Practical Accountable Corporate Governance

REVIEW OF MANAGEMENT COURSES TAUGHT AT UNIVERSITIES

2006-11-28T18:03:00.000-08:00

Let us review the teachings on management in typical management courses and understand their current strengths and weaknesses and understand problems and how we could further improve them.

The following is brief summary of common management courses taught at universities:-

(A) HOW MANAGEMENT TASKS ARE CLASSIFIED OR DIVIDED

For example, management processes are taught as concepts in standard textbooks:-

(1) Planning (Process, Comparing, Decision)
(2) Organizing
(3) Commanding
(4) Coordinating
(5) Controlling

Management Tasks are often classified conceptually as:-

(1) Technical
(2) Financial
(3) Commercial
(4) Security
(5) Account

(B) COMMON MANAGEMENT COURSE CONTENTS

The American Management Association has listed the following management courses as being provided by various universities in USA:-

Administrative Professionals
Communication
Customer Service
Finance and Accounting
Finance for Managers
Human Resources
Leadership
Managerial Skills
Manufacturing/
Operations Management
Personal Development
Planning
Project Management
Purchasing
Quality
Sales and Marketing
Supervision
Team Building
Time Management

(C) COMMON MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGIES- OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

The following are some of the common management methodologies taught in the standard management textbooks:-

(I) ORGANIZATIONAL AND SYSTEMS

Organizational Systems and Processes
Work Flow Management
Project Management
Quality Assurance
Documentation and Records
IT in Operations and Management

(II) FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

The Profit and Loss Statement
The Balance Sheet
Financial Ratios and their Applications
Cash Flow and Management of Working Capital
Costing
Budgets

(3) MARKETING MANAGEMENT

Overview of Marketing
Understanding Consumer Behavior
Market Research
Market Segmentation
Product Portfolio
Developing Marketing Strategies
The Marketing Process
The Selling Process

(4) HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Organization Structure
Employment Procedures and Conditions
Deployment and Supervision
Performance Appraisal and Counseling
Training and Development
Organization Development

(5) MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM

Facts (Generated, stored and retrieved)
System (Integrated analysis procedures)
Communication
Decision
Manager
Instructions,
Targets,
Responsibilities
Measuring
Control
Exceptions

(6) PLANNING MANAGEMENT

In the book MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS AND APPLICATION, 2ND EDITION, 1988, STEPHEN P. ROBBINGS had established the planning approach as follows:-

(a) Planning is a process of determining objectives and the way these objectives can best be achieved.

(b) Planning gives direction, reduces impact of change, minimize waste and redundancy and sets standards to facilitate control.

(c) Strategic plans cover an extensive time period (usually 3 or more years),
broad issues and include formulation of objectives. Operational plans cover shorter periods of time, focus on specifics and assumed that objectives are already known.

(d) Directional plans are preferred over specific plans when uncertainty is high and when organization is in its formative and decline life-cycle stages.

(e) 5 Contingency factors in planning: (1) Size of organization (2) Manager’s level in organization (3) Life stage of organization (4) Degree of environmental uncertainty (5) Length of future commitment.

(f) A manager should plan just far enough ahead to see through those commitments he or she makes today.

Stephen P. Robbins further elaborated the PLANNING STEPS as consisting of:-

(a) Being aware of opportunities: setting realistic objectives depends on this.
(b) Establish objectives: setting objectives for entire enterprise and then for each subordinate unit. Objective indicates the end point of what is to be done, where the emphasis is to be placed and what is to be done, where the primary emphasis and what is to be accomplished by a network of policies, procedures, rules, budgets, programs and strategies.

(c) Premising: To establish obtain agreement to utilize and disseminate critical planning premises. These are forecast data of a factual nature applicable basic policies or existing company plans. Premises are planning assumptions the future setting in which planning takes place. Forecast is important to premising: what kind of market will there be? What quantity of sales? What prices? What products?

(d) Premises are arranged in 3 groups (1) Uncontrollable such as population growth, future price level (2) Semi-controllable – firm’s assumption as to share of market, character of labour turnover and labour efficiency (3) Controllable – expansion into new market, adoption of aggressive research program.

(e) Because the future environment is so complex, it would not be profitable or realistic to make assumptions about every detail of future environments in a plan. Therefore, premises must be as a practical matter limited to those which are critical, strategic to a plan that is which most influence its operation.

(f) Lack of planning coordination through use of manager of different sets of premises can be extremely costly to a company.

(7) BREAKTHROUGH APPROACH

Various management writers and researchers have tried to use individual result-oriented management approaches like the breakthrough approach to solve problems.

(8) ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL AND SPECIALIST SKILLS

There are diverse administrative and technical management skills to suit different situations as given below:-

Managing Today’s IT and Technical Professionals
Managing a World-Class IT Department
Information Technology for the Non-IT Executive
Enhancement Skills

OTHER MANAGEMENT SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Other technical detailed functional knowledge are regularly taught in certain areas:-

(a) Fundamentals of Strategic Planning
(b) Innovation and Creativity: How to Improve Performance and Foster Growth
(c) Interviewing Skills for Managers and Supervisors
(d) Managing a Multicultural Team
(e) Women in Business: Strategies for Success
(f) Coaching and Counseling for Outstanding Job Performance
(g) How to Build a More Positive Work Environment
(h) Planning and Managing Organizational Change
(i) Strategies for Effective Problem Solving and Decision Making
(j) Moving from an Operational Manager to a Strategic Thinker
(k) Creating High Performing Teams Using the MBTI® Instrument
(l) Confronting the Tough Stuff: Advanced Management Skills for Supervisors
(m) Mastering Organizational Politics, Influence and Alliances
(n) A Manager’s Guide to Human Behavior
(o) The Complete Training Course for Managers
(p) Communication Skills for Managers
(q) Corporate Governance: What it Means for Managers
(r) New! Delegating for Business Success
(s) Updated! Fair, Square, and Legal
(t) How to Be an Effective Facilitator
(u) How to Manage Conflict in the Organization
(v) Leadership Skills for Managers
(w) Managing and Achieving Organizational Goals
(x) Managing Conflict (audio)
(y) Performance Appraisals: How to Achieve Top Results
(z) Performance Management

There is simply a total lack of translating of all the concepts and principles no matter how useful into hands-on integrated component management tasks which can be applied in practice to actual practical management by staff.

NEEDS AND ASPIRATIONS IN MANAGEMENT

Against the above-stated overview of existing management systems and methodologies let us review the needs and aspirations of many people concerned with management:-

(1) Need - tasks should be defined and made tangible for follow-through actions easily understood and performed by all across all jobs and industries.

(2) Need - tasks should be performed with quality-time-cost controls and macro- and micro-decisions with minimal instructions and interventions like the computerized lego-like process applications.

(3) Need - tasks should be performed with good corporate governance consisting of Financial Control, Human Resource skills, Marketing strategy, Project and Engineering solutions, etc integrated into daily works of staff so as to implement all decisions and policies without complexities.

(4) Need to avoid ad hoc, judgmental and intuitive conceptual methodology in order to upgrade management efficiency and productivity.

OSP CALL-CENTRE PROCESS MANAGEMENT

OSP stands for Objective-Steps Processing Management System which as its name implies translates concepts, objectives and goals into attainable follow-through component work processes being performed by staff as part of their daily routines.

Hence, OSP divides tasks universally in 4 attainable task-steps:-

OSP Step (1) Study of Ideas, (Feasibility, Plan, Outline, Scheme, Details)
OSP Step (2) Enquiry,(Follow-up on ideas)
OSP Step (3) Securing Contracts (Seizing opportunities)
OSP Step (4) Contract Administration (Detailed functional tasks),

Based on the above-stated 4 task-step an enterprise is now easily set up as follows:-

(1) An Organization Structure, (Departments and personnel)
(2) Assign roles and duties of departments and staff,
(3) Set up Controls, coordination, for corrections of deviations and results.

ADMINISTRATIVE FORMS

All tasks are performed with in-built quality-time-cost controls, coordination and knowledge application at all levels.

These divisions and sub-divisions of tasks are arranged and integrated such that they are performed with quality-time-cost control of OSP Processing File List.

WORK FORMS - LAID IN 10 DEPARTMENTS

All business activities consist of the above-stated 4-step macro-level management control and detailed functional tasks set up in 10 departments:-

1.(General) 2.(Human Resource) 3.(Revenue) 4.(Accounts) 5.(Marketing) 6.(Services-all outsourced activities) 7.(Facility) 8.(Enforcement) 9. (Production) 10.(Compliance).

A Call Centre is set up to monitor overall performances of business activities under the control of hands-on task-lines with auto-corrections as follows:-

1. 3-4 Core Activities are listed in Department Report for consistent performance.
2. Each core activity is performed against 2-3 quality-time-cost croteria.
3. Perform Core Activities to pre-set time-schedules and parameters.
4. Inspect and asssess performance of each core activity with "1" for non-attainment, "2" for attainment and "3" for excellence.

The performance variances or "1" are processed in two-way communication task-lines with self-corrections by each department through the call centre.

COORDINATION AND KNOWLEDGE APPLICATION THROUGH CALL CENTRE

Call Centre processes all tasks in compliance with quality-time-cost criteria and technical constraints on expenditure, cost saving, revenue collections, marketing, enforcement, and logistics etc.

The bosses will now be able to oversee entire business activities with hands-on controls to reach results with coordination, knowledge application and corrective actions at three levels, viz:

Level 1: Management Report (call centre)
Level 2- Department reports – oversee operations giving variance feedbacks.
Level 3 - Work forms - sequential knowledge application.

FINAL GOAL - ORGANIZATIONAL EFFICIENCY

In addition, an over-site Clearance Form ensures coordination of all operations e.g. housekeeping, security, logistic and operational departments to attain organizational efficiency.

Hence, management is no longer conceptual but conducted in 4-step 10-department Call-Centre Processing forms and work-forms to increase efficiency and productivity and company profitability.

KEY STEPS:-

So hesitate no more and start your call-centre process management with following actions:-

(1) Identify existing administrative forms and work forms.

(2) Set up call centre processes as listed in OSP File List.

(3) Process tasks in 4-part task-line and close task-lines at month end via the administrative and work forms.

Review the works and services of each department at month end for each department against the call-centre management report. You should realize increased efficiency and profitability as a result of such OSP hands-on processing system of management within 3 months.

Note: “Objective-Steps Processing Management System” is a book published by Robert Teh Kok Hua. Enquiry: Tel: 63565622; Email:robertkhteh@hotmail.com

Why Process Management ?

2006-10-13T17:43:00.000-07:00

Ask any successful bosses, and they will most likely tell you they owe their successes to some factors like intuition, insight, foresight etc as listed below:-

1. Focus and Consistency.
2. Positive Work Attitude.
3. Foresight & Insight
4. Supportive Environment.
5. Passion & Determination.
6. Coordination, Teamwork and Bottom-up Approach.
7. Adaptation to Changing Environments.
8. Creativity and Entrepreneurship
9. Leverage on Strengths and avoidance of Weakness. (Sun Sze Art
of War)

PRACTICAL PROBLEMS

A moment of reflection will no doubt reveal that foresight, insight, passion or determination etc are abstract mental attributes and not tangible acts which can be performed part of daily works to attain success.

Moreover, management tasks are often taught in concepts e.g. Taylorism, FAYOL, Neurological systems, technical, Organization Theory, Human Relation Theory, Financial Control and Analysis, Management-by-objective, Planning concepts and premises, Operation Research, Quantitative and Scientific Approach, Breakthrough Principle, Uniqueness Principle, Standard Operating Procedures (ISO), Sun Sze Art of War etc.

In the planning concept, elements of planning like organizing, control, processes, coordination, commanding, and correction are hardly actionable or doable resulting in complexities and uncertainties themselves.

No wonder, in actual management there exist much ad hoc and conceptual approaches which lead to fire-fighting, idling and office politics as described in office jokes like the following:-

1. Jumping to conclusion

2. Beating around the bush

3. Running down the boss

4 Going around in circles

5. Dragging their feet

6. Passing the buck

7. Climbing the ladder

8. Wading through paperwork

9. Pulling strings

10. Throwing their weight around

11. Stretching the truth

12. Bending the rules

13. Pushing their luck

Conceptual management leads to self-centredness, the root cause of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis and collapses. There were much creative accounting and malpractices due to lack of steps or processes which translate decisions into actions as seen happening to huge corporations like Worldcom, Enron etc.

WHAT IS OBJECTIVE-STEPS PROCESSING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Objective-steps processing management System (OSP) divides complex and overwhelming decisions, objectives and policies into actionable tasks like the lego building blocks in component implementation steps:

OSP Step (1) Study of Ideas, (Feasibility, Plan, Outline, Scheme, Details)
OSP Step (2) Enquiry,(Specifications, tender)
OSP Step (3) Securing Contracts,
OSP Step (4) Contract Administration (10 departments),

By dividing tasks in the above-stated steps, all tasks are translated into actionable Forms (administration) and Work Forms (operations) incorporating in-built quality-time-cost controls, coordination, corrections and knowledge application.

ADMINISTRATIVE FORMS

Today, many traditional tasks have been gradually taken over by component work processes e.g. banking, trading, travel-ticketing, designing, transportation, logistics, stock-trading, accounting, telecommunications, government services, court administration etc.

DEPARTMENT REPORTS (10 DEPARTMENTS)

In addition, diverse administrative tasks are well set up in standardardized departments namely: 1.(General) 2.(Human Resource) 3.(Revenue) 4.(Accounts) 5.(Marketing) 6.(Services-all contracted activities) 7.(Facility) 8.(Enforcement) 9. (Production) 10.(Compliance).

Tasks are no longer complex or conceptual guessworks as all tasks are now tangible work processes easily performed by all while generating quantified feedbacks i.e. "1" for non-attainment, "2" for attainment and "3" for excellence.

The variances or "1s" generated are communicated in standard task-lines with corrective closing action taken at daily and weekly interval.

COORDINATION AND KNOWLEDGE APPLICATION

A call-centre is set up whereby all tasks are processed in documented forms and work forms with good corporate governance, control, processing and corrections to oversee all functional activities e.g. revenue, expenditure, cost saving, enforcement, logistics etc.

An effective 3-level organization structure is provided by OSP to oversee all roles from the OSP Process File List as follows:-

Level 1: Management Report (call centre)
Level 2- Form processes generate objective factual feedbacks.
Level 3 - Work-form processes provide for coordination and knowledge application.

FINAL GOAL - ORGANIZATIONAL EFFICIENCY

A simple Clearance Form doubly ensures coordination of overall operational tasks from deliveries, stock control to receiving, housekeeping with hands-on checking, processing, coordination and corrections to avoid duplication and double-handling of overlapping duties. Staff are prompted into taking actions on all variances instead of waiting till year-end financial reporting when it will be too late to solve problems.

Hence, through hands-on process management as described in the foregoing all tasks can be arranged and performed in lego-like integrated and interrelated processes to reach results.

Just do it. Start your OSP Process Management today with a licence from the author which will be readily given. Process Management is surest way to overcome constant complexities and uncertainties in intuitive ad hoc management environment.

Note: “Objective-Steps Processing Management System” is the intellectual property of Robert Teh Kok Hua. It is available at S$25 per copy, complete with a FULL set of administrative and work forms for your application. Enrol for OSP course at S$50 per two hour session and S$3,000 per full-set_up package. Enquiry: Tel: 63877005 or Email:robertkhteh@hotmail.com

INTRODUCTION TO "OBJECTIVE-STEPS (COMPUTERIZED) PROCESSING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM"

2006-07-28T20:18:00.000-07:00

INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERIZED CALL-CENTRE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM(OSP)

“The secret of getting ahead is to get started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex and overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks and then starting on the first one.” - Mark Twain

INTUITIVE MANAGEMENT APPROACH

Objective-Steps Processing Management System is a computerised lego-like component process managenebt set up in 4 simple steps as follows:-

(a) Study of Ideas,
(b) Enquiry,
(c) Contracts and
(d) Contract Administration.

STEP 1 – STUDY OF IDEAS

The first step “Study of Ideas” strikes at the core of creativity as it empowers everyone to manage on knowledge applications.

STEP 2 – MAKE ENQUIRIES

The second step “Make Enquiry” enables staff to follow through an idea with hands-on enquiries or “Quotations/Tenders”.

STEP 3 – CONTRACTS

The third step prompts the staff to close deals to manage an enterprise competitively.

STEP 4 – CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

Any enterprise will need to manage diverse functions effectively to succceed in their ventures.

OSP standardise such detailed micro-functional tasks in 10 departments: i.e. : 1.(General) 2.(Human Resource) 3.(Revenue) 4.(Accounts) 5.(Marketing) 6.(Services-all external or outsourced works) 7.(Facility) 8.(Enforcement) 9. (Production/Wink 10.(Compliance) to be performed with coordination and knowledge application to attain organization efficiency.

Now staff can process tasks automatically in logical workflow, viz:-

1. In 4 OSP Steps (administration) & core tasks in 10 depts (functional)
2. Financial and accounting tasks processed with accountability.
3. Operational tasks processed with quality-time-cost control.
4. Time-scheduled project-like performance.
5. Staff attain coordination and knowledge application.
6. Monitor quantified Feedbacks.
7. Communicate in Task-line for Corrective actions.

PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE APPLICATION

A front-line multi-functional clearance Form checks ensures that there is no double-handling, inefficiencies, mishaps, security and fire risks etc.

Staff process tasks in sequence of standard letters, work orders, production orders, tender/quotations, purchase orders, salary/remuneration orders, contracts, invoices, vouchers, budget control, work forms etc.

Such processing achieves hands-on (no more conceptual) quality-time-cost controls generating quantified feedbacks of “1”, “2” and “3” (easily converted to percentages) representing non-attainment, attainment and excellence respectively.

The management oversees tasks with 2-way communication bringing about good corporate governance to their shareholders, employees to avoid self-centredness and malpractices.

To get ahead of competitions, set up the above-stated computerized call centre OSP process management today with a licence from the author !!! You will not regret this move.

Note: Intellectual property of Robert Teh Kok Hua author of Book “Objective-Steps Processing Management System” available at National Library.

OBJECTIVE-STEPS PROCESSING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - CHAPTER ONE

2006-05-20T05:24:00.000-07:00

OBJECTIVE-STEPS PROCESSING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
CHAPTER ONE
COMMON MANAGEMENT COURSES

The American Management Association has listed the following management courses as being provided by various universities in USA:-
Administrative Professionals
Communication
Customer Service
Finance and Accounting
Finance for Managers
Human Resources
Leadership
Managerial Skills
Manufacturing/
Operations Management
Personal Development
Planning
Project Management
Purchasing
Quality
Sales and Marketing
Supervision
Team Building
Time Management

Management systems and methodologies can be classified as follows:-
(A) BY PLANNING CONCEPT
Management activities are conceptually divided into planning elements, viz:-
(1) Planning (Process, Comparing, Decision)
(2) Organizing
(3) Commanding
(4) Coordinating
(5) Controlling

(B) BY INDUSTRY

Management Tasks are classified as:-
(1) Technical
(2) Financial
(3) Commercial
(4) Security
(5) Account

(C ) BY FUNCTIONS
Management tasks are defined according to functions as:-
(I) ORGANIZATIONAL APPROACH
Organizational Systems and Processes
Work Flow Management
Project Management
Quality Assurance
Documentation and Records
IT in Operations and Management
(II) FINANCIAL APPROACH
The Profit and Loss Statement
The Balance Sheet
Financial Ratios and their Applications
Cash Flow and Management of Working Capital
Costing
Budgets
(III) MARKETING APPROACH
Overview of Marketing
Understanding Consumer Behavior
Market Research
Market Segmentation
Product Portfolio
Developing Marketing Strategies
The Marketing Process
The Selling Process
(IV) HUMAN RESOURCE APPROACH
Organization Structure
Employment Procedures and Conditions
Deployment and Supervision
Performance Appraisal and Counseling
Training and Development
Organization Development
(V) MANAGEMENT INFORMATION APPROACH
Facts (Generated, stored and retrieved)
System (Integrated analysis procedures)
Communication
Decision
Manager
Instructions,
Targets,
Responsibilities
Measuring
Control
Exceptions
PLANNING CONCEPT
As elaborated in the MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS AND APPLICATION, 2ND EDITION, by STEPHEN P. ROBBINGS 1988), an enterprise needs to plan its tasks for the following benefits:-
(a) Planning is a process of determining objectives and the way these objectives can best be achieved.
(b) Planning gives direction, reduces impact of change, minimize waste and redundancy and sets standards to facilitate control.
(c) Strategic plans cover an extensive time period (usually 3 or more years),
broad issues and include formulation of objectives. Operational plans cover shorter periods of time, focus on specifics and assumed that objectives are already known.
(d) Directional plans are preferred over specific plans when uncertainty is high and when organization is in its formative and decline life-cycle stages.
(e) 5 Contingency factors in planning: (1) Size of organization (2) Manager’s level in organization (3) Life stage of organization (4) Degree of environmental uncertainty (5) Length of future commitment.
(f) A manager should plan just far enough ahead to see through those commitments he or she makes today.

Stephen P. Robbins elaborated tasks in PLANNING STEPS consisting of:-
(a) Being aware of opportunities: setting realistic objectives depends on this.
(b) Establish objectives: setting objectives for entire enterprise and then for each subordinate unit. Objective indicates the end point of what is to be done, where the emphasis is to be placed and what is to be done, where the primary emphasis and what is to be accomplished by a network of policies, procedures, rules, budgets, programs and strategies.
(c) Premising: To establish obtain agreement to utilize and disseminate critical planning premises. These are forecast data of a factual nature applicable basic policies or existing company plans. Premises are planning assumptions the future setting in which planning takes place. Forecast is important to premising: what kind of market will there be? What quantity of sales? What prices? What products?
(d) Premises are arranged in 3 groups (1) Uncontrollable such as population growth, future price level (2) Semi-controllable – firm’s assumption as to share of market, character of labour turnover and labour efficiency (3) Controllable – expansion into new market, adoption of aggressive research program.
(e) Because the future environment is so complex, it would not be profitable or realistic to make assumptions about every detail of future environments in a plan. Therefore, premises must be as a practical matter limited to those which are critical, strategic to a plan that is which most influence its operation.
(f) Lack of planning coordination through use of manager of different sets of premises can be extremely costly to a company.
ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL AND SPECIALIST SKILLS
Various detailed administrative and technical management skills are taught to solve diverse problems as given below:-
Managing Today’s IT and Technical Professionals
Managing a World-Class IT Department
Information Technology for the Non-IT Executive
Enhancement Skills
OTHER MANAGEMENT SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
Other management skills are regularly taught as follows:-
(a) Fundamentals of Strategic Planning
(b) Innovation and Creativity: How to Improve Performance and Foster Growth
(c) Interviewing Skills for Managers and Supervisors
(d) Managing a Multicultural Team
(e) Women in Business: Strategies for Success
(f) Coaching and Counseling for Outstanding Job Performance
(g) How to Build a More Positive Work Environment
(h) Planning and Managing Organizational Change
(i) Strategies for Effective Problem Solving and Decision Making
(j) Moving from an Operational Manager to a Strategic Thinker
(k) Creating High Performing Teams Using the MBTI® Instrument
(l) Confronting the Tough Stuff: Advanced Management Skills for Supervisors
(m) Mastering Organizational Politics, Influence and Alliances
(n) A Manager’s Guide to Human Behavior
(o) The Complete Training Course for Managers
(p) Communication Skills for Managers
(q) Corporate Governance: What it Means for Managers
(r) New! Delegating for Business Success
(s) Updated! Fair, Square, and Legal
(t) How to Be an Effective Facilitator
(u) How to Manage Conflict in the Organization
(v) Leadership Skills for Managers
(w) Managing and Achieving Organizational Goals
(x) Managing Conflict (audio)
(y) Performance Appraisals: How to Achieve Top Results
(z) Performance Management.
PRACTICAL NEEDS AND ASPIRATIONS OF ENTERPRISES
(1) Translate complex decisions and policies into simple implementation steps.
(2) Fulfill quality-time-cost requirements with minimal instructions.
(3) Implement diverse Policies and Decisions, Good Corporate Governance codes, Financial Control, Human Resource skills, Marketing strategy, Project and Engineering solutions as part of daily work routines.
OSP CALL-CENTRE PROCESS MANAGEMENT
Because most management courses are taught in concepts and theories, there is an overriding need to translate the good points found in all systems into smaller component work processes related to daily works in order to achieve efficiency and productivity and management excellence.
Objective-Steps Processing Management System (OSP) is designed as a hands-on process management offering enterprises an opportunity to manage tasks simply in 4 tangible and attainable task-steps:-
OSP Step (1) Study of Ideas, (Feasibility, Plan, Outline, Scheme, Details)
OSP Step (2) Enquiry,(Follow-up on ideas)
OSP Step (3) Securing Contracts (Seizing opportunities)
OSP Step (4) Contract Administration (Detailed functional tasks),

The above-stated 4-step 10-department processes allow an enterprise to oversee overall activities on a short-rein 3-level hands-on organizational structure as follows:-
(I) Define Tasks in 4-step 10 department work processes as listed in OSP File List.
(II) Use of such logical processes as hierarchy to assign organization roles and duties.
(III) Process all tasks with hands-on Controls, coordination and corrections in 10 departments, viz:- 1.(General) 2.(Human Resource) 3.(Revenue) 4.(Accounts) 5.(Marketing) 6.(Services-all outsourced activities) 7.(Facility) 8.(Enforcement) 9. (Production) 10.(Compliance).
ADMINISTRATIVE FORMS (ADMINISTRATION)
All policies, decisions and planning are translated into and integrated to Forms (administration) and Work Forms (Technical/Operational) work processes incorporating in-built quality-time-cost controls obviating the need to issue petty mundane instructions.
WORK FORMS (OPERATIONS)
Business activities are no longer conceptual as all detailed and important performance criteria are established within 4-step and 10 department processes.
A Call Centre is set up for hands-on management of all tasks communicated in simple 4-part task-lines with auto-corrections as follows:-
1. 3-4 Core Activities are listed in Department Report for consistent performance.
2. Each core activity is performed against 2-3 quality-time-cost croteria.
3. Perform Core Activities to pre-set time-schedules and parameters.
4. Inspect and asssess performance of each core activity with “1” for non-attainment, “2” for attainment and “3” for excellence.

The performance variances or “1” are processed in two-way communication task-lines with self-corrections by each department through the call centre.
COORDINATION AND KNOWLEDGE APPLICATION THROUGH CALL CENTRE
Call Centre helps to monitor all tasks to attain quality-time-cost criteria and technical constraints on expenditure, cost saving, revenue collections, marketing, enforcement, and logistics etc with coordination, knowledge application and corrective actions.
FINAL GOAL - ORGANIZATIONAL EFFICIENCY
In addition, a Clearance Form organizes overall operational tasks to prevent overlapping or wastages of resources e.g. housekeeping, security, logistic and operational departments to attain organizational efficiency.
OSP is the world’s first fully hands-on Process Management enabling enterprises to take control of overall activities empowering staff to attain goals and objectives on their own without self-centredness, petty controls, fire-fighting or office politics.

OBJECTIVE-STEPS PROCESSING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - CHAPTER TWO

2006-05-20T03:51:00.000-07:00

OBJECTIVE-STEPS PROCESSING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
CHAPTER TWO
WHY OBJECTIVE-STEPS PROCESSING
In this fast-paced nano-technological era, enterprises can no longer rely on rhetorical concepts like leadership, insight or foresight of individuals to leap-frog challenges and competitions.
No matter how logical or important, concepts like meritocracy, talent, leadership or values are not something which can be easily translated into work processes which can be performed by staff as part of their daily work routines.
Furthermore, for any enterprise to attain efficiency and productivity, tasks must be performed with quality and compliance with necessary specifications and constraints. Lockyer a factory production specialist has defined quality as one ingredient in any work or service and emphasized that quality has no absolute meaning. A quality has its meaning only in relation to its functions.
There is an overriding need for any enterprise to comply with diverse administrative, financial, technical and operational requirements and overcome all issues and problems.
As elaborated in Chapter Two, an enterprise has essential 4 major management activities at the macro level, namely:
(1) Step 1 - study of idea,
(2) Step 2 - enquiry,
(3) Step 3 - contract,
(4) Step 4 - contract administration.

By defining such major tasks simply and logically, staff will be empowered to take actions to attain enterprise goals and objectives without valuable time and resources being wasted on waiting for unnecessary instructions.
For example, after meetings, various decisions and policies will have to be logically translated into tangible actions to avoid wastages of time or resources due to waiting for further instructions.
By dividing tasks in their logically interrelated components and integrating them to quality-time-cost controls incorporated within routine work processes, all tasks can be easily understood and performed helped by data feedbacks generated in such processing.
HOW TO SET UP A CALL CENTRE TO PROCESS TASKS
A call centre is set up to monitor and process all tasks set up in 4-part task-lines in 4-step 10-department Form (Administrative) and Work-Form (Operations) processes as listed in the OSP Process File List (organizational structure).
Tasks are processed in the call centre in the following sequence:-
(a) Enter task in standard task-line.
(b) Comply with quality-time-cost controls set up in Forms and Work Forms.
(c) Inspect and Monitor task-line with quantified feedbacks.
(d) Processing tasks in 4-step and 10 department processes listed in OSP File List.
(e) Coordination and knowledge applications.

Call centre processes tasks in sequence of : (a) Serial No. (b) Date (c) Code [Dept] (d) Input task-line (e) Output task-line generating quantified (1,2,or 3) feedbacks with corrective actions taken by all.
QUALITY-TIME-COST CONTROL
The enterprise is able to attain the value-adding Gage’s Twelve Steps (Value analysis) as follows:-
1. Select product to be analyzed
2. Extract cost of product
3. Record number of components
4. Record all functions
5. Record the number required currently and in the foreseeable future.
6. Determine the primary function.
7. List all other ways of achieving the same primary function.
8. Assign costs to all the alternatives.
9. Examine the three cheapest alternatives.
10. Decide which idea should be developed further.
11. See what other functions need to be incorporated.
12. Ensure that the new product is accepted.
ONE-STOP CLEARANCE FORM IN OPERATIONS
Operationally, a front-line staff checks on deliveries, tallying of stocks, and inventories, housekeeping, financial, budgetary controls for compliance with major policies and procedures to avoid duplications and wastages.
EFFECTIVE FINANCIAL CONTROL
Administratively and Financially, an enterprise attains high standard of corporate governance, as all tasks are processed objectively and transparently as set up in Forms (Administration) and Work Forms (Budget/Accounts) complying with budget, financial control to reduce or prevent malpractices.
Hence all decisions, policies, goals, plans are translated into steps and daily work processes in well-planned implementation stages without guesswork, fire-fighting or complexities.

OBJECTIVE-STEPS PROCESSING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - CHAPTER THREE

2006-03-29T01:26:00.000-08:00

OBJECTIVE-STEPS PROCESSING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

CHAPTER THREE
LOGICAL WORK PROCESSES
An effective organization needs an effective structure. Yet, most enterprises are by and large still managed intuitively based on whims and fancy of individuals without clear definitions of duties or tasks.
As elaborated in chapter two, there is a critical need to set up tasks in their logical component work processes easily performed with compliance of quality-time-cost controls, coordination and knowledge application by the masses.
Tasks can be standardized in component work processes such as the following:-
GROUP 1 GROUP 2 GROUP 3 GROUP 4

Proposal Quotation Contract Cont Administration
Submission Tender Purchase Order Human Resource
Study Shopping Tip Permit Accounts
Board Paper Browsing Licence Service (Housekeep)
Idea Enquiries Project Service (Engineering)
Plan Information Ticket Service (M&E)
Goal Tel Offer Acceptance Service (Marketing)
Objective Auctioning Agreement Operations
Action Plan Price Tag Understanding Revenue Control

After decision making, staff will know the next steps which are to make relevant enquiries on resources and securing of contracts and oversee contract administration.
Only then will an enterprise be able to avoid inefficiencies and losses due to idling or unnecessary waiting for instruction.
3-LEVEL ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE
The above-stated 4-step macro-level activities are subdivided into functional departments and all tasks are performed by processing them in standard task-line via standard forms (administration) and work forms (operations or contractual).
The management then supervises the staff through the call centre on 3-level organization structure as follows:-
Level (1) Defined 4-step 10-department Work Processes (OSP Process File List)
Level (2) Process task-lines in Forms. (Supervision/Feedbacks)
Level (3) Process Core Activities in each department in Work Forms.
Typical processing of task-lines via forms includes standard letter, trade invoice, purchase order, payment/receipt vouchers, work order, permit etc. and work forms of respective departments as listed in OSP Process File List with systematic data-based monitoring by the Call Centre.
The 4-part task-line is processed through a call centre in sequence as follows:-

(a) Serial No. (b) Date (c) Code [Dept] (d) In - input (e) Out – Close task-line.
Such hands-on processing of tasks via the call centre ensures auto-corrections to attain coordination and knowledge application in each department.
LOGICAL FUNCTIONAL DEPARTMENTS
All detailed operational tasks mentioned in step 4 i.e. contract administration is further set up as core activities in 10 departments:-
1.General 2.Human Resource 3.Revenue 4.Accounts 5.Marketing 6.Services 7.Facility 8.Enforcement 9.Compliance 10.Productions Activities.
Through the call centre, all departments’ personnel will consistently carry out operational tasks with pre-planned inspection, at scheduled intervals supported by knowledge application, to ensure compliance with detailed quality-time-cost specifications, bills of quantity and schedules, testing and commissioning as in project management.
WORK FORMS
Any enterprises may now ensure knowledge applications as set up in the Work Form covering design, system, functions, values in sequential “In-Out” quality-time-cost control as follows:-
(1) INPUTING
(a) Design Reading
(b) Actual Reading
© Final/Adjusted Reading

(2) OUTPUTING
(d) Adjusted: Yes/No
(e) System Checked: 1(non-attained), 2(attained), or 3 (excellent)
A Quantified Feedback on non-attainment is given in 4-part Task-line for 2-way corrective actions.
4-PART TASK-LINES
A typical 4-part task-line is of the following format:-
Part (1): Name(Core Activity) – Part (2): Subname(Parameter) – Part (3): Reference(File/Incident No.) – Part (4): Division/DutyCode/Data.
In this way, all tasks are communicated clearly for processing with comparing and making of self-corrections against system/specifications by the following subdivisions:-
(I) “Body”, “Start”, “Power”, “Fluid”, “Output”, “Parts” or
(II) “Feasibility”, “Outline”, “Scheme”, “Details”, “Final” and “Tender”.
All tasks are input from the external environment as reported from the operational work forms submitted every Friday :- “1” , signifying “not-attained”;; as “2” as “attained” and “3” as “excellent” with corrective actions taken on “1s”.
Do not take it for granted the ability of staff to attain efficiency, coordination and knowledge application. What you only need to do is to set up tasks in simple form and work form processes to enable and empower staff to achieve them for you. It is only when you have set up all tasks objectively and logically in attainable component work processes easily understood and performed that staff is able to attain such organizational efficiency.

OBJECTIVE-STEPS PROCESSING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - CHAPTER FOUR l

2006-01-09T18:57:00.000-08:00

OBJECTIVE-STEPS PROCESSING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
CHAPTER FOUR

Frederick Taylor has characterized management as job description, assigning of duties and motivating the workers to reach efficient performance.

Billy Goetz regarded management as planning and making of choices from alternative courses of actions or strategies to account for differing degrees of uncertainties, size, level and life-stage so as to provide direction and reduce wastage.

Under the Management Information System, management would consist of inputs of facts, (generating, storing and retrieving), system analysis, decision, instruction, targeting, control etc.

Unfortunately, in actual management practices, roles, duties, motivation of workers, planning, organizing, controlling, processing, comparing, decision, coordinating and commanding are often too conceptual, undefined or unrelated to daily work processes, unascertainable and difficult to be put into practical implementation.

Attempts have been made to relate organizational structures to nature of business, e.g. technical, financial, and commercial, security and account etc or degree of control and motivation. According to P. R. Langley and P.J. Sadler, management can be distinguished by the degree of controls and integration, viz:

1. “High/Low Control” vs “High/Low Integration”
2. “High/Low People” vs High/Low Task”
3. “High/low leadership” vs “High/low cohesive people”

Despite the above-stated wide-ranging concepts and methodologies, management remains intuitive and ad hoc often left to the individuals thereby affected constantly by self-ness or self-centredness, leading to fire-fighting, fault-finding, office politics, creative accounting, justification, hypocrisy and tweaking of facts and presentations etc.

A strong organization framework to establish roles, duties and functions and gel them into lego-like logical component work processes so that staff will easily carry out diverse tasks and functions with in-built quality-time-cost controls avoiding individualistic, intuitive, judgmental and ad hoc management practices hitherto the single most problematic cause of inefficiencies and wastages.

MANAGEMENT AUDIT

One common approach in upgrading of management is to conduct an audit of existing management system or processes is to uncover problems e.g.:-

(1) Work system, processes and routines.
(2) Supervisions and instructions.
(3) Monitoring of tasks and quality-time-cost controls.
(4) Coordinating and knowledge application.
(5) Training of new employees.
(6) Ease of filing, retrieving records, logical filing system and duty over-lap.
(7) Availability of attainable self-motivated work processes.
(8) Effectiveness of delegation, accountability and transparency.

There is no doubt that the most prevalent problems include complexities and uncertainties due to unclear and undefined duties and responsibilities. Any incidental upgrading or restructuring will usually be limited to intuitive and ad hoc measures :-

1. New Manpower structure coupled to some look-good existing financial or technical standard operating procedures.
2. Codes of good corporate governance adopted to cover some back-end financial control or limited technical controls unrelated to daily work processes.

Some financial or standard operating procedures are usually adopted for window dressing or look-good presentation without final cause-effect efficient solutions to problems.

PROCESS MANAGEMENT – OBJECTIVITY AND CAUSE-EFFECT EFFICIENCY

As stated in chapter one, the primary objective in OSP is to arrange complex and overwhelming tasks in lego-like assembly easily understood and performed by staff with consistent and focused hands-on controls on qualities, time and cost without personal prejudices or biases to produce results from coordination, and knowledge application.

Work Form work processes are designed to attain implementation efficiency with accountable and transparent inspection and assessments of work performance i.e. “2” for compliance, “1” for non-fulfillment as illustrated in Appendices DR-ps and DR-pc accompanied by a 4-part task-line for corrective actions on any variances.

OBJECTIVE PERFORMANCE

Hence, in OSP the enterprise is able to manage overall tasks in form and work-form processes based on the following accountable and transparent Principle of Objectivity :-

1. CORE ACTIVITIES 2. “QUALITY-TIME-COST” PARAMETERS 3.QUANTITATIVE FEEDBACKS 4. OBJECTIVE SUPERVISION 5. ACCURATE INFORMATION FOR CORRECTIVE ACTION

In effect OSP translates the much aspired Management Information System into practical implementation with tasks input in data/facts, (via Incident Form/Work Form) checked against quality-time-cost controls and processed through forms (administration) and work forms (operations) designed with in-built system, manager’s decisions, hands-on instructions targeting towards results.

All tasks, namely, external mails, telephone calls, or internal meetings, incident reports, clearance forms, forms or work-forms are systematically processed via the call centre under the control of OSP Process File List.

Once OSP is set in motion, process management provides quantified feedbacks of “Low Scores” and “Defects/problems” with corrective actions taken through the call centre.

3-LEVEL PROCESS ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

No matter how complex, an enterprise is able to take control of overall tasks based on a simple short-rein 3-level process organization structure, viz:-

(1) Level 1 - Work Processes – set up in OSP Process File List
(2) Level 2 - Forms (existing forms may be adapted for this purpose)
(3) Level 3 - Work Forms (Hands-on operations)

Typically, the Management processes tasks through the Call Centre in implementation steps on all decisions and tasks as shown in the following entries, viz:-

(1) Serial No.
(2) Date
(3) Code [Dept] I,Q,C,and A,E,F,G,H,N,M,S,V,R
(4) Input - documentation no.
(5) Output. - documentation no.

OSP Process File-list lists out all component work processes set up in forms and work forms for hands-on controls, with in-built coordination and knowledge application in the following 4-OSP documentation steps:-

(1) Idea step: 1X/YY/file no./SV no./document no. (X=dept code)
(2) Enquiry step: 2X/YY/file no./SV no./document no. (YY=subject sub-code)
(3) Contract step: 3X/YY/file no./SV no./document no.(S=step. V=file vol no.)
(4) Administration step: 4X/YY/file no./document no.

For example, after “idea” is processed through the “enquiry” step (quotation) with in-built financial and technical work-form control as follows:-

(a) Scope of works
(b) Evaluation for tenderer
(c) Form of tender on prices and offers
(d) Bill of quantity
(e) Specifications and samples etc
(f) Form of contract etc.

The “enquiry” step is processed through “contract” (purchase order) supported by Work Form processes relating to the subject matter.

COORDINATING MULTI-FUNCTIONAL TASKS

Multi-functional tasks are departmentalized in 10 standard departments for consistent timely management thus:-

1.(General) 2.(Human Resource) 3.(Revenue) 4.(Accounts) 5.(Marketing) 6.(Services-outsourced activities) 7.(Facility) 8.(Enforcement) 9. (Production) 10.(Compliance).

FOCUS ON CORE ACTIVITIES AND QUALITY-TIME-COST CONTROL

Each department is now able to focus on key tasks and consistently working towards quality-time-cost controls generating quantified feedbacks of “1”(not attained), “2” (attained) “3” (excellent).

The variances or “1” are communicated through one-page department reports weekly in 2-way task-lines with auto-corrective regularly taken to solve practical problems at all levels.

Department by department, all functional tasks are processed with coordination and knowledge application e.g. general administration, human resource, marketing, production, enforcement, compliance etc.

OSP Process Management has been successfully set up as a computerized Management Report (Call Centre) application with in-built controls via Forms and Work Form in compliance with good corporate governance. OSP processes are easily understood and performed in logical lego-like form and work-form processes with objective timely inspection and 2-way corrective actions.

DETAILED OPERATIONS

Every Friday, all departments will submit their respective Department Reports to the call centre containing variances reported in 4-part TASK-LINES, comprised of Name-sub_name-reference-data. The data is subdivided in: location/duty/quantity conveying complex tasks in simple messages easily transmitted for correction, coordination and knowledge application throughout.

The current management practice is to set up a decision-making body to make decision and set policies and provide guidance. Despite all the good policies and decisions, however in practice, many management decisions and policies cannot be easily translated into or integrated as staff’s daily work processes hence are not efficiently implemented.

OSP translate decisions and policies into smaller attainable detailed Forms and Work-Forms in steps of “study of idea”, “quotation”, “contracts” and “administrative” tasks.

By way of illustration, any contracted or outsourced services e.g. “Chemical application” and “Time/Activity Schedule enabling supervisors to simplify diverse complex tasks in cleaning to core tasks which can be performed with focus and consistency toward quality, lowering costs, creating values and customer satisfaction.

Numerous contracted or project management services e.g. logistics, transportations, security, inventory control, M&E maintenance and Fire-Safety are easily processed in core activities.

By consistently managing fire-safety installations, as seen in Appendix DR-SF, a smooth Fire-Safety Management program can be implemented to the detailed standards given in “Building/Service Operational Test”, “Fire Emergency Plan” and “Events/Activities” monitored by the Department Report.

The Production Department, core activities e.g. “Equipment/Tool setting”, “Product Sampling/Testing/Scheduling”, “Sourcing”, Logistics and Administration are easily identified for focused and consistent supervision to attain results.

In purchasing, core activities e.g. “Sourcing”, “Quality-Price-Reliability”, “Terms and Conditions”, “Strategic Procurement” and “Administration” will be managed with focus, consistency and accountability and transparency as processed by relevant forms.

In marketing, core activities e.g. “Alertness”, “Transaction”, “Price/Service Reliability” and “Conduct” are easily carried out as set up in Work Form (marketing).

“Logistics” or “Shipping” services are similarly managed with coordination and practical know-how with professional “inspection”, “remedial action” and “warehousing/distribution” to maintain effective handling of cargoes, warehousing, stocks controls or distribution as well as profitability.

The management only needs to be concerned with call-centre monitoring of “inputs”, “processing” and “closing” under the control of OSP Process File List.

BENEFITS TO MNCS

With expansions of activities, MNCs might not be in a position to maintain and update diverse administrative and operational tasks with effective planning, organizing, leading and controlling of overall tasks.

A hands-on process is needed obviously needed to ensure effective communication, objective inspections, assessments, coordination and integration and feedbacks and corrections.

COMMUNICATION TASK-LINES

It is critical to receive objective feedbacks and maintain 2-way self-corrective actions across all regional and field offices.

MNCs are henceforth through the call-centre able to communicate effectively with their Head Office organizations and field offices and take immediate measures to source opportunities, close deals and address all problems.

STAFF INCENTIVE SCHEME

Any enterprises will be able to motivate their workers by empowering them to carry out their respective duties and tasks objectively as set up in the Work Forms. Staff Incentive Schemes can then be more effectively set up with fairness and equity thereby generating truly competitive and creative work performances.

Through Process Management, all enterprises will henceforth conduct their management with good corporate decisions and implementations, accountability and transparency - the true “X” factor behind success in all human endeavours.

Comparison between OSP and other management systems.

2005-10-01T19:04:00.000-07:00

A brief comparison of OSP with some common management approaches is given below:-

(1) BY TOPICS/SUBJECTS
(Source: American Management Association)

Administrative Professionals
Communication
Customer Service
Finance and Accounting
Finance for Managers
Human Resources
Leadership
Managerial Skills
Manufacturing/
Operations Management
Personal Development
Planning
Project Management
Purchasing
Quality
Sales and Marketing
Supervision
Team Building
Time Management

COMMENTS:-

The above-mentioned combination of management topics are taught in principles and concepts. Consequently, with such a wide variety of topics how do the universities or colleges concerned expect students to attain efficient managemnet or coordination among interrelated functional tasks e.g. accounts, human resource, marketing, production etc. Although the principles may be helpful they remain concepts in many cases, and staff cannot apply them to actual works in accounts, human rsource, marketing etc.

(2) MANAGEMENT SKILLS (taught in management courses)

A Manager’s Guide to Human Behavior
The Complete Training Course for Managers
Communication Skills for Managers
Corporate Governance: What it Means for Managers
New! Delegating for Business Success
Updated! Fair, Square, and Legal
How to Be an Effective Facilitator
How to Manage Conflict in the Organization
Leadership Skills for Managers
Managing and Achieving Organizational Goals
Managing Conflict (audio)
Performance Appraisals: How to Achieve Top Results
Performance Management
What Managers Do

COMMENTS:

Such concepts as leadership, organizational skills are diverse and lacking in application processes. They tend to cause complexities and uncertainties.

(3) SPECIALIST SKILLS(taught at specialised management courses)

Management Skills for New Managers
Successfully Managing People
One-Day Delegation Bootcamp
What Every Manager Needs to Know
Improving Your Managerial Effectiveness

COMMENTS:-

Again many of the skills are taught in concepts lacking definition in doable work processes. Staff cannot carry out the skills to attain efficiency with coordination and knowledge application.

Specialist skills are only conceptual and not practicable.

(B) BY PROCEDURES - CONTROLS AND PROCESSING

1) OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW

Organizational Systems and Process
Work Flow Management
Project Management
Quality Assurance
Documentation and Records
IT in Operations and Management

2) FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW

The Profit and Loss Statement
The Balance Sheet
Financial Ratios and their Applications
Cash Flow and Management of Working Capital
Costing
Budgets

3) MARKETING MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW

Overview of Marketing
Understanding Consumer Behavior
Market Research
Market Segmentation
Product Portfolio
Developing Marketing Strategies
The Marketing Process
The Selling Process

4) HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW

Organization Structure
Employment Procedures and Conditions
Deployment and Supervision
Performance Appraisal and Counseling
Training and Development
Organization Development

COMMENTS:-

Organizational structure and staff appraisal system often adopted by the Human Resource practitioners are subjective depending on individuals and situations not easily understood in actual work performances.

Without objectively pre-planning tasks on practical application quality-time-cost criteria organizational reporting, and appraisal system lack the good corporate governance essential for success.

Many ISO and SOP controls and processes are technical flow-charts and not application work processes related to cause-effect efficiency. To that extent, ISO work processes are not efficiency-related work processes.

(C) BY TECHNICAL OR SPECIALIST SKILLS

There is over-reliance on technical management skills to suit different situations as given below:-

Managing Today’s IT and Technical Professionals 2285
Managing a World-Class IT Department 6547
Information Technology for the Non-IT Executive 6580
Enhancement Skills

Fundamentals of Strategic Planning
Innovation and Creativity: How to Improve Performance and Foster Growth
Interviewing Skills for Managers and Supervisors
Managing a Multicultural Team
Women in Business: Strategies for Success
Coaching and Counseling for Outstanding Job Performance
How to Build a More Positive Work Environment
Planning and Managing Organizational Change
Strategies for Effective Problem Solving and Decision Making
Moving from an Operational Manager to a Strategic Thinker
Creating High Performing Teams Using the MBTI® Instrument
Confronting the Tough Stuff: Advanced Management Skills for Supervisors
Mastering Organizational Politics, Influence and Alliances

COMMENTS:

All the above-mentioned concepts and systems and students are unable to apply them to actual works and services.

(Source:-MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS AND APPLICATION,
2ND EDITION, STEPHEN P. ROBBINGS 1988.
PAGE 149, PLANNING}

(a) Planning is a process of determining objectives and the way these objectives can best be achieved.

(b) Planning gives direction, reduces impact of change, minimize waste and redundancy and sets standards to facilitate control.

(c ) Strategic plans cover an extensive time period (usually 3 or more years),
broad issues and include formulation of objectives. Operational plans cover shorter periods of time, focus on specifics and assumed that objectives are already known.

(d) Directional plans are preferred over specific plans when uncertainty is high and when organization is in its formative and decline life-cycle stages.

(e) 5 Contingency factors in planning: (1) Size of organization (2) Manager’s level in organization (3) Life stage of organization (4) Degree of environmental uncertainty (5) Length of future commitment.

(f) A manager should plan just far enough ahead to see through those commitments he or she makes today.

(g) An organization’s stated objectives may not be real.

(h) MBO converts overall organizational objectives into specific objectives for organizational units and individual members in four steps: (1) Goal setting (2) Action planning (3) Self-control (4) Periodic review.

(i) MBO makes motivators out of goals, because with MBO, people what is expected of them.

(j) MBO most likely to succeed when organization’s culture allows as high degree of individual initiatives, lots of direction support risks.

OSP basically divides tasks into ten departments with general department overseeing the rest (9 departments) based on divided smaller attainable tasks defined in quality-time-cost relationship for coordination and knowledge application by all staff at all levels.

(D) BY PLANNING STEPS

(a) Being aware of opportunities: setting realistic objectives depends on this.
(b) Establish objectives: setting objectives for entire enterprise and then for each subordinate unit. Objective indicates the end point of what is to be done, where the emphasis is to be placed and what is to be done, where the primary emphasis and what is to be accomplished by a network of policies, procedures, rules, budgets, programs and strategies.

(c) Premising: To establish obtain agreement to utilize and disseminate critical planning premises. These are forecast data of a factual nature applicable basic policies or existing company plans. Premises are planning assumptions the future setting in which planning takes place. Forecast is important to premising: what kind of market will there be? What quantity of sales? What prices? What products?

PLANNING PREMISES

(a) 3 groups (1) Uncontrollable such as population growth, future price level (2) Semi-controllable – firm’s assumption as to share of market, character of labour turnover and labour efficiency (3) Controllable – expansion into new market, adoption of aggressive research program.

(b) Because the future environment is so complex, it would not be profitable or realistic to make assumptions about every detail of future environments in a plan. Therefore, premises must be as a practical matter limited to those which are critical, strategic to a plan that is which most influence its operation.

(c) Lack of planning coordination through use of manager of different sets of premises can be extremely costly to a company.

Just ponder over the above-stated wide range of management skills, organizational functions and planning precepts. Will a management student be able to cope with such teachings and apply them in actual work environment?

OSP Planning methodology arrange tasks to be performed in four simple steps with each step serving as plans for processing in call-centre. Call centre provides reviews and overviews of overall plans for overseeing on datas and facts from quantified feedbacks.

......................................................................................

(E) BY CREATIVE AND BREAKTHROUGH APPROACH

Apart from management concepts and precepts as mentioned in the foregoing there exists a wide range of teaching on CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING approach:-

Practitioners of such techniques are said to be capable of solving problems with natural creativity and put them to work through a simple four-step program like :-

OSP divides tasks logically in 4 steps for hands-on process application and management.

A simple call centre processing allows staff to carry out tasks with monitoring of results at regular weekly and monthly intervals beside daily inspections and corrections of variances.

Contact:robertkhteh@hotmail.com

Practical Efficiency and Productivity - ST 27.12.2004

2005-08-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

(AS PUBLISHED IN THE STRAITS TIMES "RECRUIT" ON 27.12.2004)

As the year winds down and a new one looms, it is time to relook your organisational processes to be more efficient and productive

From the early days of human history, success has been equated to a certain ability to simplify complex tasks into smaller and easily accomplished components to facilitate performance.

According to Mark Twain, "the secret of getting ahead is to get started. The secret of getting started is breaking down your complex and overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks and then starting on the first one."[/b]

However, most people manage tasks in an ad hoc manner, relying on impulse or intuition. This is evident from slogans that are commonly bandied about, such as:

(a) Focus and consistency
(b) Positive work attitude
(c) Foresight and insight
(d) Supportive environment
(e) Passion and determination
(f) Proactive hands-on approach
(g) Coordination
(h) Teamwork and bottom-up approach
(i) Adapting to changing environments
(j) Creativity and entrepreneurship
(k) Leveraging on strengths and avoidance of weakness.

Notwithstanding the obvious wisdom of such advice, these are nevetheless abstact attributes. Operational manuals, standard operating procedures, policies and decisions are often adopted because they look good rather than because they are effective.

The prevalence of an intuitive management approach may be attributable to the common habit of equating success to individual efficiency.

But, if you look around, you will come across many objectively-defined work processes that are taking over tradtional tasks with increased efficiency and productivity, such as online banking,, real-time ticketing, automations, telecommunications, computerized management and accounting applications and so on.

Enterprise activities may similarly be carried out in established small steps such as study of ideas, enquiry, securing contracts and contract administration (operations).

Studying of ideas may be carried out through forms for every staff member to submit his problem-solving ideas. This method also encourages mass participation.

Making enquiries can be performed using a quotation or tender form. This can facilitate the process of identifying and seeking after opportunities.

The third step, securing contracts, will result in proper evaluation and acting on opportunities by calculated risk.

Finally, contracts can be laid out in parameter-defined functional departments such as human resource, revenue, accounts, marketing, services (for all outsourced activities), facility, enforcement, production, compliance and a general category. This is to facilitate consistent and focused performance.

A typical department report may be set up to oversee operational tasks as follows:-

Identify three or four core activities for consistent and focused performance

Assign two to three quality-time-cost parameters to make each core activity easy

Perform core activities according to time-schedules and parameters set up

Inspect or oversee performance in time-schedule and parameters.

Assess and provide quantified feedback on performance. You may want to rank them in percentages, with scales representing non-attainment, attainment and excellent attainment of parameters.

Submit all non-attainment performance areas in department reports with corrective actions.

With these measures, a business can oversee overall tasks without hassles and regulate quality and standards in sequential work processes which are laid out in work forms and integrated to departmental parameters.

Having work processes defined and logged in a report enables personnel to engage in two-way interaction. It will also encourage mass participation and knowledge application.

This allows the company to have more control of its overall activities. It can practise total management and attain organizational efficiency as all requests, complaints and problems are input properly and processed holistically in self-regulated processes.

It is much more efficient and productive to process input tasks in department reports, application forms, work orders, quotations, salary, contracts, budget control and so on.

Inter-departmental activities are coordinated through a one-stop standard clearance form, thus saving on manpower.

Such a total management style enables management to forge consensus with a sense of fair-play. It also offers a practical means to ameliorate or resolve disputes, differences in opinion and hidden agenda.

The breakdown and malfunctioning of essential services can be avoided or minimised with hands-on time-scheduled corrective actions.

Inaction or tolerance of intuitive management habits exact a heavy toll on human captial in the form of wasted resources, office politics, fire-fighting or fault-finding.

Start managing your tasks with processes laid out in objective steps. Be an asset to your organization and make a difference to your workplace.

Article contributed by Robert Teh Kok Hua, who is author of Objective-Steps Processing Management System. E-mail robertkhteh@hotmail.com.

How efficient is your organization structure?

2004-11-17T17:32:00.000-08:00

How effective is your enterprise? Other than employing more and more qualified people, and rotate them through the various departments, to experiment with their presumed talents and abilities, has your enterprise indeed set up properly defined goals, objectives and translated them into attainable component duties, roles and delegated functions among departments and staff.

Can your enterprise honestly and professionally truly claim to have reached the apex of efficiency and productivity - through empowering people who are your resources?

(1) Setting of tasks in processes which motivate staff to perform diverse roles to achieve them with minimum instructions or regulations.

(2) Empower the staff to apply their respective knowledge or skills?

(3) The enteprise is run effectively with a simple short-rein 3-level supervision to support efficiency and prevent idling or wastages ?

If the top has to keep giving instructions and directives do you consider this is symptom of an effective organization?

Think about all the above-mentioned issues and problems as an organization which is unable to answer all such issues and problems forthright with honest empowering solutions will be deprived of teamwork, efficiency and productivity even if it is very proud in proclaimings its own public-relation images with look-good presentation.

-------------------------- aftter 3 months ---------------------------

Qn: Are you attaining efficiency and competitiveness ?

Restructure goals, objectives roles and duties and translate them to doable and attainable empowering process management for motivational management.

Without empowering motivational work processes your enterprise will be unable to empower staff to carry out respective duties and responsibility.

What you want is results performed with accountable good corporate governance.

Go and upgrade your enterprise's implementation processes which will empower staff with minimal instructions.

Try for a change by processing tasks in simple administrative steps which are easily structured on 3-level management processes:-

Level (1) CALL CENTRE (Management Report)
Level (2) Department Reports or Forms. (Supervision/Feedbacks)
Level (3) Work Forms(Knowledge application)

Try to establish tasks to be performed in processes offering in-built coordination and knowledge applications through the Management Report (MR) in documentation thus:-

(1) Serial No. (2) Date (3) Code [Dept] (4) In - input (5) Out - Output.

Each task will now be input" through normal office forms to "output" work forms. There is no additional workload created.

All the task processes should come under the supervision of Call-Centre OSP Process File List.

Through call centre providing a source of information for status review, coordination and knowledge application, an enterprise is able to oversee performance and obtain hands-on results.

All tasks and related activities are followed through by staff in integrated processes planned within the "output" steps to reach completion and results.

What to monitor in a Call Centre ?

2004-11-15T07:03:00.000-08:00

Now after setting up the call centre as elaborated in the foregoing and www.ospforohsopolite.blogspot.com, how do you oversee the company performance and take corrective actions to reach goals or results?

Under intuitive or ad hoc system, an enterprise would depend on staff to give their own reports on performance.

The company can now depend on management (variances) reports from the call-centre to provide truthful and objective reporting with greater accountability and transparency.

You will recall that call centre processes tasks in "input no. and output no. (following OSP file-list) on individual task generating feedbacks at the same time with coordination and knowledge application.

ADMINISTRATION

In administration, tasks are now performed to attain in-built quality-time-cost competitiveness set within administrative forms e.g. quotations form, purchase order etc to attain results confirmed by "Input No." through the call centre MR.

MONITORING TASKS FROM CALL CENTRE:

Thus from the call centre processing of tasks an enterprise is now monitoring overall company performance as follows:-

In operations, performances are no longer subjective depending on supervisors' ad hoc or personal biases but supported by objective quality-time-cost standards and quantified as variances of "1" on simple core activities to attain organizational efficiency and results.

Both administration and operations are processed in hands-on controls to avoid wastages, inefficiencies and malpractices arising from better organizational coordination and quality-time-cost requirements as stated in the foregoing.

Department Reports (DR) generate quantified feedbacks on core activities as follows:-

(1) 1st Column : set Core Activity 1 - assigned Parameters (a) xxx (b) yyy (c) etc
(2) 2nd Column : set Core Activity 2 - assigned Parameters (a) xxx (b) yyy (c) etc

The Call Centre (MR) keeps tab on overall administrative and operation tasks based on variances or "1" for "not attained", "2", attained and "3" as excellent.

The entire business on simple three-levels: (Level 1=MR) (Level 2 = DR) and (Level 3 = WF) hierachy based on logical work processes through the call centre. With fine tuning and adjustments, your enterprise will attain quality-time-cost excellence and economic competitiveness in no time.