Influence – How to Get It & How to Keep It!
Abstract
Greg and Fred discuss how to influence decision makers to get your ideas adopted and deployed.
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SOR 1017 Influence
Waterfall’s Contribution to Agility
Guest Post by Howard Wiener (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
In the previous article we discussed Waterfall, WaterScrumFall, big-A Agile and business agility. Dissonance abounds among organizations struggling to transition their approaches to building solutions and maintaining their existing legacy infrastructures while remaking how they evolve themselves. In attempting to navigate this they often adopt approaches that are destined not to really get them where they need to be.
[Read more…]SOR 1014 Overcomplicating Systems
Overcomplicating Systems
Abstract
Greg and Fred discuss how to reduce complexity in life and work.
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Canada’s ERM Audit
Guest Post by James Kline (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
In June 2022 the Office of the Auditor General of Ottawa Canada issued an audit report on the city’s Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) process. This piece looks at the audit results and what they say about the state of ERM in local government. It also looks at how the recommendations compare with an ERM study in New Zealand. Finally, it discusses the implications for ERM going forward.
It’s Not What You Look At – It’s What You See
Guest Post by Bill Pomfret (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
Of course, we all know that knowledge is king, but how can we know which resources will deliver valuable insights? The internet has made each of us content creators and publishers if we want to be. According to Statistica, as of February 2020, more than 500 hours of video were uploaded to YouTube every minute, which equates to approximately 30,000 hours of newly uploaded content per hour. (And of course, YouTube is not the only video platform! By some measures, TikTok is overtaking YouTube.) It’s safe to say that everyone wants to share their knowledge.
Can Starting with Waterfall Lead to Better Agile?
Guest Post by Howard Wiener (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
We should all be aware by now that business agility is the primary enabler for companies seeking sustainability. In the past, companies would evolve in chunks, a project at a time. The costs and risks of implementing change, whether system-related or otherwise, were large, so designing and planning upfront (the Waterfall approach) was applied to create predictability and moderate risks.
Project Assurances
Guest Post by Malcolm Peart (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
We have many kinds of assurance in the project management world. These, generically include business assurance to track the economic viability of a project, technical assurance for the technical integrity of a product, process or system, and user assurance to check that specified requirements have been met. Assurance demonstrates compliance to a project’s business case, meeting end user’s operational requirements, and that there is technical compliance against codes, standards or specifications.
Effective Safety Communications
Guest Post by Bill Pomfret (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
Recently, I was talking to the Managing Director of a large recruiting firm for safety professionals in Toronto about the importance of communication skills.
It was very clear that safety leaders are just expected to be experts in the technical aspects of safety, but it’s the ability to communicate about safety that sets apart the great safety leaders from the mediocre.
Trouble Shooting or Shooting Troubled Projects
Guest Post by Malcolm Peart (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
The project hasn’t been going too well; KPI’s indicate problems, staff are demotivated, the customer is complaining, the schedule is in double digit revisions, rework and resubmissions reflect quality, and you may be on your third or even fourth project manager, and cash is all but flowing. Phew…what will happen next?
Despite these symptoms the project is allowed to struggle on until, one day, one brave soul has the courage to admit that enough is enough! The self-help applications of Band Aids and a couple of paracetamols obviously haven’t worked. Making an appointment to see your local GP or even a trip to the emergency room at this juncture may also be a tad late. It’s time for a surgeon or, in project terms, a troubleshooter.
SOR 1003 Risks of Persistence
Risk of Persistence
Abstract
Greg and Fred discuss the risks of persisting in a project or in life when you know there are risks.Ā In poker terms, “do you hold em’ or fold em’?Ā What do companies do when they’ve sunk a lot of costs and know the ROI of their project is vaporizing?Ā What do you do when you know you’re losing.Ā Fight on.Ā Or, walk away.Ā The risks of persistence is what we face all the time.
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SOR 1002 Decline of Quality
Decline of Quality
Abstract
Greg and Fred discuss the future of quality and reliability professions.Ā The average age of the quality professional is getting older.Ā Fewer people are entering the profession.Ā So, where is the profession going?
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ESG Risks
Guest Post by James Kline (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
In a previous CERM Insights I mention ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Risk. The U.S. and European governments are starting to stress ESG risk management. This article looks at the proposed ESG requirements of the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the implication for quality management.
Creating a Successful Crisis Management Plan
Guest Post by Bill Pomfret (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
Safety Projects International Inc. discusses how to handle different types of crises that may arise at your facility. If 2020 has shown us anything, it’s that we need to adapt to outside elements that may affect your team processes and procedures. Let’s get started on a crisis management plan.
Five Technology Trends in Manufacturing
Guest Post by Daniel Burrus (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
Corporations that create in this world facilitate so many integral pieces to contemporary life by way of manufacturing. Manufacturing is quite literally a backbone to so many other industries, generating components for medical devices, automobiles, electronics, and machinery that keeps everything progressing forward. All of these components frequently need to be replaced, or more often upgraded thanks to new innovations that create new capabilities and in turn create new needs.
In addition, global supply chain shortages are driving a new wave of nearshoring to put manufacturing closer to customer locations. New manufacturing plants will utilize the latest technologies in an effort to increase productivity and competitive advantage. Due to the fact that technology-driven exponential change affects everything, manufacturing businesses must always keep up.
Auditing Safety Management Systems
Guest Post by Bill Pomfret (first posted on CERM ® RISK INSIGHTS – reposted here with permission)
In any given PSM audit, the auditors will usually face one or more situations that represent a dilemma because the situation has not happened before, or no thought has been given on how to resolve it. These dilemmas usually require the individual auditor and/or the audit team leader resolve the situation in the field. These “on the fly” resolutions require both astute judgment and practical solutions that fit not only the governing regulations or company/facility standards for PSM, but also how those mandatory requirements should be interpreted and applied to the specific design, operations, and PSM program of the facility being audited.
The PSM audit dilemmas described in this paper are based on the experiences of seasoned auditors during actual PSM audits. Several of them are PSM adaptations of those published by Safety Projects International Inc., et al in 5 Star Health & Safety Management System™ Health and Safety Audits. In general, there are no absolute right or wrong answers to solving these dilemmas, although in some cases a resolution might seem obvious.
