Business Change and Fight or Flight

The AlchemistBusiness Process Re-Engineering, Change Management, Project Management

Have you ever worked on a business change project that provoked very intense or out-of-character reactions in other staff? Someone who was a normally calm, rational, team member may have suddenly become aggressive in meetings, or someone previously quite helpful or vocal would silently retreat to a corner during project discussions. Fundamentally, this team member wasn’t happy with the change and they were …

The Hidden Business Cost of Spreadsheets

The AlchemistBusiness Process Re-Engineering, ERP

The last twenty years has seen the rise of business ERP and management systems. Software management systems that previously were financially out of reach for many businesses, are now seen as a reasonable, worthwhile investment. In addition, the initial very short list of available options available has now developed into a myriad of new software systems, each often allowing for …

Learning to “Speak Software Vendor”

The AlchemistApplication Services, Business Intelligence, Business Process Review, ERP, Vendor Management

Software vendors… you love them, but you hate them. A lot of customers tend to have a vendor “war story” and unfortunately, often let it bias their relationship with their vendor. Customers can have long memories when it comes to vendor issues and the “small upgrade incident of 2010”, often escalates as it gets re-told over the years. We often …

A Short Guide to Field Service Mobility Success

The AlchemistApplication Services, Business Process Review, Change Management, Project Management, Technical Services

Almost everyone I talk to in the Service Industries is looking for the ideal Field Service Mobility solution for their business. However, when I ask them what that means, their definitions of Field Service Mobility vary greatly. Some see Mobility as the equivalent of a paper service docket on an iPad; others see Mobility as the ability to capture photo …

Outsourcing in the Real World

The AlchemistBusiness Process Review, Project Management, Technical Services

Recently we’ve been working on two projects that involved outsourcing. One involved outsourcing of operational staff while the other involved outsourcing of IT services. Coincidence? Probably not. We all know how much the world has changed economically and that we will most likely never go back to the glorious boom times of pre-GFC. A lot of businesses are realising that …

The Negotiation of Change

The AlchemistBusiness Process Review, Change Management, Project Management

I was talking to a Business Manager recently about the change aspects of his IT project. We discussed the issues he might have around translation of existing business processes into the new IT system, as well as the cultural impact those changes might bring. I gave him some suggestions regarding methods of managing the change in the business and he …

Project Kick Starters for the New Year

The AlchemistBusiness Process Review, Change Management, Project Management

We all like the idea of starting the New Year with a clean slate, with all our old problems or projects solved or resolved. Unfortunately, life in a business isn’t always that simple. More often than not, you had a project underway but it was derailed somewhere at the beginning of December and ended up in “Christmas limbo”. So now …

It’s Never Too Late to Start the Process of Change

The AlchemistBusiness Process Review, Change Management, Project Management

We’re getting close to the end of the year! Sometimes that can be a frustrating time for a business, when you know you still have so much you want to achieve but you can’t find the time. It can also be disheartening if you’ve spent the year trying to get project going, but not been able to make any progress. …

Are you being an ostrich about your business processes and IT systems?

The AlchemistBusiness Process Review, Change Management, ERP

Process challenges and changes are a part of daily business life. They’re either a common part of the juggling act within a business, or a catastrophic event that has the potential to shake a business to the core. Either way, they don’t go away on their own. When these process challenges are associated with technology, there’s often a particular reluctance …