U4AOS2 - Implementing Change Flashcards
management opportunities
businesses seek opportunity to develop their business > this includes investigating or developing opportunities in domestic and global markets
- growth is generally positive for business as it provides opportunity to develop and expand
businesses may choose to grow for a number of reasons
- responding to strong competition
- to gain higher profit margins
- to attract new customers
- capitalising on business success
- to take advantage of a new opportunity or market
growing a business has a number of benefits
- new opportunities can mean more customers
- greater sales
- greater profits
- the ability to employ more staff
businesses can benefit from exporting by
- providing access to a larger pool of customers
- spread the risk of the business across a range of customers
- reduces the dependence on the Australian market
domestic and global strategies
exporting products and services innovation crowd-funding developing a market niche research and development new and emerging technologies
exporting products and services
- with the relatively low value of AU dollar and the advances made in tech and communication, many businesses of all sizes are looking to move into the export market
- need to complete market research to see how they are going to organise distribution channels
- need to consider new laws and customs as well as intellectual property restrictions
innovation
- innovation is about creating and implementing new ideas
- keeps people thinking outside the box
- enhances or extends a business and provides another product or service to the economy
- it can be seen as a way to seek and develop new business opportunities // can be large innovation or lots of small steps
- can be centred on a developed point or can be incremental
- other shareholders may be able to contribute to ideas and improvements
innovation strategies include
- researching the market to determine trends
- reflecting on the amount of risk
- examining what competitors are doing
- investing in research and development
- learning from failures
- testing new ideas
crowd sourcing funding
- a financial service where start ups and small businesses raise funds generally from a large number of investors who invest small amounts of money
developing a market niche
- many businesses can successfully grow and take advantage of opportunities by considering what they are producing, what their competitors are doing and how they can take advantage of the gaps in the market
- businesses need to narrowly define their target market and create a unique product or service
research and development
- can come up with products and services or innovation
- larger companies are more likely to undertake this and develop products
- small businesses are often able to develop a service or product because of their passion and willingness to take a risk
new and emerging technologies
- the emergence of online shopping has had a profound impact on businesses
- many retailers have been able to expand their customer base due to a combination of both in-store and online shopping
- other businesses have had to try to change in response to the impact of tech on their business
leadership in change management
leaders need to focus on building relationships with employees, managers, shareholders and external stakeholders
- by cultivating teamwork and mentoring, encouraging diversity, developing talent and having open communication business transformation is likely to be successful
- small and medium businesses may find this change process even more difficult
management and responding to KPIs
need to determine what needs to be tracked and removed to allow the business to make the right decisions
- wide range of KPIs needs to be considered
- a measurement information system may be used to ensure the analysis of KPIs is meaningful
- when relevant information is gathered the gathered info should be shared with other members of the team
- a range of strategies need to be developed to address KPIs
key strategies to respond to KPIs
staff training and development staff motivation management styles and skills increased investment in technology improving quality in production cost cutting lean production techniques redeployment of resources & staff
staff training and development
- staff are crucial for business success
- if turnover is higher than average for a specific industry or increases overtime this may indicate staff aren’t happy
- if absenteeism is low this may also indicate staff are unhappy
- some businesses are recognised as employees of choice where they have high levels of employee satisfaction
strategies to ensure staff are working productively and are satisfied with their job
- revisiting job descriptions and specifications
- completing staff surveys
- ensuring access to training and development
- completing regular performance reviews and appraisals to identify training needs
- completing exit interviews
- ensuring employee relations are positive
- developing policies that ensure equal treatment
staff motivation
- staff who are happy to work and are motivated to complete their tasks contribute to a positive environment
- regular surveys on motivation are invaluable
ways to keep staff motivated
- employee recognition and rewards (financial or non-financial)
- a formal and systematic performance management or appraisal system
- policies that support a safe workspace also assist in motivation
- reviewing job roles and descriptions, staff may feel under-appreciated and bored if jobs don’t allow for learning new skills or experience variety
management styles and skills
in most contemporary businesses there is an expectation employees will be involved in the decision making process (the businesses use participative or consultative management)
- when there is a deadline, service indecent or inexperienced workforce managers may use an autocratic or persuasive style
- as a leader a manager must be able to change and have the management skills to get the change completed
- the management style and skills depend on the KPIs and situation
- managers need high levels of emotional intelligence
increased investment in technology
- technology is a major driver of change in business and can assist the effectiveness and efficiency of production with CAD, CAM and robotics
- can also improve sales by using websites and online stores
- if a business doesn’t keep up they will lose their competitive advantage
benefits for investing in technology
- improvements in the communication speed and reach
- small businesses can compete with larger ones more easily
- able to store and share info more easily
- e-learning can allow employees to access training
- automation means that some repetitive tasks and jobs become redundant
improving quality in production
businesses care about quality as it can be clearly linked to profit and success
- quality can be managed at all levels
improving quality benefits
- reducing costs of wasted resources
- improving productivity by increasing the rate of production efficiency in resource use
- eliminating or reducing the number of faulty products
- reducing inspection and testing time for finished products
- reducing inventory held by a business
- allows for the use of higher profit margins
other ways to improve quality include
- using appropriate KPIs to measure production or declining of service
- focusing on processes used in the business
- scheduling regular meetings to discuss any issues in the system
- focusing on the product or service to ensure quality is the best possible
- making sure all teams are aware of their performance
cost cutting
may be used to increase effectiveness or profit