Systems for Business – Where are They Needed?

Imagine two businesses – one with excellent systems in place, the other with none.

Imagine the differences! A business with good systems conjures images of efficiency, success and effective teams, while a business without systems simply spells disaster –inefficiency, customer frustration and possibly even falling profits.

Successful businesses put in place written procedures for all activities of the business. They are the backbone of efficiency, but they’re also important for customer servicing.

Customers appreciate receiving the same excellent service every time they do business with you. That’s only possible when systems and procedures are in place to ensure consistency across the board. If it’s written down, each staff member can complete a task in the same way as the staff member before them.

Detail is important. Don’t overlook the importance of creating procedures for:

§  telephone calls – how staff answer; how long the phone can ring before being answered; whether the telephone has priority over visitors, etc

§  telephone messages – recorded or personal messaging; time limits for returning messages, etc

§  facsimile messages – header sheets; follow-up phone calls, etc

§  correspondence in

§  correspondence out

You want anyone new to your team to be able to pick up a procedure manual and know what to do. Training is still required for new people, of course, but a written procedure ensures there is only one way of doing the task.

You’ll also need procedures for:

§  ordering and receiving stock and stocktakes

§  balancing of cash registers and banking

§  meetings with staff, staff appraisals

§  gross profit reports on trading activities weekly

§  daily writing up of cash books/computerised records

§  checking of creditors’ invoices

§  authorising of creditors’ invoices for payments

§  payroll records

§  time worked records for staff

§  payment of wages

§  PAYE

§  ACC

§  income tax

The above pertains to most businesses, but each business is unique and will need its own particular systems and procedures in place. Start now to streamline your business.

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