I recently attended an interesting presentation on “Adding Value To Your Product” by Dr Alister King –Matariki Programme Manager -focused on Regional Development. The following are some of my observations from his presentation coupled with my own personal experience.

Many interesting insights were given including the observation that “Traditional” Management and Accounting thinking is often focused on cost cutting in the production chain, with a view to competing on price. This is particularly observed in times of low sales, when the focus is on optimising the production efficiency, reducing costs and may include reducing the Product Range, -all with an aim of making the Product cheaper to produce. This results in a “Commoditising” of Your Product.

Commodities are fine if you have the scale and efficiency to compete on price alone but often the all-important Customer wants more! This is where the Sales team fight with the Accountants and Production Managers:
Sales; – “Customer wants so and so…”
Production; – “We are not set up for that! -Can’t be done!”

Clearly, delivering what the Customer wants is the key to adding value, yet having the flexibility to allow and cope with (and even encourage) change is the essential culture required for a company to achieve this.

If you can establish the Culture of Change and Flexibility, then you can more easily target those high value Niche Markets with a responsive organisation. We, at ProcessIT can help here, as we can develop Custom Software to track your key processes and analyse performance to assist with the decision making.

Our Software Solutions are not “Set in concrete” like most applications that only get changes if thousands of users demand it. With our systems, if you change your processes for a new product, we can modify your Custom Application to accommodate your new requirements! This gives you the valuable information you seek, to further improve your production, quality and product range. Flexibility is the key…

Contact us at ProcessIT now for your free initial consultation and to see how we can accommodate your diverse requirements within your own custom software application…

What’s your thoughts on adding value?  I’d love to hear them? Reply now…

Tech Tip…

Timesaving Windows 10 Short Cuts

Spending vast amounts of time in front of a computer screen? Knowing a few shortcuts can really improve productivity. There is a plethora of shortcuts but I’ve compiled what I believe are the most useful for the everyday user. Try adding a few of these to your repertoire:

 

Get around Windows without touching the mouse:

Windows Logo key: Start menu

• Now press TAB and notice that you move between panels in the start menu
• Use arrow keys to move around within the panel and enter to open the App
• Windows logo to close start Menu

 

Windows Logo+E: Windows Explorer

 

Alt-Tab: opens App Switching menu

• Hold down alt and tap the tab button
• While still holding ALT press tab to move through the list of apps and let go of ALT on the App you want to focus on.

 

Windows Logo+M: Minimize all

SHIFT+Windows Logo+M: Undo minimize all

Or

Windows Logo+D: Minimizes all open windows and displays the desktop and pressing it a second time restores the windows again.

 

A few geeky shortcuts for those power users:

Windows Logo+R: Run dialog box

Windows Logo + x: Opens a system control menu

ALT + SPACE: Displays the Current Window’s System menu

 

Knowing and using even just a few of these shortcuts can really improve your user experience and ultimately your productivity. Productivity isn’t always about speed. Keeping your staff from injuring themselves is just as important. Shortcut keys can help to prevent RSI by reducing mouse movement. I find that by using shortcut keys instead of the mouse reduces strain in your arms neck and back.A

 

Enjoy!