October 1, 2008

Hi MBBP Subscribers, 

My wife and I are on the last leg of a 6-week trip to the Oregon Coast. We’re spending our last week of a well earned vacation with friends from our RV club at a beautiful RV Park in Monterrey, California. 

I've been answering emails and writing the MBBP while on the road and communicating with my office only on needed occasions. It's a great way to run a business. 

The education business has been good to me and I am always pleased to answer any questions subscribers submit to me. Education is a demon-strated strength of most successful companies.  

That said, this week’s article is on the subject of  “Knowledge is Power!”

The new article appears below.

Have a nice day, and stay connected.

  

Bill Gaw

Business Basics, LLC
6003 Dassia Way
Oceanside, CA 92056
bg@bbasicsllc.com 
760-945-5596

Knowledge is Power! 

If knowledge is power, then let e-learning be your company's competitive weapon. 

Even in tough economic times training is essential to the growth and development of the individual and their organization. Today's workers often work longer hours than at any time before and consequently may require more flexibility in their learning process. 

Distant education (e-learning) is an excellent solution to this growing training need. By incorporating computers and the Internet into the mix of tools available, organizations can provide training that is flexible, convenient, efficient, and less costly than more established methods. 

On-line training is rapidly becoming an important tool in the arsenal of training and education. It is an effective addition to the current training approaches.  

The benefits of online training go beyond simple convenience and flexibility. Unlike the traditional classroom, online courses provide each participant with the same information that can be accessed anytime and as often as necessary. Productivity is also protected since employees do not have to devote large periods of time to training but rather schedule learning sessions over a short period of time. 

Popular e-learning options include online courses that can be completed in one or several sessions and can even be downloaded to a laptop computer for employees who frequently travel or those who prefer to learn at home. Often, this type of online professional development course offers information to participants in modules. The employee can review the learning content at his or her own pace and contact subject matter experts electronically for clarification and further discussion. 

If you're not yet convinced that e-learning is right for your company, here are 5-reasons why you should be using e-learning:

1. Reduce costs…Save thousands on travel expenses and lost productivity by training employees online---at their own pace and according to their own schedule.

2. Accelerate the learning process…With no travel days or scheduling conflicts, you can get all of your people up to speed in weeks instead of months.

3. Extend coverage…Using virtual classrooms you can train each employee in every department across the company at once---and make sure they're all learning the same things.

4. People empowerment…choose your pace…choose your place.

In a recent survey of 5,000 employees at Fortune 500 companies, nearly half said they'd be enthusiastic if told they would be taught something online, and 19% admitted to preferring e-learning over any other method of instruction. People are now thinking, "I have to learn something... can I learn it online?" At more and more companies, the answer is yes. 

Here are a few quotes from Price Pritchett, Chairman and CEO of Pritchett &Associates, Inc., a Dallas-based firm specializing in organizational change.

   "Lifelong learning is the only way to remain competitive in the job market." 

   "The more you know how to do, and the better you do it, the more valuable
    you become." 

   "Defend your career by developing a better package of knowledge and
    skills than the next person." 

   "We must constantly retool ourselves, become perpetual students or we
    risk becoming obsolete."  

Bill Gaw's Triple-Step, World Class Lean Manufacturing Training Program

If you and your company need help in increasing speed, improving quality, eliminating non-value-added cost, and creating a fun work environment, may I suggest my "Triple-Step, World Class, Lean Manufacturing Training Program.". As a MBBP subscriber you can purchase this training program at a 47% discount. To review the details, take 5-minutes and simply click on the below link

World Class Lean Manufacturing

"ShowTime!" The Manufacturing Simulation Game
MRP vs. Lean Simulation Exercises

ShowTime, the manufacturing simulation game, demonstrates the benefits of pull manufacturing and manufacturing cells (lean Manufacturing) versus push/batch manufacturing. The game compares batch or push manufacturing techniques (traditional manufacturing) to one piece pull manufacturing using sequential production. It shows how quality and productivity improve while reducing WIP inventory, scrap, rework, and floor space required. The game has been designed for 6-8 participants with unlimited observers. It is based upon each participant taking an active role in running a mini-production line where ‘real’ products are manufactured.

Manufacturing Simulation Game