‘If you want a successful and scalable business it’s got to be a repeatable process-‘ Frank Bria
There may be many processes within your business that could be effectively automated and handed off all or in part to software systems. However, if you haven’t refined the processes themselves and made them redundant then automating them can be cumbersome and pointless.
As a business owner or manager your focus is best directed at the activities that only you can do. The other tasks should be delegated to a staff member, software, or a combination of the two. In order to do this one must identify exactly what those processes are and defining the steps necessary to execute them.
Benefits of Repeatable Processes:
- Following the same steps leads to the same outcomes and creates consistency.
- Increased efficiency.
- Easier to track progress and apply metrics.
- Easier to delegate and train employees.
- Repeatable processes act as the precursors to automation and form the foundation of any streamlining initiatives to be taken.
Steps For Creating Repeatable Processes:
- Ensure that every step has a clear objective.
- Involve other stakeholders.
- The next step can only begin once the first step has been completed.
- Pay attention to how different processes may trigger or influence one another.
- Make sure every step is laid out in a logical order with a timeline that fits in with overall operations.
- Refine the process to minimize the number of decisions that need to be made. More decisions= more time spent as well as more opportunities for error.
- Try following the steps according to your new instructions several times to ensure you haven’t missed anything or couldn’t communicate them any clearer.
For a small business owner or freelancer looking to scale, this can seem like a tedious process you just can’t find the time for. Sometimes you have to spend time in order to save time later though.
Repeatable processes act as precursors to delegation and automation. Once you’ve pinned down what these are and how they’re being executed it is easier to look for opportunities to improve upon those processes, communicate how to perform them to an employee, and find or develop software systems to automate as much as possible.