As part of a business strategy manufacturers should look to change and improve their processes for better efficiency and productivity, as well as adapting to new technology, market trends and dealing with new competitors. One way of doing this is by undertaking frequent business process reviews.
Regular process reviews can help make sure your company operations and performance produce the results you want in an efficient way. Assessment of a variety of areas, including information technology, customer service performance, production processes and stock control can be done using similar techniques.
The importance of reviewing processes
There will always be potential risks, and a review can help to identify them. During a business process review, these potential risks can be identified and steps put in place to control them, giving you the opportunity to adapt and change to increase productivity.
Regular reviews should be part of a continuous improvement programme, allowing companies to find the weaknesses and inefficiencies. They highlight problem areas and provide opportunities to change and help you build a lean manufacturing operation and improve productivity.
What steps should you take to carry out an effective business performance review?
A process audit will identify the changes that need to be made, allowing you to focus on key areas for improvement and change.
Once you have identified the general processes that need improving, analyse your current system(s) to gain an understanding of the entire process and set achievable objectives. This could take the form of process mapping, cause and effect analysis or operational surveys.
Ensuring you get full commitment from senior management is an important step to carrying out a successful business process review. This is crucial because success requires managerial support, so you should present the need for change and how this will have an impact on your company. Management must be convinced that there is a need for change for them to support the change in processes - one way to do this is by using data and concrete examples.
Developing a strategy is the final step you need to consider. Outline the areas that are underperforming and how they need to be improved, along with any financial impact they may have. This will help you to start creating your improvement aims, which should be realistic and measurable objectives that match your strategic goals
Having a system in place that can add benefit and undertake business process reviews is important, and WinMan ERP software is a comprehensive system that offers manufacturers the opportunity to take control of their business process improvement. It allows them to adapt and utilise technology to undertake successful business process reviews to achieve the desired objectives to move the company forward. Get in touch today to find out more.