Titanic Precautions

Many movies have been made about the tragic story of the Titanic. Arrogance and ignorance was definitely present during its maiden voyage, which was Titanic's last voyage.

Many warnings were given, but unfortunately, the warnings were not taken seriously. On April 14th, 1912 Titanic received six warnings that icebergs were present in their perimeter. On the night of April 14th, Titanic struck an iceberg and ultimately sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

For other entities, what happened to the Titanic does NOT have to happen to them. Many have learned from the mistakes that Titanic had made.

There are several examples that follow and form a parallel to what happened to Titanic and how an entity can learn from Titanic's mistakes.

1. The Titanic only had 16 lifeboats, which was not nearly enough to save everyone on the ship.

Only about 60% of the entire lifeboats' capacity was utilized! Does your company have a disaster plan in place? Are your computers, especially your servers, being backed up on a regular basis? Many servers are now being backed up on a daily basis and sometimes on an hourly basis.

When I was working at a Helpdesk, one of our afternoon gals was named the "Backup Queen" because she took EVERY major server backup VERY seriously. The company was very lucky to have the "Backup Queen" because there were several instances where our most critical server had crashed and lost information. Fortunately, information restoration was quick and painless due to the machine being backed up on a regular basis.

We were very lucky to have someone who took the initiative to handle the server backups. Is your company that lucky? Yes, doing backups can be VERY unexciting. However, losing valuable data can be very exciting, but in a negative way.

2. The crewmen in the lookout tower, or the "crow's nest," were not issued binoculars to better search for icebergs.

Employees were not given the proper tools to use to do their job. Is your company using the right software for the job? Are you saving money on upgrading your operating system and software, but are losing customers? If you are losing customers, you're NOT really saving any money at all.

The right equipment can range from the very basic, such as issuing headphones that are compatible with the phone system to customer service representatives, to ensuring that a backup generator can adequately run due to a power outage.

3. Titanic had a total of 16 watertight compartments. Initially, it sounded fine, but unfortunately, each compartment did not hold water on its own. Every compartment was similar to an ice cube tray. When one compartment overflowed, water flowed into the next compartment. Each compartment did not completely seal off water on its own.

Does your company have a good disaster recovery plan in place? If a flood or a fire struck the premises, would you be able to resume business operations in a matter of days or would it take a matter of months?

Is your information that you have on site being sent off site so you CAN have another place to access your valuable information?

4. The Titanic was going at full speed at night in iceberg-infested waters.

Are your machines at your business running at 100% capacity on a continuous basis? How much is downtime costing you when those machines need to be fixed? Are you REALLY saving money by not buying more machinery? Does the cost of more machinery outweigh the cost of your present machines' downtime?

5. The Titanic did not heed to the many iceberg warnings.

Titanic received six iceberg warnings on the day it sank! Is your sales force, customer service department and/or helpdesk REALLY listening to your customers? Sam Walton, the founder of Wal Mart, said that the most important person to an organization can be the one who greets that customers. Too many companies don't even realize just how MUCH each person represents their company!

There is WAY too much competition in the marketplace NOT to heed warnings. Industries like telecom, automobile, office supplies, soft drinks, and restaurant industries, just to name a few, had better take warnings seriously. Some companies might not get the luxury of six warnings that the Titanic got. Sometimes, only one warning can break a company. That's why companies that DO encourage, and take seriously, customer feedback are invaluable and can be a gold mine.

6. The Titanic only had white flare guns to signal for help.

Red is the standard color for a flare gun used to signal for help. When the Titanic was sinking, white flare guns were shot off from the ship. One or two ships many miles away say the white flares, but did not interpret the white flares as warning messages.

Does your entity use the proper means of communication? Is it ensured that all of the parties involved completely understand what the other parties are saying? Many groups within an organization speak entirely different languages. Sales, technology and management translations may as similar to translating three different foreign languages.

7. Bruce Ismay, the president of White Star, pressured Captain Smith into unrealistic and dangerous goals.

Ismay wanted the Titanic to arrive in New York on Tuesday, April 16th. In order to meet this goal, the ship would have to travel at full speed a majority of the time. The coercion from Ismay turned out to be dangerous due to the ship's demise.

Ismay's level was similar to a CEO's level. Is your company's CEO and the rest of the management staff setting realistic goals? Are your managers providing bilateral communication? Feedback is vital to any company's survival because many managers are not involved in day-to-day activities.

8. The two wireless operators' priorities were not focused on the ship's priorities.

Many of the aristocrats in first class passage had paid both operators bonuses to wire messages to New York. One of the Titanic's operators told another ship to "shut up" after being given another iceberg warning. It was a powerful rebuke that may have cost thousands of lives.

Is your customer service department doing all it can to retain and acquire it customers? A polite and knowledgeable customer service representative can save the company thousands of dollars and maybe more! I have had the fortunate experience of dealing with many great customer service representatives. I have told many of the rep's supervisors that I really appreciated their help as well and that they are lucky to have such great rep's on their team.

9. The Titanic's steel construction was never tested in cold temperature.

The steel that made up ocean liners in the early 20th Century was brittle to begin with. Unfortunately, the steel was never stress-tested to determine what stress levels the structure could endure.

Is adequate testing being done on your company's products? Are your prototypes up to the challenges of customers' demands? Are an automobile company's crash tests being utilized to the fullest extent?

North Notes is a writing and researching company, which primarily helps writers gain focus, motivation, remove mental blocks that help to unblock the writing process. EVERYONE who writes has been stuck at some point in his or her career. You do not have to accept these mind-boggling roadblocks!

http://www.northnotes.com

(586) 216-7516

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


GOT MEME? How to Attract Your Clients and Customers Attention

No "meme" isn't a typo and Got Milk, the more... Read More

Documenting the Exit Strategy in Your Business Plan

All investors greatly desire and are motivated by a clear... Read More

To Go or No Go, That Is The Question

Last week we talked about a few of the ways... Read More

Site Selection and Demographic Tips for Establishing Outlets

Many cities have home pages on the Internet. Many of... Read More

The Top 10 Priorities That Guard Your Five-Star Reputation

Making money doesn't make your reputation... your reputation makes you... Read More

Strategic Planning Fundamentals

Strategic planning is vital while starting a new business or... Read More

Pressure Washing Entrepreneurs Can Help With Government NPDES Permits

If you own a pressure washing business one of the... Read More

If You Dont Focus, Innovate and Evolve, You Die

After 128 years of business, a household word, Montgomery Wards,... Read More

Strategy Without Tactics is Futile

From time to time there seems to be a flurry... Read More

How To Kick Start Your Business And Double Your Profits

This will make some people angry as hell, but it's... Read More

Changing Strategy Without Losing Your Customers - Three Vital Steps to Refining Your Strategy

American Eagle Outfitters and Wet Seal Stores have issued statements... Read More

Sony?s PSI Project

In 1989, Sony founded its Institute of Wisdom at the... Read More

Content Management: Wise Investment for Business Prosperity

The time when a website was just a simple set... Read More

Hunters and Gatherers - Are You Serving Both Their Needs?

The University of Exeter in the United Kingdom recently published... Read More

Planning For The Slow Season Of Your Business To Increase Sales

Every business experiences slower periods. For some, they sell more... Read More

The Power of Planning

I am surprised how few sales professionals, independent consultants, and... Read More

Succession Planning for Business - 10 Key Points You Must Know

By cranking up others development to meet your business needs,... Read More

College Students and Graduates to Run Company Outlets or Franchises

Does your overall business strategy include the recruitment of college... Read More

The Chasm of Change---- Restructuring ----- The Goliath

Richard L. Daft one of the country's recognized academic leadership... Read More

Family and Friends Referrals Make the Best Franchisees

As a franchisor it is imperative that you seek, find... Read More

Business Plan: The Simplest Business Plan Ever

If you're a solo professional like I am, you know... Read More

Abstract Thought; Business Strategies and Biological Systems

To stop a computer virus you must understand how it... Read More

What is a Shared Vision?

So what makes a vision successful? Everyday companies try to... Read More

Business Plan: Planning the Operations

Writing a business plan is no easy task, sure you... Read More

SWOT Analysis

If you've ever listened to Warren Buffett talk about investing,... Read More

How to Grow Your Business by Clearing the Way to Growth

Is your business growing as fast and effectively as it... Read More

Three Easy Ways To Know Thy Competitor

"Did you hear what your competitor is doing?" This question... Read More

Troubled Waters Require Capable Leaders at the Helm

Canada's lean leaders need to look beyond the horizon and... Read More

3 Undercover Ways to Make Big Profits from Your Competition

You have heard that there is extra money on the... Read More

Five Crucial Components of a Business Plan

The format of a Business Plan is something that has... Read More

Top Ten Reasons To Create A One Page Business Plan

There is a story, about a business owner who wasn't... Read More

Be Like Bill - Think!

Twice a year, Bill Gates goes to a remote island... Read More

Legal Strategies in Business Plans

Writing a Business Plan these days is tough, venture capitalists... Read More