Processes are the framework on which successful businesses are built.
But a surprising number of businesses operate with outdated, inefficient and undocumented processes.
The result is thousands of wasted hours, endless headaches and countless dollars lost.
In this article, you are going to learn:
Process by design
You only benefit from processes when they are well planned and executed.
Unfortunately, most operational processes develop organically rather than by deliberate planning.
You know how it goes.
A problem is called.
Something needs to be done, and you start doing it.
It works well enough, so you keep doing it that way.
Write it down and no! A process was born.
But after spending more than a million hours helping Prialto members increase their productivity, we’ve learned one thing for sure:
Just because a process is established doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be improved.
Many processes are established without recognizing how each process fits into the company’s big picture goals.
And in most businesses, processes are not analyzed until major problems are discovered.
This is a very inefficient way to run your business.
The situation enters the danger zone as a business grows and needs change.
When processes are not constantly analyzed and updated to meet changing needs, they become as efficient as a modern car harnessed to a live horse.
Your business may continue to grow, but not nearly as much as you want.
It is better to locate the faults in the system ahead of time.
And that’s why regular process analysis is so important.
Related: How to create processes that improve your bottom line
Schedule a time to analyze the project
You already know it’s important to analyze your processes, so why aren’t you doing it?
Process analysis is often put on the back burner because it is not as urgent as other tasks.
This is a mistake you don’t want to make.
Regular process analysis is itself an essential process!
Nothing will get better unless you give it time.
And when it comes to processes, your company’s growth will be stunted if you don’t take the necessary time to evaluate what’s working and what isn’t.
Therefore, the first concrete step you should take is to schedule time in your calendar to regularly and systematically analyze each of your company’s processes.
“If you talk about it, it’s a dream, if you imagine it, it’s possible, but if you schedule it, it’s real.”
– Tony Robbins.
Related: 13 ways to take control of your executive diary management
The process of analyzing the process
How often should processes be analyzed?
There is no fixed rule for how often processes should be analyzed.
Still, it’s generally considered good practice to analyze your business operations every 6 to 12 months, as well as whenever your company undergoes a clear transition.
Once you’ve scheduled a process analysis, make the most of your time with a clear analysis plan.
Here are the questions you want to ask Like you analyze your business’ processes:
When you ask the right questions, you have the context you need to make the best decisions.
1. What external factors currently affect your business?
European Business Review I recommend that you start your analysis process by examining influential factors outside of your business.
A clear example is the impact that the epidemic had on the current activity.
But even in less extreme circumstances, the world is constantly changing, and these changes can change the needs and goals of your business.
Some influencing factors you want to look at include:
- Political leadership
- trade policy
- economic changes
- legislation
- cultural changes
- Social expectations (these can affect your company’s reputation, such as your company’s commitment to sustainability and social responsibility).
2. Is your business plan still appropriate?
Your business plan is your company’s plan from which all processes must be built.
Before you can analyze each individual process, it is essential that you first look at your business plan and make changes as needed.
This level of detail may feel tedious, but it will make your analysis process much smoother and more cohesive.
When you look at your business plan, here are some factors to consider:
- What are your company’s biggest strengths and weaknesses right now?
- Have your goals changed?
- Is it necessary to adjust goals based on the externalities you have identified?
- What changes, if any, need to be made to reach the current goals?
3. Next, analyze each process separately
If your company is large enough to include multiple departments, you can delegate the next steps of the analysis process to the relevant managers.
Each department needs to take the time to clarify its goals, make sure those goals align with the company’s big picture goals, and check that all processes serve those goals.
Here are some questions to ask:
- Is this process still relevant and necessary?
- What aspects of this process feel frustrating or time-consuming?
- How can this process be simplified?
- Are the right people responsible for this?
- Do work processes meet their goals?
- Is this process documented well enough for others to use?
Make process analysis part of your company culture
as per GallupEmployees thrive when they are engaged.
And engagement increases when they feel a sense of ownership of their work.
To this end, everyone in the company should be encouraged to analyze their processes and their daily workflows, and to speak and offer suggestions for improvement if they have something to share.
Strong businesses are organic and changing entities.
Just as a skyscraper must be flexible enough to bend in the wind, your business needs to be flexible enough to accommodate change or cracks will form.
Here at Prialto, we know it can take some time to establish, learn and document the processes of our new members.
But we also know that the time we invest in our members’ processes pays off exponentially as we continue to work together and refine our work.
And the same is true for your business.
It can be time-consuming (or even annoying!) to spend time analyzing your processes.
But the time you invest will always pay off, saving you more time and money overall.
Want to make your work even more efficient?
You can save hours of busy work every day by hiring a virtual assistant.
Learn more about Prialto’s managed virtual assistant service Mouth.
.png#keepProtocol "Drive Operational Efficiency with Managed Subscription Staffing for Executive Assistants")
