How to Improve Management Performance

Managing Performance is the procedure of assessment of progress, of an establishment, towards a sought-after goal. It is the measure, analysis and optimization of resources to render a service to a level that has been agreed upon. It concentrates on the delivery of service.

The initial idea behind performance management is a procedure over which the management merges the individuals, schemes and strategies, to maximise both potency and efficiency to be able to present the preferred outcomes. Plainly put, the statement entails, doing the precise things and doing the things right. That is, an up-and-coming organization should admit one system that integrates leadership, and the other that insists on accomplishing excellent.

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An competent performance management in an establishment can achieve leadership skills that can be elevated alongside mental attitudes, interpersonal skills and behaviors. This is a important aspect of managing performance as it helps in keeping back and holding individuals who embody the basic human capital of the organizations. as they are the ones responsible for the implementation of the primary plans of the business.

It is exceedingly essential for a commercial enterprise to have a strong, performance management. It should be able to engage the systems, individuals and schemes actively, for the successful execution. This should further result in an growth in the gross revenue and a better profitability that would credibly not be reachable, if the procedure was not carried through.

With an active performance management, business concerns will prosper like never before. It is an highly essential process of business management, that is employed by directors of people, as an efficient tool, that is utilised by them to reach the objectives of the establishment.

Performance Management should be able to fulfill the next business concerns objectives: The missing link between Ambitions and results: Now, commercial organizations are progressively aware that it is normally not their strategy but the integrated endeavour and abilities of their employees to accomplish the scheme that makes all the difference to their expanding business. Thus, it becomes the duty of top level managers to fill in the gap between the missing links of aspirations and results, by motivating their employees, over management of their performance.

To grow the potential of an organisation, in order to accomplish its scheme, it is important that the establishment develops and makes the capabilities of its employees. Impressive individuals management is the only key to better the businesses functioning.

The most important purpose of Performance Management is to increase the potency of the employees. This should be done, in order to improve the performance of the commercial enterprise.

Managing Performance is connected with paperwork, challenging conversations and bureaucracy, and is therefore ofttimes put away as a chore no one wants to do. Even So, Performance Management is a operation that involves individuals and managers, that use the operation on a frequent basis, to increase their effectiveness towards the employer's establishment.

How to Improve Management Performance

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Benchmarking Performance

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Improve Channel Partner Performance - How to Engage and Collaborate With Partners to Improve ROI

Manufacturers, in their quest to increase the brand loyalty and mind share of dealer employees, look for ways to increase dealer engagement and collaboration. Engagement is the employee's positive emotional attachment to the organization. Collaboration is the ability of the dealer employee to interact with both manufacturer and other dealers for problem solving and best practices ideas. If you can do a better job of engaging and collaborating with your dealers, they will do a better job representing your brand and selling your product, increasing your return on investment (ROI).

More Engagement and Collaboration through Technology
Technology used to be a considered "de-humanizing" in the sense that people ended up having less interaction with individuals in a company when new technologies were introduced (how did you feel about the first electronic phone answering systems?). If your goal was more engagement with your dealers or customers, then adding technology for increased efficiency was not something you would consider. It's almost counter-intuitive, but today technology can make it easier to encourage engagement with your channel partner employees. Technology can make your company more "human-like," it can provide more touch points to your brand, and generate more brand loyalty, not less.

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There are a number of ways that manufacturers can take advantage of technology to engage and collaborate with both their dealers and customers, and improve ROI at the same time.

Use a Partner Relationship Management (PRM) System
Adopting a Partner Relationship Management (PRM) system to connect with your dealers is the most important first-step to take. PRM systems are web-based software solutions that unify all facets of developing and managing a distribution channel into a single partner portal. A PRM system works best when it functions well in these four areas of channel management:
Marketing/Communications Training/Certification Performance Management Collaboration

PRM systems give companies an integrated system to market, sell and service their products more effectively than traditional sales applications. It's a best practice that should be integrated into any company today selling through a channel. A good PRM system allows your dealers to better engage with you and it provides an excellent platform for manufacturer-to-dealer and dealer-to-dealer collaboration.

Suggestion - Start with a PRM system that offers all four areas of channel management. But start slowly. You don't have to move all legacy systems at once. You can link to your older systems through your PRM. Start slowly, and build from there.

Integrate the PRM with Your CRM
Most companies today use some type of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to automate and manage their direct sales needs, whether as a tool for business analysis or to track customer purchasing trends. As more companies adopt a PRM to manage the activities of their dealers, it's becoming clear that linking these two separate tools can enhance the effectiveness of each. Combining information from both a CRM and PRM can provide a more global view of the entire channel, from dealer to customer, yet preserve the individual value that each system provides.

Suggestion - You need both a CRM system and a PRM system. They perform two entirely separate functions. Don't use a CRM to manage your dealer partners - it's not designed for them. You need a PRM system with functionality like online training and certification, managing marketing communications and presentations, and collaboration tools. A CRM doesn't provide these.

"Go Mobile" with Tablets and Applications
More and more companies are pushing some of their training, product presentations, online libraries and ordering applications to a dealer mobile or tablet environment. There are some important reasons why this is occurring:
Individuals can access information when they need it. It can be interactive and contextual Sales and product presentations can be delivered easily to the customer Ordering applications can be used when the customer is "ready to buy" Equipment trouble-shooting apps can decrease a technician's diagnostic time

While still a new way to interact with dealers and customers, manufacturers are seeing that tablets and mobile apps can significantly increase engagement with their dealers and customers.

Suggestion - Don't do a "data dump" from your current system to your mobile application. Banks are a good example to follow. They offer simple, contextual apps that their customers can use easily and often. With a good bank app you can check your balance or transfer funds to your savings account, but you can't apply for a home loan. Don't try to recreate your entire training or your entire spec'ing and ordering system in an app. Instead, determine the tasks that dealer people 1) truly need in a mobile app, and 2) are easy to use. Keep it simple and helpful.

Connect It All Together
Successful companies work to connect all of these technology advancements holistically together, to the benefit of both the company and its dealers. That's how they create real engagement and an improved ROI. Your IT department doesn't want to manage three content management systems. They need to be able to integrate these systems using just one. Your dealers want a portal so it's easy and intuitive for them to get the information they need, when they need it. And they want to be able to take the next step using mobile applications that provide real value. So start slowly to see what works. But... start now! No company can afford to be a technology laggard today and earn a good ROI.

Improve Channel Partner Performance - How to Engage and Collaborate With Partners to Improve ROI

John Panaccione is the CEO of LogicBay Corporation, http://www.logicbay.com Founded in 2003, LogicBay provides Partner Relationship Management (PRM) solutions which enable organizations to manage and support an extended enterprise globally. By designing and launching powerful on-line communities which support collaboration and knowledge transfer between the Enterprise, Channel Partners, Dealers, Distributors and End-user customers world-wide, LogicBay optimizes engagement levels between disparate businesses resulting in measureable increases in productivity, revenues and profitability. Through his work in facilitating over 50 client implementations in Heavy Equipment Manufacturing, Technology, Financial Services, Retail and Higher Education, Mr. Panaccione has become a leading authority on best practices in the area of PRM and Channel Performance excellence.

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How A Channel Conflict With Partners Can Be Resolved To Improve ROI

Conflict is a common ingredient between enterprises and their channel partners. A web search of "Channel Conflict" generates many articles, most of which are generally related to pricing issues with, or between, channel partners. However, channel conflicts can occur in a much broader spectrum in the channel, and many manufacturers aren't even aware of the conflicts. The consequences of ignoring "hidden" conflicts can rob a company of a significant portion of its ROI.

For instance, maybe you hear your partners say things like this:

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"Why is it necessary to have so many websites, usernames, and passwords to get the information I'm looking for?" "How can I get my new employees trained? Where can they go later when they need instant information?" "We feel like we're the only ones out here. How do we get in touch with other people - either an expert at the company or another dealer - who can help me?"

Or maybe, your people say things like this:

"Why do my partners let the good leads we give them go dry?" "Even my own people are frustrated with our current partner systems." "Our partners don't possess the brand loyalty we think they should have."

If you've heard these questions or comments from your dealers or your own staff, then you know there is more than just price conflict in the channel, and you know there is a cost associated with this conflict. And if you haven't heard them, maybe you should ask.

Research shows there is often a significant gap between how managers at the manufacturer level perceive how their partners feel about the level of support they receive and how the channel partners themselves perceive how they are being supported. In one study (Abistar Group, 2010), the gaps were shown to be significant. In a key area of Partner Management, Marketing and Communications, managers scored what they thought their partners' satisfaction to be at 77% while the partners scored it well below that, at 59%. Similar gaps were noted for Training and Certification, Performance Management, and Collaboration.

These gaps produce friction between the enterprise and its partners. This conflict can eventually lead to reduced revenue, slower growth, and higher administrative costs. Likewise, resolving this kind of channel conflict can improve ROI.

PRM Systems Can Reduce Channel Conflict
Companies have reduced channel conflict by incorporating a Partner Relationship Management (PRM) system in the channel. PRM systems are web-based software solutions that unify all facets of managing a distribution channel into a single partner portal. In conjunction with continuous improvement programs and the application of best practices, companies have been able to increase channel productivity and lower costs using a PRM system. These initiatives, when combined, make it easier for partners to do business with the manufacturer. Let's take a look at some specific ways ROI can be increased using the same four partner management activities assessed in the survey.

Marketing and Communications
Effective channel partner marketing is critical to the success of any company selling through an independent channel. Partners need to see clear, understandable communications coming from one source. They need alerts, reminders and announcements about product introductions sent on a timely basis. And they need to be able to quickly find past communications. A PRM system allows a company to successfully synchronize all business communication activity within a channel. If you communicate your products and brand effectively, your partners will be more informed and enthusiastic about your company, and more likely to effectively sell your product, increasing ROI.

Training and Certification
Today's PRM technologies manage and deliver online training, classroom training, assessments, webinars and other e-learning activities. This provides employees and their managers the ability to create, manage, and view a defined learning plan and certifications for specific job roles. This kind of well-balanced, channel training can contribute significantly to reducing partner ramp-up time and costs, and increasing individual performance, delivering a positive impact on a business's ROI.

Performance Management
Measurement is an important key to successful enterprise performance because it helps managers make more effective decisions. Today, most channel management technologies include a reporting dashboard for managers to access information about the people and organizations they manage. Having good information at your fingertips helps you make good decisions and increase ROI, particularly as an enterprise scales up and adds more partners.

Collaboration
Given today's acceptance of social media, employees are "expecting" to be able to collaborate with others in their channel. A PRM system can provide a good forum for this to take place, where it can be overseen and managed to the benefit of the enterprise and its channel partners. This peer-to-peer communication can help resolve current issues by providing a repository for best practices. Companies who just a few years ago were trying to stifle this kind of communication today are embracing it because they know it produces more informed, more effective, and more brand-loyal channel employees. As the level of information shared by many people increases, so does ROI.

Channel Conflicts Can Be Resolved
Instituting a web-based PRM system can increase ROI. The most successful companies using PRM systems have combined them with a continuous improvement and measurement program, along with instituting business strategies based on the best practices found in channel management today. When all combined, this strategy can reduce the cost of managing and administering the channel, and eliminate many of the causes of the conflicts themselves, improving the company's return on investment for the long term.

How A Channel Conflict With Partners Can Be Resolved To Improve ROI

John Panaccione is the CEO of LogicBay Corporation, http://www.logicbay.com Founded in 1981, LogicBay provides Partner Relationship Management (PRM) solutions which enable organizations to manage and support an extended enterprise globally. By designing and launching powerful on-line communities which support collaboration and knowledge transfer between the Enterprise, Channel Partners, Dealers, Distributors and End-user customers world-wide, LogicBay optimizes engagement levels between disparate businesses resulting in measureable increases in productivity, revenues and profitability. Through his work in facilitating over 50 client implementations in Heavy Equipment Manufacturing, Technology, Financial Services, Retail and Higher Education, Mr. Panaccione has become a leading authority on best practices in the area of PRM and Channel Performance excellence.

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How to Improve Your Business With Knowledge Base?

What is knowledge base?

Knowledge Base (KB) is a special kind of database which is used for knowledge management. The data represents experiences of expertise in your company, problems and solutions, company policies and procedures. Here, I am talking about newly-developed KB software.

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Highlights of newly developed KB software

- Enterprise-grade product which is offered completely free

- Hosted and fully managed by developer, who takes care of all the software, server side hardware, network and backup. No setup or maintenance on users' side

- No software to install, you and your visitors only need a web browser

- Compatible with Windows, Linux, ASP, ASP.NET, PHP, SQL Server, MySQL or any other technologies

- Customizable brand identity for your business. You can use your own domain name for your knowledge base and use your own branding image, and design page header and footer

- Articles can be categorized by products, areas etc.

- Attachments can be added to article

- Feedback and comment are allowed for article

- Text search tool to find information quickly

How to use KB system?

The newly developed KB software is very powerful yet very easy to use.

Step 1:

Register to create a site account or add KB System to your existing site account.

Step 2:

Customize necessary settings to have your own categories and branding.

Step 3:

Copy several lines of code from Comm100 Knowledge Base and paste it to your site.

Step 4:

Congratulations. Your web site now has a KB system. You can use it now.

How KB software helps your business?

Enterprise-grade KB software allows you to share information through website, which reduces customer in-bound support, improves staff productivity and eliminates time wasted searching for information across disparate systems.
Reduce in-bound customer support requests: 80% customers are asking 20% questions! Most questions were asked before. KB helps your customers resolve issues by themselves instead of sending emails or calling the support department. Reduce staff training time: Your can use KB to familiarize your new team members with product detail so they can be up and running more quickly. Improve customer support quality and efficiency: Get it right at the first time. Giving an accurate and professional answer could be as simple as redirecting your customers to one of the KB articles. Share documentation and procedures internally: Besides customer service, you can of course use KB for other internal purposes.

How to Improve Your Business With Knowledge Base?

Comm100 Knowledge Base is the powerful free knowledge base software. It is delivered as a SaaS application and hosted by Comm100 Network Corporation, who provides open source and free hosted customer support software. Comm100 Knowledge can be used either independently or fully integrated with Comm100 other applications, including Live Chat, Forum, Newsletter and Ticket System, and all Comm100 products are offered for FREE.

For more information about Comm100 Knowledge Base, you can visit: http://www.comm100.com/knowledgebase/

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How to Improve Your Company's Customer Service

Before we can improve the existing customer service, let's define the term: "Customer Service":

"Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase." (English Wikipedia)

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The tips in this article are the principles of excellent customer service, I suggest you to take a look in your company's customer service and see the differences between GOOD and EXCELLENT customer service.

Let them feel that you care, ask them about the service. It can be done through surveys, random calls or any other method that you think of. The service representative is the person that will accompany the client during the customer service process. That means that the representative should love people, care for them. As simple as that sounds, it makes the whole service process easier both for the representative and both to the customer. Offer frequent training programs. Those outsourced training programs usually include simulations of possible scenarios that the representative should know how to deal with. Ongoing training will make your employees know more and more customer-oriented practices and possible behaviors. Surprise your customers! You probably know the good feeling that comes along a nice surprise that someone gave you in the moment you didn't expect it. Keep them off guard! Give your representatives the authority to take difficult decisions by themselves, let them feel that you trust them, they'll be more confident and it will reflect the whole process. Other than that, the managers' time is important and should be kept to the real hard cases. Personalize their experience. You can use a CRM which stores their info along with previous issues and other useful data that can be used to personalize their experience. Customer service can be done without your employees, if you create a client portal. A client portal will allow your customers to track progress, submit support tickets and check bills online. Creating a website like that can cost you from 500$ to 15,000$, depends on your provider and specifications. Make sure that the documentation is clear enough. Support is usually given after the customer has read the documentation, hiring the correct technical writer will produce a nice, clear and user-friendly documentation and manual that will reduce the number of calls that your support center would get. Keep appropriate telephone and email etiquette. More about email etiquette can be found in my article.

Those were the top 9 principles of an EXCELLENT customer support, if your customer have those tips, you can sit back and announce: "I have the best customer service department".

How to Improve Your Company's Customer Service

For a free consultation, feel free to contact me.
Orel Beilinson is a webmaster, web developer and accessibility specialist from ICE Group, Israeli based web solutions business.
For a quote, portfolio and services overview, please visit http://www.icesites.org.

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