Process Improvement

The past four years, I have been in the construction business.  Management and Measurement of Quality made me realize ideas that I did not notice I took part in.  For example, I took part in all of The Five Service dimensions.  I recently purchased new equipment and noticed that people stop me and ask for business cards because of how professional it looks.  This is what differentiates leaders in an industry versus smaller companies who have problems generating enough revenue.  I also sent out seven thousand fliers to homes in Burr Ridge and Oak Brook.  The faster I responded to the phone calls, the higher chance I was going to get the job.  I had people thank me and tell me how good of a job I was doing responding as quickly as I did.    People do not expect firms to come out that same day, but if one responds quickly enough, they will increase sales greatly. I was also very honest with customers and told them exactly what they were getting.  I did not have trouble collecting checks because the customer and I were on the same page.  Gaining trust with a customer will increase the loyalty to the firm.  I showed that I care for the customer by customizing to their desire.  Lastly, I showed the customers that I knew what I was doing by presenting referrals.  These Five Service dimensions are important to follow if a business wants to be successful.  Now that I have a greater understanding for these principles, I am going to try to take it to the next level.

Another concept that relates to my business experience is the types of process improvements.  The two classifications are incremental and breakthrough.  I experienced more breakthrough improvements because 2012 was my first year that I was in charge of the firm.  I did not like the way the equipment was set up because the previous owner did not want to spend money on the equipment.  It often would create more work because of continuous breakdown problems.  I purchased commercial equipment that will last forever and will not depreciate.  Some people ignore these day to day problems and it will cost them time and money if they ignore it.  It was a simple fix, but the previous owner did not think that there was an easy solution.  Always looking out for process improvements is a smart business decisions that will put a firm ahead of others.  If problems are ignored, this could lead to the failure of the business.  Technology is always increasing and adapting to new improvements may be hard, but in the long run it will be worth it.  Companies that do not adapt to the new ways will have a hard time staying in business.

One thought on “Process Improvement

  1. I think you made a great point on how people don’t like to spend money and will pay for future damage in comparison to investing in something that will be better for the future. I like that you made a good decision purchasing equipment and something that will not depreciate is a great investment. Staying on top of technology and customer services i believe should be the top goal of any firm or business because to be successful these are the components everyone is looking for and now expecting.

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