Tear Down The Silos In Your Business
Do the various layers of your organization – i.e. sales, production and management – operate within their own independent silos? If so, it’s safe to assume that your company is leaving efficiencies and increased profitability on the table. Unfortunately, the impact of this kind of inefficiency can be devastating on your business.
Let’s face it – we all have preferred processes and methods to get our work done. This is not a new phenomenon. In fact, right or wrong, this type of organizational structure can provide a sense of security among your employees because when they operate within their own silos, your workforce’s sole focus becomes their independent role in the organization. As a result, if something were to go wrong, like poor realization on the job or quality issues, it becomes pretty easy to shift the blame.
At this point, you might hear your employees rumble about so-and-so getting their act together or saying things like: “If only everyone else worked like I do, we’d be much better off.”
So, what’s the solution?
Operating As One
In order to have efficient and effective processes, your employees must shift their focus. Rather than concentrating on the confines of their respective silos, they need to look at the company as a whole – and how their role works with others across the organization. Furthermore, they must work to understand the intricacies of internal customer relationships (your employees) and the needs desired by your company’s external customers.
In short: working together is key. Your company should operate as a single unit and not as a bunch of individuals.
Where To Start
If you haven’t sat down and formally identified your processes and the needs of your internal customers at each step along the way, now is the time to do so. You’ll be amazed at what you find. After all, why wouldn’t you want to make your process more effective internally to better serve your clients and increase your profitability?
A skilled facilitator can help point you in the right direction. In analyzing your processes, you’ll uncover excess work in progress, areas of wasted time and inconsistencies. Email Rea & Associates to learn more.
By Ben Froese, CPA (Wooster office)
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