6 Steps to Streamlining Your Business Processes

Small businesses have to find ways to streamline business activity to keep afloat, and these are some simple ways to do that.

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As a small business owner, you often use dozens of processes to get things done and give you a competitive advantage in the market. Most of these processes are repetitive. For instance, you may go through the same steps each time you handle a customer complaint, package goods, contact customers or manufacture a new product. Sometimes these processes can be inefficient and costly.

Here are ways to streamline them so that you can keep pace in a competitive business world.

Document the process

You need to take time and study your business processes comprehensively. Identify those that need improvement. Document each step of the processes in a flowchart or any other diagram that can give you a clear picture of each phase involved. Explore each step keenly. This is important because some steps contain several segments you must be aware of. Consult those who use the same processes so that you don’t miss anything vital.

Evaluate the process

Analyzing the process allows you to align your current operations with the existing and new business strategies. You also get to improve communication between the processes and increase control and consistency. Investigate the problems that usually arise in the process and what contributes to them. Get to know at what points the team members and customers become frustrated. Determine the steps where the quality goes down and the costs go up. Identify the steps that consume a lot of time and cause unnecessary delays. Ask why the delivery was late, the job took longer than expected, the printer ran out of ink, or why the last-minute order consumed a lot of resources. Answering these questions will help you get to the root of the problem quickly.

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Map out a new process

You may need to remove existing processes and come up with a new one. In doing this, your main aim should be to eliminate the problems you have discovered. It is highly recommended to work with the members who are directly involved in the process. They can help you with new ideas and approaches. They are also more likely to adapt to the redesigned system without further training. Make sure each one of them understands the core function of the process. Encourage them to give ideas. Note down these ideas without considering the costs involved. Carry out a risk and impact analysis to understand the full effects of the new process.

Acquire the resources for implementation

You need to get the resources you require to ensure the new process becomes successful. The resources will be used during implementation. Make a comprehensive list of everything you will need. This may include additional equipment, guidance from other departments, and labor. Ensure you explain to the team and the finance department how the new process will improve the profitability of the organization.

Implement the process

Implementation is the most challenging step. You need to ensure the new process is fully compatible with other operations. Implementing it may involve changing the existing systems, processes and teams. Make sure that everybody in the organization is comfortable with the changes.

Monitor the process

It is not a guarantee that the process will work perfectly right from the start. You need to constantly monitor it in the weeks and months that follow. This will enable you to determine whether the new process is performing up to its expectations. You will also get a chance to fix the problems that may occur.

The bottom line

Make it your priority as a business owner to streamline your operations. One of the businesses the has benefited from streamlined processes is Nu Skin. Check out Nu Skin reviews to see how the company is effectively using streamlined processes to provide incredible value to customers. If Nu Skin, which is a large business, has managed to streamline its processes, then small businesses should be able to do so with even more ease.

By  Jamison Hutton	Embed
Jamison Hutton is a car enthusiast and small business consultant. He's a freelance journalist and loves writing about peoples small business dreams. He lives in Houston, Texas with his wife and son.