| With this all possible the price could be | | | | risk.If you think this book review is crazy, |
| lowered to a back breaking competitive level | | | | think of it as a discussion of thoughts after |
| giving lower prices to consumers who voted | | | | reading such a book. FCS is very efficient |
| with their dollars while retaining a huge | | | | and it is even used by HMOs to schedule |
| number of proficient hours each time period. | | | | patients, and during operations. Remember |
| It is amazing that with all the freight | | | | that the efficiency in an HMO is how they |
| forwarding software, inventory software, | | | | make their money, not by making you healthier |
| manufacturing scheduling software that no one | | | | or better. But by doing that minimum |
| sees the obvious uses to streamline services. | | | | promised at the lowest possible price. |
| Look at a Taxi Cab company, police dispatch, | | | | Luckily the FCS model is sound otherwise in |
| air traffic controller, train master at a | | | | this case it could literally cause death. |
| rail yard with trains moving all directions | | | | Hospitals use these systems to manage |
| and many 300 miles away all converging and | | | | inventories, supplies, labor, machinery, and |
| departing simultaneously. Or the Phoenix | | | | all facilities. Makes since. Problems may |
| missile system used by the government which | | | | occur if you are maximizing surgery equipment |
| when put onto an F-14 could track and kill 8 | | | | and rooms and doctors, when someones surgery |
| target 150 miles away moving at almost any | | | | takes longer than anticipated and the next |
| speed in and direction on a three dimensional | | | | scheduled is a kidney transplant. This is |
| plane. Ever wonder why no F-15 has ever been | | | | why in the customer service business that the |
| shot down in combat? Even a gondola wire | | | | limits of capacity are drawn and jobs of |
| could not stop it, it always wins. So is it | | | | little importance can be moved to a later |
| safe to say that when you have the best of | | | | time while time is of the essence jobs are to |
| everything that the odds are stacked so far | | | | happen forthwith. In fighting a war one |
| in your favor that knowing the percentages is | | | | cannot stop because a component is out. The |
| irrelevant to the game. All that needs to | | | | enemy does not stop if you stop for tea. But |
| happen is to set fire in motion.If anyone has | | | | in the case of logistics and moving |
| ever watched Fed Ex work they use nearly the | | | | reinforcements into position it is of the |
| maximum of human resources as pilots load | | | | utmost importance to have these processes in |
| there own planes and help with the production | | | | place to look ahead fifteen chess moves. |
| of the sort. This can only happen when the | | | | This is why Schwartzkoff said on CNN that |
| norms of union workers were broken where one | | | | Saddam was not very good military strategist. |
| guy drives a fork lift, one guy drives a | | | | Maybe he is right, however, by then we had |
| truck and they take breaks at different times | | | | knocked out significant communication lines, |
| and if the truck driver moves the fork lift | | | | SAM sites and blown up half his strength. I |
| then the fork lift driver who is on his 1 | | | | would have to thank Schwartzkoff the |
| hour break files a grievance with the union. | | | | airforce, Navy and AWACS for destroying his |
| Scary, productivity level? Not much. Same | | | | logistical operations before the ground war |
| with highway workers who really need a shovel | | | | started. Then the Marines first in and first |
| with a kick stand since they are not needed | | | | to die, had no problems at all. We won the |
| to hold it up anymore. If one guy works and | | | | logistical battle. In business it is the |
| fifteen guys lean on their shovels while one | | | | same game, strategic partners and alliances |
| strong tenure supervisor sits in his pick-up | | | | to secure distribution channels for rapid |
| waiting for his supervisor to discuss the | | | | advancement or roll out of a product line. |
| next coffee break. Yet with finite capacity | | | | Then to win the war it is all about delivery |
| scheduling even these dilemmas can be averted | | | | of desired services or products in the proper |
| to some degree. Yet the total capacity | | | | amounts to the proper places at the most |
| management plan cannot achieve any additional | | | | efficient methods. FCS. Both operational |
| savings in job completion frequency.The only | | | | and tactical. Logical thinking with an |
| way this will work however is that all the | | | | experience of true reality of the market |
| team take ownership in the scheduling system | | | | place. Pencil Neck geeks with little round |
| and not try to change it by calling in with a | | | | glasses reading spread sheets and answering |
| bogus excuse such as tire is low, I need to | | | | every question in such a way that would make |
| get air. Traffic is busy, I cannot get | | | | their college professor proud does not work. |
| there. This one we can mitigate knowing the | | | | You cannot outsource your FCS software needs |
| speed of the vehicle by GPS/GIS and | | | | to someone who has never been in the war and |
| correlating that to the traffic reports. | | | | flown by the seat of their pants. There is a |
| Without being a big brother, you can have a | | | | reality of the market place and if it is the |
| strong team like ours in every micro team | | | | only consideration next to the customer you |
| unit. Working together to win and sharing in | | | | will win, you need both and if a professor |
| the economies of scale by profiting when | | | | who cannot teaches someone who has never how |
| goals are met. Keep in Mind that we can do | | | | can the customer be enlightened enough by |
| better than the GE Way where if goals are not | | | | great service to repeat their orders? This |
| met heads roll. Fear is an excellent | | | | is why Gates left school, Paul Allen was the |
| motivator, but it burns people out and screws | | | | coach and Steve Balmer is now running the |
| with their psychy. It is much easier to win | | | | company and why they won so well in the |
| by other winning and through diplomacy and | | | | market that the government had to find |
| reward for achievement like in sports, or | | | | something wrong with them even if they did |
| medals for war heros, or status and profit | | | | not understand what and could only get |
| incentives all inline with FCS, it can easily | | | | complaints from competitors as no consumer |
| work together. Add in bonuses for new | | | | was ever actually damaged.It is necessary to |
| customers signing up for with customer and | | | | track everything to have the right answers |
| employees and watch referrals skyrocket and | | | | and providing you have built an FCS system |
| all this can be tracked as well. Imagine a | | | | correctly you are in a good place. The rest |
| company tracking its referrals not by secret | | | | of the process is to cut out the waste and |
| codes on print media or post card mailins, | | | | complexity. As long as you know you know you |
| but with regards to days of the week, area, | | | | are the best, like we do at the Car Wash |
| type of services, employee who did the last | | | | Guys, you do not need to create for the sake |
| job before the referral came in. A small | | | | of creating, you create for the sake of |
| business person can keep track of this with | | | | achieving, everything else is wasting. Which |
| out too much problem if he has one unit and | | | | by the way wasting does not calculate in the |
| all the referrals come from him. But what | | | | logical world of FCS. If we follow our |
| about the multiple unit operator of a | | | | competitors we would be really complicated |
| plumbing company, tow company or National | | | | and achieve less and less as we grow bigger |
| Tree Trimming Company? What about a national | | | | and bigger on a per store basis. If you copy |
| franchise company. Where things very from | | | | your competitor it will not help you beat |
| region to region on some services and others | | | | your competitor. You only have to think like |
| are almost an identical match such as the | | | | him to find him and know how he thinks to |
| friends and family programs and can be | | | | beat him all the while thinking beyond him. |
| figured out by DMA service region and census | | | | That is how the Bizmark was found caught and |
| (or tiger files) population formulas.I would | | | | sunk. And why Alexander the Great won so |
| recommend that anyone on our team reading | | | | many battles.I liked the way the book ended |
| this search the internet for mobile car wash | | | | with this quote, probably another quote to go |
| scheduling and come up with all the previous | | | | with the famous quote; If you do not know |
| postings. Try Alta Vista, Northern Light and | | | | where you are going any road will take you |
| the search feature on this bulletin board and | | | | there. He finished the book with this quote. |
| you will see the tremendous progress we have | | | | Even if you know where you are going, if you |
| made in discovery and research.I think the | | | | do not move fast enough you will be run over. |
| best point in the book was made for the nay | | | | Yes precisely.Just another exercise for the |
| Sayers of FCS, here it is.No matter how good | | | | team in brain power. Think allot and call me |
| a software package is, if the users do not | | | | when you have a good idea, so we can |
| have ownership in it, it will | | | | implement, adapt and stay leading edge.No |
| fail.Conversely; No matter how bad a software | | | | need to read through this book completely, |
| package is, if the users have ownership in | | | | the highlights as they relate to winning the |
| it, it will succeed.So obviously education | | | | car wash war are within these previous |
| and proper motivation is the key, the company | | | | chapters. |
| and good will that has been built up is at | | | | |