We’ve heard a lot about agility and agile processes in recent years. Yet many organizations find their processes aren’t streamlined due to a lack of end-to-end visibility. You might be familiar with parts of the process—like how a product is manufactured—yet the customer journey often begins long before production and continues afterward in the form of follow-up.
Relying solely on personal experience and memory can result in missed steps or inconsistent execution. The outcome can be unpredictable quality, unnecessary extra work, and dissatisfied customers.
Here’s how to map all the essential steps in your organization’s processes, ensure they’re carried out consistently—and create room for continuous improvement.
What Is a Process?
A process is a series of steps or tasks carried out in a specific order to achieve a desired outcome. In a business setting, processes often relate to development, sales, project work, or other recurring tasks. Most processes can be divided into multiple phases, with a set of sub-steps in each phase.
Research shows that having defined processes is profitable. For example:
- According to the Sales Management Association, 90% of companies with a formally defined sales process perform better in sales than those without one.
- A Harvard Business Review study revealed that companies with standardized sales processes can increase revenue by up to 28%.
- Nevertheless, only 55% of salespeople follow a defined sales process,according to Objective Management Group.
This suggests many organizations miss out on the potential benefits of having standardized, repeatable procedures for recurring tasks. The same principle applies to processes beyond just sales.
10 Steps to Agility in Your Processes
While relying on talent and experience is great, recurring tasks require a more structured approach to ensure quality and efficiency. You can still accommodate creativity and flexibility.
Below is a step-by-step guide to establishing a standardized process that also allows for adaptability:
- Talk to Your Team
Start by gathering input from those who actually carry out the processes. Find out what the current workflow looks like and which steps may be missing or vary from person to person. Then, a designated process owner should determine how a unified process will be designed. - Define Triggers and Eliminate Unnecessary Steps
Breaking the process into clear phases and steps makes it easier to identify what’s redundant. Identify triggers that mark the transition from one phase to the next. This improves flow and helps pinpoint bottlenecks. - Stay on Course Throughout the Process
A process acts like a roadmap that helps both experienced and new staff understand exactly what should happen, when it should happen, and where they can make adjustments along the way. At the same time, ensure there is room for flexibility. - Identify Why Processes Stall
Without a defined roadmap, it can be time-consuming to determine exactly where or why a process failed. With a clear overview, it quickly becomes apparent which steps weren’t followed or where the bottleneck arose. - Get More Accurate Forecasts
Having a set number of steps and a clear task allocation offers better insight into when the process will be completed. This helps produce more accurate forecasts related to time, costs, and possibly sales. - Strengthen the Customer Experience
According to Oracle, 89% of customers switch supplier after a poor customer experience. By mapping and quality-assuring the process based on customer needs, you can more easily deliver value, build trust, and maintain clear communication. - Simplify Employee Training
With a defined process, it’s simpler for new hires to get started. They can follow a specific set of tasks in each phase, eliminating redundant training methods like shadowing. This common reference point unifies the entire team. - Facilitate Continuous Improvement
Standardized processes provide a clear picture of what works well and what needs improvement. You avoid repeating old mistakes and can continually tweak the process. - Adapt Well to Change
Once processes are clearly defined, introducing necessary adjustments becomes easier. A well-defined roadmap gives the entire team a common language for implementing changes. - Use Technology as Support
Processes that are documented once and then forgotten deliver little value. By using a cloud-based solution that supports real-time collaboration and communication, you make it easy to follow defined processes.
Less Coordination, More Value Creation
By standardizing and streamlining recurring processes, you reduce the need for manual coordination, foster greater engagement, and deliver a stronger customer experience. The upshot of all this is increased value creation and more agile operations—surely a winning formula!
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