Many business owners are justifiably proud of their products or services and invest great amounts of effort and time in them, often with a program of enhancements and improvements. Fewer of them consistently check that what they are providing is a good match to the customer’s requirement. “Build it and they will come” is a…
During the festive season I have mixed emotions. On the plus side, there’s the excitement and pleasure of family get-togethers and the happy times they bring. The negative side is trying to avoid the Christmas shopping crowds, corny canned music and over-hyped Christmas deals. And please don’t get me started on the ‘friends and family’…
Simplifying things is a challenge for any business. If you have a simple process, people can follow it without making mistakes. If you have a complex process, mistakes can and will be made. I find that quality management systems often appear to be over-complicated. There’s a theory that goes something like this – ‘The system…
The surprising thing from reading the news about the misbehaviour of RBS is that a structure where RBS have their own property business was not seen to be a recipe for trouble if not disaster. If you have a business, or a department or a division, they need objectives and targets. You can guess that…