Process Archives - BOLLYWOOD SURKHIYAN

Process of Manufacturing Gemstones and Cabochons

In the previous article I shared physical properties and some magical characteristics of Gemstone Beads. In the article, at first I would like to give a small introduction of gemstone who are new in this industry and some who want to gain knowledge about beads and cabochons. Let’s have a look the meaning of:

Gemstone – A precious or semiprecious stone that may be used as a jewel when cut and polished.

Cabochon: a highly polished gem that is cut convexly but without facets

Grading of Gem Stones

Gemstone and stone beads grading is less formal than gemstone grading as a whole. Still there are some generally accepted rules that determine which grade is assigned to a stand. Grade is assigned based on a letter with A being best and “D” being worst. Note that “D” might be just what you want for a specific project, so don’t dismiss them as worthless. Sometimes you might see gem grades of A A A and A A. Those are real gem grades with A A A being near perfect. It’s rare for such good quality stones to be cut into beads. They are worth more as faceted gems. The overall quality of the stones in the strand is usually derived from a combination of the classic gemstone qualities of color, cut and clarity. I will include more about grading in the next article but as far as I think you may have some idea about gemstones.

Manufacturing process:

Raw Material:

There are various kinds of gemstones like ruby, emerald, sapphire, amethyst, citrine, aquamarine and many more. These gemstones are found in different parts of the world and are imported by the suppliers and exporters direct from the mines as rough stones. These rough stones work as raw material for further processing.

Shape and size:

These rough edged stones are further decided to convert into shapes like oval, round, square, faceted, chips, smooth etc. and size as per the requirement.

Cutting and polishing:

The skilled craftsmen in the manufacturing unit cut and polish the stone using modern machines.

Most however, are cut and polished for usage as jewelry. The two main classifications are stones cut as smooth, dome shaped stones called cabochons, and stones which are cut with a faceting machine by polishing small flat windows called facets at regular intervals at exact angles.

Stones which are opaque such as opal, turquoise, variscite, etc. are commonly cut as cabochons. These gems are designed to show the stone’s color or surface properties as in opal and star sapphires. Grinding wheels and polishing agents are used to grind, shape and polish the smooth dome shape of the stones.

Gems which are transparent are normally faceted, a method which shows the optical properties of the stone’s interior to its best advantage by maximizing reflected light which is perceived by the viewer as sparkle. There are many commonly used shapes for faceted stones. The facets must be cut at the proper angles, which varies depending on the optical properties of the gem. If the angles are too steep or too shallow, the light will pass through and not be reflected back toward the viewer. The faceting machine is used to hold the stone onto a flat lap for cutting and polishing the flat facets. Rarely, some cutters use special curved laps to cut and polish curved facets.

Jewelry Making:

Finally these gems are used for making beautiful Jewelry. There are many kinds of jewelry tools that help to connect the beads and metals for making necklaces, rings pendants, earrings etc. Silver, Gold and Platinum are mostly used for making jewelry with semi precious and precious beads.

Now that you know the basics, how do you acquire practical knowledge? Visit to the wholesale suppliers and exporters manufacturing units and notice how they process.

The Secrets for Successful Revenue in Digital Marketing – Benchmarking Process

According to the British Quality Association (1989) characterized TQM as follows:

“TQM is a corporate business the board reasoning which perceives that the client needs and business objectives are equivalent”.

The accomplishment of significant worth is in this manner achieved by near and dear incorporation and duty, given to a relentless improvement measure, with quantifiable level of execution by totally concerned.

The Basic Stages in Problem Solving are:

– Identify the issue, alongside progress objectives:

– Develop a System Orientations as follows:

A bit of the General Tools to Benchmark are:

(I) Cause and Effect Diagram (Ishikawa Sketch Diagram)

Conditions and sensible outcomes diagram helps with reviewing the assorted anticipated explanations behind an issue or situation. With this quality control instrument, one can assess the contributing components as arrangements and subcategories. You could fuse and find the hidden driver of an issue; uncover the bottlenecks in your cycles and perceive where and why a cycle isn’t working.

(ii) PERT

PERT speaks to Program Evaluation Review Technique. High-spirited charts are gadgets used to plan tasks inside an endeavor – making it less difficult to schedule and sort out partners accomplishing the work as a TEAMWORK.

Proactive diagrams were made during the 1950s to assist manage the creation of weapons and assurance envisions for the US Navy.

(iii) TAGUCHI Methods

The Taguchi procedure for quality control is an approach to manage planning that underlines the pieces of creative work (Research &Development), thing plan and headway in reducing the occasion of defects and disillusionments in made items.

(iv) KANBAN

Kanban is a system for managing the creation of things with a weight on consistent conveyance while not overburdening the improvement gathering. Like Scrum, Kanban is a cycle or cycle expected to gatherings to chip away at groups viably and with the standards of collaboration for non-stop achievement.

(v) JIT (Just in Time Principle)

These are the 5 essential principles of JIT Management:

Total Quality Management, Production Management, Supplier Management, Inventory Management, and Human Resource Management.

JIT won’t suffer if there is definitely not a strong emphasis on TQM (Total Quality Management).

(vi) BATNA

Is the ability to perceive an arbitrator most ideal choice as opposed to a Negotiated-Agreement, is among one of the various bits of information mediators search for when characterizing bargain making and trade systems.

If your current game-plan shows up at a gridlock, what’s your another Best Alternative.

I immovably suggest you read the book ‘Getting to Yes’ by William Ury.

Or on the other hand simultaneously, I recommend you read ‘Moving beyond NO ‘ by William Ury if your values and principles don’t agree to the customers / clients with a win-win deal.

(vii) Poka – Yoke

Poka-Yoke is a Japanese articulation that means “bungle fixing”, “botch sealing” or “coincidental bumble expectation”.

A Poka-Yoke is any instrument in any cycle that empowers a stuff executive to keep a Strategic Distance from Mismanagement or Miscalculating.

Its inspiration is to dispense with by Preventing, Adjusting, or Causing to Notice Human Mistakes as they occur.

(viii) Kaizen

Kaizen is a thought symbolic business practices that tirelessly improve all limits and incorporate all agents from the CEO to the consecutive development framework workers.

Kaizen is the Sino-Japanese word for “advancement and ceaseless improvement”.

(ix) Mission Statement – Have a convincing Statement of Purpose, with Brand Esteem, your Moral Methodology Systems and Standard centered organization in all times of your Digital Marketing approaches and prepares.

(x) CIT – (Continuous Improvement Team):

Nonstop Improvement Team a deliberate group from a comparable work fragment sitting reliably to improve a particular cycle, cycle or action

(xi) CAT (Corrective Action Taken): A work pack or Team under the activity of the local manager outlined to deal with a particular issue.

A segment of the Specific 7 Quality Control Tools are according to the accompanying:

STAGE (1) – STRATIFICATION: is portrayed as the show of organizing data, people, and articles into specific social affairs or layers… This data grouping and examination methodology confines the data with the goal that models can be seen and is seen as one of the seven basic quality instruments.

STAGE (2) – TALLY SHEET or Check Sheet is a structure (record) used to assemble data continuously at the region where the data is delivered. The data it gets can be quantitative or emotional. Exactly when the information is quantitative, the check sheet is sometimes called a tally sheet.

STAGE (3) – HISTOGRAM: It resembles a Bar Chart, anyway a Histogram bundles numbers into ranges.The height of each bar shows the quantity of fall into each span. Likewise, you pick what scopes to use! Model: Height of Olive Trees

STAGE (4) – PARETO ANALYSIS: is a regular strategy supportive where various potential diagrams are weighing for thought. Essentially, the issue solver assesses the favorable position passed on by every action, by then picks probably the best exercises that pass on a total bit of leeway reasonably close to the maximal possible one.

STAGE (5) – Cause and Effect Diagram: Ishikawa diagrams are causal graphs made by Kaoru Ishikawa that show the possible explanations behind a specific event. Typical occupations of the Ishikawa plot are thing plan and quality flaw expectation to recognize potential factors causing an overall effect.

STAGE (6) – Scatter Diagram: A disperse plot is such a plot or mathematical framework using Cartesian bearings to show regards for regularly two elements for a lot of data. If the centers are coded, one additional factor can be appeared.

STAGE (7) – Control Chart: A Control Chart shows how a cycle varies after some time, while perceiving uncommon explanations behind assortment and changes in execution. Like a run diagram, it fuses quantifiably made Upper and Lower Control Limits.

Watch the Benchmarking by Robert C Camp on YouTube for more details.

[Source / Reference: Dr. D. D. Sharma (Total Quality Management – Principle, Practices & Cases)

OPIE: A Simple Process for Project Management by Teams

Sometimes teams will start an assigned project and not be able to manage it due to insufficient knowledge of how to plan and implement it. Other times, the team may have a successful project in the works and are unwilling to bring the project to conclusion or do not know when to tell the primary project is complete. Having a process that shows how to plan and implement as well as start and stop procedures will enable a team to manage projects better. A simple process teams can use is O.P.I.E. The O.P.I.E. process consists of 4 main stages necessary to complete a quality project by a desired date. The stages of O.P.I.E. are Open and Plan, then Implement, and finally End. Pronouncing the O.P.I.E. acronym can be either O-P or O-Pi. Not all projects will require all the steps and outputs of each process stage, however all projects will require each major stage is done.

Key Steps in the Open Stage

Determine Objective – to communicate the project is worth doing
Do Analysis – to make sure the project is worth doing
Get Preliminary Approval – to make sure the project is feasible
Assign Project Manager – – to make sure the project goes forward

Key Steps in the Plan Stage

Document Specification – to make sure everyone knows the extent and outcome of project
Develop Schedule – to make sure the timeline is feasible
Determine Resources – to make sure enough people, equipment, and supplies are given
Estimate Budget – to make sure the project is cost effective
Get Plan Approval – to make sure the project is finances

Key Steps in the Implement Stage

Hold Meetings – to make sure the project problems are discussed and solved
Execute Plan – to stay on track to schedule
Monitor Plan – to track resources and budget
Develop Communications – to let everyone know what is happening with project
Handle Problems – to make sure team is working together on same goal
Prepare Progress Reviews – to let team and management know what is happening with project
Get Performance Approval – to let management approve/disapprove changes

Key Steps in the End Stage

Close Administration – to share lesson learned as well as close schedule and release resources
Hold Celebration – to thank team for contributions and motivate future performance
Plan Compensation – to motivate team members in future performance
Do Evaluation – to measure project using specific success indicators

Not all team projects will require all the steps and outputs of each process stage, however all projects will require each major stage is included. Utilizing the O.P.I.E: stages of Open, Plan, Implement, and End; should help teams to know what to do on each project assignment as well as insuring the project has a stopping point so the team can return to normal jobs on a full-time basis or begin work on an important new project.

Note: The process steps above are from the book “O.P.I.E. Project Planning and Implementation for Teams.”

Business Process Improvement – The Implementation Plan

After you change a business process, how do you introduce it to your organization? Who needs to know about the change? What do they need to know? How do you communicate the change to the appropriate parties and train the affected employees?

Before you begin your BPI work, you should develop a project plan that includes an implementation phase. This section of the project plan focuses on the changes that have to occur in order for the new process to work; the testing required to make sure it works; the communication strategy that outlines who needs to know what, when; and the training plan that identifies how to train affected employees.

The implementation phase of the project plan can include sub-phases called “tracks.” For example, the implementation phase can have these four tracks:

Change management track: This track includes creating an impact analysis to ensure that you include the right colleagues in making the appropriate changes to the business process. As you work to improve a process, you identify changes that must occur in the organization to obtain the degree of improvement you expect. The impact analysis is a tool used to capture the changes that have to occur to ensure success.
Testing track: The steps in this track confirm that the process and tools work as expected.
Communication track: This track identifies the audience you have to notify of the change (the who), and the following information for each defined audience: what they need to know, when they need to know it, how you will communicate (the audience’s preferred communication vehicle), and when they need to know about the change.
Training track: This track is similar to the communication track but focuses on the training requirements: who needs training, what they require training on, where you will conduct the training, when you will conduct the training, and what method you will use to deliver the training.

Implementing the business process is the ninth step to improving the effectiveness, efficiency, and adaptability of your business.

Business Process Reengineering – When to Use It

As companies grow and establish themselves, over time they will have developed a set of processes that are specific to their core business. This set of processes is what defines the company and how it runs their operations. It becomes almost predictable. These processes may be very well suited to run every day activities, and may even be sufficient to cope with changes in the markets they are operating in, however eventually the pace of their competitors and the markets will outrun them. That is, if they do not adapt accordingly and swiftly to these ever present and continuous changes. They will start to notice that they are no longer performing as efficiently as they were doing when they founded the organization.

For an organization to remain competitive or even lead in the markets in which they operate, it is vital to analyze if the foundation on which it was built and as it was once laid out, is still a good match to the current landscape they are in. The methods which have been developed and most likely extended during their existence may need to be reviewed, analyzed and re-built, as they lose efficiency.

This is where Business Process Reengineering – many times abbreviated to BPR – steps in. It is an analytic thinking which helps to understand and view how one can optimize the processes on which the company is built. In other words, optimizing them to today’s market conditions, and clearly also to those of tomorrow. Although sometimes people tend to refer to this endeavor as improvement of business processes, for it to be really effective, reengineering is a technique that is way more dramatic than just improving existing processes; it is a complete redesign. This extensive and impactive exercise recognizes and analyzes the core processes, the goals it is trying to achieve, the services and products, and the customers and stakeholders. It will then re-align the business processes to these areas of focus.

The analysis is generally carried out on a broad and wide range of processes, ideally all processes of the enterprise. The reason for doing so is because the intention of the exercise is to make major improvements in the company’s presence by incorporating changes that will strip inefficiency from the entire set of processes, i.e. in its totality. This will lead to results with more impact than when assuming an approach of parallel processes being analyzed and optimizing each of them separately and independently. The real and major benefit of the entire undertaking is that by applying a broader and more holistic view, the changes will be bigger than optimizing each process on its own.

Business Process Management 101: BPM Defined

Lean enterprise and business process improvement, business optimization, cost cutting TQM, quality, Six Sigma, business re-engineering and other such-like initiatives, falls within the cadre of business process management.

It forms the cradle, feeding ground and impetus for making sense of, improving and capitalizing on the intricacies, dynamic elements and events that occur in our planning, conducting, practice and execution of modern business in the new economy and digital age.

It is about objectively, stepping back, diagnosing, base-lining and analyzing, then streamlining and making things more effective, changing for the better, improving, sustaining, and optimizing the processes and desired results! It attempts to objectively study, assess, measure, adapt, refine, sustain and improve business processes, defying the over-reliance on at times pure speculation, past knowledge, intuition or other ‘expert’ opinion or interpretations. It gives business wings and freedom to pursue a higher calling and standard.

Core business processes like budgeting and even capital expenditures, manufacturing, operations and even transactional, administrative processes from part of this coordinated undertaking and endeavor, introducing it into all areas of the business, conquering new frontiers, moving boundaries and bars, pursuing the gold-standard of business practice (OK, or at least get a better handle on things to start with!) Measurement tools, metrics, assessments, diagnostics, performance statistics all become critical inputs for the successful execution of the business enterprise.

At its truest core and in its purest form, BPM is a philosophy and practical method utilized in business practice today, to bring, enable, plan and structure for and into success. A deliberate attempt and approach or business management strategy, taking proactive, co-creative, data-driven, statistical and scientific method, troubleshooting and problem-solving into the business arena, optimizing efficiencies, minimizing waste and the organizations who choose to pursue it, to new heights of performance excellence and positive business results, growing profit and world-class breakthrough!

Business process management is often seen as all organizational activities that deal with optimizing or adapting these processes, as changing situations and business needs dictate. Continuity, process design, execution and monitoring, results over time, with a forward-looking eye always on the future and opportunity, human-driven processes and even workflow systems, relational data and enterprise content management strategies and solutions all find a home under this encompassing umbrella as does a lot of the quality and continuous improvement methodologies businesses choose to pursue.

The Principles of Business Process Management (BPM) and Business Process Improvement (BPI), is well known. Here is a brief synopsis of the premise, rationale, as well as the key elements of the strategy and approach with their implications for business:

o Changing the status quo, by placing your focus in the right places, at the right time, all the time! Outcomes-based and focused, results-driven and oriented, BPI proposes synergizing and optimizing all steps and elements within and through processes, by focusing on the outcome itself and not as much the routine, accepted specific tasks required to get you there and getting rid of inefficiencies.

o Customer-centric, focused and driven in all activity and endeavor, regardless.

o Efficient, systems and process above all – not automation for example, for the sake of using technology or getting on the band wagon of another ‘fad’ or initiative.

o The value of frequent benchmarking and measuring,,taking the pulse, testing the waters, direction and health of your business. Gold-standards and points of reference that are quantifiable, attainable, and realistic are at the order of the day.

o Roles and responsibilities, ownership and accountability for processes and outcomes.

o Process controls and regular progress checks built in, planned, executed well and responded to, including halting the process if it gets of track or it looks like failure is imminent.

o Pursuit of deliberate planning, process-standardization and commonalities and having no mere ad hoc approach to business processes anymore – it simply is NOT accepted practice, considered good enough any more to thrive, saving money and effort as a new economy business!

o Immediate and consistently implementing as well as executing with success over time, sustaining the efforts

o Utility and purpose of accurate metrics and measurements and implementing action based on them.

A final word in closing: In our customer-driven and empowered economy, these approaches, strategies and tools, provides us the context and means whereby we can enable enterprise capabilities and capacities, to unfold into and through business processes across applications and organizational boundaries – pro-active, co-creative and dynamically-organic way, while doing so in planned and disciplined, data-driven, monitoring and objective fashion. Which inevitably leads to us proposing to an extent, yet another refined or even new perspective on things!

Process Rigidity Leads to Entropy

Process rigidity can be catastrophic for businesses, especially considering the rapid pace at which the business environment is changing in the 21st century. Organizations need processes that can be flexible, that can adapt with the times, that can be molded to fit with advancing technologies, and that can readily handle a growth or reduction in staff or the outsourcing of business components for competitive advantage. Companies need to innovate on an ongoing basis in order to keep or outpace competitors. This is as true of business processes as it is for other elements of the firm, such as IT, or business development. Everything needs to be aligned for the business to succeed. If the organization’s processes are not aligned with its initiatives, then the business will suffer.

The term ‘entropy’ is originally derived from the second law of thermodynamics, a branch of physical science dealing with the transference of heat within a closed system. It is loosely associated with the amount of disorder or chaos in a thermodynamic system. Entropy, as it relates to processes, is the breakdown of the process due to rigidity or failure to adapt to keep pace with its changing environment. In other words, it is the measure of the level of disorder in a closed process. If a process is not taking input from its changing environment, then it is considered a closed system.

Any good process can suffer from entropy and go bad if the process is not flexible enough to keep up with change. As an analogy, suppose you buy a brand new sports car that runs extremely well and sounds great when you drive it. You then decide that the sports car is too nice to drive around because it might get damaged. So, you make the decision to put the sports car in a storage garage, cover it up to protect its nice paint job, and don’t drive it for the next ten years. After ten years, you uncover the car and try to start it, but to your surprise, the car does not start. You finally get it started and as soon as you try to drive it, the engine blows out completely.

What happened? The car was in immaculate condition when you stored it away ten years earlier. Like the human body, cars need to be exercised (or in this case started and driven) from time to time to keep them in good shape. Since the car was not driven, or even started for ten years, entropy set in and the car failed when it was finally started. Likewise, if processes never change or are too rigid, then they, too, will fall prey to entropy.

This analogy clearly demonstrates the need for keeping processes in good shape. If processes are never reviewed to ensure they are still working to support the business, chances are they are not. Just because a process was great two years ago does not mean it still is today. For that matter, in some business circumstances, even if a business process was excellent three months ago, that does not mean that it is still right for the business today. Just because a process was good once does not mean it will always be good.

This is true in all companies, but it is especially true in rapid-growth markets. For example, in a groundbreaking new technological organization launching new services during the dot-com boom, processes were being developed and changing every week. This was not because the company was disorganized or because the people were inept. It was because the business model was developing in a number of different directions very rapidly, and the rate of process change had to keep up with the company. The company was recognized for its ability to continually adapt, change, and move forward. It was later acquired by a major blue-chip organization, within which it continues to thrive today, still continuing to keep pace with its changing environment.

In some instances, managers and leaders make their processes overly bureaucratic for the sake of bureaucracy, rather than thinking through why something is being done in a certain way. Processes that are overly bureaucratic are most likely not as flexible as they could be in terms of meeting business needs. Processes should be regularly analyzed to ensure that this is not the case. Processes can be streamlined to ensure that things are being done for a reason rather than being done simply for the sake of being done. Reviewing processes on a regular basis to ensure that they have not become rigid will help to identify and implement the changes needed to ensure sustained business growth.

Qualities of an Effective Corporate Planning Process

Corporate strategic planning is intended to provide both the direction (strategy) and the actions (execution) needed to achieve strategic goals. The combination of smart strategy and successful execution is the hallmark of a great planning process.

So what does this process look like?

It creates a hard link between planning and execution.
It reduces risk by eliminating variability and ambiguity in language, outcomes, and process.
It provides a customer-centered perspective.
It facilitates bidirectional communication.
It enforces accountability.
It empowers executives and staff with “business truth.”
It provides clarity and steps to achieve outcomes.
It can be applied in any context (internally, externally / business, technical).
It provides repeatable, predictable, measurable results.
It enables the organization to develop plans more efficiently with precision delivery.
It provides cost savings through a repeatable set of processes.
It creates minimal intrusion to the organization.

Yet, in recent years we have seen executives grow increasingly skeptical of traditional strategic planning exercises. Why is this? What’s gone wrong with the strategic planning process?

Consider that many planning exercises are carried out in one of two ways: At a fevered pace to set objectives very quickly; or over a very long period of time that has constant interruptions, short meetings, and is primarily focused on current or ad hoc issues that the organization is facing. Either way, we find that management staff is usually focused on short term goals and issues with the most financially significant concerns taking the most attention.

Additionally, in traditional planning, the people who will be most affected by the organization’s plans are often unaware of what the end goals are and have been given varying levels of information to carry out their goals. There is usually a team or set of teams that have been given the “go ahead” to carry out the plans but they often fall prey to office politics, cliques, and business friendships that all impact the ultimate success of the plan and more importantly, the realization of the outcomes that the business is trying to achieve.

All of this adds up to an ineffective strategic planning process that leaves organizations and executives bewildered and wondering why their plans don’t deliver the intended results. Meanwhile, organizations that have managed to create an effective strategic planning process are able to remain focused on delivering value to customers and gaining market share, while also moving toward defined corporate objectives. It is this ability to balance strategy and execution that gives advantage to today’s most successful organizations.

7 Steps Effective Strategic Planning Process

This TQM article provides an insight of a typical Strategic Planning Process that was used in several organizations and proven to be very practical in implementation. the key processes of this typical Strategic Planning Process are lined up into 7 steps. Detail of each steps are illustrated below:-

Step 1 – Review or develop Vision & Mission

Able to obtain first hand information from various stakeholders (Shareholders, customers, employee, suppliers communities etc).

You may use templates to evaluate how the stakeholders think about your organization. To find out whether their action are aligned with the organization’s objectives.

To review or develop company’s Vision and Mission with the involvement of other stakeholders to ensure it is still current with the business changes and new challenges. Also use this session as a mean for communication.

Step 2 – Business and operation analysis (SWOT Analysis etc)

One of the key consideration of strategic planning is to understand internal (own organization) Strengths and Weaknesses as well as external Threats and Opportunities. These are commonly known as the four factors of a S.W.O.T. analysis.

Involvement from various stakeholders to provide their points of view about your organization is key. In the process, you will gain better buy-in from these implementers of strategies and policies.

Step 3 – Develop and Select Strategic Options

You may use templates to develop several key possible strategies to address the organization’s objectives. More important, these possible strategies are develop based on the inputs from stakeholders (step 1) and Business and Operation analysis (step 2).

It is often several possible strategies are developed and everyone of them seems important. Since it is quite normal that an organization would have several key issues to tackle, you will be able to use a proper tools to select a few from the possible strategies. You will b e able to apply several prioritizing tools as introduced in this step.

Step 4 – Establish Strategic Objectives

During this step, you will be able to view the overall picture about the organization and able to select a few strategic options objectively. Template may be used to understand various strategic options, set key measures and broad time line to ensure the selected strategic options are achieved.

While it is quite common that measures and timeline is given by top management, it is the intention of this step 4 that these measures and timeline is SMART . What it meant was Specific (S), Measurable (M), Achievable (A), Realistic (R) and Time-bound (T). when the strategic options are SMART, it will help to ease the communication toward the lower level of the organizational hierarchy for implementation.

Step 5 – Strategy Execution Plan

Many organization failed to realize its full potential of its strategies are due to weak implementation. In this Step 5, a proper deployment plan is developed to implement these strategies.

Step 6 – Establish Resource Allocation

Very often, management team assigned selected strategies to key personnel and left it to the individual to carry out the task. While most organizations operate with minimum resources, it often ends up work overloaded by individual.

Step 7 – Execution Review

One of the key success factors for an effective strategy deployment is constant review of its progress and make decision for any deviations to plan. It is vital to decide what to review and with who the review is done. New decision may be required as the status of the strategies progressed.

In summary: Follow this 7-steps in Strategic Planning will ensure various options are considered including its execution, resource allocation d and Execution Review. This 7-Steps form a complete cycle for new or existing Strategic Planning initiatives

PIE: The Simple 3-Step Process for Creating Your Strategic Business Plan

Many business owners (especially those with a non-business background) struggle when it comes to creating a strategic business plan for their business. Chances are they’ve never ran a business before, and even in their “employment” days were not involved with the day-to-day business management.

So when it comes to running their business they struggle!

“Still need to figure out (sit down and actually learn) how to do this!” said one business owner to me earlier this week.

They have a dream for their business, are an expert in whatever it is they do, but have no idea how to take that idea/dream and turn it into a viable and profitable business… so they continue in a state of overwhelm and frustration, with a slow growing business.

Spending some time planning all of your business activities is crucial if you are to succeed long-term. It’s not just about planning your business – you need to understand the strategy behind what you’re going to be doing. And you also need to understand how all the different pieces of your business fit together to create one coherent business.

Today, I’d like to share with you my simple, 3-step process, for sitting down and crafting your own strategic business plan.

PLAN – schedule some time in your calendar to work on your business plan. Some people opt to take a mini-retreat away from their office. It could be spending the day in your local coffee shop, or actually going out of town for a few days. Or you could just schedule one or two hours and sit quietly in your office planning out your business (that advantage of doing in your office is that you have all your business information right there with you). Whatever works best for you is going to work best for your business. But the important thing is, you to schedule in the time to create your plan!

INVESTIGATE – what is it you’re going to be offering over the coming 90 days; 6 months; 12 months? I like to have a loose 12-month plan, but then have a very specific 90-day plan in place. It’s much easier to focus and implement with a shorter time-frame than it is to do so over, say, a 12-month period. Sometimes planning out so far ahead can feel overwhelming. But it is important to have that “big picture vision” in place so that you know where you’re heading.

Also when you’re deciding what it is you’re going to be offering ask yourself, “Does this make sense? Does it fit my big picture vision?” This is where understanding the strategy behind your business comes into play. It’s no good deciding you want to do a live event, or offer an online training course, if you don’t understand how this fits into your “Big Picture Vision”. All paths must lead you to that “Big Picture Vision”.

EXECUTE – now that you know what it is you’re going to be offering and when, it’s time to put that plan into practice. One thing that I do in my business is “reverse engineering”. I always start with the end date in mind and then work backwards. For example, if I’m offering a 4-part live training class on a specific date, what do I need to do to promote that training class, and when. It’s much easier to plan out the promotions if I work backwards from the start date of the class. That way too, I can see if I’m leaving enough time for the promotions or if I need to adjust something in some way.

So there you have my simple 3-step process for creating your strategic business plan. No go ahead and create your own!