What are SYSTEMISATION and AUTOMATION (And what are you missing out on?)

What is Systemisation?

Let’s start with the basics.

A system is a process made explicit and repeatable. Every day we’re doing the same things over and over again (processes), even if it’s something we keep in our heads. By documenting these processes, we can create systems and begin to examine them and make improvements. Systemisation is simply going through your business to identify all the processes that you rely upon and creating documented workflows. From there, you can highlight areas of improvement and implement change.

What is automation?

Now, automation is when a process can be completed without human touch. We find some business do this very well, while others could use some help with it.  With new technologies and software, a company that is open to innovation can reduce staff workload by removing the manual tasks like recording information on paper or in excel documents; only for that information to be transferred somewhere else. 

Why bother?

As we saw above, systemisation allows us to better understand the day to day running of our business and identify improvements. Automation then lets us save time and resources on those repetitive tasks. Not only that, but it removes human error from the equation. But let’s get on thing clear, there can be no useful automation without systemisation. If you haven’t got the processes mapped out, then finding those everyday tasks that can be automated will be a struggle and you can end up spending money in the wrong areas.

How does it work?

Now that you understand what systemisation and automation are, you’re probably asking yourself how you can make it happen. Here at Crofti, we like to start at the beginning with a business process audit. Yes, it might conjure up dreadful thoughts of tax or safety audits, and yes, it’s not the “fun” stuff, but it is important. We recommend starting small. Focus on one aspect or department of your business. Sit down with the key staff and create a process map showing how all the pieces fit together. This is the meat and bones of any business improvement and will take some time, but it’s worth it.

Next, it’s time to identify areas of improvement and make a business case. Did you think we’d let you plough on without making sure it’s worth your time? What’s the point of making changes if they don’t add value to your business? That’s why we always quantify how changes will help your business. How much time can be saved with a change to an existing process? What resources can be saved by automating a section of the workflow?

Finally, it’s time to implement the changes that work for your business. You’ll want to familiarise yourself with change management techniques here because bringing in new processes can be… difficult. But keep the goal in mind and, as with any project, keep monitoring and reviewing.

If business systemisation and automation is something you’re interested in, but the process itself appears daunting, then you can always get in touch with us here at CROFTi for a free 15-minute consultation. We can help walk you through the process from start to finish, providing the expertise and support to get your business running efficiently, without all the hassle of doing it yourself. So give us a call now on 07 3067 0001.