Proven, repeatable systems are the key to your company’s success. Enhance your hospitality, professional services or retail business with new systems that maximise productivity and make the business work for you.
Good systems can provide numerous advantages to your business, increasing profits at the same time as reducing stress.
Even if you pride yourself on a laidback, quirky or instinctive style of business management, consider some of the benefits of taking a very systematic approach:
- Reduce human error and ensure steps aren’t skipped with automated systems
- Help with business admin costs, especially with cloud-based software systems
- Produce standardised results that will keep customers happy
- Reduce the time you spend on repetitive jobs, so you can attend to customer needs
- Give you time to focus on creative tasks like marketing that will boost your business
- Reduce staff conflict with systems based on clear and documented procedures
- Reduce burnout – for staff and management – with more efficient operations
- It becomes easier to take a holiday as you can put your business in capable hands feeling confident that results will be consistent
- Make it easier for management to work remotely
- Make it easier to grow, duplicate, franchise or sell your successful business.
Action plan to upgrade systems
To commence an upgrade of your business systems, first review the tasks that you perform most often. Even small improvements to processes here will have a great effect because they will save labour and money multiple times.
The Realise Business team can work with you to implement new systems for your business using relevant tools, apps, software, templates, techniques and work plans. To be truly systematic your processes must be backed by documentation.
The goal for each system is for processes to run smoothly and methodically and produce the same results each time. That way, anyone using your defined business systems has a good chance of achieving standard results.
When you have new systems up and running, apply the principle of ‘rinse and repeat’ so you can refine the process and the results.
Most businesses already have some systems – or at least ‘the way we do things’ – in place. However, it is worth reviewing and testing your old systems to improve and then document them.
Industry-specific tips on systems
Consider which aspects of your business operations you can systemise – and how. Join relevant associations and attend trade expos to learn more about industry best practice and the latest tools for systems. Find affordable systems that suit your industry by researching online the tools that similar businesses use. Also look for online templates you can use to give your business a head-start when developing procedures.
Following are tips on systems for different industry sectors.
HOSPITALITY
Tools include:
- Cloud-based POS systems
- Online booking systems
- Cloud accounting software for the office
- CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software – to manage customer reservations, collect details and encourage feedback
- Customer loyalty program software
- Staff management apps
- Staff in-house training modules (video)
Example – In-house training modules:
Most hospitality businesses are based around frequent intakes of new staff, so a suite of video training modules will work best for repeated viewings. The systematic delivery helps shape standards consistently.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Tools include:
- Cloud accounting software for the office
- Meeting scheduling software
- Staff in-house training modules (video)
- Marketing or lead generation system software
- Sales or lead conversion system software
- Branding tools for consistent marketing of your business
- Content management systems for websites
- Employee guidelines, handbooks and manuals
Example – Employee handbooks and manuals
The company culture can be really important to professional services businesses. It begins with a systematic approach to staffing. There should be documented guidelines for the advertising, recruitment and induction of new staff. Well thought-out staff manuals provide a background to the company culture. The consistent approach office surety for new staff and puts new employees on the same page from the outset. Online staff handbooks can be easily updated with current personnel charts, for example. Look for online templates to get you started.
RETAIL
Tools include:
- Cloud-based POS systems
- Stock Keeping Units (SKU) to track inventory
- Retail Management Systems (RMS) for inventory, customers, employee shifts and finances
- Staff in-house training modules (video)
- Staff policies and procedures documentation
- Customer service plan including customer returns, complaints and referring disputes
- Store policies that can cover store entry, dress code and pets on the premises
- Customer loyalty programs to notify customer base electronically re sales and special offers.
Example – Retail Management Systems platforms:
Retail Management Systems (RMS) cover all the core retail processes in the one platform, enabling retailers to manage and purchase inventory, monitor customers, track employee shifts and keep tabs on finances.
Realise Business Advisors can help you systemise your business and also let you know more about the many digital tools that will help you in the process. Book your free advisory session today
