Chartered Management Institute: Checklists: Managing Information and Finance back issues from October 2005:
Handling effective meetings.(Checklist 002)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist is for all involved in planning and chairing meetings. Definition For this checklist, a meeting is defined as a face-to-face gathering of three or more individuals for a specific purpose at a specific time and place. Formal meetings, such as ...
Performing a SWOT analysis.(Checklist 005)(strengths weaknesses opportunities threats)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist is for those carrying out, or participating in, a SWOT analysis, SWOT being the acronym for Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats. It is a simple, popular technique which can be used in preparing or amending plans, in problem solving and decision making, or for ...
Carrying out an information audit.(Checklist 013)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist is concerned with the processes of an information audit. The increasing problems caused by junk mail, information overload and indigestibility, and the need to make decisions ever more rapidly, mean it is all too easy to take the wrong path in establishing ...
Brainstorming.(Checklist 014)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] The purpose of this checklist is to enable a busy manager, without previous experience of the technique and with a minimum of preparation, to introduce brainstorming to a group and then go on to brainstorm a specific problem or opportunity. Definition ...
Making rational decisions.(Checklist 015)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist provides an outline framework for making rational decisions. It is therefore relevant to all managers. Definition The process of choosing between alternative courses of action. Decision making may take place at an individual or organisational ...
Planning the replacement of software systems.(Checklist 017)
Oct 01, 2005 ... This checklist is a starting-point for those who have to replace an outdated or inadequate software package with a new one. There will be numerous reasons for changing software packages, key among them the need for increased flexibility, integration with other systems, greater ...
Effective communications: delivering presentation.(Checklist 031)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist is intended for anyone giving a presentation, whether formal or informal. It assumes that you have spent time in preparing an effective presentation (see Related checklist) and are now ready to deliver it. Definition For the purposes of this ...
Effective communications: preparing presentations.(Checklist 032)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist is intended for those who are required to give any form of presentation. It covers all the stages of preparing a talk, from accepting the invitation to checking the venue: the delivery of the presentation is covered in a separate checklist (see Related checklist) ....
Drawing up a budget.(Checklist 042)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist is for managers who have responsibility for drawing up and presenting a budget. Budgeting is at the heart of the way organisations measure what they want to achieve. It is a key planning device and one that organisations are increasingly democratising ....
Controlling a budget.(Checklist 043)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist is for all managers who have budgetary responsibility. Budgetary control is at the heart of many managers' jobs. The skills of budgetary control are increasingly being valued in organisations. What is more, the ability to control a budget is now seen as an important ...
Internal audit.(Checklist 049)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist is designed to help managers tackle the process of an internal audit within their organisation or department. Internal audit is an essential part of business life, but not all organisations are large enough to have a designated internal audit function. This checklist ...
Report writing.(Checklist 051)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist is intended both for those new to report writing and for experienced report writers who wish to review their own methods. Definition Reports are written, or verbal, statements analysing a particular issue, incident, or state of affairs, usually ...
Choosing an Internet service provider.(Checklist 075)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist provides guidelines for choosing an Internet Access or Service Provider for dial up access. In order to use the Internet you will need either a full, permanent connection (which can require significant capital investment) or a dial-up facility to a ...
Designing questionnaires.(Checklist 080)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist is for those asked to carry out a survey to determine the opinions or attitudes of a specific group. Questionnaires have applications in market research, and in measuring employee attitudes and customer satisfaction. Designing questionnaires should not be ...
Mapping human resource skills.(Checklist 084)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist is for those organisations that wish to obtain detailed information on the skills of their employees. Although skills mapping exists in many organisations on an informal networking basis, few organisations have a formal programme for tapping into the largely unused ...
Effective business writing.(Checklist 091)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist is an introduction to the basic principles of business writing, which can take many forms. What is common to each of these forms is the importance of conveying the right message to the right audience in the right way--and at the right time. The effectiveness of ...
Effective communications: communicating with groups.(Checklist 108)(suggestions for interpersonal communication)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist provides an introduction to oral group communication skills and techniques. As formal hierarchies break down, managers are no longer able to get things done by passing on instructions to junior staff. Ability to make things happen will increasingly depend ...
Carrying out marketing research.(Checklist 111)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist has been designed to explain the basic steps of marketing research. The use of marketing research has become increasingly prevalent since the 1980s. This has partly happened as a result of the quality revolution that swept through many organisations. At ...
Controlling costs.(Checklist 126)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist is for managers (or owners of small businesses) who wish to address the issue of cost control. In today's increasingly competitive business environment, getting the most from existing resources whilst ensuring costs do not escalate is one of the keys to ...
Controlling credit.(Checklist 127)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist deals with the control of credit allowed to customers and clients for goods and services. Credit control is a vital component in the process of controlling cash flow. Many companies have failed in the past because management did not distinguish between profitability ...
Reading a balance sheet.(Checklist 130)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist is designed to help you read and understand a balance sheet. It is intended as a guide, not as a replacement for full accounting support and interpretation. Definition A balance sheet is a snapshot of a company's financial position at a given ...
Implementing statistical process control.(Checklist 137)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist provides an outline of the techniques and benefits of Statistical Process Control (SPC). More detail would be needed for the application of many of the techniques. SPC is usually understood to operate in a manufacturing context where, for example, ...
Open systems thinking.(Checklist 138)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist introduces an outline approach to open systems thinking and does not replace the need for further reading or expert consultation. It is for managers who find that traditional problem-solving techniques are failing to deliver solutions in their organisations or who ...
Getting the most from statistics.(Checklist 139)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist sets out the ideas involved in dealing with quantitative (statistical) information. Many people ignore or shy away from statistics, both as users of statistical techniques and as consumers of statistical information, because they lack the confidence in ...
Implementing IT software solutions.(Checklist 147)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist aims to identify the key stages for the successful implementation of IT software solutions. It is designed for both IT professionals and end users. Definition Software solutions can largely be categorised as:bespoke programs and ...
Handling information--avoiding overload.(Checklist 150)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist is for those who are concerned with the ever increasing amount of information they are required to handle and describes a structured approach to controlling information overload. In a climate of uncertainty where it is difficult to distinguish a real ...
Business continuity planning for telecoms services.(Checklist 151)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] The purpose of this checklist is to provide a brief guide to business continuity planning based upon the methodology successfully adopted by a number of companies, who regard telecommunications as a business-critical service. Introduction The successful ...
Gathering competitive intelligence.(Checklist 153)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist provides guidance for individuals or organisations wishing to take a structured and proactive approach to gathering competitive intelligence (CI). Many organisations collect information regarding the activities of competitors on an informal basis--for ...
Setting up an Intranet.(Checklist 158)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist provides guidance for organisations wishing to set up an Intranet. There is a growing recognition that an organisation's competitiveness depends on the effective exploitation of its expertise and experience. The need to better organise and share knowledge ...
Resolving commercial disputes.(Checklist 159)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist advises on how to resolve commercial disputes, whatever the size of organisation you work in, by selecting and applying the best method to effectively resolve disagreements between businesses. This checklist is designed as an overview of the main ...
Shareholder value analysis.(Checklist 160)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] Shareholder Value Analysis (SVA) is one of a number of methods being used as substitutes for traditional business measurements. SVA calculates the value of a company by looking at the returns it gives to shareholders, and is based on the view that the objective of company directors ...
E-mail policy.(Checklist 165)(employees' use of e-mail)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist is designed to help organisations to draw up a policy or charter on employees' use of e-mail. It is not concerned with the procedural aspects of setting up an e-mail policy but focuses on the content. E-mail has become a significant way of conducting ...
Managing knowledge.(Checklist 166)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist summarises some of the emerging approaches to capturing, sharing and managing knowledge within organisations. As more and more organisations become information and service-based, expertise and experience become the lynchpin of the business and need to be ...
Investment appraisal.(Checklist 181)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist is for all managers who wish to carry out an investment appraisal. In today's increasingly competitive business environment, getting the most from available resources is one of the keys to business success. Managers need to use a mix of skills when ...
Managing working capital.(Checklist 182)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist is aimed at managers who have responsibility for managing working capital. For most businesses the control of working capital is fundamental to their finances, and good working capital management can improve their cash position. Working capital management ...
Reading a profit and loss statement.(Checklist 183)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist is designed to help you read and understand a profit and loss statement. It is intended as a guide, not as a replacement for full accounting support and interpretation. Definition A profit and loss statement shows the summarised trading activity ...
Discounted cash flow.(Checklist 185)(suggestions for calculation)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist describes, with examples, the principles for calculating the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) for any capital investment for a number of years ahead. The technique is of critical importance when the capital to be invested is significant or the term of the investment is ...
Accounting ratios.(Checklist 192)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist offers guidance on understanding and interpreting accounting ratios. An understanding of the significance of such ratios will enable a clearer appreciation of the financial performance of a company and will provide a more balanced view of the figures presented in any ...
Finding Information on the World Wide Web.(Checklist 194)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist provides some basic guidelines to help those new to searching for information on the World Wide Web. It assumes a basic knowledge of how to connect to the web and move from page to page. The number of sites available on the web has grown exponentially from ...
Carrying out a PEST analysis.(Checklist 196)(political, economical, social technological)
Oct 01, 2005 ... [check] This checklist is designed to help those responsible for carrying out a PEST analysis for an organisation. It also provides guidance for students required to produce a PEST analysis as part of a marketing or strategic management assignment. Definition PEST ...