Deck 6
Tools for Scheduling and Monitoring
Today's Learning Objectives
- ✅ Understand the strategic role of scheduling & monitoring tools in modern business.
- ✅ Identify key types of tools for project management, resource allocation, and performance tracking.
- ✅ Analyze how these tools enhance efficiency across Finance, HR, Operations, and Marketing.
- ✅ Apply these concepts to real-world business scenarios in Nepal.
Why Schedule & Monitor?
Moving from intuition to insight.
- ⚡ Shift from Reactive problem-solving to Proactive decision-making.
- 🎯 Ensure operational activities are aligned with high-level Strategic Goals.
- 💼 Optimize allocation of critical resources: Time, Money, and People.
- 🤝 Enhance Transparency and Accountability across all departments.
The Continuous Improvement Cycle
It's a loop, not a line.
- Plan & Schedule: Set goals, define tasks, and allocate resources.
- Execute: Carry out the planned activities.
- Monitor & Track: Collect data and measure against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
- Analyze & Report: Turn raw data into actionable business insights.
- Adjust & Optimize: Refine the plan based on performance data. (...and the cycle repeats)
Category 1: Scheduling & Planning Tools
Project Management Tools
Organize complex projects with multiple tasks and team members.
- Features: Gantt charts, Kanban boards, task dependencies, resource allocation.
- Examples: Asana, Trello, Jira, Microsoft Project.
Calendar & Appointment Tools
Manage time, meetings, and deadlines for individuals and teams.
- Features: Shared calendars, availability checking, automated reminders, integrations.
- Examples: Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Calendly.
Scheduling in Action: Cross-Functional Examples
⚙️ Operations: Using Asana to manage a new product launch timeline, coordinating everything from supply chain logistics to production milestones.
💰 Finance: Using Microsoft Project to schedule the annual audit process, assigning tasks to accountants and setting firm deadlines for financial reporting.
🤝 Human Resources: Using Calendly integrated with shared calendars to streamline the interview scheduling process for new recruits.
Category 2: Monitoring & Analysis Tools
- 📊 Business Intelligence (BI) Dashboards: Visualizing data from across the company (e.g., Power BI, Tableau).
- 💰 Financial Analytics Software: Tracking revenue, expenses, and profitability (e.g., QuickBooks, SAP).
- 🤝 Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Monitoring sales pipelines and customer interactions (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot).
- 🔍 Performance Analytics: Tracking specific operational metrics like website traffic or factory output.
The Power of the Business Dashboard
A single source of truth for decision-making.
Monitoring in Action: Cross-Functional Examples
💰 Finance
Tool: SAP / Oracle NetSuite
Use Case: Monitoring real-time cash flow, tracking departmental expenses against budget, and generating automated profit & loss statements.
🤝 Human Resources
Tool: BambooHR / Workday
Use Case: Tracking employee turnover rates by department, monitoring time-to-hire for new recruits, and analyzing training program completion rates.
⚙️ Operations
Tool: ERP System
Use Case: Monitoring real-time inventory levels to prevent stockouts, tracking production line efficiency (OEE), and managing supply chain delivery times.
The Synergy: Connecting Plan to Performance
Integrated tools provide a complete picture.
The Plan (Scheduling)
Asana Task: "Launch Q4 Marketing Campaign"
Deadline: December 15th
Budget: NPR 500,000
The Reality (Monitoring)
Power BI KPI: Campaign ROI: 150%
CRM Data: New Leads: 1,200
QuickBooks: Actual Spend: NPR 485,000
Application in Nepal 🇳🇵
Scheduling & Monitoring in the Local Context
🛒 E-commerce (Daraz)
Scheduling: Uses project management tools to plan major sales events like 11.11, coordinating logistics, marketing, and vendor teams.
Monitoring: Employs real-time dashboards to track sales volume, website traffic, and delivery times during the event.
🏭 Manufacturing (CG Foods)
Scheduling: Uses ERP systems to schedule production runs for Wai Wai based on demand forecasts and raw material availability.
Monitoring: Tracks production line output, quality control metrics, and distribution logistics to ensure efficiency.
💸 FinTech (eSewa)
Scheduling: Manages software development sprints for new features using agile tools like Jira.
Monitoring: Uses analytics platforms to monitor transaction volumes, system uptime, and user activity to ensure service reliability.
Choosing the Right Tool for Your Business
It's not about the fanciest tool, it's about the best fit.
Key Questions to Ask:
- Business Need: What specific problem are you trying to solve? (e.g., project delays, poor budget tracking)
- Scalability: Will the tool grow with your business from 10 employees to 100?
- Integration: Does it connect with software you already use (e.g., accounting, email)?
- User-Friendliness: Is it intuitive for your team, or will it require extensive training?
- Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): What is the full cost, including subscription, training, and support?
Summary & Key Takeaways
- 🎯 Scheduling and monitoring tools are essential for translating business strategy into measurable results.
- 💼 These tools provide critical value across ALL business functions, including Finance, HR, and Operations, not just Marketing or IT.
- 📊 The ultimate goal is to enable data-driven decision-making, moving away from guesswork.
- ⚡ The right tool is one that fits your specific business needs, scale, and existing technology ecosystem.
Thank You!
Questions?