Mind mapping is a powerful approach to problem solving and business activities support

If you want to increase your creativity, to keep your plans and projects on one core vision, to find new brainstorming method – try to use mind mapping with new user-friendly Mind Pad 2.0.

Mind Pad Newsletter
Issue 4, July 5, 2005

Mind Pad News and Articles

The following mind mapping issues are discussed in this newsletter:

1)      AKS-Labs has released v 2.0 of Mind Pad, a .NET mind, process and concept mapping software for Windows

2)      Mind mapping is a tool for corporate using

3)      Interview With Tony Buzan from Management Consulting News

4)      Adopting process mapping in sales and marketing

5)      How to create a Cause-&-Effect Diagram as a mind map

Mind Pad 2.0 released

AKS-Labs has released v 2.0 of Mind Pad, a .NET mind, process and concept mapping software for Windows.

The new version suggest a new user-friendly and powerful approach to mind mapping. The first unique feature in Mind Pad 2.0 is ability to create 'Frames' - objects, where one can specify some properties.
Other new features are:

-         built in 'Person' frame. This frame is an object that allows to specify and represent information about person.

-         Image is another frame object available in Mind Pad. It was designed to represent pictures in Mind Pad. Use this type of objects to represent graphical information together with some descriptive comments. With Mind Pad 2.0 you can paste images to workspace and link them with some topics.

-         The new version of Mind Pad supports Image and Style libraries. Style library is a way to manage Mind Pad frame and link styles. You can copy style from library to project. Style in Mind Pad is a single file, so you can share it with others. Image library provides users with a way to apply small pictures (icons) to objects within map.

-         Mind Pad 2.0 suggest new techniques for managing frames and links. Now it allows writing text on links.

Also you can read about and try with Mind Pad new hot linking, tree layout algorithm, reporting feature and many other great possibilities.

See http://www.mind-pad.com/press/mind-pad-2-0.htm  

Mind mapping is a tool for corporate using

It's very impressive, how many different applications for corporate using mind mapping has. Usually, small team use of mind maps in a corporate context is the optimal. If you know this technique, it can help you in many corporate activities.

For example, different companies use mind mapping for:
- Business strategy development: process definition, strategy workshops and documentation;
- Business risk management: process definition, identification workshops, mitigation action tracking and management of the risk register;
- Business process improvement: AS-IS analysis, gap analysis, options analysis, TO-BE process definitions, walkthroughs, implementation and documentation;
- IT strategy and architecture development: process-information mapping, system-process mapping;
- Internet & Intranet site design, initial development;
- Big content management: visually tracking content development action;
- Contract & SLA development;
- Consultancy assignments: Scoping, research, workshop facilitation, documentation and reporting and so on.

Such a different mind maps applications are possible with Mind Pad, because in Mind Pad you can specify any object you need with any properties.

So, you can incorporate mind maps into many corporate processes. For example, you can use it with instructional design process.

Read about it here http://www.mind-pad.com/support/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=79  

Interview With Tony Buzan from Management Consulting News

For better understanding mind mapping principles and ways it works, you should know a lot about brain working and types of thinking

We know, that Tony Buzan invented a breakthrough thinking tool called the Mind Map.
Now we are use it in many parts of our life.
His main idea was that the words trigger the images in our mind, but the way we think is in those images and their associations.
Mind mapping allows us to use our verbal and numerical, plus adding the explosive power of our creative intelligence.

In interview Buzan talks about the way our brain works and how to use mind maps in your business and life.

See http://www.mind-pad.com/support/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=70 

Adopting process mapping in sales and marketing

Process mapping is a well-known technique, however, this technique hasn't been widely adopted by sales and marketing departments.

Michael J. Webb, President of Sales Performance Consultants, said: «Leaders in both large and small sales organizations often make mistakes that undermine the potential of process mapping. A common result, for example, is that salespeople ignore the process and operate outside the system».

Webb's four common mistakes that hinder success:
- Map all the details, losing track of the big picture.
- Focus on the seller, instead of the customer.
- Map the process without showing how the results will be measured.
- Buy somebody else's "ideal" sales process.

Webb's principles That Yield Powerful Results:
- Keep your goals in the foreground of your process map.
- Map tools, skills, and performance metrics along with the process.
- Engage your people in process mapping to define problems and solutions. This must be cross functional.
- Determine how to create value for the customer throughout the process.

See http://www.mind-pad.com/support/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=59 

How to create a Cause-&-Effect Diagram as a mind map

Many organizations know that quality improvement strategies are the way to perfect and standardize processes.

Here is the easy-to-follow instruction for practitioners on how to create a cause-and-effect diagram.

Step 1.
Create a new map with one central topic - it should be the main effect or problem.
For example, it could be “35% Decrease in Customer Satisfaction” as the main effect/problem name.

Step 2.
Then you should create first Main Cause Category. Main Cause Categories branch off the main effect or problem.
For example, it could be “Supply Chain Issues” as the 1st main cause category.

Step 3.
Creating additional Main Causes Categories - is just repeating these steps to add additional main causes.
For example, “Call Center issues” could be entered as an additional main cause.

Step 4.
Start to begin adding Sub-Causes that will branch off a main cause category
It could be "Supply Chain" and "Call center Issues".

Step 5.
After filling up your map, you should draw it up to make it more understandable and suitable for you

If you use Mind Pad, you can specify your map with concrete properties. Also, don’t forget to use images and icons (image is a special frame object available in Mind Pad) and select illustrative link styles.

See http://www.mind-pad.com/support/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=40 

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