Independent consultants for business improvement.
People First Solutions

Our purpose
"Helping business managers reach their objectives through ongoing application of today's most successful business methods."

Getting the best from your Information technology

All businesses need computer systems to manage their businesses. Whether it be simple letters, an accounting system or a mainline production management system. Many of these systems are specialised and very clever and sophisticated. Most people only use a fraction of their capability.

For many systems the problem is understanding what the system on which you rely can really do for you and your business. Asking your supplier does not always help as they may be either sales people or technical people, that is they do not understand your business and how you want to run it.

That's where People First Solutions come in.

The influences

Your, or your supplier's, technical people are the best at looking after your system and ensuring it works technically correctly.

Your business managers know what inputs, outputs and reports they need from their IT system; but they do not understand the technical aspects in depth nor do they have experience of running IT related projects.

Your business changes continually. Staff have ideas for improvement. Customers demand new services. Finances drive cost reductions. External forces make new requirements.

So, to make the improvements, projects are born. Sometimes they are internally created, sometimes you may employ consultants to define your projects.

But, unfortunately, oh so often, the projects just do not deliver. With the best will in the world the day to day pressures take over and they lapse.

The Problem Areas

There are three main reasons why these projects fail.

1. No one has responsibility for driving the project through. They have their day job and, when things get tricky, or delays intervene, the project gets quietly forgotten.
2. Within these projects there a slugs of work that need time and effort to get completed. ANd this does not get done causing delay so that people loose interest and enthusiasm.
3. FInally, both parties (operations and IT Services) have difficulty communicating their needs, limitations or capabilities effectively to the other. As a result nether can see a resolution and a stumbling block becomes an impasse.

Improvement efforts get started and then fizzle out incomplete, frustratingly incomplete.

How oftern does this happen to you in your organisation?

Help is at hand.

People First Solutions have been delivering systems improvements for our clients in medium and smaller businesses for over ten years. We are a small business ourselves, so we know how important it is to run these projects effectively and quickly, whilst at the same time being practical about the impact of the project workload on your mainstream operations.

We do not provide technical support, we do not install hardware, servers, operating systems or cabling. There are plenty of people who are far better at that than we are. We are not linked to any systems or suppliers.

We work with business managers to get these improvements done. We specialise in shorter term projects that require part time effort.

We provide:-

1. Practical project management to keep progress happening - not just piles of Gantt and PERT charts.
2. Additional effort for those chunks of work that need understanding and activity away from the workplace.
3. Technical to non-technical communication between all parties so that system limitations can be identified and acceptable working practices defined.

Some examples:-

Running over 20 improvement projects for an ALMO over an 18 month period.

Reviewing data quality of a Housing Association database, identifying corrections needed and checking implementation.

Project Managing the Implementation of additional modules for a Housing system.

We can help you uncover the reasons for the shortcomings you feel in your IT systems and the support you get for your business processes. Then we can either assist in the procurement of a new system or lead an improvement project for the current one. Your choice.

Contact us today for an initial informal chat.

We cannot cover all aspects of computer systems, so let's make clear where our core competencies lie.

• Accounting systems - you need a good accounting system to ensure your customers are billed correctly and your finances are in good shape. It frequently helps if it can integrate with your operational systems. Which is right for you? Can you get the information you need from it?
• Operations systems - in many businesses there are specialist systems for helping the operations teams keep on track. A courier company needs an order tracking and dispatch system, a Housing Association needs a housing management system and so forth. Get the most out of your system today!
• Data analysis and conversion. Frequently needed to keep your operational data quality up to scratch and when implementing new system or modules.
• One off solutions - there are frequently those odd items where computers could help but there is not a system for doing it. Examples with which we have worked include handling survey returns, processing report data, calculating Direct Debit profiles. We enjoy solving these processes that are office based, manual and repetitive using simple computer technology.

What's your computer issue? It costs nothing to ask, call today!