Business Process Optimization- How to Improve Workplace Productivity

Business Process Optimization July 27, 2020

Jin Hyun

Writer

Business process optimization is the practice of brainstorming and implementing strategies that can financially optimize operations and increase productivity.

The primary purpose is to lower the cost of doing business and streamline procedures to meet or exceed the goals of a company. It is an imperative practice that allows executives and their employees to not only evaluate what is impacting productivity but also establish goals that are realistically achievable.

Forecasting for future sales and demand using historical data is an important first step, as this information will become the basis in making further decisions for optimization.

How Will It Improve Efficiency?

The reality is that business owners face fierce competition. This can leave executives feeling intimidated and even desperate to stay relevant. However, optimizing business practices gives companies the opportunity to scale up their procedures so that they can stay ahead and appropriately respond to the changes in their industry.

The benefits are plentiful, and include-

Optimized Resources
Performing business process optimization allows firms to reevaluate their resources, like staffing and inventory, to ensure they are prepared to meet the changes in consumer demand. For example, when forecasts predict an increase in foot traffic, businesses can hire more employees for certain peak times and keep their shelves fully stocked to prepare for the boost in sales.

Market Compliance
The constantly changing regulatory laws for business owners can be difficult to track. By optimizing business processes using the help of automated software, businesses can be confident that they are following the most up-to-date procedures regarding labor laws, inventory regulations, and consumer data collection.

Stability
Businesses can maintain stability when they are prepared for the future. Therefore, forecasting future market conditions and demand while changing practices accordingly allows companies to prepare for the best and worst.

Enhanced Communication
The work environment directly impacts productivity, which is why putting into place processes that are designed to enhance communication and understanding can put a company miles ahead of the rest.

Methods of Optimization

While there are many methods to optimizing business practices, there are two primary strategies to consider-

Re-Structuring for Process Improvement

Staying in line with the name, this strategy encourages companies to look at each step of a process to enhance it.

Start by choosing a specific area of the company (such as inventory or labor) to restructure. Then evaluate whether each step of the process adds value or helps in reaching the end goal. When a business realizes that a step is wasteful, its time to remove it.

By identifying certain bottlenecks, businesses are able to evaluate how each step of the process can be improved and identify areas where costs can be limited. They can then take appropriate measures such as rearranging the existing procedures or eliminating redundant practices.

While streamlining processes, it's also helpful to create process maps for each crucial area of the business, such as inventory, staffing, and maintenance. The map, or process flow chart, should clearly outline the steps necessary to complete a job function. In a restaurant, helpful process maps could include store closing procedures or ingredient preparation.

Automating Processes

The manual process is time-consuming and can cost companies far more than what they should be investing in labor. A key element of optimization is to identify aspects of the business that can benefit from business process automation to eliminate menial labor from the workload of executives and employees.

There are simpler ways to improve productivity such as using business forecasting software to positively impact growth, revenue, and communication with employees and clients. Forecasting software can also eliminate the risks of human error in data collection and calculations by seamlessly integrating with POS systems. In doing so, the software can collect sales data and analyze the figures automatically without human assistance.

The projections produced by these forecasts can be used to determine whether the existing processes are cost-effective and encourage continuous improvement.

How to Boost Profits

By closely examining the process efficiency through restructuring and automation, companies are able to identify and eliminate bottlenecks to reduce unnecessary costs. As a result, companies can simultaneously optimize their revenue.

By utilizing the different methods of process optimization, businesses can use this information to devise a data-driven plan for their sales and inventory that encourages long-term revenue growth. After analyzing their optimization strategies, businesses may decide to boost profits by doing the following-

Adjust pricing
Companies can update their pricing strategies by determining the most optimal price tags for their products, which follows changes in demand and current market conditions. If possible, increasing prices is a simple way to increase profit margins.

Alter inventory
It is far more effective for businesses to carry more of one product that can sell quickly with high margins rather than attempting to stock a wide variety of products. Overall, inventory-ordering procedures should be guided by sales data and prioritize the items most in demand.

Expand marketing efforts
To stimulate growth, companies should be regularly seeking out tactics that have the most positive impact on sales. It is possible to increase traffic to the business, whether it's online or a physical storefront, through efficient marketing initiatives.

Optimizing with Integrity

It is essential for businesses to evaluate process efficiency. However, to ensure continuous improvement, it's just as important to refrain from sacrificing quality for efficiency.

It's not always beneficial to toss out steps in the process flow to reduce costs or save time. If these procedures are positively impacting growth and consumer experience they may be worth the time, effort, and cost.