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... x No Thanks Loading.. Using Planning Models To Drive The Bottom Line 4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor , David Stambaugh This content has not been rated yet. In a complex and fluid business environment, this planning outline can help move your agency in the right direction. "I'm farming as hard as I can but I know I'm not farming as smart as I can." George Nordhaus often makes this statement while discussing how agencies and companies work (or don't work) . Why are doing things better, faster, and less expensively than the competition so difficult? There's no easy answer to that question, but here are some things we know. Huge re-engineering efforts fail about 70% of the time. Most large system development projects take longer, cost more, and ... and services An outline of your distribution (sales delivery) system A definition of the customer service functions that the carrier will do and those that your agency will do A financial model of your business CREATING THE IDEAL OPERATING MODEL "Most planners ride into the future facing the past. It's like trying to drive a train from its caboose." Russell Ackoff, Professor emeritus of Systems Sciences, Wharton School Virtually all technology applications, total quality management processes, and re-engineering processes try to improve by working away from the current state, rather than working toward a desired state. Although this approach works, the concepts offered by Akcoff are far more effective. Rather than trying to solve problems or improve processes, let's create an ideal operating model. "To unleash the power of the new technologies, ...

... hostile intruder situations constitute life-threatening events, and conducting a facility evacuation or failing to respond properly could be a fatal mistake. Note that emergency lockdown procedures are also appropriate for other situations, such as external hazardous releases and, with some modification, tornado emergencies. RESPONSES TO THE NEW THREATS Teachers and staff are frequently the initial responders to an emergency situation. In particular, students view teachers as role models and leaders. In an emergency situation, students will probably follow the advice of their teachers and other adults. Yet very few of these initial responders have any formal training in emergency response. Schools need to train all their employees in proper emergency response procedures. These instructions should be written in a concise manner and address all current threats. In addition, management needs to review these procedures with ... Photos Group Connections Reviews IMMS Library Immerse yourself in our stacks. Take some time and browse through our library. We have thousands of articles, checklists, tip sheets, sales letters, and more! Communications Marketing Customer Service Planning Finance/Accounting Risk Management Human Resources Selling Legal and E&O Technology Life/Financial Services Glossaries Management Resources & Links Categories Popular Recent All Back Emergency Response Planning For Schools 4/30/2013 10:36:34 PM by CompleteMarkets Editor , Douglas Henderson This content has not been rated yet. Emergency Response Planning for Schools by Doug Henderson The need to communicate emergency instructions during a crisis situation is essential to the effective execution of the emergency management plan. Communicating accurate and detailed information about a facility evacuation or emergency lockdown presents a significant challenge. In this ...

... x No Thanks Loading.. Young Agents: A New Business Model For A New Generation 5/23/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Elaine Tolen This content has not been rated yet. When Amy Bryan opened Bryan Insurance Agency (New Windsor, NY), in 2004 at the age of 22, she had no clients, no carriers, and no track record. What Amy did have was a well-prepared business plan. The first thing I did after deciding to start an agency was to research and write a business plan, ' she remembers. I opened during a hard market; many people told me I was crazy. I guess ignorance is bliss, ' she laughs. I don't go halfway into something, so I was fully committed to starting the agency. Amy wasn't new to ... insurance industry — her grandfather, father, aunt and uncle spent their careers as captive agents. Since Amy was 13 years old, she had worked at her dad's State Farm agency during school breaks, doing customer service work and handling claims. Amy attended State University of New York at Oswego, not interested in pursuing a career in insurance. After graduating in 2003 with degrees in graphic design and marketing, she worked in the graphic design department of Starwood Hotels & Resorts. I loved the creative work, but I really wanted to run my own business and work directly with people, ' she explains. It was actually my dad, Bruce Bryan, who suggested I become an independent agent, ' Amy says. He thought the independent business looked more creative; you get to design individual ...

...1. The environment. We’re always modeling things around us, consciously or not... reflect their style. That’s called modeling, and it’s very effective. Specifi...

... not just buzzwords, they are the future of American business if we intend to remain competitive in the international market. So why then don't we just do it? Business schools have never treated service as a topic worthy of serious study. The study of finance management, production, and manufacturing leaves us unprepared for the management of service as a product or function. Consequently we have had few good models from which to learn the art and skills of the delivery of high quality service. Fortunately that is all changing. There are several excellent service companies we can use as models to build our own solid foundation for success. L.L. Bean, Xerox, and Federal Express are just a few companies that have moved away from promotional hype and gotten down to the real business of business: satisfying ... way we have done business in the past few decades now comes to light as America's management and quality gurus ask, If service is so important, then why is it so bad? ' Service, quality, and satisfaction are not just buzzwords, they are the future of American business if we intend to remain competitive in the international market. So why then don't we just do it? Business schools have never treated service as a topic worthy of serious study. The study of finance management, production, and manufacturing leaves us unprepared for the management of service as a product or function. Consequently we have had few good models from which to learn the art and skills of the delivery of high quality service. Fortunately that is all changing. There are several excellent service companies we can use ...

... report could spell disaster. The agency management team realized that an exceptional compensation plan needed to be developed to reward everyone directly for performance. Automatic annual cost of living adjustments (COLAs) were mortally wounding the agency and did little or nothing to motivate our people. Professional development and personal income potential would be important keys to the agency's success. In Step Five, our five-year compensation and career path models gave the agency an opportunity to play out a multitude of what-if scenarios in budgeting long-term compensation expenses. When compensation models were completed for all positions projected on each profit center's five-year human resource strategies report, the agency could see whether the first what-if compensation scenarios provided enough personal income potential to attract top candidates and then keep them as their income and career path opportunities surged. Even more important, ... x No Thanks Loading.. Framework For Agency Success I 5/21/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Patty Vaughn This content has not been rated yet. NEW BEGINNINGS I'm not quite sure why, but for me, fall is the time of year that signals new beginnings. Maybe it's because students are going back to school, the leaves are turning a dramatic new color, and there's high hope for the new football season. Maybe it's the fresh, cool air that greets us first thing in the morning. Perhaps it's simply because, at our agency, fall is the time of year we begin our annual planning process. We're not jumping the gun, exactly. It's more like getting in a little pre-season practice. Actually, updating our annual business plan in late September and early ...

... effective filter, users can work at a terminal all day with virtually no eyestrain and without having to position the monitor away from the sun's path. And you couldn't ask for an easier product to install. Filters come in three basic designs: They attach directly to the front of your monitor, hang from the top, or fit like a glove over the bezel. The latter, so-called contour models may be the best choice if you have a monitor with a curved bezel, because they can block light coming in from the sides. However, all is not rosy. Filters create problems, particularly their noticeable darkening of the screen. Some screens look flatter and darker, as if you were wearing sunglasses. Although making the adjustment can be difficult at first, most users feel they can ... American Optometric Association, an estimated 10 million Americans visit eye specialists each year for VDT-related vision problems. Workers afflicted with what one glare-filter manufacturer has termed computer vision syndrome' (CVS) far outnumber the victims of more widely publicized video display terminal (VDT) -related traumas such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Dr. James Sheedy, associate clinical professor of optometry at the University of California at Berkeley's School of Optometry and chief of the university's VDT Eye Clinic, calls vision problems the most frequent health complaint among VDT workers. Any type of close-up work that entails staring at a fixed point for hours takes its toll on the eyes. However, VDT work is particularly demanding. Students poring over textbooks and drafters working on a design can change positions periodically for optimum comfort and lighting. The terminal ...

... me and wrong for others with different feelings and thoughts. David's green card was the "cold water in the face" that I needed. When I saw the words, I realized that I could never get most of these folks to abandon PETA or wear wingtips instead of Birkenstocks. They're different. David said, "Mike, you're trying to get the students to adopt a business and marketing model that's foreign to them. They aren't going to change soon — at age 40 they might. The secret to our success will be in doing the most we can with the Culture they have here." He was right! We don't have the time, energy, or resources to change the Culture of our school. The best we can do is to maximize the results we get inside ... the cultural boundaries that exist. To change the Culture of an organization requires choosing one of two steps: Change the people (fire most everyone and start anew) . Change the people (reshape the Roles/Values of those in the organization) . Anybody can fire existing staff. However, few, if any, owners are willing or able to do this — or they can't be sure that they can find replacement players. Changing the values of people is far more difficult. Although the Marines do this well, they're the exception rather than the rule (and they use a Boot Camp model that won't fly in today's business world) . I often use John Kennedy's speech of May 25, 1961 about "putting a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth" as ...

...g contractor with expertise in remodeling during off-hours calls himself the '...

... personally opened that first checking account. Help was plentiful because labor costs were low, making it possible to render a level of service that was solicitous-often almost patronizing. It can still be found in certain upscale shops, many country clubs, some law firms, exclusive restaurants, and other venues catering to the wealthy. But is this what customers are looking for today? Is this the customer service model for the new century? Today, the force redefining customer service is the Internet: the one realm where direct human contact is absent. The president of a large New England-based residential real estate organization commented in a trade journal op-ed piece that real estate agents are valuable because real estate is a personal business. We realtors believe that there's no substitute for actually touching and feeling a home or dealing ... awkward, slow, and limited in its offerings. Changes in America Online can't be measured in generations' because it's continuous. Compare this to the average company Web site; many are the same as the day they went online. National University in San Diego understands the continuous improvement issue. It's the first to offer a master's degree in E-commerce. Since knowledge in this field is constantly evolving, the school plans to overhaul the program every six months. Compare this to traditional college programs. Personalized service aims at total efficiency. Efficiency is about saving time, providing convenience, and most important, promoting individuality. You can design your own computer on the Internet without talking to anyone. You build it to your personal specifications with user-friendly, easily accessible information provided by the manufacturer. It's in the ...