5 Steps to Introducing Organisational Change

Business processes and management systems can become inefficient and unproductive over time. Organisational change is necessary for continuous progression, but it does not need to be drastic because every step, process development or adaptation can be another step towards improvement. Here are a few tips on introducing organisational change:

Carry out an internal audit

Inefficient processes waste resources. Conduct an internal audit to assess what can be improved and adopt a more ‘Lean’ approach. Lean organisations understand their weaknesses, focus on enhancing processes and optimise current resources to increase profitability.

Review your business support systems

Things that support the day-to-day running of operations such as business management software, telephone systems, IT network etc. should all be reviewed. Systems should act as an enabler, helping you maintain productivity and efficiency. Review your systems by asking questions like, are the current processes helping me meet customer needs? Are the current systems allowing me to automate certain tasks? Does the capabilities of the system(s) in place meet the company’s requirements? If the answers are negative, it might be time for a new business management system.

Look at your processes

Resources are limited, so determine whether processes can be enhanced or automated by introducing an ERP system. Repetitive tasks such as sending monthly invoices, delivery notes and order confirmations can all be automated within an ERP.

Analyse your customer satisfaction levels

Keeping customers happy can contribute to retention and growth, but satisfaction levels can change depending on a number of variables. By continuously monitoring and tracking customer service calls, conducting feedback surveys and visiting key customers – it will provide you with valuable insight and highlight areas that needs to be improved.

Are your employees happy? 

There is a strong relationship between employee satisfaction, retention rates and productivity. You can monitor satisfaction levels by carrying out opinion surveys, observe and track motivation levels, have informal chats with team members and look at staff turnover rates. By using these methods, issues can be found and addressed.

Organisational change is not always easy and different variables can impact revenue, so there is a need for businesses to continuously adapt and improve. Having the right business management system can assist with change management and provide your business with the flexibility you need.