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Did You Know...?
That Value Analysis Was Developed Back In the 1940's After World War II as a Way to Find Lower Cost but Higher Quality Alternative products and methods. This was Due to the Lack of Material Resources At The End of The War.
Savings Beyond Price -Weekly E-Zine- February 14, 2007
Robert T. Yokl
President & Chief Value Strategist
Greetings!
The Six Most Powerful Influential Words That Save Money!
I still keep hearing in my conversations with CEOs, CFOs and MMs that “our docs won’t change” their methods and practices because they have no incentive to do so. While on the surface this statement is very logical. Nonetheless, it isn’t factual or very useful in changing closed minds.
It is a psychosocial truth that most of us will change our minds on any topic if we hear these four powerful words spoken “others are doing it this way!”
Here’s Why: This truism is based on the fact that people are susceptible to the influences of others. It goes back to our roots when cooperation and conformity to the rules of the group gave the group the highest level of survival.
Here’s How To Do It: We all want to conform to the “norms” of our group that includes surgeons, cardiologists and anesthesiologists, or whomever. If you can show them proof (benchmarks, case studies, surveys, etc.) that their peers are conforming to more cost effective and reliable methods, practices or protocols, 96% will change their behaviors – almost overnight. The other 4% won’t change for any reason that you give them. That’s life!
So when you hear “our docs won’t change” remember this isn’t a fact, but a golden opportunity to uncover new proofs and information to change their minds.
Your Partner in Supply Chain Savings,
Robert T. Yokl
President & Chief Value Strategist
P.S. Isn’t it time you have a “reality check” to see where your hidden supply savings reside with our reality-based Supply Savings Scorecard. You have everything to save and nothing to lose by doing so!
DASHBOARD MANIA: Is It All It’s Cracked Up To Be?
1 out of 4 organizations say they plan to invest in a dashboard in the near future that would put them in the driver’s seat and 47% say they have them now!
We’ve all heard about dashboards, many of us are thinking about dashboards for our hospitals and operations and 25% of us are actually planning to buy dashboards in the near future according to a survey by Riley Research Associates. Based on other research, it looks like about 47% of all medium to large size hospitals already own dashboards that helps them to quickly understand and monitor their mission critical activities (profit margins, revenues, operating expenses, productivity, customer satisfaction, purchasing, inventory, etc.). The question then is -- are dashboards all they’re cracked up to be?
On the positive side of the equation, dashboards enable department heads and managers to master their individual multi-million dollar businesses in real time that are now too complex to be run on the back side of an envelope. In addition to this, dashboards provide senior executive management with the vital high level information (which they can drill down into as necessary) to rapidly response to any changes in their healthcare environment. This connectivity and visibility of data, metrics and information has translated into improved performance in all operational areas and the executive suites where it has been employed since 1985.
On the negative side of the equation, dashboards are frequently too data-rich, too flashy and overloaded with irrelevant information that will never be used. This trend to over complicate and “glitzify” the presentation of data is often called “eye candy”. This looks great in presentations, but is meaningless and distracting when you actually start using the dashboard. There is also a tendency to build dash-boards without a strategic purpose or intention in mind (what do you want it to do?) which causes confusion by adding extraneous information that is just taking up valuable space on your dashboard. Ineffective training or the lack of training in the use of dashboards leaves users to figure it out for themselves while missing the whole point of having a dashboard: to provide timely business intelligence leading to actionable improvements in your operations or business.
This leads us back to the question: “Dashboard Mania: Is It All It’s Cracked Up To Be?” The answer is, like all new or emerging technologies there is a beginning, growth surge and leveling off (similar to e-mail and voice/mail) as the new technology is integrated into our normal business systems. It’s quite evident to me that dashboards are “what they are cracked up to be” and are now in the growth surge where they are recognized and acknowledged as helpful business tools. They aren’t “eye candy”, but valuable and indispensable business intelligence systems. The challenge therefore for all (non-profit and profit) businesses is not should they be employing dashboards in their business, but what are the best applications, purposes or functions in which to apply them too?
Highly Recommended…
If you would like to know ALL of the powerful strategies, tactics and techniques of supply chain project management (not just three), I suggest that you buy my Strategic Value Analysis® E-Book to learn how SVAH’s award winning Team-Based Project Management™ Model can revolutionize how you manage your cost and quality projects.
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