by Carlo Scodanibbio http://www.scodanibbio.com Nothing will happen in those enterprises that do not know where they stand. No real improvement can take place... Because they stand in soft, loose ground, or even quicksand.... so that any attempt to improve will most probably make them sink even more... This e-course is designed to enable participating enterprises to learn how to "measure" - and then monitor". Specific objectives of this course include: * to provide simple, basic techniques and tools to understand, assess and measure Performance and its main short, medium and long term components (value-added, productivity, output quality, profitability.... climate, image, reputation, culture....) as well as basic Indexing Methods and graphic tools, suited to monitor "at a glance" the essential parameters of an enterprise's Performance * to illustrate practical and simple methods to put into strict relationship the Value being generated by the enterprise with the associated overall costs, supplying basic hints for maximising the former and minimising the latter E-course main topics: * Do you know what Industrial Performance is and which are its main components? and which ones are the most essential to know and monitor? do you know how to measure and attach an index to a quantifiable component, and how to measure un-quantifiable components (for instance: "reputation on the market") of your enterprise's Performance? do you know how to create internal questionnaires and scoring methods? Learn how to measure the main parameters of your enterprise Performance, and how to monitor them at a glance through a radar chart. * Economical Performance: how to conceive, personalise and set-up a basic Industrial Cost Control system: forget cost centres, start considering profit centres associated with your vital processes - how should all direct costs (materials, labour, consumables, etc.) be monitored and recorded - when and how to take into consideration the impact of general expenses on costing and pricing - how to establish a working and continuous correlation between budgets and forecasts and the Industrial Cost Control system - why everybody should fill in a Daily Time Sheet - how to conceive it - how to set up simple but effective schemes to prepare price lists, offers and quotations. The final target: know your profitability in real time at any time. How should a cost reduction program be conceived and implemented. * Is your enterprise sufficiently productive? How do you know? Productivity and its main composing parameters can and must be understood and measured. How to establish the gap between your ideal and your present productivity index. How to start conceiving corrective measures to reduce the gap. Understanding value-added in your processes and waste inherent in them. Understanding the link between Quality and Productivity. How to associate a Productivity monitoring system to an Industrial Cost Control system for full control of the enterprise's operational aspects. * How to measure and monitor all Quality-related parameters, in a simple and non-bureaucratic way. * Enterprise's Operational Performance: what other components should you beneficially measure and control? How to use simple, basic software to keep all Performance Indices under continuous control. * Now you are ready to identify the gap and set the targets. Is it better to use an absolute method or a relative method (like Benchmarking)? Target audience: Senior and Middle Management Personnel from all Industrial and Commercial Enterprises. The very small enterprise (up to 20 employees) will particularly benefit from taking this e-course. To see full details of this e-course and of all other e-courses offered by Carlo Scodanibbio visit http://www.scodanibbio.com/site/e_courses.html