All posts in Business Management

The Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI) Explained

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The Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI) is a psychometric assessment tool that is designed to measure normal personality as observed in the work environment. The HPI is employed in personnel selection, employee development and for career-related decision-making.

Personality profiling with the HPI is becoming increasingly common practice for organisations in their selection process. This is due to the HPI being a cost effective means to assess how closely a candidate’s personality fits both the job criteria and the culture of the organisation. Because different occupations require different personality characteristics, the HPI can is used to aid decisions about personnel selection, career progression and career planning.

The HPI has been developed specifically for the business community and was the first inventory of normal personality based on the Five-Factor Model. The Five-Factor Model is a purely descriptive model of personality of personality based on five broad domains of personality that are used by contemporary psychologists to describe human personality. These are: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism (referred to as OCEAN in short).

The HPI provides information on what is called the “bright side” of personality. The “bright side” of our personality relates to characteristics that exhibit during social interactions that can facilitate or inhibit a person achieving their goals in their relationships, education, life and in work.

The HPI examines seven core dimensions of the ‘bright side’ of the personality.

– Adjustment – confidence, self-esteem, and composure under pressure

– Ambition – initiative, competitiveness, and desire for leadership roles

– Sociability – extraversion, gregarious, and need for social interaction

– Interpersonal Sensitivity – tact, perceptiveness, and ability to maintain relationships

– Prudence – self-discipline, responsibility and conscientiousness

– Inquisitive – imagination, curiosity, and creative potential

– Learning Approach – achievement-oriented, stays up-to-date on business and technical matters

The HPI has multiple applications. It can be used for:

– Individual assessment the HPI can help a person decide which specific occupation they are best suited to.

– Personnel selection the HPI can help an organisation’s selection process through identifying applicants who display the personal characteristics that fit best to the requirements of the role and organisational culture.

– Management development the HPI can identify areas of possible development for individuals.

Having been used over 25 years to predict employee performance, the HPI has become the industry standard for measuring normal personality. The HPI has helped organisations in reducing employee turnover, absenteeism, and underperforming customer service.

The HPI takes about than 20 minutes to complete. The results of the HPI are delivered in a report that provides a summary of the results on each scale compared to the normative sample. It does not contain any interpretive data as it is considered a breach of professional ethics to administer an HPI assessment without person-to-person follow-up verification by a qualified practitioner.

Teaching Piano Made Fun and Easy

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Are you a piano teacher? Do you wish to take your piano teaching to the next level where most of your students can surely enjoy and appreciate? Well, this post can help you make teaching piano fun, easy and extraordinary. Read on and see how you can take boredom and anxiety away from your music classroom or studio.

Teaching piano can be both rewarding and challenging. Just like teaching any other subjects necessary in the educational systems, it has to be unique, interactive and innovative. Having it remained so traditional and classic can somehow affect the levels of interest, participation and motivation of the learners. In other words, when a piano teacher sticks to habitual, usual, monotonous and old music teaching techniques, it is more likely that the students would be bored and uninterested most of the times.

Integrating technology and other web-based applications can truly make teaching piano a lot of fun and extra convenient. Such innovative or ideal online system for learning and teaching piano can provide a wider opportunity for more fun, exciting and interactive music or piano lessons. Computer programs and applications like this are good piano teaching resources that are easy to find, navigate, adopt and obtain.

This technology can be very helpful to most music and piano teachers out there as they can surely get lots of useful resources, tips and techniques. The following are some good ways on how you can teach piano at your best, using the most effective and the best piano teaching strategies:

Integrate technology.

Update yourselves with the latest trends and techniques online; there might be lots of things that you may not be so much aware of. Technologies nowadays can surprise us with things that we think are impossible then. As our learners now have become more innovative and open for new stuffs, they would also be very eager to learn how to play the piano the easiest and best way. Innovations can surely make it a hit for you; they can be very useful and helpful in your efforts of meeting your academic and professional objectives.

Use alternatives and welcome challenges.

It is a very good practice to oftentimes take advantage of your creativity and your passion over teaching piano. Using alternatives and welcoming challenges can break the monotony, the boredom and the anxiety a learner may feel while he or she tries to get motivated and inspired. Keeping the students away from the traditionally boring and repetitive piano practice thus, making each learning experience more exciting and very rewarding, can truly be effective and efficient tools in making your daily routines more exciting, new and challenging.

One persons love and passion over music and playing any musical instruments can be a gift, a blessing or an innate talent. Yet, it can also be a skill that can be enhanced, modified and perfect. The learners just have to have this complete package: determination, motivation, enthusiasm, passion and commitment.

So, music and piano teachers alike are being challenged and taken responsibility for motivating and inspiring most of their students to learn, understand, enjoy and love music and playing the piano. With all these stuffs in mind, I am certain that teaching piano can be a very easy thing and a fun-filled teaching experience. Good luck!

Maintenance Management System in Hospital (Ultrasound & CT Scan Equipments)

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BACKGROUND STUDIES /PROBLEM STATEMENT:

Recent maintenance practices in hospital (health care equipments and services) and use of computerized maintenance management system (CMMs) based hospital information maintenance management system (HIMMs) provide good practices during evaluating performance and effectiveness of equipments. But unfortunately, CMMs and maintenance activities i.e. Breakdown maintenance (BDM), planned preventive maintenance (PPM), productivity is not solve problems at all. Several reasons are: 1. CMMs not solve problems of repetitive failures, BDM , PPM for long term 2. CMMs also not predict life cycle and durability of equipments for long period For this reason, need of such system that can predict and resolve problems at all.

This research project is aimed to provide two ways to solve problems by using theoretically mathematical equations from literature review and modify equations for particular for repetitive failure, BDM, PPM and equipment productivity. Second way CMMs software is to design which is completely reliable; predictable critical factors for not only now, but also long term purpose. The results in terms of system assist facility managers or clinical engineers (biomedical engineers). Sustain life of equipments, easy to replacement and repaired etc.

OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH PROJECT:

The objectives of the project are: 1) To evaluate maintenance management system in hospital (health care equipments and services) 2) To modify mathematical equations for measuring maintenance activities of ultrasound equipment and CT scan equipment

METHODOLOGY: Data Collection Strategy: Data collection strategy is obtained from visited and observation biomedical engineering department. Select two imaging equipments -ultrasound machine’ & -computed tomography machine’ from various hospitals like Hospital Serdang, Hospital Putrajaya etc., to collect equipments inventory data. Data collection strategy is focus equipment assets history. It includes planned preventive maintenance (PPM), Breakdown maintenance (BDM), Schedule work, work orders (w.o), action taken, vendor services, parts management, utilities, and reports. Data collection is need because: a) Calculate repetitive failures, BDM and PPM b) Measure Productivity and Equipment effectiveness c) Life and use of equipments for long term purpose Analysis of Data Collection: Analysis of the data depends upon asset history of particular equipments. Identify repetitive breakdowns, planned preventive and productivity performance in both medical equipments. The strategy for analyze data is to specified no. of failures, no. of breakdowns and no. of planned preventive for last three years. Analysis of data collection is required because: a) Interpret particular problems b) Apply modify equations to solve problems Mathematical Analysis In general, previous studies on maintenance management system provided mathematical formulas and equations not at all overcome problems of equipments. In medical equipments i.e. reliability equations and availability equations are not enough to measure maintenance performance of ultrasound and CT scan. Predicted Breakdowns

In this project, provide specific and modify equations which is use to solve medical equipments maintenenace problems. (Stephen, 2004) This equations are modified on the basis of productivity and reliability maintenance management.. Stephen defined equations: Breakdown (Excepted)= S (No. of Failures) * Frequency of Failure / Total No. of Failures, But modify equation will be: Breakdowns (predictable) = (a1+a2+a3—-an) * () / Tf Therefore a is no. of repetitive failures, an is nth term of failure which is expecting failure with time, is frequency of failure occurring in duration week, months, Tf is total no. of failures per years. Conclusion In the end, evaluating MMS in hospital is prime consideration for clinical engineers. This modify equations of equipments will improve maintenance practices overall and overcome failures, breakdowns. Successful in implementing and applying mathematical equations will definitely increases productivity and overall equipment effectiveness. Nonetheless, due to the necessity to ensure maintenance management system, figure 4.9 data analyzed and interpreted from maintenance part of the asset of equipments contains several factors that serve as the determinants to the success of maintenance practice for health care sectors. By using mathematical approaches and data analysis from maintenance part of the asset of equipments contains several factors that serve as the determinants to the success of effectiveness of equipment and best maintenance practice in health care industries.

RESULTS: 1. From above calculation, the result shows that repetitive failures, BDM, PPM always key parts and critical factors in maintenance practices.

2. Breakdowns maintenance in ultrasound much more and predictable during last three year so it would be a greater expensive alternatives if equipments not replaced on time. 3. CT scan has low rate of breakdowns maintenance during last three years so it would be predicted that less equipment expensive alternative so no need to replace equipment.

4. Medical Equipment’s productivity factor in ultrasound is 36 % in last three years due to more and more Break downs maintenance and Planned preventive maintenance occurred which is not good for productivity, life of equipment. Step should be taken in early stage of breakdowns. 5. Productivity factor in CT scan is 38 % previous three years, because of less BDM but more PPM. 6. Overall equipment effectiveness of Ultrasound is 38.90, it means equipment is in poor condition and unlimited break downs, more failures occurred. Require proper testing, calibrations, changeovers parts, adjustments. It will contribute to increase in effectiveness in rarely manner. 7. OEE of CT scan is 72 %, it is mean that equipment is in good condition because of breakdowns and failures are limited. In occasionally testing and commissioning, inspection is requiring. It will mostly increase effectiveness in rapid manner.

8. It will increase productivity & It will maintain overall equipment effectiveness.

9. Lastly, it will assist clinical engineers to make decision on need basis of particular equipment or replacement.

REFERENCES:

Albert H.C Tsang (2002). -Strategic dimension of maintenance management-, Journal of Quality in maintenance Engineering, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 127-139. A.C., Marquez, Jatinder N.D.G. (2006). -Contemporary maintenance management: process, frame work and supporting pillars-, the international Journal of Management Science, No. 34, pp.313-326. Atkin, B. and Brooks, A. (2009). -Total Facilities Management-, 3rd edition, Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford and New York, pp. 328.

Acevedo, Francisco (2005), -Design of CMMS for the Chilean Naval Hospital BME Department-, Engineering in Medicine and Biology 27th Annual Conference IEEE, shanghai, China pp. 1-4

B.S. Dhillion, Y.Liu (2006),-Human error in maintenance review-, Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering Vol.12, No.1, pp.21-36.

Bronizo, Joseph D. (2006). -The Biomedical Engineering Handbook, Third Edition-.

Corder, A.S (1976), -Maintenance Management Techniques-, McGraw-Hill UK, England.

Duffa, S.O., A.Rauof, Campbell, J.D (1999), Library of Congress Cataloging-in- Publication, Volume 20, pp 30-44.

J.J. Smit , J.A van Weelderen, .(1995), – Maintenance Diagnosis of HV installations using an expert support system-, Proceeding 9th ISH, International Symposium on H.V. Engineering, Graz, Austria, pp. 45-56.

Levitt, J. (1997), -The Handbook of Maintenance Management-, Industrial Press Inc, New York, NY.

Niebel, B. W. (1993). -Engineering Maintenance- Ninth Edition. United States of America: Irwin. pp. 335-462.

Mark C.,Eti,S.O.T Ogaji, S.D. Probert (2006). -Strategies Maintenance Management in Nigerian Industries-, Journal of Applied Energy, No. 83, pp. 211-227.

Marvin Raushad, (1998), -Reliability Centered Maintenance-, Reliability Engineering and System Safety, vol. 60, pp.121-132.

Swanson, L., (1997), -An empirical study of the relationship between production technology and maintenance Management-, International Journal of production economics No. 53, pp. 191-207.

Shamsuddin, A., Masjuki, H., Zahiri, (2004), -State of Implementation of TPM in SMIs: a survey study in Malaysia-, Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, vo1 10 No.2, pp. 93-106.

Sherwin, D. (2000), -A review of overall models for maintenance management, Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering-, Vol.6 No.3, pp. 138-164.

Stephen, M.P (2004), -Productivity and Reliability- Based Maintenance Management-, Pearson Education Inc., New Jersey, New York, pp.276.

Ted Cohen, (2003) -Computerized Maintenance Management Systems for Clinical Engineering-, Second Edition, AAMI MIR no. 3, pp. 7-10.

Vukan Polimac, Jelica Polimac, (2001) -Assessment of Present Maintenance Practices and Future Trends-, Transmission and Distribution Conference and Exposition, pp.891-894.

Valma J Robertson, Kerry Gbaker (2001), -A review of Therapeutic Ultrasound: Effectiveness Studies-, Volume 81, No. 7.pp. 12-20

Yusof, M, Bakri Rugayah, Musa Zaharah (2006), -Electrical Impedance Tomography-. Health Technology Assessment section, Medical Development section, Ministry of Health, Malaysia, Technology report, pp. 1-6.

Wilhelm Burger and Mark J. Burger (2007), -Digital Image Processing: An Algorithmic Approach Using Java-, Spinger, Volume 30 No 1, pp. 10-18.

Wireman,T.,(1991), -Total Productive Maintenance- , an America Approach, Industrial Press, NewYork. PP. 16-21.

Lean Manufacturing The 7 Principles of Toyota Production System (TPS).

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In daily production there are 7 wastes that need to be treat well in order to achieve maximum profit and high productivity. In Lean manufacturing or Toyota Production System the 7 wastes are:

1.Overproduction,

2.Waiting time,

3.Transportation,

4.Inventory – over stock (unnessary stock),

5.Too many motion,

6.Over processing and,

7.Defective parts or unit also known as rejection.

In order to reduce or eliminate the waste a 7 principles was developed by Toyota known as the 7 principles of Toyota Production System.

1. Reduce setup times.

All setup process that are implemented are a waste because of they tie up to labor and equipment. By organizing procedures, using carts and highly skill workers to do their own setup (self management), Toyota managed to reduce setup times.

2. Small Lot Production:

Producing products in a big lots result in a high setup cost, high capital cost of high speed machinery, larger inventories, long lead time, and of course large defect cost.

3. Employee Involvement:

Toyota organized their workers by forming teams and gave them the responsibility and training to do many specialized tasks. Teams are also given responsibility for housekeeping and minor equipment repair. Each team has a leader who also works as one of them on the line.

4. Top Quality control:

Quality is well control at each station of production line. The concept not to pass defective product to next process which control by the owner(operator) of that process has help a lot of Toyota production line. Any defective product found must be discovered and corrected as soon as possible and therefore to achieve the objective responsibility is given to the owner of that process. If it cannot be fixed, he can stop the line by pulling stop cord called Jidoka.

5. Equipment Maintenance:

One of the major contributors to line stoppage and defective is come from failed equipment. Therefore beside Maintenance people maintaining the equipment, Toyota operator are also assigned for basic maintenance task such cleaning and lubricating. Most important is that the operator is in the best position to detect any abnormality of the equipment. This known as a Total Productive Maintenance.

6. Pull Production.

To reduce inventory holding costs and lead times, Toyota developed the pull production method wherein the quantity of work performed at each stage of the process is dictated solely by demand for materials from the immediate next stage. The Kanban scheme coordinates the flow of small containers of materials between stages. This is a commonly known as Just-In-Time (JIT).

7. Supplier Involvement.

Supplier or vendors is a partner to Toyota. In Toyota Production System supplier shall involve and train together to achieve target for both side.

Count Wise – People Counter Solutions for Proactive Business Management

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In modern organizations, people counter solutions provide management staff with actionable benchmarking data to help them optimize their operations for success in their field. Increasingly in use across a plethora of industries, these solutions are a vital component of proactive business management and serve to create a structured method for organizing core business areas such as customer service and marketing campaigns.

As one of the leaders in the field of people counting technology, CountWise solutions have helped thousands of organizations to streamline their operations. Headquartered in Florida, U.S. and with offices around the globe, CountWise offers the most accurate, reliable and consistent people counter products on today’s marketplace, where they continue to gain recognition from some of the recognized names in world business for the quality of their innovative solutions. Based on military shape recognition technology, CountWise systems consistently offer greater than 95% accuracy in distinguishing between adults, children and carts to ensure that company management staff have tried, tested and trusted data, in real-time, on organizational performance.

Consider for example their I-Count solution. Offering unparalleled 95% accuracy rates, this product is one of the most accurate and dependable on the market today. I-Count is the requisite tool to help modern organizations improve their in-house customer conversion rates. Helping companies meet pre-defined performance targets, this innovative people counter solution will collect data related to on-site staff performance, and allow managers to identify peak sales opportunities where foot traffic is at its highest, thus providing an exceptional tool for the optimization of marketing effectiveness metrics and offering valuable, actionable data on a plethora of vertical KPIs.

Cost consolidation is a vital component for streamlining operations in modern business. I-Count will provide organizations with the ability to develop precise staff schedules, where deployment is based on the amount of customers within the store at certain times of the day, therefore eliminating excessive spending on staff hours at times of low customer volume.

For organization searching for a first-rate tool to optimize product placement and analyze business performance within a department, aisle or display area, Z-Count is the ideal solution. Z-Count is the world’s first video-based solution for tracking and measuring patron behaviour within a defined area of a business. It measures how many customers enter a particular zone and how much time they spend within that area, therefore enabling the increase of customer conversion rates by optimizing staffing and marketing strategies.

Z-Count is ideal for measuring the ROI of marketing campaigns as it provides a mechanism for measuring traffic within a promotional area so that management staff can review their campaigns based on actionable information on customer behaviour. In terms of reliability, Z-Count is unmatched by any other people counter solution on the market today. No matter how much traffic is in any particular area, the Z-Count patented recognition algorithms allow the product to function seamlessly for superior counting accuracy levels.

To gain valuable insights into your organization’s operational efficiency, review the options available within the CountWise catalogue today.

About CountWise:

CountWise specializes in providing people-traffic monitoring solutions to a wide-variety of both public and private companies. Their product suite provides actionable customer data that helps companies to enhance the effectiveness of their operational practices for improved levels of organizational efficiency and thus higher profits. For more information, please go to countwise. Count Wise I-Count is a people counter product which has many advantages to companies and organizations, from improving the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, to reliable store performance reviews and branch comparisons. For more information about I-Count or Count Wise products visit, www.countwise.com.