So here it is! Blog 100! In all honesty, when I started a
‘chauffeur blog’ I wondered if I’d still be writing original content after
authoring this many. Initially, the blog was meant to enhance the presence of
DrivenByQ on the Internet and demonstrate technically proficiency but nowadays
it is so much more important than that. It plays a major role in my thought process each week and it forces me to focus on topics very analytically.
Looking back over previous blogs many posts attempted to differentiate
DrivenByQ from other chauffeur companies. Mentioning how our mobile technology and
processes are so far ahead should have triggered a deep thought process for
anyone still using pen and paper. Strangely as the ‘cloud’ becomes more main stream
DrivenByQ is reaching a similar level of maturity.
Thinking about IT, the truth is, I like to plan ahead. Even if
obsessive sometimes, I think it is a key strength. Looking toward the future
and visualising what our operation could be like helps engineer out many of the
problems a growing business encounters. It ultimately prevents crisis
situations occurring when demands on the business increase or systems are
pushed beyond their original requirements.
Coincidentally Blog 100 comes at a time when we are achieving
the aspirations of our original business plan so it is time to revisit all that
we do and ask if our processes are still fit-for-purpose. The Toyota Lean Principlesadopted by DrivenByQ work well but when I recently toured one of their factories,
I experienced something never mentioned in any of the books! It was eerie. It
felt clinical and obsessive about theory. There was a distinct lack of fire
fighting or mayhem sometimes associated with production environments.
Seeing this for real was a valuable lesson. Witnessing such
little drama combined with genuine objectivity regarding the process provoked
me in to recognising we need to implement this principle at the heart of any future
plans. We certainly have the time and the money and the opportunity available like
never before. It makes me ask, if the resources are in place to support rapid
growth, constant improvements and continual development, what will happen to the
future of DrivenByQ?
