PART 1 BUSINESS PRACTICES: Simplification

Everyone is talking about simplification in business practice .. it is the hot topic these days. But let’s say it loud and clear- it’s nothing new - it was always there, and relevant every day in every organization. However, ‘thanks’ to Covid-19, attention to this subject has accelerated and escalated enormously in the past six months. This is because change itself threatens the validity of established business practices, and adapting them to change has to be done in ways that do not introduce added levels of complexity.

Complexity weakens an organization from within, like a hidden disease. This is especially true in organizations that are growing fast, as its internal mechanisms become more complex because change is introduced by new employees, services, customers, products, suppliers and markets. The increased activity and range of actions means an increasingly dynamic and complex environment to manage.

To summarize: CHANGE HAPPENS. Complexity follows unless business practice adapts. Working with the established mind set, doing things the old way just because that used to work is a recipe for unproductive outcomes. Watch what the scientists have told us about ‘learned behavior” and doing things because ‘that’s the way they are done’:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-PvBo75PDo&authuser=0

Fighting growing complexity dictates examination of all prevailing business practices, so that the antidote to complexity is invoked - SIMPLIFICATION. In my view, disruption of existing procedures is a key – dare to change. Doing things because this was how the organization used to work - NO WAY!

The methodology I subscribe to goes something like this:

Try small → fail → tune → measure → validate â†’ keep trying! Be happy with the outcome!

With one of my customers, we took a process which normally takes 3 days, and we were able (together with the customer) to reduce it to 3 min and 20 sec.

I believe simplification has a few essential aspects:

• Experience - design thinking, journey mapping, products & services
• Engagement – touchpoint assessment of the ‘public face’ - contact center, retail presence, apps, web, social media
• Ops Excellence- Operational processes, design (such as CPQ, CHQ)
• Technology – Automation , Optimization ,Architecture

Each one of those elements may be divided into 2 main streams:

1. Internal - rationalize the way the organization is maturing with their internal business processes, break the silos and automate processes, use AI/ML when possible (let’s call it Digitization & Optimization)
2. External- how to make communication with the customer simple – how to simplify billing, how to simplify interaction, how to simplify experience (let’s call it: Digitization & Adaptation)

In my view, simplification should be a cross-function, not purely in IT procedures or in business practices, but in combination – together. A ‘team’ which will bind the organization and make sure it is a well oiled machine.