Recrank the handle

Your business needs to be a slick, well oiled, machine. Things need to work like clockwork. In particular when it comes to fulfilling a customer's order. So standardise wherever possible. Develop processes and procedures – and run those same procedures time after time.

But our business isn't like that I hear you say! “Everything we do is customised, we don't make standard products. For us it's about project not process” OK - that just might be true. But there will be some things where process thinking does apply. For instance:

• New recruits - recruitment and induction

• Cash collection - chasing overdue monies

• Maintaining equipment - planned maintenance

• Customer quotations - pulling together all the necessary technical data

• Sales prospecting - working a "sales pipeline"

• After sales - follow up with each customer after a certain period of time

All businesses have some areas where process thinking is needed. Identify these areas, develop standard, documented, procedures and ensure that people work to such processes. Don't reinvent the wheel. Much better to recrank the handle - time after time. You will save a lot of time - and money.