The 3 Ps of operational efficiency in marketing

Operational efficiency is also known as operational productivity or operational effectiveness. This is a metric that is used by businesses and organisations all across the world. It measures the output of a company from each unit of input. Companies need to work hard to boost operational efficiency whenever they can in order to remain competitive. This i s especially important for small-to-medium-sized enterprises because their resources are going to be more limited than bigger companies, and so they need to maximise them. In order to do this, you need to make sure you have three P's of operational efficiency working for you. These are as follows: People, Processes and Partnerships. Read on to discover more about these three elements and how you can make them work for you in running your marketing operations.

People

People determine the success or failure of any project, especially when it comes to marketing. We have to be leaders in effective communication, and more importantly, listening. Strategies can’t be tested and formulated, plans can’t be delivered on time, and relationships can’t be nurtured without the right people and skills in place. The first step is to build the teams and resources around you. 

There are many different ways that you can enhance operational efficiency by enhancing the efficiency of those working for your firm. This always begins by hiring the right people, to begin with. You should have policies in place for attracting and retaining the best talent. There are many different ways you can go about this, from providing great benefits to ensuring all employees have the tools they need to do their jobs properly.Aside from this, it is important to focus on training and developing employees.A lot of employees leave companies because they feel like they are in a dead-end job. Training not only helps retention rates but it gives your employees the skills needed to work more efficiently too. 

Aside from this, some other suggestions include keeping goals clear and focused, mastering the art of communicating effectively, and matching tasks to skills. You also need to perfect the art of delegation too. 

Processes

There is no standard process that fits perfectly for every business. You need the time to design and test the processes and operations that work the best for your business. In marketing, every project involves engaging almost every stakeholder and department to ensure effective governance and communications are receiving the appropriate checks and balances. Depending on the size and complexity of your organisation, your processes will vary considerably. 

In order to determine and assess a business process, there are a number of different steps that you should follow. Firstly, you need to define the business process. To do this, you should think about the scope of the task, as well as determining your desired outcome. You then need to note the sub-processes that exist within the process in question, as well as documenting the company process. You should also define the functions of the entities in the processes or the departments, as well as any outputs and inputs. Plus, make note of any exceptions to the process. 

Creating a process is not enough. You need to continue to review it if you want to achieve operational efficiency. After all, what was efficient last year may not be efficient today. This is why all processes must be documented. You should continue to analyse the process so that you can spot any signs of efficiency. Some indications of inefficiency include large work backlogs and long repair times. In order to analyse your business processes, you also need to communicate with the key personnel involved. Creating a business process flowchart for each process can help as well, as it helps you to visualise the business process and you can see where improvements can be made. To make improvements, you may want to conduct a brainstorming session with those involved.

Partnerships

Essentially, to be more agile and responsive to market demand, you need to be flexible and rely on important partnerships to get things done. It involves effective planning, regular reviews, reaching out and nurturing relationships. It requires a lot of effort. 

A lot of business owners try to handle everything in-house.This is admirable. However, it is something that is becoming virtually impossible today. This is especially for businesses that are trying to operate to optimal efficiency. After all, there are so many different things that businesses need to contend with today. This includes everything from cyber security to accountancy commitments and then you have everything from marketing to software; the list goes on and on. Knowing when to outsource and choosing the right company to outsource too is of huge importance. 

There are a number of different factors you can consider when determining whether you should seek outside help or not. For example, you need to work out whether it is going to be more cost-efficient to keep the task in-house or not. You should look at the costs over a period of time, for example, a year, as start-up costs can sometimes be more expensive with outsourcing, yet they may be cheaper overall. You also need to consider whether or not you have the expertise in-house. If you don’t, outsourcing and building key relationships come recommended. Aside from this, considering whether or not an activity is a core activity will also have an impact. If it is, it is best to keep it within the company. 

So there you have it: an insight into the three Ps of operational efficiency. If you want to take your business to the next level, you should always be looking for ways to maximise your operational efficiency.This is especially the case for small-to-medium sized businesses. When looking for ways to achieve this, starting with the three Ps are paramount. These should be viewed as the foundations of your business’ growth.

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