| Business processes exist in every business from | | | | performance appraisals. A lot of organizations say |
| paying invoices to delivering the products or services. | | | | they are performance driven, but when you look at |
| However identifying, documenting and enforcing | | | | the job descriptions to the actual performance |
| these sequential step by step course of actions | | | | appraisal process there exists numerous gaps. When |
| appear to be the last concern for many firms and is | | | | gaps happen, there is backward movement |
| the biggest productivity drainer not to mention the | | | | happening. The result continues the drain on |
| loss to the bottom line. | | | | productivity not to mention profits. |
| The word process has Latin origins from the word | | | | With some small business owners looking to the |
| proceed which means "to go forward." Process is | | | | future and possibly selling their enterprises, the lack |
| often used interchangeably with the word system; | | | | of process documentation is a real deal breaker to |
| however they do not mean the same thing. | | | | making the sale. What I share with my clients is that |
| "System" from its Greek roots means to set | | | | when you open your business you should plan on |
| together. From an organizational perspective, the | | | | selling you business. Document all of your daily |
| system is the plan while the process is the action | | | | operations actions from billing to following all sales |
| necessary to make the plan work. | | | | leads. Challenge how you have done it (whatever |
| One way to determine if such actions are truly | | | | actions you take on a daily basis) to make sure your |
| moving forward is to listen for one of these two | | | | processes are both efficient (doing things right) and |
| frequently made remarks: | | | | effective (doing the right thing). Business training |
| | | | coaching tip: Succession leadership planning is a must |
| 1. "This is how we have always done it." | | | | for any organization from the micro to the macro. |
| 2. If it ain't broke, why fix it?" | | | | Business processes or would you prefer the phrase |
| When I hear these words, I usually know that: | | | | Systems Operations are continually evolving because |
| - The process has not been recently been reviewed | | | | change is happening at whirlwind speed. How you |
| - There is probably no documentation of the actions | | | | move forward today will potentially change in the |
| - Change and innovation are not on the immediate | | | | next 6 months to 2 to 5 years. Again, you must be |
| landscape | | | | ahead of the flow instead of being in the flow if you |
| Another area where there is failure is within | | | | wish to not only to survive, but also to thrive. |