By Sam Makad
As they say, every adult was once a kid, so it goes that every technology giant, be it Apple, Amazon or Google, was once a startup. It was their decisions, choices and policies that favored their growth, making them what they are now.
For startups, it’s very important that they carry out their operations in a well-managed and planned structure. While the need of the hour will always be to excel in anything they do and then to make sure they do it in a unique way, this leaves enough scope to advertise and market their skills, thereby increasing their production, business and investors.
Here are some basic, but important, concepts that a startup should consider in order to boost their production and overall strategy.
1. Plan, Prioritize and Proceed
This is the best and most important productivity tip. Until you plan it out, you will not be able to finish it, let alone prioritize its time and management. Planning a deed comes with its own benefits. Once you begin to plan something, you can calculate how much time you can afford to devote to it and then using that information, you can decide whether to either outsource the issue or handle it internally.
Planners are time masters!
Until a company is among the leaders in its industry, startups are considered to be ideas which have evolved into money-making businesses. These businesses involve a significant amount of production done in a unique way; which, going by current trends, should be at the lowest cost possible.
When it comes to startups, it’s very important to have a plan – research the market and make a unique step towards the big leap. As the current trends say, it is more important for startups to make their mark as soon as possible; i.e. make a breakthrough and then carry the momentum forward.
2. Divide and Excel
Division of labor, as it is called, is a simple way of distributing various tasks to improve efficiency, yet retaining the energy and focus of the particular activity. It proves handy on a competitive scale and is extremely beneficial for a startup.
Despite this, outsourcing may not be a solution for most startups due to their budget constraints; hence, they rely heavily on think tanks that assist with reducing operating costs, thereby allowing for more investment in technology, which brings us to the next and most important tip. It is very important to determine the different business models and then use them to increase productivity.
The basic model that most companies use is MOM (Manufacturing Operation Management). Each individual company chooses a panel who is responsible for constructing MOM. Then majority of the task is outsourced, but the panel continues to keep a close eye on the productivity, which then grows the process.
Another model that can prove to be helpful involves dividing the workplace community i into groups and assigning them certain tasks, after accomplishment of which they then complete the final activity.
This last option is the most basic model and the one most-widely followed in most organizations. Because they are the specific, subject-matter experts, they handle their own specializations which lead up to the finished product.
Choosing the appropriate division of labor requires careful research and skillful organization as mismanagement will make the task broader and less efficient. Effective management, however, will make the operation grow effectively encouraging a healthy competition that benefits everyone.
3. Carry Technology Up The Sleeves
This is the third and final concept when considering the production boost of a startup. The foundation of including technology in several business models is based on getting huge quantities of data analysis done within seconds and then streamlining the process. Search engines give out data that can be analyzed, which allows for specific steps to be taken to increase efficiency.
Software can hold a large amount of data that is then stored easily and accessed from any point via cloud computing. Software creates an attractive form of presentation which can reduce operating efforts and costs, again helping the company to invest more in necessary aspects such as infrastructure and employees.
Software, such as ERPs, increases the production and segregation of the data process, making it smoother and easier. While selecting, understanding and implementing on-premise ERP is a big commitment in itself, cloud ERP (SaaS) has proved to be the ideal choice for the startup companies.
4. Employee Management & Rewards
In the current job market, job hoppers are a frequent sight at startups, but research also shows that most startups suffer from attrition. Though attrition affects the production by only a slight margin, some of it is always taken care of by software. However, technology cannot replace human touch altogether. Certain production capabilities require human resources and lacking them could impact the quality of the manufacturing process and the overall production.
Basic attrition reasons for startups:
- Rapid changes within the organization.
- Poor employee management/satisfaction.
- Less focus on the individual employees and their benefits.
Apart from the first reason, the other two can be easily-managed. Rapid changes are something that startups strive for.
Startups are the revolution within themselves.
Depending upon demand and the current market, startups continually change to sustain themselves and take the lead. This is why it is very important for stakeholders to hire a talent who share that perspective.
For certain startups, this news comes out as a huge effect as startups function with a contort thought which is lauded when the investment is at its lower side. Startups try their best to accomplish tasks with little manpower and technology, but when demand is high, the manpower does not simply have to increase, it has to be well-managed as well and the technology has to be upgraded.