Implementing Best Practices In Daily Operations

You just got a new job as marketing operations leader and your top priority is making the department more efficient. Where should you start? 1. Acknowledge that you can’t track efficiency without data. If you’re not measuring, you can’t get a sense of where your problems lie. - You need to know how much you’re spending on marketing campaigns to see if your cost per conversion is increasing YoY. - You need to know how much you’re spending on SEO, the traffic impact, and the conversion rate to tell if it’s a worthwhile investment. - You need to know how long it takes to launch a campaign to see if your campaign development process is getting faster. At Scoop last week, we launched two campaigns in one day. We used detailed tracking to connect the traffic spike to the campaign that drove the engagement so we could see what was most effective (it was Alexandria Ryman's marketing email that drove a surge). Sometimes it’s easy to measure. You can easily see what traffic is driven to your website from someone clicking a blog post link, for example. Sometimes it’s harder, like when someone saw a LinkedIn ad, and then a month later search 'em up on Google to buy — was it LinkedIn that led them to you or Google? 2. Prioritize by impact Once you’ve got data in front of you, you need to sort out your priorities by what’s going to have the most influence on your department’s efficiency. Start by finding the largest gaps and the largest opportunities for increase in ROI. When you’ve flagged that in the data, you can get curious about why that change happened. Maybe your employee retention rate has dropped significantly since 2021. Your team hasn’t been in the same room for two years — could that be why folks aren’t sticking around? Sorting out operational efficiency priorities feels like an impossible task, but organizing your data by impact is a great starting point. 3. Use data to make your argument You probably can’t implement initiatives alone, so you’re going to need to get stakeholder buy-in. Before you make your argument, think through what sort of concerns they might have. - How much money is there to be gained by heading in the direction you’re advocating for? - Why would this be a marketing problem and not a sales problem? - How did you come to this conclusion? Then, pull data that squashes their concerns before they even have the chance to express them. 4. Present that data effectively The final step to making a convincing argument is data presentation — and a convoluted spreadsheet isn’t going to cut it. You need to let the data shine in the simplest way possible. If you’re looking at a wall of numbers, it’s hard to tell — is that a percent change? Is a 2% shift versus a 12% shift a big deal? Do we need to look at data over the last year or over the last quarter? This final step — the presentation — is how you make sure your findings resonate with the right stakeholders.

Why Manufacturing Leaders Struggle with Efficiency Every Day Manufacturing is all about efficiency, right? But here's the truth: many leaders find it challenging to maintain operational efficiency day in, day out. Why? Because efficiency isn’t just about speed—it’s about doing the right things consistently. Here’s what every manufacturing leader should know: - The hidden challenge is in balancing short-term demands with long-term goals. We tend to focus on immediate outputs and miss the bigger picture. Master efficiency with these core principles: Standardize processes ↳ Create repeatable workflows that minimize variability ↳ Review and refine them regularly Invest in your people ↳ Upskill your workforce to handle both the latest technologies and unforeseen challenges ↳ Foster a mindset of continuous improvement Leverage technology ↳ Use automation and real-time data to drive smarter decisions ↳ Ensure technology is working for you, not complicating things Focus on the health of your key resources ↳ Don’t wait for machines to break down—regular checks prevent costly downtime ↳ Create a culture of prevention, not reaction The real struggle? It’s not technology—it’s consistency. Most leaders fail when they can’t implement these steps on a daily basis. Great processes require regular attention. Here’s your Efficiency Blueprint: How can I say this with confidence? Because I’ve lived it. As a practitioner, consultant, and implementation partner with several manufacturing organizations, I’ve seen the struggles, felt the pressure, and witnessed the breakthroughs firsthand. This isn’t just theory—it’s real, and I’ve been there every step of the way 😊 Awareness ↳ Recognize where inefficiencies are creeping in ↳ It could be outdated processes, a skills gap, or poor communication Optimization ↳ Identify opportunities to refine, automate, and streamline ↳ Look for even the smallest wins—they add up Sustainability ↳ Efficiency isn’t a one-time project—it’s a mindset ↳ Ensure your teams are aligned on long-term efficiency goals Accountability ↳ Hold everyone responsible for their role in maintaining efficiency ↳ Transparency builds trust and drives better results Quick Tips for Daily Efficiency Gains: - Conduct brief daily stand-ups to catch issues early - Promote cross-functional collaboration - Use data to guide decisions, not just gut feeling - Celebrate small wins to reinforce efficient behaviors Other ways to tackle the efficiency challenge ✓ "Set clear KPIs and measure them regularly" ✓ "Empower teams to make decisions on the floor" ✓ "Eliminate waste in all forms—time, resources, energy" Remember: Efficiency is a continuous journey, not a destination. If you want your team to consistently hit their targets, you need to keep efficiency at the heart of everything you do. Looking for a solution? Send me a DM, and let's find one together! - Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost to grow your network!

In 2025, efficiency isn’t about doing more. It’s about removing friction from the system - and enabling your people to focus where it matters most. Here’s how forward-thinking firms are achieving record profitability while safeguarding team capacity: 1. Identify Operational Leakages Challenge: Hidden inefficiencies, such as manual billing, idle capacity, and delayed invoicing, can cost upwards of $ 500,000 annually. Solution: Leverage visibility tools to pinpoint exactly where margins are slipping. Case: A 120-person IT firm uncovered that 30% of their PMs’ time was being spent on spreadsheets, not project delivery. 2. Automate Non-Core Tasks Challenge: High-skill professionals losing 5+ hours per week to admin work. Solution: Automate time tracking, invoicing, and compliance workflows to free up strategic bandwidth. Case: One services firm reduced billing errors by 80% and recovered $1M in six months. 3. Align Talent to Strategic Work Challenge: Top talent diverted to constant firefighting rather than growth-driving initiatives. Solution: Intelligent project allocation ensures the right people are deployed where they create the most value. Case: A marketing agency improved margins by 22% simply by realigning roles and delivery timelines. 4. Measure ROI at Every Level Challenge: Strategic decisions based on incomplete or lagging data. Solution: Implement real-time tracking of profitability across projects, clients, and roles. Case: A consulting firm justified a 30% rate increase after demonstrating consistent value through live performance metrics. When to start? Yesterday. How soon are results visible? Within 90 days - and in many cases, faster. The takeaway? Operational efficiency is not a cost-saving tactic. It’s a leadership strategy - and a competitive advantage. #OperationalExcellence #Professionalservices #PSA

Operational efficiency is the secret sauce to scaling your business. Here's how to master it using 5 legendary Toyota Way principles! 🚀 Streamlining operations isn't just about cutting corners—it's about optimizing processes to get more done with less. Here’s how: 1️⃣ Automate Repetitive Tasks: Use automation tools to handle routine tasks. This frees up your team’s time for more important work. For example, we automated our client onboarding process. Instead of manually inputting data, we set up a system in ClickUp that handles it all. This change alone saved us hours each week and allowed us to focus on higher-value tasks. 2️⃣ Implement Continuous Improvement: Embrace the Toyota Way's principle of Kaizen—continuous improvement. Encourage your team to always look for ways to enhance processes, no matter how small. We created a culture of continuous improvement by holding weekly team meetings where everyone suggests process improvements. One small tweak in our project management approach led to a 15% increase in project completion speed. 3️⃣ Delegate Effectively: Assign tasks based on team members’ strengths. This ensures that tasks are completed efficiently and effectively. We noticed that our consultants were spending too much time on administrative tasks. By delegating those tasks to a dedicated admin, our consultants could focus on their core skills, leading to a 20% boost in productivity. 4️⃣ Standardize Processes: Create standardized workflows for common tasks. This reduces variability and ensures consistent quality. We developed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for our most frequent tasks. This consistency has not only improved our quality but also made onboarding new team members quicker and easier. 5️⃣ Track Performance Metrics: Regularly review key performance indicators (KPIs) to identify areas for improvement. This helps you stay on track and make data-driven decisions. We started tracking KPIs for client satisfaction, project timelines and time to value. By closely monitoring these metrics, we identified bottlenecks and made adjustments that cut our client churn by 2%. Operational efficiency = scalable business. Invest in efficiency to boost productivity and growth.

Maintenance and Reliability Best Practice (If you really want to improve) 1) Set Clear Goals and Expectations (not just talk) 2) Simplify Processes 3) Optimize Strategies 4) Minimize Downtime 5) Use Technology Expanded below 1) Set Clear Goals and Expectations (PDCA - Not Just Talk) Set goals to boost EBITDA and Capacity (e.g., cost reduction, asset uptime). Track (MTBF, MTTR, OEE) to measure financial and capacity impacts. Engage (leadership, operators, maintainers, customers) to align on priorities. Apply PDCA cycles to refine strategies for profitability and output. 2) Simplify Processes Use RCM to prioritize critical assets and eliminate non-value-adding tasks. Apply FMEA to reduce design-related risks impacting EBITDA. Streamline workflows with Value Stream Mapping to cut waste. Standardize and Simplify components to lower costs and support capacity. 3) Optimize Strategies Implement operator-based maintenance to align with maintenance goals and enhanced capacity. Adjust maintenance schedules using data to maximize uptime and minimize costs. Optimize spare parts inventory to balance availability and financial efficiency. Train operators and technicians to support defect elimination and reliability. 4) Minimize Downtime Use RCA to identify and eliminate defects threatening capacity and profitability. Manage work orders with CMMS to ensure high asset availability. Pre-kit materials to speed up maintenance tasks. Create clear SOPs for consistent operator and maintenance execution. 5) Use Technology Monitor assets with condition-based systems to maintain high capacity. Predict and prevent failures using analytics to protect EBITDA. Automate CMMS workflows for efficient defect tracking and resolution. Explore digital twins or robotics to optimize inspections and operations. ReliabilityX

My 4-step technique to successful operations. Over the past 20 years, I have been dedicated to improving the quality and efficiency of healthcare.  During this time, I created a winning technique that streamlines operations and allows these facilities to achieve their goals and provide the best possible care for residents. Technique #1 - Needs Analysis How it works: → Step 1: Evaluate financial health and budget constraints.  → Step 2: Understand operational workflows and identify inefficiencies.  → Step 3: Assess the quality of resident care and pinpoint areas for improvement.  → Step 4: Gather input from major stakeholders to align on priorities and objectives. This helps us tailor our approach to fit our client's specific goals, finances, and objectives.  Technique #2 - Business Model Consulting How it works: → Step 1: Optimize operational efficiency.  → Step 2: Enhance financial management.  → Step 3: Standardize processes to ensure consistency and quality.  → Step 4: Implement strategies to improve workforce stability and reduce turnover. This step focuses on getting the facility's operations and industry best practices aligned to create a solid foundation for sustainable growth and success. Technique #3 - Software Configuration How it works: → Step 1: Customize the software to integrate seamlessly with existing systems.  → Step 2: Set up modules that address identified pain points, like clinical risk management and regulatory compliance.  → Step 3: Make sure the software supports data collection and analysis for informed decision-making. This step allows the technology to actively support improved operational outcomes and quality of care. Techqniue #4 - Implementation How it works: → Step 1: Train staff on new systems and processes.  → Step 2: Monitor the transition for minimal disruption.  → Step 3: Provide ongoing support to address any issues. This final phase assures the successful implementation of the configured software. By implementing these techniques, senior living communities can expect to see massive changes in their operations over the next three to six months. With this insight, senior living communities can overcome major operational challenges and start focusing their efforts on giving their residents the best care possible.

You have a Management Operating System – do you know what it is? Is it effective? In today’s fast-paced business environment, an effective Management Operating System (#MOS) is no longer a luxury - it’s a necessity. As a leader aligning strategy with execution, ensuring enterprise-wide collaboration, and driving continual improvement are integral to success and can all be achieved through and effective MOS. To drive success, a leadership team needs to have the right conversations, at the right time, at the right level, to facilitate decisions based on the right information. So how do you put a system in place to achieve that? Here are the steps: 1)      Start with your purpose: As Simon Sinek states, you have to #startwithwhy. You can’t solve for what is important until you know where your organization is trying to achieve. 2)      Define what success looks like: use measurable objectives and key results (#OKRs). Define what success looks like for your organization in the current period. 3)      Identify your external requirements: every team has a set of external requirements that you don’t control.  Board meetings, your boss’s meetings, reporting to the street. What are the deliverables required to meet those deadlines? 4)      Identify your internal requirements: your team has its own requirements. A business has to focus on daily operations, contracts, employee engagement, 1 on 1 meetings, etc. 5)      Schedule your routine: build a meeting cadence to get alignment on your external and internal deliverables ahead of their due dates. Build reviews of your OKRs into those routine meetings to drive execution. 6)      Adjust the routine: your plan, do, check, act review of the routine will drive adjustment as you better understand and flush out additional deliverables. 7)      Tighten up your meeting hygiene to elevate performance: pre-meeting agendas with pre-reads, and post-meeting summaries with defined actions / decisions will drive efficiency among the team. 8)      Increase Accountability: have an action list that is tracked with due dates assigned that gets reviewed regularly with the team. #Leadership #ChiefOfStaff #Management #BusinessStrategy #ContinuousImprovement #OperationalExcellence #EmployeeEngagement #BusinessGrowth

When a leading medical manufacturer faced operational bottlenecks, we guided them through a transformative process. Here’s how they succeeded and how you can apply these principles: Key Results: • On-time delivery boosted to 98% • Inventory turns increased by 60% • Changeover times reduced by 75% How you can get similar results in your manufacturing business: Redesign for Flow: Assess your current layout. Map product movement and identify bottlenecks. Simplify pathways to reduce time wasted on unnecessary movements. Standardize Processes: Document and standardize best practices. This reduces variability, improves consistency, and minimizes defects. Involve your team in continuous improvement to keep processes aligned. Optimize Planning and Scheduling: Evaluate your planning functions and scheduling practices. Use data to forecast demand accurately and adjust schedules dynamically to avoid idle time and backlogs. Lean Daily Management: Integrate daily performance reviews with your team. Track key metrics, identify issues early, and empower teams to solve problems in real-time. This keeps operations agile and responsive. Implementing these steps can enhance efficiency, free up capital, and drive growth. What steps are you taking to eliminate bottlenecks in your operation? https://lnkd.in/gZWQXPWT #lean #leadership #culturechange #privateequity #manufacturing #alphanovaconsulting #operations #leanmanufacturing

This is a book that will never pop up on a "best of" list because it doesn't have the marketing behind it the popular business books have, but it's groundbreaking in it's concept around executional excellence. I've seen this work in the real world and it's one of my keys to success as a leader. Ken Carrig and Scott Snell researched companies in various markets and found a very interesting insight. What separated the highest performers and the lowest performers in most markets was not their strategy. In many cases they had the same, or very similar, strategies. The difference between them was how well they executed that strategy. This forms the basis of Scott's 4A framework for driving executional excellence: ✅ Agility - This is your proficiency at learning rapidly and responding to change. It's not new news to anyone that business is dynamic with market shifts constantly in motion. Those who learn from these shifts and take action on them the fastest will be operating like they are playing a game with cheat codes on. But there are no cheat codes and every team is capable of being more agile if they keep their eyes on the market and make an active effort to avoid getting complacent. ✅ Architecture - This is your infrastructure and supporting systems. It encompasses both they way you operate and the technology you employ. So many teams give very little thought to how work gets done. Any place where you can drive even the smallest operational efficiency will have a big impact if you combine enough of them. This is why I'm also bullish on tech stacks being as efficient and as simple as possible. If your team is spending more time managing the software than strategically deploying it to amplify their impact then that is a problem. ✅ Ability - This is the talent of your team and their collaborative capacity. This one is pretty simple. You can't have a top performing team unless you have top performing team members. You need a thoughtful system for evaluating talent and be prepared to offer above market compensation when you identify above market talent. Also, don't overlook the team's collaborative capacity. You can have superstars in every individual role, but if they don't work well together the collective efforts of the team will suffer making each team member a worse performer than if they were working on their own. ✅ Alignment - This is clear intent, high expectations, and accountability. This is a sneaky one where unless you're on top of all 3 of those elements you won't have true alignment. Things like OKRs, KPIs, and other goal setting systems lull teams into a false sense of security. They think they have alignment simple because these systems exist. Bad OKRs are about as useful as having no goals at all. Achieving alignment is not a once a quarter thing. It's a continuous effort to provide more clarity and hold people accountable. #leadership #management #books