Social networking is all the buzz right now, especially with the economy in a sour state and the return of markets like we saw before unlikely. I have talked about this before and I will continue to talk about it; social networking works for me. Last week I received a message from Randi Handshoe from Penrod Services. He is a gentleman that I had met at the Facilities Manager Trade Show that I attended at the end of last year. I contacted him and we decided to meet for coffee. When we met we discussed in depth what each of us do and realized that we could be beneficial to one another from at least the stand point of we will recommend one another if an opportunity arises.
This is an excellent example of how networking can turn into business opportunities. When networking, keep in mind that the person you are meeting might not be a customer right now. Keep people and what they do in the back of your mind and actively networking keeping in mind the people you met "last week". I always try to get a business card from the person that I meet. When I get home, I turn the card over, write the date, the event and a couple of points that we discussed. This does two things, 1) it makes you try and actually remember conversations you have with people and 2) it serves as a record or notes about people that you have met. It is much easier to re-connect with someone that you met briefly when you have something to refer back to when you first met each other. Networking takes some effort, but that effort can turn into clients and revenues in the future.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
ROI from a Technology Perspective
I had the opportunity to visit Immedion the other day (SC's only dedicated data center) and attend a great seminar presented by Jennifer Cunningham about good practices to insure an acceptable ROI for technology projects. Jennifer works as a consultant in the IT arena for companies such as AHOLD and BofA. She takes the common sense approach to analysis in that people or groups need to feel that it is "their" money that "they" are about to spend. Several key action items need to be considered before the project ever begins.
Jennifer feels that an ROI report/analysis has to be created before any project begins. Look at the scope of the project and honestly evaluate whether or not the results of the project will outweigh the overall costs of the project. An outline of the perceived cost has to be made first, then a monetary value has to be placed on the perceived benefits of the project. All costs have to be considered, that includes overage allowances. Not many projects finish within allocated budget parameters. This first step, the ROI analysis, is a crucial step in the project process and can spare a lot of time and grief if performed well and thoroughly.
End user support has to be in place in order for the project to be successful. Commitment to use the system has to be acquired by the end users. The group that is supposed to benefit from the project needs to be on board and involved with the project from day one. In order to do this, the end user has to be engaged before the project begins and shown what the "big" benefits of the project will be AND during the project life cycle. This is crucial because it keeps the end users involved throughout the entire process and provides momentum for the project. By having the end user group involved in the building process, milestones can be set that both sides agree on and accountability for meeting or not meeting milestones can be set also. This lets all parties feel involved in the project, keeps moral up and momentum alive, while at the same time providing accountability.
With many parties potentially involved in a project, clear communication lines need to be open. When all sides have clear paths of communication to the entire project group, a better system of input is used and changes can be made more efficiently and with less budget pains. Project updates can be done via a morning meeting where doughnuts and coffee are served, this way everyone involved can feel more comfortable and receptive to the information being presented. Providing regular milestone updates in a convenient manner also helps to carry momentum throughout the entire project life cycle.
While communicating throughout the project process, the majority group that will be utilizing the project results, needs to be determined. The majority are the 90% of the projects intended results users and the remaining 10% tend to be referred to as "super users". The super user is a special group of users that find and develop ways to do things within their realm of computing tasks and departments. This group will always find new and innovative ways to do things and the project does not need to focus on their needs. On the contrary, the majority of users need the help of the project results to get better and faster results; while the super user will always find new and/or better ways to complete certain required tasks. So, focus on the majority and the minority, super users, will find ways to achieve what they want accomplished.
Another key element in the entire process is choosing the right person or team to do the design/implementation. This can make or break the success rating of a project. Disaster is imminent if the incorrect person/team is picked to lead and develop the project task. Take careful consideration of the project tasks and then find a person/team that has a proven track record of successfully addressing similar projects or tasks. If an outside resource is used then they have to mentor the internal staff so the outside source can fully understand the needs and concerns of a project from an internal prospective. Make sure that the outside resources will be a fit for the internal project team. Have the outside resource supply documentation on the employees that they will be sending in to do the project. Actual resumes from the hired resource employees would be a good example of documentation in this type of situation. Lastly, make sure the outside resource will provide extensive training on aspects of the project during and after the project is completed. Picking a qualified, reputed outside resource is not always choosing the biggest name. Look deeply at many outside resources, small/medium/large, to determine which one will be the best for the project.
Finally, plan for ongoing maintenance and support for the project. There will be technical issues that will inevitably arise; however, plan for there contingency in advance. Now when issues arise, some thought will have been placed in that area and a conclusion can be obtained faster to keep everything in running order. At the same time, not only technical issues will arise. Business aspects of maintenance and support need to be thought about also. Business issues will occur when pre-planning aspects have been inadvertently over looked or new outside forces change aspects of business and the way it interacts with the project. Support and maintenance have to be considered in order to guarantee the success of a project.
In conclusion, Jennifer Cunningham made it clear that NOT heeding any one of these points during project development will seriously hamper the overall success of the project. Jennifer is likely the most experienced IT professional in the local area and has lead or been apart of many technology projects during her extensive career. Most of these points she speaks about are common sense items and things that ordinary people do as households on a regular basis. Use common sense and follow these key points to guarantee a good ROI for your investment.
Jennifer feels that an ROI report/analysis has to be created before any project begins. Look at the scope of the project and honestly evaluate whether or not the results of the project will outweigh the overall costs of the project. An outline of the perceived cost has to be made first, then a monetary value has to be placed on the perceived benefits of the project. All costs have to be considered, that includes overage allowances. Not many projects finish within allocated budget parameters. This first step, the ROI analysis, is a crucial step in the project process and can spare a lot of time and grief if performed well and thoroughly.
End user support has to be in place in order for the project to be successful. Commitment to use the system has to be acquired by the end users. The group that is supposed to benefit from the project needs to be on board and involved with the project from day one. In order to do this, the end user has to be engaged before the project begins and shown what the "big" benefits of the project will be AND during the project life cycle. This is crucial because it keeps the end users involved throughout the entire process and provides momentum for the project. By having the end user group involved in the building process, milestones can be set that both sides agree on and accountability for meeting or not meeting milestones can be set also. This lets all parties feel involved in the project, keeps moral up and momentum alive, while at the same time providing accountability.
With many parties potentially involved in a project, clear communication lines need to be open. When all sides have clear paths of communication to the entire project group, a better system of input is used and changes can be made more efficiently and with less budget pains. Project updates can be done via a morning meeting where doughnuts and coffee are served, this way everyone involved can feel more comfortable and receptive to the information being presented. Providing regular milestone updates in a convenient manner also helps to carry momentum throughout the entire project life cycle.
While communicating throughout the project process, the majority group that will be utilizing the project results, needs to be determined. The majority are the 90% of the projects intended results users and the remaining 10% tend to be referred to as "super users". The super user is a special group of users that find and develop ways to do things within their realm of computing tasks and departments. This group will always find new and innovative ways to do things and the project does not need to focus on their needs. On the contrary, the majority of users need the help of the project results to get better and faster results; while the super user will always find new and/or better ways to complete certain required tasks. So, focus on the majority and the minority, super users, will find ways to achieve what they want accomplished.
Another key element in the entire process is choosing the right person or team to do the design/implementation. This can make or break the success rating of a project. Disaster is imminent if the incorrect person/team is picked to lead and develop the project task. Take careful consideration of the project tasks and then find a person/team that has a proven track record of successfully addressing similar projects or tasks. If an outside resource is used then they have to mentor the internal staff so the outside source can fully understand the needs and concerns of a project from an internal prospective. Make sure that the outside resources will be a fit for the internal project team. Have the outside resource supply documentation on the employees that they will be sending in to do the project. Actual resumes from the hired resource employees would be a good example of documentation in this type of situation. Lastly, make sure the outside resource will provide extensive training on aspects of the project during and after the project is completed. Picking a qualified, reputed outside resource is not always choosing the biggest name. Look deeply at many outside resources, small/medium/large, to determine which one will be the best for the project.
Finally, plan for ongoing maintenance and support for the project. There will be technical issues that will inevitably arise; however, plan for there contingency in advance. Now when issues arise, some thought will have been placed in that area and a conclusion can be obtained faster to keep everything in running order. At the same time, not only technical issues will arise. Business aspects of maintenance and support need to be thought about also. Business issues will occur when pre-planning aspects have been inadvertently over looked or new outside forces change aspects of business and the way it interacts with the project. Support and maintenance have to be considered in order to guarantee the success of a project.
In conclusion, Jennifer Cunningham made it clear that NOT heeding any one of these points during project development will seriously hamper the overall success of the project. Jennifer is likely the most experienced IT professional in the local area and has lead or been apart of many technology projects during her extensive career. Most of these points she speaks about are common sense items and things that ordinary people do as households on a regular basis. Use common sense and follow these key points to guarantee a good ROI for your investment.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Good data
This is a quote from an article in the November edition of POB magazine. It is written by Joseph V.R. Paiva, PhD, PS, PE and he seems to be on the money when it comes to "actuals" in the land surveying industry.
"Achieving good data doesn’t start with analysis of what has been collected. Rather, it’s a process that begins with understanding--understanding the uses for which data are being collected, understanding the quality required, understanding the limitations of the technologies to be used--and then designing a measurement scheme that has a high probability of delivering the desired results."
This is so true.
To read the entire article click here.
"Achieving good data doesn’t start with analysis of what has been collected. Rather, it’s a process that begins with understanding--understanding the uses for which data are being collected, understanding the quality required, understanding the limitations of the technologies to be used--and then designing a measurement scheme that has a high probability of delivering the desired results."
This is so true.
To read the entire article click here.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Small Business Coaching
I ran across the practice of using a business coach about 6 months ago when my wife joined a new firm. Her new boss went so far as to have an entire advisory board. The board consisted of 3 or 4 people that had different skill sets and experiences that complimented the business very well. Since that time I have talked with business owners and executives and have found that the idea of a coach could be quite beneficial to an owner or team that feels stagnant or unable to look outside the box. Here is an article (Coaching for Small Business Owners ) that Phil Yanov of GSATC tweeted about yesterday. The article goes on in some detail about the overall benefits of a business coach and emphasizes how it is important to find a coach that will be best for a particular business situation. If you are a business owner that is innovative and wants to "think outside the box", then this article will spark the ideas that will grow and benefit your company.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
You must reward employees!
I worked for a guy that always talked about giving bonuses to reward the hard work of his employees. While a great concept, the follow through was quite lacking. Essentially, the boss talked about giving bonuses based on performance, but no performance metric was ever put in place and, no surprise, the number of bonuses was very little and eventually dwindled to nothing. Nothing, as in, no bonuses for anything, not even a Christmas get together to show the employees that they are actually appreciated. Now, this is am extreme case, and I hope that no one else has been put through a similar experience, but rewarding employees is essential to the overall success of the employees and the company.
Earlier I mentioned a metric. A metric is a means to measure something to determine what the amount of change is so a difference can be determined. This performance metric needs to be established before any compensation plan can be put in place. How is the company going to be able to show a positive change in a employee? Once that is determined, then a means to compensate for the positive behavior can be devised. The performance metric and compensation plan need to be well though out and needs to actually encompasses aspects of the job that an employee can really influence and will be most beneficial for the individual employee. Rewarding an employee with something they do not really care about, for an aspect of their job that they have no real control over, does not promote positive behavior. This type of bonus system only promotes confusion and a "lack of faith" in the owner(s)/management of a company. Spend time thinking about aspects of the job that employees actually effect and then devise a functional reward system. When working on both aspects of the plan (metric and compensation) try to be empathetic (put yourself in their boots) to what really influences employees and what would really make them happy.
When looking over the employee roster, keep in mind what really motivates each employee or each general group of employees. This will help when coming up with the compensation package in the bonus plan for employees. Keep in mind that money is not always a motivator to all people. Sometimes an employer can get away with a simple "pat on the back" or "good job" said with sincerity to get desired results from employees. In fact, a cash incentive system can be viewed as a demotivater to some people where, in contrast, a simple gesture of gratitude from a superior would further drive great employee behavior. Always take time to interact and observe employees in order to find out what motivates them to do great work. Finding the best motivating tools is the work of smart management.
Once metrics are figured out and a reward system to compliment the metrics is put in place, then an effective bonus plan can be implemented and rolled out to staff. Take time to consider and go through the two main items of a bonus plan. The planning for and consideration of the employees the bonus plan will affect will go a long way to insure that the bonus plan gets and promotes the desired results, along with a company of prospering and happy employees. Practicing these items will help to obtain and maintain a healthy business.
Earlier I mentioned a metric. A metric is a means to measure something to determine what the amount of change is so a difference can be determined. This performance metric needs to be established before any compensation plan can be put in place. How is the company going to be able to show a positive change in a employee? Once that is determined, then a means to compensate for the positive behavior can be devised. The performance metric and compensation plan need to be well though out and needs to actually encompasses aspects of the job that an employee can really influence and will be most beneficial for the individual employee. Rewarding an employee with something they do not really care about, for an aspect of their job that they have no real control over, does not promote positive behavior. This type of bonus system only promotes confusion and a "lack of faith" in the owner(s)/management of a company. Spend time thinking about aspects of the job that employees actually effect and then devise a functional reward system. When working on both aspects of the plan (metric and compensation) try to be empathetic (put yourself in their boots) to what really influences employees and what would really make them happy.
When looking over the employee roster, keep in mind what really motivates each employee or each general group of employees. This will help when coming up with the compensation package in the bonus plan for employees. Keep in mind that money is not always a motivator to all people. Sometimes an employer can get away with a simple "pat on the back" or "good job" said with sincerity to get desired results from employees. In fact, a cash incentive system can be viewed as a demotivater to some people where, in contrast, a simple gesture of gratitude from a superior would further drive great employee behavior. Always take time to interact and observe employees in order to find out what motivates them to do great work. Finding the best motivating tools is the work of smart management.
Once metrics are figured out and a reward system to compliment the metrics is put in place, then an effective bonus plan can be implemented and rolled out to staff. Take time to consider and go through the two main items of a bonus plan. The planning for and consideration of the employees the bonus plan will affect will go a long way to insure that the bonus plan gets and promotes the desired results, along with a company of prospering and happy employees. Practicing these items will help to obtain and maintain a healthy business.
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