Why your company needs to optimise its systems Editor Businesses can always be more efficient. Optimisation means analysing your systems and processes to see where issues lie. Once these are identified, business leaders can establish new methods for making the company more efficient and cost effective. Optimisation can include changing some of these systems and practices or shifting some tasks from manual to automated. It could mean increasing sales through better understanding of what your customer needs and, therefore, enhancing their experience. Optimisation can also include reducing waste or costs and increasing the level of performance all round. If there are blocks in efficiency due to poor communication or a non-aligned culture, optimisation would mean improving on the human and resource capital already in place. This can yield greater results. There are a number of key benefits for a company that optimises its systems. Optimise for efficiency The first and most obvious outcome of optimising your business is improved efficiency. This could impact the time it takes to complete a task. For example, shifting from manual to automated systems frees up an employee to focus on other tasks that could yield more value for the business. Completing projects faster has a huge impact on the use of your employees’ time as well as your delivery cycle to clients. Similarly, minimising wastage of time and resources affects your profit margin as well as your employees’ morale. It is important to note that optimising doesn’t necessarily mean allocating less – be it time or resources – to something. A Harvard Business Review article on the subject reminds us that some costs, such as extra staffing, higher salaries or increased training, can actually lead to a more efficient and highly functional system. Optimise systems for better innovation and adaptability In today’s economic climate, being change-ready and prepared to pivot can mean the difference between becoming extinct or thriving in a whole new way. If your systems and processes are optimised and streamlined, your business is much more likely to adapt and innovate as needed – allowing for rapid action and smart decisions and being able to take unforged pathways to meeting your business goals. Having access to relevant and updated information is crucial in being able to understand where things are and aren’t working. This serves to avoid poor decisions and knowing where to focus for improvement. If your data processes are optimised to the extent that they are automated, streamlined or at least prompt, it equips your employees with what they need to deliver on their mandate accurately and timeously. Optimise your performance management If you have systems in place to monitor and track your employees’ progress and performance, you are able to identify problems before they hold you back. This enables you to offer support, continuous improvement and, where necessary, take steps to manage poor performance. It also ensures that you can acknowledge and encourage star performance. Optimising your performance management approach means improving your human capital. All of the above point to the same outcome – an all-round improvement in your bottom line. Reducing waste, errors and saving time, combined with a more consistent and engaged employee performance all have a massive impact on customer experience, which in turn leads to increased customer loyalty and profit margins. Why optimise your systems and processes? An article in Forbes states: “Most business teams want to improve performance. More customers. High profits. Lower overhead. The metrics may vary, but improvement is always the goal.” An optimised business performs better, is more reliable, safer and able to compete more effectively in the marketplace. It is so much more than how you manage your day-to-day business. Optimising means having your team working on the right things, focussing resources in the right places, using what you have wisely and efficiently. It is the way to ensure your business survives and thrives in the future. Process and system optimisation with Can!do With analytical software and methodologies, Can!do provides insight into accurate and real time metrics that enables you to monitor and adjust your unique systems and processes to achieve optimum results. Our solutions report on anomalies and exceptions as they arise so that you can take early corrective actions. Reporting like this will improve your process adherence and leads to an increase in your business efficiencies and decisions. For more information about our services, please contact us today. ___ Can!do works with large enterprises in South Africa to maximise the value of their employees, technology and business processes. To do this, we offer three fundamental services; change management, capability development and performance optimisation. We have 30 years of experience in these fields and have worked with leading companies in South Africa. We are a certified Level 2 B-BBEE company and a leading provider of new business systems and processes that drive user adoption. For industry insights and news, please follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Contact Us