Business Consulting Services




 
Business Process Review and Consulting

    * systems design and architecture
    * performance evaluation
    * process documentation
    * lean thinking

People, process, utilization of technology, and knowledge are the keys to generating a competitive system that wins - not just once - but again and again to build a successful dynasty.

Every business team wants to get there; but somewhere along the way our attention is diverted to fighting fires and we get stuck in the quagmire of problems, rotating staff, overly complex solutions, and outdated technology.  The business focus is lost among the trees instead of seeing the forest.

That's where Zingodia Systems can help.

Our consulting service provides a complete business process review by listening, developing documented process flows, and evaluating performance of the entire system.  Then we architect a solution by putting into practice lean thinking whereby a system solution is focused on customer value and eliminating waste.

Our goal is to provide a system solution that uses less effort overall, consistent process, proper technology, and shared knowledge in a winning team environment.



  
Change Management

    * implementation planning
    * solution education & application
    * systems review & validation
    * iterative/continuous improvement

Overcomplexity occurs when processes get put into place to solve independent problems instead of complete system solutions.  That's why at Zingodia Systems we like to keep things simple and strive for aggressive iterative change to continuously improve the overall business with a focus on the complete end to end system.

The powerful cycle of plan, do, check, act popularized by Dr. Deming provides an iterative process for carrying out change with tornado like effectiveness whereby the completion of one improvement is a catalyst for the next.

During implementation planning we study the system and recognize opportunities for improvement at which time a plan is initiated and measurable goals are defined.  Education of the solution is paramount for a successful pilot roll-out (we try to work with small teams prior to a large scale deployment which would be part of the iterative process) where we test the change and apply small iterative improvements.  A system review and validation against our original goals defines the success of the pilot and the need to derive a modified plan or to implement the current plan across the enterprise.  Either way, lessons learned become the catalyst for a new group of system improvements.



  
Project Management

    * dynamic leadership
    * team collaboration
    * project documentation
    * risk analysis & control

Zingodia Systems can provide the necessary leadership to drive your organization's team through the process to identify opportunities, generate implementation plans, define measurable goals, implement change, provide education, and validate success.

Collaborative knowledge and project documentation throughout the project is critical to a successful implementation. Through the utilization of Google Sites or Microsoft Sharepoint, team collaboration and documentation efforts are centralized and a repository of knowledge is built, maintained, and archived for reference purposes.

Every project has risks and we will work with your team to identify potential risks and generate appropriate plans for coordinated methods to mitigate negative effects.  During each project team meeting, all risks will be identified and cooperative solutions will be engaged as a risk response.



How to Implement Successfully

The following items are essential to ensure a successful system implementation:

1) Top management support:  The first key to a successful implementation is to gain top management support.  An enterprise system of any type is not an IS/IT project, or an Engineering project, or Accounting project, or enter department name here project.  It is a project that affects the entire company.  In order for the enterprise system to be successful; top management must provide leadership and commitment, define the purpose, and give the authority for change.

2) Measurable objectives:  The second key to success, after gaining top management support, is to define a purpose and the major benefits.  Why would a company go down the difficult path of implementing something new if there were no benefits?  There must be measurable objectives defined up front to give the implementation team (and the company) focus and direction.

3) Allocation of resources and time commitments:  The third key to implementing the new system is to get the appropriate resources and time.  Implementing any type of enterprise system is a major task that takes a tremendous amount of coordination and effort.  The members of the implementation team must be pulled from their daily activities in order to achieve success.

4) Written procedures on the business process and the information flow:  Documentation and communication are critical and the fourth key to the successful implementation of an enterprise system.  Ideas, discussions, decisions, instruction manuals, memos to top management - the written document becomes key to moving the implementation in the right direction.  note: utilizing Google's Sites as a central hub for a project provides a one stop location for project success!

5) Culture of change/continuous improvement:  The ability to change and continuously improve is the fifth key to a successful implementation.  The implementation team must look for continuous improvements in the business during the implementation and instruct the company on how to accept change.  Change will only occur if top management has provided the team with the authority (first key) and if the change is communicated to all personnel (fourth key).

6) Education and training:  A good program for education and training will help break down the barriers to change and are the sixth key to successfully implementing the enterprise system.  Education means explaining to the users the why of the new system and business procedures.  Training means the how - what buttons to push, what reports to run, etc.  In order to implement the new system successfully, employees need to understand why they are performing an action and how to perform it.

7) User commitment:  The seventh key to success is to get users committed to using the new enterprise system.  Promote the implementation.  Get everyone in the company excited.  Then, shut off the old system and use the new one.

8) Accurate data:  The term GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out) is familiar to all computer users.  Avoiding GIGO is the critical eighth key.  Any enterprise system generates all sorts of reports and information - none of it will be valid if the initial data entered is incorrect.

9) Utilization of Deming Wheel:  Plan, Do, Check, Act is the ninth key to success and should become ingrained into every team member.  The Deming Wheel provides a methodology for continuous improvement.  It keeps the implementation moving along and allows a method of recovery for those instances when a failure occurs.


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