When we decided to move to remote working (ahead of the Government’s advice) we held a morning meeting to discuss it with the team and we collectively said farewell to our physical office that afternoon.

We’ve invested heavily in building a fantastic team of people and it was important to prevent them, or their families, getting ill. As a small start-up we have very little redundancy and often have one person per key task – therefore losing any one of our team would be very disruptive.

With several weeks of experience of remote working under our belts we have learnt a great deal.  I hope that sharing our tips will be useful for you in your business as you finesse your plan for remote working in the light of experience.

• Continue coaching on how to work remotely.  It’s not too late to do this, even if you are already up and running from home. It is vital that each team member is well equipped to work remotely. Team leaders should discuss the logistics of remote working with their team members; providing guidance on creating a quiet space, setting a schedule, limiting interruptions from social media and other members of the household, etc.  We coached the team on good working practice, including maintaining regular working hours, scheduling breaks, etc. We have a very committed team and we don’t want them burning out by working 24/7. It’s never too late to do this, so if you haven’t already, then do it now – even if your team has been working remotely for a few weeks already.

As a precaution, we had been advising staff to take laptops and other tools essential to remote working home with them on a daily basis for about a week before the office closure.  We asked staff who used larger monitors to take them home and paid for a taxi to facilitate this. We left the office on the 10th and have not returned.

One of the key lessons we learned from this is that it is often difficult for people to find room at home for a desk to work on. I recently took the plunge and purchased a small second hand desk from eBay, after trying to work at a coffee table for a week! The extra investment was well worth it.

• Use available resources rather than reinventing the wheel: There is a wealth of online resources out there. I would recommend https://www.notion.so and particularly Notion’s remote working guide as a source of excellent information for start-ups.  Notion is a wiki where companies share best practice and experiences to help other start-ups.  Start-ups simply do not have the resources to produce extensive guidelines and policy documents so Notion has been a life saver.  For example, in preparing our team for remote working we mined Notion.  I would particularly recommend the video Zapier’s Guide to Working Remotely.  We also used https://seedlegals.com  Free Coronavirus Workplace Policy to guide us through the swift planning and preparation stage.

• Get daily working routines in place right away: To facilitate a structured approach, I suggest starting each day with a 15 minute team stand-up at 08:45.  I would also encourage you to introduce a progress tracking tool such as https://clubhouse.io It allows you to create templates so that people can report what they did yesterday and what they intend to do today.  We use the https://slack.com  automation tool to prompt everyone at 8:30 each morning to complete this form. This is then visible to all team members.  This is so important to keep our team focussed and to keep projects moving in the right direction.

• Support remote working with inexpensive tools: Like most companies we already use collaboration software for audio conferencing, file sharing and communication. We chose Slack, from Slack Technologies Inc., although there are many offerings out there. Slack is a great option for small companies. When we want full video conferencing, we turn to Google Hangout.  This enables us to share screens, presentations, etc.

ChargedUp useshttps://Loom.com  from Loom Inc, to record processes, new code, etc., to then share with the team.  For example, the operations team have recorded all of their policies and processes via Loom.  This is so useful for on-boarding new employees.

• Ensure strict discipline for online meetings: I would strongly recommend implementing a robust meeting policy to ensure that meetings are effective and that each one is time limited, has a clear agenda and that outcomes, actions and owners are agreed. I found a great article on ‘How to run a more effective meeting’ from the New York Times Business section. https://www.nytimes.com/guides/business/how-to-run-an-effective-meeting

• Focus on staff wellbeing: Of huge importance to ChargedUp is the wellbeing and mental health of our team.  We want them to stay well so we can hit the ground running when we get through these difficult times. Feeling isolated is one of the key issues raised by habitual remote workers and so we have made a particular effort to create opportunities for colleagues to socialise together online.

The team meets online for lunch at 13:00 each day, encouraging down time and an opportunity to chat and share ideas. 

We also use https://www.donut.com to arrange 121 coffee breaks with each other. Many of the best ideas originate by the water cooler so do encourage opportunities for chatting and brainstorming.

• Reward and praise are important: Although cash may be tight, go out of your way to praise and celebrate successes. For example, I arranged for a case of Jubel beer (https://jubelbeer.com/sales/) to be sent to each staff member so that our regular Friday 17:00 beers could continue, albeit remotely. We meet online at 17:00 and celebrate our successes and have a laugh. Not only does this boost morale but also supports a local brewery.

• Looking to the future: We fully anticipate a huge bounce in our business when the crisis is over and we are using this time to plan for the next stage in ChargedUp’s expansion. This quieter time allows us to develop our capabilities, hone our processes and improve our application.

By starting with a plan for remote working and then finessing that plan as you experience issues and learn from experience, it can be made to work.  Good luck for the coming weeks!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hugo Tilmouth is CEO of ChargedUp, Europe’s largest phone charging network. Building on the British philosophy to promote sustainable innovations, ChargedUp gives customers power on-demand through its network of portable power banks. It also provides venues with a unique marketing tool that drives footfall and increases dwell time. 50 people work for the young company, which has expanded its charging network to over 3000 stations across the UK, Netherlands and Germany since 2017. The ChargedUp app now has around 210,000 users.

www.chargedup.green  

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At the start of the restrictions introduced to help combat Covid-19 it was an anxious period for many people, especially those who were working remotely for the first time.  As the lockdown looks likely to continue it is vitally important that businesses and business owners consider the impact on the mental wellbeing of their employees and support them as much as possible

What can businesses do to help their staff?  Here are some suggestions for you to consider for your staff and your business.

Helping to reduce stress

Team members are bound to be stressed, about the virus, about loved ones, about whether they are doing a good job from home and, generally, about job security.

One of the proven acts to alleviating stress is to have clear, honest and regular conversations with your team. Put a time in your diary to speak to them – don’t just leave it to chance.

Let them know what the business is doing, tell them the truth – avoid sugar coating. Help people understand what the company is doing and what plans it has. The truth may not be pleasant, but it is always better than a lie. If your employee loses trust when working remotely, it can be very toxic.

As well as updating them about the business, give honest, accurate and timely feedback to alleviate concerns about whether they are able to do what they need to from a home-working environment.

Maintaining human connection

Working from home means we lose the human connection we normally get with our colleagues in the office. This human connection is an incredibly important part of going to work and boosts engagement and morale.

Organising regular group conference calls using Zoom or Skype is a great step. Wherever possible, ensure calls are video calls where you can all see each other.  You can smile and wave to one another. You can include time to talk about work, the latest developments of COVID-19 and any worries and concerns you have.  And allow time for a chat about non-work-related issues too. Ask your team how their families are, where they are exercising, what recipes they are trying to stretch provisions, etc.

Make connecting with colleagues and getting to know them socially, as well as professionally, part of the new culture within the business, and actively encourage it while working remotely. Why not try a game where, for example, you pretend your pets or family members are your co-workers and speak about them (“one of my co-workers slept all day under my feet today but the other kept barking at passers-by”).

This way you can keep the connection your team enjoys in the office and even build upon it.

Providing counselling

As an employer, it would be beneficial to offer staff some form of counselling, which could either be with an internal wellbeing / trained HR Officer or an external professional. You could offer this on a group basis as well; arrange a group conference call to share concerns with a number of employees at the same time.

The calls could be used to talk through various tools that can be used to reduce stress and anxiety; covering mindfulness techniques, sleep, rest, nutrition and diet and how to keep calm and focused. At Corporate Away Days, we are partnered with a number of Wellbeing and Mental Health professionals who can organise virtual workshops to assist your team whilst they are working from home.

Developing a clear communication process

When working in the office, there are established lines of communication in place and there needs to be clarity as to how this is replicated when working remotely. Employees will benefit from having a clear line of communication; knowing who to call, when to call, and how to reach the right people if they have a query. 

However, you also need to avoid being overwhelmed by phone calls! When people aren’t used to working from home, they will often call to ask the simplest questions.  This is normal – so set up a system to mitigate this; one which ensures you get some work done too, but it also gives employees some structure, and clarity.

An organised approach to managing call times, blocking out hour slots to receive or make calls to individuals or, as discussed, a conference call for more general group discussions – are all great ways to limit a deluge of phone calls.

You might think emails are the answer. However, in the self-isolation environment we are experiencing, emails and texts won’t cut it. Human connection is important, so pick up the phone!

Reducing feelings of isolation

Self-isolate is a challenge. Help your employees understand ways they can be social – and stay safe.

Why not provide them with a list of the ways they can have contact with colleagues, friends and family at different times of the day; from Facetime and video chats, to phone calls and WhatsApp. Within reason, be flexible about where they fit these communications into their working day. If they belong to clubs or groups outside work can they use apps such as Houseparty or Zoom to replicate their usual meeting; whether that’s a book club, choir or wine tasting?

You can also set up virtual team building or perhaps a social event, such as a quiz or watch party.

Motivation while working remotely

Encouraging your team to exercise is also a great way to keep them motivated and keep their mental health strong. Suggest they lay a mat inside / outside and do stretches, push ups, sit ups, planks, some form of body strengthening as well as cardio.

Then ask your team to share their routines and findings with colleagues, creating another topic for self-maintenance and the pandemic survival at home.

More importantly, trusting and empowering staff to work from home will be a great motivator in itself. If your team feels they can achieve what they need and be recognised and praised for it, while cutting out the commute and the downsides that come with working in an office, they can look forward to a time when the virus has beaten a retreat and they can work this way to really achieve some work-life balance.

Make your goals short-term. None of us know how long this will last so you may as well plan on a month-by-month basis. If goals can be achieved in a short timeframe, it is a great way to encourage your team to stay focussed and also gives you as an employer a good excuse to sing the praises of your team on a regular basis.

And do make sure – as far as you can – that they are equipped for working at home.

Planning for getting back to normal

Fun and laughter are some of the best ways to reduce stress. Whilst there doesn’t seem much to look forward to right now, as time passes we will be able to see the end of the pandemic.  It’s a good idea to think ahead to fun things you can do in the future. 

Giving your team something to look forward to, something exciting, would be a perfect way to keep them motivated, inspired and create a conversation / discussion on that group chat that has been set up.

For example, an away day out of the office with a wellbeing theme, an activity that is inspiring and engaging that allows individuals to reconnect and rebuild connections after a long period of isolation. www.corporate-away-days.co.uk offer 27 live wellbeing events that aim to connected individuals from all corners of the workplace, at all levels.

Business owners have a huge amount on their plates right now. Covid-19 has created an unprecedented situation which is difficult for everyone to handle.  Because of this business owners need to do everything possible to support their employee and their mental wellbeing.  Please keep this high on your agenda and help people get through the Covid-19 period.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Craig Bulow is the founder of Corporate Away Days, a corporate wellbeing events company delivering engaging, inspiring and exciting events focussed on Wellbeing and Reward activities. Corporate Away Days also creates, designs and builds corporate wellbeing policies and provides leading experts for interactive workshops, seminars and talks on improving mental health and overall wellbeing.

Web: http://www.corporate-away-days.co.uk/

Instagram: corporateawaydays

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-bulow-3b227721/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/corporate-away-days/

It’s time for the board meeting. Or another of the regular get-togethers for the work team. And what invariably goes centre-table? The answer, of course, is a selection of bottled water.

No speaker wants to go dry-mouthed. Every participant needs to be sufficiently hydrated to stay focused, concentrate, and keep their mind on the matters in hand. If you were in any doubt, the Association of UK Dieticians (BDA) reminds us how drinking water keeps a dry mouth, lethargy, poor concentration, and dizziness at bay.

It’s for essential health reasons that you are legally required to make clean drinking water readily available for all of your employees.

So, the bottled water in the centre of the table plays a critical role. That role is made all the more important by the nature of the water you serve and the type of bottle you use.

The water

Few self-respecting offices these days are likely to leave jugs of tap water on the boardroom table – directors, clients, senior executives, and your workforce as a whole may reasonably expect better.

You – and they – want water that is clean and pure, free of the impurities that even British tap water may contain. It must have a great taste and, preferably, can be served still, sparkling or chilled.

The way to get your drinking water that clean is to install a drinking water filtration system. Modern systems can remove up to 99% of all impurities – and leave you with a refreshingly clean and great tasting drink of water.

Filtered water systems such as this connect directly to your mains water supply, so that once the system is installed, you fresh, clean water is going to cost you little more than the current price of tap water – less than 5p litre.

The bottle

If you are looking for any sense of corporate social responsibility, you will avoid the use of plastic bottles at all costs. Not only are they inelegant to look at, but plastic bottles are also widely acknowledged as the scourge of environmentalists because of the extremely long life before they degrade, together with their lasting and harmful pollution.

Consciousness about sustainability and eco-friendly solutions is now widespread, so you may demonstrate your commitment to just such concerns by doing away with single-use plastic bottles and replacing them with reusable, dishwasher-safe glass bottles.

You can even go a step further in the way you serve your bottled water. Some companies that supply elegantly designed and stylish glass bottles on which you can print your company logo – and a message reiterating your commitment to environmental sustainability.

A special printing process ensures that the logo – together with any message – is indelibly printed on your glass bottles, serving a reminder of your commitment to values of corporate social responsibility.

The next time you are setting up the board room or arranging an office meeting, consider whether the drinking water you are serving is the freshest, purest and tastiest that can be. If not, it may be time to find out more about filtered water and in-house bottling solutions.

In the world of sports technology is gradually bringing in changes, with small pieces of new tech being incorporated into old ways of doing things. In sport, this helps preserve the tradition while slowly improving every aspect.

As an ex-pro basketball player and Olympian, I avidly follow developments, particularly the use of technology in sports. Here are five areas where tech is having an impact and improving sports…

1. Funding

Talent and effort should be all it takes to become a professional athlete. Unfortunately, funding tends to be a major deciding factor. Those without the funding can’t afford to take time out from work to train, can’t afford the best trainers, and won’t be able to access the best technology.

Until fairly recently, however, top athletes and teams have taken the lion’s share of funding and sponsorship opportunities. Less well-known athletes along with those just starting out have struggled to get the funding they need to break into the professional leagues.

The good news is that, in recent years, new sources of funding have arisen, allowing fans to financially support clubs and athletes in return for a share of future incomes. Not only does this provide an additional avenue for fans to get involved but it also provides a way for up-and-coming athletes and clubs to raise unrestricted funds, helping them to go pro.

1. Sports Equipment Design

While computers have been at the forefront of a lot of changes in sport, one of the most significant comes from the world of materials and product design and engineering.

Tennis rackets and golf clubs, for example, have seen some huge technological leaps, using new graphite shafts for better weight to strength ratio. Computers have, of course, assisted with these new designs, improving performance through the use of aerodynamics.

The deployment of new materials, such as kevlar, have also dramatically improved the strength of sails, bicycle helmets, and even football boots. Kevlar is a fibre that is around five times stronger yet much lighter than steel, making it ideal in these heavy-use situations. I see many of these new materials being applied to sports equipment in the coming years, helping to make it stronger, longer-lasting and safer.

1. Training & Nutrition

What separates the amateur and pro athletes is training. More, better training will create professional athletes out of even the most modest spark of talent. A lack of or low-quality training will hamper even the most promising of players.

Computer-aided training programmes now integrate live data into sports science models to help improve every aspect of the athlete’s performance. Tennis player can improve their services, swimmers their technique, and footballers their strike rate. What’s more, computers are now beginning to spot areas of weakness and suggest improvements, potentially helping to avoid long-term injuries building up.

New technology also makes it easier to monitor an athlete’s nutrition, computer programs have improved nutritional advice, and developments in food and drink production allow for very precise nutritional balance as well as new protein bars, energy drinks, etc.

In the future, I see more wearable technology being integrated to utilise live data and provide immediate feedback to athletes and coaches. Training and nutrition can then be quickly adapted to the athlete’s needs, improving performance while helping to avoid future injuries.

1. Engaging Fans

There has been a proliferation of new ways to watch sport ‒ from HD streaming to watching via betting sites. This has allowed fans to get involved in the action, betting on in-play odds, commenting on streams, and even just seeing more detail of the game.

There have also been now ways for fans to get involved in the action, such as fantasy leagues and in-play betting, engaging fans through personal investment. Fans can also support individual players and teams financially, through sites like Globatalent, as well as trading player-based stocks on sites like Sports Stack and Football Index.

Platforms such as Twitter have also made it easier for fans to connect directly with athletes, getting immediate responses and exclusive opportunities to meet their idols. I believe this interactive element is responsible for the resurgence of interest in sports over the past ten years and is helping athletes to build a business around their sporting career.

1. Fairness

While we’d all like for players to be good sports and professional in their attitudes, we also want to see passion bursting forth through their performance. We want them to push as hard and as far as they can go in order to surprise and delight their fans.

However, the downside to all this passion and performance has been athletes cheating or claims of unfairness in referee decisions. We’ve all been aware of the controversies surrounding goal-line decisions in international football games, for example, and Lance Armstrong’s doping scandal shocked and shook the world of cycling, damaging the reputation of the sport.

Fortunately, however, technology is improving every aspect of fairness in sport. Video referees can now be called on to make decisions using slow-motion cameras at every angle, goal-line and hawkeye technology can now deliver uncontroversial decisions in football and tennis, while anti-doping techniques can now spot a huge range of illegal performance-enhancing drugs before a scandal breaks out.

Not only will this new level of fairness help keep controversy and scandal away, but it will also bring a renewed enthusiasm for sports that have been plagued by unfairness in the past.

We still have some way to go, but now that the technology has been accepted in the sporting world, I believe we will see the rapid adoption of new technologies across every aspect of the sporting world, helping to improve everything.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ferran Martínez is one of the co-founders of GlobaTalent. He is a former pro basketball player for FC Barcelona and Spanish National Team, a Laureus member, led sports entertainment at several private banks and is now a successful entrepreneur. He also has experience in advising in terms of investment and has done so for FC Barcelona players.

Web: https://globatalent.com/

Web: https://globatalent.envestry.com/deals/2987

Twitter: https://twitter.com/globatalent

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/globatalent.official

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/globatalentsport/

As business grow it is likely that inefficiencies will be found it their processes. If left untackled such inefficiencies can run a business into the ground. Customers will feel they aren’t getting good value, the company will struggle to be profitable, and employees will get frustrated and start looking for jobs elsewhere.

You need to go into battle against inefficiency which will require examining all your business processes. Businesses usually do this with the help of an experienced consultant. While more costly than completing this work in-house, a consultant will have the skills and experience to spot inefficiencies, the knowledge about what works to solve the problem, as well as both the methodology and objectivity to complete the process quickly and…efficiently.

If you are ready to start right away, however, you can  being by identifying the three enemies of efficiency that may be lurking in your current  processes. These are rigidity, variability and waste. Let us look at each of them.

1. Rigidity

In our fast-moving, tech-driven, globalised world, businesses need to be flexible and adaptable.

The same goes for their employees. Those who adapt to the needs of the business help make processes quicker and smoother while those who rigidly stick to what they know are likely to cause bottlenecks.

People within a rigid process may end up waiting for everyone else to make their contributions before making their own, for example.

If these employees are allowed more flexibility, however, then they know they can get on with other things while they wait for information. You may discover technology that allows different teams to work on a document simultaneously or a process that removes the need for multiple checks. Changing this process means greater efficiency, faster output, and happier clients and staff.

It should be noted, however, that flexibility doesn’t mean unstructured or seat of your pants. Employees need to feel confident and clear on how to manage their time/workload rather than being left entirely to their own devices.

2. Variability

Combatting overly rigid processes is the first step in managing resources ‒ allowing staff to better utilise their time. Expecting 100% utilisation, however, is unrealistic and impractical. ‘Stuff’ happens and your teams need to deal with it quickly or risk it turning into a bottleneck.

Even on factory floors, where there is very little variability, manufacturing managers may only plan their machines to operate at around 80-85% load. The other 75 minutes of the day are left unallocated to allow time to deal with unexpected ‘stuff’.

In the modern office teams can be pushed to work at near 100% load leaving little flexibility to deal with unexpected variability. By viewing workload across entire teams, however, you can introduce flexibility and improve your capacity planning.

For example, say your design team currently needs to make all changes to graphics within a document. Training other staff on how to make minor changes to graphics will alleviate bottlenecks.

3. Wastes

Waste can be broken down into eight branches: transport, inventory, motion, waiting, overproducing, over-processing, defects, and skills.

These wastes spell out TIM WOODS ‒ handy for remembering them. Let’s look at them one at a time.

Transport ‒ This can apply to the movement of anything from goods, to people, to documents. Even a small amount of transport waste can build up. Looking for ways to decrease movement, shorten the distance or reduce the item size can all help to minimise transport waste.

Inventory ‒ Anything you buy or produce in bulk can suddenly become redundant. For example, you print 50 new customer forms in case you need them, but then the forms need to change. Be as lean as possible with what you buy or produce. That way you can minimise inventory waste.

Motion ‒ People need to move around to do their job and this physical movement takes time, money and effort, quickly leading to waste. Say, for example, that your marketing team often need to meet your design team, one is on the 4th floor and the other on the 12th. This will waste time and money as people go up and down. Try to look for ways to rationalise the placement of people to help minimise motion.

Waiting ‒ This is connected to rigidity (see above). If people are waiting to proceed on a task until someone else has made their contribution, you create waste. When different teams have different priorities, you can end up with some very long delays. Introduce more flexibility into your processes to minimise the time wasted waiting around.

Overproducing ‒ If you produce more than you need, stock turns into inventory (see above) and is at risk of redundancy. Try and be as accurate as possible when assessing the needs of your customers and anticipating future orders. Improving this may require new technology or processes.

Overprocessing ‒ You want the document you produced to be incredible, but does it really require checking three or four times before it goes to the client? Is it really about improving work or about including people in the process? By providing clear briefs you will help to minimise the checking needed, the number of mistakes made and the number of people included in the process.

Defects ‒ Mistakes devalue your output, take time to correct, and are demoralising for staff. Some mistakes will always happen, but unclear briefs or communication, a lack of information, and poorly defined processes will dramatically increase defects. People need to know clearly what’s needed, what the intended outcome is, what’s important, and how to go about it. Otherwise, they will experiment with novel processes to achieve an unclear objective, introducing many mistakes and inefficiencies along the way.

Skills ‒ People need the relevant skills for the task. Sounds obvious, I know, but managers often misuse the skills within a team. For example, I’ve seen experienced copywriters being used for time-consuming admin tasks and I’ve seen interns being thrown onto sales calls. Misuse of skills is an inefficient use of personnel and also leads to mistakes.

By working through each of these potential areas for inefficiency, you will gain a good overview of the processes used by your business and a fair idea on how to improve them. However, thinking back to point number one, rigidity, it’s important to be flexible in your approach. In a startup, for example, it may not be possible to establish clear processes as people are managing multiple roles.

As the business expands, eliminating inefficiencies becomes increasingly important to growth. Upskilling employees can be crucial to keeping them motivated in the long-term, for example, and it will help manage workload if someone is ill.

Keep these points in mind as you grow and use them as red flags to be resolved when the business has the capacity. At that point, you can use a consultant to analyse your inefficiencies and suggest improvements in order to rapidly grow your SME. For example, you can post a question on Consulthon and ask for responses from a range of experts, and then book a one hour call with the one you feel best suits your business. This is a good way to keep your consultancy costs down, and ‘try before you buy’

Keeping inefficiencies to a minimum is essential if you want to grow your business and your profits, so start by doing as much as you can in-house and then look to bring in outside experts as the business expands.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marieta Bencheva is co-founder of Consulthon,a UK Management Consulting Expert Network. Businesses can raise a Business Challenge and the network’s experts will brainstorm solutions. After selecting the answer they like the most, the business can book a paid one-hour advisory call and deep-dive session with that consultant. All the consultants are vetted by Consulthon and the platform offers businesses access to a wide range of skills, in a variety of sectors and countries.

Web: https://consulthon.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/consulthon/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CONSULTHON.CO.UK/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/CONSULTHON  @consulthon

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/consulthon.co.uk/ @consulthon.co.uk

Processes not just formal procedures to be followed in order to get things done. Your processes reflect the culture of your business, including values, and why you do what you do.

Because of this your processes are fundamental to your business. By sticking to clear processes, you maintain consistent quality, service and brand experience.  However, there is a danger that they get out of date. Processes need to evolve and grow with the business, and also adapt to external pressures. Processes that work for, say, a two person startup won’t provide what is required for a medium-sized business with a full product range.

Processes that do not work can lead to numerous problems, such as customers complaining about poor product quality or bad service; wasted resources, increasing costs, bottlenecks etc.

Correctly identifying problems is a challenge but also the first step towards finding a resolution and improving processes.

Here are two main methods to a) identify the root causes of the problems you need to tackle, and b) help you find the solutions and process improvements that are necessary.

1. Problem-solving session

Problem-solving sessions are ideal when you already know what the problem is but are unsure how to solve it.

Firstly, create a commonly understood/agreed description:

• What the problem is ‒ a simple problem statement
• When the problem has been seen
• The magnitude of the problem
• The impact/ consequence of the problem (why is it important)

You may end up with a specific description, e.g. “We have lost 20% of our clients in the past year”, or a vaguer one: “Our profitability is decreasing”. Make no assumptions about the cause at this point!

Once you have a clear description of the problem, it’s time to measure its extent. To do this, you’ll need a comprehensive list of value elements ‒ anything that affects your costs or benefits your clients.

Involve the wider team now, including a representative sample of people who experience the issue.

A fishbones diagram can help identify the possible causes of the problem. For each branch (i.e. each possible cause) list every element involved in that branch.

The reasons for problems can generally be grouped as 8Ps or 8Ms:

The Ps

Physical Evidence;

Personnel;

Place;

Product or Service;

Price;

Promotion;

Process;

Productivity & Quality

The Ms

Machine (technology);

Method (process);

Material (Includes Raw Material, Consumables and Information.);

Manpower (physical work) / Mind Power (brain work):

Measurement (data from reports, checks and controls);

Milieu / Mother Nature (Environment).

Management / Money Power;

Maintenance

Once you’ve clearly articulated the problem and discovered the extent of its impact, you need to identify solutions and immediate fixes.

A workshop where staff can brainstorm is a good way to do this. The outcome will be a range of potential solutions which you can test and implement. It’s good to prioritise the solutions based on their likely impact and the time/effort/money required.

• Customer journey/value mapping

If you’re uncertain what the problem actually is, or want to be more comprehensive in your solution-gathering, or to improve processes in general, a customer journey map or value stream map can be useful.

A value stream map visually captures all your current processes down to the last detail.

First create a comprehensive list of your value elements ‒ anything that affects your costs or benefits your clients. Think of these elements as client touchpoints ‒ times when customers interact with your business.

Next gather data on the monetary and time value of each element; how much are they worth and how much do they cost? How long do they take? How much does this time cost you? As you go through each element, try to identify those that:

• add value for the customer ‒ things customers are willing/wanting to pay for
• are business non-value-added functions ‒ things your business needs to operate but which don’t add value, such as regulation and compliance costs
• do not add value ‒ waste to be eliminated.

From this point, it should be straightforward to identify processes that aren’t adding or delivering value and begin investigating why they don’t.

Perhaps Sales are used to promising a two-week delivery timetable, but it is delivered after four weeks and the customer is upset. The customer may understand, and therefore not report their experience back to your company.

Get the whole team involved in this discovery stage to help uncover such hidden issues. You could even start with a customer survey to identify any loss of value from their perspectives.

When you have identified the problem(s) it’s time to get on with finding solutions. Again, a team approach is helpful – don’t reject any idea out of hand. Aim to make your processes as lean as possible, to ensure they add value, and are all completely aligned.

Another option is to combine the two methods above. Write your problem statement, then gather client feedback and complete your value-stream mapping. Then run a problem-solving session on each touchpoint in your value stream map to ensure that every touchpoint delivers maximum value.

Regardless of the method, the trickiest part is being objective enough to accurately identify the root issues. To help overcome this and make the process faster and more effective, organisations often hire an external consultant to analyse their current processes, identify issues and offer tried-and-tested improvements. They know all the little questions to ask and the steps to follow to drill into the minute details.

If you don’t have the budget for a full-time consultant, you can use platforms like Consulthon to get some free ideas around what the problem may be and how to approach the issue, from expert consultants. You can arrange follow-up calls or meetings with the consultant with the best approach, allowing you to check-in with an expert at key milestones along the way.

Over time it is inevitable that your business processes will need to change.  Don’t put off tackling what needs to be done. Pick a method that is best suited to your current situation and find the solutions and process improvements that will give your customers the best service, support your business and grow your profits.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marieta Bencheva is co-founder of Consulthon, a UK Management Consulting Expert Network. Businesses can raise a Business Challenge and the network’s experts will brainstorm solutions. After selecting the answer they like the most, the business can book a paid one-hour advisory call and deep-dive session with that consultant. All the consultants are vetted by Consulthon and the platform offers businesses access to a wide range of skills, in a variety of sectors and countries.

Web: https://consulthon.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/consulthon/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CONSULTHON.CO.UK/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/CONSULTHON  @consulthon

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/consulthon.co.uk/ @consulthon.co.uk

When you get poor quality broadband connection or sub-standard service from your telecoms provider your business can suffer. 

When problems arise, you need to complain. Let’s review the options you have for doing this and getting compensation.

Let your provider know when is going on

You may assume that modern technology allows all telecoms businesses to be able to identify when something isn’t working. Surely, they should be able to quickly and easily fix problems so that your service isn’t impacted? Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes they can, but most of the time, they will need you to tell them what has happened and when.

As soon as you notice a problem, make a note of what you perceive the problem to be, and when it started. Contact them to tell them of the issue; it is from this point that the compensation clock starts ticking.  Different companies have different times as their deadline for that day (otherwise the clock starts the next working morning), so check with your providers about when you have to report an issue by.

Be nice to the call centre

When you do call always be nice to the person you talk to.  It isn’t their fault your telecoms aren’t working and you are likely to be one of very few who are nice. They are far more likely to give you what you seek, compared to if you rip into them as if they had personally cut your internet connection!

Many call centre staff will have permission to apply small credits to your account. The likelihood of them mentioning it is almost certainly directly related to how nice you are when you call.

Review your telecoms contract

Particularly if you’re working through a reseller or broker, check what your contract says. Their terms and conditions may differ from the actual telecoms provider.

If you didn’t read your contract in full before you signed it, shame on you. However, that doesn’t mean all is lost (refer to the point above). They aren’t likely to let you out of the contract (at least not willingly), but they may apply credits to your account if something is clearly not as it should be.

Providers’ Automatic compensation schemes

Here’s a little good news. Due to the volume of complaints – and the improvement in technology – many companies are either signing up for Ofcom’s automatic compensation scheme[i], or they are setting up their own.

Since 1^st April 2019, BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and Zen Internet have agreed to provide set compensation levels after set periods of time. Vodafone hasn’t joined the Ofcom scheme, but they have set up their own, with the same compensation payments[ii]. The bad news is that these are residential schemes, not for businesses who have experienced poor service. 

BT has set up an automatic compensation scheme[iii] for their business customers; it’s a shame that others haven’t followed.

Complain via Social Media

Business reputation is worth a great deal. Telecoms providers, including resellers and brokers, don’t like their dirty laundry being shown in public. If you take your complaint to Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn, there’s a good chance that they will take steps to resolve the matter. Being able to respond to your complaint publicly, particularly once they’ve resolved your issue, is good for their image and so most companies will do whatever they can to resolve the issue.

If they don’t, LinkedIn is a great way to find senior management and be able to complain directly to them.

Company	Complaints URL	Facebook	Twitter
BT	https://btbusiness.custhelp.com/app/complaints/	https://www.facebook.com/btbusinessdirect/	@bt_uk
O2	https://www.o2.co.uk/how-to-complain	https://www.facebook.com/o2uk/	@O2
Virgin	https://www.virginmediabusiness.co.uk/help/s/businesscomplaints	https://www.facebook.com/virginmedia/	@vmbusiness
Vodafone	https://www.vodafone.co.uk/help-and-information/complaints	https://www.facebook.com/vodafoneUK/	@VodafoneUK
Zen	https://www.zen.co.uk/contact-us/complaints	https://www.facebook.com/zeninternetuk/	@zeninternet

Regulatory protection: Ofcom

In the UK Ofcom is the regulatory body for the telecoms industry. They recognise that telecommunications play a vital role in business, particularly for small businesses. They have produced what they call General Conditions of Entitlement[iv]. They are written to protect your business and provide a standard minimum level of service around complaints.

If you don’t get any joy from your telecoms provider, you may want to mention these general conditions and see what happens.  Alternatively, call Ofcom directly on 020 7981 3040.

Making a formal complaint

If you aren’t getting anywhere by complaining to your telecoms provider, it may be time to make a formal complaint.

Telecoms providers must be members of an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme. They act as an adjudicator or middleman between you and the telecoms provider. Usually within six weeks, they will come to a decision. This decision is final and cannot be overturned and it cannot be appealed. However, that doesn’t stop you seeking legal advice if you don’t accept the decision.

If the ADR does agree with your complaint, they can order the service provider to make compensation payments, to fix the issue or take other steps.

There are two ADRs in the UK:

1. Ombudsman Services[v], and
2. Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (CISAS)[vi]

Before you make a complaint, however, you must ensure you have met the following conditions[vii]:

• You have already complained to the company in the first instance
• You are based in the United Kingdom (and not the Republic of Ireland).
• At least eight weeks have passed since you first complained to them or you have received a deadlock letter
• Your complaint is not in relation to fraud, property damage, discrimination or data protection
• Your complaint is not the subject of court action
• You understand that it is your responsibility to ensure you have read the scheme rules, guidance notes and process

In the end you always have the option to walk away and switch to a different telecoms provider. If you need a complex service this may take time and effort but can be worth it.  Of course, you may find that with a complex and valuable contract your current provider will be work very hard to keep your business.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Warren Pryer is from independent telecoms brokerage Equinox. Equinox works with companies, charities and other organisations to help them choose the right telecoms packages for their needs and thereby reduce their costs. Equinox is particularly knowledgeable on the integration of IT and telecoms in business.  www.equinoxcomms.co.uk

Twitter: @CommsEquinox

CITATIONS and LINKS

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[i] https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/costs-and-billing/automatic-compensation-need-know

[ii] https://www.vodafone.co.uk/broadband/auto-compensation

[iii] https://business.bt.com/compensation-scheme/

[iv] https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0021/112692/Consolidated-General-Conditions.pdf

[v] https://www.ombudsman-services.org/

[vi] https://www.cedr.com/consumer/cisas/

[vii] These are the CISAS conditions https://www.cedr.com/consumer/cisas/make-a-complaint/ but are very similar to those of Ombudsman Services.

Hopefully, Christmas was good for your business!  The flipside may be that, once the gifts have been given, there’s always a chance that someone doesn’t like the product you supplied, or it turns out to be faulty?

As a supplier of goods or services, it’s important that you know your customers’ rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. This will keep you in compliance with the law. 

To start with, without a receipt there’s not a lot a customer can do.  However, if they’re not shy about asking for a receipt, or the giver of your present has said they can change the item if so desired, then that is a whole different ball game.

In addition, with so many people shopping online now it’s not just a question of taking something back to the shop with a receipt. What are your customers’ rights in relation to items that have been bought online?

A new statute became law on 1^st October 2015, known as the Consumer Rights Act 2015. This statute was specifically introduced to simplify, strengthen and modernise the law, giving consumers clearer shopping rights. It replaces three previous statutes and includes rights in relation to items bought online and digital downloads.

Quality 

As with previous legislation, under the Consumer Rights Act all products must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described.  

The rules also include digital content in this definition. So, all products – whether physical or digital – must meet the following standards:  

• Fit for purpose.  The goods should be fit for the purpose they are supplied for, as well as any specific purpose you made known to the customer before they agreed to buy the goods. 
• As described.  The goods supplied must match any description given, or any models or samples shown at the time of purchase.
• Satisfactory quality.  Goods shouldn’t be faulty or damaged when received. You should ask what a reasonable person would consider satisfactory for the goods in question. For example, bargain-bucket products won’t be held to as high standards as luxury goods. 

If what your customer has bought doesn’t satisfy any one of the three criteria outlined above, they have a claim under the Consumer Rights Act against the retailer (seller) as opposed to the manufacturer.

What your customer can claim depends on how much time has passed since they physically took ownership of the goods. They will also need proof of purchase such as the receipt.

30-day right to reject

Under the Consumer Rights Act, a consumer has an absolute legal right to reject goods that are of unsatisfactory quality, unfit for purpose or not as described, and get a full refund – as long as they do this quickly within 30 days of taking ownership. One takes ownership of the goods when one pays for them in a store and takes them away, or when the goods are delivered to a person who has paid online.

Outside of the thirty days

If a customer is outside the 30-day right to reject, they have to give you, as a retailer, one opportunity to repair or replace any goods or digital content which are of unsatisfactory quality, unfit for purpose or not as described. 

If the attempt at a repair or replacement is unsuccessful, the customer can then claim a refund, or a price reduction if they wish to keep the product.

Less than six months

If your customer discovers a fault within the first six months of having the product, it is presumed to have been there since the time they took ownership of it – unless you can prove otherwise.

If they would prefer to keep the goods in question, they can request an appropriate price reduction.

Six months or more

If a fault develops after the first six months, the burden is on the customer to prove that the product was faulty at the time they took ownership of it. In practice, this may require some form of expert report, opinion or evidence of similar problems across the product range. 

A customer has six years to take a claim to the small claims court for faulty goods in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

Digital content

The Consumer Rights Act defines digital content as ‘data which are produced and supplied in digital form.’

Just like goods, digital content must be:

• fit for a particular purpose
• as described by the seller
• of satisfactory quality

If digital content does not conform to these criteria, a customer has the right to a repair or replacement of the digital content they’ve bought. 

So, effectively, the 2015 statute is a very useful piece of legislation to protect consumer rights not only relating to purchased items but also in respect of the supply of services as well.

However, what if the item is not faulty, but they simply don’t like it? Can they ask for a refund or exchange?

Most stores, online or otherwise, will give customers a period of time to get a refund in such circumstances. Some offer such a high level of customer service that they will give a refund on returned goods after a ‘reasonable’ period of time provided the returned item is as new and a receipt is produced. But be aware, you do not have to legally do so outside of your specified deadline.

If you do end up in a stalemate with a customer and feel you need additional help, then engaging a suitably qualified and licenced Paralegal can be a much cheaper option than using a solicitor. Paralegals can do most of the same work as solicitors (with a few exceptions, known as reserved activities) and charge considerably less. Ensure your paralegal is licenced and registered with a membership body such as NALP (National Association of Licenced Paralegals)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amanda Hamilton is Chief Executive of the National Association of Licenced Paralegals (NALP), a non-profit Membership Body and the only Paralegal body that is recognised as an awarding organisation by Ofqual (the regulator of qualifications in England). Through its training arm, NALP Training, trading as National Paralegal College, accredited recognised professional paralegal qualifications are offered for a career as a paralegal professional. 

See: http://www.nationalparalegals.co.uk and https://www.nalptraining.co.uk/

Twitter: @NALP_UK

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalAssocationsofLicensedParalegals/

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-hamilton-llb-hons-840a6a16/