Management by Exception

Orchid products can help identify & escalate the 'red flag' issues, allowing key staff to focus their attention where it is most needed

Management by Exception, or MBE, is widely regarded as best practice when it comes to business or project management

MBE empowers staff to get on with their jobs, without being micromanaged.  Management only get involved when something is identified as deviating from the expected range. There are different interpretations of MBE, but a good starting point is these 5 steps:

  1. Define: You have to define what you consider to be 'normal' before you can start identifying exceptions
  2. Identify: Put processes or systems in place, preferably automated, to flag conditions that sit outside that target range
  3. Escalate: Having identified an exception, make sure the right people find out about it as soon as possible
  4. Investigate: This implies having the right data, tools and skills to understand the nature and cause of the exception
  5. Remediate: This is where managers earn their stripes. (If the investigation reveals no further action is required, you may need to refine your model...return to Step 1!)

Many Orchid products can contribute to MBE, but these are Exceptional!

Info-Explorer

Orchid's affordable Business Intelligence tool

  • Define expected conditions (e.g. budgets)
  • Identify exceptions (e.g. through traffic light highlighting)
  • Investigate (e.g. using slice & dice analysis, with drill-through to underlying Sage 300 data)

Learn more →

Optional Tables

Custom data stored within Sage 300

  • Combine Optional Fields to create custom data structures
  • Ideal for 'defining normal'
  • E.g. by creating highly granular budgets and forecasts.

Learn more →

Extender

The Swiss Army Knife of Sage 300 add-ons

  • Identify and Escalate exception conditions
  • Perform real-time custom validation and alerting
  • Use Python scripts for bespoke exception identification
  • Use Extender Workflow to escalate & manage exceptions

Learn more →

Process Scheduler

Configure schedules to automate recurring processes

  • Identify and Escalate exception conditions:
  • Directly (e.g. by running regular integrity and disk space checks), or
  • Indirectly (e.g. refresh and distribute cubes & reports for downstream analysis)
  • Regularly run Extender scripts to look for exceptions

Learn more →

Watch our Managing by Exception Video

Steve's shows how a range of Orchid products can contribute to establishing a Management by Exception regime

“Orchid's Extender, Info-Explorer and Information Manager Suite add-ons have taken Sage 300 to the next level. It's like Sage 300 on steroids!”

NKOSIYABO SIBANDA, CCMA (THE COMMISSION FOR CONCILIATION, MEDIATION & ARBITRATION), SOUTH AFRICA

Take the Escalator to the next level

These Orchid products & features provide yet more options for spreading the word about exception conditions.

  • Notes: Context-sensitive Notes can alert Sage 300 users to exception conditions
  • Extended Notes: This is what happens when you combine Extender & Notes. E.g. use a custom Python script to check for exception conditions, and display a 'conditional note' only when the exception arises
  • Email SmartLink: This bonus feature, available to all licenced DML Users & Workflow Users, lets you create an email with one click when an issue is identified, paste in a SmartLink to the active Sage 300 record, and send it off for investigation.

Learn More

Exception Pencils
Managing By Exception, and the role Orchid products can play
Management by Exception can help you spend your time more efficiently. Orchid provides tools that help turn the theory into practice.
 
Info-Explorer - Overview

Robert Lavery gives a brief overview of Orchid's Info-Explorer module.
Business Intelligence at an affordable price, with integrated budgeting & forecasting.
Optional Tables - Training

Anne conducts training on how to set up and use I/M Optional Tables. Add Optional Fields to any Sage 300 View.
Extender - Configurator (Demo)

Anne demonstrates what you can do with Extender (Configurator Edition) without having to write a single line of code.
Extender - Developer (Demo)

Anne demonstrates how the Developer edition of Orchid Extender can use Python scripts to build custom screens, tables, workflow actions, and other bespoke Sage 300 customizations.
Process Scheduler - Overview

Robert Lavery gives a brief overview of Orchid's Process Scheduler add-on module for Sage 300.

Schedule recurring integrity checks, backups, day ends, reports and other critical processes to run unattended.
(Mar-2018)