| "...many processes can be greatly improved by your | | | | process that makes the difference. |
| personnel or approach to the process itself (no new | | | | The best efficiencies are not actually technology |
| technology required)" | | | | based, but process-based and span across multiple |
| In all of the past articles in this series the focus was | | | | resources that are working together. Creating |
| on how you can affect change in yourself through | | | | efficiency through an economy of scale is done by |
| your own actions - committing to your tasks, linking | | | | planning for it. Start by reviewing your current |
| similar tasks together, planning your time for optimal | | | | processes in terms of steps, technology and people. |
| performance by task and in using technology to | | | | Look at how multiple processes work together and |
| improve how you perform the work. The next two | | | | assess whether they can share technology and |
| types are related to creating efficiency through your | | | | people. For example, if you have three people who |
| environment. | | | | work with your customers and you make a lot of |
| Large-scale efficiency, the kind shared across an | | | | appointments it may make more sense to have your |
| entire team or organization, comes in the form of | | | | receptionist schedule all the appointments (e.g. like a |
| economies of scale. Normally economies of scale | | | | doctor's office). By centralizing appointment-making |
| refer to buying goods in volume to lower the cost | | | | activities you free up time for everyone else to |
| per unit; when it comes to business operations | | | | focus on other areas of the business. Of course this |
| economies of scale refer to how processes work in | | | | example depends on having someone to offload the |
| relation to your resources and personnel. Although | | | | task to but the idea is simple: identify a task that can |
| certain types of efficiency can only be gained by | | | | be more efficient by changing who does it or how it |
| leveraging a technology across multiple processes or | | | | gets done. |
| specialized skills, many processes can be greatly | | | | Economy of scale efficiency should be the natural |
| improved by your personnel or approach to the | | | | evolution of adding resources to your team and |
| process itself (no new technology required). | | | | business. Unfortunately it only 'naturally' creates |
| As you grow your team you hire people who can | | | | efficiency when you look at how all your resources |
| perform your weakest tasks with their strengths (or | | | | work together to accomplish a process. Fortunately |
| sheer labor). The idea then is to hire people who can | | | | this type of efficiency only requires that you make |
| perform tasks better than you can for less cost. The | | | | intelligent choices about how you use your current |
| catch is hiring more people doesn't make you more | | | | resources and people. With a little hard work you can |
| efficient, just like buying a new technology doesn't | | | | start enjoying economies of scale right away. |
| speed up your processes. It's how you plan to | | | | Thanks for reading. |
| employ that new person (or technology) in your | | | | |