Tired of Putting Out Fires? Discover How a Business Process Manual Brings Order
If you’ve ever had someone drop the ball on a customer follow up, do something that caused a customer complaint, take longer than expected to complete a task or do things in a completely different way than you asked then chances are this is not a “people” problem but a systems problem.
While that might surprise you, I can personally vouch for this to be true. If something wasn’t done properly then the majority of the time it wasn’t the fault of the employee but rather the fault of the company who failed to provide the proper instructions or training for the employee to follow.
If you run a business then you know that every day multiple actions and transactions take place to achieve an outcome.
Your goal as a business owner or manager is to ensure that the outcomes of each of your business activities meet your company’s standards and goals on a consistent basis no matter what you sell.
Why? Because your business reputation depends on it.
Love or hate fast food chains like McDonalds but the one competitive advantage they have over other food outlets is product consistency. If you buy a big Mac then you know exactly what you’re getting because every time you order one, it’s the same. It looks and tastes the same, it’s packaged and delivered in the same consistent way no matter which outlet you attend or who takes your order.
These companies have dominated the fast food industry simply by implementing remarkable business systems that their thousands of employees follow every day.
They’re smart. They know what customers want and that is:
Clarity – your customer knows exactly what they’re buying and
Consistency – it’s delivered in the same way each time
Two simple but powerful ways to keep your customers happy and coming back for more.
Have you ever been to a restaurant for the first time? Where the meal and service was sooo good that you decided to go back a few weeks later just to find the experience totally different? Embarrassing isn’t it?
You’ve raved to your friends about the vibe of the place and how great the food is only to be completely disappointed with what you got the second time round. Because you now know that there’s no guarantee you’ll have a great experience, you’re not likely to refer people there again.
These are the kind of customer reactions that happen every day when they engage with your business. You’re either wowing them with your service or they’re leaving disappointed never to return. It doesn’t matter if they’re had one good experience, if it’s not consistent then confidence is lost for good.
Enter – Business Systems and Processes
If you don’t have clear, documented systems and processes for your business in an easily accessible place then you’re leaving more than just money on the table.
It’s your reputation as well.
More benefits of having Standardised Business Systems and Operating Procedures (SOPs)
🛠Organisation:
Documented Business Systems and operating procedures contain all the information your company and team needs to operate successfully and to achieve business outcomes
🛠Efficiency:
Your team can save time when they have questions about workflows or procedures, because the answers are documented. They can follow the steps outlined in the document rather than searching through various files and resources to find information or having to ask someone else
🛠Work quality:
Business processes include the quality standards the company expects its employees to meet and how to do it. Work output improves and is more consistent as a result.
🛠Employee training:
As your company grows, you will need to hire and train new employees quickly. If you have documented instructions for all tasks, they can use it to learn their roles and responsibilities quickly and efficiently
🛠Employee Empowerment:
Employees can refer to the documents instead of asking their managers for help. Similarly, supervisors can trust their employees to do quality and accurate work without constant management because they have a resource to refer to
🛠Improvement:
Use the documents to identify areas needing improvement, and update them regularly to reflect those improvements. SOP’s can help determine specific roles in your business which form a great foundation for job descriptions and make hiring for these roles easier.
🛠Sale Value:
Having a clearly documented Blueprint for how your business runs will make your business more attractive and valuable to future buyers.
You can pretty much guarantee that if you come across a highly reputable business with great customer service, it’s likely highly systemised. Nothing is left to chance and there’s an SOP for everything – inside their Business Playbook
📗The Business Operations Manual (Playbook)
A business operations manual houses all your company’s processes, policies and Standard Operating Procedures in one place.
- It explains how the business operates in alignment with its company values and mission and the role each person plays.
- It answers questions such as what the company does, how it does it and why.
- Its purpose is to help companies run smoothly and effectively and achieve quality outcomes
If your business doesn’t have documented “how to’s” for every activity you and your staff perform then you should make this project a priority.
Don’t know how to do it or get started? Need some help?
Click on the image to Grab the Free Guide 👉
