Systems

The best way a business can protect itself from human error is by devising systems. The perfect example of this is the fast food business. They don’t train chefs – they train teenagers – using basic systems to deliver products in a minimum amount of time. Systems protect a business from personnel changes, and can be adjusted when things go wrong to ensure problems aren’t repeated. Internal systems combined with a clear job description help minimize the stresses on staff and help everyone understand their role in the delivery of products and services. I have found many problems that have been attributed to a delivery issue actually stem from a poorly structured system. By fixing erroneous or inefficient systems, a business can solve greater problems downstream.

Compliance

There are three basic areas of compliance that need to be addressed within a business – be it product or service based. We need to make sure we comply with legal, ethical and social expectations. Many businesses simply look a the legal requirements of their industry – yet the public look much further than the law. How many businesses have attracted poor publicity even when they are working within their legal rights. The banks are a perfect example. It is hard for a national institution to foreclose on a mortgage when the house is tenanted by a family of five who are simply a month behind on their rent. The public are more discerning than the law. The public don’t view the foreclosure as a legal issue – they view it as a moral issue. The bank isn’t retrieving its money, it is making a family homeless. For the most part, businesses that focus on the ethical and social issues are widely supported – and the legal elements will take care of themselves.