Your company operates in a turbulent business environment where new technologies are reshaping industries, customer preferences are evolving rapidly, and geopolitical equations are shifting dramatically. If you’re struggling to adapt to these quick and challenging transitions, you’re not alone.
To tackle these issues as soon as possible, some corporate executives’ resort to quick fixes that don’t support customer or employee growth in the long run. For example, rushing through process implementations, technology upgrades, and new hire training invariably results in botched executions and unnecessary confusion.
Building a foundation for sustainable scaling can allow you to scale up or down as needed without incurring lengthy downtime, constant technological upgrades, or harming your bottom line.
The sustainability triad to consider
It’s essential to think about your people, processes, and technology while implementing sustainable scaling.
People
The success of your business is dependent on the training and onboarding materials you provide for your employees and customers. Supporting them with easy-to-find, on-demand training relating to a problem they’ve encountered is a terrific way to help your company grow.
Also, ensure that those affected by significant changes are adequately informed. This will help reduce dissatisfaction, absenteeism, and attrition. When people are effectively managed and supported, your business benefits in ways that often go overlooked, and a people-first culture can be fostered.
Processes
Your organization must have someone designated as the Chief Documentation Officer (CDO). The CDO keeps crucial process documentation updated — from IT processes to HR, marketing, and beyond — so that anybody can quickly step in and assist whenever necessary.
Similarly, every other process must be carefully planned, monitored, and managed, so your daily operations run like a well-oiled machine.
Technology
When dealt with properly, technology can significantly support your people and processes. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind when prioritizing sustainable scaling:
- Build around one platform. In other words, on the road to scalability, choosing products built to integrate or work together saves a lot of time and effort.
- After a few years, technology, like milk in your fridge, “expires” or becomes unsupported. To preserve security requirements, ensure certain technologies are replaced before they become unsupported.
- Commit to integration. While you can find a cheaper alternative, you typically only get value equivalent to your pay price. Instead of choosing the most inexpensive option, commit to selecting solutions that work with the business platforms you already have.
- Scan for vulnerabilities regularly. While having a good backup and recovery plan is ideal, it’s even better if you can combine it with a proactive approach that addresses gaps before hackers exploit them.
- Automate routine workflows. Ensure you have solutions to reduce the chances of error in the most critical areas of your business, regardless of whether it’s invoicing or anything with a small margin of error.
