Best in Class Finance Functions For Police Forces

Background

Police funding has risen by £4.8 billion and 77 per cent (39 per cent in real terms) since 1997. However the days where forces have enjoyed such levels of funding are over.

Chief Constables and senior management recognize that the annual cycle of looking for efficiencies year-on-year is not sustainable, and will not address the cash shortfall in years to come.
Facing slower funding growth and real cash deficits in their budgets, the Police Service must adopt innovative strategies which generate the productivity and efficiency gains needed to deliver high quality policing to the public.

The step-change in performance required to meet this challenge will only be achieved if the police service fully embraces effective resource management and makes efficient and productive use of its technology, partnerships and people.

The finance function has an essential role to play in addressing these challenges and supporting Forces’ objectives economically and efficiently.

Challenge

Police Forces tend to nurture a divisional and departmental culture rather than a corporate one, with individual procurement activities that do not exploit economies of scale. This is in part the result of over a decade of devolving functions from the center to the.divisions.

In order to reduce costs, improve efficiency and mitigate against the threat of “top down” mandatory, centrally-driven initiatives, Police Forces need to set up a corporate back office and induce behavioral change. This change must involve compliance with a corporate culture rather than a series of silos running through the organization.

Developing a Best in Class Finance Function

Traditionally finance functions within Police Forces have focused on transactional processing with only limited support for management information and business decision support. With a renewed focus on efficiencies, there is now a pressing need for finance departments to transform in order to add greater value to the force but with minimal costs.

1) Aligning to Force Strategy

As Police Forces need finance to function, it is imperative that finance and operations are closely aligned. This collaboration can be very powerful and help deliver significant improvements to a Force, but in order to achieve this model, there are many barriers to overcome. Finance Directors must look at whether their Force is ready for this collaboration, but more importantly, they must consider whether the Force itself can survive without it.

Finance requires a clear vision that centers around its role as a balanced business partner. However to achieve this vision a huge effort is required from the bottom up to understand the significant complexity in underlying systems and processes and to devise a way forward that can work for that particular organization.

The success of any change management program is dependent on its execution. Change is difficult and costly to execute correctly, and often, Police Forces lack the relevant experience to achieve such change. Although finance directors are required to hold appropriate professional qualifications (as opposed to being former police officers as was the case a few years ago) many have progressed within the Public Sector with limited opportunities for learning from and interaction with best in class methodologies. In addition cultural issues around self-preservation can present barriers to change.

Whilst it is relatively easy to get the message of finance transformation across, securing commitment to embark on bold change can be tough. Business cases often lack the quality required to drive through change and even where they are of exceptional quality senior police officers often lack the commercial awareness to trust them.

2) Supporting Force Decisions

Many Finance Directors are keen to develop their finance functions. The challenge they face is convincing the rest of the Force that the finance function can add value – by devoting more time and effort to financial analysis and providing senior management with the tools to understand the financial implications of major strategic decisions.

Maintaining Financial Controls and Managing Risk

Sarbanes Oxley, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), Basel II and Individual Capital Assessments (ICA) have all put financial controls and reporting under the spotlight in the private sector. This in turn is increasing the spotlight on financial controls in the public sector.

A ‘Best in Class’ Police Force finance function will not just have the minimum controls to meet the regulatory requirements but will evaluate how the legislation and regulations that the finance function are required to comply with, can be leveraged to provide value to the organization. Providing strategic information that will enable the force to meet its objectives is a key task for a leading finance function.

3) Value to the Force

The drive for development over the last decade or so, has moved decision making to the Divisions and has led to an increase in costs in the finance function. Through utilizing a number of initiatives in a program of transformation, a Force can leverage up to 40% of savings on the cost of finance together with improving the responsiveness of finance teams and the quality of financial information. These initiatives include:

Centralization

By centralizing the finance function, a Police Force can create centers of excellence where industry best practice can be developed and shared. This will not only re-empower the department, creating greater independence and objectivity in assessing projects and performance, but also lead to more consistent management information and a higher degree of control. A Police Force can also develop a business partner group to act as strategic liaisons to departments and divisions. The business partners would, for example, advise on how the departmental and divisional commanders can meet the budget in future months instead of merely advising that the budget has been missed for the previous month.

With the mundane number crunching being performed in a shared service center, finance professionals will find they now have time to act as business partners to divisions and departments and focus on the strategic issues.

The cultural impact on the departments and divisional commanders should not be underestimated. Commanders will be concerned that:

o Their budgets will be centralized
o Workloads would increase
o There will be limited access to finance individuals
o There will not be on site support

However, if the centralized shared service center is designed appropriately none of the above should apply. In fact from centralization under a best practice model, leaders should accrue the following benefits:

o Strategic advice provided by business partners
o Increased flexibility
o Improved management information
o Faster transactions
o Reduced number of unresolved queries
o Greater clarity on service and cost of provision
o Forum for finance to be strategically aligned to the needs of the Force

A Force that moves from a de-centralized to a centralized system should try and ensure that the finance function does not lose touch with the Chief Constable and Divisional Commanders. Forces need to have a robust business case for finance transformation combined with a governance structure that spans operational, tactical and strategic requirements. There is a risk that potential benefits of implementing such a change may not be realized if the program is not carefully managed. Investment is needed to create a successful centralized finance function. Typically the future potential benefits of greater visibility and control, consistent processes, standardized management information, economies of scale, long-term cost savings and an empowered group of proud finance professionals, should outweigh those initial costs.

To reduce the commercial, operational and capability risks, the finance functions can be completely outsourced or partially outsourced to third parties. This will provide guaranteed cost benefits and may provide the opportunity to leverage relationships with vendors that provide best practice processes.

Process Efficiencies

Typically for Police Forces the focus on development has developed a silo based culture with disparate processes. As a result significant opportunities exist for standardization and simplification of processes which provide scalability, reduce manual effort and deliver business benefit. From simply rationalizing processes, a force can typically accrue a 40% reduction in the number of processes. An example of this is the use of electronic bank statements instead of using the manual bank statement for bank reconciliation and accounts receivable processes. This would save considerable effort that is involved in analyzing the data, moving the data onto different spreadsheet and inputting the data into the financial systems.

Organizations that possess a silo operating model tend to have significant inefficiencies and duplication in their processes, for example in HR and Payroll. This is largely due to the teams involved meeting their own goals but not aligning to the corporate objectives of an organization. Police Forces have a number of independent teams that are reliant on one another for data with finance in departments, divisions and headquarters sending and receiving information from each other as well as from the rest of the Force. The silo model leads to ineffective data being received by the teams that then have to carry out additional work to obtain the information required.

Whilst the argument for development has been well made in the context of moving decision making closer to operational service delivery, the added cost in terms of resources, duplication and misaligned processes has rarely featured in the debate. In the current financial climate these costs need to be recognized.

Culture

Within transactional processes, a leading finance function will set up targets for staff members on a daily basis. This target setting is an element of the metric based culture that leading finance functions develop. If the appropriate metrics of productivity and quality are applied and when these targets are challenging but not impossible, this is proven to result in improvements to productivity and quality.

A ‘Best in Class’ finance function in Police Forces will have a service focused culture, with the primary objectives of providing a high level of satisfaction for its customers (departments, divisions, employees & suppliers). A ‘Best in Class’ finance function will measure customer satisfaction on a timely basis through a metric based approach. This will be combined with a team wide focus on process improvement, with process owners, that will not necessarily be the team leads, owning force-wide improvement to each of the finance processes.

Organizational Improvements

Organizational structures within Police Forces are typically made up of supervisors leading teams of one to four team members. Through centralizing and consolidating the finance function, an opportunity exists to increase the span of control to best practice levels of 6 to 8 team members to one team lead / supervisor. By adjusting the organizational structure and increasing the span of control, Police Forces can accrue significant cashable benefit from a reduction in the number of team leads and team leads can accrue better management experience from managing larger teams.

Technology Enabled Improvements

There are a significant number of technology improvements that a Police Force could implement to help develop a ‘Best in Class’ finance function.

These include:

A) Scanning and workflow

Through adopting a scanning and workflow solution to replace manual processes, improved visibility, transparency and efficiencies can be reaped.

B) Call logging, tracking and workflow tool

Police Forces generally have a number of individuals responding to internal and supplier queries. These queries are neither logged nor tracked. The consequence of this is dual:

o Queries consume considerable effort within a particular finance team. There is a high risk of duplicated effort from the lack of logging of queries. For example, a query could be responded to for 30 minutes by person A in the finance team. Due to this query not being logged, if the individual that raised the query called up again and spoke to a different person then just for one additional question, this could take up to 20 minutes to ensure that the background was appropriately explained.

o Queries can have numerous interfaces with the business. An unresolved query can be responded against by up to four separate teams with considerable delay in providing a clear answer for the supplier.

The implementation of a call logging, tracking and workflow tool to document, measure and close internal and supplier queries combined with the set up of a central queries team, would significantly reduce the effort involved in responding to queries within the finance departments and divisions, as well as within the actual divisions and departments, and procurement.

C) Database solution

Throughout finance departments there are a significant number of spreadsheets utilized prior to input into the financial system. There is a tendency to transfer information manually from one spreadsheet to another to meet the needs of different teams.

Replacing the spreadsheets with a database solution would rationalize the number of inputs and lead to effort savings for the front line Police Officers as well as Police Staff.

D) Customize reports

In obtaining management information from the financial systems, police staff run a series of reports, import these into excel, use lookups to match the data and implement pivots to illustrate the data as required. There is significant manual effort that is involved in carrying out this work. Through customizing reports the outputs from the financial system can be set up to provide the data in the formats required through the click of a button. This would have the benefit of reduced effort and improved motivation for team members that previously carried out these mundane tasks.

In designing, procuring and implementing new technology enabling tools, a Police Force will face a number of challenges including investment approval; IT capacity; capability; and procurement.

These challenges can be mitigated through partnering with a third party service company with whom the investment can be shared, the skills can be provided and the procurement cycle can be minimized.

Conclusion

It is clear that cultural, process and technology change is required if police forces are to deliver both sustainable efficiencies and high quality services. In an environment where for the first time forces face real cash deficits and face having to reduce police officer and support staff numbers whilst maintaining current performance levels the current finance delivery models requires new thinking.

While there a number of barriers to be overcome in achieving a best in class finance function, it won’t be long before such a decision becomes mandatory. Those who are ahead of the curve will inevitably find themselves in a stronger position.

Instructions How to Start a General Contractor Business

Instructions how to start a general contractor business

Hi I’m David from DYM Builders, a general contractor operating in Los Angeles, Orange County and Dallas. As an experienced general contractor, I always get questions from people who want to start their own construction businesses. It is important to understand the challenges that come with starting a company in the current economy. However, with the right approach and a solid business plan, anyone can succeed in this industry. In this article, I will provide you with the best instructions on how to start a general contractor business.

First and foremost, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of the role of a general contractor. A general contractor is responsible for overseeing and coordinating all aspects of a construction project, from planning and design to construction and completion. This involves managing budgets, timelines, and subcontractors, as well as ensuring that all work is completed to the highest standards of quality.

To start a successful general contractor business, you’ll need to begin by establishing a strong foundation. This includes obtaining any necessary licenses and permits, securing insurance coverage, and setting up a legal structure for your business. You’ll also need to develop a clear business plan that outlines your goals, target market, and strategies for growth.

Upon completion of the business, start working with clients, start small and grow.

Once you’ve established your business, it’s important to focus on building a strong reputation in the industry. This involves delivering high-quality work and providing exceptional customer service to your clients. You should also strive to build strong relationships with subcontractors and suppliers, as they will be an essential part of your success as a general contractor.

Another important aspect of starting a general contractor business is developing effective marketing strategies. This involves identifying your target market and developing a strong brand identity that resonates with your customers. You should also consider using online marketing tactics, such as online ad campaigns, search engine optimization (SEO) and social media marketing, to reach a wider audience and generate more leads for your business.

In conclusion, starting a general contractor business requires careful planning, hard work, and dedication. By following these instructions and staying focused on your goals, you can establish a successful and profitable construction company that will thrive for years to come. As a general contractor, it’s important to always prioritize quality, professionalism, and customer satisfaction in everything you do. Good luck!

Contour Pillow: Why You Should – Sleep Better, Feel Better

Are you tired of waking up with a stiff neck and feeling groggy throughout the day? Say goodbye to restless nights and hello to better sleep with a contour pillow for your neck! This innovative pillow design has been specifically created to offer support and comfort, allowing you to wake up feeling refreshed and revitalized. In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits of using a contour pillow for your neck, why it’s essential for your overall health, and how it can help you achieve a better quality of life. So grab yourself a cuppa, sit back, relax and let us take you on an informative journey towards getting that perfect night’s sleep!

Contour Pillow

Contour Pillow
A contour pillow is a great way to improve your sleep habits. Not only does it help you get a better night’s rest, but it can also reduce pain in your neck and shoulders.

Here are four reasons why you should consider adding a contour pillow to your bedtime routine:

1. It Can Help You Get A Better Night’s Rest
A contour pillow not only helps you get a more comfortable night’s sleep. But it can also reduce neck and shoulder pain. In fact, some people find that they wake up feeling more rested thanks to the improved alignment of their spine and the redistribution of pressure throughout their body.

2. It Reduces Stress And Anxiety
Many people find that using a contour pillow helps them relax and fall asleep faster. This is because the unique design of this type of pillow helps distribute pressure evenly across your head, neck and shoulders. In addition, studies have shown that sleeping on your side increases the amount of time you spend in REM sleep – one of the most restful stages of sleep – which can help relieve stress and anxiety.

3. It Improves Circulation And Clears Your Head Faster
Since a contour pillow adjusts its shape to fit your head, it helps circulate blood. And lymph better than other types of pillows. This promotes healthy blood flow throughout your body, which can keep you alert and clearheaded during the day. Additionally, since a contour pillow supports your head instead of pressing down on it. It can reduce headaches and other symptoms of sinus pressure.

4. It Can Help You Lose Weight And Tone Your Body
Since contour pillows redistribute pressure evenly across your body, they can help you lose weight and tone your body. In fact, some people find that they can even lose a few pounds without changing their diet or exercise habits at all! Additionally, a contour pillow can help improve blood circulation, which can help reduce cellulite and improve the appearance of your skin.

The Importance of a Good Night’s Sleep
If you’re anything like the majority of Americans, you don’t get enough sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, almost half of American adults report getting less than the recommended 7 hours of sleep each night! What’s more, insufficient sleep can have a major impact on your overall health.

Here are five reasons why you should give sleep a try:

1. Improved Memory and Cognition
Quantity over quality is definitely the key when it comes to sleep. As we age, our brains start to suffer from less-quality sleep, which can lead to problems with memory and cognition. In fact, one study found that people who get less than 6 hours of sleep every night are at an increased risk for developing dementia!

2. Reduced Risk for Depression and Anxiety Disorders
Sleep deprivation is also linked with an increased risk for developing depression and anxiety disorders. In fact, a study published in The Lancet found that people who slept fewer than 7 hours per night were twice as likely as those who got 8 or more hours of sleep to develop depression in the following year! And another study found that people who slept 4 or 5 hours per night were three times as likely as those who got 7 or more hours of sleep to develop anxiety disorders!

3. Reduced Risk for Heart Disease and Stroke
Poorly sleeping can also lead to heart disease and stroke. Studies have shown that people who get less than 6 hours of sleep each night are at an increased risk for developing cardiovascular diseases. And research has also shown that people who sleep 5 or fewer hours per night are 3 times as likely as those who get 7 or more hours of sleep to develop stroke!

4. Increased Risk for Diabetes and Obesity
People who don’t get enough sleep are also at an increased risk for developing diabetes and obesity. In fact, a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who slept 5 or fewer hours per night were almost twice as likely as those who got 6 or more hours of sleep to have a BMI over 30! And another study found that people who slept 4 or fewer hours per night were nearly three times as likely as those who got 7 or more hours of sleep to have a BMI over 25!

5. Reduced Risk for Cancer
Studies have shown that people who get enough sleep have a reduced risk for developing various types of cancer. In fact, a study published in Sleep found that people who slept 7 or more hours per night had a 50% reduction in the risk of developing breast cancer! And another study published in Cancer found that people who slept 6 or 7 hours per night had a 40% reduction in the risk of developing both breast and prostate cancer!

Sleeping Positions for the Neck
If you suffer from neck pain, you may want to consider using a contour pillow instead of your traditional flat pillow. A contour pillow is designed to conform to your natural shape and make it easier for your neck muscles to rest. There are a variety of sleeping positions that you can use with a contour pillow. And each one will suit your individual needs.

Neck pain can be caused by a variety of factors, including Structural abnormalities in the spine, Trauma or accidents, Osteoarthritis, Whiplash syndrome and Poor posture. If you’re suffering from neck pain and cannot find relief from standard therapies such as medication or physical therapy. Using a contour pillow may be the solution for you.

There are three main types of contour pillows: round, oval and oblong. The round type is the most common and is designed to fit around your head like a hat. The oval type is broader at the base and narrower towards the top, which makes it more comfortable to sleep on your side or stomach. The oblong type is similar to an oval but has a flatter surface that’s better suited for people who sleep on their back or stomach.

To find the right sleeping position for you with a contour pillow. Try out different positions until you find one that feels comfortable. You should also make sure that the pillow is level across all angles. So that it doesn’t cause any discomfort in any part of your neck. When you’re ready to sleep, place the pillow between your head and the rest of your pillowcase. And then gently prop your head up so that it’s in a comfortable position.

Some people prefer to use a contour pillow with a sleeping mask because the mask helps to keep their head cool and reduces the risk of snoring. If you’re using a contour pillow with a sleeping mask, make sure that the mask is properly fitted. So that it doesn’t move around during the night.

How Does A Contour Pillow Work?
A contour pillow is designed to provide the perfect shape and support for your neck. This type of pillow is making with a raised surface along one edge and a gradual decline towards the other edge, which creates a gentle curve that helps relieve tension in your neck and shoulders.

According to research, using a contour pillow for neck can significantly improve your sleep quality. Studies have found that people who use this type of pillow are less likely to experience Neck pain or headaches in the morning. Additionally, people who use contour pillows often report feeling more refreshed after sleep and more rested during the day.

If you’re looking for an extra layer of comfort and support when it comes to sleeping. Consider investing in a contour pillow. Not only will you get better sleep, but you’ll also feel better both physically and emotionally in the morning.

What Are The Benefits Of Using A Contour Pillow?
Do you find yourself tossing and turning in your sleep? Do you feel like your neck is always sore? If so, you may be experiencing the effects of a bad sleeping posture. A memory foam contour pillow can help improve your sleep by helping to correct your sleeping position.

A contour pillow is design to conform to the curves of your neck, which helps relieve tension in your neck and shoulders. By promoting good alignment and reducing pressure on your cervical spine. A contour pillow can help improve circulation and reduce inflammation.

If you’re looking for a way to improve your sleep habits, consider investing in a contour memory foam pillow. Not only will it make you more comfortable during nightfall. But it could also lead to less pain in the morning.

Why Should You Buy A Contour Pillow?
If you suffer from neck pain, a contour pillow is a must-have for a better night’s sleep.

Here are 5 reasons why you should buy one:

A contour pillow supports your head and neck.
It helps to correct alignment problems and alleviate tension and pain in the neck and shoulders.
It reduces wrinkles and eliminates bags under the eyes.
It firms up the skin around your neck, giving you a youthful appearance!
Most importantly, it gives you the deep, restful sleep that you need to feel refreshed the next day!
What Are The Best Types Of Contour Pillows?
There are a lot of contour pillows on the market. So it can be hard to decide which one is the right fit for you.

Here are four types of contour pillows that may be perfect for you:

Cervical Pillow: This type of pillow is design to support your neck. And help reduce pain in your neck and shoulders. It also helps to reduce snoring and improve sleep quality.
Side-Lying Pillow: This type of pillow is design to help you get a good night’s sleep by supporting your head, neck, and spine while you sleep. It also helps keep your head from staying “over-tilted” during sleep, which can cause problems such as headache or neck pain.
Back sleeper? This type of pillow is perfect for people who sleep on their back. It supports your upper body and spine while you sleep, which can help relieve pain in your neck and shoulders.
Contour Memory Foam Pillow: This type of pillow is making with memory foam, which will conform to your body as you fall asleep. So that it helps distribute pressure evenly across your entire neck and spine.
Conclusion
If you are like most people, you spend a third of your life sleeping. So it is no wonder that poor sleep habits can lead to all sorts of problems, from feeling tired. And unmotivated to developing chronic health conditions such as obesity and heart disease. To make sure you get the best night’s sleep possible, invest in a contour pillow that will support your neck and reduce any tension or pain in your head and neck area.