Search Results

How a Rewilding Climate Solution Can be Game Changing A rewilding climate solution is the practice of returning animal and plant species that have declined or been eradicated due to human activity to the natural environment. Rewilding is the practice of returning animal and plant species that have declined or been eradicated due to human activity to the natural environment. Rewilding can help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, improve biodiversity and enhance water and soil quality, so it is a powerful weapon against climate change. 5 ways a rewilding climate solution can help with climate change: Rewilding can assist in removing CO2 from the atmosphere . We must significantly reduce atmospheric CO2 to meet the 2016 Paris Agreement's goal and limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. A carbon-storing habitat , like a grassland, woodland, or wetland, can be restored by rewilding. Rewilding can control dangerous weather events like floods. Our ecology has been suffering from irreparable harm due to climate change all across the world. Rewilding can reduce the impact of climate change by lowering soil erosion and providing a home for wild animals if their original environment is restored and their homes shielded from heat waves, droughts, and floods. It will improve biodiversity. By restoring plant species, rewilding can contribute to the NET POSITIVE goal of repairing, restoring, and regenerating the natural world. It helps native species thrive, thereby improving biodiversity, boosting species diversity, and increasing the abundance of animals and plants in native habitats. It supports sustainable land management. This is beneficial for both the local community and the environment, aligning with the principles of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing. Practices such as agroforestry, sustainable forestry, and regenerative agriculture improve soil health and reduce soil erosion while also providing economic opportunities for local communities through regional ecotourism and job creation. Rewilding can help to enhance the water and soil quality . Organic matter improves when soil erosion is reduced, fostering healthy soil. In exchange, healthy soil holds onto more water, lowering runoff and enhancing the quality of water in neighbouring water bodies. By lowering the amount of contaminants entering the streams, it can also safeguard watersheds. Rewilding is a realistic economic strategy that can improve biodiversity while reducing the severity and effects of climate change. All species will be able to live in a more tolerable world as a result. Let us explore additional ways to find the best solutions for climate change. Previous Next Unlock Healthy Business Growth Discover strategies to enhance profitability, cultivate a greener and more sustainable business model, and elevate overall well-being. GET STARTED

5 Ways to Power Your Home with Renewable Energy With the rise of climate change and global warming the urgent need for sustainable, regenerative living, embracing renewable energy sources has never been more important. With the rise of climate change and global warming and the urgent need for sustainable, regenerative living, embracing renewable energy sources has never been more important, from geothermal heat pumps to hydropower systems, solar panels and wind turbines. Using alternative energy sources like these, you can reduce your carbon footprint and save money on your energy bills. As we’ve seen, there are many renewable energy ways to power a home with clean, green energy. Five ways to power a home with renewable energy: Rooftop solar panels Solar panels work by converting sunlight into electricity,which can be used to power appliances and lighting at home. They are low maintenance and environmentally friendly. Installing them reduces reliance on non-renewable sourceswhile lessening carbon emissions. Wind turbines renewable energy Turbines harness the power of the wind to generate electricity. They are easy to maintain and come in various sizes, with small turbines that are suitable for home usage. Biomass heating systems A biomass system uses organic materials, like wood pellets or chips, to generate power and heat for your home. Biomass can be locally sourced, supporting local economies and communities. Investing in a biomas ssystem helps achieve energy independence and supports the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 7 , which is to ensure everyone has access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy. These systems have a low carbon footprint and emit minimal Scope 1, 2, and 3 carbon emissions , making them a good alternative to fossil fuels. Powerwall A rechargeable lithium-ion battery stores excess energy generated by eco-friendly sources like solar panels. A Powerwall allows you to use renewable energy even when the sun or wind is unavailable and can power a home during peak demand hours. Air source heat pumps These heat pumps systems work by extracting heat from the outside air and using it to heat a home. They are low maintenance and can be used for heating and cooling, making them versatile options. Conclusion Powering a home with renewable energy is good for the environment, lowers carbon emissions and helps people contribute to a better world and an eco-friendly, sustainable economy. Previous Next Unlock Healthy Business Growth Discover strategies to enhance profitability, cultivate a greener and more sustainable business model, and elevate overall well-being. GET STARTED

10 Agile Leadership Productivity Improvement Strategies Agile methodologies empower leadership by fostering adaptability and collaboration. To enhance productivity, leaders can employ strategies like setting clear goals, promoting self-organisation, and prioritising continuous feedback. Encouraging cross-functional teams, embracing change, and using data-driven insights also play pivotal roles in achieving agile-driven productivity improvements. Published on: 7 Mar 2024 Identifying effective agile leadership productivity improvement strategies is easier said than done. Improved productivity and a more efficient workplace can be difficult goals to achieve when a multitude of factors appear to be stacked against you. The time for UK businesses to take action is long overdue – business productivity rates are underwhelming, to say the least. In fact, the UK productivity rate is around 20% lower than other developed nations and the Covid-19 pandemic hasn’t helped. Improving efficiency and productivity relies on how employees and teams perform, how you treat them and how you motivate them. Productivity can be boosted by using process efficiency using tools properly, by automating tasks and using a leadership development programme. Why Productivity Matters During Hard Times In challenging periods, enhancing personal, professional, and business productivity can be the difference between thriving and falling behind. By increasing efficiency and focus, you’ll weather uncertainty and position yourself for long-term success. Top 5 Reasons to Prioritise Productivity in Difficult Times : Maximise Limited Resources – Stretch time, energy, and finances further. Solve More Problems Faster – Address challenges swiftly and stay ahead. Increase Output and Value – More work done equals greater returns. Maintain Motivation and Focus – A sense of progress fuels resilience. Gain a Competitive Edge – As competitors falter, stay driven and seize new opportunities. How to Increase Productivity When Times Are Tough: Prioritise Ruthlessly – Focus on tasks that directly drive business growth. Ask yourself, “What happens if I don’t do this?” If the answer isn’t critical, move on. Time Management – Start early, stay late, and track your time. Celebrate small wins to maintain momentum. Health and Wellbeing – Get quality sleep, exercise regularly, and eat healthily. A sharp mind and body outperform exhaustion every time. Delegate Strategically – Hand off tasks when others can do them better or faster. Collaboration keeps you accountable and focused. Learn to Say No – Protect your time by declining distractions and requests that don’t align with your goals. Remember: Productivity is your most valuable asset in uncertain times. By focusing on growth and efficiency, you’ll not only survive but excel in the months ahead. Here are 10 practical leadership productivity improvement strategies, starting with the post-Covid conundrum many businesses face in bringing a dispersed workforce back together. 1. Support your home workers to return to the workplace For many companies, the post-Covid workplace is, literally, anywhere employees want it to be. Working from home (WFH) has been joined by WFP (working from the pub – many in the UK now throw in lunch and a drink along with a desk and WIFI for a daily fee) and WFA (working from abroad). The hybrid world of work can hamper efforts to improve productivity. It combines working wherever employees choose with the partial return to the office. Done badly, it can result in the worst of all worlds in terms of improving productivity. A lot of businesses currently appear to favour a ‘three days in, two days from home’ strategy. Some companies are in no rush to return people full-time ; others would like everyone back all the time. Workers are more likely to vote with their feet – and continue working some of the time from home . One employer, on discovering that a home-based worker didn’t want to return from the local office because they had moved abroad without informing them, was given an ultimatum: keep me on, working remotely, or face the time and expense of replacing me. Returning to offices is as much a financial as it is a productivity challenge. With employees influencing the discussion rather than being dictated to by their bosses, the way companies approach the return to work question needs to be handled very carefully. It’s not just a case of demanding their return and saying everything will be the same as before: it won’t. Currently, only about three-quarters of UK workers are concerned about their welfare regarding Covid-19 , if they return to their workplace. The office needs to be a place people want to return to – a ‘destination’ rather than a desk. For example, many companies took the opportunity of Covid-19 lockdowns to transform their office space, and not just by adding a few comfy chairs. Productivity improvement benefits Higher levels of employee satisfaction through greater employer support Lower absenteeism rate Higher employee retention rate Healthier and happier employees How to support homeworkers: Ensure regular and honest communication about returning to the office – make sure it is two-way, with employees encouraged to voice any concerns Consult with employees about your plans Take Covid-19 precautions on workplace health and safety and make sure employees know what they are Offer incentives to return, for example, local gym membership, free lunches or other culinary-based inducements Provide ‘welcome back’ packs of goodies to encourage returners Make the office a fun place to work – create a vibe by boosting non-work social activities with a calendar of interesting events Introduce more natural light, breakout areas and plants Offer regular motivational and wellbeing talks by experts Provide additional employee training to boost productivity in the hybrid world, such as technology skills, and also wellbeing boosters, like health with yoga, exercise classes Invest in technology so office-based and hybrid workers can collaborate easily when team members are in different locations Provide more one-to-one time for employees with their line managers to monitor and discuss both productivity and wellbeing 2. Organise your employees Agile principles encourage organising employees into cross-functional teams, emphasising collaboration, flexibility, and iterative work. This approach promotes better adaptability to change, faster response to customer needs, and increased employee engagement. Agile organisations foster autonomy, clear communication, and continuous improvement, ultimately enhancing both productivity and employee satisfaction. Productivity improvement benefits Less stress and burnout – lower absenteeism rates Healthier employees Better relationships – at work and home More productive employees who make better use of their time Understanding employees’ personalities can help you to improve the productivity of your teams by getting everyone to play to their strengths. Workplace personality tests can help . 11 ways to be better organised Make daily lists of what you need to do Prioritise actions with the most important (not necessarily the most urgent) first Make schedules showing when you need to complete tasks File tidily – declutter your physical and online space Create routines so you can be more consistent and certain in what you do Create guides for job roles so everyone can follow best practice Use time management and productivity improvement tools (see below) Listen to employees – operate an ‘open door’ approach to avoid people getting overwhelmed and under-productive Take regular breaks Delegate tasks to avoid multitasking (see below) Avoid unnecessary meetings and duplicated work 3. Set up a formal employee suggestion scheme Giving employees a strong voice in the workplace helps them to feel more engaged and involved. Productivity improvement benefits Save costs by introducing ideas that improve business efficiency Improve collaboration between employees Increase levels of trust Identify issues early before they become ingrained and are harder to rectify How to set up a formal employee suggestion scheme Lead from the top by ensuring senior-level responsibility for managing the suggestion scheme Be transparent – especially in how you intend to use the information Commit to act on what you find Respond quickly with results and actions Share the news – celebrate ideas taken up Make the scheme easy to use Offer incentives for taking part, like a prize draw so anyone can win and also prizes for the best ideas Review how the scheme is going and update it regularly with clear communication, so everyone knows it is available and how they can respond and by when 4. Start a wellbeing programme One of the priorities set out by the World Health Organisation on World Health Day is “to foster a movement” to create societies focused on wellbeing. Good physical and mental health helps to improve workplace productivity. A wellbeing programme is also an important tool to attract, recruit and retain employees. Increasingly, job candidates scrutinise a company’s wellbeing programme as closely as the pay grade on offer. A wellbeing programme can help identify barriers to productivity improvement, for example, presenteeism and absenteeism. A consistent feature of good wellbeing programmes is taking a holistic approach to both physical and mental health, as Perkbox observes in its analysis of six wellbeing programmes that work well – at Jack Wills, The Gym Group, Purple Bricks, Wasabi, Google and the NHS. Wellbeing programme should be led from the top, with senior managers setting an example and taking responsibility, along with line managers and HR departments, for their wellbeing Programme. Productivity improvement benefits Improve employee productivity Reduce rates of absenteeism Reduce staff attrition rates Generate a positive view of the company by employees, customers, shareholders and other stakeholders How to set-up a wellbeing programme A strong wellbeing programme should include a wide range of often sensitive areas. The Chartered Institute of Professional Development CIPD identifies these seven areas of wellbeing : Physical health and safety, mental health Good working environment, management, pay and recognition Strong leadership, values and standards, particularly around inclusion and diversity Strong employee voice through communication and consultation Clear career development path and learning opportunities Availability of positive lifestyle opportunities, particularly physical activity and healthy eating Financial wellbeing through fair pay and benefits, retirement planning and other financial support 5. Automate and simplify processes The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the transition by many companies towards greater automation and simplification of work processes. A World Economic Forum survey found that 84% of employers are preparing to rapidly digitalise working processes. Productivity improvement benefits Better use of employees’ time More motivated employees Deadlines met Cost savings How to automate and simply processes Identify areas ripe for greater automation, especially ones that involve repetitive work or tasks that take a long time to complete manually. This could include certain processes in sales, finance and accounts and stock management Make a record of key processes with a step-by-step analysis of every stage to identify where automation and simplification will have the greatest positive impact on productivity improvement Prioritise which areas to automate first based, for example, on how they will reduce costs, improve productivity, or improve employee or customer satisfaction levels 6. Make more of your efficiency tools From well-established tools, like Microsoft 365, to a myriad of newer entrants, like Trello, Clockify and Zoom, the number of business productivity improvement tools is growing all the time. With a proliferation of business efficiency tools available (many at no cost), companies are probably guilty of having too many, not having the right ones or failing to ensure their staff know how to get the best out of them. Productivity improvement benefits Better quality work Greater collaboration Clear communication More accurate measurement of performance Reducing operating costs Improved customer satisfaction Improved success rate of projects How to make more of your efficiency tools Make sure everyone who needs to be is properly trained in using your business efficiency and improvement tools Make sure the right people are using the right tools Make sure tools are used consistently across your organisation 7. Keep your team active Teams that fall behind in their tasks become reactive. They are constantly playing catch-up and not spending enough time thinking about how to stay ahead or how to improve their productivity. Productivity improvement benefits Better time management makes employees more efficient and focused Understandable processes ensure employees know how to be as productive as possible Staff are more proactive and engaged when they feel more in control of their work How to keep your team active Understand what makes your team tick, so you can motivate them and be confident in challenging them to be more efficient Prioritise – focus on what’s important, where the deadlines are driving Don’t get bogged down in reactive habits, like trawling through non-essential emails that don’t help you or your team to focus on their tasks In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People , businessman and self-help expert Stephen R Covey covers the main bases: Be proactive – take responsibility for your actions Begin with the end in mind – thoroughly plan how to achieve your goals Put first things first – understand what is important rather than merely urgent Think win:win – find mutually beneficial solutions Seek first to understand, then to be understood – be a good listener Synergise – combine your team’s strengths Sharpen the saw – continuous improvement 8. Avoid multi-tasking Focus on the job at hand and don’t overload your day by thinking you are improving your productivity by taking on as much as you can. You’re probably doing the opposite. Multi-tasking can distract you and productivity will suffer as a result. Your memory can suffer from an information overload where you are not fully focused on each task. Levels of stress and anxiety can increase if you are taking on too much. Multi-tasking can lead to more mistakes and poorer outcomes. Productivity improvement benefits Greater efficiency More tasks completed on time Higher quality work Less stress How to avoid multi-tasking Identify the most important tasks and tackle these one at a time Create a daily list of activities to complete and stick to it Plan your time carefully with set periods to complete each task and to take breaks in between Finish one task before you start the next Set limits on what you’ll do and when – say ‘no’ more often and don’t get lumbered with an overload Don’t get distracted or interrupted 9. Provide employees with real-time feedback Responding immediately with feedback – both positive and negative – and giving praise improves employee morale and productivity. But be careful not to impede creativity by micro-managing people with a steady stream of instant commentary on what they are doing. For real-time feedback to work you’ve got to provide it as soon as you can after reviewing a task or activity. Leave it too late and the positive benefit could be lost. This type of feedback is usually conducted in a fairly informal way. Productivity improvement benefits Staff are more engaged Provides employee recognition Improves performance Improves learning How to provide employees with real-time feedback Be authentic, honest and open Decide when best to deliver feedback and be consistent in how you do it Be open and honest and encourage further dialogue on issues you raise Request feedback on your feedback so you can improve how you deliver it Keep feedback within the context of the work you are reviewing – don’t let it turn into broad-based navel-gazing that has little chance of being received favourably Offer support and help for staff to act on your feedback and improve how they work Be constructive – offer solutions and support 10. Avoid the distractions of social media Nearly half of companies in one survey said that they had no social media policy and that employees spent 12% of their working day on unproductive social media activities. The amount of time we spend on social media is increasing, both at work and at home. At work, it can be tricky cracking down on social media use but this is becoming a growing barrier to productivity improvement. Of course, many companies require employees to use social media for business purposes, so employees need to know what the rules are its use in the workplace. As well as being a distraction to productivity improvement, the unauthorised use of social media on company devices can open the door to hacking and fraudulent activity. Productivity improvement benefits Less time wasting at work Fewer workplace distractions More face-to-face employee interaction at work Reduced cybersecurity risks How to avoid the distractions of social media Set clear rules and guidance on using social media at work Explain clearly in regular communications why using social media hinders productivity improvement Block undesirable social media apps on work computers Ask staff to change notification alerts on personal devices when at work Encourage staff to post less on social media at work Set limits on the use of mobile phones – better still, ask staff to turn them off at work Recommend alternative personal interactions to social media, like talking face-to-face with colleagues – it could improve productivity Offer alternative workplace activities to using social media during breaks and lunch hours, like health classes, TED talks or other activities Previous Next Start Your Business Improvement Journey Our business improvement programme and smart operations provide clarity and a clear pathway forward for you and your team. Get Started

< Back Days Payable Outstanding (DPO) Ratio Understanding the Days Payable Outstanding (DPO) Ratio: Measuring Payment Practices The Days Payable Outstanding (DPO) ratio is a financial metric that measures the average number of days a company takes to pay its suppliers after receiving inventory or services. It provides insights into a company’s payment practices and liquidity. A higher DPO indicates that a company takes longer to pay its bills, which can be beneficial for cash flow management. DPO = Average Accounts Payable / Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) ×365 Suppose Company ABC has the following financial details: Cost of Goods Sold (COGS): $1,200,000 Beginning Accounts Payable: $200,000 Ending Accounts Payable: $300,000 To calculate the Days Payable Outstanding: Calculate the average accounts payable: (200,000+300,000)/2=250,000 Divide average accounts payable by COGS and multiply by 365: (250,000/1,200,000)×365≈76.04 A DPO of approximately 76 days indicates that Company ABC takes about 76 days on average to pay its suppliers. This suggests the company’s payment cycle and effectiveness in managing its payable obligations. Efficiency Ratio Previous Next

What Is Business Productivity Management? Business productivity management recognises that business performance is more about people than systems, tools and processes. Published on: 24 Sept 2020 Business productivity management recognises that business performance is more about people than systems, tools and processes. It believes that with the right people in the right roles, motivated, aligned and focused effective systems will then evolve. Systems are efficient, people are productive. The more efficient the systems, the more productive people can be. Being effective is doing the right thing at the right time. So increased productivity comes from improved efficiencies and effectiveness. What Is Business Productivity Management? Business Productivity Management combines three important business skills: Business Management Business management creates clarity around the target market, the problem being solved and why people will buy from the company against any other solution that may exist. It sets the direction of the company. It also considers strategy, vision and the values that identify the company itself and its culture. Project Management Project management addresses change management, helping to move the company from point A to point B in a safe and managed way. It considers costs, quality and time management, but importantly considers risk and communication management too. People Management People management considers, well, people; staff, managers and directors, in ensuring that they are properly motivated, aligned and engaged. It also considers the suppliers, partners and customers. It addresses “meaning” at both the individual and company level. Benefits of Business Productivity Management It makes better use of time which leads to greater job satisfaction, self-esteem and business outcomes. It improves focus so more work gets completed, more quickly. It addresses personal productivity as much as it does business productivity. It minimises the need for meetings and makes the meetings that do take place more productive. It lowers costs by increasing resource utilisation. It increases market share by improving every customer contact. It reduces the working hours needed to achieve growth. It improves innovation and hence competitive advantage. It minimises the need for annual staff appraisals and rigid job descriptions by engaging with staff at a much deeper level. It creates a positive working culture and a stronger brand. Bonus benefit It alleviates the pressures on management to have all the answers all the time through greater collaboration and sharing of ideas. Awardaroo can help you with your business productivity management. We’ll help your company transform into a productive learning organisation through our unique combination of project, people and business management. Previous Next Start Your Business Improvement Journey Our business improvement programme and smart operations provide clarity and a clear pathway forward for you and your team. Get Started

Ten Examples of Carbon Offset Projects Carbon offset projects fund initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions or remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, such as renewable energy projects, forest conservation, methane capture, and energy efficiency initiatives. Ten examples of carbon offset projects: Renewable Energy Projects: Investments in wind farms, solar power plants, hydroelectric projects, or biomass energy facilities that generate clean energy, displacing fossil fuel-based electricity generation. Energy Efficiency Initiatives: Funding projects that improve energy efficiency in buildings, industries, or transportation systems, reducing energy consumption and associated emissions. Methane Capture from Landfills: Supporting projects that capture and utilise methane gas emitted from landfills, preventing its release into the atmosphere where it is a potent greenhouse gas. Forest Conservation and Reforestation: Investing in projects that protect existing forests from deforestation or degradation, or initiatives that reforest or afforest areas by planting trees, which absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Improved Cookstoves: Promoting the use of energy-efficient cookstoves in regions where traditional biomass or inefficient cooking methods are prevalent, reducing emissions from burning wood or other solid fuels. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) : Supporting projects that capture carbon dioxide emissions from power plants or industrial facilities and store it underground or repurpose it for other uses, preventing its release into the atmosphere. Sustainable Agriculture and Soil Carbon Sequestration : Investing in agricultural practices that promote soil health, such as conservation tillage, cover cropping, or rotational grasing, which can increase carbon sequestration in the soil. Fuel Switching: Funding initiatives that encourage the switch from high-carbon fuels like coal or oil to lower-carbon alternatives, such as natural gas or biofuels. Improved Waste Management: Supporting projects that reduce methane emissions from waste management practices, such as landfill gas capture, composting, or waste-to-energy facilities. Emission Reductions in Developing Countries: Investing in emission reduction projects in developing countries that may not have the resources to implement clean technologies on their own, such as promoting clean cookstoves, renewable energy systems, or sustainable land use practices. These examples illustrate the diversity of carbon offset projects, which can span various sectors and contribute to emission reductions and carbon sequestration in different ways. Previous Next Unlock Healthy Business Growth Discover strategies to enhance profitability, cultivate a greener and more sustainable business model, and elevate overall well-being. GET STARTED

The Ultimate Guide to Business Process Improvement and Effective Workflows Unlock the Secrets to Streamlining Operations and Maximising Productivity: Explore proven techniques for identifying bottlenecks, setting actionable goals, and implementing continuous improvement practices that lead to enhanced efficiency and sustainable business success. Published on: 10 Sept 2024 In today's fast-paced business landscape, the ability to streamline operations is essential for success. As companies strive to maximise efficiency, business process improvement and effective workflows have emerged as critical components in driving organisational performance. This guide delves into the strategies and techniques that can help you enhance your processes and create efficient workflows, ensuring your business remains competitive and adaptable. Understanding Business Process Improvement Business Process improvement refers to the systematic approach of identifying, analysing, and enhancing existing business processes to achieve more efficient results. The goal is to eliminate inefficiencies, reduce waste, and improve overall quality. Techniques such as Lean, Six Sigma, and Kaizen are widely used to implement continuous improvement within organisations. By embracing a business improvement programme , businesses can achieve greater agility, responsiveness, and customer satisfaction. It’s not just about making changes but about fostering a culture of ongoing evaluation and enhancement. The Importance of Efficient Workflows Efficient workflows are the backbone of any successful organisation. A well-designed workflow enables employees to complete tasks with minimal friction, reducing delays and errors. When workflows are optimised, teams can work more collaboratively, communicate effectively, and ultimately deliver better results. Workflow management tools can facilitate the design and monitoring of workflows, ensuring that processes run smoothly. By prioritising workflow efficiency, businesses can enhance productivity, reduce costs, and improve customer satisfaction. Key Steps to Achieve Business Process Improvement and Effective Workflows 1. Identify Pain Points The first step in business process improvement is to identify bottlenecks and challenges within your current workflows with a workflow audit. Conducting a thorough analysis can reveal areas where inefficiencies exist. Engage your team in discussions to gather insights on obstacles they encounter, and use this feedback to inform your improvement efforts. 2. Map Your Processes Visualising your workflows through process mapping can help clarify how tasks are completed and where improvements can be made. Use flowcharts or diagrams to illustrate each step in the process, making it easier to identify redundancies or unnecessary steps. 3. Set Clear Goals Establishing clear, measurable goals is essential for successful business process improvement. Implement the SMART criteria—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—to define what success looks like. This approach ensures that everyone is aligned and accountable for achieving these objectives. 4. Implement Changes Once you’ve identified areas for improvement and set goals, it’s time to implement changes. Communicate the changes clearly to your team, and provide any necessary training or resources to facilitate a smooth transition. Monitor the implementation process closely to address any issues that may arise. 5. Monitor and Measure Success To determine the effectiveness of your business process improvements, it’s crucial to monitor and measure success. Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your goals and regularly review performance data. This ongoing evaluation will help you identify further areas for improvement. 6. Foster a Culture of Continuous Improvement Encouraging a culture of continuous improvement within your organisation can lead to ongoing enhancements in processes and workflows. Empower your employees to share ideas and suggestions for improvement, and recognise their contributions to foster engagement and innovation. 7. Leverage Technology Utilising technology can significantly enhance your business process improvement efforts. Workflow automation tools can streamline repetitive tasks, allowing employees to focus on higher-value activities. Explore software solutions that fit your organisation’s needs to drive efficiency and effectiveness. Conclusion: The Path to Sustainable Success In an ever-evolving business environment, the need for business process improvement and efficient workflows cannot be overstated. By following the steps outlined in this guide, organisations can not only enhance their operational efficiency but also create a sustainable foundation for long-term success. Embrace the journey of continuous improvement and watch your business thrive in the face of new challenges. By prioritising business process improvement and effective workflows, your organisation can achieve operational excellence, foster innovation, and maintain a competitive advantage in today’s market. Start implementing these strategies today and unlock your business's full potential. Previous Next Start Your Business Improvement Journey Our business improvement programme and smart operations provide clarity and a clear pathway forward for you and your team. Get Started

10 Ways To Increase Business Productivity Workplace productivity is vital for business success. Improving employee productivity is the first step you should take to grow your business and increase profitability. Published on: 4 Feb 2021 Workplace productivity is vital for business success. Improving employee productivity is the first step you should take to grow your business and increase profitability. Yet, despite how important productivity is to business survival, UK productivity is 21% lower than the rest of the G7 and continues to struggle year on year. In the face of a global pandemic and economic uncertainty, it is time to reverse this statistic and prioritise workplace productivity to ensure the survival of both the UK economy and its businesses. Business owners can no longer afford to overlook the importance of business productivity and its profound benefits. High levels of workplace productivity not only boost business growth, improve profit margins, and create happier workers but are also integral to the success of the country. Productive and profitable companies contribute more to the UK economy. As the country becomes richer, the standard of living rises and generates more money to be spent on health, education and welfare. How to Use Conversation Intelligence to Boost Business Productivity and Engagement When we think of business productivity, it's often seen as a high-level strategy reserved for CEOs. However, the reality is that productivity gains (or losses) happen on the ground, in everyday interactions – especially over the phone. Despite the rise of digital channels, phone calls remain vital for industries like real estate, car dealerships, and service-based businesses. For many, the phone is the direct line to their customers, influencing both sales and service outcomes. The Hidden Productivity Gap Many businesses still assume polite phone manners are enough. But in today’s customer-driven landscape, this approach falls short. Phone interactions are key moments to improve productivity, customer satisfaction, and employee engagement. Enter conversation intelligence – a technology that analyses call data to uncover actionable insights. When used as part of a Business Impact Assessment (BIA) , it can highlight performance bottlenecks and identify growth opportunities. What is Conversation Intelligence? Conversation intelligence refers to tools that measure call engagement efficiency and effectiveness. More advanced tools assess the content of calls, revealing communication gaps and training needs. This holistic view allows businesses to refine processes, ensuring teams are performing at their best. Why Conversation Intelligence Matters for Productivity Without data-driven insights, phone-based productivity issues often go unnoticed. Through call analysis, businesses can address: Call answering quality Customer experience gaps Conversion opportunities Let’s dive deeper into how conversation intelligence can drive improvements. 1. Improve Call Answering Call agents are the first point of contact for many businesses. Their ability to engage, respond, and problem-solve directly impacts productivity. Conversation intelligence reveals areas where agents excel and where additional training is needed. Key focus areas include: Being welcoming and proactive Demonstrating technical knowledge Handling calls efficiently and positively Addressing these gaps can elevate customer service levels, boosting retention and brand trust. 2. Enhance Customer Experience The phone is a critical touchpoint in the customer journey. Repeated calls for simple queries, like appointment confirmations, can drain productivity. Conversation intelligence pinpoints these inefficiencies, allowing businesses to automate processes or update FAQs. For instance: Problem: High call volume for appointment reminders Solution: Automate SMS/email reminders Proactively improving these areas not only reduces unnecessary calls but enhances the overall customer experience. 3. Increase Conversions By refining call processes and improving engagement, conversation intelligence directly contributes to higher conversion rates. Employees spend more time on meaningful calls, and customers experience smoother interactions. Detailed call reports highlight opportunities, guiding teams to focus on high-impact areas. Over time, these optimisations lead to: Increased sales conversions Enhanced customer loyalty Higher employee satisfaction Conversation intelligence isn’t just about tracking calls – it’s about creating smarter workflows that drive sustainable growth. By integrating it into your business impact analysis, you can unlock hidden productivity and stay ahead in competitive markets. Follow these steps to improve workplace productivity, grow your business and get a better night’s sleep. 10 Ways to improve business productivity Good leadership improves business productivity The role of the 21st century leader is to motivate and inspire their staff to work towards a shared goal. Start by ensuring all staff are aware of how their roles fit into the organisation and the importance of their contribution to the business. Engaged staff who feel valued in the workplace will reward you with increased levels of productivity. It is also vital to address your employees’ needs, encourage wellbeing, eliminate stress and show understanding during difficult periods in their lives. In return, your team members will feel appreciated and supported which increases loyalty, engagement and ultimately, productivity. Positive work cultures are more productive A healthy work culture inspires innovation, collaboration, happiness, wellbeing, engagement and job satisfaction. When an organisation is struggling with their employee productivity, it is essential to examine the current company culture. A toxic company culture can cause animosity between staff which hinders collaboration; employees lack direction which results in wasted time and undervalued employees simply lack the motivation to perform productively. Happy workers show up consistently, are more engaged with the business, seek to solve problems and, as a result, contribute more valuable and productive work. Employee wellbeing boosts workplace productivity Improving employee wellbeing reduces absenteeism and employee burnout. Workers with improved wellbeing have increased energy and are in a better headspace to devote more of their time and attention to the task at hand. There is much more emphasis placed on a good work/life balance today than there was 50 years ago. Millennials value health, wellbeing and job satisfaction more than their predecessors. Implementing an employee wellness programme can be a great way to improve happiness and boost productivity. A survey by Deloitte in 2018 found that 61% of employers said their wellbeing programme improved employee productivity and bottom-line business results. Improve employee performance through training and development Ongoing employee training and development is vital to business success. When employees learn new skills or enhance their existing ones it raises their confidence, inspires innovation, brings new skills to the workplace and boosts employee satisfaction. On the other hand, when an employee lacks the skills needed to perform their job efficiently, time will be wasted and mistakes made. Confident, happy and innovative employees will increase business productivity. Research has shown that employees could be up to 28% more productive with better training. Goal-setting improves business productivity Setting Stretch Goals can be a great way to boost business productivity. A stretch goal is a target goal that is incredibly challenging and ambitious. It can even be deemed the ‘impossible’ dream. Managed in the right way stretch goals encourage employees to think outside the box, push themselves to come up with new solutions and require a renewed commitment to the project. Both personal and business growth occurs when we are push ourselves outside of our comfort zone and take risks. As we uncover new strategies in our attempt to reach these goals, we are able to improve processes and find more productive solutions. It is key to encourage experimentation but not to reprimand failure. Confidence will begin to waver and no one will want to take on future challenges, knowing they might receive negative feedback if they fail. Even when stretch goals aren’t met, positive progress and new ideas will have been made along the way. Offer incentives to boost worker productivity Everyone responds well to praise and we crave appreciation for hard work. A simple thank you or a small token of appreciation in the workplace improves productivity, boosts happiness and creates loyalty. Putting a reward and recognition scheme in place improves productivity, increases job satisfaction, boosts happiness and creates loyalty. A survey by Workhuman found that 79% of people work harder when recognised for their efforts and a considerable 78% cited increased productivity as a result. Employee empowerment increases organisational productivity Empower your staff by involving them in the decision making and giving them control over their own work. You need to listen to their ideas, challenge them to think outside the box and allow them to make relevant decisions. It shows trust and loyalty and, as a result, employees will become more engaged with the business goals. Being ordered to do something tends to negatively impact on our motivation. However, when we’re included in the decision-making we feel part of the bigger picture and our productivity improves as a result. Empowered employees are more likely to go the extra mile for you. A study found that those with a high level of empowerment came in at the 79th percentile of engagement, compared with just 24% from less empowered employee. Engaged staff exhibit better workplace productivity levels. Flexible working can improve productivity Flexible working allows for a better work/life balance with increased childcare opportunities, less time wasted travelling and helps prevent employee burnout. Employees who are tired, stressed and resent the rigidity of the workplace are less likely to be engaged and productivity will suffer as a result. A recent survey by Locatee found that just 7% of respondents wanted to go back to working from the office full time after the pandemic. This is a stark indicator that full-time office working is not in the best interests of employees. Allowing a blended approach to office and home working could help increase workplace productivity and improve employee wellbeing. Effective communication is vital to increase workplace productivity Effective internal communication is central to all business goals. It avoids confusion, encourages teamwork, allows for collaboration, provides purpose and creates a positive company culture. Employees need to be given effective and clear briefs for each task. Employees who are informed and clear about their goals are more likely to perform tasks with increased confidence and direction, improving their productivity. Additionally, management should be available for staff at all times and foster a culture of open, honest and transparent communication. When staff feel they can ask questions, it provides quick clarification and avoids costly mistakes Previous Next Start Your Business Improvement Journey Our business improvement programme and smart operations provide clarity and a clear pathway forward for you and your team. Get Started

< Back Income Statement An income statement, often referred to in the UK as a profit and loss account (P&L account), is a financial document that summarises a company's revenues, expenses, and profits or losses over a specific period of time, typically a fiscal quarter or year. The main purpose of the profit and loss account is to show the company's financial performance and profitability during the reporting period. Key components of a profit and loss account include: Revenue : The total amount of money earned from sales of goods or services, also known as turnover. Cost of Sales : The direct costs attributable to the production of the goods sold by the company. This includes the cost of materials and labour. Gross Profit : Calculated as revenue minus cost of sales. It indicates the efficiency of production and pricing. Operating Expenses : These include selling, general, and administrative expenses (SG&A), such as salaries, rent, and utilities. Operating Profit : Also known as operating income, this is calculated as gross profit minus operating expenses. It reflects the profit from the company's core business operations. Other Income and Expenses : This section includes non-operating items such as interest income, interest expense, and any other financial gains or losses not related to the core business activities. Profit Before Tax : Calculated as operating profit plus other income and minus other expenses. Tax Expense : The amount of taxes owed to the government based on the profit before tax. Net Profit : The final line, also known as the "bottom line," representing the company's total profit after all expenses and taxes have been deducted from total revenue. The profit and loss account is a crucial tool for stakeholders, including investors, creditors, and management, to assess the financial health and operational performance of a business. Previous Next

How to Answer the Phone Professionally Learn how to answer the phone professionally with our simple guide to the dos and don'ts of phone etiquette to help improve your customer service skills. Published on: 26 May 2022 Effective sales and service skills are essential for any company's success, and none more so than on the phone and it all starts with good phone etiquette and how well the phone is answered. How to answer the phone professionally Do be prepared . Before you answer the phone, make sure you’re in the right headspace to do so. If you’re stressed out from the last call or still trying to follow it up, you won’t be giving your full attention. If you can’t give your full attention, don’t answer it. You’ll also want the right equipment in front of you to help, whether that’s a pen and paper or the company’s CMS. Do answer promptly. Don’t let the phone ring more than 3 times. The second ring is the best time to answer the phone so you don’t startle any customer’s by answering too quickly. Do be welcoming. You should answer the phone with a positive, upbeat tone and a friendly greeting like “Good Morning”. Do use your name. After your greeting, let the customer know your name and the name of the business you work for. For best practice on how to answer the phone, you’ll also want to offer your name up again later in the conversation as the customer will have likely forgotten it in the introduction. Do use pronouns. Using both the pronoun ‘you’ and the customer’s name make them feel like the unique and valued customer they are. So make sure to use it where it feels natural. For example, instead of saying “I can help with that”, you could say “I can help you with that”. Make sure to use it with a friendly tone as in the wrong context it can come across as accusatory. Do smile. A scientific study shows we can hear a smile in a tone of voice, even if we can’t see the speaker’s face. Smiling while you’re answering the phone will improve your tone and make you more welcoming and friendly. Do speak clearly and audibly. There’s no need to shout or whisper. You need a level volume and to enunciate your words, while also speaking slowly enough to allow the customer to understand what you’re saying. Do listen. Sometimes it can feel like you’ve heard the same query or issue a thousand times before and it can be easy to tune out. But an important part of knowing how to answer the phone is to always give your full attention to a customer and actively listen without interruption. Do summarise. Once you’ve heard a caller out, make sure you summarise what they’ve said to ensure you’re both on the same page. This helps reassure the caller that you understand their problem and you’re able to help. Do ask for permission. If you’re going to put a customer on hold, it’s so important to ask them first. Better yet, for best phone etiquette, you can give them the option of a call back instead and let them pick. When they come off hold, remember to thank the customer for their patience. The same rules apply for when you’re transferring a customer to another department. Do take ownership. Taking ownership of a customer’s problem ensures outstanding customer service. It’s okay to not always know the answer straight away, but endeavour to resolve customer issues by making their problem your own. How not to answer the phone Don’t answer the phone while you’re eating, drinking or even chewing gum. The customer can hear and it’s poor business phone etiquette. Don’t leave the line open. If you need a minute to find something or need to move away from the phone, don’t leave the phone line open. Always place the customer on hold ( and ask permission first! ). Check back frequently if you can, at least every minute. Don’t say you don’t know. It’s okay to not know, but saying that to a customer can be alarming. You’re the expert of your service or product after all. Much better responses include, “I can find out for you” or “I’ll look that up for you.” Don’t be rude. No matter the situation, no matter how difficult the customer is, there is no excuse to be rude to customers. If you need to, escalate and excuse yourself from the situation and let someone else answer the phone. Don’t use slang. This is especially true if you’re a national company. Your local colloquialisms might make no sense to someone on the other end of the country. Don’t practice poor call handling. An important part of how to answer the phone is good call handling . If you need to transfer a customer to another department, make sure you inform them first. Once you’ve asked permission to put them on hold while you transfer them, you should contact the other department and ensure someone is available to take the call. You should also give the name of the customer and a brief explanation of the query or problem to the other call advisor before transferring the customer over. Don’t use speaker phone. Speaker phones make things harder to hear for customers and they can also make them feel like you’re not giving the call your full attention. Avoid unless absolutely necessary. Don’t close the call abruptly. You shouldn’t just hang up the phone on customers. End on a positive note by saying something like, “have a great day” or “thank you for calling”. Knowing how to answer the phone is a vital part of good phone skills . By following these simple rules, you can ensure you’re giving your customers the best customer service experience possible when they call you. Previous Next Start Your Business Improvement Journey Our business improvement programme and smart operations provide clarity and a clear pathway forward for you and your team. Get Started

10 Benefits of Becoming a Relational Business Discover the top 10 benefits of shifting from a transactional to a relational business model. Learn how prioritising people over profit enhances profitability, trust, innovation, and employee satisfaction Published on: 18 Jul 2019 Many businesses still operate with a transactional mindset—treating customers, employees, suppliers, and partners as mere exchanges for goods or services. This transactional culture, while common, often undermines profitability, employee engagement, and overall business productivity. The Cost of a Transactional Mindset Too many businesses focus solely on the bottom line, neglecting the human element that drives sustainable growth. A transactional culture can damage relationships with employees and customers, reducing engagement and innovation, ultimately impacting profits. Your company culture is the heartbeat of your business. If it's unhealthy, the business struggles—and without a healthy culture, growth becomes nearly impossible. In the same way, society has shifted toward measuring teachers by league tables and doctors by patient wait times, businesses are often reduced to metrics that fail to capture the essence of meaningful interactions. Take patient care, for example. How does a nurse feel about being measured by “care hours per patient per day”? Does this metric improve patient recovery? The reality is that quality time and care are vital to positive outcomes. In the same way, your business thrives by fostering meaningful relationships, not just transactional exchanges. Transactional vs Relational Businesses: What's the Difference? Transactional businesses focus on profit at all costs, treating interactions as one-off exchanges. While profit is essential for any business, an overemphasis on short-term gains can overlook the human aspect that drives long-term success. Employees miss out on a fulfilling workplace, customers receive impersonal service, and shareholders ultimately lose out on potential growth. On the other hand, relational businesses prioritise people—employees, customers, and other stakeholders. These businesses understand that the human experience fuels innovation, creativity, and sustainable growth. When employees are engaged and motivated, they deliver better customer experiences, creating a positive cycle that benefits the business as a whole. A relational approach fosters a culture of trust and collaboration, leading to higher employee satisfaction and retention, more innovative solutions, and improved customer loyalty. The Top 10 Benefits of Becoming a Relational Business Here’s why shifting to a relational model is not only beneficial but essential for long-term business success: 1. Increased Business Value A relational business builds value by focusing on long-term relationships rather than short-term profits. When your business prioritises people—employees, customers, and partners—over mere transactions, it creates a solid foundation for future growth. Strong relationships foster loyalty, and loyalty results in repeat customers, referrals, and sustained revenue streams. Over time, this creates intrinsic value for your business, enhancing its potential for higher valuations, whether you’re looking to expand, sell, or attract investment. 2. Stronger Trust Trust is the cornerstone of any successful business relationship. Relational businesses cultivate trust by prioritising transparency, consistency, and open communication. This fosters strong connections with both customers and employees. For customers, trust is built through reliable products or services and exceptional customer service. For employees, trust stems from a positive workplace culture where their contributions are valued. A business known for trust becomes a magnet for new customers and top talent, while also reducing churn and increasing overall satisfaction. 3. Higher Profit Margins Relational businesses are better positioned to justify higher prices and secure long-term customers due to the superior experiences they offer. By nurturing relationships with customers, these businesses can charge a premium for their products or services, as customers are willing to pay more for trust, reliability, and personalised service. Additionally, when employees feel valued and engaged, they are more productive, contributing to a more efficient and profitable business model. Ultimately, a relational business fosters value that allows for higher margins without sacrificing customer satisfaction. 4. Better Resilience Relational businesses have a competitive edge in times of economic uncertainty or market fluctuations. Their strong relationships with customers, employees, and suppliers provide a buffer during tough times. Customers who trust a brand are more likely to remain loyal, even when prices rise or market conditions change. Similarly, engaged employees are more adaptable, willing to work harder and innovate during difficult periods. This resilience means that relational businesses can weather economic storms and continue to grow, even in challenging environments. 5. More Stable Growth Unlike transactional businesses that often experience erratic sales cycles, relational businesses are more consistent in their growth. By building a loyal customer base and maintaining engaged employees, these businesses can achieve more stable, predictable growth. The focus on long-term relationships helps businesses move away from the feast-or-famine cycles of transactional models, allowing for more sustainable revenue streams. Additionally, relational businesses are better able to increase market share over time by cultivating deeper connections with their target audience and creating a strong brand presence. 6. Continuous Innovation Innovation thrives in a relational business environment. When employees are engaged and feel that their contributions matter, they are more likely to bring forward new ideas and solutions. This culture of innovation extends to customer interactions as well. A relational business listens to customer feedback and uses it to improve products, services, and customer experiences. By focusing on people-first strategies, these businesses can anticipate market trends, create cutting-edge products, and stay ahead of the competition. Innovation becomes an ongoing process, not just a response to external pressures. 7. Higher Staff Productivity Engaged employees are more productive, and a relational business model places employee well-being at its core. When employees feel valued, respected, and motivated, they are more likely to take ownership of their work, go the extra mile, and be proactive in solving problems. This leads to increased productivity, as motivated employees are not just working harder, but smarter. They collaborate more effectively, streamline processes, and contribute to the overall success of the business. The result is a workplace culture that maximises efficiency and drives better outcomes for both employees and customers. 8. Stronger Brands A relational business builds a brand that is rooted in trust, reliability, and customer satisfaction. A strong brand isn’t just about marketing—it's about creating meaningful experiences for your customers and fostering an emotional connection. Relational businesses prioritise the customer journey, ensuring that every touchpoint reflects the company’s values and commitment to quality. This creates a lasting impression and leads to a stronger brand reputation. A powerful brand attracts loyal customers and talented employees, and it has a better chance of withstanding market pressures and competition. 9. Lower Employee Turnover One of the most significant costs for businesses is employee turnover. Relational businesses reduce turnover by creating a workplace culture that values and engages employees. When employees feel that their work is meaningful, and that they are supported by the business, they are less likely to seek other opportunities. High employee retention leads to a more experienced, skilled workforce, which contributes to higher productivity and lower recruitment and training costs. Additionally, a stable workforce helps maintain continuity in customer relationships and ensures that the business’s values are consistently upheld. 10. More Positive Reviews In a relational business, customers receive superior service and have better experiences, which naturally leads to more positive reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations. Satisfied customers are more likely to share their experiences online, helping to boost the business’s online reputation and attract new customers. Positive reviews are essential in today’s digital world, where consumers often rely on them to make purchasing decisions. By focusing on building strong, positive relationships with customers, relational businesses are more likely to receive glowing reviews, further enhancing their credibility and attracting new clients. How to Transition from Transactional to Relational As you can see, the benefits of becoming a relational business far outweigh the costs. These businesses thrive by focusing on long-term relationships, fostering a culture of trust, and prioritising the human elements of business. By becoming a relational business, you’ll create a more resilient, innovative, and productive workplace. You’ll foster stronger connections with your customers, making them more likely to trust and spend with you. As a result, you’ll see improved customer experiences, increased positive reviews, and more word-of-mouth marketing. We can help you transform from a transactional business model to a relational one through our bespoke business improvement programme and unique productivity tools. Let’s work together to build a business that employees love working for, customers love dealing with, and that drives long-term profitability and success. Previous Next Start Your Business Improvement Journey Our business improvement programme and smart operations provide clarity and a clear pathway forward for you and your team. Get Started

5 Ways HR Can Help Boost Business Productivity The power is in the team, so you’d expect HR to be one of the most important functions in any business, of whatever size but this is often not the case, HR is seen as an overhead, a cost, something to be minimised. Published on: 11 Jan 2018 The power is in the team, so you’d expect HR to be one of the most important functions in any business, of whatever size but this is often not the case, HR is seen as an overhead, a cost, something to be minimised. And besides how do you see the value of the HR ? Human Resources, not a very snappy name. Perhaps, “Staff Superstars” or “Culture Creators” or “Brand Boss” would be a better name. HR can get overlooked because it’s not new or trendy, it’s not tech or a new idea. To be successful companies know they need to be proactive, agile, nimble, looking ahead, forward thinking, anticipating and continuously improving. Thinking about HR is like having to stop and check to see if you’ve polished your shoes this morning; it’s a bit samey, a bit dull and can get forgotten. But it matters, a lot. Recognising the significance of HR is pivotal. Evaluating HR importance entails examining the consequences of inadequate or absent HR within an organisation. Poor recruitment practices can inflict substantial harm on a company. A single misfit, whether through attitude misalignment, negativity, or cultural incongruence, can sow discord within a team, impairing its functionality. This discord can manifest through reciprocated inappropriate comments, the emergence of barriers to communication, and a stagnation of information and idea flow. We can all see that a high performing business needs a high performing team, a high performing team needs high performing staff, high performing staff need .. recruiting. Then they need support, training, coaching, mentoring, encouragement, autonomy, trust, respect .. the list can go on. And who is going to provide this? Everybody is very busy, they have their own jobs to do, managers and leaders need to manage and lead. Just when HR is needed most, HR is forgotten. HR can be there at these difficult times to help maintain service continuity, support the company’s competitive advantage and take a strategic role beyond recruitment. The quality of the leadership, the culture and the skills within an organisation determines how profitable a business will be. HR is key to the effectiveness of these areas. A successful business implements its competitive advantage more effectively than its competitors, and who is going to implement this competitive advantage? Not the tooth fairy and perhaps not even HR, but HR should be involved in ensuring the right traits, personality types and skills have been recruited, that the staff members involved are properly motivated and managed. The functional managers and line managers will be setting goals, assessing performance, and may be too busy to see an over worked or demotivated employee or employees. 5 ways HR can help boost business productivity Here are five effective strategies HR can employ to enhance business productivity and foster a thriving work environment: Strategic Talent Acquisition HR plays a pivotal role in sourcing, assessing, and onboarding top-tier talent. By crafting comprehensive recruitment strategies, leveraging diverse talent pools, and implementing rigorous selection processes, HR ensures that the organisation attracts individuals who not only possess the requisite skills but also align with the company's values and culture. Proactive Performance Management Collaborating closely with functional managers, HR monitors employee performance proactively. Through regular performance evaluations, constructive feedback sessions, and targeted development plans, HR helps identify underperformers early on, enabling timely interventions to address skill gaps, performance issues, or alignment challenges. Alignment with Competitive Advantage HR acts as a strategic partner in aligning its initiatives with the company's competitive advantage. By understanding the organization's unique strengths, market positioning, and long-term goals, HR designs tailored programs and policies that optimize workforce capabilities, enhance operational efficiency, and drive sustainable growth. Motivation and Skill Enhancement Recognizing that motivated and skilled employees are key drivers of productivity, HR focuses on fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth. Through training programs, skill development initiatives, performance incentives, and employee engagement activities, HR empowers staff members to excel in their roles, adapt to evolving business needs, and contribute meaningfully to organizational success. Cultural Integrity Maintenance Upholding a positive and inclusive workplace culture is paramount to organisational success. HR takes proactive measures to identify and address any behaviors or attitudes that undermine cohesion, trust, or morale within the workforce. By promoting open communication, addressing conflicts constructively, and swiftly addressing instances of misconduct or cultural misalignment, HR safeguards the organization's cultural integrity and nurtures a conducive environment where every individual can thrive. One final point, HR is perfectly placed to work across the functions strategically with the best interests of the company in mind. Ultimately HR helps a company to increase its focus, motivation and productivity while making it a more interactive, dynamic and satisfying place to work. Previous Next Start Your Business Improvement Journey Our business improvement programme and smart operations provide clarity and a clear pathway forward for you and your team. Get Started

12 Ways To Improve Emotional Intelligence Do you have the capacity to identify, comprehend, and control your emotions and recognise those of others around you? Published on: 10 Oct 2024 A leader in a organisation who uses emotional intelligence to unite people to confront an environmental crisis illustrates how emotional intelligence can help build a better planet, enhance people’s lives, and protect the world’s future. This leader can comprehend and relate to the worries of various community members. The person clearly conveys the significance of the problem and motivates cooperation and action among the group. The outcome is a successful community-wide initiative to address the environmental issue, enhancing residents’ quality of life and advancing the worldwide objective of safeguarding the environment. Effective communication and collaboration amongst all stakeholders are one of the main tenets of stakeholder capitalism, and emotional intelligence is crucial for attaining this. A leader with high emotional intelligence can establish trust and solid connections and empathize with many stakeholders’ problems. Later, he clearly explains the company’s vision and goals. As a result, talks and decision-making can be more fruitful and collaborative, which improves the situation for all parties involved. In addition, emotional intelligence is crucial for solving ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) challenges. Leaders may make more deliberate and effective decisions that put the needs of all stakeholders, including the environment and future generations, ahead of just short-term profit by recognising and controlling their emotions. Emotional intelligence is crucial for advancing stakeholder capitalism because it fosters collaboration, trust, and effective communication among stakeholders, promoting sustainable growth and ethical business practices. Elements Of Emotional Intelligence Self-Awareness Emotional intelligence is built on self-awareness, which enables people to recognise and comprehend their emotions and how they affect their actions, mood, performance, and interactions with others. Self-awareness allows people to control their emotions and behaviours, improving decision-making, relationships, communication, confidence, and creativity. Organisational psychologist Tasha Eurich asserts that those who are self-aware typically experience more success in their personal and professional lives. So, becoming more self-aware is essential for both personal and professional growth. Self-Regulation When a person is self-aware, they can start to control their impulses and emotions through self-regulation, which is the capacity to do so. This results in improved judgment, more solid bonds, efficient communication, an optimistic outlook, and flexibility in dealing with diverse circumstances. Conversely, persons who lack self-control frequently cause a domino effect of unfavourable emotions in others, resulting in a high turnover rate. Social Awareness Social awareness is the capacity to comprehend and relate to the feelings, requirements, and viewpoints of others. This involves recognising social cues, interpreting body language, and being conscious of group dynamics. A business manager who is conscious of their staff’s various viewpoints and feelings and can foster a supportive and inclusive work environment for everybody would illustrate social awareness. They can interact successfully with each employee since they know their needs. As a result, employee motivation, contentment, and productivity all increase. Additionally, they can foresee possible disputes and take proactive measures to resolve them, strengthening team dynamics and productivity. Social Skills The capacity to steer conversations, negotiate, and settle disputes fairly and sympathetically is a component of social skills. A business CEO who can effectively communicate the company’s vision and goals to all stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers, and the community, would be a real-world example of social skills. The CEO can improve decision-making, collaboration, and cooperation, as well as the overall success and sustainability of the firm. To advance stakeholder capitalism, the CEO must also be able to resolve disputes and deal with various stakeholders in a way that benefits all parties. 12 Ways To Improve Your Emotional Intelligence Make A Journal To Increase Self-Awareness Your emotional intelligence can be considerably enhanced by being conscious of your feelings and how you emotionally react to people around you. Understanding when you are nervous or furious might help you communicate those sentiments in a way that encourages positive outcomes. Consider your meetings, projects, and interactions from the day’s activities, both good and bad. You can identify specific patterns in your behaviour and responses, as well as those of others, by writing down your thoughts. What was your greatest success? How do your staff members feel? Do you ever get frustrated with particular persons or circumstances? If so, why? The better, the more reflective you are. For instance, you’ll become more conscious of what irritates you to prevent a future tantrum or imitate behaviours that have been shown to increase staff morale. Detect The Emotions Of Others While self-reflection is a good place to start when developing emotional intelligence, it’s equally crucial to consider how others will interpret your actions and words. Being emotionally savvy includes knowing how to modify your message based on appearance. To demonstrate that you value other people’s feelings, you can always ask them how they feel if you are unclear. Employ Active Listening Skills People communicate verbally and nonverbally. Therefore, paying attention to both verbal and nonverbal cues and potential positive and negative replies is crucial. The foundation for wholesome relationships can be laid by showing others respect by taking the time to listen to them. Try asking questions, nodding in agreement, or repeating key ideas to demonstrate that you have grasped them to demonstrate that you are paying attention. Express Yourself Clearly For emotional intelligence, effective communication abilities are crucial. Building healthy connections requires understanding when to communicate information in writing or verbally. To keep everyone on the same page, a manager in a work environment must communicate expectations and goals. Be as open to communication as possible, and provide several avenues for others to express their emotions to you. Stay Optimistic People with emotional intelligence are aware of the impact a kind word, an encouraging email, or a thoughtful action may have. When you can maintain your composure when dealing with a stressful circumstance, you can support those around you. Additionally, this mindset can promote additional teamwork and problem-solving. While experiencing negative emotions is common, you should consider ways to lessen their impact and search for answers. Empathise Emotional intelligence includes the ability to consider others’ feelings. It denotes your capacity to understand emotions you may not be experiencing personally and to react in a way that is courteous and consoling to others. Try to put yourself in other people’s shoes so that you may think about how you might feel if you were in them. Keep An Open Mind Because they are terrific listeners and can take into account and understand alternative viewpoints, emotionally intelligent people are frequently simple to approach. They are also receptive to new information and concepts. Even if you’re unsure of a novel idea or concept, attempt to imagine how you might incorporate it into your job. Adhere To Feedback It is crucial to possess the ability to hear criticism, whether praise for a recent presentation or harsher suggestions for how to assign duties more effectively. Being receptive to criticism demonstrates your capacity for accountability and willingness to enhance your interpersonal communication skills. Even if some critique could be difficult to hear, you should attempt to see it as an opportunity to develop professionally. Under Pressure, Maintain Composure It’s crucial to have the ability to tackle challenging circumstances with calm and optimism. Maintaining composure and concentrating on finding a solution will help everyone achieve their objectives. Tensions can easily rise, especially when people are pressed for time. Develop coping mechanisms to help you remain composed and deliberate in difficult situations, such as taking a deep breath or asking for assistance. Conduct A 360-Degree Evaluation Using feedback from various sources, a 360-degree assessment is a procedure that aids people in developing their emotional intelligence. A self-evaluation and a series of inquiries or surveys from superiors, colleagues, subordinates, and consumers or clients are frequently included in the assessment. The information is then collated and examined to provide a comprehensive assessment of the person’s emotional intelligence, which considers their self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. This information can be utilised to pinpoint areas that need improvement and create a career and personal growth strategy. Additionally, managers and leaders can utilise the 360-degree exam to pinpoint team-wide improvement opportunities. This creates plans for raising emotional intelligence levels. It contributes to a thorough grasp of emotional intelligence and the areas that need improvement. Be Aware of Your Emotions It would help if you first comprehended your feelings to comprehend those of others. Make a deliberate effort to think about your emotions whenever you notice a particularly powerful emotion, whether pleasant or bad. Think for a moment about the reasons behind your feelings and what might have caused such a powerful emotional reaction. You’ll learn to recognise your own emotions and those of your coworkers. You’ll be able to develop a productive team by being an empathic leader. Enroll In An Online Training Or Course By giving a summary of the main ideas and theories, as well as tips and tactics for fostering self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills, online courses and training on emotional intelligence can assist people in growing their emotional intelligence. These programs can teach people how to effectively control their emotions and comprehend those of others, which can improve their relationships and communication. Assessments and interactive exercises may also be used in training to reinforce concepts and track advancement. The ability to make better decisions, build stronger relationships, communicate effectively, and perform better can benefit from completing an online course or receiving training in emotional intelligence. Conclusion People need emotional intelligence since it can enhance their personal and professional lives and improve the world. People can become better suited to managing life’s complexities and effect positive change by increasing their emotional intelligence. A more peaceful community may result from increased empathy, better communication, and deeper understanding that can be fostered by emotional intelligence. Everyone should consider developing their emotional intelligence since doing so will enhance their personal lives and contribute to a better future for all of us. Previous Next Start Your Business Improvement Journey Our business improvement programme and smart operations provide clarity and a clear pathway forward for you and your team. Get Started

Use a Business Agility Assessment To Improve Productivity Improved business agility allows you to achieve flexibility, balance and coordination so that you can identify opportunities as a leader in a changing market. Productivity is the engine of your business. Gain the power to adapt rapidly and efficiently to changes in the market and get ahead in today’s increasingly dynamic business environment. Superior business agility enables you to develop your processes, systems, products and services in line with the current business environment to optimise your overall performance and profitability. Improved business agility enables you to adapt rapidly and cost-effectively in response to changing consumer demands and emerging market trends. An agile approach to your business will help you to adapt and maximise your assets and human resources according to the evolving demands of your sector. Why Use a Business Agility Assessment? A Business Agility Assessment is a strategic imperative for modern businesses. In an era of rapid change and unpredictability, it provides several compelling reasons for adoption: Adaptation to Change : It equips businesses with the tools to swiftly adapt to market shifts, technological advancements, and unforeseen disruptions, ensuring resilience and continuity. Efficiency and Cost Reduction : By identifying operational bottlenecks and inefficiencies, it streamlines processes, optimises resource allocation, and reduces operational costs, directly impacting the bottom line. Competitive Edge : The insights gained enable businesses to stay ahead of competitors, innovate proactively, and seize emerging opportunities in the marketplace. Talent Retention : It helps in creating a culture of learning and adaptability, enhancing employee engagement, and reducing turnover. Customer-Centricity : By fostering agility, organisations can better meet evolving customer demands, enhancing satisfaction and loyalty. Strategic Decision-Making : It provides data-driven insights that enable informed decision-making, aligning strategies with market dynamics. Resilience : It builds organisational resilience, ensuring the ability to weather crises and emerge stronger. Sustainability : By optimising operations, it contributes to sustainability goals by reducing waste and resource consumption. Regulatory Compliance : It assists in staying compliant with evolving regulations through adaptable processes. A Business Agility Assessment is a cornerstone for businesses seeking long-term viability, growth, and the ability to thrive in an ever-changing business landscape. It's an investment in agility, innovation, and competitive advantage. Business Agility Introduction In the dynamic landscape of contemporary organisations, the imperative for all industries is unequivocal: the imperative to not only amass and act upon information but to do so with alacrity, rendering decisions swiftly and implementing change deftly to keep pace with the relentless evolution of customer demands and the capricious contours of the business environment. This indispensable capacity is commonly christened as "agility." At the very core of the REM5 philosophy lies the bedrock upon which agility thrives. Agility, however, isn't merely a buzzword; it's an ethos, an art, and a science. It embodies the proactive quest for novel insights and the wholehearted embrace of unceasing transformation, all within the framework of collaborative synergy that shuns the shackles of resistance, bias, or ill-will. Yet, like any grand endeavour, the path to organisational agility is fraught with potential impediments. The labyrinthine corridors of bureaucracy, which lumberingly hinder processes, the intricate web of internal politics that extends the timeline of decision-making, the silos that cloak the origins of predicaments and foster an aura of proprietary control, and the chasm of trust deficiency that renders effective communication a Herculean task—these are but a sampling of the formidable barriers that beset the journey. In this intricate ballet of modern business, mastery of agility is not a discretionary pursuit; it's a necessity. As we delve deeper into the very essence of agility, we embark on a quest to decipher the strategies and solutions that can surmount these formidable barricades, ushering in an era of heightened organisational responsiveness and nimbleness. For, in the pages that follow, we shall unveil the intricate tapestry of agility, exploring the means by which organisations can transcend these challenges and ascend to new heights of adaptability and success. There are many things that can inhibit an organisation’s ability to be agile: bureaucracy that slows down processes, internal politics that prolong decision-making, silos that obfuscate the root causes of problems and ownership of solutions, and a lack of trust that makes communication difficult, to name just a few. When these barriers to agility exist, the fix isn’t simple, but neither is it insurmountable. What is an Agile Organisation? In the ever-evolving landscape of modern business, the clarion call for agility resounds louder than ever. Yet, achieving true agility isn't merely a matter of employing cutting-edge tools and streamlined processes, although these are indispensable components of the equation. At its core, it's a symphony orchestrated by the harmony of technology's capabilities and the resonant chords of precise data. Organisations on the path to agility must be proactive in their quest. It's about posing not just any questions but the right ones, about casting a wide net to gather, generously sharing, and methodically scrutinising information – the very heartbeat that quickens the pace of change. However, a stark truth emerges: no amount of data, no matter how vast, can serve as a magic wand to bestow agility if there exists no genuine desire to heed its insights. It's here that the interplay of confidence and courage assumes centre stage. The reluctance to listen often stems from a dearth of self-assuredness. Thus, the journey to agility necessitates more than just brilliant minds and pristine data sets. It calls for a dynamic fusion of resilience, social acumen, and an unwavering capacity for action. These elements must harmoniously coalesce around a crystalline organisational purpose, the magnetic force guiding every endeavour. In the pages that follow, we will embark on a voyage to unearth the essence of agility. It's not a destination but a dynamic state of being. It's about more than numbers; it's about the art of truly listening to the whispers of data and the cadence of an organisation's soul. It's about the fusion of human intellect, technological prowess, and an unyielding sense of purpose that forges the bedrock upon which agility is built. Join us as we explore this transformative journey, where the future belongs to those who can master the art of becoming agile. Purpose First In agile organisations, the expectation is to operate within an environment where the future course isn't etched in stone; it's a tacit understanding that new information might necessitate course corrections at any given moment. A customer-centric mission serves as the guiding compass, enabling employees to navigate toward their ultimate objectives, even when the journey takes unforeseen twists and turns. A resolute dedication to delivering value to the customer serves as the true north for every member of the organisation and bolsters agility in numerous way. Change is Vital to Business Agility Improved business agility allows you to achieve optimal flexibility, balance, adaptability and coordination so that you can identify opportunities and reposition your company as a leader in the changing market. This will, in turn allows you to take advantage of maximised productivity. By harnessing the power of visitor value, the often unpredictable business environment can now be seen as an asset, providing much scope for converting your most valuable visitors. Previous Next Start Your Business Improvement Journey Our business improvement programme and smart operations offer clarity and a well-defined pathway for you and your team to move forward confidently. Get Started

What is Lean Business Improvement? Something of a religion to those who know what it means, Lean Sigma Continuous Improvement, or Lean Business Improvement, isn’t just a buzzword. For those in leadership and management positions within a business, it can be a driver of insightful change. Published on: 11 Mar 2021 Lean Business Improvement refers to the method of an ongoing effort to improve aspects of business performance. This could be products, processes or services. Something as simple as correcting a spelling mistake in a manual can be considered continuous improvement. As long as the goal is to continually improve aspects of your business. Continuous and continual improvement are used almost interchangeably. But there’s arguably a difference between them in approach. Continual improvement is the broader term, popularized by Deming . It refers to a more general process of improvement covering many approaches, techniques and areas. The Toyota Production System (TPS) The Toyota Production System (TPS) is perhaps the best known continuous improvement programme. There are two underlying principle of the Toyota Production System (TPS), Continuous Improvement which includes: Kaizen meaning “change for the better” or “continuous improvement”, a philosophy regarding the processes that continuously improve operations with the involvement of all employees, Challenge and meaning obstacles to overcome, a vision and the actions needed to engage in and experiment to improve. Genchi Genbutsu which translates as “real location, real thing”. And also Respect for people and teamwork. What is Lean Six Sigma? Applying Lean Six Sigma creates operational excellence by combining both Lean and Six Sigma process improvement methodologies Lean process improvement seeks to minimise waste, increase productivity, reduce costs to increase profitability. Lean process improvement seeks to improve process speeds so improving workflow and reducing costs. Six sigma process improvement seeks to deliver measurable cost, quality and time management improvements by focusing on defect detection and resolution. A business improvement programme using Lean Six Sigma will aim to ensure your business is running as efficiently and effectively as possible. This is achieved through systematically and periodically examining and improving your processes. This could be to change software, address bottlenecks and countless other examples. There are many different methods to achieve continuous improvement, the Deming Cycle being just one example. But they can all be categorised into two groups, incremental or breakthrough improvements. Muda In lean thinking, Muda is any waste be that a material waste or more likely a waste of time, in work that needs to be redone, in people waiting for something to arrive, in products or services that don’t meet the required specification or a customer’s expectation. Identify the Value It’s first necessary to know what value is to be created and this can only be defined by the customer, be that an internal customer like another department of an external customer buying your product from a shop. Identify the Value Stream The value stream is all the tasks and activities that need to be completed to create the value, to deliver the product or service to the customer. Define the Flow Having defined the value and value stream, we need to define the flow. That is we need to eliminate the Muda. Tasks can be completed in series or parallel, in batches or one at a time. Defining the right flow ensures that Muda is minimised. You can wait for an optimum time to start or start now. They can be completed on-demand, in a Pull orientation, or delivered immediately, ready for when required. Lean Business Improvement Concepts Kanban Kanban is a visual workflow management method for defining, managing and improving processes. Kaizen Kaizen is the principle of continuous improvement by reflecting on how work is completed and then how it can be made more productive. It’s a systematic approach to business improvement covering work, personal and home life. Incremental Continuous Improvement As the name suggests, incremental continuous improvement is about making small changes to aspects of your business. Most often, it’s done ad-hoc, resolving problems as they are discovered. It’s a cost-effective approach to continuous improvement with minimal risk involved. This is because the changes are usually addressing minor flaws in current processes or services. It’s not the large scale change that may open Pandora’s box so to speak. A good example would be if you notice some small problem in a task you do regularly. Lets use reporting on analytics as an example. You notice the reports are missing some additional information which would be beneficial to include. You would simply include this information and drop an email to your team to ask them to include this information in on-going reports. It’s a small improvement, but if these small improvements happen continuously, it can lead to long-term better practices across the business. You don’t need to review the entire process to undertake incremental improvement. They’re the small changes you make every day to create more efficient processes for everyone. It’s important to communicate changes with this approach though. If everyone on a team is using this approach and making small changes, you’ll end up with incoherency and confusion. Breakthrough Continuous Improvement Breakthrough continuous improvement refers to making large changes to processes, services, software or more. This type of continuous improvement starts with reviewing the chosen aspect with your entire team. Collect thoughts, frustrations, challenges and ideas and decide together on what the changes to improve this aspect should be. The breakthrough approach tends to cost more in terms of time and money, but can often result in much more effective overall improvements. A good example of breakthrough continuous improvement would be updating your CRM software. Your whole team would meet to discuss what issues they have with the current software, where it’s causing problems for customers and what functions they’d like to see in the new CRM software. From here, you can decide which new CRM software provider to go with and eventually, change over CRM platforms. It’s a large scale update, with its own challenges to manage, but it brings about a much better customer experience and your staff are happier using the new system as it’s quicker and easier to use. Similarly to the above, communication is key . Large changes brought about without discussion with the relevant team members involved is a recipe for chaos and disaster. Decisions made by management with no justification, explanation and seemingly little regard for those actually using the system will lead to frustrations across the business. There’s no right or wrong approach when it comes to continuous improvement. In fact, you should generally be using both approaches to ensure your business is running as efficiently as possible. Benefits of Lean Business Improvement The benefits of a continuous business improvement programme are varied and many as it seeks to improve all major aspects of running a business. It will improve operational efficiencies, create a more effective leadership team and reduce operational costs, improve customer satisfaction and the business culture as well as relationships with all stakeholders from investors to staff, partners and suppliers. Improving the quality of work processes and activities Reducing errors and defects in completed work items Reducing costs Improving the workflow of processes Simplifying work Reducing lead times Improving time management with better utilisation of “Pull” and “Push” techniques Creating more efficient and effective business processes Increasing the predictability of work outcomes Improving employee engagement and morale Creating more effective leaders Improved business change and risk management Improved internal and external communications Improved customer satisfaction levels Improved gross margins and operating net profit Improved business culture Improved marketing Return on Investment (ROI) Increased sales conversion rates Enhanced employee hiring, motivation and retention Improved competitive advantage Improved management of priorities Increased transparency Improved personal and business productivity There is always some room for incremental continuous improvement, even if your processes are documented and consistent, you’ll still find ways to do them better with time. Doing this allows your team to always be working more effectively, accurately and efficiently. Thanks to constant changes in technology, breakthrough continuous improvement is always necessary. There will always be new software with features that can revolutionize the way you do business. There will always be a better CMS to redesign your website on. The examples are endless, but this kind of large-scale change helps businesses remain competitive long-term. Implementing a business improvement programme for improving every aspect of your business means your company is constantly striving to be better, as opposed to just surviving. Previous Next Start Your Business Improvement Journey Our business improvement programme and smart operations provide clarity and a clear pathway forward for you and your team. Get Started

Mastering ISO 9001: Your Ultimate Guide to Quality Management Success Achieving ISO 9001 certification is not just about meeting a standard; it's about embracing a culture of quality that permeates every aspect of your organisation. Published on: 1 Jan 2023 In today's competitive business environment, quality management is not just a luxury—it's a necessity. The ISO 9001 standard is globally recognised as the benchmark for quality management systems (QMS) . Whether you're a small business or a multinational corporation, mastering ISO 9001 can significantly enhance your operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and market reputation. This comprehensive guide will take you through everything you need to know about ISO 9001, from its fundamentals to the step-by-step process of achieving certification. What is ISO 9001? ISO 9001 is part of the ISO 9000 family of standards , which is dedicated to quality management systems. It sets out the criteria for a QMS and is based on a number of quality management principles including a strong customer focus, the motivation and implication of top management, the process approach, and continual improvement. The goal is to ensure that organizations can consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements. Why ISO 9001 Certification is Essential for Your Business Achieving ISO 9001 certification is not just about meeting a standard; it's about embracing a culture of quality that permeates every aspect of your organisation. Here are some key benefits: Improved Efficiency : Streamlined processes and clear documentation can lead to significant improvements in efficiency and productivity. Enhanced Customer Satisfaction : By focusing on quality, you can improve customer satisfaction, leading to repeat business and positive referrals. Global Recognition : ISO 9001 is recognized worldwide, opening up international markets and boosting your credibility with global partners. Regulatory Compliance : Helps ensure that you meet statutory and regulatory requirements, reducing the risk of non-compliance. ISO 9001 Explained: Everything You Need to Know About Quality Management Systems Before diving into the certification process, it’s crucial to understand the core components of ISO 9001. The standard is based on several quality management principles: Customer Focus : Understanding and meeting customer needs is fundamental. Leadership : Effective leadership is essential to establish a unity of purpose. Engagement of People : Competent, empowered, and engaged people at all levels are critical to enhancing an organization’s capability. Process Approach : A desired result is achieved more efficiently when activities and related resources are managed as processes. Improvement : Continual improvement should be a permanent objective. Evidence-Based Decision Making : Effective decisions are based on the analysis of data and information. Relationship Management : An organization and its external providers (suppliers, contractors, etc.) are interdependent, and a mutually beneficial relationship enhances the ability to create value. The Complete ISO 9001 Checklist for 2024 Embarking on the journey to ISO 9001 certification requires careful planning and execution. Here’s a comprehensive checklist to guide you through the process: Understand the Standard : Obtain a copy of ISO 9001 and thoroughly review its requirements. Gap Analysis : Conduct a gap analysis to identify areas where your current processes do not meet ISO 9001 requirements. Management Commitment : Secure commitment from top management to support the QMS implementation. Form a Project Team : Assemble a team responsible for implementing the QMS. Training : Provide ISO 9001 training to all employees to ensure they understand their roles and responsibilities. Documentation : Develop the necessary documentation, including the quality policy, quality objectives, and process documents. Implement Processes : Implement the documented processes across the organization. Internal Audit : Conduct an internal audit to ensure the QMS is functioning as intended. Management Review : Hold a management review meeting to assess the effectiveness of the QMS. Certification Audit : Select a certification body and undergo the certification audit. Top 10 Tips for Achieving ISO 9001 Certification Successfully achieving ISO 9001 certification can be challenging, but these tips can help you navigate the process: Start with a Gap Analysis : Identify what needs to be done to meet the standard. Get Management Buy-In : Ensure that top management is committed to the process. Engage Employees : Make sure all employees are aware of their roles in the QMS. Focus on Process Improvement : Use the implementation as an opportunity to improve your processes. Keep Documentation Simple : Avoid over-complicating your documentation. Train Your Team : Provide adequate training to ensure everyone understands the QMS. Conduct Regular Audits : Regular internal audits will help you stay on track. Review and Improve : Continuously review and improve your processes. Select the Right Certification Body : Choose a reputable certification body. Celebrate Success : Recognize and celebrate the efforts of your team once certification is achieved. Common ISO 9001 Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them While ISO 9001 implementation can bring many benefits, there are common pitfalls to avoid: Lack of Management Support : Without strong support from management, the QMS may fail. Insufficient Training : Employees need proper training to understand and implement ISO 9001. Over-Documentation : Too much documentation can be as problematic as too little. Ignoring the Process Approach : Failing to focus on processes can lead to inefficiencies. Poor Internal Communication : Good communication is key to successful implementation. ISO 9001 vs. ISO 14001: Understanding the Key Differences While both ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 are management system standards, they focus on different areas. ISO 9001 is centered on quality management, while ISO 14001 focuses on environmental management. Understanding these differences is crucial for organizations considering multiple certifications. You can find a detailed comparison in our post, ISO 9001 vs. ISO 14001: Understanding the Key Differences. Real-World Benefits of ISO 9001: Success Stories from Top Companies Numerous companies around the world have achieved remarkable success by implementing ISO 9001. These case studies highlight the tangible benefits of certification, such as increased efficiency, higher customer satisfaction, and improved market positioning. Explore more success stories in our article, Real-World Benefits of ISO 9001: Success Stories from Top Companies. Conclusion Mastering ISO 9001 is a journey that can transform your organisation. By understanding the principles, following a structured approach, and avoiding common pitfalls, you can achieve certification and enjoy the myriad benefits it brings. Whether you’re looking to improve efficiency, enhance customer satisfaction, or gain global recognition, ISO 9001 is the key to quality management success. Previous Next Start Your Business Improvement Journey Our business improvement programme and smart operations provide clarity and a clear pathway forward for you and your team. Get Started

< Back Return on Net Assets (RONA) Understanding Return on Net Assets (RONA): Measuring Efficiency and Profitability Return on Net Assets (RONA) is a financial performance metric that measures how efficiently a company uses its net assets to generate profit. It indicates the profitability and operational efficiency of a business by comparing its net income to its net assets. A higher RONA value signifies better asset utilisation and profitability. RONA = Net Income / Net Assets Suppose Company GHI has the following financial details: Net Income: $500,000 Net Assets (Total Assets - Total Liabilities): $2,500,000 To calculate RONA: Divide net income by net assets: 500,000 / 2,500,000 = 0.2 A RONA of 20% indicates that Company GHI generates a return of 20 cents for every dollar of net assets. This suggests efficient use of assets in generating profit. Profitability Ratio Previous Next

Small Business Coaching Services Grow and scale your business with the help of an experienced small business coach. Our small business coaching services are targeted at businesses with between 5 to 50 employees. We can help grow your business through our expert productivity coaching and small business coaching tools. Why Small Business Coaching? Growing a small business is incredibly rewarding, but it's no easy feat. Which is where we come in. We love helping small businesses grow through increasing their productivity and profitability. Whatever your industry, we can help. We focus on creating tailored small business operating systems. Our bespoke small business operating systems allow your unique character and way of working to shine through to your staff and customers, giving you a greater market share. It also develops your small business culture. We focus on making work more enjoyable and rewarding for your staff, giving you happier and more engaged employees who love coming to work. With a continuous focus on business productivity improvement, you get the edge over your competitors. You're focused on long-term goals allowing your company to thrive, instead of the bottom-line where you only survive. Sales and Service Skills Training for Small Businesses Sales and service training for small businesses improves phone communication , creating professionalism and customer satisfaction. Polite and efficient interactions build trust and enhance the business's reputation. Clear information dissemination about products/services and addressing inquiries promptly boosts customer retention and referrals, driving growth and success in competitive markets. Small Business Coaching Tools We use our unique toolset to help your small business achieve operational excellence. This includes a variety of tools dependent on what you outline your business challenges as. This could include using disc personality tests to allow you to build better teams and recruit more efficiently, it could include using customer surveys or employee engagement surveys to help you find areas for improvement or it could include a customised integrated digital marketing strategy to help you expand your reach. All of this is dependent on what your small business needs. We pride ourselves on getting to know the unique strengths, challenges and long-term visions of your business before we implement our small business strategy. This means every small business strategy we create is unique to your industry and business needs. Though we shouldn't pick favourites, our revenue intelligence service just might be our favourite small business coaching tool. It allows us unique insights into the frontline of your business, helping us identify areas for improvement immediately. This tool allows you to focus on operational excellence long-term through outstanding customer experience. Overall, we use our small business coaching tools to help bring your business clear goals and greater consistency so you can achieve continuous growth for your business. What Our Small Business Coaching Service Delivers: Business culture perfect for your sector Enhanced customer relationships More effective use of all resources including time, money and staff Better streamlined processes and workflow A cost structure that supports your growth and expansion. Create goals that you can work towards. Increased engagement with all staff to build better teams We improve your business revenues one behaviour at a time. This is the only way to create sustainable and continuous business performance improvement. Get in Touch Tell us about a challenge or question you have. First name* Last name* Company name Email* Submit

Understanding Brand Experience and Its Impact on Workflow How Workflow Optimisation Enhances Consistency and Engagement Across Brand Touchpoints In today’s competitive landscape, brand experience has become a crucial factor in determining the success of any business. At the intersection of marketing and operations, brand experience is not just about creating a memorable moment for customers—it's about embedding those moments into every process within the organisation. A well- optimised workflow ensures that each customer interaction with the brand is consistent, efficient, and emotionally resonant. Whether it’s through customer service, product delivery, or the design of a website, workflow processes must be aligned with the brand’s identity to foster loyalty and engagement. Workflows and brand experience are intertwined. A meticulously designed workflow guarantees that the brand experience is not compromised at any touchpoint. To create a seamless customer journey , every department must play a role in maintaining brand standards, from marketing to customer service and operations. This connection between workflow and brand experience ensures that promises made through branding are delivered consistently, thus enhancing customer satisfaction and business performance. In this article, we’ll explore brand experience through five key topics, shedding light on what defines a good brand experience, the principles, theories, and metrics that measure its effectiveness, as well as the dimensions and factors that influence it. Brand Strategy: Setting the Vision Once the workflow audit has been completed, the next crucial step in any business improvement process is setting a clear direction for where you want to go. This is achieved through the development of a brand strategy , a key element that goes far beyond just marketing and customer perception. A brand strategy is about aligning your business’s core purpose, values, and long-term objectives to create a unified and clear vision for growth and success. It serves as the foundation that informs every decision, ensuring that all initiatives and improvements support the overarching goals of the business. Understanding the Role of Brand Strategy Brand strategy is the blueprint for how your business communicates its identity to the market, to your employees, and to all other stakeholders. But, at its core, it’s about defining the reason why your business exists , and articulating the long-term impact you aim to make. It provides clarity and focus, aligning internal teams, guiding leadership decisions, and directing external communications and initiatives. A strong brand strategy does more than just guide marketing; it’s woven into the fabric of business operations , product development, customer service, and employee engagement. A well-executed brand strategy outlines the long-term vision of where the company wants to be, typically aligned with the overarching mission and values. It provides guidance on positioning in the marketplace, helps prioritise resource allocation, and steers key decisions in a way that aligns with these defined goals. As such, it ensures that business improvements, from operational processes to customer service initiatives, are all aligned and working towards the same end goal. Why Brand Strategy Matters Establishes Alignment and Focus : In any organisation, a clear and coherent strategy enables teams to understand how their work contributes to broader organisational goals. This alignment helps avoid inefficiencies, miscommunication, and unnecessary efforts that stray from the primary objectives. When the brand strategy is well-defined, each employee, from front-line staff to executive leadership, understands the bigger picture and their role in achieving it. Informs Decision-Making : Every business decision, whether it involves process improvement, project prioritisation, or resource allocation, should reflect and support the brand’s core strategy. A solid brand strategy ensures that decisions are intentional and that each initiative or investment made contributes to the long-term goals. When decision-makers are faced with choices, the brand strategy provides the framework for making the best decision that aligns with the vision for the future. Guides Growth and Adaptation : Business growth, especially in competitive environments, requires careful planning and a clear understanding of how to adapt to changes. A brand strategy not only provides a foundation for sustaining growth but also helps businesses navigate shifts in the market, technology, and consumer behaviour. Whether you’re launching a new product line, expanding into new markets, or restructuring your organisation, your brand strategy should act as a compass, guiding your response to these changes in a way that strengthens your position and furthers your goals. Strengthens Brand Equity : A strong and coherent brand strategy strengthens the business’s brand equity —the intrinsic value derived from customer perceptions, loyalty, and the strength of the company’s reputation. It helps foster brand consistency , which builds trust and long-term customer relationships. A business with a well-aligned strategy is better positioned to differentiate itself from competitors, making it easier to attract and retain customers. Creating a Clear Brand Strategy Developing a brand strategy involves several key steps that are critical to ensure the alignment of your business values, purpose, and goals: Define Your Brand’s Purpose : The first step is to clearly articulate the reason why your business exists. What is the mission that drives your work? For example, a tech start-up might define its purpose as becoming a leader in sustainable innovation , aiming to use technology to reduce environmental impact. This purpose will shape all subsequent decisions, from product development to partnerships and marketing efforts. Establish Core Values : Core values are the principles that guide your company’s actions and decisions. These should reflect what your business stands for and how it operates internally and externally. Values such as sustainability , innovation , and integrity might be central to the brand strategy of a company focused on environmentally-friendly solutions or technology. Set Long-Term Goals : Brand strategy also involves setting concrete, measurable goals that reflect the business’s vision for the future. These goals should be ambitious yet achievable and help measure progress towards the brand’s purpose. For instance, a sustainable fashion brand may set long-term goals of reducing carbon emissions, reaching net-zero waste, or implementing a circular economy model in their supply chain. Create a Unique Positioning : Positioning refers to how your business is perceived in the marketplace and the unique value it offers to customers. A well-defined brand strategy includes a strong positioning statement that differentiates the company from its competitors. For example, if your company is focused on creating eco-friendly technology, your brand positioning could centre around your unique approach to sustainable innovation , making your products stand out from those of competitors in the tech space. Consistent Messaging : Clear and consistent messaging is essential to ensure that your brand strategy resonates with both internal and external audiences. Every piece of communication, whether it’s a marketing campaign, internal meeting, or external collaboration, should reflect the core values and purpose outlined in the brand strategy. This consistency builds trust with customers, partners, and employees, and reinforces your company’s position as a leader in its industry. Example: A Tech Start-Up Focused on Sustainable Innovation Let’s look at an example of a tech start-up in the sustainable innovation space. The start-up’s brand strategy focuses on becoming a market leader in creating energy-efficient products that help reduce carbon footprints. The company’s purpose is to enable a greener, more sustainable future through technology, while its core values include innovation, sustainability, and accountability. With a brand strategy in place, the start-up can guide its decision-making around product development, customer engagement, and investment strategies. The brand’s messaging is focused on sustainability and efficiency, which directly informs the development of energy-saving solutions. Their long-term goal might be to disrupt the energy industry by offering cost-effective, sustainable alternatives to traditional energy solutions, ensuring that every product and service aligns with this mission. A well-defined brand strategy is not just about crafting a logo or a catchy slogan; it’s about creating a long-term vision that aligns the company’s purpose, values, and goals with its operational processes and decisions. It serves as the foundation for all strategic planning, ensuring that each business improvement initiative is purposeful and aligns with the overarching vision. For any business seeking growth, a robust brand strategy provides clarity, direction, and focus, setting the stage for long-term, sustainable success. 1. What Makes a Good Brand Experience? A good brand experience is about leaving a lasting, positive impression on customers. At its core, it involves ensuring that every interaction with the brand is consistent, engaging, and enjoyable. Brands that excel in delivering superior experiences often: Maintain consistency across all touchpoints, from advertising to customer service. Offer personalisation , tailoring the experience to meet individual customer needs. Ensure that customers have a seamless journey through intuitive UX and accessible service. Create an emotional connection , making customers feel valued and understood. Offer a memorable experience that differentiates the brand from its competitors, ensuring repeat business and advocacy. In essence, a good brand experience builds trust, encourages engagement, and reinforces customer loyalty. 2. What Are the Principles of Brand Experience? The principles of brand experience guide how businesses design and implement customer interactions. These principles ensure that the brand is consistently delivering value and engagement, and include: Consistency : All communications, actions, and appearances of the brand should be cohesive. Authenticity : The brand should remain true to its values and promises, building trust with customers. Customer-Centricity : Designing every interaction with the customer’s needs in mind is essential. Engagement : Brands must actively encourage interaction and participation, rather than being passive. Emotional Connection : A strong emotional bond between the brand and the customer leads to deeper loyalty. Innovation : Brands should continually evolve and adapt their experiences to meet changing consumer expectations. These principles help companies align their workflows to deliver a consistently excellent brand experience across all channels and touchpoints. 3. What Is Brand Experience Theory? Brand experience theory focuses on how customers interact with a brand through different sensory, emotional, and cognitive processes. Brand experience theory proposes that customers engage with brands not just functionally but emotionally, intellectually, and behaviourally. According to the theory: Sensory engagement appeals to the customer’s senses, such as visual design, sound, or touch. Emotional engagement elicits feelings such as happiness, nostalgia, or excitement. Cognitive engagement challenges customers to think or reflect, often through storytelling or intellectual stimulation. Behavioural engagement encourages actions such as trying new products, sharing experiences, or adopting new habits. This theory underscores the importance of designing workflows that address all these dimensions, ensuring that each interaction contributes to a holistic brand experience. 4. How to Measure Brand Experience? Measuring brand experience is key to understanding how well your efforts are resonating with customers. Metrics can include both qualitative and quantitative approaches, such as: Customer Surveys and Feedback : Direct feedback from customers provides valuable insights into their satisfaction and experience. Net Promoter Score (NPS) : Measures the likelihood of customers recommending the brand to others. Customer Journey Mapping : Identifies touchpoints where customers interact with the brand, allowing businesses to evaluate each stage of the experience. Sales and Conversion Rates : Analyse how brand engagement impacts revenue and growth. Brand Awareness : How recognisable the brand is to potential customers. Emotional Analytics : Tools to measure customer sentiment and emotional responses through social listening or facial recognition. By integrating these measurements into workflows, organisations can continuously refine and improve their brand experience. 5. What Are the Factors Influencing Brand Experience? Many factors influence brand experience , and they can vary based on the industry and target audience. Key factors include: Customer Expectations : Meeting or exceeding what customers expect from the brand. Brand Touchpoints : Every point of interaction, from online platforms to in-store visits, contributes to the overall experience. Consistency : Brands must maintain a uniform experience across all channels to build trust. Technology : Advances in technology (e.g., AI, chatbots) can either enhance or hinder brand experience. Cultural Relevance : Brands that align with current cultural or societal trends often resonate more strongly with customers. Service Quality : Excellent customer service leaves a strong impression, influencing how customers feel about the brand. Understanding these factors helps businesses craft workflows that are optimised to deliver a superior brand experience. Conclusion The integration of brand experience and workflow design ensures that each customer interaction is intentional, consistent, and aligned with the brand's core values. By considering the principles, dimensions, and factors that influence brand experience, businesses can create workflows that support a seamless and engaging customer journey. Measuring and refining this experience allows brands to continuously improve, fostering customer loyalty, emotional connection, and long-term success. Previous Next Start Your Business Improvement Journey Our business improvement programme and smart operations offer clarity and a well-defined pathway for you and your team to move forward confidently. Get Started

The Customer Experience: A Complete Guide A complete guide to everything you need to know about the customer experience, from definitions to benefits to tools and strategies. Published on: 19 May 2022 The pulse of every strong business — the customer experience should be the driving force behind every decision you make. Yet so many businesses still don’t fully understand it, let alone the importance of it. That’s why in this guide, we’re covering everything you need to know about the customer experience. We’ll be talking about: What is the customer experience? Why is customer experience important for your business Customer experience vs customer service? What makes a good customer experience? What causes a bad customer experience? Customer experience examples Measuring customer experience Customer experience tools Customer experience strategies The Relationship Between Brand Experience and Customer Experience Brand experience and customer experience are interrelated concepts that shape how consumers perceive and interact with a brand. Brand experience encompasses the overall perception of the brand, influenced by its identity, messaging, and emotional resonance. In contrast, customer experience focuses on specific interactions at various touchpoints, such as purchasing, customer service, and product use. Together, these elements create a cohesive journey, ensuring that the brand’s identity aligns with customer satisfaction. A positive brand experience can enhance customer interactions, creating loyalty and emotional connections that encourage repeat business and advocacy, ultimately driving long-term success for the organisation. What Is the Customer Experience? Also known as CX, customer experience can be defined as an all-encompassing term that refers to the many different ways customers interact with and experience your brand. This really does mean every single interaction. From browsing your website to other people’s opinions of your brand to talking to an agent on the phone, the customer experience encompasses all of these interactions and more. Customer Experience Vs Customer Service Many people get customer experience mixed up with customer service, so we’ll take a quick pause to clarify here. As we said above, the customer experience is the whole process a customer has with your company. Whereas your customer service is one aspect of this process. So it’s just one piece of a larger puzzle. That’s not to downplay the importance of great customer service. Without it, you’ll struggle to deliver a great customer experience. In fact, more modern interpretations of customer service in the 21st century include things like self-service on your website, as opposed to solely interactions with employees from your company. So the lines are becoming more blurred between the two. Why is the Customer Experience so Important? It should be apparent from the above, but it’s not an overstatement to say the customer experience is everything for your business. In fact, according to reports, the customer experience will outshine price and product as the key brand differentiator by 2021. It’s how your customer understands you, perceives you and ultimately, it’s what helps them decide whether to buy from you. It’s pretty straight forward — the better customer experience you can deliver, the more likely customers are to buy from you. Not only this, but the better the customer experience, the more likely customers are to leave reviews, recommend you to a friend and buy from you again. Every business can benefit from trying to improve customer experience, regardless of industry or niche. Putting importance on the customer experience allows businesses to become more customer-centric and empathetic learning organisations that are more productive and profitable. There’s really no downside to it. Putting customers first is good business. What Makes a Good Customer Experience? Unfortunately, there are no set guidelines for a good customer experience. They will vary from business to business and industry to industry. For example, a B2B business will likely have to invest more facetime with clients early on to create a good customer experience. Whereas an online fashion retailer shouldn’t need any human touch points to deliver a great customer experience. This said, all businesses who deliver a great customer experience do share some commonalities. These include: Prioritising listening to customers Utilising customer feedback tools Analysing and acting on customer feedback Reducing friction points in the customer journey As you can see they’re all – unsurprisingly – focused around customers. All good customer experiences start with making listening to your customers a top priority. After all, they’re the ones who can give you the unique, authentic insight into what it’s like dealing with your business. You can prioritise this by utilising customer feedback tools like surveys, reviews, heat maps and session recordings. But all this information you gather is pointless if you don’t analyse and act on the insights gained. Actually making changes to your business processes improves your customer experience so you gain new insights as you continue to gather feedback. This process allows your business to continually improve, putting you ahead of the competition. What Causes a Bad Customer Experience? Just like the above, there’s no clear rules for what causes a poor customer experience as it will vary by each industry slightly. However, in general, bad customer experiences are associated with: Poor customer service Too much automation Failure to resolve issues Lack of customer feedback There are lots of different causes for poor customer service. From frustrated, overworked employees to long wait times to speak to someone. In fact, too much automation is often a feature of poor customer service. Think about how frustrated you’ve been when you’ve had an issue and it’s taken what feels like hours of pressing numbers to get through to an actual human. Similarly, failure to resolve issues can also be a feature of poor customer service. Issues crop up for all customers and businesses, but it’s how well they deal with them that defines how good an experience customers will have. If you can resolve issues at the first touchpoint, most customers will have a positive impression of your business. But businesses who fail to do this at the first or second touchpoint are likely delivering a negative customer experience. Ultimately though, businesses who fail to deliver a good customer experience won’t be making customer feedback a priority. They see the negative reviews and see them as a cost of doing business, as opposed to an opportunity to improve the customer experience. These businesses will suffer from a high churn rate due to low brand authority and loyalty. They’ll lose out on valuable word of mouth marketing and spend more on acquiring new customers. They’ll also suffer in terms of business productivity as the teams will be bogged down dealing with issues, instead of proactively growing the business. Minimise a bad customer experience after a major disruption A business impact analysis (BIA) considers what would happen to business performance following a major disruption. By considering both the current and future business weaknesses, business gets a much more complete picture of their business risks and opportunities for improved business performance, and how best to allocate resources. Being aware of both the internal and external factors that can impact business growth both today and tomorrow, improves business decision making. Business disruption comes in many forms whether that’s due to competition, technology, the economy or regulation, amongst many other possibilities. Businesses seldom die from a single disruption but more commonly from lots of mini disruptions that perhaps go unseen and unknown. Incredible Customer Experience Examples Though as we’ve pointed out, there’s no clear rules for good or bad customer experience, there are some companies absolutely killing it when it comes to improving the customer experience. So let’s learn from their amazing customer experience examples. McDonalds Hard to believe when it feels like there’s a glowing M on every corner, but McDonalds was once struggling with sales. This was as their image as a supplier of hugely unhealthy, fatty junk foods was peaking in the early 2000s. So they listened to their customers. They began providing a more streamlined experience. Simpler menus, improved order accuracy and better quality ingredients became a priority, alongside improved store interiors with digital self-service kiosks. This reduced wait times, made ordering easier and improved their public image as they made commitments to reduce their impact on the environment. Overall, it’s allowed them to stay as the market leading fast food chain in the world. Microsoft Just like the above, in the early 2000s Microsoft was stalling in terms of business growth as competitor Apple took off. Much of this revolved around their stuffy, bureaucratic image compared to their fun tech competitor. Instead of pouring money into marketing budgets to patch the hole in growth, Microsoft changed tactics. The company started partnering with B2B companies to share best practices to build new products. It gave them a great boost in growth as they empowered other businesses to use the right technologies they needed to increase their own productivity. Especially compared to their competitor Apple, that was criticised for creating an incompatible ecosystem , it gave them the great PR boost they needed. Coca Cola Now probably one of the most famous marketing campaigns going, the “ share a coke with ” campaign was a great example of how adding personalisation to the customer experience can improve it. For those out the loop, back in 2011, Coke wanted to increase revenue and drive engagement. To do so they released coke bottles and cans with the 250 most popular names in each country. Their customers loved it. Picking out a bottle from a shelf that has your exact name on it worked wonders for the company’s sales and the campaign was incredibly successful. How to Measure Customer Experience As with everything in business, it’s so important you benchmark and measure customer experience so you can analyse previous improvements and inform future improvements. Customer feedback is the most obvious way to achieve this, and the best news is, you’re probably already collecting customer feedback without realising. You just need to measure it to ensure you’re using it to its full potential. You can do this with CX metrics. These metrics allow you to track how your CX develops overtime to see how effective your customer experience strategy is. The most popular CX metrics include: Customer Effort Score (CES) Net Promoter Score (NPS) Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) Time to Resolution (TTR) CES This metric measures the customer experience in terms of how easy or hard it was for your customers to complete an action. You gain this data from sending out feedback, usually after an interaction with the customer service team. You’ve probably received one before, with questions like “Please rate on the scale how easy it was to get your issue resolved today” and so on. NPS The net promoter score is a loyalty score. Like the above, it’s based on customer feedback surveys. This is the question that goes along the lines of “On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely would you be to recommend us to a friend?” CSAT The customer satisfaction score does what it says on the tin. It measures customer satisfaction through survey feedback by using scales or closed question answers. CSAT focuses on specific touchpoints to give good insights into satisfaction levels at key moments in the customer experience. It’s a powerful tool for gaining valuable information about where to improve the customer experience. TTR Last, but by no means least, time to resolution is the average length of time it takes for a customer’s issue to be resolved. It’s measured in business hours or days. Just add up all the times to resolution and divide the result by the number of tickets resolved. As we mentioned above, a huge factor for poor customer experience is failure to resolve issues, so the TTR metric can be a great tool for tracking how your customer service is improving ( or not! ). Digital Customer Experience Tools Direct customer feedback isn’t the only way you can collect data on how your customers are experiencing your brand. As with all things digital now, there are analytical tools that can give you great insights into the digital customer experience. The most popular of these include heat maps and session recording tools. They’re both used to show you how customers interact with your website. Heat maps show you the “hot” and “cold” points on any given webpage. This can help you see where customers are missing out on CTAs or struggling to navigate. It can help you identify areas for improvement when you spot patterns in usage. Similar to the above, session recording tools allow you to watch anonymous recordings of users interacting with your website. This can reveal helpful, specific insights into where users are and aren’t enjoying your website. Develop Your Customer Experience Strategy Improving customer experience shouldn’t be an ad hoc thing, based on random feedback and not measured. To achieve continual improvement you need a customer experience strategy. Again, CX strategies will vary from industry to industry. But they should include as a minimum the plans, actions and guidelines your business will take to create, maintain and measure your customer experience. Successful customer experience strategies will involve every department, because your customer experience will span across all of them. A great customer experience strategy is formed in a customer-centric company and led by customer feedback. It aims at creating memorable, human experiences for every customer. Make CX a Top Priority The customer experience should be a top priority for everyone in your business. Especially in the digital world, it is the only thing that sets you apart from your competitors and allows you to stay ahead in terms of productivity and profitability. Previous Next Start Your Business Improvement Journey Our business improvement programme and smart operations provide clarity and a clear pathway forward for you and your team. Get Started

The Kanban Method: A Highly Effective Approach To Managing Work Processes and Workflows Kanban is a visual workflow management method originating from Toyota's Lean manufacturing. It uses boards and cards to visualise tasks, set work-in-progress limits, and optimise flow. Kanban's principles help teams in various industries reduce waste, enhance efficiency, and promote continuous improvement by making processes transparent and manageable. The Kanban method is a highly effective approach to workflow management ; managing work processes and workflows, which has gained significant popularity in various industries, particularly in software development and manufacturing. With its roots in Japanese manufacturing and Lean principles, Kanban offers a flexible and visual framework for teams to optimise their productivity, enhance efficiency, and continuously improve their processes. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve deep into the world of Kanban, exploring its history, core principles, practices, and benefits. Origins of Kanban The word "Kanban" (看板) itself is Japanese and translates to "visual card" or "signboard." Its origins can be traced back to the manufacturing practices of Toyota in the mid-20th century. Toyota's production system, often referred to as the Toyota Production System (TPS) or Lean manufacturing, aimed to reduce waste, increase efficiency, and improve the overall quality of their products. The concept of Kanban emerged as a way to manage inventory and production processes more effectively. Initially, Kanban cards were simple physical cards or visual signals that represented work items or parts. These cards were used to signal when new items were needed in the manufacturing process. Workers would pull items from one stage of production to the next as signaled by the Kanban cards, ensuring a smooth and demand-driven production flow. The success of Toyota's Kanban system in improving efficiency and reducing waste soon attracted attention worldwide. As a result, the Kanban method began to evolve beyond its manufacturing roots and find applications in various domains, including knowledge work, project management, and software development. Core Principles of Kanban The Kanban method is built on several core principles and concepts that guide its implementation: 1. Visualising Workflow One of the foundational principles of Kanban is visualising the workflow . In a Kanban system, work items and their progress are made visible to all team members. This is often done on a Kanban board, which is a visual representation of the workflow, typically consisting of columns representing different stages of work (e.g., "To Do," "In Progress," "Done") and cards representing individual work items. Visualising the workflow provides transparency and helps team members understand the status of work, identify bottlenecks, and make informed decisions about how to prioritise and allocate resources. 2. Limiting Work in Progress (WIP) Kanban emphasises the importance of limiting the amount of work in progress at any given time. This limitation helps prevent overloading team members, maintain a steady and sustainable pace of work, and reduce the time it takes for work items to move through the system. WIP limits are set for each stage of the workflow, and work is pulled into each stage only when there is available capacity. If a stage reaches its WIP limit, new work cannot be started until some work is completed or moved to the next stage. 3. Managing Flow Kanban focuses on optimising the flow of work through the system. Teams strive to minimise delays, reduce waiting times, and ensure a smooth and continuous flow of work items from start to finish. By managing flow effectively, teams can improve their overall efficiency and responsiveness to customer needs. 4. Making Process Policies Explicit In a Kanban system, the process policies governing how work is done are made explicit and visible. These policies include guidelines for how work items are prioritised, how they move through the workflow, and what criteria must be met for work to progress to the next stage. Explicit process policies help ensure consistency and clarity in how work is performed, making it easier for team members to collaborate and make decisions. 5. Feedback and Improvement Continuous improvement is a fundamental aspect of Kanban. Teams regularly review their performance, collect feedback from the system, and make incremental changes to improve their processes. This feedback-driven approach allows teams to adapt to changing circumstances, address issues as they arise, and optimise their workflows over time. Kanban Practices To implement the Kanban method effectively, teams often follow a set of practices that align with the core principles. These practices include: 1. Creating a Kanban Board A Kanban board is a visual representation of the workflow. It consists of columns that represent different stages of work and cards that represent individual work items. Teams use the Kanban board to track the status of work items and make decisions about what to work on next. 2. Defining Work Items Work items are the individual tasks or units of work that flow through the Kanban system. Each work item is represented by a card on the Kanban board and should be well-defined, including clear descriptions and any relevant information. 3. Setting WIP Limits Work in progress (WIP) limits are established for each stage of the workflow. These limits help prevent overloading team members and ensure a smooth flow of work. When a stage reaches its WIP limit, work cannot be pulled into that stage until capacity becomes available. 4. Visualising Flow The Kanban board provides a visual representation of the flow of work items through the system. Team members can easily see which work items are in progress, which are waiting, and which have been completed. This visualisation enables better coordination and decision-making. 5. Managing Flow Teams actively manage the flow of work by monitoring the Kanban board, identifying bottlenecks, and taking action to resolve them. Actions may include reallocating resources, changing priorities, or redefining process policies. 6. Implementing Feedback Loops Regular meetings, such as daily stand-up meetings and periodic reviews, provide opportunities for teams to gather feedback, discuss performance, and make adjustments to their processes. These feedback loops are essential for continuous improvement. 7. Making Process Policies Explicit Teams document and make their process policies explicit. This includes defining criteria for work item prioritisation, acceptance criteria, and the definition of "done" for each stage of the workflow. Explicit process policies help ensure consistency and alignment within the team. 8. Implementing Classes of Service Kanban systems often include different classes of service to prioritise work items based on their urgency and importance. For example, expedited items may receive priority handling over standard items. Benefits of Kanban The Kanban method offers numerous benefits to teams and organisations that implement it: 1. Improved Efficiency Kanban helps teams optimise their workflows, reduce bottlenecks, and eliminate waste. This results in faster and more efficient delivery of work items. 2. Enhanced Visibility Visualising the workflow on a Kanban board provides transparency into the status of work, making it easier to identify issues and make informed decisions. 3. Better Workload Management By limiting WIP, Kanban prevents overloading team members and ensures a manageable workload, leading to reduced stress and improved work quality. 4. Increased Flexibility Kanban is a highly adaptable method that can be applied to a wide range of work processes, making it suitable for various industries and domains. 5. Continuous Improvement Kanban promotes a culture of continuous improvement, where teams regularly review their processes and make incremental changes to enhance performance. 6. Customer Satisfaction Focusing on flow and prioritising work based on customer needs leads to higher customer satisfaction and faster response to changing requirements. 7. Reduced Lead Times Kanban reduces the time it takes for work items to move through the system, resulting in shorter lead times and faster delivery. 8. Cost Savings Efficient resource allocation and reduced waste contribute to cost savings for organisations that implement Kanban. Kanban in Practice Kanban can be applied in a wide range of contexts beyond manufacturing, including: 1. Software Development Kanban is commonly used in software development to manage the flow of features, user stories, and bug fixes through the development pipeline. Development teams use Kanban boards to visualise and manage their work. 2. IT Operations IT teams use Kanban to manage tasks related to system maintenance, troubleshooting, and support requests. Kanban helps IT departments ensure timely responses to issues. 3. Project Management Project managers use Kanban to track project tasks, milestones, and deliverables. Kanban boards provide a visual representation of project progress. 4. Marketing Marketing teams use Kanban to manage campaigns, content creation, and promotional activities. Kanban helps marketing departments prioritise and coordinate their efforts. 5. Healthcare Kanban has found applications in healthcare settings, where it helps manage patient appointments, treatment plans, and inventory of medical supplies. 6. Education Educational institutions use Kanban to manage curriculum development, teacher assignments, and student services. Common Challenges and Considerations While Kanban offers many benefits, it's essential to be aware of common challenges and considerations when implementing the method: 1. Resistance to Change Introducing Kanban may face resistance from team members accustomed to traditional methods. Effective change management and communication are crucial to overcome resistance. 2. Lack of Training Teams may require training and guidance on Kanban principles and practices to ensure successful adoption. 3. Incomplete Visualisation Failure to fully visualise the workflow or neglecting to update the Kanban board regularly can lead to mismanagement and inefficiencies. 4. Overemphasising Efficiency Focusing solely on efficiency can lead to neglecting other important factors, such as quality, customer satisfaction, and employee well-being. 5. Scalability Scaling Kanban beyond individual teams or departments can be challenging, and organisations may need to explore additional frameworks for larger-scale Agile transformations. Conclusion The Kanban method is a powerful and adaptable approach to managing work processes and workflows. Rooted in Lean principles and originating from Toyota's manufacturing practices, Kanban has evolved into a widely adopted framework for improving efficiency, enhancing visibility, and promoting continuous improvement in various industries. By visualising workflows, limiting work in progress, managing flow, making process policies explicit, and implementing feedback loops, teams and organisations can realise the many benefits of Kanban, including increased efficiency, improved customer satisfaction, and cost savings. While challenges may arise during the implementation of Kanban, a thoughtful approach to change management and ongoing training can help teams successfully transition to this flexible and effective method. Whether in software development, IT operations, project management, or other domains, Kanban offers a valuable toolkit for organisations seeking to streamline processes, deliver value to customers, and adapt to an ever-changing business landscape. Previous Next Start Your Business Improvement Journey Our business improvement programme and smart operations offer clarity and a well-defined pathway for you and your team to move forward confidently. Get Started

John Goldwyn of Wildfifteen Discusses Greening Cities John Goldwyn of Wildfifteen Discusses Greening Cities Urban planning, coupled with urban greening initiatives, aims to transform cities into sustainable and vibrant spaces. This integrated approach emphasises green spaces, tree-lined streets, and parks to combat pollution, enhance biodiversity, and improve residents' quality of life. It fosters resilient, healthy, and attractive urban environments for generations to come. John And in Singapore, I learned so much about how ambition for greening cities can become a reality, reality relatively easily. I think the projects that they've done there are so exemplry so incredible, so inspirational. I think it's very difficult not to fall in love with Singapore as a city. You can say whatever you about its governance or all sorts of, things like that. But really as an urban experiment, it is the best place on on on the planet Paul Welcome to Rethink What Matters the podcast dedicated to aligning the economy and ecology with everyone for improved business performance, stronger families, and a greener cooler planet. And today I'm joined by John Goldwyn landscape architect, and master planner, and founder of Wild fifteen. And we're gonna be discussing greening cities. Welcome John. John Thank you very much, Paul. It's very nice to be here. Paul So, yeah, it's great to, it's great to be able to catch up with you, and it's great to be able to speak with you on this podcast, because, we've had some the podcasts that we've done so far have been biophilic cities, and we're going to be doing biophilic design green roofs, living walls, rain gardens, urban biodiversity, integrated solar green roofs, by mimicry. Actually, that's coming. Permaculture as well as indoor vertical farming and even sustainable development. I'm thinking that on this podcast, we'll be able to bring a lot of subjects together perhaps if we could start off though with wildfifteen, if you could tell us a little bit about that first. John Sure. Yeah, having worked in, commercial practice, for the majority of my career, I spent about the last twenty years before I set my company up working, for a large international, American architecture and design firm and I really decided to go alone to try and focus on what I really care about and to try and, really hone in on on important to me as a landscape architect and planner and as a professional, that being a far greater drive towards working very closely with nature on my projects and trying to bring, ecological thinking and landscape thinking into every single project that I do be it large or small. My experiences often has often been with with resorts and so I'm now focusing really on on eco resorts and obviously other elements of of urban planning. So very focused and very, very ecologically focused now. Paul We can, be great to talk about your projects and some of the case studies that you have, in the podcast, but, just having, you know, read out that list of items there. So, you know, Biophilic cities and, Biomimicry, for example, is urban planning and and if, you know, is urban planning even the right term to be using, but his urban has a urban planning really changed a lot over the last few years or decades. John Yeah. That's a it's an excellent question because urban planning means something different to to to to each different person who worked in the in the field of, of the built environment. And with a with a focus on international work, which is, I guess, where I've been in the lot for the last twenty or twenty five years, urban planning really has, evolved a lot and it has changed a lot. I think, there was a moment when people felt that urban planning was was a snapshot of a of a of a city or of a and creating that snapshot as a as a as a commission. Whereas now, I think there's more of an understanding that it's a it's a manipulation of systems and understanding how landscape and the built environment are woven together. And I think that's, reflected in both policy but also the kind of projects that, private companies are creating as well. Paul Okay. And it's and and is it a recognition that the the the the the cities that we live in affect our well-being as well? John Yeah. There's been this huge, I suppose, you know, to mention the the c word, if we're gonna talk about COVID, then, I think that, it really did give us a chance to, to reflect on what was important to us as we as we sat at home as particularly in this country in the United Kingdom in my city in London, there was a there was a sense of reflection, and I think that people realized how much they were affected by their environment, not city wide, but really locally. And so urban planning really started to understand the notion that your neighborhood, where you live, who you interact with, not only affects the way that the city around you works, but affects your yourself, your own mental health, your own mental well-being and, obviously, you know, happy cities and all of these kinds of things are buzzwords that emerge from this kind of thinking. So, yes, very tied in. Paul Right. And it seems also that, you know, cities are having to play a much larger role in sustainability in urban cooling and in stormwater management. I mean, I'm new to the subject, but that seems to come up quite a bit. John Yes. I would I would argue that all of these strands that you talk about are tied in together. So the the health of the city and the mental health of the city and the biodiversity of the city and the cooling, you know, green spaces stop the urban heat island effect, which is what what heats are are in the cities, increased biodiversity is good, for, air quality as well as the biodiesel, you know, we're an animal as well. It's not only the the the birds and the the insects that we're helping. So There's also, the notion of food in cities and how we grow urban orchards and urban farming. And so you can actually speak very much into the the way that the city is functioning as an organism itself, and then all of these other strands from green roofs to green walls to biodiversity to reducing, urban heat island effect or improving drainage in cities. All of these things are very, very tied in together. Through the through the lens of the landscape. Paul So are we really trying to turn the cities in into the countryside? John No. I think that we need to learn from the best of the countryside and bring some of those incredible, ideas that the because again, the cult the the countryside is also cultivated. It's not, something, you know, it's not wilderness. We don't live surrounded by wilderness. Our countryside is highly managed, highly farmed, highly maintained. But I think that it's about understanding what we love about the countryside and what we love about the cities and there being this beautiful blend between green space in cities and, the countryside, again, being being the way that it is. I mean, there's certain elements like the density of population that means that the countryside is a is a is a bit of anathema to to to cities, but there's certainly a, an interesting parallel, I think, that we're, we're drawing as as designers between the two. Paul I'd like to get your opinion with all your experience on, let's start off with biophilic cities or biophilic design. John Sure. I think that I I think I was only made aware of the term by biophilic, probably six, five or six years ago. So it's something that's relatively new in my own vocabulary, but I think it's something that I've always felt for as long as I've been alive, that mankind has this, inherent affinity with nature that actually boosts us when we when we feel it. I mean, I I I think that it's something that, the soft shapes of nature, the sounds, and the tech of nature are something that obviously, people feel comfortable with as we've only industrialized relatively recently in our history as a as a species. We have a lot of affinity with nature, and I think that that is absolutely relevant in cities. I think that you can fill it our favorite spaces. In cities are often parks. I'm lucky enough to live in London. I'm surrounded by some of the best open spaces, in the world, world class parks and the beautiful river that breathes life through the city as well. So I think that Biophilia in cities is, as I said, it's something that's always as long as, you know, we've since certainly, since we've industrialized it's been there, and it's also been used to raise the value of property. If you think about region park in London that was laid out to to raise the the value of adjacent property, there was a study by the Royal Institute of Chartered surveyors that each street tree raises about a million pounds worth of uplift on the surrounding property that, that are close to it. So you do see that that the economics and the the sort of biophilic, factors can work very nicely together. And I don't think there's anything wrong with a city being based on on solid economics and positive economics, and the sort of biofilia fits very strongly into that. Paul And can I ask you then about biomimicry? John Yeah. Again, I mean, some of the, some of the best, design has often taken its its cue from nature. You think about everything from from fibonacci series that appear in nature through to the, you know, the hive of a bee, which is created from very strong hexagonal structures, which have an incredible structural integrity similar to the, you know, the the core of bones, which have again this very, very, structural, system to them that that architects and designers have have used through, different designs. To me, it's not something that should almost be pulled out as some thing, specific. It's it's part of a bigger design story. And so I think that's, it's it's it's one of these buzz words. Again, like by Filia, I think, it's it's something that of course it's very relevant and of course it's it's part of what we do, but again, I think in in the same ways as people tend to to, react well to soft shade and gentle voluptuous curves in landscapes and in nature. There's something there that it's almost beyond the words that we use to describe it. It's just it just feels nice to us as people. Has the role of the landscape architect changed over the years then so that you'd be working a lot more closely now with the architect I think the role of the landscape architect has evolved enormously over the, the last few years over the last couple of decades. There, I think was a time that people understood that landscape architecture was garden designs big, big sister, or big brother, the the idea that it was, more public space than, than garden space and landscape architects worked with teams of, of built environment specialists to create the landscape element I think now especially with, looming, climate catastrophe and all sorts of sort of do mongering around the future of humanity, the role of the landscape architect couldn't be more relevant than it is now because it's about two things. Firstly, mitigating and working with, the the world that we've now created for self. So in terms of resilient landscapes and, working to make sure that we can still, exist in the in the present. But also planning towards making some inroads against the kind of damage that that mankind has made, against nature and against the climate. So I think the stakes are much higher, and I think that the the the industry that the profession really is starting to see that. I think because I've been lucky enough to work globally, I managed to use my landscape architectural knowledge far more in urban planning and resort planning on a larger scale often in the absence of architects or with architects working on specific building projects within, the structure. So I I don't think it's, necessarily quite as in lockstep with architecture as you might think it it was. Paul And on your website here, I'm very interested in your principles.I'd like to touch on those if we may just briefly. So don't worship at the altar of scale. John Again, thinking about your question about, biophilia. I think biophilia is also connected to scale, people feel much more comfortable in spaces that relate to to their own self and their own personal space. For example, canopies of trees bring down a space so that when you're sitting under a tree canopy, you feel naturally cooled and shaded by the the trees and the the transpiration that the plant gives you, but also you feel a comfort that you're almost being embraced enveloped by the tree itself. And so I think that the architectural notion of, you know, standing next to a hundred and fifty story building and thinking that's a a good thing for your for yourself is something that I I don't agree with. I I think that tall iconic buildings have a place but certainly not in livable, comfortable, cities that that that we want to relate to. So I think this notion of scale is very important to what I do and and creating places where people feel comfortable and relaxed and creative or, you know, whatever they need to be, people sometimes just need a a place to sit outside and just be. They don't need to, you know, necessarily do anything. And again, with with with small, units that people live in. If you can have exterior space where people can extend their they're being outside. I think that really speaks to this question of scale. Paul And something which really hasn't been discussed in any of the any of the other podcasts So it comes up here under urban planning is having to think about time the history of an area. John Yeah. I mean, if you think about this notion of what place is, it really is just a number of layers of history over time. That create associations and memories and, ideas that we share. So if you think about something very specific like the thames and the way it flows through London, the layers of history from prehistory through Roman through industrial years through, more and times, the river and how it relates to the city around it has kind of changed from a a vital artery that fed life into the city through to now something that really is a leisure and, you know, an activity. It's a tourism generator but it's the same river, right? It's the same geography, it's the same geology, but just with different influence of mankind on the top of that. And I think when I'm looking at a project, it's these layers of history, some of them very recent and some of them very ancient that when synthesized, can help to to really describe what a place needs to be. And you referred to green roofs as the fifth facade So often, I've worked on rocky sites, fragile delicate sites around the Mediterranean, which tend to be very steep And you kind of imagine if you're sitting in one of these structures looking out over your, you know, your your Mediterranean view, often you're looking down at at the roof of the of the building in front of you. And so this idea of creating beautiful vegetated roofs or extensive roof gardens or rain gardens or whatever on roofs, it really does start to to make you think about, you know, how we can maximize the, ecological footprint or, or minimize the, the destruction through, through development of a, of a project through using roofs to, to generate exciting landscapes. Paul And would your role involve thinking about the animals that get attracted, you know, by the trees and the flora and the fauna of it and the green roofs that you're planting and and the green landscape that you're creating. Would you be thinking about is going to attract certain types of birds, for example? John Absolutely. It's absolutely essential. I think, again, so many people think that landscape architects look at green fluff around interesting buildings. And I'll give you an example. I worked on a a study for a a historic landscape many years ago, more than twenty years ago, and one of the most fascinating elements of this project was that there were it was that the avenues on in in ham, in in London, close to close to the river thames. And interestingly, there were some historic lime tree avenues and the lime trees, attract a lot of aphids, and the aphids attract a lot of bats. And so these historic avenues from, the the sort of classical landscape that it represented had these incredible commuting lines of bats because bats like to fly up along above line trees with their mouths open, essentially, eating all of these aphids. So if you plant a long line of of lime trees, you create these incredible commuting lines for bats And so something that's laid out obviously as a design statement like that can have huge, ecological implications good and bad in that situation good, for for the ways that, the ways that places work. Paul So I'm curious now, do you return to places that you've designed and implemented, you know, a few years later just to see how they're being used, and do you watch people move around the spaces that you've designed afterwards? John Yeah. Definitely. That's the biggest. I think that's the biggest pleasure about working on any project is going back there and seeing people enjoying it. And often seeing things that you've got right or wrong and understanding and learning, you're constantly learning. It's, a profession in which you You pick up so many ideas along the way from your own work and from other people's work. And, yeah, seeing seeing how things have worked out is always fascinating. Paul Could you maybe tell us about one or two of the projects that you've been involved with? So on your website here, you've got the Nafsika Golf and Wellness Resort , for example, Sure. John Yeah. This is a project in in Corfu, and, on-site is an existing golf course and and club house. And, the client who is a family, essentially a family dynasty of hoteliers, contacted us to try and, get for us to try and help them to unlock, what the next chapter of their project looks like. So the golf course at the moment, it's the only one in corfu, and, it's fine. It's it's okay. It's, well liked and well played. But we worked with, world class Gulf architects, and a team of other consultants to actually turn this project into essentially an eco resort, a boutique, luxury eco resort. And currently every year, there are huge seasonal floods huge seasonal rains and they wash through the site, cause damage and create lots of problems and the idea with the new, master plan is that we capture the seasonal water, create beautiful lakes and water bodies swimming lagoons, and essentially canals that can run through the project, and we sort of celebrate this water through the dry season as well. With that in mind, we can use the water for irrigation on the golf course. We can use the water as frontage for hotel rooms to create beautiful spaces with little lodges looking out over these, fantastic wetlands. We can improve biodiversity by having marginal areas with plants and, obviously invertebrates and all sorts of incredible things that will happen as a result of the ecology of the water. So really by re, interpreting the story of the land, we're able to use it as a base to build a beautiful, luxurious, boutique Hotel and resort. And so it's breathing new life, a new chapter into this kind of illustrious place that, obviously needs a bit of a reset. Paul And did the client give you an open brief for that then? You know, or were they quite specific and what what it is that they wanted and you had to work around them? John We worked very, very closely, in collaboration with the with the client. I don't consider myself to be a sort of egotistical designer that that schools clients on what they have to do. But similarly, I can't work with, egomaniac clients that tell me exactly what I have to do. I always enjoy the collaboration and the, the discourse that goes on around the project. So they had some certain ideas, and we had some certain ideas think that really the project is a meeting of minds. Paul And the Green Block, rethinking central London, high streets, Could you tell us a little bit about that? John Sure. Yeah. This takes me back to, 2016, when we started, in, as a group in my, in my last company where I was previously working as, we had a competition for, interesting and radical innovation ideas. And one of the teams thought about a product, if you like, a sort of green construction product where the building block itself was living. So whether it be a combination of interior and exterior space, but essentially each part of this landscape was a was a product. But I work with the the the the team in, in the office, and we very quickly realized that the the products of this ilk already exist. I'm sure you're having podcasts with people who work exclusively with green walls and green roofs and green interiors, etcetera, etcetera. So we started to almost treat it as a as a manifesto for the city as an ideology, for the city of London, or indeed any city whereby people, can start to actually reclaim some of, the the land that's been taken for roads and for car parking. And essentially hard spaces and turn them into something far more ecological, something far more, verdant and something that that lives. And so using a kit of parts of all the existing other products that exist, we came up with a an ideology and some visuals which people can spot on online by looking up a WATG green block, and they can essentially see these ideas in in in execution. The idea being that as we have more, autonomous cars in the city and more ride sharing, we need essentially less car parking in our city centers. It's controversial. But, it's, it's a fact that we are, going to become less reliant on personal cars and more reliant on shared transport systems, giving us the ability claw back some of this space. And so, really, these ideas synthesize with giving kids somewhere, in in in the center of cities, green spaces to learn about nature, the, places for mindfulness and relaxation and yoga in cities, places for urban farming and, urban agriculture, places to reabsorb surface water. All of these ideas were then tied back into this sort of manifesto when we used, Sadik Khan, the mayor's, National Park City, making London a national park city as this vehicle to create, all of these visuals and all of this buzz and all of this idea, and it really has, permeated so much through some of my recent work as well now. People see these visuals and they love them and they catch on to them and, they want a piece of it. Paul So what was the final outcome of that, of that work? John Yeah. I mean, to be clear, it was done. It was an initiative I led because it was the right thing to do. I remember one of my university lectures always said to me, if you can't find a client for an idea, then, you know, create a great idea, and then clients will will follow you. And it really was an example of that. And, we we we ring fence budget and, brainstorming time for the product itself. And we used it really just as a thought leadership piece. And It's extremely powerful, in marketing my understanding and my ideas for cities, and people often see it and say, we want to have some of this in our project. So it's kind of spread from being a thought leadership piece to being resident now in lots of my projects. Paul Can you tell us which cities inspire you the most? John Wow. That's, that's a very good question. I would say really two places. Obviously, London, where I was born and raised, never ceases to amaze me. This cellular collection of villages that we call London is is brilliant, and I love cycle through it, and I love to walk through it, and I love to follow the river. I was lucky enough to be brought up in a house that was looking at the river. So I have a a connection with the river that that runs through the city. So London inspires me. It's it's constantly changing, but not at the pace of Shanghai or, Hanoi or something like that. So that's my first my my first, suggestion for that. But my second would be Singapore where I lived when I first graduated there was very little work. It was, quite a long time ago now in the, in the, in the late nineties, and was very little work here. So I jumped on a plane and went to live in in Bangkok first and then in Singapore. And in Singapore, I learned so much about how ambition for greening cities can become a reality reality relatively easily. I think the projects that they've done there are so exemplary so incredible, so inspirational. I think it's very difficult not to fall in love with Singapore as a city. You can say whatever you like about its governance or all sorts of things like that. But really as an urban experiment, it is the best place on on on the planet. Paul And what about those that inspire you least? John Well, it's gotta be said anywhere that's been designed around the automobile and, hasn't really moved away from that. I I have a problem with. So I do struggle a lot with a lot of North American cities, I've traveled to a lot of them. I was a a board member on an American company for many, many years, and I've been to many of the iconic North American cities, and I really do struggle with, the the the systems that are, A put in place when cars are are in charge, elements like parking garages straight above the street where you drive into a building and the first few stories of a building or a parking garage that takes away everything from the from the public realm and I'm not going to name any cities specifically, but there are some terrible examples of this in in North America. That said, there are also some fabulous examples. I was very lucky when I was in New York many times for work to to walk the high line, which is a a really great example of something that that physically and quite literally lifts the citizens off the the ground plane into a into a higher level with with beautiful green spaces and views out over the ocean and the and the city itself. Yeah. I'm I'm I'm often, most in love with cities that have the medieval grain to them, so places that have a walkable street system that was laid out long before cars were on the, on the agenda. Paul Are there any cities that have grown organically and have really benefited from that? I mean, I suppose London is a bit like that maybe, but I I just don't know. John Yeah. I think I think the notion of designing a city from scratch, there's plenty of of really bad examples. You know, you look at the most in aspiring cities, and they're generally not places that have been designed from scratch. Canberra, or Brasilia are not the best cities of Australia or or Brazil. When you have an architect that lays out big formal lines just because, I'm generally, I believe that that's not the that's not the best way to go about things. Again, you look at, Let's take the example of Barcelona where you have the combination of the two. You have the the which is the grid system, which is obviously architect laid out, right next to the medieval old city, which weaves through along next to the Rambler and has these kind of incredible hidden streets that disappear around corners. And when you put the two together like that, that can be pretty inspirational and pretty interesting, but yeah, most of the best places have grown, organically. I mean, think about places like Istanbul, which is this incredible amalgamation of many, many years of of history on two continents where Asia and Europe meet across this incredible straight of of water, the Bosporus . And I think again, you know, the organic nature of it gives us this incredible character this incredible cohesion that you couldn't do with a a computer mouse and some some bold lines with with with a with a ruler Paul And do you have an opinion on Paris? Yeah. I mean, again, Paris is a very interesting in terms of what they tried to do recently with with with walkable communities and and smaller neighborhoods to try and take some of the to try and take some of the the the sort of more bolder moves away from the city, which I think is very interesting. When you look at Paris next to London, Paris has these incredible nodes that connect with Grand Boulevard, you know, the Champs Elysees being the most famous, and then you look at London, Nothing is straight. Nothing quite lines up. Everything is very ad hoc. You know, you think about the connection from Buckingham Palace down to Hyde Park corner and then offer, you know, Constitution Hill. Nothing is in a straight line. Whereas in Paris, obviously, these things are very, very deliberately laid out. Paul I'm just thinking about the way things are changing. The way things have changed in the last decade or so, you know, in terms of technology, in terms of materials, Is that is that having an impact on your work at all? John Yeah. I'm, I'm a strong believer that we have to take technology and and own it and be at the center of it. So I'll use the example of of AI of artificial intelligence. I believe that artificial intelligence puts the designer at center of a far bigger brain. So by using AI, I'm able to layer on ideas that helped me to do things far better than I could have done without the AI. So, for example, if it's creating or generating a visual, I will still control the AI software, but it will do a lot of the grunt work for me. I'm I'm getting the getting the AI to do a lot of the of the of the very repetitive work to allow me to get on with fun stuff and the interesting stuff and the innovative stuff. And I embrace AI and automated workflows at every possible juncture and I'm very happy to to talk about that one all day because I think that the future of of humanity and the future of design within humanity lies with our understanding of this slightly difficult relationship that we have with technology. And I think if used correctly, it's going to be our saviour, not our destructor. Paul Could you tell us a little bit about your own place, maybe, a little bit where you live? I mean, do you live in a modern building? Do you live in a historic building? What, what sort of presses your buttons a little bit in terms of your own space? John Yeah. That's a interesting thought. I, I live in a Victorian semi detached house in South London that has been very, very modified. My wife is a interior designer and she used to work for a a very famous London architect. So we have some interesting discussions about interior space, and we we have a very modern fit out within our Victorian house, where I'm speaking to you from now is a small cedar clad garden room that I built, some years ago, which is my office, It's also full of plants, absolutely packed full of plants, and it has underfloor heating and large bi fold doors to open out onto my garden. It's my own little piece of modern paradise. It has a seeding roof, and is beautifully insulated so the heating is actually never wrong. The glass face is north, so I don't get any solar gain. So it's, I live in a sort of old meets new combination in in South London and in Peckham. Paul And if we can leave the listener with a thought about what they could do with their own space in terms of, perhaps new ideas for improving that space, for their own well-being or in terms of, being more sustainable. You can have any sort of, takeaways we believe people Y John Have you got like an hour for that? No. I think, I think interior plants, are a huge benefit to, to physical and mental health, and the ones behind me don't need any, particular daylight. So choose the right plant for your interior space would be, one, one thing. And if you have even the smallest window box or garden plants and flowers as a place that pollinators, butterflies, and and bees can tuck down and drinks and nectar. Flowers are also beautiful to to look at, and they can smell great as well. And if everyone planted just a few flowers in their back garden, then we wouldn't be facing the same collapse of, of of of habitat that we are. So we really do have the ability as a populist regardless of what our government and big business are doing at the at the personal level, we can plant flowering plants and improve the situation for for pollinators and and invertebrates. Paul John, thanks very much for your time on this podcast in helping us to better understand what urban planning is today. And and how it can help to bring together so many different important ideas that relate to our well-being and sustainability and looking after the planet. So thanks very much. I really appreciate it. John Absolutely pleasure. Thank you very much, Paul. Previous Next

Effective Document Management Strategies for Operational Excellence: Boost Efficiency, Security, and Compliance Streamline Your Business Operations with Smart Document Management Solutions: Unlock Efficiency, Strengthen Security, and Ensure Compliance Published on: 16 Jul 2024 In an increasingly digital world, effective document management is at the heart of business efficiency and agility. Documents are the lifeblood of any organisation, from contracts and reports to financial statements and project files. Managing these documents effectively can streamline operations, enhance security, and reduce costs, while poor document management can lead to delays, mistakes, and compliance risks. The transition from paper-based processes to digital document solutions is not only a modern necessity but also a critical component of operational excellence. Understanding how to manage documents efficiently, securely, and sustainably is key to building an agile business capable of adapting to evolving demands. Why Document Management Matters in Modern Businesses Document management goes beyond filing or storing information; it’s about creating efficient systems for capturing , organising , retrieving , and securing important documents. Without a streamlined system, businesses risk wasting time on manual processes, losing track of important data, or even falling short of compliance requirements. Consider this: research shows that employees spend an average of one-third of their time looking for documents. That’s time that could be spent on more productive, high-value tasks. An effective document management system (DMS) optimises how information flows across your organisation, helping employees focus on what matters most. The Benefits of Effective Document Management Increased Efficiency Through Workflow Automation Automating document-related processes reduces the time spent on repetitive tasks. Workflow automation in a DMS ensures that tasks such as approvals, version control, and archiving are done automatically. This is particularly useful in industries like construction, finance, or healthcare, where approval processes and audit trails are essential for ensuring compliance. For example, instead of manually routing contracts for signatures, a document management system can automate this workflow, notifying the right people and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. By automating these processes, businesses can significantly reduce errors and delays, keeping operations running smoothly. Improved Collaboration and Access Control Today’s workplace is increasingly collaborative, often involving teams working remotely or across different departments. A well-implemented document management system enhances collaboration by providing centralised access to files with proper version control, allowing multiple team members to work on the same document simultaneously without creating confusion. Access control is another crucial element, as it ensures that only authorised personnel can access sensitive documents. By establishing clear document permissions and implementing user authentication, businesses can enhance security and ensure that sensitive information is only accessible to those who need it. Enhancing Compliance and Mitigating Risk Compliance is a major concern for businesses across industries, whether dealing with financial records, health data, or legal documents. Regulatory compliance requires not only storing documents but also ensuring they are kept secure and accessible for auditing purposes. A robust document management system helps ensure compliance with regulations like GDPR , HIPAA , and industry-specific standards. Features like audit trails, automatic backups, and version control help businesses maintain a clear record of document access and modifications, minimising the risk of compliance violations. Cost Reduction and Environmental Benefits Transitioning to a paperless office or reducing reliance on physical document storage can significantly lower costs. By digitising documents, businesses reduce their need for office space, paper, and printing. This move not only reduces overhead costs but also aligns with sustainability goals. Businesses today are increasingly focused on reducing their carbon footprint, and digital document solutions can contribute to that effort by minimising waste and promoting eco-friendly practices. Enhanced Enterprise Document Security With cyber threats on the rise, ensuring that your documents are secure is more important than ever. Enterprise document security involves protecting sensitive business data from breaches, unauthorised access, and data loss. A good document management system incorporates encryption , multi-factor authentication , and access control , ensuring that only authorised users can access sensitive files. Additionally, automated backups ensure that important documents are never lost due to system failures or cyber-attacks. This level of security is essential in industries handling sensitive data, such as finance, healthcare, and legal services. Types of Document Management Systems When choosing a document management system, businesses must consider their specific needs, industry regulations, and scale. Below are some common types of systems: Cloud-Based Document Management Systems These systems store documents online, offering flexibility and scalability. Cloud-based systems allow employees to access documents from anywhere with an internet connection, making them ideal for remote teams or multi-location businesses. Security is a critical consideration here, so businesses must ensure their cloud provider offers robust encryption and data protection features. On-Premise Document Management Systems On-premise systems store documents on company servers, giving businesses complete control over their data. This option may be preferable for organisations in highly regulated industries or those with strict data security requirements. However, on-premise solutions can be more expensive to maintain and may require a dedicated IT team for support. Hybrid Document Management Systems A hybrid system combines the benefits of cloud-based and on-premise solutions. Businesses can choose to store sensitive documents on-premise while leveraging the cloud for less critical files. This offers flexibility while maintaining control over key data. Steps to Implement an Effective Document Management System Assess Your Needs: Before implementing a document management system, assess your business’s current document workflows. Identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies that a DMS could address. Consider the type of documents you handle, the level of access needed, and any compliance requirements. Choose the Right System: Based on your needs, choose a system that offers the right balance of document management features . Consider factors such as scalability , security , and ease of use . Look for a system that integrates with your existing tools and offers customisable workflows. Train Your Team: A new system is only as good as its adoption. Ensure that your team is fully trained on how to use the document management system, from uploading files to managing permissions. Training should also cover security protocols, such as how to handle sensitive documents. Regularly Review and Optimise: Document management is not a set-it-and-forget-it process. Regularly review your system to ensure it continues to meet your business needs. As your organisation grows or regulations change, your DMS should evolve to accommodate new requirements. Conclusion Document management is a critical aspect of operational efficiency, security, and compliance. Implementing a well-structured document management system can save time, reduce errors, enhance collaboration, and ensure that sensitive information is protected. As businesses continue to adopt digital document solutions , having the right strategy in place can make the difference between success and operational inefficiency. By focusing on workflow automation , enterprise document security , and ensuring compliance, businesses can create systems that support their long-term goals and sustain operational excellence. Whether you're transitioning to a paperless office or looking to enhance document security, understanding and implementing a strong document management framework is key to keeping your business agile, efficient, and secure. Previous Next Start Your Business Improvement Journey Our business improvement programme and smart operations provide clarity and a clear pathway forward for you and your team. Get Started

Articles The Complete Guide to Professional Phone Skills Phone skills are a vital part of your customer service and customer experience. Telephone Skills Training can increase your productivity and profitability. Learn how. Read More Integrating Learning into Employee High-Performance Workflows Transforming employee development through embedded learning strategies for sustained success. Read More Improve Operational Efficiency with High-Performance Workflows How High-Performance Workflows Drive Operational Efficiency, Reduce Costs, and Unlock Greater Productivity Read More How Does Organisational Structure Impact Profitability? Organisational structure refers to the way a company arranges its various functions, departments, roles, and reporting relationships to achieve its goals. It defines how different parts of the organisation are organised, coordinated, and controlled. Read More Creating an Effective Workflow: The Key to Business Efficiency and Sustainable Growth Unlock the power of efficient workflows with strategies like automation, Lean methodology, and value stream mapping. Learn how to optimise your processes, reduce waste, and drive sustainable growth in your business. Read More Agile HR: Revolutionising Human Resources in the Modern Workplace Agile HR is a modern approach to human resources management that aligns with Agile principles from software development. It emphasises adaptability, collaboration, and customer-centricity in HR processes. Agile HR encourages iterative improvements, cross-functional teams, and a focus on employee engagement to better support organisational goals and respond to changing business needs. Read More How to Conduct Organisational Change Management? Change management is an ongoing process, and it requires leadership, patience, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Read More Crafting a Sustainable Future: A Comprehensive Guide to Developing a Robust Sustainability Strategy A robust sustainability strategy integrates environmental, social, and economic goals, fostering resilience, ethical practices, and long-term success while mitigating negative impacts on the planet and society. Read More Leveraging Sustainability Business Plans to Support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Discover how sustainability business plans play a pivotal role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Learn how your business can make a positive impact on a global scale. Read More 7 Business Process Improvement Strategies for Operational Excellence Unlock the full potential of your organisation with these strategies designed to drive efficiency, productivity, and sustainable growth. Read More Understanding Brand Experience and Its Impact on Workflow How Workflow Optimisation Enhances Consistency and Engagement Across Brand Touchpoints Read More Creating Value-Driven Growth with Impact Investing Impact Investing has emerged as a compelling strategy for business owners looking to combine financial success with sustainable, inclusive growth. Read More 1 2 3 4 5 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 ... 6 Create Triple Bottom Line Growth Discover strategies to enhance profitability, cultivate a greener and more sustainable business model, and elevate overall well-being. WATCH VIDEO