May 20th, 2011 by Robin Green

Whether you’re starting a new business or managing an old one, the last thing you probably want to think about is failure.  However, failure is a part of life and a part of growth. Growth never takes place without pain, hardship, and mistakes. So if your organization has recently undergone a problem, big or small, consider it a growing pain, and an opportunity to learn from what just happened.

Of course, the first step is to identify the problem. In order to set potential growth and learning from misteakes in motion after a failure or problem within your business, you have to get to the root causes. Root cause analysis is one way to go about it.

Root cause analysis (RCA) is a management process that seeks to understand the causes for performance and other process-related problems in an organization or business. By determining and implementing corrective measures to negate the root causes, previously encountered problems are less likely to occur.

Get to the Root

Simply perceiving the outward symptoms of a problem usually isn’t  enough to get to the depth of its root causes. Root cause analysis training helps to uncover the most insidious and deep roots, as well as to implement smart and effective changes.

Root cause analysis is a tool of continuous improvement. Continous improvement is a Japanese philosophy known as Kaizen (“kai” meaning “change” and “zen” meaning “good”). One might say that kaizen is responsible for Japan’s competitive labor force and overall success in the business world.

RCA helps organizations to discover methods that allow problematic events to be predicted and eliminated before they occur.

Why RCA Online Training?

RCA online training is convenient and cost-effective. You will learn to identify and solve problems in equipment failure and system failure, as well as how to improve processes in order to prevent future failures.

RCA online training has proven effective in getting to the bottom of problems to solve them long-term, rather than simply producing a temporary solution to a problem bound to resurface at some point in the future.

RCA Types

Although Root Cause Analysis is a group of methods that cannot be narrowed down to one specific methodology, there are a few broadly defined methods which address different kinds of problems. These are safety-based, production-based, failure-based, and systems-based approaches.

Safety-based RCA includes accident analysis and occupational safety. Production-based RCA includes quality control for manufacturing systems. Process-based RCA is related to production-based RCA, but which also includes business processes. Failure-based RCA includes engineering and maintenance failure analysis. Finally, systems-based RCA covers all the other approaches, condensing them and also including systems analysis, change management, and risk management.

The Magic Ingredient

The effectiveness of RCA online training depends a great deal on the use of systems: RCA must be carried out in a systematic manner. It must involve an investigation which uncovers root causes and conslusions that are taken from documented evidence. Although there may be multiple root causes for an event or problem, the key is to develop a persistent and sustainable effort to resolve and eliminate the problem. Click here to visit Coggno, sign up for a free account, and have your learning material ready for distribution in 5 minutes—it’s that easy.

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Coggno.com provides high quality e-learning courses worldwide.

April 13th, 2011 by Robin Green

You might fancy the idea of saving resources and money for your organization by hosting webinars and LMS online training. But how do you go about it?

There are many avenues available in implementing online training and hosting your own training webinars. You can host training via a learning management system (LMS), providing learners with a common space for building their skills and knowledge as well as interacting with each other.

LMS training offers a variety of benefits including cost-effectiveness and a range of customization options. You can design your own training or choose pre-packaged and specific online training for your needs. In designing your own LMS training, you have the freedom to create and incorporate your own learning material, quizzes, videos, and audio and podcast features.

In addition or as an alternative to LMS online training, webinars are an exciting way to deliver training to participants. When choosing a webinar service, make sure you choose one you can trust. Do a test drive. Participants should be able to log in easily and have easy access. For many people, it might be their first time attending a webinar. Complex instructions on how to attend the webinar will deter participants and prevent the success of your event, and possibly the entire training effort.

Include polls. Polls can be taken throughout the webinar to give you instant feedback on how people are doing during your event—whether you need to repeat something, or expand on something you have said. Polls are one feature that will help guarantee the success of your event.

Remember, in a webinar you’re only able to control your end—the presentation of the webinar. That means that you should tell participants at the beginning of the event what to expect and where they can find all the materials of the webinar. Provide the slides from the webinar on your website so people can access them later. Additionally, record the event and provide the recordings afterward.

Let participants know they can ask questions via twitter if you are using it. The key is to be specific in all directions. Tell attendees they can use the question panel to submit questions, including their name, title, and location.

Provide a number to call in case people are having trouble logging in to webinar. Tell around what time there will be breaks, and when you will be taking calls.

Webinars and LMS online training provide a dynamic and environmentally friendly alternative to in-person training conferences. In both methods, the more explicit and simple your directions, as well as the effort you put in to make the experience an exciting and interesting one will make all the difference in their success.

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Coggno.com is an LMS platform that offers a wide range of online courses.

March 30th, 2011 by Robin Green

Recently I wrote about asking your employer for more training, an extra online LMS course, or a raise. I talked about how women are statistically less likely to approach their bosses about a raise, and when they do so, they are viewed more negatively than when men do the same thing. But whether you’re a man or a woman who has hesitated about requesting funds for work-related education, you might be unsure about how to go about broaching the subject to your boss.

In this dog-eat-dog world, I think it’s an apt metaphor to think of your boss as your master and you as–if you will–his dog. If you can condescend to consider yourself as such for a moment, let’s imagine you want your master to throw you a bone. The bone represents a raise, an LMS online course, or any other such request. How do you get him to do throw it to you? He’s reading the paper; he’s watching a football game; he’s on his phone. He’s a busy man. The bone might not even be in his line of vision. Maybe it’s under the blue sofa, well within your own line of sight. In any case, think about it. What are the odds that he is going to take notice of your lingering around the blue sofa, immediately understand your wishes, and stoop down to scoop it out for you? Slim to none.

What’s the solution? You’ve got to paw it out yourself and present it to him. Only by doing so is there a chance that he’ll catch your drift and throw you the bone. It’s probably simply not occurred to him to do this, and ultimately, if you present it to him and the conditions are right (we’ll get to those in a moment), then it only takes him a second to chuck it out for you. It ultimately doesn’t affect him all that much, and if he thinks you deserve it, then the matter is settled. In the end you’ll be a better dog for getting some exercise and fun, and everyone wins.

Now, the conditions have to be right, and you have to do some research (yes, we are leaving the dog metaphor behind for a moment). First, consult with people who have held similar positions or work with companies with similar goods and services. Whether you’re asking for a raise or online training, this will help you get a sense of what you can expect, and what’s out there.

Second, timing is another critical condition for approaching your boss about LMS education or a raise. There is such a thing as bad timing for asking your boss for a raise or course; for example, when your company is going through a substantial financial loss. Good timing would be during an annual performance review. This is akin to the difference between trying to get your master to throw you a bone during a fight with his girlfriend versus doing so when he is filling your dish or giving you attention.

Lastly, specifically if you’re asking for a raise, be sure to state the amount you want (after research). Don’t be the first to offer a number; deflect the question if necessary. Finally, don’t provide the amount of your previous salary. After all, it is not relevant to your next salary, given the change of circumstances and the position.

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Coggno.com is a premier LMS platform.

March 24th, 2011 by Robin Green

Would you like to make yourself more relevant at work or simply improve your skills, but you aren’t sure how? This is a problem many people (including myself) face when it comes to maximizing their potential and letting their skills shine. It often has to do with personality traits such as shyness or aversion to attention, or simply not wanting to put yourself in the spotlight.

Perhaps just the idea of talking to your employer about the possibility of picking up a course teaching some work-related skill makes you feel slightly nauseous.

Sometimes it requires the encouragement of a coworker or a friend to approach your boss about possible improvements, courses you are interested in taking whose costs you hope your employers will cover, or LMS online training which you can complete at home in your free time.

Women especially have a difficult time approaching their boss for salary raises or training and LMS courses. Several recent studies, including a 2010 study in the U.S. of gender in the workplace, show that when asking for a salary raise, women are much weaker than men, and less likely to even state their case to their employer. And since classes that are paid for by an employer basically mean a raise in pay, even if they are work related, the same applies for LMS courses and other work-related education.

I once decided to take a Spanish language class offered at a university location near my workplace. I knew that other employees were taking language classes, since our organization was an international one which holds meetings held in various languages, but it never even occurred to me to ask my boss if my course could be covered until a coworker brought up the possibility.

Still, it took me a few days (cutting it close to the sign-up deadline for the course) to approach my boss about it. I waited until we were alone sitting at lunch, and felt my face turn beet-red as I explained my plans and stated my inquiry. He said he would look into it, and I receive my answer days later, affirmative. I was ecstatic, but noted regretfully that without the encouragement and easy confidence of my (male) coworker, I never would have asked in the first place, and would have ended up covering the costs of my language course, which come to about 1/8 the amount of my salary.

Moral of the story? Whether you’re a shy male or female, getting over your hesitation can pay off, and it can also help fatten up your ego so that next time you need to approach your employer about something–whether it’s LMS course-related or about another work-related topic–it won’t be as painful.

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Coggno.com offers high-quality online education.

February 23rd, 2011 by Robin Green

In designing online training or other adult LMS courseware, close your eyes and remember the last time you really learned something. When was the last time you dug your nails into learning something complicated, be it a work-related LMS course or a more personal endeavor, like learning to play the guitar?

If nothing comes to mind right away, try to recall learning how to drive. It’s something most of us have at least vague memories of, and perhaps a few moments in particular. I myself remember almost all of it (how could I forget?). The thrill, the sense of possibility and anticipation of new experiences—and, inevitably, the frustrations.

Luckily, my mother was a good sport (and apparently enjoyed living dangerously) and took me out driving. She suffered months and months of practice. I remember panicking at intersections, cutting drivers off, and being told to take it slow, relax, over and over.

The very first time I got behind a wheel, my father took me to an abandoned lot and we drove in circle after circle. I remember thinking as I tried to maneuver around cones while practicing parellel parking: I am never going to be able to do this. And indeed, it took me quite a while to learn to drive.

Like driving or any other skill, everyone learns at their own pace. But none of us is born with the ability to drive or play the guitar, and that’s where pedagogical strategies enter into play—and your own knowledge and expertise as an LMS course creator. Repetition and practice may be the only ways for knowledge to be truly digested in LMS online training. The challenge lies in working repetition into your course in an effective and engaging fashion.

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Coggno.com offers world-class LMS features and benefits.

February 13th, 2011 by Robin Green

The simple and basic power cycles (Brayton Cycle, Otto Cycle and Diesel Cycle), power cycle components/processes (compression, combustion and expansion) and compressible flow components (nozzle, diffuser and thrust) are presented in this course material.  In the presented power cycles, power cycle components/process and compressible flow components analysis, air is used as the working fluid.

For each power cycle, the thermal efficiency derivation is presented with a simple mathematical approach.  Also, for each power cycle, a T – s diagram and cycle major performance trends (thermal efficiency, specific power output and power output) are plotted in a few figures as a function of compression ratio, turbine inlet temperature and/or final combustion temperature, working fluid mass flow rate and both isentropic compression and expansion efficiency.  It should be noted that this course material does not deal with costs (capital, operational or maintenance).

For compression and expansion, the technical performance of mentioned power cycle components/processes for ideal and real operation is presented with a given relationship between pressure and temperature and compression and expansion efficiency.

Complete combustion with and without heat loss is presented.  Six different fuels (carbon, hydrogen, sulfur, coal, oil and gas) react with air as the oxidant at different stoichiometry values (stoichiometry => 1) and oxidant inlet temperature values.

Reactants and combustion products enthalpy values change with an increase in the temperature and such enthalpy values are presented in a plot where one can notice fuel higher heating value (HHV) and flame temperature definitions.  Physical properties of basic combustion reactants and products are presented in an enthalpy vs temperature plot.

The combustion technical performance at stoichiometry => 1 conditions is presented knowing the enthalpy values for combustion reactants and products, given as a function of temperature.  Combustion products composition on both weight and mole basis is given in tabular form and plotted in a few figures. Also, flame temperature, oxidant to fuel ratio and fuel higher heating value (HHV) are presented in tabular form and plotted in a few figures.  The provided output data and plots allow one to determine the major combustion performance laws and trends.

The technical performance of compressible flow components (subsonic nozzle, diffuser and thrust) is presented with a given relationship between pressure and temperature as a function of Mach Number and isentropic nozzle and diffuser efficiency.

The compressible flow components T – s diagrams and their major performance trends (stagnation over static temperature and pressure) are plotted in a few figures as a function of the Mach Number.

In this course material, the student gets familiar with the simple and basic power cycles and power cycle components/processes, compressible flow components and their T – s and h – T diagrams, ideal vs real operation and major performance trends.

Get familiar with basic energy conversion engineering assumptions and equations by taking the Energy Conversion Ideal vs Real Operation Analysis Webinar on the Coggno online training marketplace.

January 27th, 2011 by Robin Green

These days, huge sums of money are handed over to people with a specific expertise—web design expertise. Are you a web designer? If so, you’re already aware of the value of your knowledge base. You may, on occasion, have considered sharing your expertise with other people—an enterprise which in itself can prove very lucrative. Have you ever thought of creating your own web design course?

Even if you’re a beginner web designer, you might know enough to design your own introductory web design course. One benefit that beginner web designers have over pros is that they understand well the fact that you don’t need to know everything about web design or the internet to create your own effective and aesthetically intriguing website.

If you’ve never created your own online course before, that process can also be a simple one. All you need are knowledge about web design and your own pedagogical approach which breaks down the information into neat, well-ordered steps, allowing students to gain the skills they need in a logical fashion, and to test them out. An LMS online course which is dynamic and allows for trial and error will make all the difference in this aspect.

There are a few great options for course creation toolkits out there. Some LMSs provide tools and applications for web design courses such as Rapid Intake Unison, which allow designers and subject matter experts to collaboratively capture, storyboard, develop, review, test, and publish Flash-based courses—without having to know Flash. (Although most designers would probably know Flash, Fireworks and other programs, it’s not always necessary, either.)

Want to create tutorials for your web design online training? Some LMS course creation kits include tools like BB FlashBack, which allows you to create professional tutorials and polished presentations. Simple-to-use editing tools are one benefit of such applications in an LMS creation toolkit.

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Coggno.com offers world-class LMS platform.

December 30th, 2010 by Robin Green

It’s that time of year again; a moment for reflection and action. For many both course content creators and learners, the new year signals an opportunity to renew dedications to projects, loved ones, work, or other areas of one’s life. And as we know, it’s also an important time to renew or develop commitments to oneself.

During the new year many people set plans in motion to improve the quality or change the direction of their own lives. One of the most common ways that people go about their self-improvement projects is with the body: becoming more physically active and improving one’s diet.

The key is to have a strategy. Among the strategies of losing weight and becoming a fitter and more mobile person, taking an online LMS course is a great option for many people. There are many benefits to online fitness programs. First, well-designed programs help individuals to begin a workout and diet plan that has been researched and proven to provide results. All too often, individuals set out on their own without any guide, and the consequences can be negative.

Without information on how to balance one’s diet, gradually increase workout activities, and other basic fitness program tenets, individuals run a huge risk of injury or setting themselves up for failure. We all need guidance, and LMS online programs can provide that.

Another benefit of LMS fitness courses is that they are private and customized. Fitness goals are as varied and unique as the people who create them; some of us want to lose 5 pounds, some 50. Some want to get into shape or train in order to run a marathon or climb a mountain, while others want to create a daily regimen which will last a lifetime and gradually become more demanding and fortifying. Some people are interested in increasing muscle tone and strength, and the capacity to burn fat. Others want to improve their heart health or manage stress.

Another reason for beginning and online fitness course is the desire to revitalize workout routines or dietary habits which have lost their energy, or have become too routine. Online trainers are often available via an LMS online course to help with many of these issues.

The new year is traditionally a time to put fresh energy into one’s commitments, and to begin new commitments altogether. Signing up for LMS online training can be the first step to accomplishing a variety of goals, and at a much lower cost than personal trainers or other costly programs.

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Coggno.com offers high-quality LMS platforms.