Ever wondered why we can drive up to a window and get a perfectly cooked burger on a fresh roll with all the trimmings within 2 minutes but it takes 30 minutes for staff to find a Home Affairs document that has taken 8 weeks to produce? It’s about systems and processes.
Burger King gets it. Home Affairs doesn’t. Is your business a Burger King or another Home Affairs Department?
Why are systems and processes so important?
By investing time and money in systems, you will increase your efficiencies in the business. When you spend less time on repetitive tasks, it increases your capacity to take on more business. And more business means more profit.
Systemising your business also results in less mistakes and room for error. It means you do things properly the first time, resulting in less wastage. And less wastage means more profit.
Proper systems and processes provide a smoother and better experience for the customer who will be impressed by the professional nature in which they are dealt with. It gives the impression of a well-oiled machine that provides service that the customer is justified in recommending to others. And more customers means more profit.
There is no doubt in my mind that good systems and processes are the backbone of a high performance team. If you want happy, satisfied and proud employees with high morale, give them systems and processes to follow that make their lives easier and their days more productive. And more productivity means more profit.
Having systems in place unchains the business owner and frees you up to work ON the business, rather than IN it. Systems help you gain control of the business because you have a tried and tested way of doing things that doesn’t require your constant attention. And more time to work ON the business means more profit.
Systems and processes get your business working smarter, not harder.
Here are some tips I give my business coaching clients:
- Create templates for documents / emails / scripts / proposals or anything you need to produce again and again. Reinventing the wheel every time is one of the biggest time gobblers in most businesses.
- Automate what you can. Any task that can be implemented on auto pilot will make your business more efficient.
- Document every major task for every role in the business so there is a clear process for the way things are done.
- Use technology. There are so many apps and online software packages that can probably do exactly what you need to get more organised.
- Create checklists to ensure things don’t fall through the cracks.
- Use electronic platforms for admin upfront to eliminate the need for data capture.
- Remove unnecessary red tape. Make it as easy as possible for customers to do business with you.
This newsletter was pre-loaded on our automated Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, and scheduled to be emailed to our database while I take a few days off with my family. You’ve got to love systems and processes.
Please contact me for assistance to map your business systems and processes. Have a great weekend.
