In our last blog post, we discussed what process consulting is and the steps we at Tolar Systems follow to help organizations determine how to operate more efficiently. But for many organizations, the need for process consulting isn’t well understood. In today’s blog, we demonstrate six signs that indicate your processes are broken, and what to do about it.
Every business has processes they use to complete the work of the organization. But the truth is, not every process is equal; some work much better than others, and it’s often these differences that can determine the success of the organization as a whole.
Why Processes Matter
One broken process might not make or break your organization, assuming the process isn’t mission critical. But if the process is essential to your business or if you have more than one process that isn’t working well, it impacts not just your efficiency, but your organization’s morale, your employees’ engagement with their work, and even customer satisfaction.
Here’s how to know if your organization has a broken process on its hands:
- Frustration: There’s frustration around a common task, or your customers and vendors are frustrated about their dealings with your organization. If everyone in your organization hates doing inventory, perhaps the inventory processes are broken. If your customers commonly complain about discrepancies with their invoices, your invoicing process could be the issue.
- Duplication: There’s duplication of information or effort. If you’re storing the same data in several places across your organization, or if the same data has to be entered into your systems multiple times, or it takes multiple employees to complete a task, your process could be the issue.
- Dependence: If your organization is overly dependent on a single individual to complete a task and the process falls apart when they’re absent, it could be a process issue.
- Workarounds: You’re changing how your business operates to fit your software’s requirements, rather than using your software in a way that meets your business requirements. You’re working around your technology.
- Inconsistency: Your processes aren’t consistent; each individual involved with your processes manages their work differently.
- Confusing: It’s hard to train and onboard new people because the processes your organization uses aren’t clearly understood and documented.
My Processes Are Broken; Now What?
If your organization is suffering from any of the signs listed above, it may be time to talk with a process consultant at Tolar Systems. We can help you understand your current processes, envision more efficient workflows that support efficiency and growth, deliver tools to streamline your organization, and design solutions that align with your business goals.
