To do so. In order for the company to work clearly and harmoniously, it is necessary to ensure stable profits and minimize costs. What are the methods of optimizing work that transform a company into a well-coordinated mechanism? How to avoid mistakes when setting up processes? This is our article.
What is workflow optimization?
Optimization is an improvement. Within a specific enterprise, the use of tactics and strategies that improve the work of employees, departments and the company. The procedure reduces costs, errors, and time spent.
In large enterprises, links with low efficiency often appear that require revision. As a result, the task is to simplify these algorithms, reduce chains that “steal” time, money, and overall production efficiency. You can get down to business globally, but it’s smarter and cheaper to gradually implement changes.
What is optimization based on and when is it needed
The initiative to introduce changes may come from the head of the entire enterprise, or managers of individual departments. The initiative of global change comes from the head, and narrower modernization requests come from managers.
Optimization is based on the desire of the head to form an efficient, less expensive production. Here it is important to form a strategy that will gradually, painlessly lead to an improvement in performance indicators. There are several ways to understand that this is necessary:
- goods or services are not of high quality, consumers leave bad reviews, do not want to cooperate;
- there is no established interaction between departments, which leads to isolation, slows down work;
- tasks are distributed unevenly between employees and departments or are not distributed at all;
- decisions are not made quickly enough, the workflow is slowed down due to a long chain of task approval or for another reason.
Problems can often be solved by analysis, planning, distribution, and setting instructions. In some cases, more serious interventions may be required, hiring additional employees, introducing technology, downsizing, and so on.
Advantages of optimization
After optimization, the business competes better in the market. By reducing the time required to complete optional tasks, the company frees up resources that can be redirected to more important tasks. For example, increasing brand awareness, a positive image of the company, and improving quality.
Make sure that the consumer is satisfied with the product. This is a key business goal. At the same time, it is important today to react quickly to changes and reduce its impact on the environment. Through simplification of production, the following problems can be solved:
- Relationship with the consumer. A company that responds promptly to the requests of its customers, knows how to work with objections, quickly corrects its shortcomings, is doomed to succeed.
- The bottleneck. The bottleneck effect occurs where processes slow down. It is also possible to exclude such «places» where time, resources, and team efforts are being wasted by simplifying.
- Unnecessary procedures. Analyze the work, exclude those algorithms that do not make practical sense. If an action can be deleted without negative impact, then it is not necessary.
- Increase the speed of work. The faster the product is developed, the higher the business efficiency and profitability will be. Increase the production speed by eliminating the bottleneck effect.
- Production flexibility. Inefficient work operations slow down production. Whereas optimization allows the company to adapt quickly.
- Consistency. It is necessary that employees comply with a single quality standard. Improve your work so that the algorithms are understandable to old and new employees.
- Multitasking. The bigger the company, the more complex its operations, the more it needs to be simplified. This is necessary so that several operations work smoothly and simultaneously.
- Working culture. It is necessary that all processes are recorded, so employees will spend less time correcting errors and performing non-existent tasks.
- Compliance with the standard. The establishment of a common standard, as well as subsequent compliance with it, allows you to control the internal policy of the enterprise, as well as comply with the legal norms of the state.
Current analysis
A preliminary analysis allows you to competently build an improvement strategy in the enterprise. It is necessary to take steps consistently:
- data collection through employees, documentation, work supervision;
- visualization of current processes allows you to understand the principles of work, identify problem areas;
- identification of problem areas where actions slow down, lose effectiveness;
- evaluate the current performance.
Optimization methods
There are several ways to improve the situation in production. After the analysis is carried out, you can start actions to improve. Each of the described methods can be applied depending on the effect to be achieved or which tasks to solve:
The Lean Manufacturing Principle
A technique for increasing production efficiency, which includes determining customer value, creating an offer without delay, and constantly implementing improvements.
Six Sigma Quality Improvement and Chain Reduction Method
Which includes:
- understanding the problem, setting improvement goals;
- collecting information, measuring parameters;
- data analysis, identification of causes;
- implementation of improvements to eliminate the causes;
- system control.
Theory of constraints
In which the main task is to identify the limitations affecting the work and eliminate them. This is done in several stages:
- Defining a constraint;
- Operation with maximum efficiency;
- Subordination of the restriction through the configuration of other processes;
- Increasing throughput by eliminating the limitation;
- Repeating the cycle on another constraint.
How to prepare for optimization
The most important thing at this stage is to determine what works and what needs improvement. Use all available data to identify the components that need to be improved. To achieve the result, you need to take several steps:
- Revision of the goals. A clear understanding of the final goals allows you to set tasks correctly.
- Current analysis. determine which links provoke errors and are ineffective. It is best to ask the opinions of those employees who deal with them directly.
- Set the limiting factors. What exactly prevents you from improving your work? At this stage, it is important to consult with the team.
- Definition of «bottlenecks». These are the places where problems arise. Work with the team to identify congestion areas in order to develop a strategy to improve the situation.
Best optimization practices
It is necessary to optimize the business if the company wants to compete and stay in the market for a long time. Understanding the relevant practices helps managers to eliminate problems on the way to improvements:
- study the steps according to the theory of constraints, with their help it is much easier to consistently influence changes;
- the more actions you perform at the same time, the lower the output, so work on reducing the chains;
- determine which areas the lean manufacturing principle is suitable for, apply it point-by-point;
- multitasking of employees leads to chaos, if the team is focused on one task, it will succeed faster and will be able to proceed to the next;
- make it a rule to regularly re-evaluate the principles of building work, so you can quickly notice problems and solve them;
- work on improvement constantly, optimization is a cyclical process that you have to return to;
- a fresh look will only be useful, do not give up new acquaintances and partnerships, it can bring new ideas;
- Be patient, any change takes time, and haste can only do harm.;
- delegate tasks, allow other team members to make important decisions, free yourself from some tasks in order to direct energy to the most important;
- involve consultants if a new project seems too complicated, then this will save the company’s resources;
- plan the whole process, create a visual diagram of step-by-step changes so as not to miss anything important, inform the team about it;
- Visualize the upcoming changes using modern digital tools, it will be easier for teams to navigate the upcoming changes.
Automation Tools
Automation is one of the most effective ways to improve the work of an enterprise. There are many tools that help with this. In this way, you can reduce the time required to complete certain tasks and reduce the number of errors.
Project management systems
Companies use systems such as Trello, Asana and Jira to organize teamwork. These are tools for distributing tasks, reducing the number of errors, and improving overall output.
Automation of work
Routine repetitive tasks can be made automatic using the Zapier and Integromat tools. Set up processes that do not require human participation.
CRM systems
The implementation of CRM systems automates customer interaction and simplifies sales management. They are useful for establishing database management and analysis.
Software for document exchange
Shared cloud storage with the help of auxiliary systems like Google Drive and Dropbox provide free orientation in a large number of papers. Such tools provide quick access to the necessary papers and allow them to be shared within the company.
Common mistakes
The approach to automation should be gradual, otherwise, instead of progress, one can come to regression. In order not to harm your business, consider the mistakes of others:
- A generalized approach. You should not try to change everything at once. It is better to break the process into stages, make a plan and stick to it.
- Changing important actions. You should not immediately take up the main thing. It is best to start with non-basic principles that will not affect the work of the enterprise if anything happens.
- Incorrect goal setting. Set the right goals right away, otherwise it can lead to the destruction of stable processes.
- Bad instructions. Make sure that the instructions for employees are correct, misunderstandings lead to mistakes, sometimes very serious.
Optimization examples
Workflow optimization is best built on the principle of a visual schematic approach. Simple flowcharts containing information about each action are a great data saving tool. Create your own diagrams or use ready-made ones from the Internet to visualize and record the chains:
- Project management;
- productions;
- content marketing;
- receiving clients;
- training of new employees;
- change management;
- supply management.
Optimization recommendations
The experts gave some advice:
- changes should be focused on customer satisfaction;
- spend your working time efficiently;
- do not hold work meetings and meetings unnecessarily;
- visualize all the steps and stages so as not to miss the important thing;
- include all team members in the discussion of changes, consult;
- automate tasks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Next, we have collected answers to common questions.
Tools for digitalization
The tools need to be selected based on the needs of the business. It is normal practice to try the options and choose the best one.
Frequency of revision and updating of plans
Regularity is the way to positive updates without mistakes. At least a quarterly review should be carried out in order to make adjustments and notice negative changes in time.
What factors are important to consider when analyzing?
The most important thing in this matter is to take into account the time spent on completing work tasks, the cost of resources, and the degree of satisfaction of customers and staff.
How to motivate the team to improve?
Team motivation is important on the way to improvement. Encourage employees for timely or accelerated work, initiative, and self-innovation in their work. Establish communication, always be in contact with subordinates, let them feel that you are one team.
How to measure the effectiveness of implemented changes?
Digital optimization has made it easier to measure the effectiveness of implemented changes. Now there are tools that help to measure KPI. This simplifies the comparison to summarize the work done.
What methods are there to prevent burnout?
The problem of professional burnout is relevant in those teams where there is no favorable working atmosphere, the balance between work and rest is not maintained. Eliminate these problems. It would not be superfluous to create an opportunity to receive psychological support.
How to properly install a KPI system to evaluate the work of the team?
The implementation of a KPI system for evaluating performance will require the definition of key goals and objectives, and the setting of measurable indicators. The next step is to develop a methodology for calculating and evaluating results, establish clear criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of the team.
How does the software help?
Modern software is designed to simplify processes. It is possible to simplify the issues of document exchange, setting work tasks, communication between departments and other things. This reduces the need for manual labor, saves time, and frees up additional resources.
How to choose software?
Software designed to optimize work is aimed at simplifying processes. This applies to production, document turnover, and communication. Try different tools to implement those that best meet the needs of the company.
