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Contact centers have benefited so much by implementing Six Sigma that now it is impossible for them even to think that they can manage their operations without Six Sigma even for a single day. Why Six Sigma Is Better Than Other Quality Initiatives Six Sigma may have been originally devised as a quality improvement tool for use in the manufacturing sector, but that has not stopped it from making its way to the services industry such as contact centers. Six Sigma is different because it makes use of foolproof statistical tools and techniques that help in making the most accurate assessments, predictions and calculations, necessary for making effective and long-lasting quality improvements. Six Sigma...

Becoming a good boss is not something that takes overnight. It is an ongoing learning process with struggles along the way. But once you are able to achieve a perfect balance between the needs of your company, your employee and yourself, you know that you are on your way to becoming an effective and good employer whom people respect and revere. So what makes a good boss? Below is a list of some of the qualities that a good boss possesses. 1. Leadership It is true that not all good employees can become a good boss because there is a significant difference between a follower and a leader. A person who possesses good leadership skills is someone who can be an effective and good employer. 2. Tolerance A...

Deploying objectives in a department Objective setting is a vital part of appraising and managing employees. Both managers and subordinates should be aware of what the objectives are for the current period as well as be working on new draft objectives for the next period prior to discussing them during a future appraisal meeting - where objectives for the forthcoming period can be documented and agreed. How to set objectives: A Manager will have her own set of business objectives and it is the responsibilities of staff to support her in achieving these. Staff should make sure that their manager communicates the objectives to the team and from this they should then be able to define their own goals...

The folly of industry multiples I routinely see individual buyers coming up with low valuations for growth businesses based on simple multiple of the most recent year's profitability and, worse yet, based on a multiple using a weighed average of the profits from the preceding 3 years. I usually offer them this simple way of looking at the problem. Let's take the example of 3 different businesses with identical last 12 month revenues and earnings: * Business1 has a history of cash flow growth of 10% over many years and the target market is continuing to grow. * Business2 has a history of a steady cash flow for a long time with relatively minor variation from year to year and the target market is a...

Business KPI or business key performance indicators are also known as key success indicators (KSI) are created for the purpose of measuring and defining the progress of the organization toward reaching its stated goals. When a business goes through the process of analyzing its mission, naming those who have a stake in the mission and stating its goals, the business then ready to define how it will measure the progress toward reaching the goals. These measurements are known as key performance indicators. Several characteristics of key performance indicators are important to keep in mind in selecting them First, key performance indicators are not goals, they are simply a quantifiable measurement...

This module focuses on the basics of Knowledge Mapping, its importance, principles, and methodologies. Key Questions - What is K-map? - What does the K-map show, and what do we map? - Why is K-mapping so important? - What are some of the key principles, methodologies, and questions for K-mapping? - How do we create K-map? Background Each of the past centuries has been dominated by single technology. The eighteenth century was the time of the great mechanical systems accompanying the Industrial Revolution. The nineteenth century was the age of steam engine. After these, the key technology has been information gathering, processing and distribution. Among other developments, the installation of world...

Six Sigma tools allow for identifying problems to bottlenecks and problems, coming up with solutions to problems, and more. If you want to get the most out of using tools like this with employees, they need to be used properly. Some managers like to use them on a white board or a projector for everyone to see. This is the best approach. Don't print out a blank fishbone diagram for employees to fill in. Some managers do this but the problem is that it makes employees work individually and not together as a team. When you use Six Sigma tools for a meeting, be sure everyone is involved. If one person is not speaking or contributing to the group, ask him or her questions and get them involved. The Six...

According to those who design and promote management tools, you can't live without the newest, best, fast, and most innovative tool to manage your enterprise. Ask a proponent of Balanced Scorecard and they will even tell you that it is a good idea for you to use this system even if you run a one-person show as your entire enterprise. Going that far seems a bit like shooting cockroaches. Although, after studying all the benefits of running a medium to large or even huge operation with the simple to define guidelines of Balanced Scorecard management, you might find personal uses for the system. It is a good thing to pay attention to orderly and at least frequent, if not continual self-assessment. It...

Six Sigma has proved quite beneficial for the services sector because rather than making direct alterations in the product or service, it concentrates more on making improvements in existing business processes, which automatically improves the quality of final outcome, be it a product or service. This is like tackling the root cause that might be creating problems related to quality. Determining Quality Levels In BPO's And Customer Contact Centers In BPO's and customer contact centers, customer input and feedback is first quantified so as to develop a better understanding of their needs and expectations. Based on the quantification, Six Sigma professionals then chalk out various levels of quality to...

As a manager of a business, non-profit or agency you need to make sure you do not come across as arrogant to your employees or team. This is often hard if you are dealing with folks who have not thought thru their comments, questions or are so new that they ask ridiculous questions. I use to have a rule that was; Ask three then me. In other words ask a co-worker or two, your next in-line manager and if you could not get an answer or they did not know the answer then as me and that makes three. This had worked for me. I must say that people are always giving me advice and yet I dissect their comments to see if there is something I have not considered in any of it, most often there is not and thus you...

Customer relationship management is extremely important in the corporate setting. This is actually quite understandable all on its own already. After all, the customers are the blood that runs through the veins of any existing enterprise, right? Thus, much-deserved attention has to be placed on customer relationship management or CRM. And with that said, it is no longer a surprise why companies take the time to develop CRM measures. After all, these measures or indicators just might have what it takes to make or break your business. CRM, in its very essence, should be placed at the heart of managing the whole enterprise itself. These are actually the very relations that form the foundation of the...

VOC certainly helps in designing products and services based on specific customer needs and requirements, but the problem is that the data collection process is not easy. Lack of proper data can seriously undermine the successful implementation of Six Sigma projects and in turn, leads to frustration, reduced process capability and missed deadlines. In such a scenario, it would become quite impossible to satisfy the needs of the customers, leave alone delighting the customers, which is one of the primary aims of most Six Sigma projects. Given below are some of the techniques that can be employed by project managers to jump-starting Six Sigma projects. Verifying The Applicability Of VOC Data...

An important aspect of good leadership is the ability to work and relate with others. When creating and building your unique leadership style consistently developing relational skills is a priority. There are ten qualities that characterize successful leadership in the area of relating and communicating with other people. 1. Availability A good leader is available and in touch with people. An important leadership skill is the ability to recognize needs and be able to respond to them quickly and in the moment. 2. Facilitating Harmonious Relationships A good leader realizes the importance of harmonious relationships and is proactive in creating a harmonious atmosphere. Successful results are born out...

Lean is an approach to process improvement that is well-known in manufacturing, but which can be applied to any process. These "S's" originated in Japan, and help build an environment conducive to a smooth-running process. SORT Begin by eliminating unnecessary items from the work area. "Red Tagging" is an effective visual method used to identify unneeded items, which can then either be moved to a central holding area or discarded completely. This step frees up valuable floor space, removes broken or obsolete tools and fixtures, and makes it easier to focus on the job. SET IN ORDER The second S focuses on careful storage so the job can be carried on effectively. These are the questions to be asked...

Long before technology expanded, there are businesses and companies that found it difficult to track down the mistakes and the errors in their organization especially in the decision making. Now that we are living in a modernized world, there are a lot of people who are seeking the help of the financial BSC or the financial balanced scorecard in order for them to determine what has gone wrong in their business. This has been considered to be one of the wisest options for a certain company in exploring its limitations and capabilities along with the key performance indicators or KPIs. The financial BSC is a great tool that is able to measure the performance of a particular firm. What makes this tool...

One way to look at how successful project delegation ties into the "bench strength of your business unit/team is to compare it to a successful sports team. When you get into the game, your ability to compete rests to a great extent on the quality of players, their skill and preparation for the competition. In sports, as in business, you need extensive training and practice to compete successfully. Think about this reality... how much actual training combined with practice goes on in business today? Training is one of the first expenses to be cut and "practice", give me a break. Doesn't happen. If you manage a work group or team in today's business setting, the old maxim that "luck is where...

Fear has prevailed over the hope, and the economic recession is now a new global reality. While there are many ways to cope with it - and beat it, one time tested method is to empower with knowledge. In good times, even a little knowledge is not dangerous, but in bad times adequate knowledge may also not be sufficient. For professionals in technology and management, the recession is time for retrospection and sharpening their skill sets. While we are doing it ourselves, we also recommend it to those who care. IT and finance consultants and managers, who were hitherto in a very secure situation, have been subjected to the maximum uncertainty in the global recessions. IT cost cutting is generally the...

The five W's (who, what, when, where and why) and one H (how) are used to understand the system in the analysis and design phases. Let us briefly understand the application of this approach to Six Sigma. 1. What - Understanding The Concept The first W stands for ' What' is Six Sigma. Six Sigma is a concept that aims at reducing defects so as to improve the customer satisfaction. In statistics, Six Sigma means standard deviations. In the Six Sigma methodology, it stands for 3.4 defects per million opportunities. Understanding customer satisfaction levels is the key to successful Six Sigma projects. This understanding helps bring about changes in products and processes to match customer expectations...

Call it a slowdown or a recession, the impact is nearly the same - our businesses are challenged and we have become desperate to find ways to respond. We feel the urge to cut expenses, eliminate programs and benefits, and put customer and employee development on hold. Our knee-jerk reaction to this slowdown pressure encourages us to do all of the wrong things. True, we must eliminate wasteful spending; it should never take a recession to drive this thinking. We must always assess the impact of our spending on performance to determine its return and effectiveness. However, in today's intellectual environment, this review process is not strictly empirical. Today, we must also assess how recession...

Managing a new and growing business requires a vision far beyond what the average manager can even begin to comprehend or understand. This vision may be the ingredient which separates a leader from a manager. As the business grows, the top manager or the founder/owners turn control freaks as they believe they need to nurture the business at each step of its infantile existence step lest it falls and fails. They turn perfectionists and involve in every aspect of business believing that they are the best and most capable to run the business. This effectively kills emergence of new leadership, throttling the business growth. Controls are also camouflaged as systems orientation. Too much control spell...

No ifs, ands, buts about it, bad bosses are a reflection of bad management. These individuals are bad leaders and bad for business profits. The behaviors of inept managers cascade down the organization and continually negatively affect the bottom line. A recent report by Florida State University revealed the impact of bad bosses. A survey of more than 700 employees at different job levels and situated in various industries suggested that: - 39% of bad bosses failed to keep their word - 27% of bad bosses insulted those they supervise behind their backs - 23% of bad bosses blamed their mistakes on others - 31% of bad bosses used the silent treatment to show their displeasure By looking at each of...

It is important to have basic project management knowledge before getting started. For many us, we became project managers accidentally. Whether your project succeeds or fails, however, will be no accident. Successful project managers don't need to know everything, but they know enough to get started and learn as they go. In its essence, project management is preparing, executing, and closing. By the end of this article, you will have the basic foundation on the project management steps. The first step is preparing. When it comes to preparing, your focus should be on answering the basic questions. Writing a project charter is a great way to get started. The reason is because it answers the important...

More productive employees mean a more productive and successful business. This can be accomplished by helping employees feel valued and important, as well as helping them see the big picture. Why should businesses help employees feel important? An employee who feels valued and important is much more likely to come to the job with pride and do the work as well as humanly possible. For example: A group of managers were taking a tour of an assembly line for a pen manufacturer. They asked each person along the line to explain their responsibilities. Then they came to a woman who had the very obvious task of buffing the clips and placing them on the pens. Since they knew that she had seen them talk with...

Stakeholders in business management are those people who make a difference in your position. They can be your employees with specific skill sets who need to be placed in certain positions. The ability to place employees in the right positions will help project productivity. Stakeholders are also those people who have a stake in what you do at work. These might be your managers or other departmental personnel you work with. They can also include big clients. Knowing who the important stakeholders are in terms of your position at work can help you enhance your career by developing good working relationships with them. Stakeholders have expectations of you as a manager. You need to know what the...

The triple constraints both in concept and practicality, are at the heart of design. Scope - Of course is, what do we want, how good, how fast, and at what cost/resource consumption- creates parameters for the design phase to draft (or be drafted), "within". Cost - A concept that covers not only money, but also worker-hours, material resources, and sub-contracting costs. These are issues that when properly channeled and controlled, may become the backbone of both the design of system and the system itself. Timeline - An item of particular importance; scheduling is of paramount importance to the sequential harmony of any project. The greater the interdependency is between tasks, the more critical the...

We all have to deal with critical people at times. You know the type - the person who can spot a flaw from across the room, gives unsolicited advice, frequently complains and passes judgment, is negative and seems impossible to please. We can all be critical. Every day, we literally critique everything that goes on around us consciously and unconsciously. Unfortunately, some people tend to verbalize the thoughts many of us have learned to keep to ourselves. When things don't go our way or we're in a bad mood it is easy to become critical. It's true, miserable people prefer miserable company. Critical people actually feel better around others who share the same negative attitudes. Before we spend...

STEPS TOWARDS A GOOD APPRAISAL INTERVIEW: Don't say: "You just don't seem to care about doing a good job." "You seem to be more interested in scoring points against Charlie than in working with him." "You're too defensive." Do: Stick to behavior. say, "Here's what I saw," or, "Here's what I heard you say." Here is some advice for supervisors that will contribute to a successful appraisal interview. 1. Stick to goals. Measure performance against previously discussed and agreed upon goals. 2. Do not discuss rewards.. Make a statement at the beginning such as, "While this appraisal may be the basis for a raise, we are getting together today to review performance past and present and then discuss an...

In this article I will be describing what I believe makes a poor team leader. I have had a number of particularly bad team leaders in my own career thus far and feel that I am rather qualified to write about this subject. By understanding what constitutes a poor team leader can actually help people to become a better team leader; this may be at the present time or at some point in the future. I am currently in charge of a team of ten people and the knowledge has certainly helped me. Communication If the team leader is unable to communicate effectively to their team then it is virtually impossible for them to be a good team leader. What I mean by communication is not just an ability to be able to...

Other than constraints added by dates and also other aspects, you will find the normal interdependencies a project manager must handle in a project. As the project manager finishes the work breakdown structure, he can notice the activities usually are not all executable in parallel mode. The truth is, there may be few circumstances that activities could be carried out in parallel mode. A project plan will typically reflect more dependent activities than parallel jobs. There are various causes of that kind of situation. Resources could possibly be passed from a single task to another making the activity dependent on the resource accessibility. You'll find jobs which can be by default sequential and...

Environmental scanning is a research process, in which businesses collect all types of relevant information that helps these businesses in making decisions regarding surviving, expanding or entering new markets. In simple words, it can be described as keeping a close eye on external or internal happenings and analyzing this information to know how it can be detrimental or beneficial for the business. The information must be collected, arranged and disseminated among the company directors and managers. Mostly, environmental scanning is limited to external factors; however some businesses also carry out internal scanning. Environmental scanning is critical for the management or decision makers, as...

It is a fact of organizational life - negative, unacceptable behaviors will happen. When they do, the leader must address them. I normally emphasize the benefits of encouraging positive, productive behaviors over punishing negative ones. However, my clients and seminar participants often ask questions like: - "What about team members who don't want to play nice?" or - "What if I can't find anything positive to reinforce?" The short answer is this: "Confront negative behaviors early and decisively." When you fail to confront negative behaviors, you subtly signal acceptance of them. In effect, you encourage them to continue. As Admiral William F. Halsey said, "All problems become smaller if you don't...

Is the first thought of your morning and the last worry of the evening dominating your day? Is it looming over your shoulder and robbing your leadership from experiencing greater depth, meaning and purpose in your work? With big-hairy challenges facing today's workplace in greater proportions, is there any wonder why many people leaders are just surviving the status-quo? Imagine for a moment if you were enabled to tackle the Goliath that awaits you around every corner. Imagine overcoming your greatest challenge and experiencing the exhilaration by unlocking leadership potential and realizing outstanding results. Even with the best of intentions you attempt to soar, but the Goliath that keeps facing...

Think back to when you were a kid. Remember when your Mom would tell you to do something? Sometimes it was a random request; like you are playing with your Barbie dolls or Legos and she sticks her head in the door and says, "Come on, get your coat on." Well, you don't remember any appointment. Nobody told you there were plans to go someplace. You are right in the middle of a Barbie/Ken date and finally found the perfect outfit for Barbie. You even located two shoes that match. You look up to find your Mom has already left your room and you holler, "Why?" "BECAUSE I SAID SO." Oh, many times, she pulled the "because I said so" card. Grudgingly you drag yourself off the floor, looking longingly down...

Before you decide to start exporting your products and pursuing overseas markets, start by doing some market research and understanding where the best opportunities are for your company overseas. Do some basic homework to understand the size of markets for your products in each of the major regions of the world. Then second of all, start to do some competitive analysis to understand who are the players and local vendors in each of these regions. Third, look at your product or service and understand where your best strengths are relative to the competitive landscape that you find in each region of the world, so that you can understand where you have the best opportunity to develop a niche or open a...

After reading an entire review of FA0 record field number 18 for medical billing of claims via electronic media, you're probably hoping to get a little bit more information in this installment. Not a problem. We pick up with field number 19. FA0 field 19, positions 86 - 89, is Anesthesia Minutes. While this field is hardly ever used, when it is used it's to send the number of minutes to be billed for a patient who was put under anesthesia for a particular procedure. The reason for this is that the anesthesiologist is paid for his time. FA0 field 20, position 90, is the emergency indicator. This field needs to be filled in if the patient was admitted to emergency. There is special billing for...

Management might not on the face of it appear to be that difficult compared to the technical aspects of the role. Yet succeeding as a manager is as much about who you are and how you behave as it is about what you do. So what are some of the key management qualities? Quality 1: Honesty You will have to deal with many problems and challenges. From time to time you will have to make some tough choices. Those that you manage will look to you for re-assurance that everything will be okay. It is not always going to be possible to do that so learn to be honest with people. Quality 2: Act with integrity Acting with integrity is about behaving in a way that demonstrates professionalism. There will be times...

Do you think anybody who can fog a mirror can do appropriate selection of software? If you think it's true, you are utterly wrong! Selection of any software requires a thorough approach on how the system would work and what exactly is to expect from it. Simply put, when you go for any medical management software, you should opt for certain features that would be your real need in day-to-day medical office's requirement. There are five main features you should expect and have in medical management software. Let us learn all these useful matters - Feature 1: Medical Management Software should have online patient appointment scheduling system. This simply means that your customers (patients) should be...

Every person has worked with an 'unprofessional' before. There have been times when you focus on a work-related task and take the proper avenues to ensure a certain project gets completed, and a fellow co-worker or employer steps in to make sure that he or she gets the credit for the job, undermines your performance, ruins or fails to help in the completion of the project, and creates an environment that is detrimental to you and the workplace. Unprofessionalism is more than just mediocre productivity or being naïve of a certain skill. It is any behavior that will hinder productivity and/or relationships in the workplace. Unprofessionalism can be dishonesty, corruption, carelessness...

y"> Well actually you don't get respect, you earn it. Respect is earned by words, and by actions. Things like keeping your promises or proactively providing service. Things like becoming more personally involved with the success of your customer, or taking responsibility when responsibility is not really yours. It's the extra effort. It's the extra mile. One of the keys to respect is the word personal. How personal are you in your actions? How personal are you in your communication? The more personal you are with others, the more respect you will earn. But there is a secret to respect. The secret is: In order to earn the respect of others, you must first respect yourself. This means you have to have...

"body"> Successful team management can be the catalyst that propels your business to the next level and create a culture that is energetic, fun and productive. As leaders, we must be able to build a culture that unites our teams around the overall business objectives and the goals established for the team. Achievement of each team's goals is what will push the business to reach its ultimate goals and profit levels. To build a dynamic team, you need to do one thing - tell your employees to get a GRIP. G -Goals: The team needs a clear understanding of its mission and goals and those goals need to be accepted by all members. First, you need to identify what the main purpose of your team is and then you...

1. Consequences For Whom? Like beauty, consequences are in the eye of the beholder. A project engineer sees the conclusion of a big civil project as a major achievement and the opportunity for a large cash bonus. For a tradesman it carries the prospect of unemployment. When making charges, make sure you build in positive consequences for your staff. 2. Peer Pressure As a manager you may have lots of formal power. But informal power is important too. Most employees are very conscious of how their peers think. The prospect of derision and disapproval by peers can influence their behaviour in ways quite unfamiliar to you. Encouraging staff to do work or take "opportunities" that may isolate them from...

To ensure you get invited for an Interview for the Construction Job you are going for, you need to focus on getting your CV right. A good CV is the gateway to getting an Interview and one of many that will end up in a recruiters hands. It is, therefore crucial that you sell yourself and impress the reader at this stage. The presentation, content and structure are all very important factors to getting a CV right. Here we will focus on creating the best structure. Before you start, write down a list of competencies, skills and experiences so you have something to work from. Try to pinpoint those areas that make you stand out from others. The structure is fairly standard and should follow a similar...

Are you looking for attorney jobs in Chicago? Chicago is the right place for attorneys as it has a blooming industry. All offices and institutions require legal advisors and attorneys. Find out where you are needed and which place needs you. Lawyer jobs in Chicago are challenging as well as exciting but full of hard work and patience. You can't be impatient for jobs in the law. It's necessary to be strong willed and determined to stay focused despite troublesome situations. Research well and find out the right Chicago Layer jobs and the right company for you: Chicago Legal Search Ltd This company is looking for new recruits. For In House Jobs, they want a candidate with J.D. and sales and marketing...

  It's pretty clear that the economy is bad with only a few holdouts are denying it at this point. So what to do when you are on an H1B visa and you get laid off? Well first of all don't panic. You likely have a visa that lasts for years at this point so you are NOT accruing unlawful presence even though you ARE out of status. What in the world does that mean? Well, simply put too much unlawful presence means that you will not be allowed back into the US for many years. Specifically, 180 days to 365 days of unlawful presence means that you will be barred from the US for three years should you leave and attempt to return. Anything over a year results in a 10 year bar to reentry should you leave the...

Gone are the days when being pregnant was an excuse to eat for two. Women that had spent much of their lives on diets gave themselves over to the brooding and nesting instinct and allowed themselves to sit back and nurture the new life growing inside of them. Of course, there were those who did this in the extreme and became excessively overweight to the point of endangering their offspring, but in general it was considered a good thing to put your feet up and put on a couple of stone. The tables have turned in the other direction now. In woman's quest to have everything, the perfect post baby body has entered at the top of the wish list and women are now pushing themselves into gruelling exercise...

Frequently asked questions relating to English divorce law and process. What are the grounds for divorce in English law? In English law there is only one ground for divorce, this being an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. For this irretrievable breakdown to be proven one of five reasons can be given. These reasons are adultery, unreasonable behaviour, two years separation with consent, two years desertion and five years separation without consent. How long does the divorce process take? The actually length of time it takes for divorce proceedings to be completed will vary from case to case depending on the particular circumstances of the divorce. However, typically a normal divorce will...

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act was established in 1967 and it attempts to protect the rights of the workers aged 40 and above. It tries to protect the older workers from discriminatory practices that may be followed by the company based on age. A summary of the Act given below may help all employers and employees learn the facts and benefit from it. The employers are prohibited from the following practices as per the Age Discrimination in Employment Act: • Discrimination in terms of age with regard to promotion, hiring, wages, training opportunities, assignments, benefits or layoffs. • Refusal to give equal benefits to employees due to age. • Taking disciplinary action against any...

Somehow, it has a better ring to it. For most Employees being “Laid-off” is a great deal easier to swallow after long and faithful years of service than a pink slip with the words “Terminated”, “Dismissed” or “Fired”. Certainly, the term “Laid-off” has connotations that the decision was reached due to circumstances beyond the control of the Employer and with no fault of the Employee. The lack of cash flow and shortage of work are the causes of doom, not the Employee’s performance, or so the story is told. However, this cloud has so silver lining. In fact, many Employers prefer to characterize the termination of employment as a “lay-off” out of genuine sincerity and an...

Workplace environment needs to be cohesive to enhance the productivity of the employees. Any sort of discrimination is sure to have a negative effect on the employee as well as the whole environment. You need to ascertain that no superior is taking advantage of your ignorance. Numerous legislations ensure the protection of employees against any sort of discrimination. And these are not mere documents, they are for implementation. If you feel threatened because of an adverse action, you need to talk to a discrimination lawyer now. He/she could help you understand your position and let you know all about the protection offered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Under FLSA, no employer can...