Data Collection Company Integrates Lean Philosophy
PORTLAND, OR (PRWEB) July 22, 2006
Research Data Design, Inc. (RDD), a leading market research company specializing in quantitative and qualitative data collection, has adopted a new management practice that has been used in decades past by manufacturing companies. The Japanese based philosophy known as ‘Lean’ is currently making the transition from manufacturing companies to service providers. RDD is the first company of its kind to adopt Lean into the common workplace.
First developed by Toyota manufacturing in the 1960s and defined by MIT in the 1980s, Lean philosophies have helped production companies streamline their business and product output by means of identifying and eliminating waste at the material level. Research Data Design has taken the same philosophy and implemented it into its customer service projects by means of identifying the company’s core values, defining key business metrics, outlining standard work and creating systems of visual communication. All of these things are designed to keep waste out of the business process and to help employees on opportunities for efficiency. RDD is one of the first companies in the country to engage the philosophy of Lean in a company outside of manufacturing.
“The fact is that any company can use Lean to their advantage. With these tools, we’ve been able to watch our company production rise on a daily basis. It’s really an exciting time for us,” said CEO John Stepleton.
The introduction to Lean started with the Portland chapter of Entrepreneur’s Organization (http://www.eonetwork.org), where CEO John Stepleton first learned about Lean. From there other participants of the EO have been working closely with RDD about his experience and success in turning businesses around using Lean philosophies.
During the implementation of Lean, RDD redefined the processes that brought direct value to the clients and have made many small changes that have produced big results. Some key points have been: identifying the company’s core values, defining key business metrics, outlining standard work and creating systems of visual communication. All of these things are designed to keep waste out of the business process and to help employees on opportunities for efficiency
After past growth that earned RDD a place on the 500 Fastest Growing Companies list in 1999, at #152, then 2000 at #252, and #462 in 2001, Stepleton has been looking for a means to keep the company running effectively.
“Since the slowing pace of the company, Lean is the next step in moving things forward again and giving RDD a goal that we’ve only dreamed of before,” said Stepleton.
RDD is taking the initiative to be a leader in the implementation of Lean outside the manufacturing arena, and is striving for the Shingo Prize in the future. Considered the Nobel Prize of manufacturing; the Shingo Prize establishes the standard for world-class manufacturing excellence. RDD will petition the NW Shingo Prize committee to enter as a new category and eventually become a case study for the Shingo Prize Organization.
ABOUT RDD – Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, RDD delivers data collection services for business, consumer, and multilingual studies to clients in a variety of industry segments, including high tech, food and beverage, finance, insurance, automotive, healthcare, utilities, media, and entertainment. Founded in 1994, the company earned a space on Inc Magazine’s 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies list three years running. RDD currently staffs more than 400 highly trained individuals, including interviewers, site and field managers, data analysts, and account managers. RDD owns and operates interviewing centers in Las Cruces, New Mexico; Portland, Oregon; Missoula, Montana; and a new facility in Fort Collins, Colorado.
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These days the construction industry is cut throat. The decline in our economy has drastically decreased new building and the construction companies that were once flourishing are now struggling to pay the bills. The many available jobs have plummeted to a few jobs here and there that many companies now have to fight over. This has actually created a very friendly environment for anyone interested in building or remodeling a current structure.
Because of this drastically increased competition, you can now hire a construction company to do work for a much lower price, while still expecting a high level of quality. However; because there will be so many companies to choose from, you will probably want to interview a few different companies to choose one that fits your needs best. Here are some tips and guidelines to help you find a construction company that works best for you.
Communication is huge, so it is very important to find a company that you can easily communicate with and that seems to have strong lines of communication between managers. This way if you want certain things done and communicate it to the right person, that things will be clearly understood and applied in the way you see fit. One easy way to find out if the company you are considering has good lines of communication is simply calling in a few times and seeing how long it takes them to get back to you. Take it a step further and ask for some specific information that will help you to make your choice. Hopefully the company gets back to you promptly, with the information you requested. This would be a good initial sign of good communication.
One major thing you should do is ask for past projects. Take a look at some of their past work to see how quality it is. Also, try to get in touch with the owner of some of the past projects to see how it was dealing with this particular company. Make sure the company holds a healthy amount of general liability insurance. This amount will depend on the scope of work you are having them complete for you, so do a quick search online to find out what types of insurance the company should be holding. Make sure the company has enough time to complete your project on time. Although it is a sign of a good company to be busy and have lots of clients, you don’t want the other work to interfere with your job being completed on time.
These are just a few of the many tips you can use to help select a construction company for your project. You will probably get the most out of interviewing each potential company and just feeling each out to see which one fits your needs best. Hopefully these tips will help you get started and soon enough, you will be done with that construction project.
If you are interested in learning more about a Construction Company Fort Collins or you are interested in finding out more information about Construction Fort Collins, just click either link.
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Company Website Goes from Vanilla to Neapolitan
Denver, CO (PRWEB) October 12, 2006
InsureMe, an online service that connects insurance shoppers with insurance professionals, has launched a new website geared toward helping consumers find affordable insurance.
In addition to a new look and feel, the company has added useful site capabilities that help educate consumers as they apply for insurance quotes online.
“Many people aren’t sure what kind of auto insurance deductible they should have, or the differences between a term life insurance policy and a permanent life insurance policy,” said InsureMe CEO, Tim McTavish, of the site changes. “Giving shoppers helpful hints and tips throughout the application process helps people make more informed purchasing decisions and ensures that they’ll receive the most accurate quotes.”
The positive consumer experience can also be felt by the company’s extensive agent base and affiliate marketing partners.
“The insurance professionals on our network are receiving better, more qualified insurance leads as a result of our site refinements,” added McTavish. “And that means we’re connecting serious insurance shoppers with agents who can deliver.”
Mike Sajdak, InsureMe chief financial officer and overseer of the company’s dynamic affiliate marketing department, said the new site has also had a dramatic effect for their affiliate partners.
“We’re enjoying a dramatic increase in our site traffic,” said Sajdak. “We also broke company records for daily revenue, which is especially impressive when you consider that the third quarter is not the industry’s strongest time.”
The new site, code name “Butterfly,” began transformation in November of 2005, and is representative of the company’s plans for ongoing website development and improvement.
“True; we’ve launched the new site. But that doesn’t mean we’re done,” hinted McTavish. “We’re constantly working to develop the best possible product for shoppers. This is really just the tip of the iceberg for InsureMe.”
In addition to enhancements to InsureMe.com, the company has recently added co-branding and script-tracking capabilities to their affiliate program, as well as lead rating capabilities for their agent base. Three of the InsureMe blogs also earned recognition in September by the Web Marketing Association. The blogs, which can be found at http://www.InsureMeBlog.com, are updated daily with tips and news about affiliate marketing, insurance sales and insurance shopping.
About InsureMe
InsureMe, an Englewood, Colorado-based company, links agents nationwide with consumers shopping for insurance. InsureMe desires an open dialog with customers and hosts several blogs to encourage free flow of information about the industry and the InsureMe company. InsureMe has helped millions of consumers find insurance coverage, while providing thousands of insurance agents with leads nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.insureme.com.
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Insurance Company Defies Customer Service Logic; Ensures Availability Night and Day as 2009 Health Savings Account Enrollment Deadline Nears
Fort Collins, Colorado (PRWEB) November 4, 2009
HSA for America insurance agents have found a new way to help consumers make sense out of the increasingly complex national health insurance system by expanding their customer service hours. Consumers can now reach live U.S.-based HAS for America customer service representatives from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. EST 7 days a week through their Toll-free number. HSA for America agents are available during these extended hours to help consumers select the best Health Savings Account plans for their needs, which is especially helpful as the 2009 enrollment deadline nears.
HSA for America insurance advisors decided to expand their customer service hours in response to the overwhelming increase in interest for their money-saving Health Savings Account plans. Health Savings Account plans can not only save consumers an average of $ 100 to $ 300 per month in health insurance premiums, but they can also help consumers to grow their wealth as they invest their Health Savings Account funds into high-interest yielding investments.
“Our insurance advisors have been reporting higher-than-average inquiries from consumers as the 2009 HSA deadline approaches,” said Wiley Long, President of HSA for America. “Many of our new clients have converted their health insurance plans to Health Savings Account-eligible plans to save money and reduce their annual income taxes.”
Long attributes the increase in new client inquiries to the widespread changes within America’s healthcare system. “We’ve found that many of our clients are struggling to keep up with both the actual and proposed changes to the U.S. healthcare system,” said Long. “By increasing our customer service hours, we can help to ensure that consumers are able to get accurate information when they need it in order to make wise healthcare decisions that will truly benefit their families – and their bank accounts – for years to come.”
Heads up, applicants! Long wants consumers to be aware of the upcoming enrollment deadline for 2009 Health Savings Accounts. In order for Health Savings Accounts to qualify for a tax deduction in 2009, participants need to have HSA-qualified health insurance effective by December 1, 2009. “We want all consumers to know that we are here to help them get the right Health Savings Account plans for their needs in time for them to lower their April 15th tax bill,” said Long. “But we recommend they apply for these new plans by November 13 at the latest. We’re here for them whenever they’re ready to get started.” Consumers can speak with an HAS for America representative by calling (866) 749-2039.
More About HSA for America
HSA for America advisors help to match clients with the right healthcare plans for their unique needs and budgets. Clients may include individuals, families, and businesses that are looking to save money, grow their wealth, or just ensure that they have the most cost-effective and practical healthcare plans available. In order to ensure that clients continually take advantage of the best healthcare coverage options for their unique situations, HSA for America provides an automatic Annual Comprehensive Policy Review of each client’s healthcare coverage plan.
For more information about HSA for America programs, visit http://www.health–savings–accounts.com.
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There are many things to consider when looking at any insurance company Colorado Springs has to offer. The first thing that must be determined is what type of coverage is needed. All vehicle owners will need auto insurance; homeowners may not want to protect their homes; and people who run businesses may need to provide health insurance for their employees. Insurance policies can be customized to fit all kinds of needs no matter how much or little coverage ones needs. This is why it is important to go with a company that understands specialized insurance needs.
For instance, professionals need protection beyond general commercial liability coverage that may only protect the business’ assets. Errors and omissions insurance will help protect a professional with or without a small business in the event of a dispute with a client. Even if a claim is ruled in the professional’s favor, the legal defense fees must be paid. This policy also helps the professional keep his or her reputation. Some states require this kind of insurance, so each industry must determine what kind of coverage is needed.
Many may also look for an insurance company Colorado Springs has that carries catastrophic health insurance coverage. This special kind of insurance has a higher premium rate than other health insurance policies, but it covers a person in the event of an accident or other unexpected illness. This policy is ideal for those who do not anticipate regular doctor visits and are generally healthy. Otherwise, one should look into other options when it comes to health insurance policies that fit with his or her lifestyle and means.
Auto insurance is required by everyone who lives in the state of Colorado and owns a vehicle. Many people decide to get coverage beyond that required by state law. If one needs coverage beyond a basic state minimum package, he or she really needs to look at companies that offer discount or special rates for special circumstances. For example, some companies may offer courses or seminars in defensive driving that will merit policyholders discounts upon completion. Others may even give a break in the premium if a policyholder carries more than one type of policy with the company.
When trying to decide upon an insurance company Colorado Springs residents can rely upon, it is important to determine one’s insurance needs before setting out on a long journey. If the task seems a bit too daunting, hiring an agent or broker is always an option. Brokers not only know their ways around insurance but also have direct ties to the insurance companies. Whether with a broker or alone, it is indeed possible to get a policy that fits within one’s means.
Please visit our website <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link/4357900']);” href=”http://www.icainsurance.com/”>here</a> for more information or visit our <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link/4357900']);” href=”http://businessarticlesonline.com/colorado-springs-insurance-3/”>blog</a>. Thank you.
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HCC Life Insurance Company Joins eHealth to Provide Short-term Health Insurance in 41 States
Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) February 11, 2010
HCC Life Insurance Company (HCC Life) today announced that it is expanding its relationship with eHealth, Inc., parent company of eHealthInsurance, to distribute its HCC Life STM short-term health insurance policy in 41 states. HCC Life offers short-term health insurance coverage to residents of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Through this partnership, eHealth customers will be able to apply for short-term health insurance products from HCC Life at eHealthInsurance.com using eHealth’s eApproval technology. eApproval makes it possible for online shoppers to submit their applications for HCC Life short-term health insurance plans with an electronic signature and receive an instant response. .
“By partnering with eHealth, we’re making it even easier for our customers to find quality short-term health coverage,” said Mark Carney, Executive Vice President of HCC Life Insurance Company. “eHealth’s eApproval technology makes the application and approval process for short-term coverage a seamless, paperless, online process that’s completed in a single online session for many of our customers.”
“eHealth’s mobile web site has been selling travel insurance from HCC Medical Insurance Services for several months now, and we’re excited to add HCC Life’s short-term product to our main retail Web and mobile sites,” said Robert Hurley, eHealth Senior Vice President. “We also commend HCC Life’s decision to utilize our eApproval technology, and believe it improves the application and approval process for customers.”
About HCC Life
HCC Life is a wholly-owned subsidiary of HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: HCC), a leading international specialty insurance group with offices across the United States and in the United Kingdom, Spain, and Ireland. HCC has assets of $ 9.0 billion, shareholders’ equity of $ 3.0 billion and is rated AA (Very Strong) by Standard & Poor’s and AA (Very Strong) by Fitch Ratings. In addition, HCC’s major domestic insurance companies are rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best Company.
About eHealth, Inc.:
eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH) is the parent company of eHealthInsurance, the nation’s leading online source of health insurance for individuals, families and small businesses. Through the company’s website, http://www.eHealthInsurance.com, consumers can get quotes from leading health insurance carriers, compare plans side by side, and apply for and purchase health insurance. eHealthInsurance offers thousands of health plans underwritten by more than 180 of the nation’s leading health insurance companies.
Contact:
Bryant Tutterow
Asst. Vice President of Marketing
HCC Medical Insurance Services, LLC
(317) 221-8037
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Professional Liability Insurance Company Applies Network to ClientsÂ? Advantage
(PRWEB) April 7, 2005
Best Practices Agency, a professional liability insurance company, has developed a website designed to be a Â?one-stop shopÂ? for professional liability insurance, providing quality coverage at competitive market rates for individuals and agencies in a wide range of professions.
Â?The professional liability insurance market is constantly changing,Â? said, Joe Barnard CEO of Best Practices Agency. Â?Policy terms and conditions vary widely from company to company, with individual underwriters having different appetites for different risks. CompanyÂ?s financial ratings vary and can change dramatically in a very short period of time. ThatÂ?s why we continually monitor the professional liability insurance market, to make sure we provide the best insurance available to our customers.Â?
Best Practices Agency provides a network of A-rated underwriting companies that have the financial strength and demonstrate the commitment required to provide long-term protection to their clientÂ?s individual practices. The experienced professionals at Best Practices Agency will assess each clientÂ?s individual coverage needs and goals and match them with the most suitable professional liability insurance company available.
Best Practices Agency provides professional liability insurance coverage, including errors and omission insurance and employment practices liability insurance, for:
Â? Lawyers and Law Firms
Â? Accountants and Accounting Firms
Â? Architects
Â? Engineers
Â? Directors and Officers
Â? Title Agents
Â? Technology Firms
Â? Other Miscellaneous Professionals
To get a free professional liability insurance quote or to get answers to some of the most frequently-asked questions about professional liability insurance, visit http://www.BestPracticesAgency.com. Coverage is provided in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, Missouri, and Arkansas.
About Best Practices Agency
With over 25 years of experience in professional liability insurance, Best Practices Agency knows which companies are committed to protecting an individual or practice, their length of time and reputation in the market place, historical trends and current developments in the pricing of individual risks, and their reputation and ability to service and pay claims. Their professionals use this knowledge to provide superior coverage to their clients at affordable rates.
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InsureMe: A Small Company That’s Big on Charitable Giving
Denver (PRWEB) June 7, 2007
For the second year running, InsureMe, a leading online insurance shopping service, has been recognized by Mile High United Way for its charitable giving efforts, this year winning the top prize: the Champion of Hope award in the small business category.
Corporate philanthropy is a staple of the InsureMe company, a deep-seated value emanated from the company’s founder and CEO, Tim McTavish. Having come in second with United Way’s Spirit of Hope award in 2006, McTavish upped the ante in 2007: He challenged the company to reach 90 percent participation in the charitable giving campaign, or $ 50,000 in total employee contributions–clearly a stretch for the 65-person organization.
But the reward for such giving was handsome: at 90 percent company participation, McTavish would allow employees to shave his head. [Watch Tim McTavish get his head shaved for charity: http://youtube.com/watch?v=rhPIPSCrwdc
Company participation and donations soared past initial goals. Employees mustered more than $ 50,000 and InsureMe offered an unprecedented three-to-one match, which brought the corporate contributions to more than $ 200,000.
And while McTavish’s new ‘do was a little chilly for Colorado winter, he asserts that it’s all worth it.
“It’s incredible to see everyone come together to help the community,” said McTavish, who will be honored at this year’s Mile High United Way Celebration June 7th, at the Denver Botanic Gardens. “And it’s clear from those who’ve shared their stories of giving that the gift is two-fold.”
Michael Durkin, president of Mile High United Way, offered kind words about InsureMe’s collective effort.
“The generosity of InsureMe this past year makes it possible for Mile High United Way to significantly increase our impact in metro Denver,” commended Durkin. “Their generous contribution will enable us to affect the lives of metro Denver’s most vulnerable citizens through three life-changing initiatives: School Readiness, Youth Success and Adult Self-Sufficiency. We genuinely appreciate their involvement in our organization.”
About InsureMe
InsureMe links agents nationwide with consumers shopping for insurance. In 2006 the company received numerous awards for both charitable giving and for best places to work. The awards were presented by organizations such as United Way, Denver Rescue Mission, Leadership Excellence and Working Mother magazine. InsureMe encourages volunteerism among its employees and has sponsored service trips to Mexico, Russia and Ghana. For more information, visit http://www.InsureMe.com.
About Mile High United Way of Denver
Mile High United Way maximizes the power of collective generosity. Mile High United Way focuses on three related initiatives: School Readiness, Youth Success, and Adult Self-Sufficiency. Mile High United Way’s mission is achieved when young children from low-income families are prepared to succeed when they begin school, at-risk youth graduate from high school and individuals and families achieve financial stability and independence. To learn more, visit http://www.unitedwaydenver.org.
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Boulder, Colorado – The path to Hollywood runs through Boulder – again. Boulder’s Windward Reports, the business reporting software leader that made national news when its first viral marketing video was featured on MSNBC, is back at it. Windward Reports has re-teamed with Luke Barats and Joe Bereta for the 2010 installment of Cubicle Wars, a humorous look at two office workers who spend their days thinking up innovative pranks. The first Cubicle Wars won an American Advertising Federation award for creative excellence in advertising in 2007 and helped propel its creators into a contract for an NBC pilot television show.
Cubicle Wars is a two-minute online video that leverages alternative marketing methods to boost Windward Reports’ brand image.It puts the power of low-cost viral marketing to work as YouTube viewers forward the video to their friends, who then forward it to others, and so on.
“Here we are in Colorado, working with a creative team in Spokane, Washington, to create a video that is viewed by millions of people in Europe, Asia and around elsewhere the world,” said Shirley Clawson, CEO of Windward Studios. “In today’s global economy, successful marketing projects need worldwide appeal and affordable distribution. Cubicle Wars demonstrates both.”
For more information on Windward Reports’ unique approach to business reporting software, please visit the Cubicle War 2010 homepage.
Luke Barats and Joe Bereta began collaborating in 2003 at Gonzaga University where they were active in the theater department, broadcasting department, and led the school’s improv comedy troupe. Later that year they began making short videos to amuse their friends which were eventually compiled on a website.
In 2005 Barats and Bereta won the Brickwall Amateur Comedy Competition with their two-man stand up routine. That same year they won the Spokane First Night Film Festival and received some sweet plaques to prove it. Since then their short, punchy videos have made their way around the Internet and have been seen by a goodly number of people.
Barats and Bereta are currently employed at Cornerbooth Film & Video Production and perform improv with ComedySportz in Spokane, Washington.
About Windward Reports
Launched in 2002, Windward Reports is the only full-featured, robust Java.NET reporting engine to use Microsoft Word (or other MS Office programs) as a layout tool, putting report-design and generation power in the hands of the end user, technical or non-technical. Any Word user can easily and securely create reports with almost no learning curve. Also unique, Windward Reports implements in hours, offers affordable server -based pricing, and offers “prompt, fantastic” technical support via a 24/7 support forum and support contracts. Windward Reports works by merging any XML, SQL or custom data source—or any combination thereof—with a Microsoft Word report template. It feeds data into the template to create a what-you-see-is-what-you-get report that can be generated in PDF, .RTF, HTML, WordML, .XLS, SpreadsheetML, .TXT, or multipart- MIME-email format. Windward Reports runs as a standalone application or in an enterprise computing environment. Windward Reports developer and production systems are available for purchase or free trial at www.windwardreports.com.
Windward Reports’ user group spans 70 countries. User applications include financial statements, inventory reports, product-usage reports, purchase orders, invoices, training certificates, timesheets, and licenses. Other applications include reporting to meet requirements of Sarbanes-Oxley, Patriot Act, ARRA, HIPAA, Health Level Seven, Gramm-Leach-Blailey, Basel II, and other U.S. and international acts and accords affecting financial services, real estate, government, and insurance industries and the consultants and integrators serving them.
For Immediate Release
Press Contact: Lisa Harris
VP, Marketing
303-499-2544 x1184
lisah@windward.net
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