The Client National Materials Testing OrganisationExtensive & Varied Customer BaseVast Array of Specialist Services Provided The Problem The nature of the client’s business meant that they required a wide range of highly educated and specialised personnel. Roles...
SMALL BUSINESS
Operations by design – the four V’s
Operations can be costly, hence the ongoing drive for productivity and efficiency. There are four aspects of your business that will drive the way your operations are designed and their associated cost profile. First, think McDonald's and you’ll understand the impact...
Why you should get emotional about your service processes
Everybody has a story to tell about their awful service experiences and social media helps make those stories freely available to all. Sometimes things seem to go wrong even when the ‘process design’ seems fine on paper and the systems are working as they should. Why...
Just what does Operations mean?
I’ve spoken to enough people to realise that defining operations is a bit like agreeing on the best formation and players for the England football team – there are as many opinions as people you ask. Part of the challenge is that ‘operations’ is both a function (the...
Using the Golden Triangle for Consistent Delivery
The everyday revenue-generating business machine is widely known as operations. Whilst we as consumers generally hear about products and services, the activities that get those products to our door or services delivered on time, and in line with expectations, are...
How can Design Thinking accelerate your business growth?
If you are a fan of design, I’m sure you’ll be looking forward to London Design Week, which is taking place across the city later in September. Our capital now seems to be crammed with creative companies and has developed an international reputation as an innovative...
How to build innovation into your business
A great way to building innovation into your business is to be looking for problems to solve and opportunities for improvement in your industry. That’s not to say that inventions haven’t succeeded by accidentally creating an invention and then looking to see what can...
To Register for VAT or Not, that is the question
What is Value Added Tax? Value Added Tax was introduced to the UK in 1972 to replace Purchase tax and to conform to the European Common Market. The Definition of VAT is a tax on the amount by which the value of an article has been increased at each stage of its...
Five ways to improve your business productivity
You will probably be familiar with the adage: Productivity = Potential – Interference. Many of us are battling daily with interference of one sort or another, both external and internal. Potential is not always something that is easy to quantify, or to realise. ...