CRE8 Center For Realizing Excellence

So the day has come to replace an older, complex (Legacy) computer system. Why? The system will  soon not be supported by the vendor, no longer able to be supported by internal staff, not allow for growth or new requirements, and/or continue to be too costly to support. Why is there a challenge in replacing Legacy systems?   The responsibility to oversee the replacement of a Legacy system, which has been developed, configured, and customized over many years is daunting, risky, and costly.  Also, who in your organization has the time and experience to properly analyze replacement options, develop requirements, assess vendors, and manage the deployment? To Learn More How To Plan To Replace A Legacy System See Our White Paper Since 1995 , we at CRE8 Independent Consultants have assisted clients with Legacy System Replacement, Advanced Technology and Process Improvement Planning.  We have over 300 clients ranging in size fron 25 to 250,000 employees, acr...

Five Step Approach to Improve Personal Productivity. 1. Eliminate what is unnecessary.  Each month focus on one expense and identify if it can be reduced by other vendors, re-negotiation with the current vendor, or stopping the service (do you really need it?). Example expenses include insurance, entertainment, cell phone, internet, bank fees, and computer apps.  2. Do yourself a favor, when driving or walking, turn your phone to do not disturb, and wait to text until you are in a safe space, not in the middle of the street. The goal? Not to get into an accident, get hurt, or hurt others.  3. Decrease friction. In our personnel relationships, it is common to experience or cause friction. Avoid complaints by helping out with shopping, cleaning, chores, and the kid’s homework. Don’t use the excuse that you are too tired. Own the task. Have fun. The goodwill built will benefit you at a later time. 4. Dramatic leaps. Are you happy with your work and relationships...

Public Housing Authority Process Improvement Checklist. - Develop a high-level baseline of each major.     work area.  - Identify goals, issues, and opportunities.  - Determine the scope and level of redesign    required.  - Develop baseline (current state) step-by-step   process blueprints. - Identify detailed process issues and goals.  - Develop a first level redesign to examine   how procedural (non-technology) changes       will improve processes.  - Develop a second level redesign to   determine how better use of existing   (owned) technologies can provide additional    improvement.  - As required, identify how advanced    technologies can further improve the    process.  - Gain agreement to the level and scope of the   redesign.  - Develop a change action plan to guide and    measure changes. For additional ideas regardin...

Attend a free online workshop in June that will discus how to reduce operating costs and improve customer service for organizations in the Transportation Industry.  In thirty minutes, the workshop will discuss 30 ideas on how to: dramatically reduce costs through: -  a business-process-focused enterprise      technology plan, -  planning for cost-cutting technologies such     as digital workflow, robotic process     automation, and electronic content     management, and  -  developing requirements to hold vendors     accountable for results. create ongoing continuous improvement: - program and culture, - tasks to improve operations, and  - training program to teach employees how to    improve efficiency and service. To learn more and register for this free online event

What is ECM? ECM typically allows for the scan, electronic capture, recognition, auto-classification, index, storage, search, view, workflow, management, security, intergration to data systems, and retention/disposition of unstructured content (email, word-processing, spreadsheets, presentations, PDF, TIFF, voice, photos, video, sound, and other formats).  It also can include electronic forms and digital signatures.  If properly planned for ECM can provide organizational improvements from 20% to 5x in efficiency, quality, and service, and significantly reduce the risk associated with IG/records management.  Today, most organizations have 5 to 20 different ECM systems (email, email archive, collaboration, content management, shared drives, different data systems, records management, and paper).  If ECM is not planned for correctly, sprawl and increased risk to the organization will occur.  Unfortunately this is the case for most organizations....

Our studies find that email and shared drives can cost an organization: - valuable funds.  If employees spend 8% of their time sorting, viewing, duplicating, saving, deleting, and finding documents (and attachments) this can cost an organization with 1,000 employees 24 million dollars over 5 years,  and an organization with 10,000 employees 240 million dollars over 5 years. - customer service.   The time spend in above tasks wastes valuable customer service (internal and external) time. - efficiency . As email and shared drives lack integration to e-forms, e-signature, workflow, and data systems. - risk and liability .  Due to over or under retention/disposition of documents and content; and many organizations have not updated and/or are following their electronic records management program policies, procedures, and schedules.  Since 1995 , we at CRE8 Independent Consultants have assisted clients with assessment and improvement of email, share...

Why is Continuous Process Improvement Important? Many process improvement initiatives lack long term results. Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) focuses an ongoing “never-ending” effort to improve people, processes, and systems. Unlike methods like Re-engineering, CPI focuses on incremental improvements over time, where processes are constantly evaluated and improved versus a single large improvement event. CPI teaches organizations how to work  together from senior management to workers to identify how to improve the process instead of placing blame.  W. Edwards Deming , a pioneer of the field, saw CPI as part of the 'system' whereby feedback from the process and customer are constantly evaluated against organizational goal, and improvement is ongoing. Some CPI projects use a Kaizen event (improvement), which is a method made famous by the book of Masaaki Imai “Kaizen: The Key to Japan's Competitive Success.” Kaizen teaches people how to perform expe...

Re-engineering  according to experts Michael Hammer and James Champy is the "fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical, contemporary measures of performance, such as cost, quality, service, and speed. Re-engineering asks the question "why are we doing this at all" and encourages leaps forward, not incremental change. Re-engineering assumes the majority of process steps and structure are non-value added and encourages an organization to toss out everything and start over with a brand-new picture. Reengineering starts with a high-level assessment of the organization's mission, strategic goals, and customer needs. Basic questions are asked, such as: Does our mission need to be redefined? Are our strategic goals aligned with our mission? Who are our customers? In this assessment, an organization may find that it is operating on questionable assumptions, particularly regarding the wants and needs o...

A Digital Workflow Consultant can smash paradigms and innovate your organization.   However to be successful this consultant needs to be skilled in workflow technology and process improvement (LEAN, Six Sigma, BPM, TQM) so they are able to clean up processes before automation, look for ways to reduce re-work, improve quality, and innovate processe. A skilled Digital Workflow consultant can:  - interview internal groups (and customers/vendors) to determine the level of improvement each process requires (efficiency, quality, service, frictionless, governance) and incorporate these factors into the workflow/application design,  - identify how related technologies such as capture, recognition, machine learning, electronic content management, workflow, robotic process automation, and artificial intelligence need to interact with workflow technology to improve processes, and - develop project plans to identify timelines, project dependencies and risks, requirem...

Today, organizations are asking how to properly set up records management in M365 for modules such as Outlook, Teams, Sharepoint, PowerAutomate, and Compliance Center (Purview).   In a recent poll we conducted the type of planning stated as required to ensure successful deployment of M365 is Governance/Compliance.  Unfortunately, our surveys and studies find that less than 50% of organizations have fully developed their enterprise and department ECM requirements (indexing, search. workflow, integration) before M365 implementation and only 13% have  fully set up compliance center (Purview). In addition, we find a significant number of organizations do not have (and follow) an up-to-date records management program for electronic records. The result?  If an organization's records management program is not correctly updated and implemented in their content management systems organizations can experience sprawl, regulatory non-compliance, and increased ri...

⁸Digital Workflow allows for the automation of processes that are manual and/or partly automated (email, multiple data systems).  Typically, Workflow can be developed using point and click development tools; and provides for automated decisions (if-then-else),  parallel and sequential routing, and integraration to electronic forms (that can be filled out using a portal, cell phone, or email). Workflow can be initiated by a customer, employee, automated task, or an event. Studies find that  digital workflow  technology can significantly reduce organizational costs; and improve efficiency, quality, and service. Improvements can be from 20% to 10x. Challanges with Workflow include the lack of a well thought out enterprise plan and roadmap,  not cleaning up (improving) processes before automation,  improper automation (to detailed or not detailed enough), lack of integration to e-forms, portals, and data systems, and selecting the wrong Digital Wo...

Since 1995, CRE8 ®  Incorporated Independent Consultants have helped organizations plan for Process Improvement, Workflow / ECM Paperless Technologies, Information Governance, and Complex Computer System Replacement. Our services include consulting, workshops, and conferences; provided on-site or through the internet.  As independent consultants, we work directly for end users and do not sell or represent any technology solution. This allows us to provide an independent voice to help organizations plan for and evaluate process improvement, advanced technology (workflow/ECM), information governance IG plans, and complex computer system replacement options. To learn more about our services: Process and Organizational Improvement ECM, Workflow, ERM And Information Governance Planning Complex Computer System Replacement Planning On-Line Education and Certification (Agile, BPM, Project Management PMP, Lean, Six Sigma) Conferences CRE8 serves national and international o...

Digital technologies consist of many platforms, products, and tools including capture, recognition, machine learning, content management, workflow, robotic process automation, AI, and electronic records management.   A digital transformation consultant can help your organization develop a/an: enterprise plan to provide a roadmap based upon cost/benefit so that projects can be categorized, planned, and budgeted, process baselines (current state) to identify current process costs, risks, issues, and noncompliance; process redesign goals and maps; and change action plans, digital transformation business-level requirements, workflow maps, technical requirements, vendor requests for proposal/information, change management strategies, estimated project costs, and return on investment (ROI) assessment, and  project plan  to identify timelines, project dependencies and risks, responsibilities, change management, acceptance criteria, progress, and completion....

What is Organizational Friction?  Organizational friction disrupts interactions with customers, operations, and vendors; which can negatively impact revenue, expenses, goodwill, compliance, and risk.   Signs of friction include lost sales, complaints on social media, wasted customer and organization time, lack of coordination between departments, problems created that shouldn’t have happened in the first place, lower profitability, and regulatory/legal penalties. Examples of Organizational Friction include complex on-line order web pages, transferring a customer by phone to numerous areas, lack of after-sale customer service, chargebacks, and refunds, rework, frustration between and within departments, and seeing the customer as a problem.  Root causes and fixes of friction can be found in an organization’s beliefs, processes, automation, and measurement. How to Reduce Friction Find where friction exists, beginning with an inventory of processes and cu...

What is LEAN process improvement?  LEAN made popular by Toyota focus primarily on the reduction of Muda (waste) to improve value to the customer.  The seven wastes include transportation, inventory, motion, waiting, over-processing, over-production, and defect. LEAN is founded on the belief that waste can be eliminated and asks the question does the process step provide value from the customer perspective.   To learn about our online LEAN class . Since 1995, we at CRE8 Independent Consultants have assisted hundreds of organizations and trained thousands of individuals in process improvement methods and strategies. 

What is Six Sigma process improvement? Six Sigma focus on improving the quality of the process by identification and removal of the cause of process defects and reduction of variability. Six Sigma uses statistical methods and relies on the use of trained Green Belts and Black belts who are internal and external experts.  Six Sigma goals towards 99.99966% of the products manufactured, and services provided to be statistically free of defects. Six Sigma follows Deming’s Plan-Do-Check-Act Cycle and DMAIC (“duh-may-ick”) which has five phases, including define, measure, analyze, improve, control, and recognize. A great way to learn about Six Sigma is to become certified as a yellow, green, or black belt.  See our Six Sigma Online Classes . Since 1995, we at CRE8 Independent Consultants have assisted hundreds of organizations and trained thousands of individuals in process improvement methods and strategies. 

What is a Chief Process Officer?  According to Wikipedia, “A CPO is an executive responsible for business process management at the highest level of an organization.” CPOs usually report directly to the chief executive officer (CEO) or board of directors. The CPO oversees business process activities and is responsible for defining process rules, policies, framework, procedures, and guidelines to ensure that the main objectives follow the company strategy as well as establishing control, governance, and measurement mechanisms.  As there is a need for   CTO/CIO to provide technology support/direction, a CHRO to provide human resource support, and a CFO to provide finance and accounting support and operations, a CPO will work with Chiefs to help ensure organizational improvement goals are set, achieved, measured, and sustained. A CPO will also help ensure that technology ROI, governance, and compliance goals are supported by organizational processes.   ...

Cybersecurity , also known as Information Security, is the protection of data and personally identifiable information from malicious attacks, theft, and destruction.  Failures of cybersecurity policies, both in large corporations and governmental agencies, have earned significant visibility and negative publicity in recent months and years.  As the amount of data being stored continues to increase, and as hackers become more sophisticated, the need for cybersecurity is greater than ever. Key courses in a Cybersecurity  Certificate, include:  Security and Risk Management,  Asset Security,  Security Architecture and Engineering,  Communication and Network Security,  Identity and Access Management,  Security Assessment and Testing,  Security Operations, and  Software Development Security. To learn more see our online Cybersecurity Certificate  

What is Agile Project Management?  Learning about Agile project management begins with an introduction to the core philosophy of Agile and the basic structure of an Agile project, then address the specific challenges that may be encountered by teams using Agile, best practices for integrating Agile methods into Waterfall environments, and the principles of Scrum.  Our CRE8/Mindedge Agile classes and certification, include Introduction to Agile, Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) Exam Prep, Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) Practice Exams & Exam Strategies, Certificate in Agile Project Management, Challenges for Agile Teams, Integrating Agile Into a Waterfall Environment, and Principles of Scrum. To learn more see our Agile Online Certification Classes

Fun video on "How to create the future for your organization"?  George Dunn President of CRE8 Independent Consultants #future #business  For more information, see our website