Resources: Making Teams Work Adopt a team code of conduct (Miami Univ.) respect each other respect each other criticize ideas rather than people listen actively seek to understand before being understood contribute to group discussion keep an open mind share responsibility attend all meetings  Learn about your team members about family, home, background interests, likes, dislikes career goals strengths, skills work experience  Managing group activities Elect a coordinator Plan a schedule for completion; set due date and work back Consider how you will address conflicts Identify possible firms-relatives, friends, parents of friends, neighbors, church or other group members Arrange meeting times to block/hold; cancel if not needed Plan, if at all possible, a visit to the firm Determine which persons are best suited to work on various parts of the project; ALL should work on the step listing and process diagram Do NOT rely on one person to collect information about the process Plan a way to share and collaborate; e-mail? fax? [back to top]

Improving Writing Use the grammar and spell checker on the WP software; make changes and then print a hard copy for more careful review. I recommend you review each item you write at least two times--once for grammar and once for content and clarity of expression. I find it much easier to proof and edit a hard copy than on the screen. Look for: 1. Punctuation (check basic grammar handbook for details) a. period and comma always go inside quotation marks b. check rules for use of comma in a series, in apposition (parenthetical expression), in introductory clause or phrase and in a dependent phrase c. don't insert a comma or semicolon simply because there seems to be a need for a pause d. use a semicolon when the following phrase is independent; a dash can also be used to precede an additional thought e. check possessives to see if they are really possessive, if they are singular and if they are plural 2. Capitalize all proper nouns 3. Make sure there is agreement between the subject and the verb in the sentence 4. Each paragraph should have one main theme. Tie ideas in sentences together. 5. Avoid run-on sentences--sentences which have more than one idea and which ramble on about different topics 6. Each sentence needs a subject/noun and a verb and should have only one main idea   [back to top]

FROM: Beyond Reengineering- Michael Hammer and others, including faculty   Need to reduce processing time Aetna used 28 days to process apps; actual work time was 26 minutes T.I. spent 180 days to fill orders for integrated circuits while competitor did it in 30 days GTE resolved customer problems on first call less than 2% of time   Managing processes Identify key processes-those dealing with customers Make sure every employee understands these processes Measure the performance of processes MANAGE the processes   Assessing value of work activities Those that add value for which the customer is wining to pay Those that are non-value adding but needed for #1 or regulatory Those that are WASTE ... not needed; don't add value   Understanding processes versus functions Processes almost always cut across functions Processes usually involve activities under several managers Processes are at many different levels: high level (order fulfillment); subprocesses (sales, order processing, distribution, cost accounting, course scheduling ); and, subprocesses have several subsets or levels (order taldng as part of sales, accounts receivable as part of order processing, credit checking as part of sales, advising as part of registration, raw materials inventory management as part of manufacturing); quite low level subprocesses are often called procedures Functions are organized and managed vertically; processes most often must be managed horizontally Processes must be managed by process 'owners"...persons who have authority to "cut across" functions Primary processes (i.e., product maintenance, service performance, teaching) directly involve customers; secondary processes (i.e., cost accounting, dbase management) are not "customer facing"...at least not directly or visibly in most cases Primary processes may be at many different levels-i.e., fulfilling an order to answering a telephone call from a customer   Managing and Improving Processes Top management must be committed to process concepts and process management All managers and employees must understand the concept of processes and know difference between primary and secondary processes ... between high level and lower level subprocesses; without such understanding, lower level subprocesses or procedures may be improved at expense of higher level processes Incentives must exist for all employees to think about ways to improve processes, to develop "new' processes and to apply process "reengineering' concepts to their work Process improvement teams must be a part on regular work Employees should be trained in process analysis/improvement tools; learn how to 'draw outside the lines" and "think outside the box" (internet stores, electronic courses, insurance through internet, 24-hour services, car shopping electronically, self-generated reports from banks, insurance companies, investment firms) Politics and interfunctional rivalries must be reduced Employees must understand "big picture" of goals, how activities interrelate, how processes interrelate and how jobs interrelate Business process reengineering is NOT a fad or a "quick fix"; it is a smart way of working and improving operations; it must be LONG term; it may take 2-3 years before items 1-7 above are achieved. Note: the basic concepts are not new, simply reformation of many previous concepts. Steps in developing process focus and creating a process strategy Intensifying focus on improving existing processes; developing a process focus Using improved processes to enter new markets or provide new products/services Expanding improved processes to provide additional services or products Selling improved processes (i.e., distribution, information services) to other companies Capitalizing upon improved processes to create new services or products Creating new processes (reengineering) to capture new markets through new products and services [back to top]