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Regardless of the current media concentration on the pros and cons of private equity firms and investments, those who work in the business or those considering entering a partnership with [...]

Downsize the annual planning burden At one time or another, all of us have participated in a structured and time-consuming annual planning meeting. At one time it was a requirement [...]

Comparisons between American and French approaches to solving human resources problems were conducted to determine the effectiveness of cross-cultural management techniques. One American resources manager reported that he experienced several misunderstandings with his French counterparts in organizing internal training programs. Nevertheless, he admitted that a synergy between the French and American approaches is most effective management technique.

American industry is not competitive in the world market because of the costs of over capacity. To reduce these costs, capacity must be planned to enable plant to operate continually at full capacity. This is the most efficient way to operate and is used by Japanese and other successful industrial companies. However, the strategic plan also has to accomodate fluctuations in demand and the possibility of increasing demand. Therefore, a plan that uses two facilities is the best solution. The first facility would work to capacity, supplying for the maximum known demand. The second facility would be more flexible and would be used to handle fluctuations in demand.

Dear Pedro, Please give me the next Boys' Life, PLEASE. I have been waiting for that Boys' Life. When. Can I have it? Dominic O., Brandon, Florida At your service, [...]

Customer retention is a key measure for the '90s. It clearly points to CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, and that starts the Satisfaction Chain which attracts and converts new customers as well as [...]

Many Canadian companies fail to encourage mentoring of young managers because of the considerable amount of time and resources need to personally train new managers. However, mentoring can prove to an effective way to increase productivity and foster closer working relationships between young and old managers. Several steps in mentoring new managers are presented. These steps take into consideration sensitive issues such as succession planning and personality compatibility., Mentoring is the assignment of a skilled and experienced operating professional to help accelerate the performance of another manager. In the 1980's the mentoring procedure was widely implemented to escalate [...]

As the Free Trade Agreement with Canada works and the U.S.-Mexico Free Trade Agreement nears, much has been written about the benefits to U.S. manufacturers and the ndgative conjecture on [...]

CATHY GULLI'S STORY about vitamin consumption in Canada and its potential hazards was informative ('How vitamins can be hazardous to your health,' Health, April 21). In it she quotes Gerry [...]

Analysts, pundits and seers seem to be obsessed with change in doing business. A close look shows the same way of doing business but change in much of the data-gathering [...]

After three post-war decades of sales emphasis, market share tactics and strategies, the decade of the '80s brought cost reduction in the building products industry into focus. Domestic and off-shore [...]

Futuristic tools for instant communication and opportunities for customer response With today's 'wiring' opportunities for customer response, all businesses which rely upon interfacing with and satisfying customers should be enjoying [...]

Annual planning meetings are normally structured and time-consuming, with some lasting several days in order to get all the necessary input from all key subordinates. However, it is possible to eliminate this part of the planning meeting without compromising the whole effort. By preparing a monthly business activity forecast, management can chart the direction of a given organization while empowering employees., All of us have at one time or another participated in a structured and time-consuming annual planning meeting. In the past, it was a requirement to involve subordinate operations in [...]

Businesses can greatly improve customer satisfaction by using 'wiring' tools effectively. These instant communication and response devices refer to personal pagers, cellular telephones, tele facsimile terminals, electronic mail, computer network access and voicemail. Specifically, these 'wiring' tools can be used to enhance response time and quality for the customer, and not merely to offer convenience to employees., With todays 'wiring' opportunities for customer response, all businesses which rely upon the interface with and satisfaction of customers should be enjoying customer satisfaction levels at unprecedented highs. That, however, [...]

Change is the vigor of operations. Change is the basis for improvement. Change is a terrifying incident to many. Change must be managed. If ever there was a consensus, it [...]

Entry-level mentoring in the 1980s has been decreasing but it has moved on to higher levels of management in the 1990s. Management executives using the mentoring approach find that a more personalized relationship is established. Also, a mentor provides long-term and broader help than that given by professional consultants while feedback is immediate and candid. All in all, the support received from a mentor is more on a personal level, leading to more efficient management., Mentoring is the assignment of a skilled and experienced operating professional to help accelerate the performance of another manager. In the 1980s the mentoring procedure was widely implemented to escalate [...]

Mentoring is the assignment of a skilled and experienced professional to help accelerate the performance of another manager. In the 1980s, the mentoring procedure was widely implemented to escalate the [...]

For distributors, retailers, manufacturers or service providers, gross margin dollar revenue growth has been the most critical task for general management. This trend continues. Gross margin revenue is affected by [...]

Value, its perception and presentation, is a fact of doing business in this decade. A focus on value has been a high priority during times of economic downward cycles. Economic [...]

Business growth goal attainment can be achieved through the effective management of product and service mix. Both the customers and the employees have to agree on the value of the higher price per unit products and services which push sales mix improvement. Gross margin revenue growth through the buy low-sell high tactic should be attained since many competitors can easily imitate levels of cost of goods sold and pricing. The key is value, not customer satisfaction., Whether a business is a distributor, retailer, manufacturer, or service provider, gross margin dollar revenue growth has been, for the past few years, and will continue through the 90's, to [...]

I can honestly say I've been to h#@l and back. Recently did a job on a carpet that was so thick in grease and filth. They have 5 vacuums and [...]

Some key principles regarding how to manage change in an organization were presented. Change can be directed at individuals, work groups, the entire organization or a particular market. For any type of change to become effective, its objectives and time-frame must be well-delineated. The change required must be communicated either orally or in writing, and regular reports on the progress of the change must be made. Finally, an evaluation must be made of the capacity or capability of the change unit to actually undergo the required change., Change is the vigor of operations. Change is the basis for improvement. Change is a terrifying, incident to many. Change must be managed. If ever there were a consensus, it [...]