http://articles.mychoicedeals.com/ Articles at The Article Planet en-us http://articles.mychoicedeals.com/business/management/managing-people-the-right-way.html http://articles.mychoicedeals.com/business/management/managing-people-the-right-way.html Sat, 05 Sep 2009 14:13:34 -0500
• People work with you, not for you.

When introducing a team member in your department, kindly introduce them as: "I'd like to introduce you to Joanne. She works with me in Quality Control." This will leave a lasting impression on people above your title as they quickly realize you're a dedicated team player, recognizing the value of the great people who work with you. Additionally, it will give "Joanne" a boost, knowing that she is valuable to you and the company and promotes her feelings of self worth. No one is a "subordinate" of yours…leave that for the military!

Another critical tip which many management people forget is:

• Share your knowledge and background experiences with everyone who works with you.

Too many managers simply assign work for the people entrusted to them. Think of where you started…not at the top, I'll bet! Give everyone the benefit of the doubt that they are just as intelligent and worthy as you. More times than not, taking the time to share the whole picture of the project and where everyone fits into it will obtain the final results sooner and make you look like a bigger person. Failure to honor their questions, instead keeping everything "close to the vest", only shows a manager's insecurity. Unless you're associated with the FBI or CIA, there is no reason not to share your knowledge. Your staff will succeed and gain much under your direction, and it will filter through the grapevine that you're a fantastic person to work with which, of course, will tell upper management that you're ready for the next step up.
]]> http://articles.mychoicedeals.com/business/management/notes-on-strategic-management-global-strategy.html http://articles.mychoicedeals.com/business/management/notes-on-strategic-management-global-strategy.html Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:44:23 -0500
Competitive advantage can be gained through the development of a well-designed global strategy. Competitive advantage can arise from many different factors including efficiency, strategy, risk, learning, and reputation. Market efficiency can give rise to competitive advantage through having economies of scale due to more access to customers and markets. The exploitation of the resources of another country, such as labor and raw materials, can also give a certain country competitive advantage. Market efficiency is also characterized by extended product life cycles and operational flexibility which often leads to the achievement of a competitive advantage rooted in a well-founded global strategy.

Strategic competitive advantage, risk management, the broadening of learning opportunities, and reputation and brand identification also play important parts in the development and implementation of global strategy. Taking all these into account, strategic management can be understood as the development of strategic objectives in terms of efficiency, flexibility, innovation, and learning, and the efficient and effective use of national differences, economies of scale, and economies of scope.

Industries, business, and companies who plan on entering the global market must first conduct an analysis of their potential for globalization. The potential for globalization can be arrived at through studying cost drivers, customer drivers, competitive drivers, and government drivers. These drivers help determine the aptitude of an industry, business or company for globalization. These should be reviewed and evaluated so that the necessary strategies can be developed, whether an industry, company or business is ready for globalization or if it still needs to improve in its local performance.

Global strategic management not only calls for an analysis of competitive advantages, it also requires a review of comparative advantages. Competitive advantage refers to the ability of a firm or an industry to transform raw materials or inputs into services and goods to realize sustained maximum profits. Comparative advantage, on the other hand, refers to the factor endowments and created endowments of specific regions. ]]> http://articles.mychoicedeals.com/business/management/recession-advice-how-vehicle-tracking-can-improve-fleet-efficiency.html http://articles.mychoicedeals.com/business/management/recession-advice-how-vehicle-tracking-can-improve-fleet-efficiency.html Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:24:54 -0500
A GPS tracker works by using a triangulating algorithm to give the precise location of the vehicle it is fitted to. This information is fed through to a remote-operating centre, which can then chart the location of every vehicle in the fleet. Through this mapping system, fleet managers can prioritise routes or re-allocate a vehicle to a pick-up, minimising the time that the customer waits for their collection and maximising efficiency. The utility services and network companies running fleets of mobile engineers are also finding this system extremely useful, as it allows them to allocate call-outs to the nearest available vehicle. Courier and delivery services have been using vehicle tracking systems for several years and were the first organisations to really appreciate the benefits of such a system.

Vehicle tracking systems don't just relay information on a vehicle's location, though. Good quality systems can also provide fleet management professionals with additional information such as the speed of a vehicle. Speeding is an extremely inefficient operation as increased speed invariably means increased fuel consumption. Major fleets that have used these systems have been able to reduce their annual fuel bills by up to 40% just through the information provided by vehicle tracking systems.

By spending a little company capital at the outset, a GPS vehicle tracking system can help facilitate effective scheduling, which results in a reduction in the amount of time vehicles are standing idle or not being used at optimum efficiency. They can also reduce delivery time delays and improve supply chain management by enabling fleet managers to prioritise routes. This leads to better customer relations as fleet managers are able to give their customers more accurate estimated arrival times.

Another saving comes in a more unexpected area. Fleet insurance policies can be cripplingly expensive, particularly for small and medium sized companies. However, insurers now regard vehicle tracking devices as a major force in the fight against vehicle theft and offer substantial policy discounts for fleets with GPS trackers fitted. Faster recovery times of stolen vehicles, a reduction in the potential damage to stolen vans and cars by thieves and eliminating the need to hire replacement vehicles to cover the shortfall left as a result of a vehicle theft all add up to a considerable annual saving.

Vehicle tracking systems can also tell a fleet manager if vehicles are being used out of hours by drivers for their own, personal use. Technically, this could be regarded as misappropriation of a company vehicle and can cost firms a great deal of money over the course of a year. If a driver knows that their movements are being plotted by a remote GPS tracking device, then he or she will be less inclined to use a company vehicle inappropriately. Again, this all adds up to savings for the company.

In a time of recession, every business is looking for ways to improve productivity, efficiency and cut costs. Although it may seem strange to advocate spending money on a complex vehicle tracking system during these lean times, the long-term savings these systems represent are financially prudent and an essential part of effective fleet management. ]]> http://articles.mychoicedeals.com/business/management/fleet-management-explained.html http://articles.mychoicedeals.com/business/management/fleet-management-explained.html Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:15:34 -0500
One of the most fundamental components in fleet management is vehicle tracking. Modern technology in the form of GPS tracking devices has made tracking and diagnostics much more efficient and easier, leading to far more efficient fleet management overall. Vehicle trackers allow a fleet manager to know exactly where every vehicle in the fleet is at any given time and gives them the opportunity to plan the most efficient routes and reduce waiting time for customers. Vehicle tracking also introduces safety and crime prevention elements by allowing a silent alarm to be triggered if the vehicle is stolen or involved in an accident. This is particularly important if the fleet operates in more remote areas and can mean a far more rapid response to an emergency system. The introduction of ‘Low-Jacking' technology also means that if a vehicle is stolen, the engine can be disabled remotely by the fleet manager and the Police can be directed to the exact location of the vehicle. This reduces recovery time for stolen vehicles and therefore the costs associated with vehicle theft.

Tracking systems can also provide fleet managers with crucial data for mechanical diagnostics including mileage and fuel consumption, speed and direction. This enables fleet managers to build up a profile of the activities of both driver and vehicle and if the driver is persistently speeding, for example, the fleet manager can then implement actions to reduce this behaviour. Speeding uses up fuel and by monitoring the average speed of the vehicle, larger fleets can make considerable savings in their annual fuel bill. It also presents a far better image of the company to the general public, particularly if your fleet is made up of sign-written vehicles or carries the company's logo.

One very important part of fleet management is duty of care. In April 2008, the UK's Corporate Manslaughter Act was strengthened to target company directors as well as their drivers where road accidents that resulted in deaths were caused by fleet vehicles. The Police now treat every road death as an ‘unlawful killing' and are determined to bring prosecutions against company directors who fail to provide clear policies and guidance for employees who drive on company business. Vehicle tracking systems incorporate software that can build up a profile of a driver's habits, so enabling fleet managers to monitor behaviour on the road and just how safely company vehicles are being driven. Part of fleet management is also the essential maintenance of fleet vehicles, ensuring that every vehicle is roadworthy before leaving the depot. Diagnostic information provided by vehicle tracking systems can make this task much easier, preventing vehicles that may be faulty or dangerous from being used. This ensures that a fleet manager's duty of care to both the public and their employees and drivers is maintained at the highest level.

Fleet management is a complex and far-reaching position and is far more than just knowing where drivers and vehicles are or occasionally checking the oil levels in the fleet vans. With the assistance of modern technology such as GPS devices or vehicle tracking systems, that job has now become much easier. ]]>