Priorities Now - Help - Applications

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Applications

Priorities Now has been effectively used for decision-making at every level of organization (from top) directorate policy-making to grassroots workers’ practice. It has been used in every organizational branch and specialism (from operational line management to personnel and accounting). It has also proved effective in filling in critical gaps in many management methods (from management by objectives to decision analysis), particularly in respect of ‘qualitative’ aspects of human judgement.

Some of the issues and problems to which it has been applied include :

1. ASSIST OTHER METHODS
Action-centered learning Commitment accounting Cost benefit analysis Decision analysis Evaluation Intuition Management by objectives Participative training	Program budgeting Project planning Resources allocation Risk analysis Simulations What-if-analysis What-it-would take analysis Zero-budgeting
2. COMPANY-WIDE
Accountability system Change creation Company contraction plans Company direction Company expansion Company strategy Company image Competitor analysis Corporate planning Crisis management Effectiveness audit Expansion plans	Expansion plans Inter-departmental working Investment decisions Location analysis Performance audits Profit maximization Profit potential analysis Screening acquisition prospects Screening merger prospects Strategy formulation Strategy implementation
3. DESIGN
Customer / requirements Equipment design & prototyping	Consumer reactions Features analysis
4. FINANCE
Budgeting Claims evaluation Company contraction plans Cost saving Credit worthiness control Cutbacks Estimating Granting loans	Investment decisions Portfolios analysis Profitability analysis Profit analysis Resource analysis Retrenchment Return-on-investment Risk analysis
5. INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
Arbitration Conflict resolution Pay levels	Strike breaking Union bargaining Union negotiation
6. IT / DP
Computerisation strategy Dealer assessment Hardware evaluation	Hardware selection Software evaluation Software selection
7. MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Consultancy Efficiency audit Equipment selection Job analysis Job evaluation	Methods analysis Methods evaluation Operational research Pay levels Staffing levels
8. MARKETING
Advertising plans Attitude surveys Brand image Market analysis Market plans P.R. campaign plans Pricing decisions	Product evaluation Product launch Product mix Product promotions Shelf space analysis Surveys Targeting markets
9. OFFICE MANAGEMENT / ADMIN
Delegating tasks In-tray management Office relations Office reorganization	Time management Work overload Work priorities Workload management
10. OPERATIONS CONTROL
Delegating decisions Demand management Interdisciplinary coordination Performance Performance assessment	Project management Results assessment Supervision Work priorities Workload management
11. PERSONNEL
Career assessment Leadership assessment Management development Management style Morale improvement Pay assessment Personnel assessment Personnel policy/ objectives/ plans Screening job applicants	Staff appraisal Staff attitudes Staff counseling Staff development Staff morale Staff promotions Staff selection Staff turnover Vacancy analysis
12. PRODUCTION
Capital investment Cost reduction/ control Cross-shift cooperation Defect analysis Fault diagnosis Labour control Line balancing Machine set-up procedure Materials control Materials requisition Materials selection Mechanical diagnosis Ordering Plant breakdown/ maintenance	Plant Control Plant layout Plant relocation Product quality improvement Production targets Productivity improvement Productivity levels Reduce parts usage Reduce scrap volumes Reduce unit costs Quality control Queuing Scheduling
13. PROFESSIONS
Biological analysis Chemical analysis Child abuse diagnosis Disease analysis Electrical engineering Environment management Energy conservation/ utilisation Estates management Mechanical engineering	Medical diagnosis Medical research Pollution analysis Psychological diagnosis Psycho-social research Screening chemicals Sentencing policy Structural engineering Treatment planning
14. PURCHASING & SUPPLIES
Buy, lease or hire decisions Commissioning Contracting Contract monitoring Contract negotiation Environment management Contracting requirements analysis Cost estimating Dealer assessment	Equipment purchasing Materials purchasing Procurement planning Product evaluation Product selection Selecting a contractor Selecting products from stock Vehicle acquisition
15. R & D
Diagnosis Expenditure levels Leads assessment Project management	Project evaluation R&D policy objectives/ plans Targeting
16. SALES
Discounting Sales forecasting Sales policy/ objectives plans	Sales targeting Sales prospecting Quota fixing
17. TRAINING
Computer-based training Course design Decision-making courses Generic training tool IT development IT introduction IT planning Learning needs assessment Management development courses	Organisation development Problem-solving courses Process consulting Skill development Training methods Training needs analysis Training programmes Training provision

Some examples are given of how Priorities Now has been applied to some of these issues and problems.

1.	EVALUATION
	ISSUE:	To evaluate services/ products
	OPTIONS:	The services/ products
	OBJECTIVES:	The benefits
	DECIDERS:	The evaluators
	PRIORITIES:	Relative effectiveness

2.	FORECASTING
	ISSUE:	To forecast future market trends.
	OPTIONS:	Alternative possibilities.
	OBJECTIVES:	Alternative factors or assumptions.
	PRIORITIES:	Relative likelihood or possibilities

3.	NEGOTIATION
	ISSUE:	The contested point between 2/ more parties to the dispute
	OPTIONS:	Offers & bids tabled
	OBJECTIVES:	Arguments marshalled by both sides (or both sides' interests)
	PRIORITIES:	Combined priorities of both sides

4.	PERSONNEL SELECTION (OR ELECTION)
	ISSUE:	Who is to be appointed (or elected) to a post
	OPTIONS:	Candidates
	OBJECTIVES:	Job requirements
	DECIDERS:	The selection panel.
	PRIORITIES:	Appoint highest priority candidate.

5.	PRODUCT PLANNING
	ISSUE:	To decide a future product plan.
	OPTIONS:	Products for potential development.
	OBJECTIVES:	Organisational objectives
	PRIORITIES:	Product plans

6.	PURCHASING
	ISSUE:	Which items to purchase
	OPTIONS:	Shopping list of possible items.
	OBJECTIVES:	Functions for which the items are to be used
	PRIORITIES:	Purchasing decisions.

7.	ROLE ANALYSIS
	ISSUE:	To define an organisational role
	OPTIONS:	Possible activities of the role
	OBJECTIVES:	Role objectives
	PRIORITIES:	Provide job description

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