Business Management - Productivity/Process Improvement

I met with several business associates and affiliates recently to plan an upcoming Webinar we had titled, "Boss in a Box,” a nickname some had given our software, System100, because it allows companies to operate AS IF the boss/owner has been cloned, so as to oversee every job at once. One associate, Merle, a business owner from Hendersonville, TN, is an authentic country boy (the real deal, y’all!), and amazingly good-natured about being called our “redneck millionaire,” due to his molasses-slow southern drawl, and his business success.

I have no problem with business owners who enjoy working in their companies as production managers, or wearing a multitude of hats. I know many owners who have been happy and successful operating their businesses that way. As for me,

There will be good days, and there will be bad days in setting up really workable systems for your business. You will encounter push back and, unfortunately, abuse. But, implementing and adhering to great systems proves the need of them in the end!

As our businesses grow, we tend to make do with the space and walls in place with very little thought given to the most efficient workflow. The anticipated expense and disruption of activity often prevents us from making the changes to work spaces and customer areas.

The industry continues to shrink, as evidenced by a brisk 2013 transaction season, capped by the jaw-dropping pickup of Consolidated Graphics by RR Donnelley. And while it was by far and away the biggest deal in '13, a glimpse at the PI 400 can provide further evidence of a shrinking market.

In my business—when we first put a system in place to measure ALL of our non-conformances—I was stunned, to say the least, at how much money we were losing on jobs having to be reworked; not to mention the other non-conformances plaguing our company.

In 2009, when the "great recession" hit, we lost a major part of our business, forcing us to reduce staff by more than half. I can tell you...that tipped our "cup" and put a strain on our remaining staff; also on our existing systems.

Good business sense and sensibility should tell us to understand why people react and behave as they do. We can then go about managing them in a way that will result in the most productivity, as well as career growth for the individual. It will cause us a lot less agony in dealing with them and wondering what we are doing wrong...nothing.

If you are struggling with disorder in your business or your home, I suggest you look into the "5s" program, a system of cleaning taught in lean management.

Having a higher calling and purpose than just making money should be important when we ponder our lives and contributions. My former boss and mentor Bill McIntyre was instrumental in developing a very concise mission statement for our company back in the early 1990’s. It is: To Enhance the Value of the Businesses We Serve. To us, it means much more than making money.