Four simple steps to make your business a success

With 20 years of experience in the field of organisational consultancy, I keenly understand the challenges and opportunities faced by organisations. During this time, I have supported many companies from across a wide range of industries in optimising their structures and workflows. If I were to boil down all that I learnt over the years, I would say this: there are four key steps that act as signposts to guide organisations along the path towards greater efficiency and success.

Today’s business world is dynamic and full of challenges. But with the right approach, companies of all sizes from across all economic sectors can lay the foundation for long-term success. Four steps are critical here. These steps, which I will describe in this blog post, are the culmination of decades of hands-on work and experience. The goal in each of these steps is to identify an organisation’s strengths and weaknesses and lay out a clearly defined path to growth and innovation.

In this blog post, I will explore each of these steps in greater detail and provide examples from real-life situations to illustrate ways you can take these steps in order to bring about radical change. The path to optimising your organisational structures starts here.

Step 1: Overview – map structures and processes

The first step in optimising your organisational structures is to create a clear overview. This involves visualising the organisation’s current structures and processes in a process map. The map is a tool for employees that allows them to understand the processes at the company and see how everything is connected.

As an example, let us take TechSolutions, a company that – by creating a process map – discovered that a handful of departments were doing the same work while others were experiencing bottlenecks. By having this brought to light, the company was able to reallocate resources systematically and increase its efficiency.

Step 2: Optimise core processes – focus on sales

The main focus of step 2 is on optimising core processes, with a special focus on sales. The aim here is to analyse the processes that have a direct impact on customer interactions. Having effective sales processes is critical because they generate turnover.

GlobaTrade, a company that helps businesses go global, is a prime example here. By restructuring and streamlining their sales processes, they were able to reduce lead times and significantly improve customer satisfaction.

Step 3: Automate routine processes – focus on HR management

In step 3, the focus is on automating routine processes, especially in the area of HR management. Automation of tasks like time keeping, requests for time off and payroll accounting can free up precious time for strategically important activities.

An example is HealthCare Plus, a medical supply company. Through the rollout of an automated HR system, they have been able to reduce the time required for administrative tasks and focus more on developing medical services.

Step 4: Scale and innovate

Step 4 focuses on scaling and innovation. Once the basic processes have been optimised, it is time to take the business to the next level. A few ways to do this are by launching new products, tapping new markets and deploying innovative technologies.

A great example of this is GreenEco, a start-up focused on sustainable packaging solutions. They have continuously rolled out innovative new materials and designs, which has enabled them to expand their portfolio and support efforts in their industry to become more environmentally friendly.

Towards a more efficient future

Bearing in mind that continuous improvement is the key to long-term success, we will conclude by reflecting on the key steps organisations can take to become more structured and efficient.

To create an efficient, successful business, you need a structured approach based on best practices and continuous change. The four steps outlined above offer companies a clear course of action to optimise their workflows, make better use of their resources and ultimately become more competitive. Before you can take these steps, you need a clever strategy along with dedicated staff, an openness to change and a willingness to scrutinise the status quo.

While every organisation is unique, the common principles laid out in these steps provide a solid foundation for progress and growth. The examples and success stories I presented here describe how companies have followed these steps to overcome obstacles, capitalise on opportunities and ultimately achieve their goals.

As an experienced organisational consultant, I firmly believe that applying these steps – obtain an overview, optimise core processes, automate routine processes and focus on scaling and innovation – can help companies boost their performance and succeed in the long term. By working constantly to improve our organisations, we can lay the foundation for a bright future where efficiency, creativity and success go hand in hand.

Conclusion

Structuring a business to succeed requires careful planning and implementation. The four steps presented here provide a clear and simple roadmap for optimising structures, streamlining processes, increasing efficiency and ultimately fostering innovation and growth. Creating a clear overview, improving core processes, automating routine processes and, last but not least, scaling and innovation are all ways a company can boost their competitiveness and ensure their long-term success. The case studies illustrate how these steps can be put into practice to bring about positive change.

What we have to offer

adesso offers companies the exact support they need to implement organisational diagnostics. We use our experience and expertise to help companies optimise their structures and processes and improve their performance. We would love to hear from you if you are also interested in working with us or have further questions about organisational diagnostics.

I hope this blog post has given you an insight into organisational diagnostics and encouraged you to try it out in your company. After all, you have to be aware of your strengths and weaknesses if you want to continue working on them and achieve long-term success.

Please do not hesitate and contact us to take your company or department to the next level.

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