Successful Management Requires Written Systems For Everything

To tighten up your business, create systems. Assure continuity, prevent errors, provide training, prevent power grabs, reduce wasted time, overcome absentee issues and thereby increase profitability and reduce costs. Create systems for everything, everything, everything. It’s what the big business boys do and you should do it too because it works. It is the right way to run a business.

The recording of telephone messages, for example. As simple as it seems and as unimportant as this detail may appear, is critically important to running a successful business and it requires a system. Every message should have the full name of the caller, the company he represents, his call back info, the message, best time to reply, degree of urgency, who took the message, and the date and time. Why? Because it is an important aspect of your business that needs to be handled professionally, consistently, completely, seamlessly and accurately, no matter who may be the recipient or message taker. Effective training will insure no one misses a beat… or a message.

This system, as with every system, must be described in writing and inserted into a “systems book” that can be duplicated and distributed to every office as is appropriate.

Other examples of important systems:

1. Fax system and reports, both in and out.

2. Petty cash and expense reports.

3. Shipping, receiving and returns.

4. Appointment scheduling.

5. Raises, promotions, hiring, firing and purchasing.

6. Managers’ budget projections, quarterly plans per department ad program, trade show programs.

Every business has its own internal company-specific systems as well as general systems like taking telephone messages. A quality, successful, profitable, long-term organization requires all of its systems to be identified and written into a system book that supports the smooth operation of a business and thus its success. In this manner, the business will always be run smoothly, consistently and accurately, regardless of who is operating it.

Systems should be broken into the smallest steps and described in detail so they can be repeated indefinitely. Have everyone performing a unique but repetitive job convert it into a system. Create the tool that will control the job from hereafter. New employees can read and absorb the systems and know exactly what to do in regards to any system within the business. Importantly then, the business is not run by word-of-month, allowing power to vest in the holder of the secrets.

Written systems support a higher quality operation.