Has the impact of lockdown resulted in your business needing to streamline and be more efficient?

Or could improving your processes mean that your business could thrive and not just survive?

And how would you even start something like that whilst working remotely?

When is the last time you reviewed the processes in our business?  Are you continuously improving or are you still doing the process the way Jean started doing it in 1995? Do you know why you do what you do? How it helps the business achieves its goals? Is it documented or did Jean pass it on to her successor through conversation?

Now at this point you could say ‘if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it’ and maybe it isn’t broke and maybe doesn’t need fixing, but maybe it could be improved, enhanced and streamlined to improve both your business efficiency and effectiveness.

Either way wouldn’t it be good to know?

Many businesses understand the long-term benefits of investing in process reviews and process improvement and especially during this challenging economic time.

But is it possible to review processes and improve them remotely and if so, how do you do it?

We have successfully adapted, innovated and created a mechanism for reviewing and improving remotely; so here are our top 5 tips to go about doing it.

1. Be clear on what your objective is. Are you looking to reduce costs, improve efficiency, improve customer experience or all of the above.
2. Get the right people engaged on the review project. You will need a blend of subject matter experts as well as creative / innovative thinkers; maybe someone who will challenge the norm.
3. Get the team engaged – video calling is essential for this. Being able to see people on screen isn’t the same as being face to face, but nonetheless its essential for building a collaborative change team.
4. Agree what’s in your digital toolbox and what tools you are going to use for which purpose. There is a large selection of tools available; some free some paid for. But you will need tools for document sharing, screen sharing, online collaboration, whiteboards and easy data capture.
5. Communication has to be a focus in all collaborations, reviews or change projects, but even more so when it’s done remotely. Increase repetition, create FAQ’s and hold Q&A sessions to ensure that the message doesn’t just provide awareness and understanding. It engenders engagement and commitment from your audience.

Such remote collaborations, when facilitated well, is very engaging for people taking part in process improvement. Being part of something visually coming to life on screen and witnessing progress in action is an added benefit for any business.

If you want to find out more about remote process improvement and the impact it can have contact us on [email protected]