Mike Russell

From a post for the SoftwareCPR.com website:

In a prior blog, we discussed a common hurdle to achieving agile benefits: focusing on isolated software process changes and not considering all four organizational factors.

Another common hurdle to agile success is thinking only about making agile “compliant.” You will miss the full power of agile if you do not consider the intent behind compliance activities and how agile can help better achieve intent.

Let’s start with the intent behind medical device software “compliance.” What’s the point? At the top level, it is building devices that fulfill intended use and do no harm to any user or patient. From a simplified compliance point of view, that means two things:

1. Assessing and mitigating any risk of harm before the device is used.
2. Establishing ability to determine if and how a device contributed to an actual harm or potential harm situation after the device is used. Corrections can then be made to prevent recurrence.

How can agile help?

[Read more…] about Compliance and agile success – another common hurdle

Businesses, especially restaurants, are fighting for customers in the tough pandemic climate.

So why do so many commit basic marketing and customer service errors?

Here’s another example of a fail that should be simple – very simple – to fix.

On the way home from an appointment, I decided to pick up lunch from a new restaurant. I looked on Google maps at my route to identify a place to try and review the menu to decide what I wanted. I then called for a to go order.

Here is a paraphrase of the conversation that ensued after greetings:

me: I’d like the [name of dish] as an appetizer.

OK – got it.

me: I’d like the [name of dish] as the main.

We don’t have that dish anymore. Are you on our current website?

[Read more…] about A digital marketing fail

Recently I saw a case study about how a very large consumer packaged goods company  “improved” their product development process.  I put “improved” in quotes for reasons explained below.

The study identified a important insight about the company’s stage gate type process.  Project teams were doing insufficient definition work at each stage, especially early stages.  This caused poor decisions that:

• continued projects that should be canceled,
• delayed projects that would actually provide a positive impact, and
• overburdened teams with too much work in process, reducing productivity.

The company’s solution?  Do what was obvious on the surface:  more definition work on deliverables in each stage.

The insights about the effects of an ineffective process were good as a start.  It increased the efficiency of each stage, reducing rework and the need to revisit earlier stages.

There are, however, two flaws in the solution:

1. The solution focused on improving each stage individually and perfecting the stage “deliverables.”
2. The solution was really more about vanity metrics, instead of a root cause in not meeting customer and company needs.

[Read more…] about A crucial insight … and critical flaws

Businesses are having a harder time staying viable and profitable this year.

Business failures continue to mount, and consumers generally have less money to spend on those that remain.

Why, then, would a business provide anything other excellence in its contacts with prospects and customers?

Here is a cautionary tale from an experience I had this month.  The failures have easy fixes and can be implemented quickly.

Does your business have any similar failures that are driving customers away?

[Read more…] about Is your customer service on empty?