Systems to effortlessly drive Growth.... #58
- Adrian Dionisio - business737 owner
- Mar 9, 2022
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 11, 2024
This article will cover the following;
What is systemisation
How to design best practice systems
How to document best practice systems
How to Implement best practice systems
How to measure best practice systems
Can you systemise your entire business? Would you be able to design everything in your business so it runs on autopilot?
McDonalds did. This is why they are so successful and profitable.
They systemised absolutely everything. The ordering of food, how it's cooked, delivery, storage, the temperature of the fryer, everything. No matter where you buy it, whatever city or country, it always tastes the same. The ordering process, customer service etc is always the same. The processes, systems and procedures are identical
They identified the winning formula, and ensured it was replicated everywhere
Systemisation
You want processes that work well - to be performed consistently.
You want best practice procedures procedures - to be followed.
You need a mechanism - to measure and monitor outcomes.
Systemisation does this.
Using systems will reduce variations in performance by outlining the best way. Best practice techniques or procedures are outlined instead of leaving individuals to do things "their own way".
Produce measurable results & unbelievable profit
What processes can your business systematise? Where can you implement systems? What procedures can you cement into your business' daily routine?
Record the processes of tasks which have to be completed repeatedly.
Start of with a handful of activities. Then apply this to virtually everything you do. The goal is to have systems that produce consistent and optimal results.
Capture the winning formulas.
Catalogue the most effective steps for all-important tasks
Teach best practices using a documented procedure
Produce consistent results with a road map that is consistently followed
Constantly look to improve best practices
How to - Design best practice systems
Implementing systems will transform your business. The results will be staggering
List what works well
Document best practices
Improve and refine
Test & Measure
STEP 1 - List what works well
What is working well in your business? Marketing campaigns, sales processes, lead generation techniques? Maybe it is up-sells, referrals, collections, inventory management? List everything that is working well.
These are the things you want to systematise. You want to capture this winning and successful formula. We want to understand it, record it, use it again and again and again for ongoing wins
You want to do things consistently and not just "most of the time" or where every person does it his or her own way. The first step is to recognise what you do well.
There are many things you are good at. People in your business are good at other things. Leverage your successes by systematizing what you do well. Leverage their strengths by systematizing what they do. Benefit from this powerful dynamic. Take full advantage
STEP 2 - Document "best practices"
Break down the processes involved in each task. Determine the best way of doing it.
Evaluate whether this "best practice" procedure is being followed consistently, if at all. The goal is to create written procedures documenting your best methods.
STEP 3 - Improve and refine
Enhance on what you're already doing well. You have identified your current best practices. Now find incremental ways to improve them.
Evaluate each step of the procedure. How can you do each one better? Change a headline… modify a script… change the timing of an offer… change the order of the process.
Once you have developed ways to improve various procedures, you will then test each one and optimise.
STEP 4 - Test and measure
Set up measurements and reporting with built in automatic "alarms" that ensure you never have a big drop off in success.
The critical first step in developing any measurement system is to determine your "baseline." That is, what are you producing now… i.e. 21% up-sell success, 5:1 leads to appointments, 7 deliveries per hour, 85% customer satisfaction, etc.
Once you know your baseline you can measure the changes. You can ensure that "alarms" go off every time you go off track. You can effectively test improvements in order to optimise the results for every important element of your business.
How to - Document best practices systems
Keep these to one page and keep them user-friendly.
Describe the procedure in a headline so it is instantly understood
Use mind maps to make it easy to read & understand
Describe your expectations
Detail your success formula. Include the step-by-step instructions, but also the nuances that make the difference.
State who is responsible for what. Who is accountable.
Create a logical code so that it's instantly recognisable.
How to - Implement best practice systems
You the leader must champion the initial efforts or it will never get done.
Personally perform the task or procedure yourself and personally adjust it.
Document your step-by-step processes.
Show your staff (or outsource service, or affiliates) how to follow the procedure.
Observe and monitor to make sure they're doing it right and consistently.
Measure the outcome and reward expected performance.
How to - Measure best practice systems
Step 1: Decide what important elements need to be tracked.
What are the critical metrics? What will give you the feedback you need?
It all depends on your business, some examples could include;
Lead to appointments
Closes on up-sells
Deliveries per hour
Customer Satisfaction
Units produced per day/week
Step 2: Determine Your Baseline in your critical areas.
Is it 21% conversion? 50 patients/day? 50 deliveries per day? 75% customer satisfaction? 300 units per week?
Remember that measurement in and of itself produces results. It puts pressure on both you and your staff to perform. It keeps the most important things top of mind.
Step 3: Determine what your targets are.
Make sure everyone knows the targets.
Step 4: Determine where and how you get the required data
How do you get that information? You want to make sure you get it immediately to create momentum. You can always automate later.
Step 5: Develop your reports.
Have something that's visual - to look at it at a glance.
Have summary reports that compare the goal vs. the actual.
Trend all of your data. Use trend lines.
Build in alarms. If it dips below x, then it should set off an alarm.
Make sure the details are available so you can go deeper. Only go deep if an alarm is set off.
Step 6: Decide who is responsible for getting you the report.
Step 7: Decide when it's due.
Step 8: Decide when you will review the report
When you will review the system to ensure that everyone is doing what they should? Also, check the accuracy of the data.
Find unbelievable profit increases
Systemisation and process improvements will make you business grow and become more profitable.
Focus your efforts. Focus on the 2 or 3 procedures that offer the best opportunity for growth and profitability. Estimate the expected improvement and the financial impact that that improvement might have.
List all the areas where you're doing well, but can improve. Evaluate what products or services warrant your resources, investment and energy.
Examples
Re-mailing your list more often because you're getting good results when you do mail
Formalising your referral process
Improving your up-sell program
Working on getting more leads or appointments
Working on a more compelling sales presentation
Improving customer service by better documentation
Duplicating the success of your top sales rep or customer service rep
Ensuring that 100% of your prospects get into the database so you're not just marketing to 70% of them and receiving 70% of the benefits
Modelling your best strategic alliances and applying it to the others you're working on
Working on your SEO by determining how you're getting your current rankings now
Hiring a sales rep by using a formula that worked for you in the past
Re-running previous successful campaigns
Improve elements of the procedure that will make a measurable difference. Find where there are clear opportunities to do this.
Evaluate tasks that your best employees (or you) do well - Are there any areas where one employee seems to outperform the others? If so, simply duplicating the formula and teaching it to others will dramatically increase performance.
This is often the fastest way to increase profits. Documented procedures that work well. Your staff will follow the procedure and get results.
You can easily make changes that often produce profound results.
You can systemise your entire business. Your business can run on autopilot. Create an entire turnkey system for your business by identifying the opportunities where you can systemise your processes, and then implement them. Cement them into your business' daily routine so they produce measurable results for years to come. The strategies and tactics outlined here will help you master this process quickly and easily.
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