Many businesses have redundant processes that cause confusion and extra, unnecessary work. On a micro-scale, you may have an employee transferring data from one spreadsheet to another. On a macro-scale, you could have four hundred different processes for each of your four hundred unique clients.
Either way, redundant processes waste time, reduce efficiency, and suck the joy out of work.
In a recent interview, Adi Klevit, CEO of Business Success Consulting Group, spoke with John Lund, the founder of MyB2BCoach. John and Adi both work with businesses to improve their processes, and each shares a unique perspective on the problem of redundancy. Below are a few points from their discussion.
How to drop redundancy from your processes
Are you hoping to create a leaner, more efficient business in 2023? Follow these steps to drop redundancy, improve efficiency, and make working for your business more enjoyable for employees:
1. Examine processes that you already have in place.
Most companies have processes for a variety of tasks. Some of these processes are easy to follow and produce the intended result. Others are complicated, miserable to follow, and don’t work well. Examine your processes and put them in four buckets:
a. Processes that need revision.
b. Processes that suck the joy out of the day.
c. Repetitive process that should be automated.
d. Processes that are not yet documented.
2. Examine your software and other assistive programs.
In the interview, John said he finds many companies using fifteen or more programs that often overlap, meaning many businesses are paying thousands of dollars a month for redundant software. Don’t be one of those businesses.
Examine the software your company uses and find the redundancies. You may be paying for ClickUp, Trello, and Asana. Do you need three programs that do almost the same thing? Could you cancel two of those programs and buy a more robust version of one of them?
Most often, the answer to those questions is “Yes.”
The software and other assistive programs or devices (like scanners, printing equipment, etc.) you use are essential to your business processes. Determine which you will keep and which you will throw away now, before modifying your processes.
3. Take the time to implement your chosen software and hardware correctly.
Taking the time to get educated on, set up, and implement the software and hardware you chose will save you money and time in the long run. Use this process review to gain the education you and your team need to ensure the consolidation goes smoothly.
4. Tackle your four buckets.
Now that you know what software and hardware you’ll use, look at your four buckets. Solutions for each may become apparent as you simplify.
Additionally, here are some ideas for each category:
a. Processes that need revision.
Consider how the process needs to be revised. Does it need to be simplified? Are there many processes for the same action? (An example of this is if you have a specific process for each client.)
Once you’ve determined how to revise it, go ahead and do so – or have your team work through a revision.
b. Processes that suck the joy out of the day.
Some processes make the workday worse. For example, some processes do not take into account legally required breaks or processes are tedious and repetitive.
The best way to solve these process issues is to change how you do things. The question to ask yourself is, can I either make this fun or automate it? It’s possible that you are expecting people to do something a machine could do more effectively.
c. Repetitive process that should be automated.
You likely found several of these in the above section, but it’s worth automating processes that may be fun, but machines could do better. For example, your cashier may love math and might enjoy calculating the change customers need, but using a cash register will still be more efficient.
d. Processes that are not yet documented.
Your company has processes that are in place but still need to be documented. This will result in inconsistencies over time. It also makes things difficult if a key employee leaves unexpectedly or you’d like to sell your company. Documenting your processes leads to improving those processes, making your company saleable, and making onboarding easier.
Once you’ve reviewed these buckets, resolve the issues you see to build better, more efficient processes.
5. Commit to reviewing processes every six months or so to ensure they stay up-to-date and redundancies don’t sneak back in.
It would be nice to set up processes one time and then never have to worry about them again – but that’s not how companies work. The business world is dynamic and ever-changing. Your processes should update along with your company.
That’s why it’s crucial to commit to consistently reviewing processes to ensure they stay up-to-date. You will be surprised at how many processes are still working well, and how many need a simple adjustment to reflect software updates, new automation, or updated company goals.
Are you ready to build efficiency into your business? Get in touch with Business Success Consulting Group today for your free initial consultation.
