Being a successful business owner relies on the management being adaptable and open to making changes when things are not going as well as expected. By looking at what other people are doing we can open ourselves up to new possibilities. This blog looks at three mini case studies that can help business owners to look at their challenges from a different perspective.
Managing a warehouse team during social distancing
Although many of the social distancing restrictions in the workplace have been removed in the UK (as of Feb 2022), there is still a chance we could revert to such measures in the future, so it is important to think about how you run your business when you must be physically distant from colleagues and customers.
A retail client of mine has a large warehouse with 20 warehouse staff. During the pandemic lockdowns they had to be careful with having the two-meter distance in the warehouse, taking separate lunch breaks, making sure that they did not mix very closely, which is all fine. But I was thinking what if two or three of them got ill and infected the others, they would have to isolate but it would just spread, and the worst-case scenario is that the whole warehouse would need to be shut down. I suggested that the warehouse teams be split into two groups with one team is working in the warehouse and the other team working from home on a rota basis to reduce the risk of the entire operation having to be closed.
My client implemented the solution which worked well because the warehouse was able to manage the orders that came in and there was a plan B if any of the team got ill, then there are people at home who could step in.
When there are extraordinary circumstances that force us to think differently, business owners really need to adapt, adjust and have a fluid plan, nothing is set in stone. They must be agile and try and be a little bit creative with their solutions which enable the business to continue to run as efficiently as possible whilst ensuring that staff wellbeing is also prioritised.
The benefits of short-term planning
I work with clients on a 90-day business planning cycle. This is long enough to see real progress and short enough to keep business owners motivated and moving forward. However, during the pandemic, for many reasons, I worked on 30-day plans with my clients. The fundamental reason for this shift was the lightning speed at which the world around us was changing back in Spring and Summer 2020. No sooner had we got to grips with one set of restrictions than they were changed again. Trying to keep up with changing rules placed an additional burden on all businesses and employers. By moving to a 30-day plan, you are looking at a shorter period, but you are also making sure that within that period if things need to change and you need to act, you can do it quickly. You are not looking too far ahead as things are changing all the time.
One client received a lot of orders over the Easter period in 2020 and so when the warehouse staff went back to work after the Bank Holiday, they were inundated with work, but they were not able to deliver all the orders on time because they just did not have the capacity to do that. They were going to be some disappointed customers as they guarantee delivery within two days. My client was feeling a little stressed about this problem.
As we discussed the best way to handle the issue, I asked him, ‘What are you going to do to make sure that your existing and new customers are kept informed?’
He said the team would be emailing customers to advise them, but I explained that it would be far better to speak to each customer on the phone to explain the delay. So, the team phoned each customer, and they were very appreciative of the fact that they had received a phone call to say we have the order, but the delivery will be two days late. Although the plan was originally that things will move smoothly as orders come in and deliveries will take place, he had to change the plan a little bit in that time to make sure to add communication element on it. Putting the customer experience at the heart of everything you do will pay dividends in the long term, even if it costs you more time and effort in the short term. By implementing this action and flexing the 30-day plan to accommodate the additional effort, the company kept its customers updated and gained more trust and loyalty from those customers.
A short-term plan really encourages business owners and staff to focus on the day-to-day activities to achieve that months’ goals whilst providing the adaptability needed when things are in a constant state of flux.
Once you have created your 30-day plan, what then?
The beauty of the short-term plan is the increased agility it enables. You can really focus on all the areas that you are monitoring and see where the changes need to be made. May be you do not need to make changes in everything, and it may give you additional insights into what could be adjusted that you would not have noticed so easily with a longer planning period.
One of my clients that adopted the 30-day planning approach during the pandemic began to monitor the sales team more closely. As a result, they decided they should contact customers more frequently than they had been because they found that more frequent interaction improved sales. In addition, they decided to outsource digital marketing because the in-house capability was probably not going to be enough. They needed an expert in this space to free up more time in-house. The shorter-term plan probably helped them to bring forward actions that they would have eventually taken anyway, but it has enabled them to get faster clarity and to grow more quickly.
Although the level of change has reduced for businesses in general, so that 90-day plans are fine for many clients, there may be times of intensive change or growth where a 30-day approach makes better sense. Having the flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances is the key to business success.
All businesses, whether sole traders or multi-national corporations need comprehensive yet agile business planning to achieve the best results. If you need support creating that structure and planning discipline in your business, I would love to chat to you about it.
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