Most organizations would love to maximize their throughput and reduce their costs, and one of the most efficient ways to do this is by improving processes. The issue is that many businesses assume that their processes are OK because they can compete or simply don’t evaluate their processes properly. But just because you are staying afloat doesn’t mean that your processes can’t be improved. They may be flawed without you realizing it. Here are some clear signs that there’s something wrong with your business’s processes.
You’re Having Issues with Your Access Database
Access databases can be great for small organizations, but if you have more than 25 employees, or if you have to store lots of data, you’re almost guaranteed to start dealing with issues at some point. You may have problems with response time and performance when multiple users try to use the database at once, for instance. And, if you have to handle sensitive information like financial information, medical records, or personal information on clients, then these databases won’t give you the level of security needed.
If you’re currently using one of those, you should hire a business improvement process consulting team right away. They will run a business improvement process assessment and introduce different solutions that you can use such as custom web applications or more robust commercial tools that will be more suitable for multi-user applications.
You’re Using Outdated Formats
Excel spreadsheets and paper forms can work in some cases, but if you’re running a large-scale operation, they do not have their place. This medium is unsafe, difficult to retrieve, and makes compliance so much more difficult.
Using digital solutions will not only make things more convenient but will also allow you and your employees to provide input much more easily and will allow you to mine data for reporting. You’ll be able to retrieve files easily through search, and you’ll be able to pull data from multiple forms fast. Spreadsheets are also much more prone to human error and someone in your organization who’s not IT savvy may commit simple backup errors that could have disastrous consequences.
You’re Losing Employees
Some businesses assume that they’re doing everything right and get confused when their employees leave in droves. You may have the best benefits package and offer competitive wages, bad processes are one of the biggest destroyers of morale and one of the main reasons many employees leave.
Bad processes can lead to frustration and exhaustion. When these processes are poorly managed, some employees end up feeling the consequences harder than orders, and these are the ones who are most likely to leave. Bad processes can also make a working environment unsafe, and no employees want to work in a dangerous environment. So, if you’re losing lots of employees and you’re hearing frustration about how tasks are being conducted, then you might need business process improvement.
Processes should not be static, and, if you haven’t revised them in a while, there’s a good chance they need improving. So don’t hesitate to evaluate them as soon as possible and consider bringing in an expert to make the necessary fixes.
