Game Change

Picture source: www.theguardian.com

BY: PAUL ENGLE

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEER – VOLUME 46 NUMBER 2

Let’s look back. During the difficult days of 2008 and 2009, companies rapidly trimmed staff to bring operating expenses in line with lower revenues. Many of these highly skilled people found the labor market impossible and resorted to working on short-term contracts. Many colleagues complain that employers have offered small salary increases during the past five years while increasing workloads and passing more healthcare costs on the staff members.

Executives might need a new strategy for filling technical resource requirements. The first approach continues to be maximizing the productivity of existing staff through eliminating waste. Productivity improvement represents the best method. Redesigning processes to reduce cycle time and rework always pays huge dividends. This approach may be even more attractive when companies face a shrinking labor pool and tight budgets.

Most companies develop IT strategic plans that are aligned with the business. IT steering committees meet quarterly to review progress and set priorities based on business needs. This approach may not serve all business process owners, but it will provide the projects needed to compare.

Improving the workplace experience for staff members could help management attract and retain the type of workers required to fulfill the company’s mission. Reviewing the current workplace environment and improving business processes will help your company achieve its goal.