Flexible Business Systems

Flexibility is the capability to adjust to changes. Flexibility, as it relates to business, is the ability to adapt in the face of internal and external changes, without compromising the competencies and values of a business. Changes typically take a different turn from what is projected and with the best planning, things still happen that we did not imagine at the time of planning. Flexibility is not a response to a situation but a feature which is engineered into a system from inception.

Most often, trains have designated tracks; however, tracks are built with mechanisms which can redirect trains if there is a need to. I was aware of this but did not know that these mechanisms are spread out through the length of the track. I recently saw opposite moving trains travel on the same track spaced about 10minutes apart from the point of observation. Even though, I do not know the reason for the switch or its severity, I believe it was a great idea to have trains switch tracks whenever there is a need to.

While planning and projections are crucial to the success of a business, building a system that can respond to foreseen and unforeseen changes delivers far higher value to a business. These changes can be market related, human resource related, competition related, or consumer related. The task here is to identify what flexibility is for a corporation and an industry, and engineer it into the system of a business.