Business Management - Productivity/Process Improvement

People I meet in my travels as a systems guy are generally shocked to learn I was once an arguably well-known rock ’n’ roll singer, at least regionally. Everything our band did had to be voted on, even where we stopped to eat, what songs to play, who got to sing first, etc.

Michelle told us she’d been summoned to the human resources office and informed of her layoff “effective immediately.” She asked the manager, “How is the company going to service the remaining customers that have relied on me and my department?”

Many small businesses do a pretty good job of producing financial statements, but in my experience, few really use them to the fullest advantage. Often what’s missing are meaningful benchmarks by which to judge financial results.

The FUNDAMENTALS are the way a business runs/operates from the time it opens in the morning until the time it closes at night. It’s amazing how many companies do NOT take the time to consider these all-important details.

“Shoot-from-the-hip” job applicant interviews reveal very little of the information that needs to be known up front; information that is usually only found out after the person’s hiring. “I just go with a GUT FEELING, and I normally get it right!”

I’ve interacted with many management combinations at family-owned businesses, so I know first-hand the challenges they face. The main one is how to keep from permanently damaging relationships, as family members are in constant contact as they deal with the stresses of the business.

Kent, one of our clients, was on a tight deadline to update his company’s quality control systems, or risk losing a large share of his business. To Kent’s mind, that was “Never Never Land!” The largest hurdle to overcome was how to ensure the input of correct data.

Many companies are reassessing current business models and rethinking production operations to gain greater efficiency. In order to effectively manage and embrace change in the workforce, one must look into human behavior at the individual, group and organizational level.

Many times, owners and managers assume people should know or remember how to do something after being shown only once. But, SIMPLE TOOLS OF THE TRADE—like well-conceived systems/procedures—can pretty much guarantee a job will be done right.

I’ve written before on the importance of intelligent pricing and its impact on profitability. A question I often get is, “Should I announce a price increase?” My answer is, “No.” Why call attention to an increase and invite shopping around by clients?