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The way we live and do business alters constantly, which is why process change is often a matter of necessity.
We all need to evolve and change in order to meet new realities. For instance, it would have been impossible 20 years ago to foresee the role smartphones, apps and advanced printers would play in business, but here we are with all this technology at the forefront.
It’s likely that you’ll know when the time is right to make the change but it’s not always so easy to take action. Here’s 6 practical ‘do this now’ tips to get started:
1. Start by identifying what needs to change
In some cases, asking employees and even customers can help you identify areas of change and a collaborative approach can help you solve it.
However, an objective opinion on what needs improving will also go a long way, which is why it’s a good idea to engage with an external consultant or company that can help to streamline and optimise your operational processes.
2. Assess the opportunities
Successful businesses take a long time to build, which is why you need to weigh the relative benefits, level of support and dependencies when deciding which processes to change.
Consider the degree of difficulty each change would represent and the resources you’ll need. It’s also important to decide whether the change centres on several small areas of improvement or one major issue.
3. Get real: what do you have the power to change?
You can only change the areas of your business where you wield influence - there’s no changing the whims of the economy.
If you believe a change in process will help you grow your business this year, you need to include in the plan what you’ll do to get there. Is it a new invention, piece of equipment or sales platform, or even just a new way of thinking?
When considering process change, look at all areas of improvement in your products, pricing, marketing and services, but focus on the areas over which you have ultimate control.
4. Put in place a measurable, time-based plan
Let’s say your plan is to improve the customer retention rate by automating email campaigns that would normally be sent manually.
To measure the success of this process change, you’ll need to create targeted metrics for those campaigns (which will also provide a timetable for delivery). Without them, success simply can’t be measured.
5. Make it part of your daily routine
For process change to be sustainable, it needs to become a habit.
This might be via daily reminders, random post-it notes or ‘carrot-and-stick’ rewards for milestones achieved. Whatever you do, make the new process part of your life and in time, make it part of your company’s culture!
6. Don’t avoid roadblocks
Process change is challenging. You’ll be changing tasks and procedures that have become embedded within the fabric of the business.
You’ll hit roadblocks along the way, but it's vital that you face them head-on. It’ll take persistence, patience and a desire to have new experiences, but the more challenges you uncover, the more chance you’ll have of success in the long run.
Are you in need of business process change?
No matter what the catalyst for change is in your business, it’s time to act.
If you’re not satisfying customers in the way you once were, or your office technology is creating bottlenecks, use the six considerations above to start the process of successful change.
