Often times we have been doing something for so long that it becomes law so to speak, meaning we have drilled into our minds that this is the only “right” way of doing it. The fact of the matter is when it comes to business, specifically business processes, you need to be doing them the most efficient way possible. These efficiencies save time, money, and more importantly, they give you an edge on your competition.
In many cases the existing processes and procedures are so ingrained in your business psyche, that you don’t even know which processes and procedures should be examined for efficiency upgrades. Obviously a company such as ours can help you identify these items in just a few consulting sessions. However, there are a few key items and questions you can ask yourself to help you identify these items on your own.
The Self Examination
Question 1: The most glaringly obvious one, do any of your process and procedures require a pen and paper?
If it does, technology can definitely come into play here. Whether you use an off-the-shelf solution or something more custom, any efficiency gain will yield a positive impact on your business.
Question 2: Document the processes at your organization that take the most time to complete. Even if they utilize technology, there is a chance that it may not accurately fit that process or procedure.
Examining the points at which these items come together will allow to you identify if there are flaws or slowdowns. And if there are, you can further examine what type of technology or solution can help speed up or solve these issues.
Question 3: Do any of your processes and procedures require collaboration among multiple staff members?
This one is really a no brainer. If you have back office staff, for instance, who are constantly communicating with front office employees to accomplish tasks, and they are communicating by an archaic way, such as spreadsheets or sharing of files or sending emails; these items can all be brought together in real time.
Are You Using Excel for a Mission Critical Process?
While you may not be using actual pen and paper the tool we constantly see is Excel. Multiple people doing several manual entries in excel. Some time ago Excel was cutting edge and pretty much the best thing your business could utilize. However, there are several issues with using something like that, especially nowadays. Collaboration is difficult and having multiple people interpreting what they think should go into that sheet leaves the door open for human error. The lack of constraints and the manual labor involved make it an inefficient solution for today’s needs.
Well You Know What’s Coming Next? Our Pitch of Course!
Fuse Custom Web Applications are built specifically around your business. Imagine taking that time consuming process and creating a streamlined business practice. One that takes into account your vision of how the process and procedure should be. Then, being able to do it on any device, such as a phone, tablet, or laptop; now that just takes things to a whole other level! Don’t make your process and procedures bend around your technology; instead, your process and procedures should dictate your technology.
Still not sure which process and procedures could be improved upon?
Fuse offers a free process and procedure assessment to help identify which ones would be ideal candidates for a custom web application. When people hear “custom” they think expensive, when it comes to our custom web applications they are extremely cost effective. Contact your Fuse Rep for a free consultation/quote.
