Week 4

How To Write An Executive Summary

• Executive Summaries should give readers a high-level overview of your Case

Study. This is NOT the introduction to your document. Your executive summary
is the doorway to your report— this is the time to grab your reader’s attention
and let them know what it is you do and why they should read the rest of your
report

• Your executive summary is your pitch. You’ve heard of and probably even given
an “elevator pitch.” Write your business plan’s executive summary like it’s an
elevator pitch that you’ve had the time to edit to perfection. It should introduce
you, your business and your problem and solution, but the purpose of writing
an executive summary is also to deliver a hard sell. Convince your reader here
that you have a great idea they should invest their time and/or money in.
• Write it last. Even though the executive summary is at the beginning of a
finished report, many people choose to write the executive summary after
they’ve written everything else. Ideally the executive summary is short—just a
page or two—and highlights the points you’ve made elsewhere in your report,
so if you save it for the end, it will be quick and easy.
What Should An Executive Summary Include?
 1. Problem
The most important thing is to identify a problem that is worth solving. If your solution
doesn't doesn’t solve a problem that potential customers have, you don’t have a
viable business. Simple as that.
 2. Solution

Once you’ve clearly defined the problem you’re solving, you need to explain your
solution. A clear problem statement will help you focus your solution on solving that
one problem, and not stretch the solution to solve multiple potential problems. Try to
describe your product or service and how it functions as a solution in just a few
sentences or bullet points.
 3. What are the major findings

This section lets the reader understand what the data is behind the problem and the
possible solution that you are proposing. This can be done in terms of time, money,
employees ect
 4. Recommendations

In this section discuss your recommendations and why management should proceed
with them. This could be done by explain how the process will change and the results
from your employee cost calculation.
 Common Mistakes

1. Repeating the content of the executive summary almost verbatim near the
beginning of the report

2. Providing too much background in the summary.

3. Providing too much detail in the summary.

4. Using different terms in the executive summary from those in the report.

5. Having a mismatch in content.

6. Including too little or too much in the executive summary.

7. Repeating the executive summary almost verbatim in the conclusion.

 Rules For Data Symbols
Start Symbol used to identify the start of a business
process

Generate
Purchase Activities must be described as a verb
Order

OK? Decisions have only two possibilities (Yes &

No)
If one side of the decision has no further
End processes defined this symbol has to be used

Purchase
Order Name the document

Posting
of Bonus
Name the data
 Spectrum of Change

n Automation
n Rationalization
of procedures
n Reengineering

n Paradigm shift
• Automation is using technological tools to
perform OLD processes, in a NEW way.
• Like putting OLD Wine in a NEW bottle.

• BPR is about Innovation

• Making NEW Wine and putting it in a NEW bottle
 Rationalization
n refers to streamlining of standard
operating procedures, eliminating
obvious bottlenecks, so that automation
makes operating procedures more
efficient.
n improves efficiency and effectiveness
 Business Process Reengineering

n refers to radical redesign of business processes.

n Aims at
n eliminating repetitive, paper-intensive,
bureaucratic tasks
n reducing costs significantly

n improving product/service quality.

 Paradigm Shift

n refers to a more radical form of change

where the nature of business and the
nature of the organization is questioned.
n improves strategic standing of the
organization.
What is the Efficiency?

Efficiency is a level of performance that

describes a process that
uses the lowest amount of inputs
to create the greatest amount of inputs.

Efficiency also can be stated as the act of being

adequate in performance with a minimum of
waste, effort, time.
 Types of Efficiency

ž Economic efficiency
ž Productive efficiency
ž Distributive efficiency – those who need it
most
ž Dynamic efficiency –long term changes
ž Technical efficiency
Economic efficiency refers to the use of resources so as to
maximize the production of goods and services.
Productive efficiency occurs when the economy is utilizing all
of its resources efficiently, producing most output from least input.
Technical efficiency – This can be defined as achieving the
maximum output from a finite set of inputs. Technical
efficiency focuses on trying to eliminate duplication and waste
within an individual process.
Distributive efficiency occurs when goods and services are
received by those who have the greatest need for them.
Dynamic Efficiency is concerned with the productive efficiency
of a firm over a period of time. A firm which is dynamically efficient will
be reducing its cost curves by implementing new production
processes.
What is the relationship between
Efficiency and Effectiveness?

Efficiency and effectiveness were originally

industrial engineering concepts that came of age
in the early twentieth century.

Effectiveness is ‘doing the right thing’ .

Efficiency is ‘doing the thing right’.
What is more important, being efficient
or being effective?
Amazon:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2Bs0nqVyqs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtBa9yVZBJM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFV8IkY52iY

Dole:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6EEiwdwcCM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFYEeFpvik8

Bricks Making:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y08oh720mH4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl4J_hXp_qw
Steps to Process Change
 Transforming Process Transforming Channels
• Multiple Channels
• Eliminate
• 24x7
• Simplify
• Access
• Automate
• Common Service Centres
• Base on Trust
• Mobile
• Integrate
• Self-Service
• Join Up
• Licensed Intermediaries
• Legislate Transformation
Using Technology
• Transforming People
• Enterprise Architecture •Training
• Standards • Change Management
• Unified Databases • CRM skills
• Unified Networks • Consultation
• SOA • Empowerment
• Portals • Education
• Awareness