Hub You - Business

Accounting With the Lights Out
Accounts Payable would be easy if it wasn’t for all the paper, as anyone who works in the area will tell you. Paper-based, manual accounting systems have been the bugbear of corporate AP departments for decades.Even the most rigorously organised AP system has plenty of opportunities for problems, including lost or misplaced invoices; incorrect manual data entry; time lost sorting and filing paper, or trying to locate matching purchase orders. All of which leads to slow processing, which can impact directly on the organisation’s financial reputation with partners and suppliers. What’s more, manual AP systems make it almost impossible to meet the regulatory and compliance demands of Sarbanes Oxley, IFRS and others for complete document traceability and auditability.All in all, it’s a recipe for a fruitless paper chase. Throwing manpower at the problem isn’t a viable solution. More people means more invoices processed – but employment and labour costs are significant for such skilled staff, which limits expansion in the AP function. On average, a full time AP employee can process around 8500 invoices per year using manual processes. Yet world-class companies can process upward of 80,000 invoices per person per year – a quantum leap in efficiency.Flicking the switchSo how is a ten-fold boost in productivity possible? It’s simply a question of automating as many aspects of the AP function as po

key stakeholder(s) should be sufficient for you to come to a decision providing you have worked out the impact on cost and schedule.

One thing you should never do is simply accept the change. Even if you think the change is small, you should never accept any change(s) without fully understanding what its impact will be on cost and schedule. That is a recipe for what we call 'scope creep' where the project grows bigger and bigger as more and more changes are added into the project. Before you know it, your small project has become a much larger one and you will inevitably fail to deliver your project to your original budget and schedule.

Risk management

There will be risks even on a small project. Make sure you have thought through all the potential risks at the beginning of the project, monitor the top ten risks each week (or top five if the number of risks is small) and keep looking out for new risks. Failing to manage risk properly is one the main causes for projects to fail.

The overhead in managing risks is very low. On a recent project, I drew up a list of what I considered to be all the risks on the project. It came to about 10 risks in all. Of these, five were serious risks. I worked out a plan to avoid or minimise each risk. In all, it took me little over a couple of hours to do this. Then, each week on the project, I would spend say half an hour reviewing all the risks and thinking of any new ones. At the end of the project, whilst some risks actually had materialised, because I'd identified a plan at the start of the project to minimise the impact of these risks, the impact of these risks on the project ended up being minimal.

So, with little up front and ongoing effort, you get a big pay back if you manage the risks throughout the project.

Summary

So, in summary, applying the best practices to even a small project can be done without creating too much paperwork or overhead. The best practices are the things which countless project managers have done on thousands of projects and are deemed to be the 'best practice' because they tend to help you to achieve the best results.

Don't think that because you're managing a small project that you can

What They See Trumps What We Say
How many times have you ordered an expensive meal, received fair service and food, and still been dissatisfied or tempted to skimp on a gratuity? What went wrong? Was it a little sarcasm from your waiter or indifferent arrogance from your maitre d’? These occasions are affected not only by the fairness of the transaction (money for food), but by your degree of confidence and trust in the person with whom you must interact. The significance of verbal and nonverbal communication pitfalls once again reveal themselves. Communication skills affect how we are perceived and—wait—how often we are sued?People in business get sued not only due to unethical business practices, but because of how they make customers, clients and patients feel. People don’t care about your education or income; people want respect, sincerity and other signs you care. What they see supercedes your academic degree.Malcolm Gladwell, in his best-seller, Blink, shares a common occurrence in the medical field: patient dissatisfaction and medical malpractice lawsuits. One of the driving forces in both scenarios is how doctors appeal to their patients on an emotional level. You must perform your duties as promised with an acceptable outcome, but it’s not only about diagnosing the problem or curing the illness. Anytime patients feel rushed, ignored, or poorly treated, they seek some form of revenge. A medical patient told her attorney that she does

As both an active project manager and project management trainer, I often get asked whether the project management best practices that are applicable for large projects can be applied on smaller projects. This is a really important question and one which all project managers must face up to when managing small projects.

Focusing on project delivery

One of the arguments against using project management methodologies is that they are very process-centric resulting in vast quantities of project documentation which are simply not practical or desirable on small projects. This is a powerful argument and any method which focuses on producing documentation at the expense of delivering the real business benefits of the project will be a hindrance rather than a benefit. After all, the name of the game in project management is delivering business objectives, not producing reams of documents.

There is an ongoing and active discussion within the software development community about the best way to produce software on projects. More recently, some software professionals have argued for more agile methods of producing software rather than the more traditional heavyweight methods which focused on producing vast quantities of documentation.

Agile methods focus on delivery of software rather than documentation. With this in mind, I think project managers everywhere can learn something from the agile methods employed in software development. In short, this leads us to focus on project delivery rather than project documentation, although the critical choice project managers everywhere need to make is how much documentation is really necessary?

Apply the best practices

I am a firm believer in only producing as much as is required by the project. Nothing more and nothing less. A simple rule of thumb is: if it's useful in helping us to deliver the business objectives of the project then produce it, if it isn't useful in helping us to deliver the business objectives of the project then don't waste time to produce it. With this in mind, I believe that in all projects, at a minimum it is best to apply project management best practices.

Let’s consider the best practices in turn and see whether or not the overhead lost in applying best practices is worth the benefits which can be gained.

Defining objectives and scope

Even on the smallest project there will be objectives which must be achieved. As a project manager, it is in your interest to define what these objectives are since you are likely to be assessed on whether the project meets those objectives. It is your responsibility to ensure the project meets those objectives and you are accountable for this. In short, the book stops with you.

Now suppose you don't define and write down what the objectives are, you are always going to be at the mercy of any boss who decides he's got it in for you. The defined and documented set of objectives is your insurance policy against your manager later coming along and saying you didn't meet the objectives.

However, there is another reason why you still need to define and document the objectives even on a small project. You want to satisfy the needs of the stakeholders since that is what you are paid to do as a project manager. If the objectives aren't defined, then you won't be able to meet those needs through your project.

Similarly with defining the scope. The scope forms the boundary of your project. If you don't define what it is, the likelihood is that it will grow and grow as the project progresses and although you might have started managing a very small project, before long your project could become very much bigger than when you set out.

You still need to document who are the stakeholders on a small project as well. By defining who these are, you can ensure that you cover all of their needs when you define the objectives and deliverables.

Defining deliverables

Somebody is going to have to carry out the actual work to produce whatever is delivered from your project. Even if the deliverables might be small and don't take much time to produce, they should still be written down. By documenting these things and then having them reviewed by others allows errors to be found. Your aim should be to document a detailed enough set of descriptions of the products to be delivered.

These descriptions will then be used by the people who will produce the deliverables. Even if these descriptions take no more than a page of text, it is important to write them in a clear and unambiguous way. If you don't write down a description, it means that the person making the deliverable can interpret what is required in unexpected ways which will only result in work being done later to correct the mistakes. So, always define and document the deliverables.

Project planning

If you were to walk up Mount Everest, you would never do it without a considerable amount of planning. Even if you walk up the hill at the back of your house, there is probably some planning involved - what time do you go? What should you take with you? It is the same on even the smallest project where you will still need to work out which activities are required to produce a deliverable, estimate how long the activities will take, work out how many staff and resources are required and assign activities and responsibilities to staff.

All of these things need to be written down and communicated effectively to the project team members. I've seen lots of people become unstuck because they think they need to use some kind of project management planning software such as Microsoft Project. This is an unnecessary overhead. I've noticed that people tend to waste too much time making their Microsoft Project Gantt charts look pretty, so that they lose sight of the reason why they are using the tool.

Instead, for small projects I find that creating a bar chart in Microsoft Excel is the best. It is simple and more than adequate for small projects. Just make each column a sequential date, write your tasks in the first column, and fill in the cells to represent the time the activity takes.

In addition to the bar chart, you will need to document the milestones on the project. Milestones are the dates by which you need to deliver certain things, or may be the date on which a major activity ends. The responsibilities of each project member must also be documented in the project plan.

Communication

Even in the smallest project team comprised of just a project manager and one other person, the project manager will still need to assign tasks and responsibilities to the other person. It can't be assumed that they will know what they should do without it being effectively communicated from the project manager. If the project manager doesn't assign them specific activities, then the chances are they will go ahead and work on things which are not needed by the project. So, either the project will end up delivering the wrong things, or the project will get delayed since time will need to be spent later on doing the activities which should have been done earlier.

You can communicate the plans via email, or give a print out of the plan to your project team member(s), or better still, call a meeting and run through the plan with the project team members. Remember, if the plan changes, you will also need to communicate the changes to your team as well.

Tracking and reporting progress

If we still consider our two person project team - the project manager and one other person - the project manager will need to know the progress of the activities which the other person is working on. This can be done in a variety of ways: a short daily email detailing the work completed, the work still left to do, and a list of any issues/problems. In most cases this will be sufficient.

Alternatively a short 15 minute face to face catch up can accomplish the same thing. Or a combination of the two things might be best. In any event, the project manager still needs to be fully aware of the progress that is being made so that progress can be tracked effectively.

Change management

Even on our two person project, changes are likely to occur. Requests for change usually come from stakeholders and it is your responsibility as project manager to assess the impact of accepting these into the project. To do this, you need a good estimate of the impact the change will have in terms of the extra effort and cost involved. This will often impact the schedule as well, so by having a clear understanding of how the schedule and budget will be affected you can make the decision as to whether or not you will accept the change into your project.

On a small project there shouldn't be any need for any fancy change control board to decide if the change is accepted. A quick discussion with the key stakeholder(s) should be sufficient for you to come to a decision providing you have worked out the impact on cost and schedule.

Risk management

So, with little up front and ongoing effort, you get a big pay back if you manage the risks throughout the project.

Summary

Don't think that because you're managing a small project that you can d

What Every Carpet Cleaner Needs to Know About Soil
In order to understand how to clean carpet, we need to know what soil is and the problems it presents. Soil in carpet is any substance that is foreign to the carpet's construction. Soil includes substances such as dirt, sand, food, oil, hair, dust, and anything else that finds its way onto carpet. Carpet not only traps soils that fall onto it, but it also acts as a filter for the environment. Dust, dander, soot, gases and odors are all trapped in carpet.Most soil found in carpet is sand and dirt tracked in by foot traffic. This type of soil is abrasive to the carpet and is what causes the carpet to wear. The gritty matter actually cuts and scratches the fibers of the carpet, resulting in a dull, worn appearance. The rest of the soil found in the carpet is usually grease and oils. This type of soil is acidic, which is why most carpet cleaning chemicals are alkaline cleaners. Alkaline cleaners neutralize the acids in order to remove the grease and oils.Soil and dirt are considered "soluble" whereas oil, grease and solids are considered "insoluble", which means they can't be dissolved in water or solvents. Because soil and dirt are soluble, they are more easily removed with vacuuming and extraction. However it's the insoluble matter that professional carpet cleaners are more concerned about.One of the problems inexperienced carpet cleaners have is leaving residue in carpet. This is one of the main reasons they're of

not the overhead lost in applying best practices is worth the benefits which can be gained.

Defining objectives and scope

Defining deliverables

Project planning

Communication

Tracking and reporting progress

Change management

Risk management

So, with little up front and ongoing effort, you get a big pay back if you manage the risks throughout the project.

Summary

Don't think that because you're managing a small project that you can

Quality Leadership
Quality leadership is a necessary component of a company’s success. It is important for a company’s well-being, and is important for the citizens of the state. Improvement of leadership is a complicated process, however, the majority of the developed countries of the world have already become aware of its importance and began taking concrete steps towards it. The development of high standards for corporate leadership demands formidable efforts from both companies and the state.Business engineering is a term that is widely used when speaking about leadership, and it is usually defined as organisation development control methodology. Worldwide transition to the saturated market with its intensifying competition determined one of the most important tasks for modern management, that being to guarantee a company’s competitiveness. Though there are different ways to achieve it, company’s dynamism became the governing factor of its competitive ability. This dynamism includes both ability to control its own resources (including human resources which are considered the company’s most precious value) and good organisation of interrelation with partners.Therefore, effective company leadership has become the main task for the managers. In order to achieve success it is important to forecast market opportunities, to develop and improve the company’s infrastructure, as well as human resources manag

the deliverables. Even if these descriptions take no more than a page of text, it is important to write them in a clear and unambiguous way. If you don't write down a description, it means that the person making the deliverable can interpret what is required in unexpected ways which will only result in work being done later to correct the mistakes. So, always define and document the deliverables.

Project planning

Communication

Tracking and reporting progress

Change management

Risk management

So, with little up front and ongoing effort, you get a big pay back if you manage the risks throughout the project.

Summary

Don't think that because you're managing a small project that you can

Brand Young and You Brand for Life; Why Cinema Advertising is an Effective Tools for Marketers
In the world of advertising there are many forms of media that can be utilized to get an advertisers message to its intended audience. Newspapers, television, radio, Internet and billboards are effective tools in this effort but one form of advertising that is often overlooked is Cinema Advertising.Most people see cinema advertising as the little slide that is shown right before the movie starts, but it’s much more than that. Cinema advertising does offer slide advertising, but it also offers something that is called rolling stock that is similar to a television commercial. Some theatres offer dynamic digital advertising opportunities in place of slide advertising while others offer advertising opportunities on large LCD screens in the theatre lobbies.They offer advertisers an opportunity to present their message to a captive and receptive audience in a family oriented environment. Hollywood spends billions of dollars each year promoting their movies and these massive marketing campaigns lure hundreds of millions of people to the movie theatres every year. It’s an audience of brand conscious teens, tweens and young adults with high disposable income and active lifestyles that makes this medium very attractive to a marketer.Some toy manufacturers and beverage companies are aware of this and have taken full advantage of the opportunity. Other industries have followed suit, as they are starting to adhere to the titl

n. It can't be assumed that they will know what they should do without it being effectively communicated from the project manager. If the project manager doesn't assign them specific activities, then the chances are they will go ahead and work on things which are not needed by the project. So, either the project will end up delivering the wrong things, or the project will get delayed since time will need to be spent later on doing the activities which should have been done earlier.

Tracking and reporting progress

Change management

Risk management

So, with little up front and ongoing effort, you get a big pay back if you manage the risks throughout the project.

Summary

Don't think that because you're managing a small project that you can

Does Your Car Know The Time?
The change to (or from) Daylight Savings Time is always accompanied with some trauma that comes from the task of resetting all our clocks. It seems that no two timepieces or appliances use the same resetting system (I’m sure that there is a conspiracy at work here to keep us confused at least half the year) and few people are organized enough to find the manuals that come with the microwave, DVD, and alarm clock. For some reason the conspiracy to keep us “Daylight Savings Time Challenged” is most successful at keeping us from being able to reset the clocks in our increasingly complex electronically enhanced cars.This year one company, Mercedes-Benz, brilliantly helped their customers grapple with this issue by sending an email with clock resetting instructions to owners of recent models. Bravo for a great customer relationship initiative! I know about this email because I read an article about it, not because I received one – I had to dig my car’s manual out from under the collection of loose change, chewing gum wrappers, and pens in my glove box, find the proper page in the manual, and fiddle with the little buttons to reset my clock and then I did the gallant thing and went through the same procedure to reset the clock in my wife’s car.Now, would anyone plop down the price of a Mercedes-Benz because they received an email with the clock resetting instructions? Probably not. But that little gesture will go a long

key stakeholder(s) should be sufficient for you to come to a decision providing you have worked out the impact on cost and schedule.

Risk management

So, with little up front and ongoing effort, you get a big pay back if you manage the risks throughout the project.

Summary

Don't think that because you're managing a small project that you can ditch these best practices because if you do, you will regret it later when your project gets in a mess.

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