Taking Operations to the Next Level
The core to any successful operation is having strong people, process, and technology; however, the magic of taking an operation to the next level happens when these three are in continuous discovery and improvement.
People: Your greatest asset and investment
Motivated, happy people are the key to the success of your operation. Invest early and often in your greatest assets as they run the engine of today and will develop into your future leaders.
PEOPLE FOCUS:
- Balance the hiring and promotion of talent, internally and externally
- Develop leadership, managerial and influencing skills in addition to job skills
- Recognize successes, great and small
Process: Staying ahead of change
Processes that once worked well must be challenged as your products, business, industry, and environment evolve. Client and customer needs change over time and so must the processes that support them.
PROCESS FOCUS:
- Map and monitor your processes to understand efficiencies and waste
- Incorporate Voice of the Customer (VoC) into end-to-end operational feedback loops
- Continuously monitor Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as well as metrics
Technology: Enabling better outcomes
Technology is the great enabler for monitoring processes and outcomes and identifying new opportunities for greater productivity. Balancing technology with talented people is the sweet spot that helps to define and differentiate a company’s brand, experience and identity.
TECHNOLOGY FOCUS:
- Connect your people through visual management tools, physically and digitally
- Automate the easy and simple for your customers and employees
- Utilize your people over technology to solve for the more complex problems that require integrative thinking and emotional intelligence (EQ)
A maniacal focus on continuous improvement is essential for any operation to get to the next level. Never stop improving, working to do things better and faster than yesterday. The small changes add up to the big wins. Analyze the data, listen to your customers, and leverage your team’s strengths to fuel positive change. Identify opportunities, prioritize them, and deliver – over and over again. This will drive a competitive advantage and elevate your operation to the next level.