Enterprise Applications:

If you are not using custom-crafted enterprise applications yet, investing in proprietary tools exclusive to your organization is the key to taking Operational Efficiency to the next level – creating competitive advantage that is not easily reproduced by your peers.

As the leader of your company, you have built a successful business model, established strategic positioning, found a niche market, and your revenue relies on coopetition.

If you have not invested in a proprietary portfolio of web app and mobile app programs, the unique sets of workflows driving your niche revenue has enormous opportunity for streamlining and standardizing.

“Mobile is becoming not only the new digital hub, but also the bridge to the physical world. That’s why mobile will affect more than just your digital operations — it will transform your entire business.”

– Thomas Husson, Vice President and Principal Analyst at Forrester Research

Getting started:

1. Watch your organization:  At every level of the organization there are activities that are constantly repeated that could be easily automated.  Part of the success of the Lean philosophy in the Toyota Production System was Kaizen – workers would be assigned a place to stand for the day watching for inefficient workflows.  Luckily, throughout your organization there is likely someone already noting these inefficiencies, eager to provide that information.
2. Listen to your customers:  When you miss a key opportunity, is “timing” a consistent reason?  If that opportunity relies on a complex process, focus on a technical solution instead of assuming there is a human problem.  Find a way to gather feedback that can be aggregated – any trending complaint or suggestion may be key insight into an opportunity in workflow efficiency and effectiveness.
3. Look in the mirror:  Many of the roles and routines – even in a large organization – seem very unique to a small group.  Despite this, look at your own behavior patterns throughout the day.  Whether you are a CEO or Mid-Senior manager, if a tool or process you rely on is inefficient and shared across the organization, your pain is a pain everyone most likely shares in.

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