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The goal of any business management system standard is to reduce risk , improve operational outcomes and maximize profitability. In manufacturing, process waste is one of the heaviest drains on profitability. To that end, in todays’ blog post we will identify the eight types of waste in manufacturing to optimize the production process.
Evaluate your operations to understand areas for improvement and waste reduction. Remember that by reducing the amount of waste in your operation, you can significantly improve your competitiveness and bottom line.
For more information on how Accupoint Software can help you reduce waste in your manufacturing operations, please schedule a demo today.
For more information on how Accupoint Software can help you reduce waste in your manufacturing operations, please schedule a demo today.
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Management of Change (MOC) is a process that some organizations struggle with. To help, we put together this video overview outlining the common components that make up a great MOC program. We hope you find it useful.
For more information on how Accupoint can help your organization tackle the Management of Change process, please contact us today to discuss specifics.
For more information on how Accupoint can help your organization tackle the Management of Change process, please contact us today to discuss specifics.
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Many influential organizations are pushing for the energy industry to adapt to ideas centered in environmental and cultural sustainability. In 2017 the United Nations Development Program, the International Finance Corporation and IPIECA published a report detailing private-sector Oil & Gas sustainable development goals, and expressing how these should be integrated into standard operations.
Additionally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics expressed concerns that women make up only one-fifth of all U.S. oil and gas extraction jobs, while otherwise occupying 47 percent of the labor force. Encouraging more female representation in Oil & Gas represents a one avenue of meeting the cultural sustainability standards being encouraged by industry leaders.
Whether dealing with cultural or environmental sustainability, a management infrastructure that incorporates strong product, resource and employee management processes is key. Innovations that ensure that all employees have quick access to material safety data sheets, and effective response planning through handheld devices can be critical to reducing the effect of environmental hazards. Collecting and managing employee and customer feedback can help create inclusive hiring and employee retention polices, as well as internally address gender or ethnic based grievances or discrimination.
Simply implementing management policies that are mindful of sustainability imparities can create an internal culture of sustainability, which will inherently direct future planning in line with these development goals.
To aid with sustainability efforts, many progressive oil and energy organizations are turning to software to help manage their development and implementation efforts. For example, tracking changes made to procedures and policies while attempting to implement sustainability practices is crucial when it comes to understanding the impact and effectiveness of such changes.
For more information on how Accupoint Software can help you manage your sustainability goals, please contact us today.
Whether dealing with cultural or environmental sustainability, a management infrastructure that incorporates strong product, resource and employee management processes is key. Innovations that ensure that all employees have quick access to material safety data sheets, and effective response planning through handheld devices can be critical to reducing the effect of environmental hazards. Collecting and managing employee and customer feedback can help create inclusive hiring and employee retention polices, as well as internally address gender or ethnic based grievances or discrimination.
Simply implementing management policies that are mindful of sustainability imparities can create an internal culture of sustainability, which will inherently direct future planning in line with these development goals.
To aid with sustainability efforts, many progressive oil and energy organizations are turning to software to help manage their development and implementation efforts. For example, tracking changes made to procedures and policies while attempting to implement sustainability practices is crucial when it comes to understanding the impact and effectiveness of such changes.
For more information on how Accupoint Software can help you manage your sustainability goals, please contact us today.
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Clause 10 of the ISO 9001:2015 standard requires that we must be able to demonstrate our continual improvement efforts related to the quality management system. But continual improvement seems a fairy arbitrary idea, and it can be difficult to understand exactly what that means.
Clause 10 of the ISO 9001:2015 standard requires that we must be able to demonstrate our continual improvement efforts related to the quality management system. But continual improvement seems a fairy arbitrary idea, and it can be difficult to understand exactly what that means.
Specifically, the standard requires us to document the actions taken to to enhance customer satisfaction, such as improvements to products and/or services. This means that continual improvement must be a management mindset, centered around creating procedures and processes that grow into day-to-day practices that are carried to completion time and time again.
This process is dependent on effectively collecting customer and employee feedback and applying those evaluations to products and services. One of the best ways to do this is to utilize software-based management tools that track point of contact communications with customers and vendors and encourage and facilitate strong record keeping practices that centralize customer feedback.
Good response feedback should include open ended questions such as “Was the response successful?” or “What process should be improved?” Such data can be an invaluable asset when deciding what improvements can be made to any service or product. Beyond meeting the requirements, approaching the process in this way generates customer satisfaction and promotes long-term relationships.
For more information on how Accupoint Software can help your business promote continual improvement efforts, please contact us today.
This process is dependent on effectively collecting customer and employee feedback and applying those evaluations to products and services. One of the best ways to do this is to utilize software-based management tools that track point of contact communications with customers and vendors and encourage and facilitate strong record keeping practices that centralize customer feedback.
Good response feedback should include open ended questions such as “Was the response successful?” or “What process should be improved?” Such data can be an invaluable asset when deciding what improvements can be made to any service or product. Beyond meeting the requirements, approaching the process in this way generates customer satisfaction and promotes long-term relationships.
For more information on how Accupoint Software can help your business promote continual improvement efforts, please contact us today.
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Considering the recent drop in crude oil prices and how it affects business development and systems management globally, oil and gas industry experts propose that leaders view this as an opportunity to address talent and technology needs. In light of layoffs and stalled project advances, businesses are looking to do more with less
As the oil and gas industry is in the midst of evaluating and improving business practices in order to competitively deliver services and products, the underlying drive is to find ways to create faster and more efficient processes. Further, the pressure to deliver at an optimum level while maintaining cost effectiveness is greater than ever.
One of the growing trends of balancing reduced resources is integrating technology solutions, including cloud computing. Simply put, a business subscribes to an application and accesses it over the internet.
One of the growing trends of balancing reduced resources is integrating technology solutions, including cloud computing. Simply put, a business subscribes to an application and accesses it over the internet.
The oil industry is going to have to call in technology companies and academics to solve its digital problems.
There are many advantages to using cloud-based technology, especially when your talent pool has been downsized:
- Increased operational knowledge retention
- Improved communications with customers and partners
- Improved process management to minimize operational issues
- Increased savings in cost and time
- Faster returns on your investment due to operational efficiencies
Due to changes within the industry and the demand to remain competitive within a global market, many businesses are adopting technological solutions to fill the void of talent and the mandate to do more with less. In fact, many businesses discover better business practices as they learn to operate according to a leaner, more efficient model.
For a demonstration of how Accupoint Software can help improve your operational efficiency, we invite you to contact us today.
For a demonstration of how Accupoint Software can help improve your operational efficiency, we invite you to contact us today.
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Maintaining a management system that is effective, satisfactory and suitable is a requirement of the API Spec Q2 standard. In fact, section 6.5 states:
“The organization’s quality management system shall be reviewed at least annually by the organization’s management to evaluate the quality management system’s continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness.”
To that end, we thought we would discuss a couple of items to help streamline your Management Review planning.
When to Have a Review:
The standard requires that you review your system annually, at a minimum. However, best practice dictates that you schedule your reviews more often, say quarterly and focus on specific aspects during each session. Ultimately, this makes the process easier to manage and avoids duplication of efforts.
What to Include:
When you are setting up your Management Review agenda, make sure to compile data for use in the discussion. Include internal and third party audit results, customer complaints, non-conformities and corrective action requests. Develop a schedule that allows you to review each aspect of the management system by the anniversary date. Be sure to allow for a discussion period, to address areas for improvement as well as ways that the system should be monitored.
Upon completion, prepare action plans to address required changes to processes, resources, and other items identified in the review.
Documentation:
Per the standard, the results of the Management Review must be documented and maintained. In addition, top management must review and approve the summary assessment. Results should be communicated with appropriate individuals throughout the organization. Finally, the results should be used to drive continual improvement efforts within the organization.
To find out how Accupoint can help streamline your Management Review processes, please call toll free 800.563.6250 or visit us at accupointsoftware.com.
When to Have a Review:
The standard requires that you review your system annually, at a minimum. However, best practice dictates that you schedule your reviews more often, say quarterly and focus on specific aspects during each session. Ultimately, this makes the process easier to manage and avoids duplication of efforts.
What to Include:
When you are setting up your Management Review agenda, make sure to compile data for use in the discussion. Include internal and third party audit results, customer complaints, non-conformities and corrective action requests. Develop a schedule that allows you to review each aspect of the management system by the anniversary date. Be sure to allow for a discussion period, to address areas for improvement as well as ways that the system should be monitored.
Upon completion, prepare action plans to address required changes to processes, resources, and other items identified in the review.
Documentation:
Per the standard, the results of the Management Review must be documented and maintained. In addition, top management must review and approve the summary assessment. Results should be communicated with appropriate individuals throughout the organization. Finally, the results should be used to drive continual improvement efforts within the organization.
To find out how Accupoint can help streamline your Management Review processes, please call toll free 800.563.6250 or visit us at accupointsoftware.com.
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Although quality management systems have been around for over sixty years, some companies are more serious about quality management than others. This is evidenced by the continued high amount of recalls in various industries. In order to do more than just claim to have a quality management system, it is vital that a company works to empower each worker at every phase of the operation to have a part in making the system better and contribute to it's improvement.
Properly training and motivating the workforce becomes a self-fulfilling task. As workers continue to be included in the quality process and receive continued training, they begin to feel more motivated and empowered as an integral part of the operation. When they know their voices and contributions are heard, they then will take a more hands-on approach in making sure that the products and/or services are delivered at the highest quality.
Empowered and engaged workers lead to high morale. This in turn continues to feed and grow throughout the entire company resulting in benefits for the company, the customer, as well as the workers themselves.
For more information on how Accupoint Software can manage your API Spec Q1, API Spec Q2 or ISO 9001 quality system and help to empower your team, contact us today.
Properly training and motivating the workforce becomes a self-fulfilling task. As workers continue to be included in the quality process and receive continued training, they begin to feel more motivated and empowered as an integral part of the operation. When they know their voices and contributions are heard, they then will take a more hands-on approach in making sure that the products and/or services are delivered at the highest quality.
Empowered and engaged workers lead to high morale. This in turn continues to feed and grow throughout the entire company resulting in benefits for the company, the customer, as well as the workers themselves.
For more information on how Accupoint Software can manage your API Spec Q1, API Spec Q2 or ISO 9001 quality system and help to empower your team, contact us today.
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Service supply organizations are always seeking to optimize, by improving customer relationships for greater revenue and cost reductions. The constant demands, adjustments and upkeep of customers requires a more formalized way to compare and service them. That is why customer benchmarking is so key. In today’s post, we will examine a few factors that demonstrate the power and influence of customer benchmarking.
First, customer benchmarking demonstrates the costs and services that each customer is accumulating. It logs every customer interaction and the services provided to them, whether it is in the initial contract or not. This helps to determine the total cost for delivering your product or service to the customer.
Second, customer benchmarking helps to determine the true price of your product or service. A comprehensive software solution can isolate the amount of product and the price that is actually received from the customer. This helps to clarify the true value of the customer when compared to the cost of services.
Finally, you use benchmarking tools to determine the satisfaction and feedback of the customer. The tool automatically sends a survey to key stakeholders at the client company. The survey results are tabulated and provide feedback to provide continual improvement efforts. The data helps managers at your company understand how the customer truly feels about your performance. It also compares the feedback across all the customers to get a true sense of the most loyal and the least loyal accounts.
Accupoint’s solution family has helped many firms benchmark customers, improve satisfaction and meet compliance standards, leading to greater revenue and less costs. For more information about how Accupoint Software can help streamline the management of your customer benchmarking program, please contact us today.
First, customer benchmarking demonstrates the costs and services that each customer is accumulating. It logs every customer interaction and the services provided to them, whether it is in the initial contract or not. This helps to determine the total cost for delivering your product or service to the customer.
Second, customer benchmarking helps to determine the true price of your product or service. A comprehensive software solution can isolate the amount of product and the price that is actually received from the customer. This helps to clarify the true value of the customer when compared to the cost of services.
Finally, you use benchmarking tools to determine the satisfaction and feedback of the customer. The tool automatically sends a survey to key stakeholders at the client company. The survey results are tabulated and provide feedback to provide continual improvement efforts. The data helps managers at your company understand how the customer truly feels about your performance. It also compares the feedback across all the customers to get a true sense of the most loyal and the least loyal accounts.
Accupoint’s solution family has helped many firms benchmark customers, improve satisfaction and meet compliance standards, leading to greater revenue and less costs. For more information about how Accupoint Software can help streamline the management of your customer benchmarking program, please contact us today.
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Staying ahead in today's global economy often requires companies to make changes. The ability to adapt to change is a crucial part of organizational management. When your company adopts clear methodologies and processes to respond to change you will be set up for success. Organizational buy-in has become a prominent topic of discussion. Due to the team-based structure of most companies, change is often created through influence. Therefore, you need to be skilled in gaining support for your ideas. You need buy-in to implement your revolutionary ideas that move the company forward.
To successfully achieve organizational buy-in, your effort needs to be constructed carefully with attention paid to all of the factors that help a change initiative gain support. While there is not one method that will always work to overcome natural resistance to change, here are four tips that will help you achieve successful organizational buy-in.
Make It Clear
Disciplined thought and honest effort go a long way. When you present reality truthfully, the right decisions become clear. Being honest will also allow your coworkers and employees to trust you. Perhaps the most influential factor in achieving organizational buy-in is committing to open, honest and complete disclosure. To be successful you need to go beyond the data and analysis. A change effort makes the most headway when you appeal to employees' emotions. Using clear, striking examples that appeal to feeling will compel people to want the change. Show what the existing problems are and how this change will resolve them. This will motivate others to act.
Make it Manageable
Presenting a complex, multiyear project can easily make employees and coworkers feel overwhelmed. When you break the project down into steps with clear goals, it will seem more manageable. Consider presenting the larger project as smaller bite-sized phases. This will also make it easier to feel like progress can be made; it will give the change momentum. You can use this method to implement the change in smaller steps in the real world also. Utilizing this technique will help you resolve any potential problems before they become bigger.
Listen to Employees
The relationship with your employees and coworkers is important. You will need their help to achieve buy-in. Your job is to sell everyone on your idea. Explaining your ideas clearly and making it manageable are both ways to strengthen your relationship. Then you need to listen. Address concerns or any interpersonal issues. Your change effort will depend on management's dedication to open dialogue. Remember that listening well can sometimes be even more important than speaking well. Your employees are a valuable source of ideas and support.
Trust the Team
When trying to achieve organizational buy-in, there needs to be strong methods to drive management from the bottom up. You will be implementing change as a team. When change is driven both from the bottom up and top down it creates a strong dynamic and momentum. This means getting both employees and even customers on board. Everyone will come together to harness the force of change and push for success.
Senior management is ultimately responsible for the success of the change effort. Avoid some common faults by paying attention to how much funding is needed, what the required competencies and capabilities are, and what metrics and rewards can be used to support the change. Effective leaders will find the right levers and incentives to reduce resistance and gain momentum for change.
For more information on achieving organizational buy-in, and a variety of other business management solutions for the oil and gas industry, contact us today.
To successfully achieve organizational buy-in, your effort needs to be constructed carefully with attention paid to all of the factors that help a change initiative gain support. While there is not one method that will always work to overcome natural resistance to change, here are four tips that will help you achieve successful organizational buy-in.
Make It Clear
Disciplined thought and honest effort go a long way. When you present reality truthfully, the right decisions become clear. Being honest will also allow your coworkers and employees to trust you. Perhaps the most influential factor in achieving organizational buy-in is committing to open, honest and complete disclosure. To be successful you need to go beyond the data and analysis. A change effort makes the most headway when you appeal to employees' emotions. Using clear, striking examples that appeal to feeling will compel people to want the change. Show what the existing problems are and how this change will resolve them. This will motivate others to act.
Make it Manageable
Presenting a complex, multiyear project can easily make employees and coworkers feel overwhelmed. When you break the project down into steps with clear goals, it will seem more manageable. Consider presenting the larger project as smaller bite-sized phases. This will also make it easier to feel like progress can be made; it will give the change momentum. You can use this method to implement the change in smaller steps in the real world also. Utilizing this technique will help you resolve any potential problems before they become bigger.
Listen to Employees
The relationship with your employees and coworkers is important. You will need their help to achieve buy-in. Your job is to sell everyone on your idea. Explaining your ideas clearly and making it manageable are both ways to strengthen your relationship. Then you need to listen. Address concerns or any interpersonal issues. Your change effort will depend on management's dedication to open dialogue. Remember that listening well can sometimes be even more important than speaking well. Your employees are a valuable source of ideas and support.
Trust the Team
When trying to achieve organizational buy-in, there needs to be strong methods to drive management from the bottom up. You will be implementing change as a team. When change is driven both from the bottom up and top down it creates a strong dynamic and momentum. This means getting both employees and even customers on board. Everyone will come together to harness the force of change and push for success.
Senior management is ultimately responsible for the success of the change effort. Avoid some common faults by paying attention to how much funding is needed, what the required competencies and capabilities are, and what metrics and rewards can be used to support the change. Effective leaders will find the right levers and incentives to reduce resistance and gain momentum for change.
For more information on achieving organizational buy-in, and a variety of other business management solutions for the oil and gas industry, contact us today.
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A well-designed continual improvement program is the key to a company’s growth within the petroleum industry. In addition to providing the framework for attaining the highest quality of product and service, a continual improvement program helps petroleum companies target inefficiencies and reduce waste. The result is a company that has the resources to weather challenging market conditions and thrive in favorable markets. Below is a look at 10 elements of effective continual improvement programs.
Seeking the Guidance of an Expert in Continual Improvement
Not all continual improvement programs are created equal. The best way for you to design a sound continual improvement program is to enlist the expertise of an industry expert. Accupoint Software has been facilitating continual quality programs for companies in the petroleum industry for nearly a decade. Please contact us to learn how we can help you launch an effective continual improvement program. We look forward to hearing from you!
- Link continual improvement programs to your company’s mission or goals. Employees need to understand why a continual improvement program is being implemented. By linking the program to your company’s mission, you will be more likely to garner support and participation at all employee levels.
- Communicate goals and program benefits to employees. Identifying and relaying goals for improvement is critical to a program’s success. Goals should be specific, attainable and actionable to produce ideal results. If incentives will be offered to employees for exceeding performance goals, these incentives should be specified before a program’s inception.
- Stress the participation of managers and supervisors. Involvement of upper management is necessary to lead and engage front line employees. Managers should model desired behaviors and highlight the specific ways that continual improvement programs will value specific employees within a company. Managers and supervisors must make sure that employees remain on track and focused on performance goals.
- Regularly monitor program performance. Evaluating the effectiveness of a continual improvement program is impossible without regular performance monitoring and results tracking. Real-time, accurate program results are vital to the ability to a program’s success because companies can target under-performing areas of their organization.
- Develop strategies to reduce waste. In the petroleum industry, strategies for waste reduction serve a dual purpose. They target supply chain inefficiencies and reduce the environmental effects of petroleum operations. Non-value added processes should be minimized and recycling should be considered when appropriate.
- Focus on the prevention of common problems. In the petroleum industry, front-line supervisors are often unable to effectively manage employees or procedures because they spend much of their time reacting to problems and tackling exception reports. A continual improvement program focuses on the prevention of injury, waste, and supply chain bottlenecks.
- Identify key inefficiencies. An effective program identifies and targets opportunities for improvement. This process can target sluggish activities at refineries, subpar sales performance, ineffective marketing, and bottlenecks in supply chain activity. Quality control and testing procedures should be evaluated for effectiveness and amended to enhance accuracy and efficiency.
- Enhance employee training programs. A training program should be thorough and engaging for all employees. Safety and compliance should be key program focal points, and employees should be encouraged to develop new skills. Finally, employees should receive continuing education and ongoing training.
- Link employee bonuses to performance improvements. Tying rewards or bonuses to performance improvement is a great way to keep employees engaged and interested in program outcomes. Periodic internal audits are an effective means of assessing program results.
- Develop a long-term mindset. The most effective continual improvement programs are future-oriented in their approach. They stress preservation of the environment, conservation of resources, continued education, and long-term company growth. Finally, long-term solutions are valued more than short-term strategies.
Seeking the Guidance of an Expert in Continual Improvement
Not all continual improvement programs are created equal. The best way for you to design a sound continual improvement program is to enlist the expertise of an industry expert. Accupoint Software has been facilitating continual quality programs for companies in the petroleum industry for nearly a decade. Please contact us to learn how we can help you launch an effective continual improvement program. We look forward to hearing from you!
