Guidelines to Increase Efficiency

Even in the best of times it is to your advantage to perform at peak levels. In a tough market it is mandatory to make certain your operations are working at maximum efficiency. As industry leaders and green industry managers, you must always reassess your priorities and reevaluate your strategies for success in order to keep your business moving ahead. Streamlining your operation is a method for getting the most for the least as you move forward.

Getting started…

In order to streamline your business, consider following a three-step process. First is the planning process, followed by a stage in which you should get all of your workers involved. The last step is getting consistency. Following this procedure should produce timely and important data and information.

How do you get started? Begin with the end in mind by defining a vision of where you want to be. Then develop a strategic plan detailing how you think you can get there. My dad always used the saying " You've got to be ‘doin’ while the ‘doin’s’ good." What this always meant to me was be prepared ahead of the "rush" and make sure everyone is moving in the same direction. Even more than that, it is trying to get everything happening as automatically as possible – especially when it is the busiest.

Your plan should include an analysis of your current position and a determination of the main goals for your company today. In order to continue the planning process, you’ll have to make some assumptions of the factors that affect your business, such as market fluctuations, economic factors and the like. You’ll need to determine your critical success factors – those initiatives most crucial to achieving your goals – and the obstacles you will face in getting there. This is the backbone of your plan, the time to look at the opportunities ahead of you, evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, and set about devising an action plan to get you where you want to be. Remember to sharply focus your plan – don’t try to be all things to all people, rather build on what you do best.

Planning Process…

So how does this all come about? Picture it as a three-stage process. Stage one is the planning process. Stage two is involving all your people and stage three is getting consistency.

Let's start at the beginning – the Planning Process. First, as stated earlier, start with the end in mind. Exactly what do you want this streamlined organization to look and act like six months from now, one year from now and three years from now? This is known as "vision," and it needs to be as succinct and clear as possible. You can state your vision in the form of a news release for some time in the future, or it may just be a simple statement such as, " We want 400 happy customers by the end of the year."

Looking at the last example, you will notice several things in the statement. First, it is a commitment to some measurable number and for a specific time frame. But more than that, it gives your sales team a number to shoot for, since it is safe to assume that everyone is not going to be happy and you’ll need to set a number higher than the 400. This also gives your production or service people some guidelines, since just doing the job and not making the customer happy won’t achieve the vision as stated.

Involving your people…

When setting up the planning process, start with the end in mind - What do you want your streamlined organization to look and act like in six months from now? One year from now? Three years from now? Answering these questions will define your "vision." Make sure your vision is succint and clear.

Once you, as owner or top manager, set the vision it’s time to really begin the planning process and at the same time start stage two – getting your people involved. Making your team members a part of your plan and getting their input will make it easier to get them to buy into your goals and expend the effort to get there. Having all parts of your organization moving in the same direction will allow you to reach your final "destination" with the least amount of friction, thus "streamlining" your business.

You can accomplish an opening planning session in as few as two hours or as much as a two-day retreat, depending upon the depth of the planning and the level of people. Doing most of the steps in various brainstorming groups allows each group to report on their area or sub area. It is important to have the group reach consensus after each topic and then move on to the next area.

Start with the vision, expand and refine it, and come to an agreement that it represents an achievable and worthwhile endeavor. It can be a magnanimous achievement but it needs to be focused on what you do best, since this is what you will most easily accomplish. Next, make some assumptions of the outcomes– what happens if this vision or issue is unresolved and what happens if it is resolved or achieved? Put some dollars to net value if the goal is achieved. Will it mean hundreds of dollars or tens of thousands of dollars? Next, work on the values of the company, those things that are held dearly and make up the culture of the organization. This is a checkpoint to ensure that everyone is driving in the same direction.

Following that, consider your customers and how they will benefit if this vision is perfected. Now look at the resulting goals, those things we can expect (and measure) as we work toward the vision.

From this list you should choose 3 to 6 goals that become the Critical Success Factors for achieving the vision. Each of these factors should have a champion that will "live and die" their successful execution. A management team or an inter-departmental team can oversee the progress. Check how each team member will benefit from the achievements. What is in it for them if the plan is successful? Next what are the obstacles to the vision, both internally and externally?

Breaking down the Critical Success factors, what are the vital signs to track to see if you are likely to achieve your plan? Now is the time to check your strengths and weaknesses to see what changes you need to make. What other opportunities open up if you move forward on this plan?

At this point, it is time to finalize the plan by taking the Critical Success factors identified earlier and establishing the current status of each and the proposed status of each. The gap between these two becomes the Action Plan – those steps that must be taken to achieve the desired results. Over the life of the plan, the Action Plan is the most likely to be changed by the addition of new material or the deletion of ideas that are no longer pertinent. It should be a living document, one that is constantly reviewed to assess progress as well as keep everyone on the same page.

Systematize your organization…

Make your employees a part of your planning process. Keep them involved by getting their input, which will make things easier for your staff to buy into your goals and therefore work hard to help you reach your goals.

Once stage one and stage two have been "accomplished," make sure that you systematize the actions in order to assure consistency and make everything as automatic as possible. This is where automation comes in, whether it is a computer system or tools and equipment to automate the planting process. The concept here is to utilize time in "down" or slow periods to help make it easier (and automatic) in the busy times. It is ‘doin’ while the ‘doin’s’ good!

Notice as you observe your office environment that almost nothing won’t or can’t be affected by large-scale automation and integration… and that includes people. Today’s computer innovations make bringing everything together in a common system a reality. A good system saves bundles of money. In fact, over a period of several years, the most expensive computer system costs less than the least expensive employee.

By developing a system to handle a project from conception to completion, everyone in the organization is more productive — from estimating a project, to controlling the flow of materials and other resources on the job, to managing the contract, to billing the client for the work and finally, to the job costing and accounting of the project. The idea is being able to enter the project information once and have it automatically flow and update throughout the system. Not only does this save time by eliminating duplicate entries, it also increases consistency by having a standard where everyone does similar processes and everyone works with the same data. Once the bid is finalized, the information automatically is used to create a proposal for the customer; to purchase and inventory items needed for the job; to create a load list; generate work tickets and update accounting. Having the same information available to all team members at the same time makes for greater efficiency and ease of operations.

In fact, as computers become more significant contributors to organizations, their role changes. They are no longer just support mechanisms for performing office functions. Instead, they can help you fine-tune your strategic plan. Information technology helps users get timely, accurate and relevant information for setting goals and objectives, both crucial precursors to profitability. This information allows you to assess your changing environment and determine what organizational changes are necessary to cope with those changes.

Internal data analysis can also be helpful. A computer system can generate analysis of finances, employee performance or product, and bidding and pricing strategies. This can reveal areas of your business to improve upon. In addition, computers can manage people, equipment, materials and space faster and with less hassle.

Streamlining your business starts with a vision of where the business should be, carries through with involved people all pulling in the same direction and finishes with a well developed system that allows things to happen quickly and automatically even when you are the busiest! This produces timely data and information. And the process cycles over and over again while the business becomes more streamlined, able to process at ever increasing rates.

Gary Thornton is CEO of SLICE Technologies, a 20-year-old software firm that resulted from the search for a computer system for the Thornton family Landscape Design/Build, Maintenance, Nursery, and Garden Center businesses. He is actively involved with the sales, marketing, and software development teams and an expert in business systems and performance management.