Recent Articles From EvanCarmichael.com http://www.evancarmichael.com/ http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3835/A-Little-more-on-applying-Littles-Law-to-Lean-your-Marketing.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3835/A-Little-more-on-applying-Littles-Law-to-Lean-your-Marketing.html Though this is not a major change in thinking, Throughput is the measure that drives Theory of Constraints. In your marketing process, this makes perfect sense, you should be measured in Sales Revenue, correct http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3835/A-Little-Law-applied-in-Lean-Marketing.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3835/A-Little-Law-applied-in-Lean-Marketing.html A simple equation called Little's Law can tell us how long it will take any prospect to be turned into a sale simply by counting how many customers are in your funnel and how many sales we complete each day, week, etc. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3835/Most-Marketing-Systems-are-Out-of-Control.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3835/Most-Marketing-Systems-are-Out-of-Control.html Most Marketing systems are out of control. They have not been managed with understanding of the process speed and the effect of the flow on the process. As a result, performance has to be sub-standard. My marketing has too many variables to define my Value Stream! Can you afford to say that? http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3835/Steps-to-creating-your-Need-Statement.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3835/Steps-to-creating-your-Need-Statement.html The other day, I discussed Your Marketing Vision should define your Customer's Core Problem, but how do you go about doing it. A simple exercise that I found useful was depicted in the book.... http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3835/Your-Marketing-Vision-should-define-your-Customers-Core-Problem.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3835/Your-Marketing-Vision-should-define-your-Customers-Core-Problem.html As a result of this exercise, you will change the shape of your Pillar. You should be able to shorten your cycle in some and as a result decrease your expenditure in the marketing process. Others, on the other hand, may be lengthened and a total different approach may have to be utilized. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3835/Power-of-Visual-Thinking-in-your-Visual-Workplace.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3835/Power-of-Visual-Thinking-in-your-Visual-Workplace.html I think Visual Thinking is a powerful tool. For evidence, look at the tools I surround myself with, Value Stream Mapping, The Lean Marketing House and Mindmaps. I believe it is the most effective way to learn. As David said in his last paragraph of the blog cited above: "We're not all visual thinkers (though we all have the potential). http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3835/Start-your-Visual-Thinking-Process-with-Mind-Mapping.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3835/Start-your-Visual-Thinking-Process-with-Mind-Mapping.html Leonardo daVinci did it, Aristotle did it, should you? Mind mapping is widely understood term but few people utilize it. I am amazed that even in our school systems that it still does not replace linear note taking. Mind Map represents the best of both worlds by resembling the visual aspects of a flow chart and the organizational structure of an outline. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3835/Using-Value-Stream-Mapping-Software.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3835/Using-Value-Stream-Mapping-Software.html There is a lot of dispute about Value Stream Mapping software, and whether it should be used or not used. Most Lean practitioners will tell you that early introduction into converting your Value Stream Map into a computer generated document will hurt the overall flow of the procedure and be a detriment to the brainstorming process. They prefer using post-it-notes or pinning paper to a wall. Allowing as many people to interact is the whole point. I have a tendency to agree with the statement. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3835/Is-your-customer-willing-to-pay-for-your-marketing.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3835/Is-your-customer-willing-to-pay-for-your-marketing.html How do you add value in your marketing? Have you thought about it? To be effective in Content or Educational Marketing you must add value as defined by the customer. I want you to steer away from your first thought, which is more than likely your product or service, but instead think about your marketing material. For your Content marketing material to be effective, I believe it must have 4 components: http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3835/Using-DMAIC-for-your-A3-Report-in-the-Lean-Marketing-House.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Retail/3835/Using-DMAIC-for-your-A3-Report-in-the-Lean-Marketing-House.html The definition of an A3 Report is a simple storyboard that tells the whole story of an improvement event on one 11x17 sheet of paper. The left side defines the problem, the right side proposes solutions. That is the basic structure. However, A3 is much more than that. It is the tool used by Toyota to implement the PDCA process. Understanding A3 thinking and you can apply this to problem solving, proposals and status reports. But you have to pick a template and you have to follow some outline in creating an A3 to get it off the ground.