Did you know that 67% of projects fail outright, and that of those that succeed businesses reported an estimated 11% in wasted resources? What could you accomplish if you could improve productivity by 11% and complete more of your projects on time and under budget?

To do this you need to choose the right project management methodology for your team. Don’t worry if you don’t know where to start because you’re in the right place. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about the lean methodology vs scrum and how they can work for your team’s next project.

What Is Lean Methodology? 

Just as the agile method is more of a philosophy rather than a strict process, so too is the lean methodology. Because of this, lean has translated well across many different industries and business models.

The lean method evolved out of the manufacturing process and focuses on eliminating waste within your production process. This method works best in businesses that produce similar or the same product continuously such as manufacturing products or the publishing model.

The premise behind lean is to eliminate waste both in your processes and in the product you create. You can start by identifying where your processes can improve and then working to continually improve until you eliminate all waste. As you get started you should consult a lean methodology guide to help you plan your processes.

What Is Scrum? 

Another agile method that many teams successfully use to create quality products quickly is the scrum method. This method is based on working in small teams throughout a pre-defined sprint, usually around four weeks. During this time the team will meet daily to discuss progress and define their next steps.

The Scrum method is a great tool for projects that are singular in nature rather than continual as you’ll find in the lean process. With each sprint you run, you’ll assess your progress and make adjustments accordingly. You can also check out the official scrum guide to see how the creators of scrum suggest you implement their philosophies.

Key Lean Methodology vs Scrum Differences

Both the lean and scrum methodologies focus on improvement and team collaboration. These systems move away from the traditional waterfall method that focuses on creating an ultimate plan before starting the process and following through until completion. Instead, both lean and scrum empower your team to start quickly and iterate their processes until they succeed.

To see the key differences between these two methods, let’s look at their frameworks and how they tackle timelines, outcomes, and management styles:

Lean

• Eliminates waste
• Repeatable processes
• Improves processes
• Reduces costs
• Focuses on continuous processes

Scrum

• User centered-products
• Sprint-driven rather than continual processes
• Works in incremental phases
• Develops new solutions

As you can see both solutions provide a great method for achieving your outcome goals albeit through different methods and processes. Choose the best one based on what your overall outcomes goals are and whether you create user-centered products or use a repeatable manufacturing or development process.

Choose the Best Process for Your Team

Both lean and scrum offer solutions to teams working towards increasing productivity while delivering a quality product. The differences between lean methodology vs scrum center around the way you create your product and your timeline used so choose accordingly as you create your own method for success.

For more great information on this and other topics, check out the rest of our blog.

When writing survey questions for employee assessment, there are certain things you should keep in mind. There are a few different formats to choose from, including Single-, Double-, or Multiple-choice. In addition, the questions you choose should reflect the kind of response you want to obtain. In addition, there are different types of questions, including Agree-disagree, Likert-scale, and Rating scale questions to be included when writing your own surveys.

Double-barreled questions

Double-barreled survey questions are used in various types of research and political surveys. They ask people about two different things, making it harder to provide honest feedback. The wording of these questions is also often murky, making them more difficult to answer honestly. In addition, these questions are commonly accompanied by a single, more vague question that relates to two separate topics. Depending on the level of hierarchy in your company, the results of your survey can be confusing to your respondents.

When designing double-barreled surveys, make sure to avoid using questions that ask about two separate things. These types of questions are often difficult to answer accurately, and they are more likely to lead respondents to respond in a biased manner. This is particularly true for questions that are accompanied by words like “and” or “or.”

Leading questions

Several types of leading questions are commonly used in employee feedback surveys. These questions measure how employees feel about workplace regulations and responsibilities. These questions can also measure whether employees feel appreciated for working overtime or think bonuses are a valid form of motivation. Direct implications are a form of leading question based on a future event or perception. They help survey respondents consider possible outcomes if they are not sure what the answer is.

Specific questions focus on the specific attributes of employees and can help you make decisions about the company and its performance. However, the tricky part is making specific questions simple and understandable. If you are unsure of how to craft the right questions for employee assessment, consider consulting with an employee engagement specialist. These experts can teach you how to write the right survey questions to get the highest quality feedback. Then, when evaluating employee performance, the results will be more meaningful.

Rating scale questions

If you’re using a rating scale in an employee assessment, you’ll need to choose the correct kind for your workplace. A five-point scale limits the amount of detail you can include. The 10-point scale is better for a variety of reasons, including the ability to account for “in-between” responses. If you’re using a five-point scale, make sure you use naming conventions that will help employees understand the differences between the different ratings.

When writing your rating scale questions, always tie them to the job description. Be sure that you’ve defined the key expectations and behaviors for each role. Then, you can write questions that measure those behaviors. Ultimately, this will make the whole process more effective. Hopefully, these tips will help you write a more effective rating scale question. So, get writing! Remember: a rating scale is not an essay. The goal of the employee assessment is to gain insight into the work of the individual.

Agree-disagree format

If you want your employees to give accurate feedback on your company’s policies, it is vital that you write your survey questions in an agreed-upon format. This is often referred to as the Agree-Disagree format. Although this format requires more time and energy, it will produce more accurate results. You can reuse the Agree-Disagree format for existing surveys and compare results to the latest trends. But if you’re writing a survey for the first time, you should avoid this format and focus on the question directly. Don’t make statements, just ask the respondent whether they agree or disagree.

You can use the Agree-Disagree format for your survey questions. The most common way to ask people to answer a survey is by stating it as an affirmative or negative statement. Although it may seem like it’s easier to ask people to agree or disagree with a statement, studies show that it’s often more accurate to have them choose the “yes” or “no” option. This is a form of affirmative feedback and is most accurate when respondents’ answers are unaffected by the interviewer.

Using a decision-maker to understand the purpose of each question

Use a decision-maker to understand the purpose and design of your survey. The purpose of a survey is to understand the needs and concerns of your employees. It is important to avoid rambling questions or topics that do not make sense to employees. Your survey results may be compromised if employees are asked questions that are not related to their work. Instead, use a decision-maker to understand the purpose of each question before you start writing surveys.

Before you start writing your survey, determine how your employees will respond to each question. Try asking employees to think of two questions. This way, you can use the data to refine future surveys. The same logic applies to open-ended comments. They give you an in-depth look at what the employees think. You can ask them as follow-ups to driver items or as a general input at the end of the employee assessment survey.

The FBI has reported that cybercrimes cost people more than $6.9B in 2021. That’s a $2B jump from 2020, according to their annual Internet Crime Report.

Today we see all types of cyberattacks with government organizations conducting vaccine research and managing COVID-19. For these targets, the result is negative publicity and reputational harm. When panic is about and emotions are running high, hackers see this as a prime time to attack you.

As an individual or a part of a larger corporation, what can you do to protect yourself? Read our guide below to learn what types of cyber security attacks to be aware of.

Malware

Malware stands for malicious software. The intent of the software, program, or code is to harm a computer, network, or server.

This is one of the most common types of cyberattacks out there and is often used as an umbrella term for other attacks such as ransomware, trojans, spyware, cryptojacking, viruses, worms, keyloggers, and bots.

Ransomware

A ransomware attack is a type of malware that will lock out a user to their system until payment (ransom) is met. These types of cyberattacks aim to exploit vulnerabilities in the system while gaining access to the network.

Hackers will block access to hard drives or encrypt files. Payment is typically demanded with private cryptocurrency.

Phishing

A hacker will try to phish sensitive information such as your password, PIN, or account numbers from you using social engineering techniques. This is done through e-mail, texting, phone calls, and social media.

Examples of this include impersonating a doctor, government organization, or courier. If something feels “phishy” it most likely is—do not be fooled.

DoS and DDOS

A DoS (Denial-of-Service) attack will flood a network with false requests with the purpose of disrupting business operations. When these types of cyberattacks occur, users won’t be able to do routine things like e-mail, accessing sites, or private accounts.

Head here to see what you can do to prevent this from happening to your company or organization.

Cryptojacking

Cryptojacking is one of the new emerging types of cyberattacks. How it works is when a hacker gains access to a person or organization’s computers to mine cryptocurrency.

The hacker will gain access to the computers by getting them to install malware with a phishing attack. This can also happen when the victim visits a site and there is a snippet of code inserted to mine the cryptocurrency. As cryptocurrencies rise in popularity and value, cryptojacking is something to be aware of in the future.

Be Cautious of the Different Types of Cyberattacks

Whenever you go online, you are vulnerable to these types of cyberattacks. By understanding how hackers and bad actors think, you can better protect yourself, your loved ones, and your employees.

Hopefully, you enjoyed this article about the different types of cyberattacks. As technology changes, you will need to keep up. That’s why we highly encourage you to check out our other blog posts to learn more on the subject.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an independent group that has developed over 22,000 standards today. Moreover, there are only three main types of these and one of which is ISO 14001:2015 or the standard for Environmental Management Systems (EMS).

This standard provides guidelines and a solid framework for creating your company’s successful EMS. However, an ISO 14001 certification is voluntary, yet more organizations are now including it in their systems. As a result, there was an 11.5% or 36,000 increase in the total number of valid ISO 14001 certificates from 2019 to 2020.

The Benefits

The ISO 14001 standard has specific requirements designed for businesses to diminish their ecological footprint and thus their negative impact on the environment.

Construction and manufacturing companies will greatly benefit from better waste management and more significant resource lower-cost strategies. Similarly, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and service industries can also be given an advantage and show their environmental commitment to using natural resources more efficiently.

●       Improves Environmental Impact

An audit of your company’s environmental efforts and impacts will determine which areas the ISO standard can specifically help you.

Depending on your needs, the standard can provide you with guidelines on streamlining environmental processes to reduce pollution and waste from your business operations. It reduces resource costs and promotes more efficient material use that can reduce the carbon footprint and mitigate climate impact.

Addressing all current and foreboding environmental issues will guarantee you an iso 14001 certification.

●       Reduces Costs

As mentioned above, improving your operational techniques can help save your company more money in the long run. New energy-efficient machines and a clean, modern working environment mean better and healthier working experiences. Your enterprise then prevents liability costs from the reduced accident risk.

In addition, your business can procure insurance at lower costs as you show your commitment to being eco-friendly and sustainable. The reduced energy bill and consumption and less water, material, and other resource input will also continually improve your environmental impact over time.

●       Demonstrates Compliance

The certificate keeps your company in line with the regulatory and statutory laws and requirements. The guidelines don’t stop working once your business has acquired the certification. Thus, it is an ongoing task to implement the framework to prevent breaches and complications.

Most importantly, a negatively-seen company in the public eyes will not gain the favour and trust of consumers, especially an environmental advocate.

●       Opens Up New Opportunities

Today, investors and stakeholders are similar to customers in prioritizing environment-conscious and trustworthy brands. Thus, demonstrating and establishing your environmental efforts and positive impact is crucial to acquiring sales and investments.

Furthermore, obtaining and maintaining the ISO certification builds your credibility that existing customers would choose to be loyal to and even recruit more allies. In addition, most organisations now prefer to work with ISO 14001-certified companies even if they haven’t worked with a company like yours before or they only know little of your brand.

The Maintenance

Getting an ISO 14001 certificate is a feat in itself. Thus, maintaining it is crucial for your image and better environmental impact.

Your company must have a clear-defined list of EMS-skilled and trained leaders and employees. These individuals must allocate roles and responsibilities to make your environmental efforts successful. In addition, every non-compliance, comment, and recommendation must be revisited and repaired.

Addressing all minor and significant concerns will be essential in maintaining your status as the ISO conducts regular audits and follow-ups.

One of the most intimidating tasks for everyone is buying a home. There are too many processes involved, and even a single mistake at any point can have grave consequences. However, this process becomes a lot streamlined when you have the assistance of a real estate agent. But as a home buyer, you also need to look into a buyer’s agent. These professionals facilitate real estate buyers to understand the nuances of the market. As a result, they allow them to bring in more cost and time efficiency. You can find buyers agents who can look out for properties that align with the parameters of the home buyer. They also negotiate the process of buying the house. This agent can also find an entire portfolio as per the particular requirements of home buyers.

The Major Tasks of a Buyer’s Agent

These professionals guide their customers through every stage of their home purchasing journey. Their principal duties include the following:

• Searching for suitable properties – The agent inquires about the ideal home from the home buyer. They use their likes and dislikes to find appropriate listings.
• Schedule a time for buyers to explore the house – After finding listings, they schedule showings for their clients. They also work with the listing agents in this process.
• Resolves queries of the home buyer – When home buyers take a tour of the property, the agent accompanies them. They not only give their views about the house but also respond to any doubts that the home buyers may have. This professional will also ask such questions to the SSBO seller about the home, whose answers trigger major insights in home buyers about the property.
• Price consultation – When home buyers decide to invest in a property, the agent inquires the listing agent about its disclosure. It means any potential issue that needs to be revealed to the home buyer. After that, the agent carries out a market assessment and finds an appropriate offering price for the property as per similar properties that home buyers have purchased in that area.

The Process to Locate a Buyer’s Agent for Yourself

Everyone wants their homeownership process to be a smooth one. A buyer’s agent can contribute immensely to this process. Choosing a good agent can make or break your home buying process. That’s why you need to select one with careful consideration. Some things that you can ask the agent to gauge whether they are suitable for you include the following:

• Inquire about their availability. An agent who is already involved in various other projects will not be able to devote much time to you.
• Find whether they specialise in the places you want to reside in. For it, ask them about the areas they specialise in.
• It’s also a good idea to know about their experience. Only an experienced agent can give you quality advice.
• Ask them about their charges. Buyers agents who bid for you generally carry lower fees. It’s because a lesser amount of price is involved in this process. If you wish to get a full-fledged service that includes research and negotiation of a property, you’ll have to pay a part of the buying cost of the property.

It takesconsiderable energy and time to locate the appropriate place. Most buyers spend innumerable hours trawling sites. A buyer’s agent can add value, especially if you are buying a home for the first time and are investing in an unknown area.