By Bronach Branan, CPA, ACMA, CLSSGB

Businesses face rapidly evolving and complex challenges. How a business prepares for and responds to such challenges can make or break future outcomes.

Some of these challenges are ever-present, like cost management. However, other challenges emerge as the world changes and disruption becomes the new normal — new regulations, data-driven initiatives, higher expectations from customers and employees, etc.

To address these challenges, businesses need processes that are dynamic, self-learning, and agile enough to accommodate internal objectives as well as external shifts in the marketplace.

Process optimization solutions are enabling businesses to not only solve problems but achieve tangible gains year over year in productivity, employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and more.

What Is Process Optimization?

Every business in every industry has a handful of core processes that drive success, but over time, these processes become less effective for various reasons — e.g., inefficiency or failure to adapt to a changing environment.

Through a customized six-step framework, a process optimization engagement involves analyzing core processes in the business to:

  • Uncover insights
  • Minimize unnecessary risk
  • Drive engagement and productivity
  • Eliminate bottlenecks and organizational waste
  • Elevate results across the business

5 Business Challenges to Solve with Process Optimization

There are countless benefits to a process optimization project. Below are five of the most common challenges facing organizations that can be managed through process optimization.

Challenge #1: Inefficiency and Waste

Over time, redundancy can creep into a seemingly efficient process. A process optimization engagement streamlines workflows by uncovering:

  • Unnecessary steps that waste time, resources, and effort
  • Bottlenecks that slow processes down and hinder productivity
  • Inconsistent performance of tasks that adds drag to a process and leads to output errors

Challenge #2: Cost Reduction

A common goal of process optimization is cost management. A process optimization engagement addresses this challenge by:

  • Minimizing rework. Optimized processes reduce errors and the need for products or services to be reworked. This, of course, saves the business time, materials, and labor costs.
  • Instilling confidence in efficient resource utilization. By streamlining critical processes, the business minimizes costs and ensures resources are allocated effectively. Management no longer spends valuable time piecing together strategies to combat underutilization or over-allocation.
  • Reducing downtime. Studies reveal negative impacts on employees when they are unable to complete work tasks for reasons beyond their control. Process optimization reduces idle time by eliminating inefficiencies, enabling employees to spend more time on value-added activities, and increasing output and potential cost savings.

Challenge #3: Elevated Customer Experience

Optimized processes enhance customer satisfaction as they experience: 

  • Faster turnaround times. Optimized processes significantly reduce processing times, leading to faster delivery, service completion, or response times.
  • Fewer errors and more reliable results. Streamlined processes minimize errors in tasks like order fulfillment or data entry, leading to a more accurate and consistent customer experience.
  • Enhanced communication and transparency: Efficient processes facilitate clear communication among departments and with customers, keeping everyone informed about the progress of their requests.

Challenge #4: Agility and Adaptability

Every business must ensure core processes operate with resilience and agility to navigate today’s fast-paced world. Process optimization enables the business to function with:

  • Improved process flexibility. Once processes have been optimized, they can easily be adapted in the future for changing market conditions, customer needs, or new technologies without major disruptions.
  • Faster decision-making. Streamlined workflows provide quicker access to information and facilitate efficient communication, enabling faster decision-making in response to changing circumstances.
  • More opportunity for innovation. Improved efficiency frees up resources to focus on innovation and development of new products, services, or processes, fostering continuous improvement.

Challenge #5: Employee Engagement and Productivity

Process optimization is a powerful catalyst for fostering more engaged and motivated employees and driving productivity across the entire business. Employees appreciate the opportunity to:

  • Reduce frustration and stress. Eliminating tedious, unnecessary tasks and inefficiencies improves employee morale and well-being by reducing frustration and stress associated with inefficient workflows.
  • Increase focus on strategic tasks. Streamlined processes free up employee time from low-value tasks, allowing them to focus on higher-level, strategic activities that are more engaging and contribute more significantly to the organization’s success.
  • Improve skills and knowledge. Process optimization initiatives often involve hands-on guided training and development opportunities for employees, enhancing their skills and knowledge, which can further improve efficiency and effectiveness.
Learn more about Operational Excellence solutions, a new service offering at PBMares.
Learn more about Operational Excellence solutions, a new service offering at PBMares.

How to Get Started with a Process Optimization Project

Optimizing your processes is more manageable than you think. While some adjustments to systems, structures, and goals might be needed, the process will be designed to deliver immediate and lasting benefits for your organization.

And the best part? You don’t have to tackle this undertaking alone.

The benefits of working with our PBMares Process Optimization experts include:

  • Expertise and experience: PBMares brings a wealth of knowledge and experience with Lean Six Sigma methodologies and Green Belt credentials.
  • Objectivity and fresh perspective: We provide an objective perspective and identify opportunities that might be missed by those “too close” to the everyday operations.
  • Focus and resources: We dedicate time and resources to your improvement projects, so your team can focus on doing what you do best: running the business.
  • Faster results: Leverage our experience to achieve tangible results quickly and efficiently.
  • Training and coaching: We also provide training and support — from facilitating the rollout and change management training to producing relevant training materials. We can equip your team with the tools and knowledge to sustain the improvements after we leave.

Successful process optimization projects hinge on a collaborative partnership. Employees play a pivotal role in brainstorming and selecting optimal solutions while taking the necessary actions to ultimately implement changes in core processes.

Once the improvement plan has been determined, the role of the PBMares engagement team depends on how involved you need or want us to be. The goal is for us to step back once we have provided sufficient guidance, so your team is equipped to take the baton and run with it.

Learn More

Don’t let inefficiencies hold your business back! Fine-tuning your core processes is an investment that can pay off significantly in the long run.

Contact us  today to learn more about Process Optimization and the dramatic results it can unlock for your business.