Success rarely happens by accident.
What sits behind an appealing and thriving business are clear objectives, a methodical breakdown of how tasks will be carried out to achieve these objectives, and simple software that makes everyone’s lives easier!
Even the most chilled-out, relaxed brands that come off as ultra go-with-the-flow will have systems and processes coming out of their ears!
There’s a common misconception that systems and processes are essentially different names for the same thing. Trust us; we come across this ALL the time. But they’re fundamentally two separate entities.
In this blog, we’ll walk you through the lingo, show you why systems and processes are so important for your business (no matter how big or small) and show you five systems that every business needs.
Let’s jump in…
What’s the difference between a system and a process?
Picture any major city in the country. Whichever one you’re thinking about will have a transport system—for example, buses, trains or trams.
The purpose of this mass transit system is to efficiently move people from one place to another, predominantly for economic purposes (getting people to school, higher education, work or the shops).
To deliver this essential and complex system, there will be so many processes in the background, such as a training process for drivers, a maintenance process for the vehicles, a process for timetabling, a ticket sales process, safety processes… the list goes on.
Simply put, the system is the ‘what’, and the process is the ‘how’.
Processes detail all the activities that need to occur, what inputs are required, who does each activity, and what the output is at the end of the process.
So how does this relate to your business?
This isn’t an exhaustive list, but here are a few examples of business systems:
· Marketing
· Sales
· Operations
· Logistics
· HR
· Payroll
These are some of the functions you may need to deliver. And behind these, you’d have processes detailing how that happens daily.
Why are your business processes so important?
You can only operate on a relaxed, loose structure for so long before cracks appear and your business starts to suffer.
We get it. Businesses often start small, and it’s not uncommon for one person to be responsible for many tasks. (I’m sure this is ringing a few bells!)
But when a business starts to grow (and this can happen quickly!), it’s crucial to have robust processes in place to:
· Provide consistent results.
· Streamline your business, cutting out any unnecessary or repeated tasks.
· Make your business scalable.
· Find and solve inefficiencies.
· Provide a clear framework, so everyone understands their objectives, roles, responsibilities and deliverables.
When looking at your own business, it’s essential to look at your overall system goal. Then you can work backwards to figure out the best pieces of the jigsaw puzzle to help those systems come to life. These puzzle pieces are the processes and the tech that can help your business run smoothly and grow.
Five systems EVERY business needs!
1.Marketing System
If you want to showcase your beautiful brand, grow your audience and ultimately generate new leads, you’ll need a marketing system.
Marketing takes careful planning, including mapping out how you’ll manage your social media accounts, how you generate new leads, your email marketing, and so on.
You’ll need a collection of people, processes and software to help you deliver this system.
2. Sales System
It would be fabulous if every sale came served on a silver platter, wouldn’t it? But most of the time, we’ve got to go out and find them!
Your sales system includes lead conversions, onboarding process, a simple payment system and analytical tools to track sales.
By mapping out your sales system and processes, you’ll make your customer journey seamless and pain-free!
3. Financial management system
Every business needs a system and processes to manage its income, expenditure, budgeting, and profit and loss reporting.
The great news is that you don’t need to struggle with this. There’s some great tech out there to help you!
4. Employee management system
People are the cornerstone of any business, and a seamless employee management system and processes are essential if you want to attract and retain the best talent.
Your employee management system should include efficient payroll, holiday and absence management, regular appraisals and performance management, and complaints handling.
5. Service Delivery system
You may have a variety of departments or individuals contributing to the delivery of your service, so it’s essential to detail how this system will operate, who’s responsible for what and what software you use.
You want satisfied customers. And if you have a robust service delivery system, you’ll deliver a quality product or service that consistently meets your customers’ needs!
Ready to address the ‘tech elephant’ in your business?
Our brand-new package – The Systems Shake-up – will help you do exactly that!
So you can uncover everything you need to run a slick, systemised, successful and profitable business.
You can find out more about The Systems Shake-up here.