| With this all possible the price could be lowered to a | | | | good will that has been built up is at risk.If you think |
| back breaking competitive level giving lower prices to | | | | this book review is crazy, think of it as a discussion |
| consumers who voted with their dollars while | | | | of thoughts after reading such a book. FCS is very |
| retaining a huge number of proficient hours each time | | | | efficient and it is even used by HMOs to schedule |
| period. It is amazing that with all the freight | | | | patients, and during operations. Remember that the |
| forwarding software, inventory software, | | | | efficiency in an HMO is how they make their money, |
| manufacturing scheduling software that no one sees | | | | not by making you healthier or better. But by doing |
| the obvious uses to streamline services. Look at a | | | | that minimum promised at the lowest possible price. |
| Taxi Cab company, police dispatch, air traffic | | | | Luckily the FCS model is sound otherwise in this case |
| controller, train master at a rail yard with trains | | | | it could literally cause death. Hospitals use these |
| moving all directions and many 300 miles away all | | | | systems to manage inventories, supplies, labor, |
| converging and departing simultaneously. Or the | | | | machinery, and all facilities. Makes since. Problems may |
| Phoenix missile system used by the government | | | | occur if you are maximizing surgery equipment and |
| which when put onto an F-14 could track and kill 8 | | | | rooms and doctors, when someones surgery takes |
| target 150 miles away moving at almost any speed in | | | | longer than anticipated and the next scheduled is a |
| and direction on a three dimensional plane. Ever | | | | kidney transplant. This is why in the customer service |
| wonder why no F-15 has ever been shot down in | | | | business that the limits of capacity are drawn and |
| combat? Even a gondola wire could not stop it, it | | | | jobs of little importance can be moved to a later |
| always wins. So is it safe to say that when you have | | | | time while time is of the essence jobs are to happen |
| the best of everything that the odds are stacked so | | | | forthwith. In fighting a war one cannot stop because |
| far in your favor that knowing the percentages is | | | | a component is out. The enemy does not stop if you |
| irrelevant to the game. All that needs to happen is to | | | | stop for tea. But in the case of logistics and moving |
| set fire in motion.If anyone has ever watched Fed Ex | | | | reinforcements into position it is of the utmost |
| work they use nearly the maximum of human | | | | importance to have these processes in place to look |
| resources as pilots load there own planes and help | | | | ahead fifteen chess moves. This is why |
| with the production of the sort. This can only happen | | | | Schwartzkoff said on CNN that Saddam was not |
| when the norms of union workers were broken | | | | very good military strategist. Maybe he is right, |
| where one guy drives a fork lift, one guy drives a | | | | however, by then we had knocked out significant |
| truck and they take breaks at different times and if | | | | communication lines, SAM sites and blown up half his |
| the truck driver moves the fork lift then the fork lift | | | | strength. I would have to thank Schwartzkoff the |
| driver who is on his 1 hour break files a grievance | | | | airforce, Navy and AWACS for destroying his |
| with the union. Scary, productivity level? Not much. | | | | logistical operations before the ground war started. |
| Same with highway workers who really need a | | | | Then the Marines first in and first to die, had no |
| shovel with a kick stand since they are not needed | | | | problems at all. We won the logistical battle. In |
| to hold it up anymore. If one guy works and fifteen | | | | business it is the same game, strategic partners and |
| guys lean on their shovels while one strong tenure | | | | alliances to secure distribution channels for rapid |
| supervisor sits in his pick-up waiting for his supervisor | | | | advancement or roll out of a product line. Then to |
| to discuss the next coffee break. Yet with finite | | | | win the war it is all about delivery of desired services |
| capacity scheduling even these dilemmas can be | | | | or products in the proper amounts to the proper |
| averted to some degree. Yet the total capacity | | | | places at the most efficient methods. FCS. Both |
| management plan cannot achieve any additional | | | | operational and tactical. Logical thinking with an |
| savings in job completion frequency.The only way | | | | experience of true reality of the market place. Pencil |
| this will work however is that all the team take | | | | Neck geeks with little round glasses reading spread |
| ownership in the scheduling system and not try to | | | | sheets and answering every question in such a way |
| change it by calling in with a bogus excuse such as | | | | that would make their college professor proud does |
| tire is low, I need to get air. Traffic is busy, I cannot | | | | not work. You cannot outsource your FCS software |
| get there. This one we can mitigate knowing the | | | | needs to someone who has never been in the war |
| speed of the vehicle by GPS/GIS and correlating that | | | | and flown by the seat of their pants. There is a |
| to the traffic reports. Without being a big brother, | | | | reality of the market place and if it is the only |
| you can have a strong team like ours in every micro | | | | consideration next to the customer you will win, you |
| team unit. Working together to win and sharing in the | | | | need both and if a professor who cannot teaches |
| economies of scale by profiting when goals are met. | | | | someone who has never how can the customer be |
| Keep in Mind that we can do better than the GE | | | | enlightened enough by great service to repeat their |
| Way where if goals are not met heads roll. Fear is an | | | | orders? This is why Gates left school, Paul Allen was |
| excellent motivator, but it burns people out and | | | | the coach and Steve Balmer is now running the |
| screws with their psychy. It is much easier to win by | | | | company and why they won so well in the market |
| other winning and through diplomacy and reward for | | | | that the government had to find something wrong |
| achievement like in sports, or medals for war heros, | | | | with them even if they did not understand what and |
| or status and profit incentives all inline with FCS, it | | | | could only get complaints from competitors as no |
| can easily work together. Add in bonuses for new | | | | consumer was ever actually damaged.It is necessary |
| customers signing up for with customer and | | | | to track everything to have the right answers and |
| employees and watch referrals skyrocket and all this | | | | providing you have built an FCS system correctly you |
| can be tracked as well. Imagine a company tracking | | | | are in a good place. The rest of the process is to cut |
| its referrals not by secret codes on print media or | | | | out the waste and complexity. As long as you know |
| post card mailins, but with regards to days of the | | | | you know you are the best, like we do at the Car |
| week, area, type of services, employee who did the | | | | Wash Guys, you do not need to create for the sake |
| last job before the referral came in. A small business | | | | of creating, you create for the sake of achieving, |
| person can keep track of this with out too much | | | | everything else is wasting. Which by the way wasting |
| problem if he has one unit and all the referrals come | | | | does not calculate in the logical world of FCS. If we |
| from him. But what about the multiple unit operator | | | | follow our competitors we would be really |
| of a plumbing company, tow company or National | | | | complicated and achieve less and less as we grow |
| Tree Trimming Company? What about a national | | | | bigger and bigger on a per store basis. If you copy |
| franchise company. Where things very from region to | | | | your competitor it will not help you beat your |
| region on some services and others are almost an | | | | competitor. You only have to think like him to find |
| identical match such as the friends and family | | | | him and know how he thinks to beat him all the while |
| programs and can be figured out by DMA service | | | | thinking beyond him. That is how the Bizmark was |
| region and census (or tiger files) population formulas.I | | | | found caught and sunk. And why Alexander the |
| would recommend that anyone on our team reading | | | | Great won so many battles.I liked the way the book |
| this search the internet for mobile car wash | | | | ended with this quote, probably another quote to go |
| scheduling and come up with all the previous postings. | | | | with the famous quote; If you do not know where |
| Try Alta Vista, Northern Light and the search feature | | | | you are going any road will take you there. He |
| on this bulletin board and you will see the tremendous | | | | finished the book with this quote. Even if you know |
| progress we have made in discovery and research.I | | | | where you are going, if you do not move fast |
| think the best point in the book was made for the | | | | enough you will be run over. Yes precisely.Just |
| nay Sayers of FCS, here it is.No matter how good a | | | | another exercise for the team in brain power. Think |
| software package is, if the users do not have | | | | allot and call me when you have a good idea, so we |
| ownership in it, it will fail.Conversely; No matter how | | | | can implement, adapt and stay leading edge.No need |
| bad a software package is, if the users have | | | | to read through this book completely, the highlights |
| ownership in it, it will succeed.So obviously education | | | | as they relate to winning the car wash war are within |
| and proper motivation is the key, the company and | | | | these previous chapters. |