Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Deming A Pioneer in Quality Management

American Economist, William Edwards Deming quote ...

“If you can't describe what you are doing as a process, you don't know what you're doing”


Much of the credit for Japan's flight to quality and the making of its world-class reputation goes to quality guru W. Edwards Deming. Deming urged companies to concentrate on constant improvements, improved efficiency and doing it right the first time.



Deming was a professor of statistics at New York University when he was invited to Japan in 1950 to run a seminar for business leaders. Since the 1930s, Deming was interested in using statistics as a tool to achieve better quality control. Essentially, his idea was to record the number of product defects, analyze why they happened, institute changes, then record how much quality improved, and to keep refining the process until it is done right.


Deming owes at least part of his legendary status in Japan to a professor named Genichi Taguchi, Japan's home-grown quality management expert, who credited many of the American's ideas for his so-called Taguchi method. Taguchi and others would go on to influence a generation of Japanese engineers who would become the backbone of the nation's growing manufacturing prowess.

Did you know Deming composed music, while his main focus was on liturgical pieces, he also wrote a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner using the same words with different music.

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Monday, February 12, 2007

Earth Challenge

The Virgin Earth Challenge aims to inspire someone to invent or discover a way to stem the tide of global warming. Sir Richard Branson announced a $25 million prize for the scientist who comes up with a way to extract greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, comparing it to the 17th-century quest to revolutionize navigation by determining longitude. Judges include Sir Richard Branson, Al Gore, James Lovelock, Tim Flannery, Dr James E. Hansen, Sir Chrispin Tickell

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Brainstorming Step 2

Give yourselves a time limit. Around 25 minutes, but experience will show how much time is required. Larger groups may need more time to get everyone's ideas out. Alternatively, give yourself an idea limit.


“At minimum, push for 50 ideas. But 100 ideas is even better ...”


Once the brainstorming starts, participants shout out solutions to the problem while the facilitator writes them down – usually on a white board or flip-chart for all to see. There must be absolutely no criticizing of ideas. No matter how daft, how impossible or how silly an idea is, it must be written down. Laughing is to be encouraged. Criticism is not.


Once your time is up, select the five ideas which you like best. Make sure everyone involved in the brainstorming session is in agreement.


Write down about five criteria for judging which ideas best solve your problem. Criteria should start with the word "should", for example, "it should be cost effective", "it should be legal", "it should be possible to finish before July 15", etc


Give each idea a score of 0 to 5 points depending on how well it meets each criterion. Once all of the ideas have been scored for each criterion, add up the scores.


The idea with the highest score will best solve your problem. But you should keep a record of all of your best ideas and their scores in case your best idea turns out not to be workable.


Brainstorming Step 1-6


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Sunday, February 11, 2007

Business Risk

If your business scale is large and your processes, systems and people are failing or not up to par one-to-one…your risk is exponentially more serious. So now is the time to get in the trenches and do this regularly. Odds on your competitors ’senior management are there already if they’re smart.

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Thursday, February 08, 2007

Picture Postcard Weather

We're having picture postcard weather here in snowy Essex. It snowed for most of the night and as far as the eyes can see, blanket of snow is everywhere. Oh the car doesn't seem to want to start this morning either, its going to be fun wading through in hiking boots. How's the weather near you ... Its actually snowing quite a lot across UK. Car is not going anywhere today. All those travelling out today please have a safe journey.

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Monday, February 05, 2007

Breach Remarkable Film

Tell me 5 things about yourself, 4 of them which are true ... taken from the Breach

“A remarkable film, full of intrigue suspense and suspicion”


Outline : When young Eric O'Neill is promoted out of his low-level surveillance job and into the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, his dream of becoming a full-fledged agent is on the verge of becoming reality. Even more impressive, O'Neill is hand picked to work for renowned operative Robert Hanssen within "information assurance," a new division created to protect all classified FBI Intelligence. But O'Neill is quickly confronted with the true reason behind his hire: Hanssen is the sole subject of a long-term, top-secret investigation, a suspected mole made all the more dangerous by the sheer global import of the information he is charged with protecting. The Bureau asks O'Neill to use Hanssen's growing trust and slowly draw the traitor out of deep cover. Engaged in a lethal game of spy-versus-spy without the benefit of a cover story or backup, O'Neill finds himself fighting to bring down Hanssen before the treacherous double-agent can destroy O'Neill, his family and the nation they are both sworn to serve.


Director: Billy Ray, Film: Universal Studios, Release Feb 16.

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Gartner Trends 2007 and Beyond

Gartner's predictions, for 2007 and beyond, reports that Blogging will peak in 2007 and by 2008 nearly half the world's data centres will lack the power and cooling capacity to maintain high-density equipment. Outsourcing - 10 largest IT outsourcers will see their market share slip to 40% by 2009, from today's 43.5%, a revenue shift of some $5.4 billion.
According to Stamford, Conn.-based consulting firm, other trends to watch for include:


  • By 2009, (CRS) corporate social responsibility will surpass compliance on your CEO's priority list.
  • Average total cost of owning PCs will plummet 50% by 2010.
  • By 2010, 60% of the global "cellular population" will be "trackable" by the so-called follow-me Internet.
  • During the next 4 years, companies and organiSations will flush $100 billion down the toilet on networking technologies and services that are wrong for their businesses.
  • Vista marks the last major release of Microsoft Windows.

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Do you send mixed signals?

If you are not clear you give mixed signals and that's what you'll get back ... Are you a person who works to gets results everytime! increasing in your excellence everyday. Are you thrilled with the kind of results you are getting.

“I seek but never get results”

Until you can release areas of resistance in your life, you'll get more of the same. If your beliefs are compulsive you'll get what you desire.

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Clearing Issues that Block

Every issue you are dealing with at this moment has a reason and will need to dealt with. Maybe we wipe out the forest of issues in one swoop or we get rid of them one by one.


“Issues are like a forest, there are a lot of trees you cut down one tree and the others remain standing ...”


So you probably don't feel much has been accomplished, there are many issues you still need to work through right now, but taking one issue at a time, you've managed to shift one issue and that's okay. Are you ready to start clearing those remaining issues that block you from moving forward.

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What are you grateful for!

Famous words quoted by Sophie Tucker
US (Russian-born) vaudeville singer (1884 - 1966)


“I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor, and rich is better.”


Being wealthy doesn’t just mean being rich in terms of money. You can be rich in friendship, love, freedom and in many other areas of your life. Being successful in business works the same way. Although money is an important part of success, success to you might also mean feeling good about the contribution you're making. It could refer to your sense of accomplishment.

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Sunday, February 04, 2007

Jimmy Choos on sale for £90m

You're not really wearing a pair of shoes unless its fashioned by Jimmy Choo's (shoes) ... Former It girl is set to make £90m from the sale of Jimmy Choos must have A-list fashion accessory from London to Beverly Hills, Las Vegas and the likes of celebrities from Sarah Jessica Parker to Julia Roberts and BeyoncĂ© Knowles. Tamara Mellon observed that


“At the end of the day, the person who has the money has the control”


Judging by the latest reported developments at Jimmy Choo, the glamorous shoe business Ms Mellon founded in 1996, she is about to enjoy considerably more of both. Ms Mellon, a one-time It girl and Vogue accessories editor, stands to make a £90m fortune from the sale of her business, having appointed the investment bank NM Rothschild to evaluate a number of approaches which have come within the past month. One party is understood to have offered as much as £180m for the business.


Full article

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10 ways to Build Client Trust

Clients work with professionals whom they trust. Building trust is an ongoing process. Here are 10 ways to build trust with both old and new clients.

“Why do some client relationships progress better than others? Are there certain types of clients that you just can’t seem to connect with?”


Here's 10 ways you can build client trust ...

  • Keep your agreements with your clients
    - If you promise delivery on a particular day, make sure to deliver when it was promised. Even something as small as the time you have scheduled an appointment is an agreement. Each time you break an agreement with a client, you break the trust.
  • Create realistic client expectations
    - Help the client to understand exactly what you will do for him or her. Put boundaries around what is included in your service and what is not. What will create extra charges? How and when will you be billing the client? Living up to the expectations you create helps your clients to take you at your word.
  • Help client to understand the process
    - If your client understands how you and your office works the client can then know what to expect and when to expect it.
  • Explain your plan and strategy
    - Not only does the client need to understand your office procedure but also what the plan and strategy is for his/her particular case. This will help client to know what to expect and when to expect it. Trust comes when the client feels confident and comfortable with the plan and the strategy.
  • Never over promise
    - It is tempting to promise whatever the client requests without consulting a schedule or asking if it is doable. Over promising often causes broken agreements and thus broken trust.

    • Carefully explain the client's role
      - When a client is clear on what his or her role is then the client gets clear on what progress can be made without his or her involvement and what needs his or her input before moving on. Getting really clear on what the client needs to do to move his or her case forward, helps you work as a team and builds trust.
    • Discuss potential pitfalls
      - Nothing disturbs the trust of a client more than when something unexpected happens. (If it is good of course you can celebrate! Whew!) Guard against something negative happening as a surprise by discussing the potential pitfalls with the client.
    • Review the agreement in detail
      - Any agreements that the client is going to have to make should be discussed in detail. Trust is built over a long period of time but it can be broken easily. A surprise that results from an agreement the client made but is unaware of breaks that trust quickly.
    • Avoid making the client feel stupid
      - No one likes to feel stupid. If clients feel that you think they are stupid they will no longer entrust you with their ideas or thoughts. Clients who don't feel valued by the professional may stop trusting that person. Professionals probably don't set out to make a client feel stupid. In fact it may be an attitude, an inadvertent comment, or a look that gives the client that impression. Be aware of your inner thoughts. They show up without your noticing. Use careful language.
    • Never allow interruptions at meetings
      - If you take interruptions during meetings with clients it makes them feel they are not important to you. Eventually you erode the good will and trust that you had with them.

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Saturday, February 03, 2007

Rollins Out; Michael Dell Returns as CEO

Its all change at the top for Dell. Does Michael Dell have what it takes to turn the $60 billion company around? It's been years since he shouldered day-to-day operational responsibility on his own. Dell says he has a clear plan. Michael Dell believes the company's supply chain and manufacturing can be improved.

“I think you're going to see a more streamlined organisation, with a much clearer strategy.”


In recent months, Dell has struggled as its market share has slipped and an SEC investigation into Dell's accounting and financial practices has dragged on. According to Goldman Sachs, Dell is losing share in business spending for PCs.


[Hewlett-Packard is also losing share of spending, while Lenovo (LNVGY) and Apple are gaining.]Dell, which has watched as rival Hewlett-Packard has drained away its once dominant market share, announced late on Jan. 31 that its namesake founder Michael Dell will return as the company's CEO immediately. Kevin Rollins, who took over as CEO in 2004, has resigned as the CEO and will abdicate his spot on the company's board of directors.


Read full article in Channel Insider

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Friday, February 02, 2007

America's Top 50 Salaries

In 2006 Ivy League schools topped FT rankings with the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania retaining its number one position for the sixth year in a row. Harvard Business School taking the runner’s up prize with Ivy leaguers Stanford, Columbia, Dartmouth College and Yale closely behind. In Europe the London Business School is ranked no1 and is fifth in the world in the top cluster of schools.

1. Surgeons -- $177,690
2. Anesthesiologists -- $174,240
3. Obstetricians & Gynecologists -- $171,810
4. Orthodontists -- $163,410
5. Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons -- $160,660
6. Internists, General -- $156,550
7. Psychiatrists -- $146,150
8. Prosthodontists -- $146,080
9. Family & General Practitioners -- $140,370
10. Chief Executives -- $139,810

Source: Bureau of Labour - Go to MSN for remaming 40 careers

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