

Until next week,
Ruth.

Lean Mean Process Improvement Machine

It’s that special time of year where the gym is full, carrot sticks are out of stock at the local grocery store and everyone is looking to get a little #leanermeanerhealthier. After a week full of delicious wine, bacon topped turkey, and more chocolate than humanly possible, I’m ready to look at how I can be a lean mean process improvement machine. Whiteboard Consulting has learned a boatload this year, and we’ve shared many of our tips and tricks with you. Have you thought about how you are going to lean out your business this year?

New Years Resolutions for your Business….

So you’ve made it through another year, new clients, new offices, new staff turnover. Many changes but you are doing well. What now? Sit back and relax? Or is now the time to really look at how things are moving, and make sure that your operation is running #betterfastercheaper than last year?

Is checking LinkedIn or Facebook your procrastination tactic because you don’t know what to start first? Are you buried in emails and running from meeting to meeting without focus? Does Steve in accounting just drive you crazy because he never likes your ideas? How can you efffectively implement a change without all the drama and naysayers? Well, you are in luck. We’ve picked our top 5 tips from this year and put them in one handy place so that you can start the new year #betterfastercheaper.

Whiteboard Consulting’s Top Five Tips of 2012. New Year: New Processes

1. Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize. When faced with an overwhelming feeling that you’ll never get it all done, make a list. ( Click to tweet.) Write it all down in no particular order. Then, make three sub-lists: Urgent, Priority, and Later.
   First look at the Urgent list. Add due dates and times. Grab a calendar and plot the things you need to do urgently into each day. Cancel or move meetings or social engagements that are in the way. Do the same thing with the Priority list, and finally the Later list. The tasks from these two lists may stretch into two or three (or more) weeks, giving you some breathing room to focus on the urgent items. (See the full article here.)
2. Email: Info & Action please. It’s simple, cordial, to the point, and it eliminates confusion. More importantly it signals to the intended recipient, whether they need to act, or, sit back and absorb the information for future reference. Begin the subject line of your eMail with (Action) or (Info). You can provide more detail if you like, such as (Action: Approval) or (Action: Your Opinion Please). This allows people to sort on subject line and deal with action items first. The rest of the subject line should provide context for the Action or Info contained in the eMail. (See the full article here.)
3. I HATE MEETINGS. Always have an objective for the outcome of the meeting so everyone understands why they are there and what to prepare: In today’s managers meeting, make the following final decisions for Project X: final budget and target completion date. Put this in the email request so everyone can see it clearly. Now you understand why you are there, what decisions are going to be made, and you make sure they are complete by the end of the meeting (because you arrived on time too….). AND – the magical 10% Late rule: if you are more than 6 minutes late for a 60 minute meeting and there isn’t sufficient quorum to make the decisions (outlined in a above) the meeting is cancelled and rescheduled. (See the full article here.)
4. No Buts, AND by the way! How many times have you been in a meeting or on a conference call and heard phrases that start off like these? “I like that idea, but I just want to add…” or “I agree with everything she said, but you should also consider…“I don’t mean to argue, but …” “I’m sorry but…” Next time you hear the word “but” used like that, listen to the context. Essentially, that tiny word negates everything that came before it. (Click to Tweet.) “I agree with everything she said, but…” means I don’t actually agree with everything at all! “I don’t mean to argue, but…” means I’m about to argue. “I’m sorry, but…” means I’m not sorry. And in fact, I’m about to shift the blame to someone or something else. Why do people make this common mistake so frequently? In most cases, it’s a genuine attempt attempt to soften the blow. In others, it’s a passive-aggressive response designed to sound nice, while inflicting some kind of finger-pointing.The easy way to fix this? Substitute “but” with “and”. Easy peasy! Now you’re giving feedback AND adding to it or changing it with clear intentions. It makes you sound better and makes the listener want to hear what you have to say.My challenge to you? Listen for the errant “but” at meetings. And especially – listen when YOU say it. Replace it with “and” – you’ll see the difference, and so will your colleagues! (See the full article here.)
5. The Squish Method of Change. So if you want to implement ANY of the tips you’ve read so far at your workplace, consider any little change to be an opportunity to practice your change management techniques. Try the Squish Method: Communicate, Role Model, and give Feedback, from the top,down, across and then right back up again creating the “squish point” where magic, and change really happen.(Click to Tweet). Communicate the change you want to make and WHY you are making it. What happens if you don’t make the change? What benefits will we see if we do make the change? Role model the behaviour your want to see (ie. use Info/Action, be on time, no buts etc) then, lastly provide positive feedback to people who change their habits and have a coaching conversation with those who haven’t made the switch. Ask why? What will make you change? (See the full article here.)

So, try these tips out this year. Tell us how they worked at info@whiteboardconsulting.ca/staging or on Twitter @whiteboardcons using #betterfastercheaper.

Stay tuned for new blogs on Friday’s in 2013 for more new tips from @whiteboardcons to make you the #bestestfastestcheapest. Happy New Year.

Nicole

Process improvement. Who needs it. Bah humbug, right? Your company or your team or your department has already “done process improvement”, has already “modernized”, and has been around long enough to know what works and what doesn’t.

Wellll, maybe not so much.

Even a “well-oiled machine” benefits from a process review once in a while. In fact, we have found that the organizations that actively seek process improvement assistance are usually those that are doing well, not those that are in trouble. Click to Tweet.

A fresh set of eyes is always a good thing.

We have been working with a client who has been in the global production and export business since the 1820s. His organization has enjoyed great success every year and has continuously met and exceeded his customers’ expectations. Yet even he faces increasing challenges that require a focus on process.

Raw materials and inventory are not a problem, as there is a state of the art Just-in-Time process in place. Production schedules are tightly managed for the year starting in January. Employee engagement is high and work teams meet quotas on a regular basis. Delivery is only via one channel (air), and product is distributed globally within a 24-hour time period.

Operational headquarters are in the far north, accessible only by air, and with a workforce so highly skilled that additional employees are impossible to find. The client base grows exponentially each year, and has become increasing tech savvy.

Everyone is faced with doing more with less these days.

Our client had tightened budgets and reviewed processes as much as he could, and finally he realized he needed an expert opinion.

After doing a process review with his entire team, we found that there was room to improve the order process. With millions of orders arriving via snail mail each December (and with some now arriving as early as the day after Halloween), employees had been struggling to match each order with the inventory – it had just become too cumbersome, even for them.

We also found that the quality system was antiquated, and although our client refused to budge on the “Checking it twice” process step, he did agree that a third and fourth step (which you never hear about) was unnecessary.

The client has now added order channels – customers are able to submit orders via eMail, internet forms, kiosks at shopping malls, and even phone. This process enhancement has eliminated most of the manual order matching process steps. Then, by eliminating unnecessary quality checks, our client saved weeks of work.

None of these improvements were immediately obvious to people working in the system. Sometimes you just need that fresh set of eyes to help you see the possibilities.

If we could help this demanding, yet jolly, client. We can certainly help you too. Email us at info@whiteboardconsulting.ca/staging or tweet us @whiteboardcons using #betterfastercheaper.

And with that, we wish you all a very Happy Holiday Season!

Until next time,

Ruth