HallMark Use MindGenius to Make a Difference

The challenge was to deliver improved quality at reduced cost. Rather than short-term cost reduction, HallMark differentiated itself by focusing on the retention and development of staff, developing well trained, supported and empowered professionals who could make better more consistent decisions on site.

John Gerard, Managing Director of HallMark said:
“The pressure to provide more for less is a fact of life for us and many other organisations today. I wanted to look closely at what we do, and identify ways we could improve our processes as well as diversify into areas where we had not traditionally operated.”

“We started a program of process improvement, and MindGenius is ideal for going through an initial creative stage and then being able to easily move into the action planning and project management stages.”

“I’d tried a number of mind-mapping and project management tools, but I found them a bit clunky, or their functionality was too simple or too complex. MindGenius was really straightforward, with mapping and project management operating in tandem. The support was terrific, really fast and helpful, and the price was what I needed if I wanted to roll out for managers across the organisation.”

After using MindGenius for a short time John, recognising the benefits and value of the tool and its application, made the decision to obtain additional MindGenius licences for himself and his Senior Management Team. 

In line with their strategic objectives and with a clear focus on increasing collaboration and creativity, implementing change and process improvement in their key performance areas, John also decided to build on the success of MindGenius as purely a product offering.

He engaged the services of MindGenius’ Client Development Services on a training and consultancy basis.

As well as highly beneficial MindGenius product training days, what evolved out of MindGenius Client Development Services working closely with John and his Senior Management Team was:

·  particular focus on their “Dashboard” of Key Performance Areas

· building methodologies around how best to integrate MindGenius as a way of working for management meetings; identifying priorities; clearer decision making; task allocation and management

· creating focussed Project Plans arising out of applying the MindGenius “Models of Excellence” methodology (a major requirement)

Recruitment PlusA workshop, coinciding with a team building and Conference weekend, was arranged. This included John and all the HallMark Senior Management Team, and was facilitated by MindGenius (Client Development Services).

The event focussed on all of Hallmark’s strategic objectives and, using MindGenius live throughout the workshop to capture all the conversations, ideas and input, the team worked collaboratively and creatively to emerge with “Models of Excellence” and Improvement Project Plans for the main areas for process improvement.

The event acted as the catalyst for members of the Senior Management Team to take ownership of key areas of business improvement, with one taking a lead role as overall project manager.

“We’re using MindGenius for a wide variety of uses across the organisation now – from process improvement, to developing our responses to tenders which we can quickly ‘translate’ into operational instructions and project plans”

“MindGenius grows on you. If I have something I need to think about or plan, a meeting or a new problem I’ve not faced before, the first thing I fire up is MindGenius, blast out my thoughts and organise myself properly.”