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Project Management Software

For people who handle multiple projects, and have team members involved in multiple projects, it is a good idea if the project management software can keep track of any conflicts that might occur in scheduling of time or resources so that these will be discovered in plenty of time and can be corrected. It is nice if you can use the one program to disseminate resources to a number of diverse projects, rather than having to manage each project independently of the others. Any solutions of this type should be able to work with the other package programs that you already use on a regular basis for other purposes.

It is also a good idea if all documents and materials that are germane to the project is stashed away in one location by the project management software package. This way everyone will know where to go if they are looking for a specific document that they need to reference. When there is a record of all the emails sent about a project you can also have accountability since there is a copy that can be checked to see what was said and when it was said. It is convenient if all aspects of a project, from budgets to time, resources, and issue tracking are all handled by the same project management software.

The state of the economy is such that profit can most simply be boosted by scrutinizing expenses, not a growth of income. This brings us on to the benefits of performance appraisal software. Business optimization calls for comprehension of the abilities and weak areas of its employees: in what areas is their best work done? How can your system adjust to take advantage of their strengths and hide their weaknesses? This is the burning question. Identifying and making this data ready to use can be where things can become challenging.

Defining and tracking development through employee performance management alone can turn into a significant task. You first put employee performance management techniques into action so that you can appraise the work carried out by each employee. And if you’re using conventional approaches, you’ll need to study all of that information by eye in order to set goals, and keep track of future development. Utilizing performance management software you know that this appraisal is done for you and you need only study the different analyses and factors to discover what the right goals for this employee would be. It also makes keeping track of the employee’s progress much easier. Thus you remove a significant demand on your time while probably receiving more useful information as an added bonus. There is the possibility to also analyze the raw data yourself and use the software just to organize and record everything.

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Performance management software can do more than help employees. It’s also worth studying clients and suppliers to be better able to reduce costs by precision ordering. It’s easy to check who provides products with the best quality, at the lowest prices as well as reveal those with bad loss records or slow delivery times. Turning our attention to affiliates, clients, and retailers, it’s possible to demonstrate who sells the most of each product if there are payment issues, which one experiences the worst loss percentage, and more. Using this information you can adjust your ordering and selling habits to increase income and cut expenses. This information will allow you to identify a priority demographic. With this in mind advertising becomes more effective and easier to plan. Performance management software can track your suppliers to save money and analyze the market to tailor plans and boost your profits. It also makes staff performance management quicker and more effective when encouraging staff through measurable goals significantly. All in all, what a careful user can achieve with this software is astounding.

Here’s a very deep secret hardly any Internet masters are willing to share or actually point out without a fee. Part of the rationalizations to their achievement is that they were among the first to start it all. If you’ll remember hearing,’first come, first serve’ it is the same way online .

Folks usually remember who was first, not 2nd. As an example, who was first to sell books online? Amazon ; who was second? Who was first to start mass production cars? Ford ; who was second? Which company was first to start the fast-food chain restaurant? McDonalds ; who was second? Who was the first to build an airplane? The Wright bros ; who was second?

Did you at any time notice the crickets when I asked for the second provider?

We all have a tendency to remember who was first but rarely do we remember too much further than that. Whomever enters the market first generally makes the largest impression. Almost all of our net gurus are stinking rich because they were first to present their products. Is that fair? Well, from their viewpoint, naturally it is. But from ours, it is not very desirable.

Now you are thinking that you’ve got to be first at something to become rich but you don’t know what to be first at ; so, you believe it’s impossible. Take it easy, my buddy. There are techniques around it. Let me ask you a question. Who owns money?

Did you try pronouncing Bill Gates? Did you try announcing Donald Trump? Did you even try announcing George Bush? It isn’t important WHO you claim to have money, you are wrong. Nobody owns cash. Bill Gates has money, Donald Trump has cash, George Bush has money and YOU have money but no one will ever own it.

Though money is synthetic it is very similar to nature. No one owns it. No one owns the weather we feel, no one owns the water we drink, nobody owns the air we breathe and such like.

‘Oh, but folks own land!’

Do we really?

My point is this, money belongs to no one so don’t think you can’t become as wealthy as any other guru you know of. And notice that I never once said being first instantly makes you rich. That is not always the case and that is the reason why I say the 1st will make the largest impression.

If wealth was made for only those who were 1st in line, then there would be no such thing as a line. They might benefit before us but it does not mean we cannot benefit anything.

—
Original article was written by Kevin Lam from www.TexasSEO.com - Texas SEO is a Dallas-based web marketing and consulting firm specializing in SEO & SEM, PPC, copywriting, web designing and more.

There’s more involved in making money than income alone - it’s important to be making money cost-effectively. One concept often neglected, however, is performance management software and the various benefits it offers. It is common knowledge that an efficient business customizes its systems to the abilities of each staff member to get the most out of them. The core problem has always been in identifying and collating this knowledge.

Simply tracking employee evaluation and identifying advancement in their performance is a huge task. The first step is to bring employee appraisal systems into play. Once this is done you can assess the work of each staff member. And if you’re using conventional methods, you will have to analyze all of that data by eye in order to set goalposts, and keep track of future development.

Using performance appraisal software, you can just study the various metrics and factors to deduce what these objectives should be and then follow the member of staff’s development. This eliminates the demands on your time and may even be more precise. It’s of course possible just to use the system to keep track of raw data like performance reviews and to make your own analysis. Not only that, but helping to make your employees more efficient is simply one improvement that can be made using performance appraisal software. It can also be valuable to study suppliers and clients to better pace your purchasing and conserve money. With suppliers in particular you can pinpoint the weaknesses like poor delivery times, high damage rates, and so forth.

When it comes to clients - retailers, affiliates, or similar - the software can help there, too, telling you just who your best seller is, any loss percentage and any similar fallout, and serving as a reminder of any payment issues. Then, you can adapt your ordering and move products around to maximize your profits while reducing outgoings. In addition to this, marketing campaigns become much simpler to plan due to your clearer understanding of your ideal demographic.

You can analyze your sources in order to minimize costs and stay aware of your market so that you can make more money using performance appraisal software. With a program of employee reviews this tool will streamline staff performance management decidedly. All in all, what can be achieved using this software is quite incredible!

Effective human resource management is important for business success. These skills can be acquired and learned. It may be a plus to have a natural affinity for people, all the same there are a few skills you can learn to facilitate the process.

Build relationships: Addressing co-workers by name is a good start. Encourage conversation; get eye contact during a conversation. Develop a respectful attitude, in addition do pay attention to what the other person has to say, irrespective of whether you agree with them. Paying attention to what others have to offer is one of the most important people management skills you can develop. Encourage any contributions from your team members.

Exhibit integrity: Don’t make promises you will not fulfill. If a promise is not kept, it can damage trust, and no-one will give you their best without trusting you. When you make a statement or give your word on something, make sure that you can keep your promises or don’t bother giving your word at all. To be frank, if you can’t be counted upon, you can be assured they will behave in the same way.

Welcome feedback: Feedback should be a two-way process. Talent management skills mean being open to all feedback. Being accessible and receptive demonstrates that other’s thoughts are important to you, your thoughts will be valued in return. Open discourse in addition furthers creative troubleshooting, innovative ways of accomplishing goals, and strengthens the company dynamic. When team members can express themselves, the project becomes important to every employee. Communication is important: Communication is fundamental to managing employees with skill. Maintaining an open door policy, utilize listening techniques, welcome all sorts of feedback, and give team members an equal voice. The team must be encouraged to speak to each other as well as with you. The creative process depends heavily on the open exchange of opinions, when the team members communicate efficiently, it becomes simple to discover issues before they present as a problem, and measures can be applied before things get out of hand.

Some time is essential, even so the rewards are worthwhile. Through inspiring a good team dynamic and taking heed of your team’s opinions, a successful business will be accomplished.

Numerous businesses feel that, by providing staff with training in occupational health and safety, they have all the knowledge they might need to cope with a disaster. The reality is that, regardless of the industry you’re in, employees need more than the basics in health and safety regulatory affairs. Equipping your workers, employing good supervision and coordinating regular safety drills are essential to the safety at work. An employee in a supervisory job has a greater function to play than just general management. A supervisor must understand the importance of health and safety training and have the ability to share their enthusiasm. As well as enforcing rules and regulations, a supervisor’s role includes checking up on employee performance too. Of course it isn’t easy to do all this at once. Extensive industry knowledge is a requirement in a supervisory role not to mention a very high level of comprehension of safety laws, risk assessment, and first aid. Supplying health and safety training is not enough for your employees. To effectively identify a safety risk they must get to put their new-found knowledge into practise. Employees have to understand how to eradicate safety risks as well as knowing what to do if anything goes wrong. Employees are only properly prepared when everything has become a habit. Safety equipment is equally as essential to the safety of your employees as the education itself. If they don’t have equipment that is required, or learn that they’re broken only after something has occurred, even the most advanced instruction can not help them.

It is vital to examine every last item frequently to make sure that you have all of the essential equipment as well as checking that all the supplies are being properly maintained. If you have a issue with your safety gear, get it repaired or serviced as a matter of urgency. Proper health and safety training is important for the well being of your workers, however they also need to have the correct gear, the opportunity to practise, and a supervisor who can motivate your staff. Only then will complying with the safety regulations be part of the staff’s working habits instead of an inconvenience for everyone to remember.

Talent management techniques are critical for business success. With a little effort you can succeed in developing these techniques. It can be a plus to have a natural affinity for getting along with people, but you can do many things to make this procedure simple. Relationship Development: Start by using an individual’s name. Encourage conversation; make eye contact when you are speaking. Develop a respectful attitude, in addition do pay attention to the other person’s thoughts, even if you disagree or have a different viewpoint. Developing the ability to listen is among the best things you may do to develop your people management skills. Welcome any input from your co-workers.

Live up to promises: Don’t make promises you won’t keep. If you can’t deliver on what you have promised, the fragile bond of trust is broken, and no-one will offer you their best if they don’t trust you. Everytime you make a statement or give your word on something, do be sure that you can follow through or don’t bother giving your word at all. You will discover, when you can’t be depended on, you can be certain they will act in the same manner. Feedback is important: Feedback must be a two-way process. Keeping an open mind with regard to other people’s opinions is an important skill in managing staff. Being accessible and receptive establishes that you appreciate other people’s views, and they should listen to your ideas. Frank discussion in addition boosts creative troubleshooting, ways of accomplishing goals, and strengthens the team. By giving the team some input, the outcome becomes important to each member. Promote all sorts of communication: People management skills boil down to one concept — good communication. Be accessible, listen closely to other people, keep an open mind, and allow team members an equal voice. Encourage team members not only to communicate to you, but to talk to each other. The sharing of thoughts is imperative in the creative process, if the staff communicate well, it is easy to spot problems quickly, allowing corrective action to be put in place early to prevent any further problems. This can take some effort, but the dividends achieved far outbalance the work. Through building the bonds of a good team and developing good listening skills, you can easily accomplish the best in business success.

It is worth remembering that the work environment is primarily an unconventional setting for adults. At home we may have responsibilities for bringing up children, paying mortgages, doing DIY and being good neighbours. These are all self-regulating activities and most people manage to do these without too much stress. The workplace however often requires us to leave our adult instincts at the door and adopt a ‘role-play’ approach in order to fit in with the prevailing culture. Such a setting can encourage competition which in itself can encourage the individuals within it to raise their game and perform better than they may do alone. On the other hand, this competitive ’system’ can lead to behaviours that seem to conflict with adult best practice. When disagreements arise, the consequences can often be ugly and lead to ongoing stress and low morale amongst those involved. Below we shall look at how such a situation may arise and how a facilitated discussion might help.

Let us take an example - Joe is in charge of business development for an IT consulting firm. He has successfully negotiated a key contract to develop some software for a hedge fund company. The negotiations were difficult, considering that a competitor was also bidding for the same project. Joe is very pleased to have won the deal. A team is assembled to design and deliver the system. It is estimated to take six months and cost £200,000. There are financial penalties involved for late delivery. The project seemingly starts well but as it progresses, Kevin, the Project Manager is getting stressed and key deadlines are being overshot. Five months later, it is clear that the project is way behind schedule and the company looks likely to incur penalties. Whilst Joe had consulted with his analysts before pricing the deal, he had ignored some of their concerns about a particularly complex module of the work. The analysts couldn’t quantify how potentially complex it might be until they started the work. In the end Joe decided to ‘wing it’ by taking the most optimistic scenario, i.e. that the module would be easy to develop.

A meeting has been called by the CEO of the consulting firm to find out what has been going wrong. Joe is blaming the analysts and the project manager for not being efficient in their work. Kevin, the Project Manager is furious that Joe is questioning his ability and his integrity. He tells the CEO that Joe has set the team up for failure by incorrectly pricing the deal in order to get his commission. The CEO meanwhile is furious at the prospect of his resources being wasted and of having to pay considerable financial penalties. Clearly we have a situation of conflict. Joe is stressed because he feels that Kevin has got him into trouble with the CEO and that his team has let him down by not delivering the project on time. Kevin is stressed because he feels Joe was being dishonest in his negotiations and is trying to use him as a scapegoat.

Is this an unsolvable stalemate? Perhaps and perhaps not? It depends on how the individuals handle it from this point forward. In an ideal situation, a good facilitator, (in-house or external), would convene a meeting between Kevin and Joe. Open communication is key at this point and it is important to look at the positive intentions behind each person’s behaviour. Kevin would be asked what his positive intentions were in not communicating earlier that the project was off-track. He might say that he didn’t want to cause any concern or that he didn’t want anyone to think that he was a failure. As for Joe, he might say that he ignored the analysts concerns when pricing the deal because he was desperate to prove that he was able to win good business for the company. He was also determined to ‘beat’ his opposite number at the competitor firm, whom he had worked with before and disliked intensely. A deeper analysis would probably reveal more positive intentions for each party. The key thing about this conversation is that even though Kevin and Joe are at loggerheads, it is clear that neither of them had any intention to offend or undermine the other. Their intentions were pure given the ’system’ that they are operating in.

The discussion could then look at the values or ‘drivers’ of each employee. If Joe were asked what was important about winning the deal he might list the following: Money, Pride, Recognition, Job Security and Success. These are the ‘drivers’ behind his intentions. Kevin on the other hand might say that it was important to him not to flag the problem earlier because he strongly values: Harmony, Determination, Pride and Teamwork. Both parties are ‘driven’ by different things (although the both value ‘Pride’). Since Kevin values Harmony, he didn’t want to cause a fuss by indicating that there might be a problem. Since Joe is driven by Money, he may do whatever it legally takes to secure it. In this type of dialogue the facilitator would encourage both parties to see how the methods they have used to meet their values might have caused collateral damage to other people. They could then explore new ways of meeting their values that may be better for the other party and the company in general.

The type of facilitated discussion outlined above is entirely realistic, even when there is animosity or conflict. It broadens the participant’s awareness of how other people have good intentions and admirable values irrespective of the outcomes of their actions. The participants can also come away with a better understanding of how they themselves think and operate. Building this type of awareness is an excellent way to foster understanding and future cooperation amongst employees.

Noel is an experienced coach with a solid corporate background that enables him to closely empathise with the issues facing his Executive Coaching London clients. Find out more at http://www.inspiring-potential.com

Statistics consistently reinforce that the biggest challenge in today’s contact center environment is agent training. Turnover continues to be high; new hire costs are on the rise–$6500 per agent! At the same time, losing customers because of bad call experiences negatively impacts your bottom line. What can you do? How do you justify the training expenditure?

Research has been making a case for how spending in human performance areas such as training, translates into bottom line growth. Accenture’s study on the impact of training on ROI has some interesting results. (Smith, David. Y. and Waddington, Ted. Running Training Like a Business: Determining the Return on Investment of Your Learning Programs, Outlook Point of View, March 2003.)

First, in the area of recruitment, training opportunities were among the top three criteria people considered when deciding where they want to work (the others are the opportunity for advancement and a good benefits package).
In the area of productivity, as a result of training, employees were:

17% more productive

20% higher performance levels relative to their peer group

Stayed with the company 14% longer

In the area of retention, employees who had access to the training were:

More than 2 times more likely to expect to be with the company in 2 years

More than 6 times more likely to think the company is a ‘great place to work’

More likely to think they are fairly compensated

Dollar figures associated with their statistics for a fiscal year report the annual per person net benefit or $25,324. They multiplied this number by their 50,000 employees yielding a companywide benefit of training of $1.26 million. By dividing the benefit by the cost of one year of training ($358 million), researchers concluded that the ROI (at Accenture) is 353%.

Negative Customer Service Experiences?

How many of you know (and track) what percentage of your calls are bad experiences? Hopefully, you do know the number, and they’re in the low single digits.

In a recent study, in answer to (1) did the agent satisfy your needs in the call, and (2) based on any negative experience, would you stop using this company and go to the competition? the results were:

Ages Would Stop Using the Company in the Future

18 - 25 100%

26 - 35 97

36 - 45 53

46-55 50

56-65 33

Over 65 63

Source: 2003 Purdue University/BenchmarkPortal.com

As you can see, there is a strong correlation between participant’s age and his/her tendency to stop using the company after a bad experience. Notice that younger participants were less tolerant, more likely to go to the competition, and those over 65 are more demanding that those in middle age.

Therefore, it’s very important to take great care of your younger callers so as to maintain their loyalty. Callers above 36 have more of an ‘emotional bank account’ with the company they’re dealing with-probably had some good experiences and are more willing to ‘forgive’ a bad one.

If you know your percentage of bad experiences, put a dollar amount on that call and then total it out for the year. I think you’ll be very surprised at the amount of lost revenue. Now if you have a 1% improvement, as a result of a training initiative for example, the amount of recovered revenue (and customers) is very encouraging.

This is just another means to tie soft skills to ROI, and to include your front lines as part and parcel of the revenue-producing operation of your company.

Customer Satisfaction Driver #1

We all know first call resolution (one and done) is the #1 driver for customer satisfaction with best practices reported at 86%. However, if your center is at 86%, this means that 14% of your customers are contacting you more than once to resolve their issues! This not only frustrates your CSRs and yourselves, but your customers as well. Repeat calls are costly not only to operations and the bottom line, but they negatively impact customer satisfaction, and ultimately, customer loyalty.

How do you define first call resolution? And how do youif you docalculate it? Research shows that there is no common measuring method. However, what gets measured gets managed, and what gets managed gets better.

In a recent study (Ascent Group) more than 90% of companies measuring first call resolution reported improvement in their performance. Another study (callcentres.com) reported a dramatic fall in call volumeidentifying that a minimum of 20% of all calls were repeat calls from customers needing an answer or help they didn’t get. Further, that the absence of first call resolution was found to account for a minimum of 30% of a call center’s operational costs!

The bottom line: Invest in your peoplegive them the training, the tools, and the authority to get their job done right the first time. After all, CSRs are the interface who handle customer issues. One of the foremost methods to boost customer satisfactionand improve first call resolutionis to consistently and ongoingly train, train, train your CSRs in world class customer service skills.

ROSANNE D’AUSILIO, Ph.D., industrial psychologist, President of Human Technologies Global, Inc., specializes in human performance management for contact centers, providing needs analyses, instructional design, and customized, live, world class customer service skills trainings. Also offered: agent/facilitator certification through Purdue University’s Center for Customer Driven Quality.

Known as ‘the practical champion of the human, she authors the best-sellers, Wake Up Your Call Center: Humanize Your Interaction Hub, 4th edition (hot off the press), and Customer Service and The Human Experience. Reach her at Rosanne@human-technologies.com, sign up for her complimentary monthly e-newsletter in its 7th year, and check out her new virtual store.

It happened again. I ran into an old friend while registering for the World Masters Games last month and as we were catching up, she complemented me on a necklace I was wearing. When I told her I bought it in South Africa on my last trip there, she exclaimed, “You have to start importing these. You’d make a fortune!”

The Great Import Plan

This is a refrain I’ve heard over and over again and while there is some truth in it, you can make money being an importer, there is a certain amount of naiveté in the plan. First of all, most people don’t take into account the shipping costs, tariffs and insurance involved - though some do sneak through customs with suitcases brimming. But the biggest flaw in the Great Import Plan is distribution. Canada is a vast but sparsely populated country. In order to sell necklaces, or whatever, you need some method of getting it to the people of Lunenburg at one end and Nanaimo at the other. Even if you are only targeting your local market, you need exposure to lots of customers to make the venture profitable. Do you open a retail store? Hit the Farmer’s Market? Find a distributor?

Before I go on, I bet you’re thinking, “I thought this article was all about exporting?” Well, it is. This little scenario is exactly the same dilemma facing exporters - getting your product to the people that need it and will buy it.

After in-depth market research you may be 110% convinced that everyone in Italy will be clamoring for your product and you may have it all figured out with respect to shipping but the big question is, how do you get it into the hands of your customers? Open a retail store? Sell in local markets? Find a distributor?

Finding an effective market entry method that meets your needs is probably one of the most important and time consuming methods of exporting, yet, in my opinion, it is one that companies concern themselves with the least. I’ve seen companies make mistakes in foreign countries equivalent to giving a mom and pop shop in Flin Flon, Manitoba exclusive, nationwide distribution rights to sell African jewelry. Sure, they might sell a few pieces but it’s not likely they are going to penetrate major urban centers. And as far as I can tell, the only reason companies make this error is because they are lazy in conducting their their due diligence.

Star qualities of a distributor

So don’t sign an agreement with the first person to approach you (I call it “accidental exporting” and there are a lot of unscrupulous people out there that do just that - then never deliver, waiting to be bought out of a contract). Be active in finding a distributor that meets your needs and avoid the temptation to sign an agreement with a distributor merely because they are the biggest, most persistent or super-enthusiastic. At a minimum, consider these qualities when evaluating a distributor:

- Proven track record in a similar line, but no conflicts of interest with competing products.

- Mix of product lines that complement your product. Check to ensure that they actually do represent those products.

- Established distribution networks and strong contacts with key buyers. You may have to appoint several distributors in a country like Italy where business is done regionally and there is little consolidation.

- Solid financial history (be sure to do a credit check) and sufficient cash flow in order to extend credit to customers, as well as a willingness to invest in your line.

- Appropriate staff (in terms of numbers but also marketing savvy) to promote your product.

- Storage facilities, showrooms, shops, service workshops and after-sales service as required by your product.

- Knowledge of local import procedures and regulations.

- References from other suppliers and customers.

- Personal rapport - and this may end up being the most important factor in your success!

Finding a distributor

Finding a distributor that meets all of your criteria can be difficult. I suggest that you interview at least five potential partners (preferably in-person) before you appoint a distributor. Unfortunately, there is no one way of finding an overseas partner and it is a time consuming process. Many companies have good luck approaching the Canadian Trade Commissioner service in their target market, though results can vary from country to country and I always caution that this should be only one source of information. Other options include chambers of commerce, asking for referrals from other Canadian exporters, checking with your end customer to see who their distributors are, trade associations and trade shows. Also, your local library (the Business Link in Edmonton is an excellent resource) will have books such as “The International Directory of Agents, Distributors and Wholesalers.”

Show me the money!

It’s not always possible to sign-on with the largest distributor in a country. Sometimes it is necessary to work with a smaller partner, with the agreement that they will grow as your company grows. It’s like the movie “Jerry Maguire” when Cuba Gooding Jr.’s character, Rod Tidwell, signs on with Tom Cruise’s agency, even when no one else would take the chance. By the end of the movie, when Tidwell’s football fortunes were rising, so were Jerry’s - they grew together. Plus, Jerry was able to devote all of his time to Rod. Wouldn’t that be great for your product?

The important thing is to have a systematic method of evaluating each prospect. At a minimum you should prepare a detailed questionnaire that addresses all of the issues I identified above. Companies that take the time to fill it out will be serious. You would be amazed at what a great filtering tool this is and it will help you to more objectively evaluate prospective distributors.

Bronze medal success

As for the Masters Games, I’m happy to report that my basketball team won the bronze medal in our category. I’m in the front row, center, looking a little goofy (there were a lot of people taking photos, it was hard to know where to look). It was a true international event (we had an Aussie on our team) with over 5,000 of 21,000 athletes from outside of Canada, proving that sport is a common unifier regardless of citizenship, language, religion or political beliefs. It was so much fun, we’re thinking of going to Sydney in 2009!

Copyright© 2005.

Cheryl Lockhart of International Strategies Ltd. assists small- to medium-sized Canadian and foreign enterprises navigate the complexities of global business development. Services include international project identification and management, market research and analysis and foreign partner development.

To learn more about exporting and gain access to more FREE e-zines, visit her web site http://www.intl-strategies.com