How do you keep your business processes flexible?

1 Identify your core and support processes

The first step to keeping your business processes flexible is to identify which ones are core and which ones are support. Core processes are those that directly create value for your customers and differentiate you from your competitors. Support processes are those that enable and facilitate the core processes, such as human resources, finance, or IT. By distinguishing between core and support processes, you can prioritize your resources and efforts on improving the flexibility of the core ones, while standardizing and automating the support ones.

2 Map and document your processes

The next step is to map and document your current processes, using tools such as flowcharts, diagrams, or software. Mapping and documenting your processes helps you understand how they work, who is involved, what inputs and outputs they have, and what risks and issues they face. It also helps you communicate and align your processes with your team members, customers, and stakeholders. By having a clear and accurate picture of your processes, you can identify gaps, inefficiencies, redundancies, and opportunities for improvement.

3 Implement continuous improvement methods

The third step is to implement continuous improvement methods, such as Lean, Six Sigma, or Agile, to monitor, measure, and optimize your processes. Continuous improvement methods help you apply a systematic and data-driven approach to eliminating waste, reducing variation, increasing customer satisfaction, and enhancing value. They also help you foster a culture of innovation and learning, where you encourage your team members to experiment, test, and learn from their results. By applying continuous improvement methods, you can keep your processes flexible and aligned with your goals.

4 Involve your team and customers

The fourth step is to involve your team and customers in your process improvement efforts. Your team members are the ones who execute and manage your processes, so they have valuable insights and feedback on how to improve them. Your customers are the ones who receive and benefit from your processes, so they have valuable expectations and preferences on how to deliver value to them. By involving your team and customers, you can leverage their knowledge, skills, and opinions to create more flexible and customer-centric processes.

5 Embrace change and uncertainty

The final step is to embrace change and uncertainty as inevitable and positive aspects of your business environment. Change and uncertainty can bring new challenges, opportunities, and possibilities for your business processes. Instead of resisting or avoiding them, you should welcome and anticipate them. You should also develop a mindset of agility and resilience, where you can adapt quickly and effectively to changing situations. By embracing change and uncertainty, you can keep your business processes flexible and relevant.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?