Strategic initiatives for cost reduction

The graph below was created using Google’s graphing tools.

This horizontal bar graph shows response percentages to a Deloitte survey on implementing strategic initiatives for cost reductions.

The Deloitte survey is “What’s Next?  Deloitte’s Second Biennial Cost Survey.  Cost Improvement Practices and Trends in the Fortune 1000”.  Click here to access the report (PDF file).

A principle conclusion reached in the survey report is that more emphasis should be placed on strategic, long-term approaches to cost management versus short-term, quickly implemented cost reductions.

Environmental, social, and/or governance effects on financial performance

The graph below was created using Google’s graphing tools.

The horizontal bar graph shows 8 factors relevant to a company’s financial performance. 

A survey of 238 CFOs, and others, on environmental, social, and/or governance company programs and their importance relative to the 8 factors in the graph was conducted by the McKinsey Company in 2008.   For example, the most important way environmental, social, and/or governance programs influence financial performance is by increasing (or decreasing) the company’s reputation.   The least important way is by improving access to capital.

Click here (PDF file) to access the report containing the data in the graph and other results on the effects of environmental, social, and governance programs on company value.

Strategic initiatives for cost reduction

The graph below was created using Google’s graphing tools.

This horizontal bar graph shows the percentage of companies responding to a Deloitte survey that are implementing the strategic initiatives described in the graph.

The Deloitte survey is “What’s Next?  Deloitte’s Second Biennial Cost Survey.  Cost Improvement Practices and Trends in the Fortune 1000”.  Click here to access the report (PDF file).

A principle conclusion reached in the survey report is that more emphasis should be placed on strategic, long-term approaches to cost management versus short-term, quickly implemented cost reductions.

Decision methods for capital projects by small companies

The graphs below were created using Google’s graphing tools.

The first bar graph shows four broad categories of capital expenditures and how many of the surveyed companies indicated the category as being their largest capital expenditure during the previous 12 months.

The second bar graph shows the percentage of surveyed companies using one of three planning methods for making capital decisions.

The data in the graphs are based on a Gallup Organization survey of more than 750 small companies for the National Federation of Independent Business Research Foundation.  The results of the survey are found in a 2006 report written by Morris Danielson and Jonathan Scott.  Small companies surveyed have fewer than 250 employees.  The report can be read by clicking here (PDF file).

The data in the graph and in the report should be useful to small company decision-making related to capital projects.

Percentage of companies offering various benefits

The graph below was created using Google’s graphing tools.

This horizontal bar graph shows the percentages of US companies offering 4 categories of benefits.  Interesting 33.3 % of companies offer no benefits.

This data is based on a US Census 2007 survey of US companies.  You can gain access to the survey data by clicking here.  The percentages represent those companies responding that they offer the identified benefit.

This data should be useful to job seekers for realizing many companies offer no benefits.

Source of capital for start ups with employees

The graph below was created using Google graph tools.

This horizontal bar graph shows the sources of capital for startup companies (firms) with employees.  The data in the graph is from a US Census survey conducted in 2007.   Findings from the survey can be accessed by clicking here.

The data shows how much startup companies rely upon the owners (or owners’ family and friends) capital.  Only about 25 % of the time did companies receive capital from non self/family/friend sources.

Challenges in merger integration

The graph below was created using Google’s graphing tools.

This horizontal bar graph shows challenges that more than 250 top European executives reported having in the integration of mergers that they were involve with.

These results are from a 2009 survey of the executives conducted by PriceWaterhouseCoopers.  The results are in a report entitled “Post Merger Integration Survey – 2009”.  You can gain access to this report by clicking here (PDF file).

Recognizing prevalent merger integration challenges should help those involved in upcoming mergers focus their plans in the right direction.

How nonprofits cut budgets in difficult times

The graph below was created using Google’s graphing tools.

The horizontal bar graph shows 9 actions that nonprofits took to reduce their budgets during the difficult US economic period in 2009 and 2010.  

The data in the graph was collected in a survey conducted by GuideStar.  2011 responses were received from nonprofits.  The graph shows the percentage of responses that indicated they reduced budgets by the actions shown.   GuideStar’s report “The Effect of the Economy on the Nonprofit Sector” can be assessed by clicking here (PDF file).

A question about the data is why more nonprofits did not reduce their operating hours, which would seem a preferable strategic option.  Reducing operating hours would avoid layoffs (layoffs are a very poor strategic action) and achieve many of the other results, e.g. reducing employee wages using hourly wages.

Problems discovered while complying with Sarbanes Oxley

The graph below was created using Google’s graphing tools.

This horizontal bar graph shows problems that survey respondents reported discovering while complying with the Sarbanes-Oxley regulation.  More than 400 audit and financial officers responded to a 2011 survey, conducted by Protiviti, on costs, time, effort, and processes in their companies related to Sarbanes-Oxley compliance.

The survey results are reported in a Protiviti report entitled “2011 Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance Survey”.  This report can be accessed by clicking here (PDF file).

Challenges in records management

The graph below was created using Google’s graphing tools.

This horizontal bar graph shows challenges faced by companies in records management.  The data is based on a survey conducted by the Crown Records Management Company in 2009.  Almost half of the responses were from companies with less than 100 employees.

Over 100 records management professionals responded to the survey.  More details about the records management programs reported on and the challenges they face is in the survey’s report.  The report can be read by clicking here (PDF file).

This data and report should be useful to companies in the management of their records.

Misconduct observed by employees in 2011

The graph below was created using Google’s graph tools.

This horizontal bar graph shows 18 acts, considered to be misconducts, observed by employees in the workplace.  The graph’s data is based on a survey of 4,683 employees.  The employees were randomly selected and surveys were taken by telephone and by the Internet.   The survey was conducted in 2011 by the Ethics Resource Center, who has conducted similar surveys since the 1990s.  The percentages represent the number of respondents reporting observation of the misconduct divided by the total number of respondents (4,683).

All results reported from the survey can be read in the Ethics Resource Center’s report “The National Business Ethics Survey – 2011”.  This report can be read by clicking here (PDF file).

The data in the graph could be useful to companies in identifying the most likely types of misconduct acts that occur in the workplace, both by employers (managers) and by employees.  

Future risk management challenges

The graph below was created using Google’s graph tools.

This horizontal bar graph identifies the top 15 challenges facing risk managers and the relative importance of the challenge to these risk managers.  The results in the graph are based on a survey of 387 companies.  Companies surveyed ranged in size from at least $500 million in revenues to more than $5 billion.  European, North America, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific companies were surveyed.

The survey was conducted in 2011 by the US Company Accenture and the results are reported in their study “Global Risk Management Study”.   You can read this study by clicking here. (PDF file)

Results on the graph and in the study should help companies make decisions on improving their management of risks.

Most used systems for knowledge management

The graph below was created using Google’s graph tools.

This graph identifies 11 of the most frequently used tools to manage information (knowledge) in 141 law firms and corporate law departments.  This identification is found in a survey of these organizations conducted by the International Legal Technology Association.  All survey results can be found in the report titled “Knowledge Management: Bridging People, Information and Processes”.   This report can be accessed by clicking here.

The respondents were asked to identify which of 25 “knowledge management” tools were being used in their organizations.  The 11 tools getting the most responses are shown on the graph.  The numbers shown represent a ranking of the tools used based on a tool's responses divided by the total responses for all 11 tools.

Although the survey was conducted on a specific business function (law firms and corporate law offices), the results likely reflect the preferred knowledge (information) management tools many organizations would choose (need) where knowledge management is a high priority.

Percentage of European organizations that use lean management techniques

The chart below was created using Google’s chart tools.

The pie chart shows the percentages of European organizations that are using lean management techniques (57%), are planning to use lean management techniques (20%), or have no plans to use lean management techniques (23%).  The percentages are based on data collected by a survey conducted by Allied Consultants Europe.  The survey received 771 responses from European organizations.

The results of this survey can be read by clicking here (PDF file).

The results also how how extensive companies use various lean management techniques compared to their performance ratings.   Ratings include delivery rate, reject/complaint rate, and others.   Lean management techniques measured include pull systems, flow, waste reduction techniques, and others.

Barriers to total quality management

The graph below was created using Google’s chart tools.

This horizontal bar graph shows a result of a survey of quality control managers on barriers to successful total quality management (TQM).   188 managers ranked 21 statements, on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being completely true), as to the truthfulness of the statement.  Each statement represents a potential barrier to TQM.  The 5 statements with the highest average responses are shown in the graph.

The details on the survey and other survey conclusions can be read by clicking here (PDF file).  The survey was conducted by Rose Sebastianelli and Nabil Tamini.

The survey should help companies to decide on steps to increase quality.