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Key No. 5 – Maximising The Business Benefits And Return On Your IT Investments

It goes without saying that, despite the best planning and implementation processes, the proof of an ERP project is in the business benefits and the return on investment achieved. A well-executed project is less than successful if there are no benefits or returns. This should be obvious to all, and this should be the primary focus of every project, in any field.

But judging by the number of ‘failed’ projects – whether this means never being completed or simply not living up to expectations – one would be forgiven for wondering if this overriding priority is forgotten in many cases. The attitude that “the operation was successful but the patient died” must be avoided at all costs, and it is an attitude that must be avoided throughout the project lifecycle.

Realising the benefits of your ERP implementation is determined by the actions taken in the initial planning stages of a project, as well as the result of how well the system is used once it is up and running. Poor planning can mean limited or even zero benefits or, at worst, a highly negative impact on the organisation. There are cases where organisations have suffered terminal effects of a poor implementation.

Companies focus on the process of selecting and installing ERP software systems but once the initial project is complete, it often happens that both the original team and the business focus move on, whether or not all the original goals have been achieved. The end result is something of an instant legacy system, with no budget or plan for further training or realisation of business objectives.

It cannot be emphasised enough that business benefits come after the project is complete. This is often a difficult issue to manage during the implementation phase, as those involved require faith in the project that the benefits will be achieved, but often see little evidence of this during the implementation itself.

A good example of this is in the consideration of modifications. It is often easier for project teams to request a modification to maintain the status quo and appease business users rather than try and introduce an improved process. For this reason any modification must be endorsed by the business leader most affected by the modification and reviewed by his peers.

Where possible the benefits should be built into operational plans budgets to ensure they are realised. This will encourage business managers not directly involved with the project to maintain an interest as they know they will be measured once it is in operation.

Joe Peppard et al referred to this in an article in MIS Quarterly Executive (called MIS1 from here on): “With the information technology investments, most organisations focus on implementing the technology rather than on realising the expected business benefits. Consequently, benefits are not forthcoming, despite a project’s technical success.”

They go on to say: “When considering return on investment calculations, organisations are so pre-occupied with manipulating the denominator – reducing spend – that they do not focus on the numerator – how IT can generate significant benefits. Equally worrying is the traditional investment appraisal process, which is often seen as a ritual that must be overcome before a project can begin. Many benefits are overstated to get the project through this process.

“No wonder few companies engage in post-implementation reviews. They already know that many of the benefits described in the business case are unlikely to be achieved.”

As cynical as this last judgement is, there is an element of truth in it. But it needn’t be so. There are ways to ensure – or, at least, to maximise – the business benefits that your ERP implementation can achieve.

Peppard et al, in another article (MIS Quarterly Executive, March 2008 - called MIS2 from here on), say “There is an important difference between investment objectives and benefits. Objectives are overall goals or aims on the investment, which are agreed on by all relevant stakeholders. In contrast, benefits are advantages provided to specific groups or individuals as a result of meeting the overall objectives.”

They suggest (in MIS1) that, underlying an ERP project proposal, there should be five principles adhered with in order to realise value through IT.

Principle #1 is that IT has no inherent value. “Just having technology does not confer any benefit or create value. The value of technology is not in its possession. In fact, IT spending only incurs costs. Benefits result from effective use of IT assets.”

Principle #2 is that benefits arise when IT enables people to do things differently. “Benefits emerge only when individuals or groups within an organisation, or its customers or suppliers, perform their roles in more efficient or effective ways. Generally, these new ways of working require improving how information is used.”

Principle #3 says that only business managers and users can release business benefits. “Benefits result from changes and innovations in ways of working, so only business managers, users, and possibly customers and suppliers, can make these changes. Therefore, IT and project staff cannot be held accountable for realising the business benefits of IT investments. Business staff must take on this responsibility. Getting business staff to acknowledge this principle is a key way to ensure that they become involved in so-called IT projects.”

Principle #4 reminds us that all IT projects have outcomes, but not all outcomes are benefits. “Many IT projects produce negative outcomes, sometimes even affecting the very survival of the organisation. The challenges for management are to avoid such negative outcomes and to ensure that the positive outcomes deliver explicit business benefits.

Principle #5 says that benefits must be actively managed to be obtained. “Benefits are not outcomes that automatically occur. Furthermore, the accumulation of benefits lags implementation; there can be a time gap between initial investment and payoff. Therefore, managing for the benefits does not stop when the technical implementation is completed. Benefits management needs to continue until all the expected benefits have either been achieved, or it is clear they will not materialise.”

To implement an ERP project based on their five principles, Peppard et al recommend that seven key questions should be asked, the answers to which “are used to develop both a robust business case for the investment and a viable change management plan to deliver the benefits”.

These questions are:

• Why must we improve?

• What improvements are necessary or possible?

• What benefits will be realised by each stakeholder if the investment objectives are achieved?

• Who owns each benefit and will be accountable for its delivery?

• What changes are needed to achieve each benefit?

• Who will be responsible for ensuring that each change is successfully made?

• How and when can the identified changes be made?

They do warn (MIS2) that “Some benefits can only be measured by opinion or judgement. … Quantifiable benefits are ones where an existing measure is in place or can be put in place relatively easily. Since quantifying benefits inevitably involves forecasting the future, the challenge is to find ways of doing this as accurately and robustly as possible.”

But an ERP system does not stand alone, and realising benefits often relies on other, external inputs. ERP software systems are largely data dependent and data driven and the key to realising the full benefits is integration. If information is incomplete or inconsistent it becomes very difficult to integrate reliably and the results can lead to a loss of business confidence in the system and increased non-productive work load for support personnel.

Often day-to-day operation of systems falls to staff who weren’t involved during the initial implementation and who have not received the same levels of training and handover as the original team. As a result effective system usage tends to deteriorate over time.

Your approach, then, to realising benefits of an ERP implementation (or any IT project, for that matter) relies on taking an holistic approach, which means not just all participants and stakeholders, but also all inputs. And this also means across the entire spread of a project – from the very first inkling of a suggestion or realisation of a need, to the end project and, importantly, beyond – to the ultimate users and how they will react to and live with the system that has, hopefully, been fully implemented. An implementation is not successful until anticipated benefits are achieved – largely after implementation – or a good reason established for why they won’t be. Responsibility, therefore, for doing this rests with many players, at many stages.

Complex? Yes.

Difficult? Maybe.

Essential? Absolutely.

References

• Clarke, P., “How to maximise your investment in ERP technology”, June 2008, IBS Australia

• Peppard, J., Ward, J., and Daniel, E., “Managing the realisation of business benefits from IT investments”, March 2007, MIS Quarterly Executive

• Ward, J., Daniel, E., and Peppard, J., “Building better business cases for IT investments”, March 2008, MIS Quarterly Executive

To subscribe to the entire article series visit http://www.supplychainsecrets.com.au

Peter Clarke, Chief Technology Officer IBS Asia Pacific has over 20 years experience in ERP Software, ERP Systems, Supply Chain Management Software and EAI.

Any business is composed of many processes. All of those processes have direct or indirect impact to the main activity – serving the customers. Customers expect to receive product and/or service from their supplier that will satisfy their needs.

Usually, more than one company is competing for the same customer base. Eventually, the customer base is split based on chosen supplier. What is the reason for customer to choose one supplier out of many? All suppliers are competing to satisfy customer’s needs by offering them a certain value. This value is represented as ratio between benefits and price. More benefits for less price gives greater value to the customer. So, the product/service needs either to have bigger benefit for the same price, or lower price for the same benefit, for some company to be chosen as a preferred supplier.

When we come to cost structure, that affects the value delivered, we find many process steps that increase, directly or indirectly, the price of the product. These activities can be value adding or waste activities.

Value Adding Activities

Since customer appreciate greater value that he receives from his supplier, any activity that customer cares about is value adding. Any activity that improves the product appearance, functionality, durability, satisfaction and brand loyalty is value-adding activity.

Also, value-adding activity is any activity that changes the product itself. This can be in any step in raw materials manipulation, production, or adjustments and packing of the product.

Finally, any activity that is done properly from the first time can be considered as value adding. Obviously, failure to achieve activity from the first time does not add to the value of the product.

Waste Activities

Unfortunately, there are many waste activities that are waiting any company during their activities. Wastes are sometimes even difficult to detect, especially in case that proper structure of key business indicators is not implemented. There is a whole range of wastes that can generate in Supply Chain:

Overproduction – This Type of Waste can happen in case of greater production versus demand, or in case of inaccurate forecasting. In some cases overproduction can be justified, like pre-stocking prior to the main sales season.

Unnecessary Inventory – It is true that higher inventory is the protection from uncertainty of demand and from OOS, but too high inventory does not add value. From financial perspectives, high inventory level is capturing the working capital, that can be used for better purpose ( investment, interest, etc. )

Defects can slow down or stop production. Low productivity and scrap are increasing cost per unit produced.

Inappropriate processing due to inadequate technology or design can produce waste.

Waiting of item in the queue to be process does not add value to the customer.

Transport is an important part of operations, but unnecessarily movement of products is not adding value

The optimum price of the product is achieved by proper balancing of activities. Value adding activities should be optimized, while waste activities should be either reduced or eliminated.

Laurus Nobilis has 11 years of experience in FMCG business. In 2007 he has started the www.biz-development.com web site dedicated to development of managerial skills. He also runs www.my-introspective.com a Personal Exploration and Development Guide.

People in online business want to be able to quickly process their online payments. They also want to appear professional and secure for their clients otherwise people won’t be confident enough to trust them. For this reason, it’s often wise to set up a merchant account quickly. There are a lot of reasons to get a merchant account including:

- You can increase your customer base by demonstrating professionalism with a professional looking online payment solution

- You’ll have the ability to accept major credit cards such as Visa, MasterCard, Amex and Discover payments on a secure connection right from your website. Your customers need to feel secure in buying from you!

- You could get the ability to rent a terminal for credit card payments that need to be processed manually. The terminals are often included with your monthly membership fee and this can save you a several hundred dollar expense. This can help you with online and offline business.

- Have your online payments transferred to you by wire securely, quickly and safely.

- Included software enabling you to set up price lists and shopping carts on your website

- Transaction reporting and statements making your bookkeeping management much more seamless

- Fraud screening protection. A lot of online retailers have been the victims of credit card chargeback fraud where someone buys something from a site and then claims fraud later so that you are automatically deducted money but still out of pocket for the product provided. A merchant account could help you avoid this problem with fraud screening services included in the cost of having the account.

- Low fees. Compared to some services such as PayPal, a merchant account has much lower fees that enable you to have greater profit margin. While some have monthly fees, the low transaction cost and value added services can make the fees negligible in contrast to PayPal.

- 24/7 support is included in some cases which can help you with payment gateway problems that could happen. An open source program won’t offer you any help so a merchant solution could be a better alternative, especially if you have (or want to expand to) a borderless business with many customers ordering in various time zones. If you’re looking at several options, you’ll want to take the amount of included support into serious consideration!

- Speaking of borderless businesses, a solid merchant service will give you the ability to accept payments in multiple currencies which can extend your ability to service more customers.

How do you set up a merchant account?

There are a lot of companies to choose from when you get ready to embark on finding a suitable merchant services company. Once you’ve done your due diligence and found someone suitable, you’ll likely have to provide completed paperwork and an application form. Many high end merchant accounts now work to approve applicants quickly.

The account approval process will likely include request for a financial statement, banking information, a signed merchant agreement and copies of your photo ID.

Merchant accounts can be set up and software can typically be easily integrated into your existing website.

Looking at merchant account options? It might be time for you to set up a merchant account for your online business. Visit TheWebReviewer for a vast amount of free information and online product reviews pertaining to online payments and making money online.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) has been referred to as a revolutionary method of psychological therapy that allows a person to take personal responsibility in improving his current life situation. It is said to give you the power to eliminate fear, trauma and stress and other negative emotions from your daily routine without resorting to surgery or other extensive medical procedures. Due in large part to the fact that it does not involve any surgical procedure, pill intake or needle-pricking –hence minimizing negative side effects — as well as to its one-size-fits-all appeal, EFT is now being promoted for use in all aspects of an average individual’s life.

Among the things we consider most important towards achieving personal satisfaction and fulfillment is professional development or success in business. And this part of our life has not escaped the notice of EFT enthusiasts around the world. They believe that the Emotional Freedom Techniques originally devised by Gary Craig can spell the big difference between being a business washout or an economic genius.

Taking into consideration the fact that Craig’s intention in developing EFT was to help people remove stress and cope with anxiety disorders, we have to concede that they could be right. For how can one be successful in business if he lives in a constant state of emotional stress? And how can one move forward in the business world if all his best intentions and ideas are overshadowed by an inherent fear of rejection and failure?

By employing the Emotional Freedom Techniques, we are able to slowly let go of all the negative feelings and memories that have burdened us all these years. In a way, we are making our personal “Declaration of Independence” — independence from stress, from fear, from envy, from anything and everything that hinders us from reaching our full potential as individuals. As a result of this independence, we become more positive in our outlook; thus allowing wealth, success and well-being to flow freely into our lives.

As you begin to make the technique a habit, you will notice its effects in subtle changes in your character. You begin to relax a bit while preparing for an important business presentation and become more confident in public speaking engagements. After a while, other people will see these changes as well and they will realize that you have become less irritable — generally, you shout less and smile more often. And because EFT does not only address money-making issues, but is primarily geared towards creating balance and total development in the individual, you get the bonus of feeling good and looking better than you have looked for years.

What’s best is that this method enables us to use our own healing energies in the privacy of our own home to relieve ourselves of psychological and emotional burdens. We do not have to go through the embarrassment of having to share our failures with others, as in an AA-type therapy session. Nor do we have to make a nuisance of ourselves by having to consult a professional every once in a while just to complain about imaginary aches and pains. EFT has, indeed, given us the chance to take matters into our own hands and take the necessary steps towards turning our business failures into shining success stories.

Want to Grow Your Business and Reach Your Core?Apply EFTto rejuvenate yourself and get relax from business-related tensions,activate new sensations,rebalancing physical and mental emotions,unlocking energies,just do visiteft dvd and get guidance from your eft practitioner

The road to Customer Focus Land is paved with great intentions. As the CMC/HRI Magnifying Customer Focus survey indicates, respondents know what needs to be done. They are fully aware of the need for executive sponsorship, ongoing contact with customers and fast complaint resolution. But somehow, due to lack of time, budget or resources, the required actions are not executed at all or are not executed to the extent that they should be. The importance of the customer and the need to become a customer-centric organization is not disputed. The serious challenge is in the execution.

The Missing Ingredient

Why is it that these seemingly self-evident actions do not reach full execution? Why is it that despite a clear awareness of what needs to be done, companies aren’t making it happen? Why is it that despite their constant rhetoric about the need to become customer focused, companies do not actually execute?

The problem lies in one critical step that most executives and organizations skip or are not even aware of. At the core of the failure to become customer centric is the lack of a strategic choice to become a customer-centric organization. Most organizations treat customer centricity as an incremental shift where they merely add icing to the current strategic cake. It is perceived as a matter of simply smiling nicely and adjusting the overall attitude of the employees. A few T-shirts and motivational posters will do the trick. In reality, most companies require a more fundamental effort to become truly customer centric. They need to make a strategic choice.

The essence of strategic choice is accepting the need to make trade-offs. By making a choice to turn right, you make a choice not to turn left. Without trade-offs, the decision is not strategic and therefore is unlikely to be fully implemented and deliver meaningful results. Most organizations were built on a model of product or service centricity. These products and services were at the core of their businesses, and their ecosystems focused on managing the products and selling the same product to as many customers as possible, regardless of how different those customers were. The product-centric model was run on an efficiency methodology where one size fits all. The different ways customers interacted with the products or services were of little concern to the organization. Its main objective was to maximize its own revenues.

A Different Approach

A customer-focused approach runs the opposite course. It is fully focused on the customers and is geared to maximize revenues from customers rather than products. A customer-focused strategy delivers different services to different customers based on how unique the customers are. While product-centric organizations focus on selling the same products to as many customers as possible, customer-centric organizations focus on selling more products to the same customers. At the core of the customer-centric strategy is not efficiency but growth. The difference between the two strategies is the originthe product versus the customer. Do we start with a product and find as many customers as we can for it? Or, do we start with the customers needs and find as many solutions as we can for that customer? This difference is not merely semantics. It is rooted in a different definition of value proposition, a different organizational structure, a different pricing model and different methods of connecting with the customers. Customer-centric companies do things completely differently and not marginally differently, as is the case with product-centric companies.

Take a Stand

The overall results indicated in the CMC/HRI survey illustrate a nonstrategic approach to customer focus. Although respondents know what needs to be done, the results indicate that many organizations have not taken the stand to choose the strategic approach and make the leap.

Lip-service advertising about loving the customers and excessive customer surveys without meaningful change as follow-up are the wrong ways to approach customer centricity. These might be easy to implement, but they are not going to make your organization customer-centric. Such hollow efforts raise customers expectations without delivering anything tangible in terms of an improved customer experience. The economics of customer relationships are quite potent and the financial justifications for making the leap to customer centricity quite powerful. To support making that leap, executives need to benchmark and assess the costs and financial benefits of becoming customer centric (as opposed to remaining product/service centric) and then prepare to make the strategic decision.

The road to customer focus is paved with great intentions. But only those who have made the strategic choice, fully recognizing and accepting the trade-offs, will be able to embrace the new strategic direction and maximize its financial potential.

Management Career Training Centre provides professional development, motivational seminar, management and sales training, leadership and executive training programs for HR professionals, supervisors and employers.

Integrating an answering service to a company can be expensive and risky. Thus, companies prefer to outsource such works to organizations capable of performing the task and meeting the requirements. For company integrated centers, there are several things that need to be done and maintained for a competent and reliable center. Maintenance for software and hardware components, site maintenance and repairs, and man power to run the service are just few of the basic things needed for quality delivery of requirements. All these things when combined can spend the company more than outsourcing the job.

As a cost efficient alternative, if a company or private organization prefers to outsource answering services, then it is very important to consider the receiving organizations capability. When we mention “capability”, we are referring to the quality and guarantee an organization can offer. Any organization can claim to be the best in class, but many are using this sensitive phrase for advertisements and not for results they deliver.

Quality calls and responses are crucial for a business to succeed. This will judge how a company handles and values its customers. So when choosing an organization to handle these calls, quality should be the first in line. Prior to outsourcing the job, a company should check for the receiving company’s commitment to every call. Employees should be reliable and dedicated to offering quality calls and responses to the company’s client. These employees do not represent the receiving organization, but the company that outsourced the job.

Company background is also an essential element that must be considered when outsourcing such task. This may sound odd for newly established organizations willing to handle answering services or call center functionalities, but as a company with a reputation to protect and maintain, you cannot afford to give the job just to anyone as they claim to be capable of doing so.

Requirements should be met. This is another important factor to consider when choosing an answering service. The organization you choose should be able to meet the requirements of your companies. An answering service organization can handle calls for technical support, billing inquiry, product information, package tracking, and a lot more. These services differ from each other and may not be what your company needs. Even with this, the organization you outsource the job to should be able to meet what your company needs to deliver to your clients.

Agreeable “Terms and Conditions” is a must. Some organizations are willing to take the risk of paying its clients for quality services undelivered. This should be among the valuable details included with the terms of service an organization can provide. These companies are reliable and dedicated to providing you and your company’s clients with superior quality service. By failing to deliver the required service your company needs, the organization you choose could end there business.

If you are looking for an Answering Service then feel free to visit http://www.mapcommunications.com

If you are looking for an Answering Service then feel free to visit Answering Services.

During good times in ancient China, surplus food and wealth was stored in great strong houses to provide succour for future famines and droughts. Are you one of many business people left wondering what will happen next, now that the Celtic Tiger has passed on and the winter of recession and customers with tight wallets is upon us?

If you want to know 7 key business survival techniques, which should be applied to any business who wants to be around next year, then read the rest of this article now.

Read 7 Golden Rules for Recession Survival here.

Many business owners are now painfully aware that getting new clients and selling more to existing clients is far more challenging in today’s environment. Unfortunately anyone who tells you that they have a quick fix for your marketing worries is either a magician or a con-man!

Just because we have been working with businesses for years now, doesn’t mean that what always worked will work today. We have had to radically adapt the strategies that our best customers use, so that they can continue to get resounding, measurable results using field tested strategies and marketing plans.

So here are 7 Golden Rules, that if you start to apply now, could not only ensure your survival, they could actually signal some serious growth.

1. Assess Your Sales: If you have one or more sales people it makes sense to know what they are doing well, so that you can create repeatable success. Now is not the time to waste valuable sales time on things that are wasteful and don’t work. Take stock today, and either assess your sales department and processes or ask a trusted advisor like 3R to do it for you.

2. Assess Your Margins: Everyone should know their most profitable lines. But do you know which products consistently sell well, with great margins and to which type of customer they sell to? After Cash, Profit should drive your business forward. Remember it also drives your clients as well!

3. Assess Your Marketing: So where have you spent your marketing budget over the last 12-24 months? Do you know precisely what worked, and what return you got for every Euro spent by campaign? Now that times are tougher, rather than cutting out marketing, trim the fat from the marketing that doesn’t work and focus on what does. You first must take stock of where you are.

4. Monitor Your Cash-Flow: Most companies in today’s climate will leave their bills till the very last minute before paying them, if at all! So what policies do you have in place to ensure you have enough working capital? Today is the best time to take a long hard look at your cash position and forecast, because without adequate liquidity, you may fail to be around to take advantage of the huge opportunities that recessions offer to the well prepared.

5. Create a Strategic Plan: The rules of the game have changed, so have you prepared for how you will play the new game? The old saying “failing to plan is planning to fail” holds truer than ever in today’s turbulent economy. Once you have taken stock, through honest, and possibly external professional assistance, you need to craft a plan to steer you though the current storm.

6. Survey Your Clients: OK, so you have taken stock and assessed what you feel you need to do – now go check it out in the marketplace, with people who have trusted you in the past: your customers. As well as double checking you plan, if done the correct way, you will uncover cross-sell opportunities as well as obtaining testimonials and referrals.

7. Execute and Monitor your Plan: A vision, without corresponding action is a mirage! Now take action and measure everything you do, as you will make mistakes. These mistakes only become failures, however, if you fail to learn from them!

What we have touched upon here are some vital ingredients for continued survival. Each company is unique, as are your customers, and how you apply these, with or without professional help, will vary depending on your circumstances.

Banks will not tolerate late payments or missed repayments of loans and for companies that find themselves in cash-flow difficulty, the only solution, other than going under is to seek professional help that the bank will approve of.

If you are interested in how 3R can help you with your banks, and you feel that our proven track record of success with our clients will also serve you well, just fill out our Business Health Check form. A 30 minute call, will signal if we think we can help you not just survive, but perhaps grow as well.

This article was written by Peter Lawless of 3R sales and Marketing. The 7 Golden Rules are steps taken from the 3R

At a recent San Francisco conference, John Doerr, one of America’s most famous venture capitalist called the recession “the greatest economic opportunity of our lifetime.”

Drastic changes create great opportunities for those with vision and grit. Whether its developing a totally new industry, solving a problem that’s plagued mankind for centuries or decades, or developing a business model that blows your competitors right into the annals of history – this is the time of change that welcomes innovators and inventors.

This is the time when the status quo is challenged. Our transportation industry is undergoing massive challenges that threaten the very survival of household names. More efficient fuel burning systems are being developed at the same time that alternative energy vehicles – such as electric, natural gas and bio-fuels are being developed. This industry is ripe for the type of innovation and new product development that has led the world from one type of economy to another (agrarian based to industrial based to information based).

The energy industry is being turned upside down. We all remember the ultra-high gas costs of a few months ago. The crisis spurred a renewed interest in alternative energy including solar, wind and wave technologies.

Concerns about the environment are forcing several industries, including both the transportation and the energy industries, to name a few, to look at ways that they operate and provide goods and services to their customers. The “green” economy is more than just a buzzword. It will bring innovation and new product development to everything that we do – from the way that will construct new buildings and facilities to the way that we dispose of all of our waste. It will impact the entire supply chain.

There is no doubt that the changing economic landscape will force businesses to explore the full advantage of the technological tools that they have been playing with for years. Too many of our businesses – large and small – operate the same basic way that they did in the 1980s or earlier.

There are so many tools, such as Blackberry, online meetings, Google apps, etc… that allow a business to get more productivity out of its team members. These tools really shine when they allow the team members to work from remote locations. Technology allows teams to work on different continents and accomplish more than if they were in the same office.

Changing a business model to exploit these tools may be enough to move the income statement from red to black and the balance sheet from weak and full of debt to strong and relatively debt free. This may help your business thrive in a recession. The way the world works is definitely going to change as a result of this economic upheaval.

We live in a unique time of rapid societal change. We are entering an era where globalization is the norm and regionalization and localization are coming en vogue. We have new national leadership that signals a handing off of the baton of power from one generation to another. We have economic challenges the likes of which have not been seen since before the first baby boomer was born. This change has created a chaotic storm and innovation and new product development is the ship that will steer us to safety.

Art Espey helps entrepreneurs grow business in a recession. Art can be reached at www.4steps2.com.

A clearly defined and properly implemented medical policy is part of a comprehensive program to monitor and control workers’ compensation claims and costs. Like all policies, the terms may need to be varied to comply with different state and federal laws. Make sure to have your corporate legal counsel review any policy before implementing it.

1. Pre-Employment Medical Exam. As a condition of employment, applicants may be required to pass a mental and physical examination. This exam may include drug and/or alcohol screening. It is administered by a physician designated by the company.

2. Transfer/Promotion Medical Exams. Employees may be required to have a physical examination on other occasions, such as a transfer or promotion, or whenever management determines the interests of the company or the employee is served by having an exam.

3. Confidentiality. Medical examinations paid for by the company are the property of the company and any record are available to the employee, the employee’s agent, public agencies and the employee’s doctor, only if required by law.

4. Confirmation of Injury/Illness. When an employee is absent due to illness or injury, the company may take whatever steps are reasonably necessary to confirm the nature and extent of such illness or injury. In the case of work-related illnesses or injuries, the company may investigate the circumstances and otherwise verify whether the illness or injury was work-related. Giving false information to obtain workers’ compensation results in dismissal.

5. Payment for Medical Examinations. When the company requires an employee to be examined by a physician, the examination is at the expense of the company and performed by a physician selected by the company.

6. Reporting On-The-Job Injuries. Employees who become ill on the job or suffer any work-related injury, no matter how minor, and any other employees who observes such illness or injury must immediately report the incident to the employee’s supervisor, who shall report it to the plant manager and the safety officer. Employees must notify their supervisor before leaving their workstation for medical reasons.

7. Transportation to a Medical Facility. The company arranges transportation of the injured employee to the company physician, if it appears necessary. In the event an employee is seriously injured, his/her immediate supervisor, the safety officer or any other member of management has the authority to have the injured employee transferred to an outside medical facility for treatment.

8. Employee Responsibilities. When a work-related injury takes place, the employee must:

• Complete the required workers’ compensation and department reports in a timely manner.

• Be available for medical appointments during normal working hours.

• Keep appointments with medical providers.

• Return to work as soon as he is certified to do so by the company physician.

9. Return To Work. An employee who fails to return to work at the end of an approved medical absence may be disciplined up to and including dismissal from employment.

10. Return-to-Work Certification. Employees returning from a medical absence leave may be required to provide certification from a physician designated by the company who will certify their ability to perform regular work safely and satisfactorily without endangering themselves or their fellow employees.

11. Transitional Duty (Modified Duty.) The company may offer employees injured at work job-modified duty on an interim basis. In the event the company elects to offer the employee modified duty and the company physician releases the employee to return to work in the modified position, the employee must report for work at the time specified. Any employee who refuses to return to modified duty is subject to discipline up to and including dismissal for violating company policy.

When rolling out a new workers’ comp cost containment program, have employees read and sign an Acknowledgement Form that they have read the policy. Keep the signed form in their personnel file. The policy should be given to all new hires also.

Robert Elliott,senior vice president,Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. for 20 years,works with clients reducing Workers

The network marketing is very popular nowadays. Many people get into it hoping to make loads of cash just by using the Internet and possibilities it offers.

However not many of them realize that in order to make really decent income online some work will have to be involved.

This work involves many aspects that put together will guarantee successful home business.

When it comes to network marketing there is one common trend noticeable – too many marketers focus on promoting and pitching their products, their services or their business opportunities forgetting about one very important factor which is promoting themselves first in order to build their business.

Yes, promoting yourself is a way more important than promoting your product especially a the first stage.

Why?

It’s simple, the nature of marketing is that people rather join people not businesses.

If you establish your own authority and put yourself in front of people as an expert in your field, you will explode your business as people will be more likely to join your opportunity, because they will believe in value and knowledge you provide them with not being discouraged by your attempts to sell them yet another product or drag them into your business opportunity.

And here we come to important aspect of promoting yourself which is value you serve to people. They are looking for information, for the knowledge that will help them get started off a successful online business or continue to grow up the one they already have and this is a chance for you to take action and start building your authority by providing them with information and help they need. You need to know that to promote yourself to grow your business you need to educate yourself first to have what it takes to assist people. That’s why you learning curve never ends.

Another thing is that promoting yourself to build your business not always translates into immediate income. Sometimes it’s non profitable activity at the time but it will pay you huge dividends in the future.

What I mean here is that many times you would rather like to make money non stop instead creating some free content for the others. However this is the way the self-promotion should be done.

Now notice why the top network marketers and income earners are so successful. The answer is simple, because they are well known and they positioned themselves as the experts and authorities in their field. People join them because they feel safe under their wing and they know they can expect a great level of assistance, knowledge and help from them.

This is a simple psychological game. People don’t join business, people join people, they join successful people who completed successfully their self-promotion process.

That’s why promoting yourself should always be something you do along with promoting your products, or even should be done first.

People don’t like to be sold right away, they want to be sure that they deal with right person who has what it takes to help them.

Becoming a content provider, coming up with solutions for people’s problems, you promote yourself and position yourself as an expert, so that you can expect more people joining your business, buying your products or using your services due to high level of trust they put on you in thanks to the help and free assistance you’ve been providing them with.

Daniel Gebura is an experienced network marketer who helps ordinary people build a successful home business. Visit Daniel’s Internet Business Opportunities website for the best legitimate business opportunities and hundreds of free money making tips and tricks. Do you want to make money just by giving away a link to free education? Visit Success University.