World Class Solutions

World Class Solutions (WCS) was founded in 1992 by Pat Hough to provide technical and management support for the increasing number of multinational companies entering the Irish market. The founding coincided with the start of the Celtic Tiger economy in Ireland.

Early History

Beginning in the summer of 1992 WCS began working with FAS (the state agency tasked with training and development) to develop distance-learning materials for Irish industry. WCS developed materials on a range of technical subjects including total quality management (TQM), statistical process control (SPC), Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) and business process re-engineering (BPR). They also provided training and consultancy services for multinational companies in several of these areas.

:In 1993 WCS worked with University College Galway (UCG) to redevelop materials for degree courses in the college. They also began working with multinational companies on the introduction of Multiskilling. This involves the widening of an employee’s skill base so they are able to carry out a range of tasks without needing technical assistance from others.

The Virtual Workplace

In 1995 WCS worked with a team of specialists and several semi-state bodies to develop an expert support-system for small and medium size enterprises (SMEs). A pilot project took place in the north of England and used video-conferencing technology to provide remote technical support. The project was described in a paper published in “The Virtual Workplace”.

:While continuing to support the management and technical development in multinational companies WCS also produced a series of web-based training modules for the Irish Management Institute (IMI). These provided essential management knowledge and support for small Irish indigenous companies. They also developed a separate module on creative problem solving and an evaluation instrument for management capabilities.

:In 1997 WCS founder Pat Hough wrote a book called “Adventures in Total Quality Management” to help introduce TQM techniques to a wider audience. The book was based in a fictitious company and demonstrated how internal politics and inertia can defeat change programmes unless active support is given from the top of the organisation.

RedLine FMEA

In 1998 WCS developed an intensive version of Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) for highly critical applications. This was called “RedLine FMEA” and was used by companies supplying hardware to industries like banking and insurance. A year later, in 1999 they developed a dedicated software programme to support the technique.

:In the following years the firm continued to work with both indigenous and multinational companies in Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe. They also continued their work with several universities including the development of a project management module for the University of Limerick (UCL).

WCS Graphic Documentation

In 2004 WCS introduced “WCS graphic documentation” (WGD) to clients who needed technical support in their operations, engineering and maintenance areas. WGD involves the analysis of a process, the capturing of relevant operations and technical information and the distribution of this information in graphical form.

3D Animated Presentation Research

In the early months of 2006 the firm began researching the use of graphical techniques to support companies who needed to make a persuasive case to potential customers. Building on their experience with WGD they developed the additional capability to build 3D animated graphic presentations.

:They also developed a framework to evaluate and capture the key elements of the business message. This framework requires the development of a personality profile for each of the key members of the audience and the use of visual metaphors to ensure the message is understood and retained.

Product Range

The firm now develops custom presentations for high-performance SMEs and multinationals. These presentations are used to communicate key selling points to both potential customers and investors.

:WCS updated their website in 2007 to reflect their increasing focus on supporting the presentation market. The site now contains many pages of advice and tips on how to develop an effective business presentation.

:The firm have also developed a range of stand-alone presentations using the same 3D technology used in their custom presentations. These are sold directly from the firm’s web site and are targeted at companies who cannot yet afford to develop custom presentations. They also offer both static and dynamic PowerPoint backgrounds for companies who still want to retain the Microsoft package.

The Future

In 2007 Enterprise Ireland (a state agency tasked with improving the effectiveness of Irish companies) accepted a proposal from WCS to conduct further research into the persuasive effects of images, colour and movement in business presentations. The firm is currently evaluating academic partners to conduct the research.

References

Hough, P., “Adventures in Total Quality Management”, Oak Tree Press 1997

Igbaria, M., & Tan, M., “The virtual workplace”, Idea Group Publishing 1998

* [http://www.eto.org.uk/etw96/news/reports/iereport.htm ETW96 Country Report - Ireland]

External links

* [http://www.wclass.com World Class Solutions Official website]