| We choose productivity as the basis for | | | | technical developments. They establish an |
| success because it offers the greatest | | | | information flow and communication system |
| opportunity for a better work environment and | | | | between the various business unit general |
| a better, also lower, cost way of doing | | | | managers and the technical disciplines. The |
| things. All but a very few organizations can | | | | technical disciplines have "subject matter |
| benefit from improvements in their | | | | experts" (SME) who are responsible insure |
| productivity. | | | | that the general managers understand how the |
| | | | technical issues affect their business units. |
| As an example of the size of the opportunity | | | | The impact could be to open areas for new |
| available through productivity improvement, | | | | product development. It could present |
| its cost reduction area dwarfs the size of | | | | competition. It could also offer |
| the current rage, outsourcing. Outsourcing | | | | opportunities to improve the production of |
| of certain functional areas can in fact be | | | | existing products. |
| harmful to the reputation and effectiveness | | | | |
| of the enterprise which does the | | | | The communication between the general |
| outsourcing. This especially true of | | | | managers and the SME's is proactive in both |
| customer service applications. | | | | directions. This produces a cross transfer of |
| | | | concepts and ideas within the organization. |
| That portion of the customer service | | | | |
| function which deals with customer complaints | | | | The second type of productivity improvement |
| is uniquely positioned to assist the | | | | is a change in the way in which a function |
| organization to improve its ways of doing | | | | or process is performed which makes the |
| things. The complaints of the customer are | | | | function or task simpler or reduces the labor |
| often based upon poorly designed internal | | | | content of the task. An example of this type |
| processing systems. | | | | improvement would be to change a report |
| | | | layout of a warehouse pick ticket from item |
| In the author's experience as a full time | | | | number sequence to physical location |
| consultant over a 10 year period, virtually | | | | sequence. This change will require less |
| every enterprise has the capability to obtain | | | | travel activity to pick an order than the |
| between 5 per cent and 25 percent cost | | | | former sequance. In this instance we have |
| reductions as a result of full implementation | | | | made the task simpler and more organized to |
| of productivity enhancement programs for | | | | preform. |
| existing systems. | | | | |
| | | | It is in the second example that we see the |
| There are two types of productivity | | | | opportunities which are present in the vast |
| improvement. The first is technology | | | | majority of organizations. It is important to |
| improvement. A very good example of | | | | note that this kind of opportunity is within |
| technology improvement is word processing. | | | | the control of the organization and as such |
| Before word processing came into existence, | | | | can be used extensively as a management tool. |
| the way a business letter was created was for | | | | These opportunities are often visible to the |
| the writer to write out the letter by hand, | | | | workers who are engaged in performing the |
| give it to someone to type, proof read, | | | | various tasks. |
| correct and return to the writer. The writer | | | | |
| then proof read the letter again and then | | | | Their observations can be converted to |
| sent it out. With word processing, the writer | | | | specific approaches which can improve the |
| prepares the letter on the word processor. | | | | process. |
| After the word processor checks the spelling, | | | | |
| the letter is proof read by the writer who | | | | The various skills and tools which we |
| thens prints out the letter and sends it out. | | | | will be discussing here are all needed to |
| Technology has made this task simpler and | | | | obtain the data and present operational |
| quicker. | | | | practices. Once that information is |
| | | | available, we use the same tools to develop |
| Technology improvements most often appear as | | | | and test the proposed new methods for the |
| new products. Your systems have to be | | | | enterprise. It is because the tools and |
| adjusted to incorporate the new product. | | | | methods are missing from present curriculum |
| Often this results in a hidden cost factor in | | | | that we include them in this discussion. The |
| adopting the new technology. | | | | development of better productivity becomes |
| | | | more efficient when these tools are applied |
| Large, well managed organizations, are very | | | | to this subject. |
| sensitive to the need to keep up to date with | | | | |