Streamlining: A Necessary Evil

The term “streamline” is a very common one in big business. It is an essential process for so many companies to take so they can make improvements while also cutting costs in different places. The changes can be anywhere, from customer service processes to the back-office functions, and everything in between. Making processes much more streamlined is common business sense. It helps the company to run more efficiently, and it means that money is freed up so it can be reinvested back into the business. But where do you begin? This is a big task for any business leader, and the decisions you make can have a major impact on each department, especially as there will be areas that feel like they are getting an unfair slice of the pie. But this is an essential thing for you to do, and it is, in some respects, a necessary evil. But here is why it is necessary…
 
You will learn more about what your business can do in certain sectors if you apply the pressure. The fact is there are many areas of business that will complain about having their budgets tightened because it means that they may end up having to work more. Be wary of this, and I'm not tarring everyone with the same brush, but you will have a feel for if a certain area is running dry. And you will see in the productivity figures whether the department is actually doing okay for itself. In changing the process down to a simpler form, you should be able to see the results after 3 months. If the productivity has increased, you made the right decision. If not, you can go back to the original process.
You will see who the important people are to your company. By streamlining a process, it will highlight the areas for improvement and the areas that are almost inessential. Looking at one person’s role, is there an amount of work that can be done by two others who have diminished duties? This is a common approach in businesses where they need to make cuts, and although you are looking holistically at the processes, you may find that, in conjunction with the productivity of certain teams, some can afford to take on additional responsibilities. You could even undertake a job evaluation, which can be done independently by companies like Croner's who work to evaluate a job in relation to other roles across the external market. In making an assessment of the roles and their importance, you can either add additional duties to their role, or you can remove the role altogether.
You will develop more trust in your employees. The process itself is not one that will win you brand new supporters, but you will place more reliance on your staff members on giving you honest and detailed feedback about their roles. One way to streamline is to take an external view of the proceedings or go for the internal one and ask your employees to give detailed feedback. After all, they are the ones that can really tell you what it’s like to do their role. Valuing your employees in a massive business shake-up communicates that you respect their opinion enough to give you an honest account of their day to day life in the workplace.
You will realize how much money you waste. A process like printing out documents is a very costly one, and one that is making a big impact on your business’ carbon footprint. By looking at your technical processes, from paper usage to how well your computers are running, you could understand how much you have been wasting financially. Even an admin process could be automated to save money on staff, and that staff member can be better utilized elsewhere in the company. Look at your processes properly, and the savings you can make could be of untold amounts.
You will learn how to lead.  For many first-time business owners, you learn as you go. Every process, every transaction, and every relationship. The more you make changes in the company the more it will be met with some complications, and the more conflicts you could have with other staff members. Conflict is a given in business, and you need to learn how to handle it. By making a big evaluation and instigating cuts, it means you will learn how to handle situations better the next time you do it, and you will grow in every sense. As a confidant, a leader, a manager, and as a businessperson.