System:
noun
- a set of things working together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnecting network.
- a set of principles or procedures according to which something is done; an organized framework or method.
For any business, having systems in place is vital to not only everyone’s sanity but also to ensuring everything runs smoothly. Without them, there would be chaos. Reliable and effective systems will reduce wasted time, can cut costs, can help optimize resource allocations, and can cut down turnaround time on tasks. But, you need the RIGHT systems in place – otherwise, it’s a waste of time and energy. From internal operational workflows to having a central platform to manage your customer base to finding an application that will help organize an entire teams’ tasks – it all matters.
How your business operates – whether it runs like a well-oiled machine (you have systems in place) or it runs like a chicken with its head cut off (what are systems?) – will be a direct reflection of you and your business. If you’re painting a picture for your audience that you have amazing customer service but you don’t have your operations DOWN, you’re falling short and it does not look good. You can guarantee you’re not ACTUALLY providing good customer service if you, for example, are a retailer who doesn’t even have a return policy in place.
Each aspect of your business has a responsibility to not only establish workflows and order, but also to adhere to these systems. If sales isn’t following through, things will likely fall through the cracks and those mistakes will eventually trickle down to marketing and operations. Same goes for marketing and operations. You can’t be successful in one and not the others – things will most certainly fall apart.
At HDM, we’re really good at what we do and we take it very seriously. We’ve created flexible systems and workflows to support all of our internal work. We make things look easy, but it comes down to organization, communication, and setting things up the right way the first time. We’re constantly reassessing needs and processes to create the best work for our clients. We aren’t stuck doing things one way just because they “work” – we give ourselves permission to explore and reimagine.
-Stephanie Switzer-
