It’s no fun to dwell on the negatives but plugging the holes in your organization’s inefficiencies is the only way to expand productivity and realize growth. If you’re challenged by creating a sizeable, relevant advantage for your business, something that distinguishes what you offer from everyone else, you must start with the basics. Ask yourself these questions:
- Where are you spending most of your time?
- Are there tasks you perform manually that could easily be automated?
- Are there specific responsibilities that take you longer to complete than they should?
- What’s missing from your sales process, your hiring/firing process, or the way you market your business?
After answering these questions, carve out some time with your team to evaluate your Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) manual to see if there are other inefficiencies preventing your business from scaling. To pinpoint gaps, go through each functional area, including finance, sales, human resources, communication, technology, and marketing. Plus, measure the outputs in each area. Are the outputs leading to successful outcomes, or do they lack quality?
Most small businesses lose one-third of their operating costs to inefficiencies. For instance, repetitive manual tasks can have error rates as high as 40%.
Poorly managed meetings, teams working in silos, unclear communication or expectations, and outdated tools are other hindrances that slow down growth and often negatively impact morale. Once you’ve evaluated your processes, ask every team member to list three that need improving, along with three solutions. Prioritize the changes and determine who or what can help.
Pinpointing your organization’s inefficiencies is a growth exercise for taking your business to the next level. The sooner you remove the clutter, fill the gaps, and determine improvements, the sooner you can start measuring what works.
If you’d like to learn more about our outsourcing solutions and how we can help you pinpoint your inefficiencies, contact us at info@allorasg.com.