There certainly is a lot of talk about process and how it can help you escape the chaos in the business and grow more organically.
We find that most companies don’t have documented procedures or processes. Most are impromptu and almost tribal in the knowledge and the practices they deploy. This leaves them open to many errors, inefficiencies and costs (aka waste).
First, there are over 20 to 30 basic processes that should be documented in a CI business. A starter list is included at the end of this article. But how should one capture the essence in a way that the processes get visibility and use? And more importantly, how do they get ingrained in what you do?
First, let’s start by saying process development should be a team sport. No corner office guru can do it alone. And if they could, there would be no buy-in or level of importance assigned to it.
Process is nothing more than describing the steps required to get to a desired result: each step having an output and becoming the input to the next step. Good processes achieve the right results every time and reduce the chance of error and inefficiency.
Second, choose a method for discussing and capturing processes that fits your organization. A simple step sequence can be a good beginning. I prefer a process map where responsibilities are highlighted in “swim” lanes and flows are indicated graphically.
Don’t try to conquer the world all at once. Take a process or two and work through them. Let them marinate with the team and revisit them for improvement and expansion of detail.
If done well, you will get a truly motivated team committed to following and improving the process. It’s not about perfection, it’s about getting everyone on the same page.
Agree on a roadmap of the processes that are the most important to the business and work to get to all of them sooner than later.
LIST OF PROCESS CANDIDATES
CLIENT EXPERIENCE
MARKETING
SELLING
RE-ENGAGEMENT
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
DESIGN & PROPOSAL
WORK DOCUMENTS
CONTRACTS, BILLING, COLLECTION
PROJECT TRACKING
- Production Scheduling
- Production Purchasing
- Production Warehouse/Staging
- Production Project MGMT
- Production Field Reporting
- Production Billing
HUMAN RESOURCES
- HR Admin of Benefits
- HR Hiring
- HR Review Performance
- HR Developing Skills
- HR Terminating Employees
FINANCIAL
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
BUSINESS MODEL DESIGN/DEVELOPMENT
SALES OPPORTUNITIES & PIPELINE
SERVICES
SERVICE PLANS MGMT
SERVICE CALLS
MONITORING & MANAGED SERVICES
Stay VITAL and great success with your process approach!