Published In:
Sun Herald - page 3 of My Career Date Published:
21st April 2002 Author:
Hannah Edwards
Showing others how to increase efficiency and effectiveness is all in a day's work for Steve Farrelly, Hannah Edwards writes.
COST consultant Steve Farrelly spends his days scrutinising the tiny elements that make up a business.
After his examination of costs incurred in areas such as cleaning, maintenance, stationery and travel, he must decide where the company can rejig its operations in order to boost its bottom line.
"We go in and look at the habits of organisations, the services that they use, the means they use to procure those, the goods and services they need," 51-year-old Farrelly said. "We see if they are operating, not only in the most efficient way, but also the most effective."
Farrelly, who works at Expense Reduction Analysts, said "little things" that are often overlooked could cost the company thousands of dollars.
The Sun-Herald took a peek inside his day.
6.30am:"I'm up just before 6.30am, turn on the home PC, and log on to the firm's intranet site. By 6.35am I've sent data on what I did yesterday and been updated about my colleagues' activities nationwide in the past day."
Farrelly then does a quick check of his finances over the internet.
"A direct payment has come in from a client overnight. I scribble a note to remind me to do the bookkeeping later."
After breakfast, Farrelly prioritises the day's appointments before working on a tender that is due in two days. It's then time to set off for the first appointment of the day.
8.40am
Farrelly calls the representative of a supplier.
"We chatted, then made an appointment to meet. It will be a courtesy visit, to talk about how best to work with her and her firm. My next call tells a colleague's voicemail that the firm has not decided to go with travel costs."
9.30am:
He arrives at a university for his first meeting.
"I was briefed on costs that the student union finance director wants to be researched. I promise to forward a draft of our standard agreement. I'll come back at a later time unobtrusively and inspect their invoices and copier locations to enable me to collect a year's data from their invoices across all of their suppliers."
12 noon:
It's time for a quick coffee and sandwich. Still on campus, Farrelly meets the university bookshop manager to discuss merchant card fees and a faster EFTPOS system.
"Like his staff, who are trying to provide textbooks and notes for new students, he is extremely busy. He agrees to set up a meeting with the finance director of the University Press. I make a note to follow him up."
4pm:
It's time for a quick check of the organiser.
After that, it's back to work on the tender he started in the morning.
5.45pm:
The tender is finished but not without interruption.
"I got no less than three telemarketers wanting to know collectively if my life would improve with a dozen bottles of wine, a new phone company and a free negative gearing seminar."
6.45pm:
Time to switch the work phone off for the day and think about his options for dinner.
