Managing Your Resources
Systems, processes and organisational culture impact upon the management and utilisation of your resources - your people and their skills - your assets - your technology - and have a direct bearing on the efficiency and effectiveness of your operation which ultimately impacts on your business success, namely the ability to achieve your business goals and targets, your profitability and your competitive advantage. The recession forced many organisations to make cut backs and they are now finding it a slow struggle to grow turnover and profits.
For many organisations their staff are their most valuable resource, however it’s not uncommon to find teams, or individuals, that aren’t performing or functioning well but the problem isn’t being addressed because it’s believed to be easier to leave things as they. A possible consequence of this is a loss of respect for the management team and disquiet amongst the good performers.
Driving the most value from every resource is important for organisations wanting to actively grow their turnover and profits, particularly when times are tough, every penny counts and competition for survival is fierce. If your organisation made changes to weather the recession then it’s likely that there wasn’t the time, or resources, to fully evaluate the impact of these changes either before or subsequently. If the organisation is struggling to regain, or grow beyond, it’s pre-recession position then one option is to undertake an in depth evaluation of the resources to evaluate whether it’s operating optimally, in terms of using its resources, and effectively in terms of meeting the requirements of its customers.
The management team may already be over-stretched so not have the time to evaluate the utilisation of their resources, or they may feel that outsourcing will produce a better result because they are too closely involved with day to day operations. If this is the case then outsourcing a business efficiency check will evaluate if and where any changes are needed to enhance performance.
Business Efficiency Check
SFM Consulting is experienced at reviewing the operational performance of a wide range of SMEs. The review involves a critical evaluation of the following core areas of the business:
- people - right people, with the right skills, doing the right jobs in the right place at the right time: HR audit; time management
- systems and process - the efficiency of your internal systems and processes and how these are aligned with the brand
- assets and technology - what you have, what you use and how you use it
- customer service delivery - internal processes, service levels and brand alignment
- financial information - review of information used for decision making
with the aim of providing the organisation with a report on the findings together with a plan of recommended actions which improve operational efficiency and meet the requirements of any strategy/business plan/objectives you have in place. The recommended actions can either be top line actions for senior management, or in greater detail where actions are cascaded through the hierarchy of the organisation. The aim is to add value by enabling the organisation to work smarter and more efficiently, rather than working longer hours. If the organisation does not have adequate resources, or relevant experience, to implement the recommended actions then SFM Consulting can provide or recommend appropriate resources.
