Automation vs. Delegation Essays

Automation vs. Delegation Essays Automation vs. Delegation Essay Automation vs. Delegation Essay Automation versus Delegation According to Webster the definition of Delegation is a person or group of persons officially elected or appointed to represent another or others. Traditionally when we use the term in a business sense, the explanation is commonly that of passing lower priority work off to someone who is entrusted to complete it, so that the delegatorâ„ ¢s time and attention can be put to use on higher priority issues or activities. Any small business owner who started out in whatever line of work theyâ„ ¢ve chosen as a result of their own expertise in whatever industry theyâ„ ¢re in will tell you that the hardest part of growing their business is letting go of the idea that they have to have their hand in every process, on every product and in every service that they provide to ensure they are giving their customers the same kind of quality product or service that they gave would give their best friends. Knowing that they canâ„ ¢t do all the work themselves and still meet the expectations of their clients and their own financial goals, they pass off work to apprentices or representatives so that they can take care of the most important aspects of their business. They delegate work to accomplish specific objectives. In a broad sense, thatâ„ ¢s why any company has employees ¦because the boss canâ„ ¢t do it all himself and meet the same financial goals. Itâ„ ¢s not so much the idea that the boss even wants to do everything himself, many times he or she doesnâ„ ¢t, however, if processes or activities could be completely automated, the need for employees would diminish and the bottom line profit margins (assuming that the maintenance would be less than salaries) would increase. The problem is that changes in technology are so fast-paced, that by the time you select some new revolutionary technology and get it implemented, it seems as though itâ„ ¢s already obsolete. In addition, most automated processes require a resident expert in the technology and use of the software, not to mention the IT people who maintain itâ„ ¢s healthy operation. Furthermore, given that employees are in fact internal customers, there are some internal processes that nearly demand a face and name as opposed to a button and password. Understanding that not every process or activity can or should be automated, any shrewd business owner will look for ways to do more with the least expenditure of their hard earned dollars. So they hire employees to do specific tasks that are core to the success of the business and unfortunately along with employees come the myriad of regulations, compliance issues and generally aggravating procedures that need to be created and adhered to. Not to mention the burden of taxes and benefits. Unfortunately most companies also hire employees to do specific tasks that are not core to their business success. For example, a dentist, regardless of the size of his practice, does not need an expert in payroll processing to give his clients better dental hygiene. Nor does a software company need an expert in Human Resources on staff to provide their clients with more innovative or better quality software applications. In both cases, the activities like payroll processing, HR, benefits and other various administrative tasks are not core to the business success. Literally, efforts devoted to these tasks are non-revenue generating and should be avoided if at all possible. Now donâ„ ¢t get me wrong. I am a huge proponent of the use of Human Capital Management as a strategic tool. Using HR experts to place the right people in the right jobs and complimenting that with the right policies and procedures not only reduces the cost of hiring and training, but also bullet-proofs the company against employee related lawsuits that can sap a companies profit margins in the pound of a gavel. However, in short, why pay top dollar to have these experts on staff when you tap service providers that have far greater expertise and are far less expensive No less am I a proponent that managing cash flow, budgeting, capital planning and financial analysis are strategic and unique to a company. However, accounts payable, accounts receivable, billing and general accounting are critical, but not core functions. As a potential investor, I would be reluctant to invest in a company whose management is focused on running the best accounting shop in their business, unless that is their industry. A service provider that can process these functions for multiple clients in the same facility can provide significant economies of scale and efficiencies, resulting in lower costs. Again, the short version is: Leave it to the people whose core business is accounting. And the functions above are by no means the only tasks that can be delegated to outsourcing experts. IT, manufacturing, e-commerce and even various types of sales are commonly outsourced to provide far-sighted business decision makers with both expertise in areas they lack and good fiscal sense to use. Yet few small and medium size business owners really understand outsourcing. To many it appears to be relinquishing control of specific areas of their business when in fact it is just the opposite. Outsourcers commonly have more procedural checks and balances in place because it is their core business, so the end result is generally of higher quality or accuracy. They have experts at the ready that some small businesses could not afford to talk to, much less use to administer a non-core function of their business. They also are in the practice of helping their clients grow by providing them with better and faster ways of doing business, not sapping them of their hard earned revenue. Delegating work to those who best know how to perform it and can do so at a lower cost is one of the most common sense business decisions and business owner can make. Outsourcing non-core business functions can provide small business owners with more time to do what they love, meaning do what they do best and not have to worry about back office (or in some cases even front office) activity. Experts say that those companies that are not developing an outsourcing strategy are behind the curve. The bottom line is that delegating business functions via outsourcing providers directly impacts the bottom line. Clearly we are leaps and bounds past where anyone would have dreamed related to automation of business processes on every level, but until we have talking heads on a computer screen that can answer literally any question that anyone asks and perform any procedural task with unfailing accuracy, Iâ„ ¢ll stick to what I know. And what I know is that I donâ„ ¢t know everything. That said Iâ„ ¢ll leave my non-core business functions to those who do.

How to Create Your Own Homeschool Curriculum

How to Create Your Own Homeschool Curriculum Many homeschooling parents- even those who start out using a pre-packaged curriculum- decide somewhere along the way to take advantage of the freedom homeschooling allows by creating their own course of study. If youve never created your own teaching plan, it can sound daunting. But taking the time to put together a customized curriculum for your family can save you money and make your homeschooling experience much more meaningful. Here are some general steps to follow to help you design a curriculum for any subject. 1. Review Typical Courses of Study by Grade First, you may want to research what other children in public and private schools are studying in each grade in order to make sure your children are covering approximately the same material as other students their age. The detailed guidelines linked below can help you set standards and goals for  your own curriculum. Typical Course of Study for Elementary SchoolTypical Course of Study for Sixth GradeTypical Course of Study for Seventh GradeTypical Course of Study for Eighth GradeTypical Course of Study for Ninth GradeTypical Course of Study for Tenth GradeTypical Course of Study for Eleventh GradeTypical Course of Study for Twelfth Grade 2. Do Your Research. Once you have determined what subjects you will cover, you may need to do some research to make sure you are up-to-date on the particular topic, particularly if its one you are not already familiar with.   One solid way to get a quick overview of a new subject? Read a well-written book on the topic aimed at middle schoolers! Books for that level will tell you everything you need to know to cover the topic for younger students, but still be comprehensive enough to get you started on a high school level. Other resources you can use include: Popular nonfiction young adult books;Websites about a subject for students;Review books written for high school students;Self-help books for adults (such as the For Dummies series);Textbooks, particularly ones that are recommended by other homeschoolers. As you read, make notes on key concepts and topics you may want to cover. 3. Identify Topics to Cover. Once youve gotten a broad view of the subject, start thinking about what concepts you want your children to learn. Dont feel you have to cover everything- many educators today feel that digging deep into a few core areas is more useful than skimming over many topics briefly. It helps if you organize related topics into units. That gives you more flexibility and cuts down on work. (See below for more work-saving tips.) 4. Ask Your Students. Ask your children what they would like to study. We all retain facts more readily when were studying a topic that captivates us. Your children may be interested in topics that fall right in line with what youd want to cover anyway, such as the American Revolution or insects. However, even topics that may not seem educational on the surface can provide valuable learning opportunities. You can study them as-is, weave in related concepts, or use them as a springboard for more in-depth topics. 5. Create a Timetable. Figure out how long you would like to spend on the subject. You can take a year, a semester, or a few weeks. Then decide how much time you want to devote to each topic you want to cover. I recommend creating a schedule around units instead of individual topics. Within that time period, you can list all the topics you think your family would like to learn about. But dont worry about individual topics until you get there. That way, if you decide to drop a topic, youll avoid doing extra work. For instance, you may want to devote three months to the Civil War. But you dont need to plan out how to cover each battle until you dive in and see how it goes. 6. Select High-quality Resources. One big plus of homeschooling is that it lets you use choose the very best resources available, whether they are textbooks or alternatives to textbooks. That includes picture books and comics, movies, videos, and toys and games, as well as online resources and apps. Fiction and narrative nonfiction (true stories about inventions and discoveries, biographies, and so on) can also be useful learning tools. 7. Schedule Related Activities. Theres more to learning a topic than accumulating facts. Help your kids put the topics you cover into context by scheduling in field trips, classes, and community events that relate to the subject you are studying. Search out museum exhibits or programs in your region. Find experts (college professors, craftspeople, hobbyists) who might be willing to talk to your family or homeschool group. And be sure to include lots of hands-on projects. You dont have to put them together from scratch there are lots of well-made science kits and arts and crafts kits, as well as activity books that give you step-by-step directions. Dont forget activities like  cooking, making costumes, creating ABC books, or building models. 8. Find Ways to Demonstrate What Your Kids Have Learned. Written tests are just one way to see how much your students  have learned about a subject. You can have them put together a research project that includes an essay, charts, timelines, and written or visual presentations. Kids can also reinforce what theyve learned by making artwork, writing stories or plays, or creating music inspired by the subject. Bonus Tips: How to make writing your own curriculum quicker and easier: Start small. When youre writing your own curriculum for the first time, it helps to start with one unit study or one subject.Keep it flexible. The more detailed your teaching plan, the less likely you are to stick to it. Within your subject, pick a few general topics you want to touch on. Dont worry if you come up with more topics than you can possibly cover in one year. If one topic doesnt work for your family, youll have options to move on to. And nothing says you cant continue on with a subject for more than a year.Choose topics that interest you and/or your kids. Enthusiasm is contagious. If you child is fascinated with a subject, chances are you will pick up some factoids about it as well. The same goes for you: Teachers who love their topic can make anything sound interesting. Writing your own curriculum doesnt have to be a daunting task. You might be surprised to discover how much you enjoy personalizing your familys curriculum- and how much you learn along the way. Updated by Kris Bales