Seminar – Blue Ocean Data Solutions

Health Insurance Sector

Cognitive Hurdle

Sales representatives express unwillingness to focus their attention on smaller groups owing to the fact that it may require to bring in so many of them to achieve similar commission to that of one large company.

Approach to Overcome

As insurance sales representatives make their income through commission, the new policy ought to ensure that they continue to enjoy similar benefits they used to. Despite the fact that the strategy will require them to seek smaller account groups, there is still a possibility of earning as much. The company can work in collaboration with the doctors to encourage such small groups to register their members with the insurance company to ensure that their health is properly covered. It will ensure the sales representatives will have an advantage of a ready society that is willing to be insured.

Resource Hurdle

Increasing the resources in order to attract more non-customer groups of fifty or fewer employees could be unsustainable for the company.

Approach to Overcome

In order to overcome this hurdle, the marketing department may explore ways that will help in the reallocation of its available resources. Current situation indicates that many resources have been spent on the advertisement to have larger groups as well as favorable interaction with HR in attempts to woo them. However, the activities have appeared unhelpful as only minimal returns are acquired and the customers simply quit the job when offered a slight premium discount by the competitors. Therefore, those resources may be diverted to the new approach where the money is used to compensate the sales representatives for the expenses forgone, such as travel and communication cost. Again, these funds could be used to entice the small group managers who may not require expensive treatment as their counterparts in large firms.

Motivational Hurdle

The sales representatives receive their payment in form of commission for the amount of premium their customers bring to the company. Large groups are likely to earn huge commission as compared to smaller groups. How can the representatives remain motivated to achieve the goal of transformation to Blue Ocean?

Approach to Overcome

First, as this is a new approach, the company seeks to venture in. Hence, the commission percentage should be raised to ensure the sales group is well motivated. Secondly, the company could as well offer other benefits to the representatives as a way of encouraging them to give the best results. Such kind of benefits may include reward for the representatives with the highest commission on weekly or monthly basis. Finally, as much as the company seeks to exploit the untapped market of smaller accounts, the sales representatives may be allowed to bring in certain percentage of their commission from larger accounts. It ensures they still enjoy some level of their previous undertakings.

Political Hurdle

The sales representatives are resistant to change for fear of losing the prestigious market they enjoyed. How can such difficulty be overcome?

Approach to Overcome

First, it is important to make the representatives understand that the market they still cling to is too competitive, which means it cannot earn them as much in the near future. It will provoke the representatives to adopt the process of targeting the untapped market of the small groups. Moreover, the Chief Executive Officer, as a former salesperson, may help in convincing the unwilling sales team of the underlying bright future of targeting the small group market. The company may as well seek to offer some rewards to ensure that the prevailing resistance mood does not occur. Further, the insurance company ought to ensure that the operational atmosphere of the employees is well taken care of to avoid their demoralization, as well as unfortunate results.

Manufacturing Sector

Cognitive Hurdle

Workers in the production stations earmarked for elimination may be reassigned to new production posts that will be developed. However, they are resistant to learning new operations as they will retire soon.

Approach to Overcome

Since these employees are near their retirement age, the company may opt to give the unwilling employees a choice of an early retirement. Such kind of an offer will include compensation to the employees for the dismissal while at the same time allowing the firm to train new and younger employees who can remain in the company for longer periods. In fact, training the already old employees may not be cost-effective as they will retire before their full potential has been fully realized. It will then make the company give employment to new recruits, which would eventually consume a lot of resources. Therefore, it would be appropriate to convince the employees to accept early retirements with some level of compensation while new recruits are hired.

Resource Hurdle

How could the development of the manufacturing process be performed with the limited resources at the departments’ disposal?

Approach to Overcome

Since implementation of the strategy will include the elimination of some processes, the resources from such methods will be diverted to the new developments. Further technology combination will help boost the quality and reliability of the new equipment. It will ensure that the cost of technicians’ work to fix broken machines from the customers reduces. Furthermore, better quality will attract more customers, raising the revenues made from sales, as well as reducing the cost incurred during the repairs. It would be appropriate for the firm to layoff the old employees to ensure proper utilization of resources. It would be compensated by hiring newly-qualified young individuals with the required skills to operate in the new production stations. It will ensure the cost of training of individuals who then retire before their full potential realization is avoided. Again, it will save resources that may have been spent on training of the retiring employees.

Motivational Hurdle

Old employees do not respond positively to the thought of learning the new skills. Engineers are falling behind schedule despite the fact that they work for longer hours. How can they be motivated to allow a successful transformation from the Red Ocean to Blue Ocean?

Approach to Overcome

First, employees ought to be encouraged that their training is meant to help them improve both their skills and their performances. Where the resistant is persistent, the group could be enticed with more benefits for the new positions to ensure that they give the best output. However, working for longer hours could be disheartening to most engineers. Since hiring extra individuals may not be reliable at the moment, motivating the existing group is the only best option. As some of the processes are eliminated, the new production station needs to operate extremely efficiently. Further, employees ought to be properly compensated for working overtime. It will ensure the performance during such periods remains high as well as productive.

Political Hurdle

There is the employee resistance to change, not willing to be bothered by new training at a time they are close to retirement. How can the hurdle be overcome?

Approach to Overcome

If the employee inclusivity approach is implemented in this situation, it will be much easier to resolve the difficulties. Their worries require being listened to and addressed. Moreover, they should be given opportunity to express their views on the changes and the areas, which need to have more training performed. In addition, those who wish to have an early retirement should be allowed to do so with agreed benefits.

Banking Sector

Cognitive Hurdle

Regional Vice President is unwilling to change the current approach, indicating that customers always make complaints.

Approach to Overcome

Since the problem seems to be prevalent in the entire bank and not necessarily that particular region, it ought to be addressed by the top management. In doing that, the bank may require to investigate how well other institutions are handling the problem of long waiting hours. It is vital for a branch manager to compile all the necessary information indicating the nature of transfers and the financial consequences they pose. Further, communication with other managers, requesting them to prepare such information and make a similar presentation, may be critical. The information obtained may then be submitted to the regional VPs. With such information presented to the top management, it may draw their attention to addressing the challenges.

Resource Hurdle

There are limited resources to ensure a shift to a more efficient and strategic system.

Approach to Overcome

From the study of the current network system, it is apparent that some processes have become outdated and are no longer required to run the banking activities. To ensure that resources are saved, such outdated procedures require termination and the resources they consume have to be diverted to more needful areas. The changes that are to be effected in the system may not consume much. They may occur in case one of the directors, who is also a managing director of an Information Technology consultancy firm, is to be approached to help the bank address the problems. The expectations are that the director, being part of the team, may have helpful advice that is likely to ease some of the complexities that the current system is facing. It may cost the Bank less as the job will be done from inside while resources will be mobilized by discarding the unwanted activities. Finally, the resources being used for the purpose of interest rates as well as advertisement should be redirected towards the system upgrade that is more urgent.

Motivational Hurdle

The bank CFO and CIO fear that there are not enough resources to allow changing a new system. The regional vice-president is assured that it is a normal customer behavior to complain constantly. How can they be motivated to allow for a Blue Ocean transformation?

Approach to Overcome

First, it should be demonstrated to the management how the current system is leading to loss of reliable customers, as well as revenue in the long run. They can be persuaded to learn about the already existing procedures that have become outdated and are no longer useful to achieve the aims of the bank. Internal expertise can be used to address the current problem with the network system, reducing the cost of a network overhaul. Furthermore, some of the resources being used for the advertisement purposes may be redirected to the change of system. The improved system will be beneficial to the needs of both the bank and employees, improving customer services.

Political Hurdle

The top management is not in favor of the system change since the CIO principally believes the current system is still beneficial to the company. How can the stumbling block be overcome?

Approach to Overcome

If proper data is prepared, explaining the challenges of the current system, it could be easy to convince the managers of the need to change their mind. Most of the managers require reliable information to be able to make proper decisions. It is vital that branch managers convince the CIO that the challenges facing the bank in addressing customer concerns emanate from the network system.