Category Archives: Operations
Process and Procedure
Introduction In daily business life I sometimes observe a frequent passivity and helplessness by managers who exclaim: “There is nothing one can do about it” often referring to the action or signature needed from an obstructing party and tremendous bureaucracy … Continue reading
A Taxonomy of Processes
When analyzing an operation, one of the essential questions is `Which processes are being performed´? It is interesting to see how many executive managers answer that question at a very abstract level, and operational managers often answer it so detailed … Continue reading
Follow the money!
When reviewing an operational department or company, one generally needs only nine numbers to assess where potential for improvement might exist. Number of hours paid The main cost component of a labor-intensive industry is – what a surprise – the … Continue reading
Determine a budget easily
Where most people shriek away from ‘difficult Erlang C’-methods to determine the needed staff for customer service, find below a way to do it on the back of a napkin. Background The creation of a budget follows several necessary steps … Continue reading
Apples, pears and oranges: how hours differ
One of THE all time favorites of my blogs is the one about the different kinds of hours referred to in customer service. There were only two minor imperfections to this blog: first it needed some updating, especially inclusion of … Continue reading
Peter Alderliesten's Blog 