Every organization faces challenges during periods of growth and change.
One major challenge is maintaining efficient operations across teams and sectors within an organization. Leadership should make this a priority because optimizing operations is critical for revenue, reflects client satisfaction levels, and often means happy team members for better employee retention.
A December 2021 survey of 370 business leaders by MIT/Sloan Management Review found operations strategy high on nearly all of their lists.
“The vast majority of survey respondents view operational transformation as an urgent priority, and most of those already have change initiatives underway. But the survey findings also indicate that these companies must address key challenges to ensure that those initiatives actually reach their goals,” MITSloan reported (emphasis added).
MITSloan spoke to leaders from consumer product companies — but the same holds true across all business sectors. One surprising result was that while 98% of leaders consider operations transformation a priority:
Most lack clear priorities for transformation.
Most believe they can transform on their own, without assistance from partners or collaborative ecosystems.
Many seem unsure about why they’re transforming in the first place.
Without solid priorities and external expertise, these companies’ transformation efforts may fall short of their goals.
How do you steer your company towards a best-in-class operations strategy that boosts customer satisfaction, financial performance and strengthens the foundational bones of your organization? It helps to ask the right questions, which is a winning strategy used by Boost Midwest.
Recently, we worked with a technology company with over $10 million in annual revenue. One major challenge was that with offices in the U.S. and Europe, teams had different working hours that caused delays in schedules, project status updates and meeting work goals. An additional factor that appeared to be holding the organization back were the multiple channels team members, and leadership, used to communicate with one another.
Boost Midwest discovered that team chats, project trackers, emails, documents and meeting notes were stored in several locations, leading team members to search for information.
“This was a communication-oriented issue, but the source aligned more with inefficiencies of tools and the lack of having one source of truth,” Boost Midwest President Marie Stacks noted.
It was through the AIM methodology that the tech firm was able to first see where the inefficiencies lay, why they arose, and how to fix them to address not just the present issues but create a framework to handle future growth
“We really helped them streamline their communication, and because of this, better use their tools,” Stacks said.
The same method is used for highlighting where process improvements are needed in all areas of operations. For example, supply chain shortages are a recent and critical issue for many companies producing tech, consumer goods and more. But this major challenge can be alleviated through the Analyze, Innovate & Manage approach used by Boost Midwest.
Data that has proven critical in managing supply chain issues include:
The geographic area(s) relied on for supplies.
Whether one or multiple transportation modes are used.
Cross-training of employees to allow a quick pivot.
A cohesive supply chain strategy.
Communication processes and supply chain strategies are only two of many areas where analyzing organizational data can lead to optimization. Boost Midwest’s Mini-Operations Audit & Workshop will also look at your organizational structure, team dynamics and communication processes.
“The operations piece is really where you’re going to see true change from a delivery standpoint,” Ms. Stacks said, “And ultimately growth happens from here as well.”
Boost Midwest’s Operations Audit & Workshop is a proven method that brings hidden operational inconsistencies, overlaps and inefficiencies into daylight. Your organization walks away with a list of actionable items that can improve your operations wherever it’s needed.
And we’re now offering a Mini-Operations Audit & Workshop as a free service to start your organization on the road to greater optimization.
The Operations Audit & Workshop is based on the AIM approach developed by Boost Midwest: Analyze, Innovate & Manage — because operations optimization means not just pinpointing inefficiencies but understanding why they arose in the first place. In turn, future potential issues may also be avoided by thoroughly managing operations across the board.
Sign up today to receive your Free Mini-Operations Audit!
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Ready to learn more about how Boost Midwest can help you optimize your project management and operations? Schedule your free consultation call with us today using our Quick Schedule Link here.