What Are the Most Ineffective Parts of Your Business Process and Why?

Whether you own or manage a small business or are part of a large corporation, you’ve probably noticed are always certain functions and parts of the operation that lag behind. For nascent businesses, it's often capital and a lack of personnel, while larger companies can lose control of many different procedures. The following are some common procedural weaknesses of businesses, why you're experiencing them, and how you can rectify them.

Organizational Structure
You can't expect to have success without the right organizational structure. Most businesses start out with a flat organizational structure, and then add hierarchies as they grow. This ensures that they can keep up with the workload and develop naturally. But once you start adding management levels to your business, you become more vulnerable to competitors because you lose some ability to make quicker strategic changes. If you sell lots of products, consider using a product-based organizational structure without adding too many echelons. Otherwise, employ a more functional structure arranged under marketing, finance, and other key functional areas. 

Customer Service
Technical companies often struggle with customer service. They grow so fast, they can't keep up with all the service-related questions and problems. Soon, customers start filing complaints or cancelling their contracts. If you own a software company or your business is one that elicits a plethora of customer service calls, make sure you hire people who are trained in the industry. Create different levels of customer support, including those for highly technical questions, regular calls, and emails. 

Human Resources
There comes a time when every company needs a human resources department. You just can't continue to hire employees on your own, as you're not trained to find the most qualified. Your director or manager of human resources must have experience writing and placing "Help Wanted" ads, qualifying applicants, coordinating interviews, conducting background checks, selecting the best candidates, and ensuring that the necessary paperwork is filed. HR is also responsible for office culture and legal matters. Keep this operation working and happy to get problems solved more quickly.

Distribution Problems
Many companies struggle with shipping issues because they must strike a balance between delivery times and costs. There's also the equipment to consider. On the high end, you may need to purchase some new semi-trucks to conduct regional or national business, or find used ones at places like Arrow Truck Sales to save money. And while just-in-time deliveries are in vogue with many corporations, you don't want to ship just one or two items across the country. Maintain both efficiency and cost-effectiveness in your shipping strategies.

If you start focusing on the most ineffective parts and processes of your business and develop strategies to mend them, you're going to be much more successful in the long run.

About the author

Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter @BrookeChaplan

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