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When most people think of LEAN, they think of manufacturing, and it is no surprise why. A recent post by Mark Bridges in the "Lean Six Sigma and Continuous Improvement Group" on LinkedIn, brings up the idea of using Lean strategies in an office environment. His post looked specifically at how the office side of a manufacturing company can benefit from Lean concepts. His ideas, however, can be applied to any office environment. Taking active steps to eliminate waste can save companies money whether it is eliminating excessive inventory made by a manufacturing line, or eliminating the need for excessive drive space on an email server due to unrestricted storage policies. Northcote Parkinson's Theorem One of the most interesting parts of his post discussed what is called the Northcote Parkinson's Theorem. This theorem states that, "…Over and above a certain size, an office style organization can generate enough work to busy itself with!" This is a simple way of saying that while office work may be necessary, it can easily become a bottomless pit of inefficiency. One can't help but recall the scene from the movie, "Office Space" where the manager drones on and on about the importance of "TPS Reports." This scene is so memorable to many people who work in office environments because it is so relatable. So, how can lean help to eliminate 'TPS Reports' and other forms of inefficiency in the office environment? The post and the comments people made agree that Lean manufacturing strategies can be used in office environments with minimal adjustment. This is a perfect example of waste in the office, and how Lean strategies can help to avoid them. Office environments print off reports, spreadsheets, emails, and any number of other things. Many employees have the idea that as long as they recycle the paper when done, it isn't wasteful. While recycling may be better for the environment, it really doesn't help the company's bottom line. In

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a common condition in India. It can be very serious if it is not treated. As per a WHO (2023) report, 46% of adults are unaware that they have hypertension [1]. It is a type of 'silent killer' as individuals are usually not aware that something is wrong with their body due to the absence of major symptoms. The major high BP symptom is the blood pressure being over 180/120 mm Hg. This means there is a hypertensive crisis and you should call an ambulance in such a case. Read on to understand hypertension signs, reasons for high BP, and how to handle an emergency during a hypertensive crisis. Call MedCab emergency ambulance services for a hypertensive crisis or other medical emergencies by dialling the emergency ambulance number at 18008-908-208. What is Hypertension? Hypertension or high BP refers to the force of blood pushing against the artery walls being very high on a consistent basis. The heart would have to work harder to pump blood in the body during high BP. Untreated hypertension can have serious repercussions, such as stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and eye damage. To understand hypertension better, categorisations of BP are listed below - Normal BP - For BP to be considered normal, it should be under 120/80 mm Hg. Elevated BP - One would be considered to have elevated BP if the top number is between 120 to 129 mm Hg, while the bottom number is under 80 mm Hg. Stage 1 Hypertension - For stage 1 hypertension, the top number of the reading would be between 130 to 139 mm Hg, while the bottom number would show between 80 and 89 mm Hg. Stage 2 Hypertension - This is the most dangerous state of hypertension, and the top number is 140 mm Hg or more, and the lower number is 90 mm Hg or more. While usually high BP does not have noticeable signs and needs to be measured using the arm cuff of a BP machine, potential signs can occur. Some hypertension signs may include headaches, chest

Heart Attacks Heart attacks are a rising medical emergency in India. The cases of the younger population of India getting heart attacks are more common than in the rest of the globe. In 2015, more than 2.1 million deaths occurred in India due to cardiovascular health-related issues. It is important to be aware of the symptoms of a heart attack and relevant first aid that can be undertaken during the emergency. You can prevent death and save a life if you know what to do in such a situation. Essentially, a heart attack is a medical emergency when the blood flow towards the heart of a person is severely blocked. Usually, a part of the heart will not be receiving enough blood flow during such an attack. This occurs due to a blockage in one of the blood vessels or coronary arteries of the heart. Without enough blood supply, the heart muscle will slowly begin to die. If not resolved immediately, the damage can lead to the death of the person as the heart stops functioning. In case of a heart attack, you should call emergency medical services for quick assistance, while also providing the patient with relevant first aid help. Call MedCab emergency ambulance services for quick medical assistance and ambulance help anywhere in India. Read on to understand the symptoms of a heart attack and the steps you can take to help a person having a heart attack. What are the Symptoms of a Heart Attack? To be able to help someone having a heart attack, it is important to be aware of the warning signs of a heart attack. Heart attacks usually have some common symptoms and warning signs. Some of the common symptoms of a heart attack include the following - Discomfort in the chest - The discomfort usually occurs in the middle or left side of the chest. The discomfort may not be consistent and can come and go. The discomfort caused by a heart attack can feel like a squeezing in the chest, or pain, or a sort of fulness in the chest. Sudden Shortness of Breath - Yo

Are you AI-First? By editor Posted October 13, 2018 In Artificial Intelligence, Digital Strategy, Technology & Design 0 An AI-First company is an enterprise that has transformed to believe and understand the incredible and disruptive potential of Artificial Intelligence. Such an enterprise not only sees the value but can see the destructive impact of being left behind. An AI-First Company understands that it might not know all the answers but realizes that it needs to seek out a path forward with AI or risk being marginalized. Key Characteristics of an AI-First Company A-First companies might not be any different from their previous form but think and act differently. Here are some key characteristics of such companies. Approach to Problems and Planning An AI-First company evolves its approach to problems. AI-First companies realize that determining the existence of a problem and selecting the most consequential problems is a function of data and analytics. An AI-First company invests in building predictive mechanisms that can signal current or upcoming problems including the severity and priority of these problems. Building these predictive mechanisms becomes the first step in determining how and when to prepare for problems or upcoming issues. In addition, these companies leverage news and information that is generated inside and outside the enterprise as it is generated and ensure that their employees and customers have access to the insights embedded in the news and information. Approach to Products and Product Development An AI-First company understands how a prediction or classification could help them deliver a better solution to a problem faced by their customers and how their existing products can be adapted or new products created that change behavior based on the predictions and classifications. Enterprises that understand the power of AI ensure that data scientists come part of the core product ideation and development team with a heavy infl

So here's how today started out… We got an email from a guy who took issue with one of our recent infographics, 10 Astonishing Facts About Arc Flash. Here's what he wrote: "Have you seen the commercial for the insurance company that uses the premise "If it's on the the Internet, it must be true"? I have still not seen the source of these statistics. The Capschell report is what all of these websites, all of which involved in the business of Arc Flash for profit ($$$$), including yours, use without merit. […] Even NFPA 70E does not not cite the source of the statistic regarding "2000 injuries per day". Don't just give me another website that says that again, show me source (ie the study) that produces those statistics. I am not, by any means, attempting to reduce the importance of arc flash, arc flash studies or PPE. I just have a problem when companies use these types of statistics without regard to the source or veracity of the information. Fear Mongering is the term that come to mind. It's on the internet so it must be true." I believe whole-heartedly that our marketing team did a significant amount of research on Arc Flash prior to creating this infographic, and I don't believe the intent of our marketing team to promote or perpetuate bad information. However, I can understand this person's sentiment, and I wanted to know myself what the real numbers were. So, the hunt for accurate data began. Before I go further, it should be addressed that our infographic says that there are 2,000 injuries each year, not every day. Still, where did this figure come from? I started searching to uncover where the 2,000 injuries per year came from. I asked the marketing team for their source, and they provided me with the official NFPA 70E 2012 Handbook. In Annex K(3), it states plainly that 2,000 people a year are injured as a result of arc flash. But, as our accuser points out, there is no citation. Because this is NFPA, a standardization or

Waste water treatment plants are usually operated by municipalities or private utility companies, and are regulated by the states wherein they reside, but their standards were enacted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). According to the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 (amended in 1986 and 1996), all local treatment systems are regulated so that the water they treat is tested for contamination, their improvement plans are reviewed, they have onsite inspection to ensure that machinery and sanitation efforts are functioning properly, that personnel are properly trained, and that they comply with all standards (or face stiff penalties). On top of these regulations are safety expectations imposed by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) under the U.S. Department of Labor. Waste water treatment plants have so many potentially hazardous areas that can impact people, directly and indirectly. Who is Affected? Directly, employees at the plant run the risk of workplace injuries from working around the huge pumps, walking near and above open water treatment containment tanks, agitator pools, furnaces, pipes, and various other facility obstacles, machinery and equipment which can create pitfalls for unsuspecting workers. Indirectly, end users of the treated water run the risk of drinking and using improperly treated water, but this post is primarily concerned with the safety of workers and visitors to the treatment plant. Ways to Make It Safe Pump pipe marking label image from wikipedia Workers who must work near open vats of raw sewage or even treated water should have all opportunities for falling into the water prevented via various safety devices, warning signs, or precautions. Potentially hazardous holding tanks or agitators should have traction tape laid on walkways or catwalks to reduce slipping. All pipes should be clearly marked with pipe marking labels to display what the contents of the pipes are. Any electric panels should b

Safety - An Issue worth Taking Seriously! Safety is of great importance no matter if it is for the work place or home. If we are talking about home, we might discuss how kids who are messing around the house and playing games could be exposing themselves to dangers, resulting in injury or in worst case scenario, even accidental death. However, there are many safety products available in the market specifically designed to prevent injury in and around the home. It is in this frame of mind that we will occasionally be introducing some safety products for home use, in order to help parents and their children avoid any accidents, where possible. two workers discussing safety planAs well, when it comes to workplace safety measures, ignorance or lack of proper safety measures, can also lead to considerable financial loss for a company, or even the greatest of losses - someone's life. It is therefore very important that an employer take great care in installing and using safety measures, which includes proper safety training, materials, supplies or products. While there is no denying of the fact that it can be difficult for an employer to fully provide adequate safety products and measures to prevent any mishap, it is a task that must be accomplished. The task of safety management may prove even more complex for a team leader who must engage in managing safety at a construction site or workplace, as seen in this set of videos from OSHA. For those of you who have not yet researched the market, there is a huge range of safety supplies available for you to choose from. It pays to shop and compare, but even then, just when you think that you found the right solution, someone else comes up with a product even better and more efficient. That is why we have created this blog and review site. We hope that with our help as safety product experts we can help you or your firm to select the proper, most helpful safety supplies. You can find solutions and insight by reading ou

In the video below, we take a GoPro camera ride along with a tower climber as he scales to the top of a 1768 foot tall antenna. The worker slowly climbs on increasingly smaller and precarious looking ladder rungs, all while toting a 30 pound tool bag behind him, occasionally assisted by his climbing partner. The video, aptly titled "The most dangerous job in the world," is stirring up a lot of controversy, especially because it has simply shed light on a profession most people didn't even know existed. Tower climbers are often hired by cell phone companies to adjust antennas and mechanisms located at the top of their cell towers; they are often required to climb thousands of feet into the air. However, the even scarier part is that in many cases, they do not even use any sort of safety cable. In the video, a voice over remarks that OSHA regulations allow for this type of "free climbing" method. As it turns out, most experts are confused as to where the video makers got that idea, as there's nothing to be found in the OSHA guidelines that condones such procedure. In fact, to the contrary, OSHA has published findings highlighting the lethality of this particular profession and method, noting that AT&T alone has had 15 cell tower workers die from falls since data started being collected in 2003. What's even worse is that sanctions against cell companies have been nearly non-existent, and not once has OSHA gone after the larger providers, despite their high mortality rates. Part of this may be due to a loophole (indeed perhaps the very same one that the video cites as "allowing" for such a dangerous climb) that won't hold companies liable for the unsafe behavior of independent contractors if they don't have knowledge of it. In short, a contractor, knowing full well their workers will be free climbing, can simply not communicate to a cell company as such which in turn gives them plausible deniability. Why Should You Care As A Business Owner? ​No

An arc flash is a dangerous situation in which an electrical current leaves its intended path and leaps through the air from one conducting source to another, or even sometimes the ground. Many times the transfer of electrical energy resembles and arc, hence the term arc flash. However, it is important to never underestimate the power behind an arc flash. An arc flash can vaporize metals, plastics, and even flesh. Many times arc flashes cause irreversible damage and harm to people and surrounding objects. In fact, most people injured in arc flash situations often never return to the same quality of life due to severe injury stemming from heat and burns. The heat of an arc flash has been calculated to be near 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit which is four times as hot as the sun's surface! What Causes an Arc Flash? There are many possible contributors towards an arc flash, which makes it difficult to really fully stop one from occurring. Some common culprits that may add towards the probability of an arc flash include dust, condensation, corrosion, material failure, faulty construction, dropping a tool, or simply accidental touching. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Boundaries In an attempt to help protect employees and visitors from electrically charged equipment possible of creating arch flashes, certain safety boundaries have been put into place by the NFPA. The boundary resembles a target and in the middle is the energized equipment, and then there are four outer rings around the center with each ring labeled and specified for safety. The first ring, closest to the center (energized equipment) is called the prohibited approach boundary, then the next ring further out is called the restricted approach boundary, the next ring is called the limited approach boundary, and the furthest ring out from the center is called the flash protection boundary. Let's quickly describe each boundary. Prohibited Approach: Being within this boundary during an arc flash

Ron Pereira over at the LSSAcademy.com offered a really cool video that pits regular mass production vs. one piece flow, and his simulation produced a time savings with the one piece flow. In his video, what I found to be as interesting as his presented material were the comments at the bottom by professionals in manufacturing. They all seemed to think that one piece flow definitely has its place, and that it CAN be more efficient in certain contexts, but most of them also pointed out that, from a batch processing point of view, one piece flow doesn't save any time when it comes to actually delivering the product to customers if the customers are in the same place. For example, if you are folding, stuffing, and stamping envelopes, but they all have to go to the same post office to be mailed, there isn't really enough of a time saving compared to the possible amount of trips to the post office under a per piece system. Someone else also mentioned the idea of spreading each step in the one-piece flow out to several people vs. to one person, and the savings in time would not be outweighed necessarily by the fact that, now, several people are needing to be paid, instead of the one person. Either way, I think, under certain circumstances (like building full sized dump trucks with different customers), one piece flow is definitely a time saver and waste reducer than building a ton of dump trucks and running the risk of some of them not being sold. Plus, envelopes are way easier to simulate than building a bunch of dump trucks.

Safety managers know that everyone seems to have their own thoughts about workplace safety. In most cases, everyone seems to think that their opinion on the subject is a fact that everyone should follow. Whether it is the executive that thinks that workplace safety is largely a waste of money, or the front line employee who thinks that their experience means they don't need to wear the proper safety gear, it can be difficult to overcome people's ideas. David Castella, a marketing associate at ProcessMAP Corporation looks at all these myths in the industry in a blog post. In it, he asks for input about which ones but safety professionals the most, and which ones make their jobs most difficult. Common Workplace Safety Myths In the blog post, Mr. Castella touches on a number of myths that can lead to a loss of safety in the workplace. Some of the key myths he covered include: Workplace Safety Isn't Worth the Time - Many people in both management positions and front line employees think that safety is a waste of time. Helping to show them why this is a myth is one of the most difficult parts of a workplace safety manager's job. Slip & Falls Can't be Stopped - People often think of slip and fall accidents as events that can be reduced in frequency, but not eliminated. While it is certainly a hard task to eliminate them, that should always be the goal in every workplace. There is no such thing as a Perfectly Safe Workplace - This one is similar to the previous myth. When people state that it is impossible to have a perfectly safe workplace, it is essentially giving up. When you have a goal of perfection, you'll always be striving to make improvements. It is well worth your time to read through the blog post as he brings up a number of important points, and provides evidence to debunk these and other myths. When Mr. Castella posted this post to the Safety, Health, Environmental, Risk and Community Management group on LinkedIn, it generated some very in

Health Benefits of Dead Sea Moringa Powder You Never Knew: Dead Sea Moringa powder is extracted from a plant that is packed with vitamins, minerals, fats, and proteins. Since ancient times, this powder has been used to fight malnutrition in countries across Asia and Africa. Extracted from a plant that thrives in the Himalayan Mountains or the Dead Sea, this tree is helpful as it contains healthy stuff like natural antioxidants. This tree that produces this powder also has as much iron as spinach, which makes it so interesting to learn about since this essential mineral is required in the body to make red blood cells. The health benefits of Dead Sea Moringa powder include: It Detoxifies: The powder is used to purify water due to its coagulant agents that attach themselves to hazardous bacteria and harmful compounds. It also helps to remove harmful compounds and toxins in the body. Detoxification comes with many benefits for your digestive system and skin appearance. Fights iron deficiencies: Lack of enough iron in the body can cause anemia, leading to death. Thanks to this powder from an exotic plant, you can restore your iron levels by making it a recipe in your favorite beverage, like tea. Apart from being a good source of iron, sea moringa helps replace lost energy in the body. Boosts Immune System: Dead Sea Moringa powder has been shown to be effective in boosting the immune system in men. The powder is also packed with essential nutrients that help men maintain their body weight and remain healthy. This powder is not for specific people, as it benefits the rich and the poor. In this powder, you will find over 90 nutrients and plenty of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. It is also loaded with fiber, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids, which boost many functions in the body. Regulates blood sugar: Estimates have it that more than 25 million people suffer from diabetes in the U.S., but if the same were done in the whole world, perhaps the results would be

A lot has been said about agility and the need for enterprises looking to innovate and disrupt to build agility. Agility, at the same time, also gets confused with the process of scrum. Small and large teams get enamored with the idea of scrum and mistake the process with the state of being agile. This is often more detrimental to the enterprise and can often create more process and not enough real agility. What is Agility Agility is the efficiency with which an enterprise executes and delivers on its objectives and goals. Agility is the ability to react to changes in goals, feedback from customers and shifts in strategy. Agility, from the outside, looks like a predictable stream of value delivered by the enterprise that matches and exceeds the needs of the customer. Organizational agility requires agility at multiple levels within the enterprise to drive the insights that can channel and align the efforts of the entire organization by leveraging data and information to make quick and informed decisions. Business Agility Business and customer-facing employees need to achieve "Business Agility". This is the ability of these employees to react to business critical in real time if needed and have access to the latest information at any decision point. Business Agility enables users to reduce the latency or lag between a need in the market or of the customers and when they are able to service the need. Decision Agility Analysts and data scientists creating the insights to drive decisions require "Decision Agility" i.e the ability to easily discover, leverage and use data for analytics and insights through any and multiple tools and channels. Analysts and data scientists need to produce insights that reduce the time and effort required to convert data into information and insights that are required to drive key decisions and actions. Development Agility Application developers and data engineers need the ability to easily generate, collect, access and deli

It's not too late to jump on to the Blockchains trend. We often hear from customers whether it is too late to get behind blockchain. The number of startups in this space is growing rapidly and the number of large ISVs and SIs providing blockchain capability and expertise is also increasing. However, the market and the technology space for blockchains is far from saturated, settled or stable. Here are three reasons why now is a good time to get into blockchains Early Mover Advantage Blockchains are bound to disrupt fundamentally how business is done. By enabling trust in an otherwise trust-deficient environment, blockchains enable transactions between two or more enterprises who otherwise might not know about each other. Blockchains offer solutions to several common problems faced by the enterprise such as Digital Identity, Secure Data Storage, Secure Data Sharing, Distributed Ledger, Distributed Databases etc. Blockchains are based on strong cryptographic standards based in mathematics, cryptography, and encryption. Building blockchains as a core competency requires a deep understanding of the mathematics behind it and an internal process for deploying, managing and developing on top of the blockchain. Early mover advantage can be generated by taking small steps in this area and targeting simpler scenarios initially. Nascent Technology It is going to take another few iterations of the blockchain technology before it can truly be enterprise-ready. There is a lot of ongoing work to make blockchains more secure, scalable and performant. Innovations are constantly being made and added to the core blockchain technology that is constantly increasing the type and complexity of applications that it can support. As the technology matures, enterprises can be well suited and ready to leverage the advancements by building a core competency in not only the blockchain technology but by becoming a member of the blockchain community, standards and keeping up to date with th

When people think about personal protection equipment, they typically think about hard hats, steel toed boots, and safety goggles. One of the most commonly used types of protective gear, however, is fairly normal looking protective apparel. Protective apparel from KleenGuard is used in many industries ranging from medical labs to manufacturing facilities and offers an excellent first line of defense from a wide range of different hazards that are commonly found in the workplace. Look Like Normal Work Clothing or Uniforms The apparel from KleenGuard is designed with safety first in mind, but it is also made to look and feel nice so employees will be happy to wear it. In fact, many people don't even realize that this type of apparel is a form of protective gear that is keeping them safer while at work. Depending on which apparel is chosen, these items can be buttoned up, zipped up, sealed with tape, or slipped right on to allow easy preparation at the start of a shift. Types of Protection KleenGuard makes a full lineup of protective apparel, so looking at each individual item is the best way to learn about what types of protective features it offers. The following, however, are some of the different ways that KleenGuard protective apparel help to keep those who are wearing it safe: Liquid Barrier - The material is made to stop liquids from soaking through and coming in contact with the skin. This is important when working with biological liquids (body fluids, etc.) or when working with chemicals that could cause skin irritation. Particulate Barrier - Stopping particles of materials from getting through the clothing is an important feature. Tiny particles of wood, metal, fiberglass, or other very small materials are kept away from the skin to avoid irritation or other issues. Antistatic - The material resists the buildup of static, and passes the NFPA 99 criteria for this feature. Avoiding static is important in many industries and can be a key safety featur

I read an interesting article today about safety by Mari-len De Guzman on Cos-Mag.com, an occupational safety e-magazine for Canadian manufacturers. At the CSSE (or, Canadian Society of Safety Engineering) conference in Niagara Falls this week, Los Alamos National Laboratory safety expert, Todd Conklin, spoke about how many manufacturing and industrial companies look at safety issues. He pointed out that, rather than continually blame operator-error for most failures and safety problems, it is more systemic, stating that: workers get hurt when they find themselves in situations where it's hard to be safe and easy to get hurt. With that in mind, he offered several potential causes for failure or safety incidents and ways to combat them. First, he said that humans make mistakes, so he advised that it is important to anticipate those potential mistakes and have several levels of defensive safety measures. Next, he suggested that companies should anticipate that unforeseeable events can happen, and WILL happen, so employers and safety managers need to keep this in mind. Learning is another tip Conklin pointed out. Whenever something bad happens, the best defense next time is to learn as much as we can from the event. We can learn many things, like defenses, unsafe speeds, too much load, proximity to dangerous equipment or products, etc. Finally, he also advised managers to approach safety or failure issues (and the operators involved) with caution. He warned that being positive and asking things in a proactive manner can give a much better reply or response, as follows: Instead of asking a worker, "what have you done, now?" ask them, "how do we set this up so failure doesn't happen again." By asking the right question, employers can get a more operational-centric answer. I really thought this was great info. It might seem like common sense to some, safety matters and needs to be one step ahead of the production line. I also more or less agree with Con

The control of important documents in today's workplace continues to be a struggle despite the incorporation of the ISO 9001:2000 requirements. To clarify document control, it can be described as ensuring that current documents are first approved by qualified personnel and then distributed to the areas or places where they are actually used and that old or redundant information is then removed. What does the ISO 9001:2000 have to say about document control? Well, the very first sentence of the section labeled 4.2.3 states that "All documents required by the quality management system shall be controlled." If this is clearly laid out by the ISO standards why does it continue to be a struggle for some businesses? Many business professionals find themselves asking "Does this document need to be controlled?" And the answer is yes if it meets the specific criteria of involving product requirements, controlling processes, provide verification or the testing of products, collect data for decision-making, or relate to any requirement of the ISO 9001:2000.

Sentiment, Sentiment Analysis, Sentiment Tracking have become a hot topic with multiple 'AI' startups focussing on providing sentiment driven insights to enterprises. The number of such startups points to the potential that enterprises see in Sentiment analysis and the impact it has on how the enterprise plans, operates, executes and delivers value. Sentiment Analysis is process of extracting sentiment (emotion or feelings) captured in signals that are embedded in various types of media such as print, text, audio, video, images etc. For example, if a reporter submits a report on a particular enterprise, the sentiment embedded in the article can point to how excited, worried, upbeat or impassive they might are about the enterprise. This sentiment can be then used by the enterprise to understand the perception about the enterprise that the external market carries and whether that perception is improving, degrading or staying unchanged. This insight can be used by the enterprise to improve their go to market plans, change their PR strategy or even go deeper and change their product strategy. Sentiment Analysis Is Not New The tracking, measurement and use of Sentiment is not a new scenario. Enterprises have been leveraging the output of sentiment analysis for a long time. User surveys, focus groups, market research, customer interviews etc. are all examples of generating data to perform and track sentiment. Similarly, influencer marketing through association with influencers or events or organizations with a certain perception or sentiment associated with them is a common technique to improve the enterprise's own sentiment. Sentiment Analysis and strategizing based on the analysis is a common and required function for any enterprise. Sentiment Analysis Using Artificial Intelligence With the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI), enterprises now have another technique in their kitty to understand how they are perceived in the market and how that perception i

Lean Six Sigma for Non Profits We always like to hear about people applying business methodologies and mechanics in arguably unorthodox ways or markets, and today I stumbled across a LinkedIn discussion that happens to exemplify exactly that sentiment. User William Falquero seemed to be onto something interesting as he posed a question for other professionals: Could non-profit organizations benefit from Lean Six Sigma thinking? If so, how would they be implemented, what would the challenges of this sort of endeavor be? Only a few users jumped in right off the bat, but, lucky for our purposes today, they were some critical thinkers with some useful insight and examples to offer up. Today, we're going to take an in-depth look at the use of Lean and Six Sigma thinking and tools within non-profit and charity organizations. Are Charities Good Candidates for Lean? One of the first and most important things to establish when considering implementation of Lean in any company or organization is to figure out how they could benefit from the systems. In the case of charities, one user points out that room for improvement from Lean is readily apparent simply in the mindsets of the people who work at them: "The sweat and tears the non-profit workers and volunteers shed and the effort they put forward is focused on those they serve, with less thought on HOW they are served" This is what Richard Petty had to say of an organization he actually had the experience of implementing Six Sigma with. One thing he goes on to highlight and elaborate on is the fact that many volunteers and non-profit workers are so focused on those they want to help that they may get blinded as to the mechanisms that can take them there (and these are the places opportunities for improvement present themselves). Even in other more traditional workplaces, we see this sort of "tunnel vision" as fairly common: It can be hard to get workers to take a step back from the endgame results they're

Social distancing is the new buzz word for 2020. Measures imposed by governments across the globe have caused the cancellation or postponement of sporting leagues, events and tournaments, leaving a gaping hole in the lives of sports fans everywhere. Luckily, the internet means there are still plenty of ways for everyone to get a daily dose of exercise and sporting entertainment. Social Distancing Exercise Daily exercise is as important now as it has always been. Whilst there are no team sports allowed, there are still plenty of ways to stay fit and active. Being allowed out for daily exercise means running and cycling are still on the cards. And for those with extra energy to burn, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) sessions are all the rage. YouTube is full of HIIT workouts lasting between 10 minutes and 1 hour. King of HIIT and the nation's favourite PE teacher, Joe Wicks, has plenty of videos online to suit everyone from beginners, kids, and seniors to hard-core fitness fanatics. Online Gaming Online gaming offers up the thrill of sports, albeit without the physical aspects. And you don't need a PlayStation or Xbox as plenty of computer games and apps are downloadable. Dream League Soccer 2020 - Take charge of a footie team, building it from over 3,500 players and rise through the ranks of eight leagues to the top flight of football. TGC 2019 - An authentic golf sim that lets players design challenging courses, compete in Skin wager matches, or become a golfing pro in the PGA Tour Career mode. NBA 2K20 - Adapted for Android, this basketball app has multiple gaming modes. Build a career, compete in streetball tournaments, or become GM of your own team. Even Formula One is getting in on the online gaming act by running virtual races with current and past drivers fighting it out via a video game. F1 fans can watch the races on Sky Sports, YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook channels. Not a fan of online gaming? You can always challenge yourself with one