2015 Resolution: I will improve my processes

Do you know what to do if your customer rings you because he/she has a problem with a product or a service and would like a refund? 

Lots of entrepreneurs will have to admit that the answer is no. We are so focused in designing our product or service that we forget the other stages of the customer journey. 

The beginning of a new year is the best moment to start to take new resolutions in your personal life but also in your business. The best resolution you can take is without any doubt to improve your business processes because the benefits are so valuable. Some people see the business processes as not convenient in small structures and not flexible but it is truly a mistake to think it that way, especially when we know that customer satisfaction before and after sales becomes more and more important in today's business. 

1- Process is not just for mature companies

The first false truth is to think that processes are for established companies. Whatever the size of your company a good organisation is required. Even alone you need to organise your activities and define a specific order from the inception of the order to the delivery of the products or services. Managing your actions "instinctively" leads to greater risks to forget some of the activities you need to do to insure a good level of service. That can put the reputation of your business at risk. 

2. Business processes are not necessarily complicated

The second false idea we have about processes are that they are designed to be complicated. It can be a set of check lists or  a list of "questions" followed by the answer telling what exactly you need to do when the situation occurs. When you do your grocery shopping, isn't it faster when you already have a list? It is the same for your business processes. If you have a check list you will be faster and better. 

Define and make a quick draft of the processes on all the functions of your company even if you have a small team or even if you manage it by yourself. If some stages of your processes are complex then you need to find solutions to make them simpler because they generate risks. Those solutions can be tools, additional resources and changes in your business model. 

3. Business processes help to identify gaps and improve your customer journey

Drawing business process is a good way to check your customer journey. And truly, the customer journey is fundamental for a start-up. Indeed, you are not known on the market yet and you need to build your reputation. Your first customers need to be satisfied at ALL the levels of their journey. When a customer is interested by a product or a service: how to they get in touch if you? How fast do they get an answer? When they buy a product or a service, how do you deliver it? When they have questions about the service or the product they bought what do they do? On all those stages do you know exactly what you have to do to satisfy them and how you will answer to their questions? The exercise of process designing is really valuable when we realise that it helped to identify the parts of the business we didn't really have time to think about when you designed your product. 

4. Customers do not care if you are a small or a big company. They want at least the same level of services than a big company.

On some levels you need to behave like a big company and to be able to provide a fast and right answer to their requests or demands.  They may face a problem with the products you sell. In that case they need to easily know who to call or where to send a mail and you need to make sure you receive it. So even if you are a small business, define a customer service process: define who are the people in your company that should manage those requests. Leave nothing to chance and be exhaustive.

5. Don't draw process to have process

Another important point is that you should not draw process just to have process. Your processes need to be flexible and can be adjusted at any time. They are designed to help you to be more efficient and not to block you from being creative. If exceptions need to be done, then take them but at the same time make sure it is not a recurrent situation. If not it means you need to adjust your process. 

6. Business processes give you more chance to succeed

This is probably the most important added value of business process and the reason is quite obvious: If you are prepared to any situation and know exactly what to do when a problem occurs then you can manage it. Leveraging risks is the direct path to success. 

If you did implement processes in your start-up, what are the other added values you noticed so far?