We’ve been blogging about steps organizations can take to survive and thrive in Tough Times this week. A previous post,
How to Make Your Organization Bulletproof discusses how the secret to becoming bulletproof is to focus on efficiency, productivity, and contingency planning. Another good article on the topic is
Productivity Improvement For Tough Times by Ben Carlson, former Chairman of the Los Angeles County Productivity Managers Network and President of the Association for Systems Management. Carlson offers solid advice about measuring and managing productivity that’s worth reviewing, and he makes this key point:
“Productivity improvement may be more important at this time than at any point in recent history. Current economic conditions necessitate cost reduction to maintain profitability. However, many companies are using a “meat axe” approach to the problem. They are cutting the payrolls by laying off employees. Sure this reduces costs, but without a more methodical approach, any long-lasting gains may prove elusive.
Tough times call for tough measures, but productivity management is simply a good business practice that is more important now than ever. . . .”
Standardizing operations in all areas of your organization is the foundation of productivity. By focusing on identifying best practices, eliminating waste, and writing policies and procedures which help everyone understand your unique business system, you can make big strides in boosting productivity.
As Carlson puts it, “Successful organizations . . . consistently apply these principles, techniques, procedures, analyses, and processes aimed at creating a more productive enterprise.”
To the COMPROSE that’s just good business sense in a nutshell.