Working Backwards
Lately I keep running into instances where different worlds coincide with a common theme. The theme I’m running into lately is flipping the funnel. Sometimes when you hit a stumbling block, it helps to flip the funnel and work the problem backwards.
For example, consider these three topics:
1. Improving e-commerce sales.
2. Reducing manufacturing cost and […]

Flowcharting Software at a Deep Discount
FlowBreeze  is  was featured on Bits du Jour today. The sale is now over.
Product DescriptionsFlowBreeze Basic is a simplified flowcharting tool that allows you to create flowcharts just by typing. It produces business document friendly black and white flowcharts in Excel. It integrates well into all Office documents and is […]

There’s a basic concept in Six Sigma called Voice of the Customer. When you’re defining a project, you need to identify the critical-to-quality (CTQ) elements in your process that matter to the customer. Too often though, the voice of the customer isn’t heard until _after_ they become a customer. What about potential customers?
Taking a step […]

Thanks to Matt Inglot for writing my belated New Year’s resolution for me. (Yeah, I’m running a little behind on that one.) The recent tax season has convinced me his 5 Tips for Staying on Top of Your Books for Small Business Owners is just the sort of advice that I should be implementing. Especially […]

Tom Peters wants you to believe that he is selling great insight. When he burst on the scene after publishing In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best-Run Companies (Collins Business Essentials), he instantly became the darling of the TQM movemnent. And he deserved it too. He was an engaging speaker, made great videos, and […]

Why would I want to make flowcharts?
This is a surprisingly common question I get asked ever since I started BreezeTree Software. To me it’s a no-brainer. I spent most of my career working on process improvement, and flowcharts and Pareto charts did most of the heavy lifting. There’s nothing like visualizing a process to help […]

When I read The E-Myth Revisited, I have to admit my first impression was “What a load of crap!” After all, it takes 200 pages to say what could be said in less than 10. I’m busy. I don’t have time for that.
Through analogies to the world of McDonald’s franchises and small bakeries alike, […]