4 Strategic Resources to Take Your Business to the Next Level

Even the most successful companies can look to make improvements over time. While the underlying business model and top-notch products and/or services are what truly make a company thrive, development should always be the goal. Indeed, resting on your laurels is a surefire way to stall growth and stifle innovation.

 

4 Strategic Resources to Take Your Business to the Next Level
Fortunately, these days, there are numerous strategic resources to integrate new processes, systems and frameworks into existing company operations. From digital and mobile applications to systemwide integrations and strategic planning concepts, the resources and overhaul options are truly endless.
Here are four strategic resources that can take your company to the next level and beyond.

1. Strategy and Operations Framework

While digital resources are now all the rage — and super helpful — the underlying frameworks for strategic planning, process improvement and other high-level considerations shouldn’t be overlooked. For small companies, such concepts may not have ever been implemented, while even larger enterprises with more structure can benefit from reimagining the way they work.

There are a wide array of choices that can be found both in dusty MBA textbooks and new-age TED Talks. But perhaps the best bet is to conduct some serious research to figure out what will work best for your company culture and day-to-day operations.

Of course, the tried-and-true practices are hard to beat. As such, there’s a reason why SWOT and PESTLE analysis are taught in schools. Then again, it’s important to also look at improvement models and philosophies — like Six Sigma and the CEMEX Way — to build upon. Whether you use aspects of these or other processes, the key is to implement some structure into strategy.

2. Workflow Management

If you’re still solely relying on email to get things done, you’re well behind the curve. These days, there are a whole host of resources on the market that can make project collaboration on projects so much easier.

The best part, however, is that the competition among tech firms to build a large user base has kept costs very low. Many offer core services for free and base their business model around add-on services or the extra users on larger teams. But the costs of having even a dozen people on many platforms is still shockingly reasonable.

Project management apps like Slack have become the option du jour, particularly among younger workers, for its combined communication and application integration features. Meantime, Kanban platforms, like Trello and Meistertask, are increasing in popularity and give team-wide visibility into project statuses, as well as the ability to easily assign tasks and collaborate. Others, including larger systems from the big names in technology, bring a more overarching CRM functionality.

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3. Customer Experience

Many companies are now racing to ally with third parties to boost the customer experience. These specialty firms have raised the bar, offering powerful platforms that have data tracking and analytics built into the core of their system. For a company that has traditionally relied on phone calls and barely functional client database lists, the offerings are a giant leap forward.

These days, any reputable cloud contact center will harbor a vast reservoir of consumer information that can be leveraged for a deeper understanding of customer behaviors. This means you get not just high-level customer support, but also real intelligence — easily packaged into charts, graphs and reports for executives to digest — to strategic planning going forward.

4. The Gig Economy

While major corporations may staff an army of creatives and tech people, the bulk of small and mid-sized enterprises will only be needing these services on a project-to-project basis. In the past, this could only be done well by finding people through word of mouth and a personal network in your area.

But now things have changed. There are large platforms of freelance coders, graphic designers, copywriters and other professionals who are willing, ready and able to execute projects. Whether you use Upwork, Outsourcely or just an old-fashioned Craigslist ad, there are many options from which to choose. And the modern networks all have built-in ratings, quality scores or recommendations from past employers, so you can rest easy knowing they have the skill set needed.

There is no way to win the race standing still. Because, if you aren’t moving forward, someone else is. Though it’s difficult to implement changes — in business and in life — the time is now to re-evaluate how key work is getting done. Look at the overall structure, project workflow, customer experience opportunities and outsourcing work.

No matter your definition of success, chances are there are some areas where you can find better ways to get things done. The only thing left to do is make it happen.

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This article is published by Will Sherwood | The Sherwood Group |Website Design | Graphic Design | Marketing Communications: The Sherwood Group has over 30 years of experience working with all sorts of companies, small and large. Our clients range from entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 firms, in nearly every business sector, from across the street to around the world (and yes, even Europe, China, and South America). Our goal is to create advertising,  graphic design, website design, and marketing communication that still looks fresh and relevant 10-15 years later. Our mission is to stir your imagination and leave your competition shaken and wondering,  Now what do we do?”  We are located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
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