Business organizations are complex organisms with thousands and more moving parts—most of them in variable settings. But however complex the organizational schema and work environment, the moving parts must be “trained” to work in sync.
If any of these major elements don’t mesh, inefficiency is a certain outcome and defects will likely occur. But the problem extends further into the workings of each element, where unsynchronized work leads to yet more inefficiency and more defects. Add it all up, and lack of alignment can seriously undercut profitability, even turning “black ink” to “red.” It also hinders growth, because upping the volume of unsynchronized work produces exponential increases in misuse of human and material resources and work greatly exacerbates quality problems. In fact, many an organization has “died” from trying to build on a seriously misaligned base. Achieving alignment. To bring companies into alignment, HYM uses a flexible framework with a planned sequence of activities.
| Step |
Tool |
Description |
Customer-Strategy
Alignment |
Hyper-Planning |
HYM facilitates a two-day management meeting attended by upper management but with involvement of customer contact and research staff at appropriate times. HYM facilitates the group through a carefully sequenced set of discussion topics designed to explore customer and company opportunities.
Our goal is to find ways to “add new value to customers in ways that add new value back to the company.” |
Strategy-Process
Alignment |
Visual Workflow |
HYM leads a carefully selected core process team, augmented by “resource team” members, in an assessment of “as-is” workflow and information flow (coupled as one unit).
Next, with the same team we design “to be” workflow and information flow that will fully support customer-strategies. A key element in this design effort is determining what changes in
systems architecture will be required to provide the required new information flow. Then, we drop down to the individual work process level to
reengineer work process in accordance with new workflow. Key to this step is using the process redesign to determine application software requirements.
And last in this step, we prepare an implementing plan, including analyzing the organizational impact of recommended changes as well as possible “unintended” consequences. |
Process-Technology
Alignment |
Fields, Forms &
Views |
If alignment requires acquisition of new automation software or reconfiguring of existing technology, we can prepare a highly detailed FFV requirements document that leaves software
vendors very little “wiggle room” for not addressing needs. |
| |
Objective
Software
Selection |
At client request, we develop vendor RFPs and with our knowledge of software markets, steer clients towards solid providers. Once we get to a short list, we conduct scripted (our script) demonstrations to help clients make the best choice. |
| Implementation |
(our many years’
experience) |
While most of our clients align strategies to customers without needing our support, at client request HYM will continue the engagement through implementation of process change and
new technology, which must happen simultaneously because the two elements are so inter-related. |
This is the full engagement plan. However, we often work with clients that have completed or can complete part or all of certain steps, and we “take clients where they are,” rather than trying to push unneeded (and unwanted) work on clients.
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