In an economy where businesses of all sizes are actively looking at where within their internal operations they can “trim the fat” of process inefficiencies, I have been repeatedly asked if switching data systems to a different CRM package or program toolset will aid with improvements and what ROI can be expected.
To some clients’ dismay, the fact that there is no stock answer or silver bullet to fix all wrongs for immediate gratification and instant results is frustrating. Not to worry, underlying any comprehensive assessment of a company’s data management, tracking and reporting capabilities is the basic question and answer to… How well are you actually using what you’ve already got?
Reuse
Before jumping on the next software party train you saw at the most recent trade show or seminar, it may be better use of your resources to thoroughly evaluate if you’re optimizing what you already own in-house. You may be startled to discover what assets you have that are either underutilized or not properly implemented. Training existing staff on how to maximize usage of the tools in place can sometimes be far less expensive than starting fresh.
Reduce
If your business hasn’t been actively tracking team RAA’s (responsibilities, accountability, authority), schedule an operations assessment to determine:
- Who is currently doing what (document tasks and deliverables)
- Where critical hand-offs are being missed
- What processes suffer from waste and/or duplication of effort
Separating the “what’s so” clarifies the gaps between how you think the business works from what’s really happening. Systematically addressing the gaps reduces inefficiencies.
Recycle
Do you have excess inventory or capacity? One form of recycling is the age-old commerce technique of trade or barter. Opening a dialogue with your supply chain contacts, you may quickly realize that, what they lack and need, you are sitting on like an untapped goldmine, and vice versa. This statement includes personnel talent and time capacity as much as physical goods.
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