| Your business could fail if you do not have in place | | | | task which will ensure that it is performed to a high |
| the correct process controls this is simply a fact. In | | | | standard each and every time. Such a control will also |
| this article I am going to explain in detail some | | | | enable you to audit your work as well, so if there are |
| common issues. | | | | weaknesses and failures you can address them. |
| Before I get going it does seem sensible to give you | | | | Now so far I have spoken in general terms and need |
| a brief overview of my experience in order to | | | | to give you an example. I am going to do this using |
| reassure you that I am qualified to write on this | | | | an example that is specific to my own industry the |
| topic. For the last two decades I have been involved | | | | direct mail industry. |
| in the management of a very successful direct mail | | | | In my industry we create mailing packs in bulk for |
| production company. Each campaign has so many | | | | our clients. To produce each pack we have to use |
| variables that the failure to have robust systems | | | | the correct client data for addressing, we also need |
| would have meant disaster. | | | | to ensure that we insert the right leaflets and |
| In case you are wondering let me explain what I | | | | brochures in each pack. In order to ensure we do |
| mean by process controls. All businesses have key | | | | this properly we operate a stringent checking and |
| tasks that they repeat over and over again. These | | | | control system. This includes adding a sequential |
| may be administrative or production orientated. In its | | | | number to every record on the address list. We also |
| basic form a process control is checklist which you | | | | re-name the list itself using a code that relates to the |
| use to ensure that you do the most important | | | | job number for that particular mailing. This means that |
| elements of each one of these tasks accurately. | | | | at any point we can check and see that we are |
| The bottom line is that if you do not have a system | | | | using the correct list and inserts instantly. As a result |
| in place for controlling each one of these task there | | | | our error rate has dropped massively, which in turn |
| is a good chance you are going to have problems | | | | means we retain our clients and do not end up |
| with both the quality and consistency of your output. | | | | having to issue credits on invoices. |
| So you need to create a process control for each | | | | |