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Winning over the impatient: How to sell the benefits of process improvement

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Written by
Claire Hubbard
June 2024

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To achieve desired outputs, businesses must value and utilise their key resource - people.

High productivity requires clear objectives, timelines, and responsibilities. If people are unclear about what the end goal is, why it’s required or who else needs to play a part then inefficiencies can arise, causing delays, duplication of efforts, confusion, and lack of motivation, introducing risks that can cost money and disrupt relationships.

Collaborative planning and effective processes are essential for business efficiency. Teams with clear objectives and an understanding of where their roles fit into the organisation are more likely to feel motivated and perform tasks right first time.

We often talk to clients who know there is a better way of working and want to work with a third party partner to improve their processes.  So far so good?  Yes, except for one hurdle; sustainable process change can take time but those approving the budgets will understandably tend to be looking for a rapid payback.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller

So how do we sell the benefits of process improvement in an impatient organisation?

  1. Communication and inclusion:
Involve everyone who will be impacted.  What are their ideas for improvement and frustrations?  What would they like to see process improvement deliver for them in both the short and longer term? What benefits can they foresee?Engaging stakeholders in the early stages is more likely to engender buy-in and support for any process change
  1. Quick wins:
What tangible outcomes can be achieved in the short term? Process improvement can deliver immediate results through quick wins, such as eliminating obvious inefficiencies which arise from duplication of effort and multiple meetings.  Additionally risk reduction, productivity improvement and cost reduction can all be identified as short term gainsCould we set up a trial to test out some of the ideas and prove the benefits case?
  1. Foundation for growth:
Emphasise how these initial successes can build momentum and set the stage for more significant long-term benefits.  We can assist here with case studies, data and testimonials from other companies that have successfully implemented process improvements and seen rapid returns on investment.Does your business have cultural or functional blockers that restrict growth?  How far out does the business plan?
  1. Competitive advantage and scalability:
Process improvement enables the organisation to scale operations more effectively, accommodating growth without proportional increases in costs or resources due to the creative thinking, shared knowledge and forethought it engenders.  Additionally, continuous process improvement enables the organisation to stay ahead of the competition by culturally and structurally being able to adapt more quickly to industry changes and customer needIs your business currently struggling to deliver a project or make an important strategic decision because of perceived internal barriers?
  1. Compliance and Risk Management: Improved processes can help meet compliance requirements and manage risks more effectively, protecting the organisation from potential legal, financial and reputational repercussions
Do you have a recent example of an instance in the business that could have been avoided if only key people had been in the loop?Remember, patience may be scarce, but with a strategic and inclusive approach that combines quick wins with a vision for the future, you can effectively advocate for the value of process improvements.

“The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.” – Babe Ruth

Every business can benefit from process improvement, regardless of size, complexity and where you are at currently in your process maturity.

Whichever point you are starting from, we can help!  We will work with you to:

  1. Understand and assess your starting position
  2. Plan out your roadmap for change
  3. Define, communicate, project manage and implement your new collaborative planning processes

In addition to this, we can support with essentials such as the business case, KPI’s and process documentation as well as facilitating the new processes as they embed.

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