A lot of my clients resist formalising their business routines, at first. I can understand this, it certainly isn't a sexy subject and there are usually larger, pressing, issues also at hand. However, if you do a bit of root cause analysis you can soon trace back some of the bigger issues in your business to these smaller tasks that possibly aren't being handled in the right way...

After numerous successful MRP / ERP improvement projects I have now pulled together the most widely applicable parts and created a rapid audit 'download'. This quick to use tool can help you to find out what the gaps are with your MRP system, in terms of it being used effectively day to day. To mark the release of this product you can save 50% off the normal selling price by using the discount code MRP  when prompted at the checkout. This code is valid until the 5th of October 2014. To view this product visit: http://www.improvingbusinesses.com/mrp-systems-improvement Giles Johnston ...optimising MRP systems and re-engineering business processes

Have you launched a new process recently? The training and support that is required around a new process is often underestimated. I know that I have seen several examples of this in the past month alone.

How many people are there in your business that don't ask for help? Most times this is a good sign, people know what they need to do and they get on with it.

'But why do I need SOPs?' is a question I often get asked. If you are working with Standard Operating Procedures then you will most likely hear this question too.

When everything is going well, and your business problems aren't biting at your heels, continuous improvement might not seem like something that is essential. When the situation is reversed, when you are being bitten, it can seem like having done some form of improvement would have made sense.

One of the simplest and easiest tools to use in business is a check list. Once you have identified a 'best practice' in your place of work then use of a check list to help people ensure they review / complete key items is a very logical outcome. A common difficulty with checklists is getting people to consistently use them. Building them into other processes (top of a meeting agenda, adding to a standard form etc...) is one of the more effective ways to get people to use them. Of course, there is the importance placed upon checklists by the organisation, but that is a whole other conversation about getting changes to stick!