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E-Zine January 2012
HAPPY NEW YEAR and welcome to the January 2012 edition of Alora Consultants monthly E-zine.
Each month our E-zine will deliver news on upcoming seminars and training events you may wish to pencil into your diaries. In our Toolbox section we will focus on a useful continuous improvement tool that can help you make a difference to your business. Our updates on any funding available may help you make the changes you want to implement and every month our E-zine will feature interesting articles and industry case studies that you can relate to.
December was a busy month for us at Alora Consultants as we concluded a series of FREE half day seminars for local businesses on how Lean Six Sigma can help make businesses better, faster and more cost efficient. A huge thank you to all our attendees for their enthusiasm and participation at the various events. We will be running a series of workshops and seminars in the coming months so keep checking the newsletter and website for updates on when these events are being held.
The Team at Alora Consultants
Retail Case Study
It’s sometimes very difficult to visualise theory being put into practice. In this section, each month we will review a case study which demonstrates the power of Continuous Improvement, Lean, Six Sigma and Change Management and the rewards that were achieved. Since we are all after coming out of the Christmas holiday season and spent a lot of time and money shopping, let’s have a look at a retail case study.
A large retailer of home products had multiple problems with their checkout system and processes. The systems and processes that were put in place were sufficient to deal with the volume of customers when the retailer was established but as the retailer grew and volumes grew the processes and systems became out dated. This resulted in slow response times at the checkouts and intermittent downtime which resulted in long delays at the checkout. The long delays were frustrating customers and some left without purchasing anything while others remained but were extremely dissatisfied with the experience. Also the staff was unable to accurately complete stock takes during opening hours and some items went out-of-stock which again resulted in poor customer satisfaction.
Continuous Improvement Toolbox
Each month we will explain how to use a simple Continuous Improvement tool, one that can be used in everyday activities as this is the key to the success of Continuous Improvement. This month we will focus on Brainstorming.
Brainstorming is a simple method to use with a small or large group of people for idea generation when identifying areas of improvement or root causes. It can be used on its own or with a Fishbone diagram or with 5 Why’s. At Alora Consultants we like to follow the 4F’s approach to facilitating a Brainstorming event.
What prescription does your business need for success in 2012?
Every business must continually review and evaluate itself in order to survive and to meet current challenges. No better time than at the start of a New Year to discuss Lean Assessments. A Lean Business Assessment is a method for reviewing and evaluating a business. It generates ideas for improvement within your business. It is a review and analysis of all functional areas of the business to identify and prioritise problems and opportunities for improvement.
Upcoming Events
Alora Consultants are currently preparing for a number of upcoming events for 2012.
In 2011 we were approved by Enterprise Ireland as Service Providers for ther Lean Business Initiative. Since then we have been very active in this program helping businesses control costa and build long term sustainability by improving efficiencies ad quality.
We are also in the middle of preparing for the Skillnets Job Seekers Support Program (JSSP). This program takes an unemployed professional, trains them in a new skill set and then places them in work placement for a minimum of 5 days.
January Offer
On a monthly basis we will be offering to our E-zine readers one of our services at a reduced rate or sometimes even FREE! So keep an eye on this section for services that could have a huge impact on your business at affordable prices.
For the month of January, Alora Consultants are offering a FREE 1 day Lean Assessment of your business. This assessment will identify areas of improvement within your business that will yield savings in time, resources and money.
To avail of this offer contact Alora Consultants at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it titling your e-mail ‘FREE Lean Assessment’. Offer valid to 31/01/12.
Funding Update
Presently there are two funding programs in operation that businesses can avail of:
Enterprise Ireland Lean Business Program – EI are partially funding the use of consultants/trainers by EI Client Companies for the purpose of improving efficiencies and quality of products and services. For more information visit www.aloraconsultants.ie or http://www.enterprise-ireland.com/en/Productivity/
Skillnets – Skillnets is a state funded, enterprise-led support body dedicated to the promotion and facilitation of training and up skilling as key elements in sustaining
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