In June 2009, whilst sitting in the park enjoying the afternoon breeze under the clear blue skies, I was pondering deeply the directions Gary Web Consulting Group was headed.
I came to a conclusion thereafter that it was necessary to increase sales volume for Gary Web Consulting Group. One of the methods I identified after having an evening discussion with my brother Cliff Teh, was to establish more industrial partnership mainly with IT companies and IT brokerage houses. This was basically to leverage on their expertises and existing networks to achieve what I envisioned.
10 months later in April 2010, Gary Web Consulting Group has managed to established quite a few partnerships with firms within Singapore, US and the UK. Sales leads volume has visibily increased over the span of these months, leading to subsequent increase in sales turnover volume.
Whilst currently Gary Web Consulting Group is still working within its maximum operating capacity of 160 hours per month, in anticipation of the possible need to constantly operate above and beyond its monthly maximum capacity in the near future, I have recently started to shift my attention inwards. One of the chief areas of focus is the further streamlining of the various existing business processes within Gary Web Consulting Group. The objective was to attempt at reducing unnecessary steps via its re-configuration or through leveraging newly available technology. Such a process will make possible a higher rate of throughput with the available 160 hours per month. This whole exercise can be classified as concious pursuit of process innovation. Whilst the eventual product created remains the same, the methodology applied during the process of creating the product differs.
Process innovation aims not at increasing the overall yield via increasing the aptitude levels of individuals involved, but attempts to increase the overall yield inspite of aptitude levels of individuals involved.
A simple example would be the adoption of digital camera use by a industrial photographer. The feedback cycle is immensly shortening as compared to the traditional camera where feedback was only available when the photos were developed.
Business process that have experienced process innovations within Gary Web Consulting Group are as listed below:
- Off site communications
- Asynchronous communications is made possible and more coherent with the use of voice and videos
- User Training and knowledge transfer (through the use of videos)
- Essential knowledge that customers will need in the management of their site is made possible via the use of videos. Also a knowledge repository has been created online for 24 hours access
- Website Implementation creation
- Knowledge in expertise in the customization of existing open source content management system now allows faster time to market in the creation of a web portal
Business Processes that has been identified for process innovation
- Pre-Sales
- A systematic approach is to be develope to further improve sales success rate
- Interface Design and Mock Creation Process
- More research is required to acquire tools that will aid in further reducing this particular process. Currently per design and mock up requires up to 2 man days for creation via the use of Photoshop and thereafter skin it via CSS and html. It is most ineffective.
- Human resourcing
- Attention is required in developing a system to more systematically acquire and retain capable human resource in the near future
- Project Management
- Whilst the current project management methodology works superbly in a small team of up to 4 people. This method has not been trialed on a team of a larger size
- Tools are to be acquired and methodologies created to further aid collaboration and communications within a team