Workflow
Description
Most businesses have a mix of ad hoc activities, operational processes, and special projects. Without a plan and the right tools, activities disintegrate into a disorganized mess of chaos and confusion. An increase in entropy (disorganization) is the law (second law of thermodynamics) unless you have a system for combating it. There is only so much time in a day and many more tasks that are all requiring attention. Avoid repetitive work and let your computer resources work for you. Affordable software and hardware to support business functions is available from many sources but often the biggest success factor of innovation solutions is the smarterware of processes and training that allow you to make best use of your resources. Whether the software is commercial or free, documentation, training, and support are important factors for success. Innovation technology can be valuable but it is important that it also be used safely so the business can benefit and not be harmed either deliberately or inadvertently. Information backup can assure information has integrity and is available when needed. Keep your secrets private and restricted to only those who need to know.
Sample Questions
- Which activities should be ad hoc, manual assisted processes, or automated?
- What Getting Things Done (GTD) system are you using to manage tasks?
- How well is your calendar system working? Are you making all your appointments and deadlines?
- Can you find information on your customers, contacts, and partners when you need it?
- Would you like to reduce the amount of paper you need to manage and keep track of?
- What are your time, quality, cost results in your projects?
- Have you found ways to make your repeating processes more reliable and efficient?
- Do you have the tools you need and are you making the best use of the tools you have?
Value
With the right tools, processes, and training it is possible to get your business under control and establish reliable systems to get things done and allow you to focus on improvements rather than fire fighting. Breakdowns or oversights can be very damaging to your company and constant troubleshooting can rob you of one of your most valuable assets - time. Capture your ideas into a system and decide what are the next things you want to get done instead of getting stressed out. Obtain measurable benefits by automating information collection, processing, and distribution. Avoid financial loss associated with recovery from a security incident. Save time and money by having the information needed to run your business.
How I can Help
With years of experience researching solutions and computer communication tools in different environments I can point you in the right direction and help you implement a system that is right for you. Make use of principles which have proven to be successful in business and personal life. Avoid trial and error by leveraging expertise and using principles that are applicable in many different environments. Find the hardware, software, and support you need by having research and evaluation done for you to uncover the best options for your business. Configure and provide guidelines to control business tools to avoid potential issues of misuse. Keep information confidential and application access restricted to authorized entities.
Potential Solution Element Examples
There is a lot of information available about Getting Things Done methodology and tools but which one is right for your management style and environment? David Allen's GTD methodology is highly customizable according to your specific needs and environment. Once you have the appropriate solution components how can you establish a work flow that achieves the results you need. Here are some items to consider: