At first sight, a 5-minute delay in one process may not appear very important. For the SMEs, though, such small defaults can multiply and result in huge failures. Without being aware of the main reason, you could lose a lot. That’s when operations consulting comes in to point out your trouble spots and provide effective remedies that will improve your productivity and profits.
What is operations consulting?
The operations consulting services focus deeply on your core business operations. They analyze your existing system to identify bottlenecks and create effective strategies to improve overall efficiency and profitability.
An operations management consulting firm will use advanced methodologies to optimize your supply chain, processes, communication, waste management, and more. The goal is to streamline your operations for cost control, timely delivery, and better customer satisfaction, leading to profitability. It helps you reduce inefficiencies and scale your operations effortlessly.
Benefits of operations consulting for SME businesses
The following are a few things that an operations strategy consulting firm can help you with.
Improve the efficiency of the operations
One of the most important benefits of Operations consulting for SMEs is improvement in overall efficiency. The consultants use techniques such as Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Bottleneck Analysis, and Lean Process Optimization to overcome the delays, redundancies, and waste. This improves the operation flow, productivity, and quality of output.
Improve the internal communication
The efficiency of the workflow depends on the internal communication. Therefore, the operations consulting services focus on identifying the communication gaps using the mapping and swimlane diagrams. This detailed analysis helps create better cross-departmental communication for better decision-making and avoiding delays.
Reduce the cost for better profitability
Your profit margin can increase significantly by reducing operational costs. The operations consulting helps you identify the waste in the procurement, production, and supply. The consultants use techniques such as Cost-to-Serve Analysis, ABC Costing, and Root Cause Analysis (RCA), and Just-in-Time (JIT) inventory. These processes focused on the recurring costs, inventory, and optimizing resource allocation.
Streamline supply chain & logistics system
Delay in supply and delivery is something that every SME goes through. However, consistent delays can cost you money and your brand reputation. Thus, an operations strategy consulting firm may use EOQ (Economic Order Quantity), Reorder Point (ROP), Safety Stock Modelling, and Vendor Performance Mapping to assure consistent operation flow and more rapid delivery.
Team training for automation and digitization
Repetitive tasks often take the majority of employees’ time. Therefore, automation, digitization, and team training can help SMEs optimize their team management and overall productivity of all departments.
Some popular tools and techniques used by reliable operations consulting firms are ERP systems, CRM automation, RPA (Robotic Process Automation), Digital workflows, and Real-time dashboards. The consultant will train you and your team for a smooth transition.
Improved decision-making with real-time data insights
Operations consulting optimizes your decision-making process by helping you track your performance metrics like cycle time, lead time, yield rate, and inventory turnover. These insights help you identify your resources, current progress, and more to make informed decisions for better profitability.
What is the operation strategy consulting process?
The following is an ideal operations consulting process followed by the best operations consulting firms to help SME businesses grow! Some steps may vary based on your organizational needs.
Initial assessment to identify the problem
The first step for effective operations consulting is an in-depth analysis of your existing system. The consultants will observe and collect data from each department to identify any problematic patterns. A few techniques for assessment include process audits, workflow mapping, root cause analysis, SWOT analysis, and KPI evaluation.
This data analysis and understanding of the existing system help them identify the bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and areas of improvement.
Develop an operational strategy for better efficiency
After identifying what needs improvement, they develop an operations management consulting solution tailored to the SMEs’ needs. This solution focuses on:
● Aligning the new strategies with the organizational goals
● Identifying the right technology implementation for better efficiency
● Develop cost-reduction strategies to improve efficiency and profitability
These new solutions should be scalable to help the organization grow effortlessly.
Implementing the new operation strategy
Developing the new strategy is just the beginning of operational consulting. Now, the consultants will create a detailed implementation strategy to cause minimal disruption. They create an implementation roadmap based on the KPIs, potential resistance from the team, and team training schedules.
Overlook change management
The new strategies are often met with resistance from the team or difficulty in adopting new technology. Therefore, the consultants use some techniques like ADKAR or Kotter’s Change Model for change management.
The best operations consulting firms will help you with:
● Create department-based employee training programs
● Documenting everything about the new system and training program
● Establishing communication channels (including inter-departmental communication)
Continuous monitoring & optimization
The consultants work closely with the organization once the new strategies are implemented. They monitor the pre-defined KPIs to track efficiency and profitability over time to make more changes if needed. They provide hands-on support for troubleshooting any issues that may arise. They keep analyzing the results to suggest more improvements for long-term results and adapt to market and technology changes.
Boost your efficiency with operations consulting services from Proxpert Consulting Services!
Proxpert Consulting Services have been one of the most reliable firms for operations consulting for SMEs. For the last decade, we have helped hundreds of businesses optimize their operations to reduce costs and increase productivity and profitability. We use advanced technologies to create effective operation management strategies that lead to better performance and efficiency. Contact us to know more!
Conclusion
Operations consulting is essential for SMEs to overcome daily delays and bottlenecks that cause loss. The Operations consulting services help you improve efficiency, internal communication, reduce the cost of operation, increase productivity, and improve decision-making using advanced tools and techniques. Proxpert Consulting Services is here to help you boost your efficiency and profitability with tailored operations strategy consulting. Contact us to know more.
FAQ
How can businesses improve their operational efficiency?
Businesses can optimize their operational efficiency by:
● Creating a standard process for all departments
● Implementing lean practices
● Automating repetitive tasks
● Eliminating the bottlenecks in the process
● Strengthening internal communication
Can small businesses benefit from operations consulting?
Absolutely. When SME chooses operations consulting, they can reduce their inefficiency in the process, avoid delays in supply & delivery, boost productivity, and easily scale operations for growth. Proxpert Consulting Services works specifically with SMEs to help them overcome operational challenges and increase their efficiency and profitability. Contact us to know more.
What is the difference between strategy and operations consulting?
One of the primary differences between strategy and operations consulting is the focus areas. The strategy consulting focuses on long-term decisions like market expansion and business growth. However, operations consulting focuses on daily business activity that affects the efficiency, delivery, and profitability of the business.
How to choose the right operations management consulting firm?
When choosing the right operations consulting firm, focus on their:
● Experience with different industries, especially with SME size businesses
● Case study to showcase their expertise
● The communication and support they provide during discussions
● Reviews from other companies, especially regarding post-strategy implementation support● Transparency related to the KPI tracking and performance
