The dream of almost every single employee within a company is for simplicity within the role, be it the removal of double handling, the layout of a workspace or the forms that need to be completed. Every business, even those at the top of the field, has opportunities for improvement.
Before commencing the pursuit of simplicity within your business it must be accepted that with improvement comes change. Evolution and change is one of the key elements to the world and universe and a business that does not feel it needs to change or evolve is doomed to die a slow and gradual death. Even companies at the absolute forefront of the industry or even the world are at the front because they are always looking for improvements and constantly evolving. Improvements in product quality and systems and processes will ultimately result in increased employee happiness due to the reduction of frustration and annoyance in the role.
Even today many companies still utilise a variety of platforms and software to maintain the day-to-day operation of their business. While this has been suitable in the days gone by, having a variety of platforms across a variety of operating systems limits the way in which you can operate and from where you can operate. Not only does having multiple platforms and systems limit the way that your business can operate and from where, over a longer period of time the costs of maintenance and upkeep on the various platforms is often greater than any initial outlay for a combined platform.
Online systems have been around for many years however there a very few organisations that have truly integrated this into an online platform that is used for complete management of the business. This type of system is one way to achieve simplicity in your business however there are a few things to be wary of.
Firstly your business must have processes in place and the best way of explaining why this is important is because an online system is a centralised, reportable, user friendly interface of paper processes. If your company does not have paper processes, or processes, then it is not possible to even consider an online platform because you have no place to begin.
The next factor to keep in the forefront of ones’ mind when moving to an online platform is that you do not simply want to take your existing paper processes and put them online, you want to review the system and process as a whole.
Despite these two key factors seeming somewhat contradictory, the purpose of moving to an online system and reviewing your business is to streamline processes. Replicating existing processes is not reviewing and improving and even the world’s most well-run businesses have room for improvement. The other reason you must have processes but be willing to adjust them is because paper or multi-platform management requires the creation of a database to manage your data and combination of this data to create a system that truly centralises your business operations.
From here it is important to assign a visionary or lead to your review. This person may not be a third party but rather one of your stand-out employees whom has a firm understanding of operations and knows where the opportunities for improvement are. This person may exist within every department of your company and if that is the case, then these people must be used as the bridge from the end users to the developer or development team. The bridge in the review is the most important relationship as the bridge ultimately dictates to the developer what the requirements are for the platform or the section of the platform.
This type of approach can be used for a phased or stage build of a platform however the developer will often need to know from the very beginning what all of the sections and needs will be to effectively structure the database. With this in mind it is important to establish an end goal for the project with a set of phases. It is possible to still build a very well structured database on the fly in e phased build however this must be handled carefully.
After all of your development is said and done for the platform or phase of your system, it is important that this bridge is allowed to test and provide feedback on the platform to allow for the refinement of the system. Without this refinement the platform will fall short of requirements and may not result in as effective of an increase in efficiency as was possible.
An online platform can streamline the day-to-day operations, make your business mobile accessible and ensure that you are operating in real time across the globe. Ranging from clients, project and task management, through to invoicing, expense management and asset trackers, the possibilities with an online platform are limited only to your imagination and the needs of your business.