THE ENTERPRISE--SOME GREAT IDEAS--IF/WHEN PRACTICAL
LEAN TECHNIQUES FOR THE WHITE COLLAR SET--"HOPS"-- A BREAK-THROUGH
I've been tracking Pamla Winther's work on HOPS (Stands for Hands On Proactive System) for over five years as she has refined it and built it into a highly effective tool for businesses large and small. This is the year--2011--that she's unveiling it with a series of 11 sessions each one held on the 11th of the month starting next week, Feb. 11. Her meetings are in North Suburban Cinci at the Crown Plaza, 11320 Chester Rd. She calls it "Lunch with a Side of Inspiration" and for only $75 a session (or $550 if you buy the whole series) it is a steal!
What is HOPS you wonder? It is a cross between CRM, Knowledge Management, Lean Techniques and good old people collaboration. The HOPS system if implemented with proprietary software tools provides a way for "everyone to know, what anyone in the business knows," and it plugs all the "cracks" that essential details seem to fall through. It is a system of easy to use screens that people use to record contact with customers and suppliers (and anyone else) and document what was agreed upon, who does what next, and even provides templates to use to make sure the necessary information is gathered and retained (and accessible).
In these days when customers are so hard to get, and even hard to hang onto, HOPS assures the kind of spectacular attention to detail that companies have only dreamed about in the past--and with a fraction of the time and effort. Whether you work with a law firm, a financial services firm, a distribution company or a manufacturer--HOPS is for you. Now, isn't that worth a short drive to Cinci and $75 for a terrific lunch, a top notch speaker (well, maybe except March 11, when that speaker will be me), and learning about a way to improve every aspect of your business before you competitors do.
If you are first in your industry or market to use HOPS, you will have an unfair competitive advantage. Isn't that a really good thing?
Paste this in your browser: http://hopsfoodforthought.com, or just call 513-588-2808 to reserve your seat. DO IT NOW!
Disclaimer: I am neither employed by HOPS nor an owner. I just tell my contacts about super new concepts they can use. Go see for yourself. I will miss the first one because I will not be back from FL, but that's no excuse if you are up there in OH or nearby.
ARE THERE ANY ENGINEERS OUT THERE TO SEE IF THIS IS REALLY PRACTICAL?
http://www.flixxy.com/convert-plastic-to-oil.htm
Somehow, it seems too good to be true, but even if it is not "energy efficient" (takes lots more electricity for the heat and pressure than the energy value of the oil created) it is a great way to "recycle trash plastics." I wonder what kind of residue is in the machine at the end of the cycle? How does that get disposed of? Perhaps mix it into paving materials? Need some additional research, but the idea is downright clever.
IF YOU'LL SPEND JUST UNDER 5 MINUTES, YOU'LL SEE THAT "WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND."
Just paste this into your browser, sit back and learn: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=3JDT5vBQQr8&vq=medium
JOBS TRACKING IS SUSPECT AT BEST, INACCURATE AT WORST
The recent jobs report showing just 36,000 jobs added and yet unemployment dropped to 9% smells bad somehow. I suspect some government inaccuracies and potential misrepresentation. Also, the unemployment rate dropped probably because so many people gave up on trying to find jobs, and if their unemployment benefits finally ran out, there is no motivation to "report in" as unemployed. The two figures are clearly contradictory. If we had the "Household Job" report, it might tell something different yet. ADP, the nation's largest payroll firm had more positive improvement reported. Who to believe is the question. The initial claims for being out of work are still hanging about 400,000+/-. Recovery--slow, tepid, spotty.
THE DEMOCRATS GREAT IDEA: “THE NEW DEMOCRAT-SPEAK”
To distance themselves from the embarrassment of last November’s election....
Democrats are changing their vocabulary to describe what they want to accomplish without using the words that make non-Democrats recoil in horror.
The following is a translation of the new “Democrat-Speak”:
==“Investment” means “spending”.
==“Dedicated Revenue Stream” means “tax”.
==“Reduce or Cut Spending” means “slow the rate of spending growth”.
==“Progressive” means “liberal Democrat"
And, as our President has told us "Words matter." How else could he misspeak to us so smoothly?
CONGRESS GREAT IDEA: MAKING REGULATIONS BEFORE THE STUDY COMMITTEE ISSUES ITS REPORT?
When you know what you want to do, stifle, regulate and smother, there is no reason to wait for a report. Just go ahead and pass a huge new, open-ended law. Which is what Congress did last year.
Then the FCIC released its report on 1.27.11 on the causes of the 2008 financial crisis.
Now that it knows the causes, Congress can craft legislative remedies to prevent it from ever happening again. Oh wait! Congress ALREADY did that! It’s called Dodd-Frank.
Confused? You should be. Congress crafted legislative remedies seven months BEFORE the report was issued.
THE OLD "NOT-SO-GREAT" IDEAS: THE REAL CAUSES OF THE FINANCIAL CRISIS
The FCIC cited the following three events as causes of the financial crisis
1) The repeal of the Glass-Steagel Act;
2) The failure to regulate the derivatives market;
3) Allowing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to lower its underwriting standards in an effort to grow market share & compete with the private mortgage market.
And when did (i) through (iii) take place? During the Clinton administration: 1992-2000. Whoops, another thing for Slick Willie to take credit for. But honestly, the GOP shares some of the blame, since it was in control of Congress back in that era--shame on you GOPers. The FCIC missed one BIG cause of the crisis: Leaving Chris Dodd and Barney Frank is powerful positions way too long!
THE UAW'S NEW GREAT IDEA: TRY TO DESTROY ANOTHER SEGMENT OF THE US ECONOMY
The UAW is now planning to put on major push to unionize one or more of the "transplant" car plants--Japanese, Korean, or German. These plants provide good jobs, so the UAW sees them as a source of power and dues income. The methods planned are classic union-deception.
First, brand the plant operators as committing human rights violations--that will resonate with Obama's crew. Second, new UAW chief Bob King has set out 11 "principles" that he says car makers must embrace or the UAW will "expose" them as "human rights violators." Yes, like dictatorships. This is no idle intimidation, especially with the union's political allies manning key labor jobs in Washington. The threat is also backed with at least $60 million from the union's $800 million strike fund.
With fewer than 400,000 members, down from 1.5 million in 1979, the UAW can afford to raid that fund since it isn't likely to strike the weakened GM, Ford or Chrysler anytime soon. There are more points to this but you get the idea. Anywhere that there is a payroll to be tapped for union dues, the unions will go after it with any method possible, no matter how illicit.
Unions have destroyed more American jobs than any competitive threat in the past few decades. When will Washington leaders see that? (Not until we replace the Democrats in control!)
THAT'S ENOUGH FOR THIS WEEK
BE SURE TO VISIT MY OTHER TWO BLOGS, NOTED BELOW ON FORBES (posted on weekends) AND AMERICAN EXPRESS (posted mid-week)
Best JOHN
Watch my other Blogs
FORBES: http://blogs.forbes.com/prospernow/2011/02/04/is-bernanke-nuts-ignoring-inflation/
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John L. Mariotti, President & CEO, The Enterprise Group, Phone 614-840-0959 http://www.mariotti.net http://mariotti.blogs.com/my_weblog/
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