Optimization of company business processes. Carrying out optimization in Russian How to optimize production without investing in equipment

In basic industries (for example, metallurgy, chemicals, pulp and paper, energy), managers deal with the ever-increasing complexity of doing business. Any company in these industries faces a globally competitive marketplace with increasing pressure to reduce costs. Let's take the steel industry as an example. Over the past two decades, the global steel industry as a whole has generated only a 4% return on assets. The low profitability is explained by the entry of new players into the market and increased competition. Steel companies, including market leaders Posco (South Korea), China Steel (Taiwan), Techint (Argentina), have grown to become strong players in emerging markets. Using the latest technologies and low production costs, they offer high quality products to the world market at the lowest price. With an average production utilization rate of companies in developed countries (Europe, Japan, USA) equal to 80%, the only way to stay afloat is to constantly improve efficiency and reduce costs.

From existing practice, there are many strategies, techniques and methods for reducing costs that companies more or less successfully apply. All these methods can be reduced to three: directive, reengineering and bottom-up. The directive approach involves reducing the operating budgets of departments by a certain amount (10-20%) in an “ordered” manner. Reengineering consists of a radical revision of the basic business processes, organization and technology of doing business in order to move to a new qualitative level. Bottom-up cost optimization is carried out by improving a large number of processes, technologies and labor organization methods at the level of ordinary departments, but without changing the core processes and business structure.

A directive approach is often the most effective and produces immediate results. At the same time, its main and very significant drawback is the lack of priorities clearly linked to the strategy. As a result, local cost cutting can lead to stagnant business revenues, declining market share and profitability. It is most advisable to apply a prescriptive approach selectively and only where there is obvious inefficiency (for example, a large number of personnel in the HR department compared to competing companies).

Reengineering, of course, can be considered as the most effective way to reduce costs and increase the competitiveness of a company. However, large expenditures of time and resources required to carry out large-scale reengineering of core business processes can reduce the expected effect to zero. In addition, the main production processes and technologies used in basic industries, as a rule, are already sufficiently mature and do not have the potential for radical optimization. Thus, a company that decides to reengineer must think about simultaneously reducing operating costs so as not to lose its competitive position while implementing these large-scale changes.

Bottom-up cost reduction is the optimal way to achieve long-term cost competitive advantage while minimizing risk and investment. The principle of implementing such programs is to involve as many employees as possible in the process of developing and implementing practical proposals to increase efficiency, increase productivity and improve quality at each production site. For example, one project's idea of ​​sealing the roller table bearings of a rolling mill to prevent oil washout and increase their service life resulted in only a few tens of thousands of dollars in economic benefit. However, several hundred of these ideas result in annual savings of tens of millions of dollars. Most of these ideas “lie on the surface.” Literally each company has enormous potential to increase efficiency and reduce costs. So what's the deal? Why isn't it used? In our view, the main reason for missed opportunities and management's desire to take a prescriptive approach to cost reduction is the difficulty of organizing a systematic and structured cost reduction process aimed at mobilizing the company along the path of change.

McKinsey encountered this problem decades ago in its work with clients. As a result, a methodology was developed for organizing and implementing large-scale bottom-up cost reduction projects in large organizations. This program was called TOP - total production optimization. The TOP program was developed based on the experience of the world's best companies and is constantly being improved. An analysis of the effectiveness of the TOP program in the areas of electronics, non-ferrous and ferrous metallurgy, mining and pulp and paper industries showed that the average reduction in total company costs after the implementation of the program is 16% (Fig. 1).

Goals and objectives of the TOP program

As already mentioned, the main goal of the TOP program is to optimize all types of enterprise activities to increase production efficiency. The program has two main tasks. The first task is a one-time and significant (40% of reduced costs) increase in efficiency, which must be achieved as soon as possible. In the course of implementing this task, through careful analysis, most of the existing gaps in the company's activities are eliminated. Moreover, it is important here not only to achieve cost reduction, but also to demonstrate the benefits of the program for internal corporate activities, convince employees of the need for change, and create mechanisms for motivation and monitoring the achievement of results.

The second objective of the program is to create functions and mechanisms within the organization that can support the transformation process within the framework of the TOP program, turning it into a permanent, efficiently operating mechanism designed to provide the company with a long-term cost advantage.

Global experience in conducting TOP programs around the world has proven that improvements can be achieved simultaneously in several parameters (Fig. 2). Approximately 70% of cost reduction goals are achieved in the first 18 months from the start of the project, and the payback period for the required investments does not exceed one year (Fig. 3, 4).

In addition to specific financial results, the TOP program has other positive aspects. Thus, during the implementation of the project, a complete description of the functions of production and non-production services is compiled, which can serve as the basis for planning the number of personnel and developing long-term development plans. As a result of the implementation of the program, the mentality of employees is undergoing changes: a focus on constant control and cost reduction appears. As a result, the quality of products and services, labor productivity, and the level of safety and environmental friendliness of production increase.

Methodology of the TOP program

The methodology of the TOP program differs significantly from the methodologies traditionally used in efficiency improvement programs: it is aimed not only at increasing production efficiency, but also at changing the motivation and performance of the employees themselves. This initiates a long-term improvement program. Let's consider the main elements of the methodology.

A complex approach. The goal of reducing costs is set in conjunction with the goals of increasing productivity and improving the quality of products and services. The economic effect, as a rule, is achieved by “breaking up” bottlenecks and generating additional income in connection with the replacement of lower quality products with higher quality ones. For example, when conducting a TOP program in the packaging department of one metallurgical company, a proposal to change the type of lifting mechanisms used to move steel sheet coils allowed to reduce damage to the edges of the coils by 80% and thereby improve the quality of the final product. As a result, the company was able to attract new, more quality-demanding customers and increase production volume and profits.

Specific Cost Reduction Goals, based on an analysis of the performance of the best companies in the industry. At the beginning of the implementation of the TOP program, all departments are set the goal of reducing costs by 40% of those specified in the budget. The budget for reduced costs is calculated for each department based on the specifics of the activity. For example, to produce 1 ton of slabs, it is necessary to spend at least 1 ton of steel, which is considered irreducible; at the same time, the waste generated when turning steel into slabs is considered reducible. If it is not possible to determine the share of irreducible costs, target indicators are set at the level of the best companies in the industry. On average, 40% of reduced costs is equivalent to 15-20% of all costs. These goals are certainly aggressive, especially considering that they must be achieved without any significant investment. Nevertheless, they are absolutely real, and this has been confirmed by the practice of implementing the TOP program in many countries, including Russia. If a division solves its problems, then in terms of its efficiency it reaches a level that is ahead of the most successful competitors.

Use of existing know-how. Unit managers (heads of workshops, sections) bear the main responsibility for organizing and promoting the TOP program. They typically have a clear understanding of where potential for efficiency gains exists in their departments and how it can be realized. In addition, it is easier for managers to motivate and involve all their employees in the process. Involving the clients of these divisions, as well as related companies, in the TOP process allows us to correctly assess the economic effect of the implementation of ideas. The fact that ideas coming from employees are used in implementing the program creates a sense of involvement in changing the life of the company. And this, in turn, leads to a change in corporate mentality and contributes to the creation of a system of constant, long-term changes.

Using unconventional ideas. During the implementation of the program, everything is called into question, even absolutely unshakable truths. In this case, the benchmark is the best technologies existing in the world and the work practices of the best companies. For example, during the implementation of one of the proposals, the number of cycles of using containers for collecting slag at a metallurgical plant was increased by 10 times in comparison with existing practice - a result that seemed incredible at first was made possible through the use of modern techniques for spraying containers with a heat-resistant composition. Clear results tracking. All accepted proposals become plans for specific actions with deadlines for implementation and a specific measurable result (for example, reducing the department’s budget for the purchase of raw materials, electricity, etc.). To monitor the progress of these plans, a special, independent controlling group is created, which is endowed with broad powers and has the ability to contact senior management. One of the most difficult tasks solved by the controlling group is the task of isolating the economic effect from the implementation of the TOP program from all other changes in budgets and costs caused by fluctuations in the exchange rate, prices for raw materials and supplies, reconfiguration of production, and implementation of investment programs.

Clear results tracking. All accepted proposals become plans for specific actions with deadlines for implementation and a specific measurable result (for example, reducing the department’s budget for the purchase of raw materials, electricity, etc.). To monitor the progress of these plans, a special, independent controlling group is created, which is endowed with broad powers and has the ability to contact senior management. One of the most difficult tasks solved by the controlling group is the task of isolating the economic effect from the implementation of the TOP program from all other changes in budgets and costs caused by fluctuations in the exchange rate, prices for raw materials and supplies, reconfiguration of production, and implementation of investment programs.

TOP program process

The TOP program process consists of sequentially repeating cycles, or “waves,” each of which covers several divisions (shops) of the company. The number of “waves” is determined by the size of the company and the amount of resources involved. For example, in one of the largest Russian metallurgical companies, the TOP process was carried out in 4 “waves” lasting 3 months each. These “waves” consisted of 6 stages: organization, goal setting, proposal development, proposal evaluation, implementation preparation, and implementation (Figure 5).

STAGE 1. ORGANIZATION. The organization of the TOP process is its most important stage, during which production units are identified, their managers and members of the working group are appointed, and all participants in the process are trained. Production units can be either individual small workshops or sections of larger workshops. The number of employees in a unit, as a rule, does not exceed 300 people. Heads of departments and sections or their deputies are appointed heads of units. The main criteria for their selection are the desire to participate in the program, the attitude of the team towards them, the level of professional training, and the general intellectual level. The basis of motivation for unit managers is the opportunity to implement ideas that have not been implemented before for various reasons, as well as to prove themselves to senior management and the team. Unit managers bear the primary responsibility for cost reduction. They are responsible for developing proposals, calculating economic benefits, and presenting ideas to senior management for approval. The typical organization of the TOP program is shown in Fig. 6.

STAGE 2. SETTING GOALS. The main task of this stage is to set specific and reasonable cost reduction goals. To do this, first the total budget of the production unit is calculated. To simplify this task, the formation of units should adhere to the existing organizational division and financial accounting structure. After determining the unit's budget, a diagram of the main production processes, as well as the flow of raw materials and materials, is drawn up. Unit costs are distributed among business processes, and the approximate cost of each process is determined.

Then costs are divided into operational and technical (raw materials, energy) and irreducible costs and costs not considered in the project (for example, depreciation) are determined. As a rule, part of the costs of raw materials and energy falls into the category of non-reducible costs. In this case, the level of irreducible costs is determined by theoretically calculating the minimum requirement (i.e., the minimum possible level of consumption of raw materials and energy is calculated, subject to zero waste, leaks, etc.). All other costs (personnel, repairs, overhead, administrative costs, spare parts) are considered completely reduced. A typical example of a breakdown of department expenses into reduced and non-reduced is shown in Fig. 7. Once departmental budgets and the level of non-reducible expenses are determined, production units are given a goal of reducing the remaining budget by 40%. This means that the head of the unit and the working group must develop and economically justify proposals, the total effect of the implementation of which during the “wave” will be at least 40% of the reduced budget of the unit.

STAGE 3. DEVELOPING COST REDUCTION PROPOSALS. The main mechanism for generating ideas to reduce costs is brainstorming. It is organized and carried out by the head of the unit with the support of members of the working group. Participants are employees of the production unit, as well as representatives of subcontractors and customers. During brainstorming, the maximum number of ideas is generated to reduce costs, increase productivity and improve product quality. At the same time, ideas are not discussed or discarded - even the most “crazy” ideas are recorded. The main goal of brainstorming is the quantity of ideas, not their quality. The proposals developed are drawn up in a standard format and entered into the database. After brainstorming, ideas undergo a preliminary assessment and are sorted by the size of the financial effect, risk of implementation, payback period and ease of implementation. If the quantity and quality of ideas generated during brainstorming are not enough to reduce costs by 40%, it is necessary to conduct additional surveys on the shop floor, involve experts and use the experience of the best companies in the industry.

STAGE 4. EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS. At this stage, the complexity of implementing proposals is assessed, the volume of investments and economic benefits are clarified, specific suppliers of equipment and services are identified, proposals are coordinated with related companies and other participants. During the analysis, some sentences are discarded and replaced with new ones. Thus, there is a constant iteration of the third and fourth stages. The result of the fourth stage is a list of implementable proposals that have a real economic effect, with a payback period of investments not exceeding two years. At the end of the fourth stage, these proposals are submitted for approval by the company's senior management (Managing Committee).

STAGE 5. IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING. The planning phase begins with the approval of ideas at a meeting of the Management Committee. The unit leader presents the idea to the committee members and explains how it can be implemented and how the economic benefits will be achieved. The presentation includes calculation of the financial result, required investments, implementation deadlines, identification of responsible, external suppliers and partners. Once the proposal is approved, the unit leader draws up a detailed implementation plan, coordinates it with the participating units, and makes appropriate changes to his unit's budget.

STAGE 6. IMPLEMENTATION. The main task of the implementation stage is to monitor the achievement of the results stated in the approved proposals, carried out by a specially created controlling group. It monitors the actual expenditure of funds in accordance with approved budgets, and also exercises direct control over the implementation of the implementation plan (timely installation of equipment, repairs, etc.). The Controlling Group regularly reports on implementation progress to the Management Committee.

TOP program structure

The roles and tasks of TOP program participants are defined at each level of the organization. The company's top management, managers and employees of production units bear primary responsibility for the implementation of the program; specialists provide methodological support and ensure the organization of the process.

The Steering Committee manages the project, is responsible for implementing the program, and monitors the results. The Management Committee meets regularly to evaluate, approve, and monitor the implementation of proposals. The functions of the Management Committee also include reviewing proposals for compliance with the overall development strategy of the company.

The main working group for the implementation of the TOP program consists of specialists (specially selected employees of the enterprise, mainly from financial, economic and technological services, and the business planning department). It is created to support unit managers in developing and evaluating proposals. Her task will also be to assist in organizing meetings and brainstorming sessions, structuring analysis, collecting data on competitor performance, best practices in the industry, available technologies, etc.

Unit managers, together with their employees, are responsible for the development and implementation of proposals for optimizing production. Managers are primarily responsible for achieving 40% cost reduction.

“Iron rules” of the TOP program

The success of the program depends on the strict implementation of a number of fundamental rules. First of all, the project must have an unconditional priority in the company. The deadlines planned in the program must be strictly observed, meetings, including those with the participation of senior management, must be held at the appointed time. All departments must be placed on equal terms - the goal of reducing costs (by 40%) is the same for all and does not change depending on the specifics of the production unit. The efforts of all participants in the process must be aimed at achieving this goal; managers bear full responsibility, excluding excuses for failure to complete assigned tasks.

It is necessary to declare an “amnesty” for all past mistakes, shortcomings, and missed opportunities. It will not add incentive to fruitful work if the company’s top managers say: “Why didn’t you do this before? Why did you have to wait for the consultants to come?” The goal of the project is not to deal with past mistakes and look for those to blame, but to direct the attention of all participants to the future and emerging opportunities.

There should be no “sacred cows” - all cost items should be considered and questioned. Participants in the process must be motivated to take risks and offer unexpected solutions. All emerging issues, if possible, should be resolved at the level of unit managers - transferring responsibility “upward” is unacceptable.

Mikhail Shamolin- McKinsey consultant, Moscow

Human resources need periodic optimization. During periods of falling profits, management has to decide to reduce personnel costs and optimize personnel. Read the article on how to optimize.

From the article you will learn:

Personnel optimization is a process in which performance is assessed and a decision is made on further measures regarding the personnel composition of the enterprise. Optimization of personnel is carried out for increasing labor productivity or reducing personnel costs.

Download documents on the topic:

Forms of personnel optimization:

• reduction in the number of employees;
• increasing the share of qualified specialists among personnel;
• reduction of cash costs for workers;
• carrying out training activities to improve their work;
• optimization of staff working time.

The choice of a specific form depends on the enterprise and the prevailing conditions, on the influence of external and internal factors.

How to optimize staffing

Personnel optimization at an enterprise is aimed at minimizing costs and increasing enterprise profits. To optimize the number of employees, you need to clarify the criteria by which all this will be carried out.

Methods for carrying out personnel optimization may be different. The following activities are traditionally used:

• dismissal of some employees in order to reduce positions;
• disbandment of individual units;
• outstaffing, outsourcing and employee leasing.

To fire some employees, managers need to develop an appropriate program. When developing and implementing this program it is necessary:

Ensure compliance with labor laws. Otherwise, the company faces lawsuits. It may incur financial costs and significant damage to its reputation.

Develop clear and maximally objective criteria for selecting personnel for optimization. Criteria for reduction, in addition to the fact of liquidation of a workplace, may include short work experience at the enterprise, the presence disciplinary sanctions.

Preference should be given to those events in which employees leave the enterprise voluntarily. For example, early retirement with payment of a full pension.

It is important to conduct a communication campaign to provide employees with the most complete information about the reasons for dismissals, the selection criteria used to optimize personnel at the enterprise, compensation for those dismissed, and possible prospects for their return to the company.

Provide assistance to dismissed employees in the form of financial compensation and assistance in finding employment. The specific amounts of compensation are determined by legal requirements, the financial capabilities of the organization, and its traditions.

You might be interested to know:

• KPI – key indicators of employee performance
• Main indicators of economic efficiency: methods of determination and calculation
• How to develop and implement key performance indicators

Optimization of personnel work

There is a universal algorithm that can be used to optimize the work of personnel in any department.

Compiling a general list functions performed within each department. For simplicity, it should be broken down according to individual positions. You will get a detailed list of functions performed by department employees.

Conducting an assessment of the success of performing functions. Usually failures are found in one person, but more often the unfulfilled functions will be evenly distributed among the employees of the entire department.

Finding the dependence of the performance of functions on subjective reasons. At this stage, it is determined to what extent performance problems are related to the characteristics of workers. Perhaps there are unhurried employees who constantly delay the completion of assigned tasks. Optimizing the work of personnel will in this case require changing the responsibilities of such employees to those that do not require quick reactions.

Determining the dependence of work on factors within the team. The main internal factor influencing efficiency, can be considered the working atmosphere in the department. If there is an atmosphere of confrontation and aggression in the department, work will stall where interpersonal interaction is required.

Other negative internal factors that require not optimization of personnel at the enterprise, but the adoption of other measures include:

• insufficient automation of the process: maintaining paper databases, manually filling out documents, etc.;
• inaccurate definition of job responsibilities;
• duplication of employee functions;
• employees have dual subordination.

Determining the dependence of successful performance of functions on factors outside the unit. Often negative impact on efficiency divisions are affected by failure to meet deadlines on the part of related departments.

Drawing up a map of the time costs for employees to perform functions. You should get a picture of the use of working time in the department. This way you will find out who spends how much time and on what.

To optimize personnel at the enterprise, based on the results of the assessment, invite employees to make their proposals for improving the work of the department. The results will not always be large-scale, but it is necessary to listen to the opinions of the staff.

Look for opportunities to combine similar functions. This will make it possible to save specialists’ time and increase the overall productivity of the department - thereby achieving optimization of personnel costs.

Examples of such solutions:

• answering machine;
• a PC operator who enters primary documents and relieves more qualified specialists of this routine;
• telemarketers in sales departments, etc.

As much as possible automate business processes. The introduction of automation can increase labor productivity by up to 100% by reducing communication time, freeing employees from routine work and searching for required documents.

Look for workforce training opportunities. Optimizing personnel costs as a result of training is not only a socially preferable method, but also aimed at the future. However, investing in training is justified only if the employee works for the company for a sufficient period of time.

The main thing is to track the effectiveness of training. How does the staff’s work efficiency increase with the training they undergo?

How to optimize staff working time

Wasting time is directly related to losing money. If it is concluded that work time is not being used effectively, decisive action must be taken depending on the problem identified.

Optimization of staff working time is necessary when there are shortcomings in the organization of the work process. When each employee performs a task that he considers important at the moment. Although at the same time another employee may be waiting for a finished document from the first one and spend half a day without work in such anticipation.

Often, unproductive instructions from managers, when tasks are set one after another, also contribute to the loss of time. The employee is forced to switch to new ones without completing the previous ones. Therefore, the manager needs to start by organizing his work. And only after that start organizing subordinate work processes, prioritizing tasks.

Disadvantages in the organization of work include a basic lack of resources. A classic example is when the printer unexpectedly runs out of paper.

Lack of recording of working time, time frames, and standards is another significant reason requiring optimization of staff working time. Working time tracking is disciplined by its very existence, so that employees do not try to solve their affairs during working hours.

For any task, it is necessary to set a time frame and deadlines. If an employee does not meet the deadline for objective reasons, next time you can always increase the deadline if necessary.

For simple and frequently repeated tasks, you can set time standards. When implementing large projects, it is imperative to draw up work schedule. If employees are unable to adhere to it, then the project manager should solve this problem and find options for optimizing the work of staff.

It is important to alternate between work and rest time. Particularly zealous managers may have employees working actively throughout the day. As a result, productivity drops, task completion time is delayed due to simple fatigue.

In this case, there can be no talk about personnel optimization. The manager needs to take a closer look at the employees and their personal rhythm. It is advisable to individually install the appropriate schedule. For example, for “night owls” whose activity begins after lunch.

If possible, you need to consider pauses in the work process. After every hour of work, leave 5–10 minutes of rest - this will not reduce your productivity. After completing major, stressful projects, give your employees a day of rest. There is no point in expecting productive activity from psychologically and mentally exhausted workers.

Forced downtime also requires management attention and decisions to optimize staff working time. In some cases, flexible scheduling can be used to eliminate or reduce downtime. The optimal use of working time directly depends on the position and leadership skills.

Conclusion

Before optimizing personnel, enterprise management must use all options for improving the quality of personnel work with the existing number. And staff reduction should be carried out as a last resort if other solutions are ineffective.

Production optimization means the introduction of innovative technologies and improvement of the work process. As a rule, such a modification is carried out in order to increase operational efficiency and reduce enterprise costs.

What is the optimization of production processes?

Production optimization is the elimination of shortcomings of an enterprise, focusing on the advantages of technology. The procedure involves going through three stages: planning, approval and implementation. It helps to reduce the number of management errors and shortcomings, reduce production costs, increase enterprise profits and operational efficiency. In addition, production optimization can be introduced in order to overcome the financial crisis. Its effectiveness will become faster and more obvious if it is aimed at the main technological processes.

Optimization of production management must be carried out in accordance with the approved plan, which indicates all stages and sequence of implementation. It is best to start by adjusting narrow functional aspects, then the risks of the enterprise are reduced and the possibility of returning to the previous course remains. As a rule, appropriate activities are carried out as soon as possible.

Optimization of production implies improvement of its structures, revision of their relationships and interactions (the functions of one division can be assigned to another). Typically, the result of such actions is: increased competitiveness, increased sales and profits of the enterprise, the formation of its positive image, but more on that later.

Remember that before carrying out reforms, it is necessary to analyze the features of the technology, formulate tasks, and create a business process diagram.

How to optimize production without investing in equipment

Is it possible to increase a company's productivity without investing in equipment? The editors of the General Director magazine offer three ways to optimize production without purchasing new equipment.

What does optimization of production at an enterprise lead to?

Manufacturing companies optimize to increase their competitiveness and, using various tools, reduce costs. However, it is not always possible to achieve the set goals. Sometimes it is worth reviewing the approach, methods and implementation methods in order to increase production efficiency and achieve the desired result. This conclusion was made by BCG (Boston Consulting Group) specialists after studying the experience of many industrial enterprises (including Russian ones).

The need to study the practice of increasing production efficiency arose when the competitiveness of Russian companies began to fall due to the fact that at the beginning of 2010, wage growth rates for personnel employed in industry did not correspond to the rate of increase in labor productivity.

The scale of the problem is shown by illustrating the dynamics of remuneration for enterprise specialists and the efficiency of their production. In China, the increase in staff compensation was twice as high as productivity, and in Russia - eight times. This indicates that the relative competitiveness of Russian industrial enterprises has decreased significantly (compared to similar companies in China). The decline was also influenced by the fact that the rate of decline in production exceeded the reduction in the number of employees.

In 2014, production costs for our industrialists reached American levels. A decade ago, one hour of work cost $7 in Russia and $18 in the USA, and today this ratio looks like this: in Russia - $21.9, in the USA - $22.32. The Boston consulting group cites data showing that Russian companies are unable to produce goods cheaper than American ones due to rising wages and energy costs. Only competent optimization of production can change the situation.

Industrial companies are implementing various efficiency improvement programs using various methods and forms. Many have achieved success in this process: they have reduced costs and increased profits, improved the quality of their goods, reduced delivery times, and increased employee engagement. Due to insufficiently streamlined optimization measures, a number of enterprises received local advantages. Companies that have achieved tangible results gradually lose their “fighting fire” without achieving the main goal - the integration of the entire business process or the application of the necessary techniques in all structural divisions.

After analyzing methods for successfully implementing optimization, experts concluded that an unsuccessful outcome can occur if:

• the specificity of departments and workshops is not taken into account;
• production optimization has not been fully calculated, that is, there is no clear sequence of using tools and the consequences have not been thought through;
• the focus is only on implementation methods;
• Instructions have not been developed for department heads on the basis of which they could manage the reorganization.

Practical experience suggests that by changing the approach to an efficiency improvement program, it can be intensified.

Let's look at an example. The industrial enterprise optimized production and achieved very high levels of productivity and product quality. However, after some time (3–4 years), the performance first stopped and then completely declined. Optimizing the production of this company involved measures that were not systematized, but were aimed at individual workshops. Following the analytical work, the possibility of a holistic approach was considered. The company gave the program a “second life.” A comparative analysis showed the need to prioritize plants, develop and implement a number of activities. Optimization of production costs allowed us to reduce costs by up to 15%:

• quickly redistributed enterprise resources and introduced opportunities to create maximum value;
• improved interaction between plants and identified deviations from norms, for example, indicators of efficiency factor (COP) and product yield were adjusted and began to be used to achieve effectiveness;
• identified the innovative methods used at the enterprise and systematized their implementation relative to the entire technological chain;
• production optimization was coordinated on a top-down basis, which made it possible to more efficiently distribute material resources.

• involve in work the most important factors influencing labor productivity;
• strive to achieve quick results;
• strictly follow a certain course, taking into account the capabilities of the enterprise.

How to Optimize Production Using a Kanban System

The first Kanban system was implemented in the Microsoft technical support department in 2004. After 15 months, productivity increased by 200% and client requests were processed 90% faster. Find out how to implement this system in step-by-step algorithm from the editors of the magazine "General Director".

How to set production optimization tasks

Production optimization involves solving problems associated with competing properties of the technological process, such as:

• volume of production – consumption of raw materials;
• volume of production – quality of goods.

An effective solution lies in the process of finding a compromise for such properties.

To define reorganization tasks, you need to organize the following parameters.

1. Availability of an object and optimization goal. Objectives must be formulated separately for each reform object, that is, the system should not include more than one criterion, because the extreme values ​​of one parameter will not coincide with the marginal indicators of another.

An example of an incorrectly formulated task: “Achieve the highest possible productivity at the lowest possible cost of production.”

The mistake is that the problem is aimed at optimizing two quantities that, in fact, contradict one another.

The following formulation may be correct:

1. Achieve the highest possible productivity at the established cost of production.
2. Achieve minimum production costs with planned productivity.

In the first option, the reorganization is aimed at productivity, and in the second - at cost.

2. Availability of optimization resources. By resources it is meant that the selected object must have control influences, that is, a certain degree of freedom.

3. Possibility of quantitative analysis of the optimized value. It is possible to evaluate the effectiveness of optimization and compare the effectiveness of one or another control action only when there are specific quantitative indicators.

What are the methods for optimizing production?

At the present stage, optimization of production costs is possible using a variety of techniques and strategies. All of them are more or less successfully applied in practice and are divided into three main categories:

1. Bottom-up method.
2. Reengineering method.
3. Directive approach method.

Bottom-up approach carried out in relation to many processes in the enterprise by improving methodology and technology. Moreover, the company structure and main production stages are not affected; optimization concerns ordinary departments. Reengineering is based on fundamental changes introduced into the business process, technology and organization of production in order to achieve a qualitatively new level. The directive approach method involves reducing the funding of enterprise divisions by a certain amount.

Bottom-up cost reduction is the ideal technique for achieving long-term cost advantages without requiring large investments or risks. The implementation of the program is based on the principle of involving the maximum number of enterprise employees in the reorganization at all stages of implementation (development and implementation of proposals to increase labor productivity and improve the efficiency of technological processes, increase quality indicators at all stages of product production).

For example, production cost optimization was carried out by implementing the idea of ​​sealing rolling mill roller table bearings to eliminate oil washout and extend service life. The result of this modernization was a savings of about 20-30 thousand dollars. But if there are a hundred similar ideas, then in annual terms the effect will amount to more than one million dollars. As a rule, such rationalization proposals are on the surface; you just have to pay attention to them.

Almost all companies can optimize costs and increase production efficiency. So why don't they do it? Most likely, the reason is the organizational complexity of the process.

Several decades ago, a number of companies faced a similar problem when working with clients. The result of solving the issue was the development of methods for organizing and implementing large projects at enterprises aimed at reducing costs from the bottom up. The program was called “TOP” - total production optimization. It is based on the experience of the world's leading companies and is constantly being improved. The results of an analysis of the effectiveness of the implementation of TOP show that optimization of production costs led to a 16 percent reduction in total costs at metallurgical, mining and pulp and paper enterprises.

Reengineering– one of the most effective methods aimed at increasing competitiveness and reducing enterprise costs. This method requires a significant investment and takes a lot of time, which may cancel the expected effect. In addition, key processes and technologies used in basic manufacturing industries have already exhausted their resources and cannot be radically optimized. All this suggests that an enterprise contemplating reengineering needs to think about reducing a number of operating costs in order to remain competitive while carrying out serious measures aimed at increasing production efficiency.

Directive approach is often the most effective and fastest. Despite the effectiveness of this method, it very often suffers from a lack of strategic priorities. Reducing the budget of departments can lead to the fact that the enterprise will not make a profit, its income will stop growing, and its place in the market will be lost. The directive approach should be applied selectively in relation to those structures that show their inefficiency (for example, in comparison with competitors, a large staff of HR employees).

A clear example of production optimization

Today, large-scale optimization of the production process is carried out at some Russian metallurgical enterprises. For example, at the Vyskunsky Metallurgical Plant, as part of the program, 270 rationalization proposals were introduced, the effectiveness of which amounted to $30 million over two years.

The Porsche automobile company, as a result of the use of innovations, has significantly reduced the time of welding work (from six weeks to three days) and the number of defects (four times).

Optimization of Goodyear's tire production is carried out through the implementation of a program aimed at reducing production cycle time. Thus, the company strives to increase productivity by 135%. As a result of the implementation of measures, costs for inventories were reduced by half, and for raw materials - by 15%.

The Khortytsia company has optimized enterprise management using the Oracle J.D. ERP-class program. Edwards EnterpriseOne. Moreover, the implementation of this project at the distillery was carried out with the involvement of department specialists and external consultants. Further development of innovations in the company continued on its own.

McKinsey’s practice gives grounds to conclude that the “bottom-up” methodology can be effective, when in order to optimize production, company employees were motivated to rationalize their activities. Such a program can reduce enterprise costs by up to 40% within a year and a half.

Basic principles of optimizing production at an enterprise

It was said above that the most effective production optimization program is implemented according to the TOP scheme. Now we will look at this method in a little more detail.

The techniques of this program are absolutely different from other optimization methods. First of all, because when using it, changes concern not only production efficiency, but also the performance of the company’s employees and their motivation. Thus, the program is aimed at long-term application.

A complex approach

From the name it follows that the method implies a set of goals: reducing costs, increasing labor productivity and product quality. In this case, efficiency is achieved by expanding divisions with low production indicators and obtaining additional profits due to the fact that a high-quality product replaces a lower-quality predecessor. For example, at one metallurgical plant, during the implementation of TOP, a proposal was implemented to replace the lifting mechanisms that move sheet steel rolls. Optimization of foundry production was effective, as the edges of the rolls were better preserved (by 80%), and, naturally, the quality of the product increased. This gave the company the opportunity to attract new consumers, increase the number of products produced and increase the company's income.

Identify specific cost reduction goals

Specific goals are based on analysis of leading industry enterprises. At the stage of starting the implementation of TOP, structural divisions are given the task of reducing budgeted costs by 40%. Moreover, cost reduction calculations are made separately for each sector, taking into account its specifics. Metal raw materials are a quantity that cannot be reduced, but the production waste that is inevitable in the production of slabs can be reduced. When it is not possible to determine the volume of irreducible costs, then they focus on the indicators of companies that are successful in this industry. As a rule, 40% of expenses being cut equals 15–20% of total costs. Of course, such optimization of production costs is a tough method, especially since the process is carried out without any special additional investments. But achieving the goal is quite possible, since this has been practically confirmed by many foreign and domestic enterprises. If a division manages to achieve its objectives, then it stands head and shoulders above its competitors (even if they are considered more successful).

Use of existing know-how

Unit managers are mainly responsible for the organization and implementation of TOP. Typically, they are more competent in the specifics of the company's departments and know which of them have the greatest potential for increasing efficiency and which ways to optimize production are best to use. If you involve allied partners and clients of these structures in the process of implementing TOP, you can give a more accurate assessment of the effectiveness of the process. The fact that employees' ideas are used during the implementation of the program allows them to feel involved in the life of the company. And this has a beneficial effect on the corporate mentality and sets the stage for long-term fruitful cooperation.

New course at the “General Director School”

Using unconventional ideas

When the program is implemented, many common truths are called into question. As a rule, the experience of leading companies and the most successful production optimization models are used as a guide. For example, during an efficiency improvement program at a steel mill, a proposal was implemented to increase the number of tanks used for slag collection. It seemed impossible, but the number of containers used has increased 10 times thanks to the introduction of an unconventional technique of spraying with a heat-resistant composition. Performance was accurately tracked.

Clear results tracking

The conditions for optimizing production require that all proposals accepted for execution be applied strictly in accordance with the plan and have a specific result that can be measured (for example, reduce the budget of a structural unit for the purchase of consumables, raw materials, etc.).

To track the progress of the program and the implementation of plans, a controlling group is created. She is given broad powers and the opportunity to communicate with senior management. The group is faced with a number of tasks, the key of which is to determine the economic efficiency of the implementation of TOP, distinguishing it from all other changes in the budget that may be due to instability of the exchange rate, fluctuations in prices for raw materials and consumables and other factors.

• 4 control optimization methods that are most often used in practice

How many levels does a production optimization project have?

During the reorganization process, the company’s efficiency gradually increases, its qualifications develop, and it begins to use the accumulated advantages. Production optimization involves passing through three levels of maturity, and enterprises that have approached this process competently overcome them systematically, gradually moving from one stage to another.

Of course, each company implements the optimization process in its own way, being at its own stage of development (maturity level), having an individual improvement plan.

First level of production optimization

At this stage, the basis of the production optimization system is formed. The work is aimed at analyzing best practices, diagnosing the actual situation of technological processes, setting goals and formulating tasks for increasing efficiency. Moreover, a thorough study is carried out in relation to key indicators for several KPIs that underlie high productivity (these are, as a rule, equipment and production lines).

Experts are looking for alternative ways to reduce production losses by increasing efficiency and quality, reducing costs and the time required to complete the full production cycle. At this stage, it is very important to have not only theoretical knowledge, but also to be able to apply it in practice (set up equipment and maintain it in working order), so that it is possible to quickly improve the functioning of individual structural units (factories).

By streamlining the operation of key facilities and processes in the enterprise, such as equipment, logistics and management, you can quickly move from the first level of production optimization (basic) to the next more mature stage.

Second level of production optimization (more mature)

Production optimization moves to a new level if, after the implementation of basic methods and technological processes is completed, the modernization of individual workshops and the company as a whole begins. At this stage, specific standards are developed, favorable conditions are created, experts are attracted and the practical application of theoretical knowledge begins. All this is necessary in order not to lose the positive experience accumulated during the work process. Typically, a more mature stage takes longer, requires a systematic approach and better organization of employees.

At the second level, optimization of the production structure as a whole begins. As a result, the company achieves cost reductions that do not affect the value of the product itself, in other words, production costs are reduced by up to 15% (with the exception of raw materials and other components), material losses are reduced to almost zero.

Companies suffer due to a lack of specific skills, management experience, expert teams to support new product introductions, or a specific division of responsibilities. This conclusion can be made if we take into account the fact that enterprises often simply do not pay attention to the most important points related to the organization and management tools, labor resources, qualifications and professional competence of employees.

Measures to optimize production should include mandatory improvement of personnel skills, their specialized training, for example, in the field of loss analysis or waste control in the production process, in the field of technical support, etc. According to experts, in order to organize an effective commodity business, it will take at least three years (or even five).

If production optimization has yielded a small but significant result, and the complex has not been fully implemented, activities can be accelerated in order to move to the second (more mature) level. Experts believe that tangible effectiveness can be achieved only if the developed program is systematically and systematically implemented in the presence of professional management.

Third level of production optimization

Third level activities are carried out in companies that are able to evaluate the effectiveness obtained as a result of the work done, and do not stop there, but continue to act in the direction of improving the functionality of production: they are reviewing the supply and implementation system, the planning scheme, etc. Thus, enterprises move to the next stage, at which not only the optimization of the product production process occurs, but also more complex tools are used (comprehensive planning, management reorganization, specification of technological cycles, etc.).

Typically, companies that have moved to the third level of optimization have full knowledge of costs that do not affect the value of the product. By this time, technological processes had already been reorganized. The efficiency of structural divisions, plants and equipment meets the requirements of world quality standards, and the company’s development is possible through production, which has become the main source of income. By this stage, innovative technologies for product segmentation and management strategies have already been developed and implemented, planning of the main process and implementation has been improved.

Of course, moving to a new level is a complex procedure, but if production optimization is carried out consistently, the company will certainly increase its potential.

If an enterprise strives to achieve more significant results, then it begins to reorganize management and maintenance, because large expenses in this part of the activity can significantly reduce the profitability of the business as a whole. Experts note that to overcome the milestone of the first or second level of optimization, companies implement short targeted programs, and for the third they use a wide range of innovative technologies.

Return to the first level of production optimization

Modeling and optimization of production is unrealistic without overcoming a number of difficulties, but they cannot be a reason to give up on everything, because it is possible to achieve efficiency one way or another. To do this, you will need to go back to the basic level and implement shorter programs that cover a smaller range of tasks. If you use a controlling system, then with rapid optimization, efficiency can be achieved in the shortest possible time (up to several days). This technique is recommended by experts who have sufficient work experience and have seen this in practice.

The main thing is that production optimization is carried out using the most effective levers. It is necessary to carefully study everything and draw conclusions about which methods should be used at the moment and which ones - later. To do this you need:

• establish the predominant probability of obtaining efficiency in terms of time, resource size and material benefits;
• concentrate resources that may be in short supply on production areas selected for rapid optimization;
• prepare coordinated measures for the speedy implementation of innovative methods in departments within which production optimization is carried out;
• create conditions that motivate employees to work efficiently and justify certain risks.

As practice shows, the most successful rapid reorganization can be carried out in 5 areas:

1. Optimize the use of equipment by increasing its operating efficiency, improving the quality of service and reducing downtime.
2. Optimize the efficiency of workpieces by reducing losses that arise due to insufficient equipment capacity.
3. Reorganize logistics by increasing the activity of warehouses and reducing transport costs.
4. Optimize materials and materials by more accurately calculating production volumes, orienting them to projected demand, which will help streamline the movement and potential of raw materials.

The planned program will be successful if a small number of specific tools are introduced into the most effective segments of the enterprise. According to experts, rapid performance is observed in the following production areas:

• improving equipment performance;
• staff development;
• reducing the number of defective products.

All of the above areas can be analyzed and, as a rule, do not require large investments. In addition, in these areas there is always potential for optimization of the firm's production volumes to be effective.

• Warehouse business processes: step-by-step plan for optimizing order picking

Total production optimization: 6 stages of implementation

Stage No. 1. Organization of the process

Organizing the TOP process is the most important stage. It is during this period of work that the areas of activity that will be targeted for production optimization are identified, the responsibilities of managers and team members are distributed, and participants in the process are trained.

The scope of reorganization can include both small structural divisions and larger segments of the enterprise. Typically, no more than 300 people are involved in the life support of the optimized unit. The process is usually led by managers or their deputies in these departments.

The key indicator for their selection is the desire to take part in optimization, respect of the team and, naturally, the professional preparedness and intellectual abilities of the candidate. It is worth motivating managers by providing them with the opportunity to implement ideas that have not previously been used due to various objective reasons.

In addition, it is necessary to give a chance to show their potential to team members (working group) and the head administration. Optimization of production costs becomes the responsibility of group leaders: development of proposals, efficiency calculations, approval by higher management. The organization of the TOP process, as a rule, has the following form:

Stage No. 2. Setting goals

The key task of this stage is to determine the cost reduction goal. It is recommended to start by calculating the budget per unit of production. This phase can be simplified: during the formation of units, one must focus on what organizational division is established in the enterprise and on the methodology for accounting finances. When the budget of the facility is determined, a scheme for optimizing production, receipt of raw materials and materials is drawn up. The costs of each production unit are divided among all operations and thus the approximate cost of an individual business process is found.

After this, all costs are divided into two groups: technical and operational (i.e., energy and raw materials), irreducible costs and costs not considered in the project (for example, depreciation) are identified. Typically, some portion of operational and technical costs falls into the category of non-reducible costs, the value of which is determined using theoretical calculations of the least needs. In other words, they calculate the minimum acceptable level of use of raw materials and energy, provided there is no waste, leakage, etc. All other costs of the enterprise belong to the group of those that can be reduced.

When all the necessary calculations have been made (the budget of departments and workshops has been established, irreducible costs have been determined), then a new goal is set for the production units - to reduce the remaining costs by 40%. To achieve it, the head of the department and his support team must develop economically sound rationalization proposals, the effectiveness of which will be at least 40% of the budget subject to reduction.

Stage No. 3. Development of proposals to reduce costs

Brainstorming is a key method that allows you to select an idea on the basis of which production will be optimized in terms of costs. The event is organized and conducted by the head of the structural unit with the participation of members of the initiative group, department employees, subcontractors and customers. As a rule, the result of this work is a large number of improvement proposals and ideas that are aimed at reducing enterprise costs, increasing production efficiency and improving the quality level of products. Please note that absolutely everything is taken into account, even the most fantastic statements, because the goal of the assault is to develop the largest number of ideas (the question of their quality is not raised).

All received proposals must be recorded, formalized and entered into the database, after which they undergo a procedure for testing for effectiveness (an assessment of the possible financial result is given, the level of risk, timing and degree of complexity of implementing the program are determined). If, as a result of the brainstorming, a solution has not been developed that will reduce production costs by 40%, then there is a need to conduct an additional survey of employees of the departments on the basis of which optimization is planned, attract experts and study the experience of leading companies - representatives of your industry.

Stage No. 4. Evaluation of submitted proposals

At this stage, an assessment is made of the complexity of implementing ideas for optimizing production: the volume of capital investments is clarified, the effectiveness of implementation (including economic) is determined, issues are agreed upon with suppliers, subcontractors and other participants in the process. As work progresses, sentences are replaced. In a word, there is a constant interweaving of the third and fourth stages.

The result of this phase should be a ready-made list of ideas, the implementation of which will make the production process and production optimization as efficient as possible. Moreover, the investment should pay off within two years of operation.

Labor productivity and, as the final result, the profit of an enterprise (company, individual entrepreneur) depend on the optimization of the work process. That is, in fact, poor management of time leads to direct losses in the form of lost financial profit. To avoid such a scenario, it is necessary to qualitatively improve the efficiency of working hours and will allow the company manager to sell at least one more petroleum product moisture meter.
The direction of optimization could be:

• workload of the contractor (it is necessary to ensure a uniform flow of tasks);
• workplace (its rational placement and equipment with everything necessary);
• technological and human conveyor (the movement of employees, tools, materials must occur in accordance with an optimized algorithm);
• quality of work (improvement of techniques and development of new methods);
• caring for the health of employees;
• career guidance for employees (using workers according to their qualifications);
• proportionality of payment to the quantity and quality of work.

And now a little more about increasing the efficiency of using working time.

Task No. 1. Qualitatively change the organization of the workplace with an increase in the level of its service. Synchronization of all processes will lead to a gain of 1-1.5% of the total work shift time - maybe I will sell the coating thickness gauge in larger quantities.

Task No. 2. Strengthening the material and disciplinary responsibility of employees, and, as a result, eliminating (minimizing) absenteeism and tardiness. The estimated temporary benefit is 2.5-3%.

Task No. 3. Optimizing the schedule of breaks during the shift. Moreover, the main goal is not to reduce time for rest, but to re-equip the workplace in such a way that the activity process takes as little effort as possible (accordingly, the need for additional relaxation of employees during these introductory periods will be minimal). The average gain can be from five to six percent of the time, this also includes the gain, which affects the reduction in the degree of staff fatigue.

Conducting an analysis of the efficiency of time use with the subsequent implementation of the assigned tasks will allow us to identify the “hidden reserves” of the team and significantly increase labor productivity. In other words, the basis for optimizing working time is to reduce and, if possible, completely eliminate intra-shift losses. And without meeting these conditions, it will simply not be possible to achieve any noticeable intensification of social production.

The main task of the manager is to organize a competent work process in the company/department. Moreover, this must be done in such a way that over the next two to three years the company functions without failures, and the main responsibility of the manager is only control. Proper organization of the work process is an indispensable condition for a company to make a profit, and such a company can easily be sold if necessary. If the business is not established, then its price is equal to the value of the company’s property, nothing more.

You will learn:

• What ways can you organize the work process in a company?
• What are the basic principles of organizing work processes.
• What are the stages of organizing a workplace?
• How to organize technological processes of workplaces.
• How to control the work process in an organization.
• How to optimize the work process in an organization.

Organization of the work process: 3 main ways

The workflow can be organized in three ways. These are coworking, freelancing and office work. The classification is conditional, but reflects the general essence.

Which option is better to choose? Everything here will depend on the direction of the company’s activities and the specifics of its work. It’s hard to imagine bank tellers as freelancers with a free schedule, isn’t it? But you won’t get much benefit from the fact that a journalist or designer sits in the office strictly from 9 to 6. Representatives of creative professions need room for creativity.

Nevertheless, working in an office is still the most common way to organize the work process. There is no point in considering it in detail.

Freelancing refers to hiring people to do a specific job. Freelancers are not hired, that is, such employees do not need to be paid a monthly salary and there is no need to deduct taxes on it. This is economically beneficial, and therefore many companies prefer this particular method of organizing the work process. However, there are managers who are afraid of the “irresponsibility” of freelancers and try not to involve them in work.

Coworking can be called an intermediate link between freelancing and office work. It is best suited for people who work in small groups or remotely, but still need to meet with colleagues from time to time to exchange information on the matter.

Theoretically speaking, a person of any profession can work as a freelancer or in a coworking space. But in reality, these methods of organizing the work process are practiced by companies that need the services of web developers, artists, advertisers, etc. And creative people themselves are not very comfortable adhering to a strict schedule and spending time in a boring office. On the other hand, it is very, very difficult to find a company whose employees are all freelancers - almost every company has full-time employees.

How to work half a day and get everything done: the algorithm used at Gazprom

You take away your time when you spend hours answering unimportant emails, chaotically completing overdue tasks, and as a result you don’t get anything done . David Allen, a consultant for Gazprom and the World Bank, shared an algorithm for how a manager can free up four hours a day from work. A personal task planner and detailed instructions will help you, which you will find in the article in the electronic magazine “Commercial Director”.

Principles of organizing the work process that must be followed

The technology of organizing the work process implies the mandatory implementation of several basic rules:

1. The content of the labor process must be optimal. To ensure an even workload for an employee, a rational sequence and the best combination of techniques used in work are required. The same goal is pursued by the correct organization of the intensity and rhythm of the work process, as well as the development of an optimal combination of mental and physical activity for the employee. All this can be achieved by applying the principle of division of labor in production, correctly calculating the working norm and equipping the enterprise with high-quality equipment that meets all modern ergonomic requirements.
2. Man and technology must act simultaneously. That is, while the equipment is turned on, the employee can perform workplace maintenance, preparatory/final work, or perform auxiliary labor operations.
3. When organizing the work process, you need to provide the employee with the opportunity to save movements. This is achieved by installing good equipment, a clear layout of workplaces, and the most convenient arrangement of tools.
4. The movements made by the employee must be streamlined and brought to automaticity. A well-thought-out sequence of techniques, performed with the expectation that the employee expends a certain amount of energy over a specific period of time - and so on until the end of the shift, helps to achieve rhythm. Thanks to automatism, that is, the constant repetition of the same operations over a long period of time, a person’s attention is concentrated on the quick and high-quality performance of work.
5. Labor intensity must also be optimal. The organization of the work process at an enterprise presupposes the convenience of performing certain operations, changing types of activities, switching from muscular to nervous loads and vice versa, and taking care to minimize the influence of the working environment on a person. Research in the field of physiology and economics has revealed the degree of workload of the worker and the level of intensity of his work at which optimal productivity will be ensured.

The conditions of production activity at different enterprises can vary greatly, which means that the organization of work processes has its own characteristics. To achieve increased labor efficiency, you need to adapt all of the above requirements to a specific case.

The practitioner tells

Lifestyle business centers - a way to effectively organize the work process

Svetlana Grigorieva,

Marketing Director of the business district NEOPOLIS

The work process must be organized in such a way that employees feel comfortable working and feel free. A good solution would be to use a lifestyle business center.

The meaning of the idea is reflected in its very name - “lifestyle”. A person who is interested and pleasant to be in the office works much more efficiently. And if company managers understand this, then they pay enough attention to organizing basic work processes in production.

Lifestyle as a method of organizing the work process comes from the West, and its age goes back several decades. Both investors and tenants pay tribute to this format - just remember the largest transactions on the European market for the sale of Chiswick Park in London and The Park in Prague. This style came to our country not so long ago and is still considered an innovation.

Lifestyle business centers owe their appearance to the combination of ideas from psychology, HR technologies and optimal organization of the workspace. The enjoy-work domain of the English Chiswick Park website translates as “enjoy work” and fully reflects the essence of the concept.

The main advantage of such business centers is the ability to create a comfortable working environment both for each employee in particular and for the entire company in general. In this office space it is not only convenient to work, but you can also develop as a person. Moreover, one here directly depends on the other: the more comfortable an employee feels, the better he works and the more successfully the business develops.

By renting a lifestyle business center, you simultaneously pay for the fact that the team working for you becomes more motivated and, accordingly, more effective. Of course, you have to pay serious money for rent, but the result is worth it. Plus, you can save significantly on joint trips to restaurants and trips to nature: why do this if the business center has everything necessary for close communication between employees?

The most interesting thing is that renting a lifestyle business center will cost you about 2-3 times cheaper than a traditional office in the city center. Lifestyle premises are usually located in somewhat more remote areas, but getting to them by transport is not difficult. Such offices are located either near busy highways, or near metro stations, and sometimes not far from the airport. If there are no major transport hubs nearby, then shuttle buses are required to go to these business centers.

Most business centers in the lifestyle style are low-rise buildings located over a fairly large area. The layout of such centers is superbly thought out: in addition to places for business and informal communication, they have recreation areas, parks with alleys, cafes and restaurants, sports grounds and clubs.

The peculiarity of this format of organizing a workspace is that employees can easily combine work for the benefit of the company with recreation and sports. A place arranged in this way literally pushes a person towards creativity and personal development. At the same time, the necessary balance between work and everyday life is maintained.

Lifestyle business centers, as a rule, are rented by companies that are well aware of the connection between employee incentives and successful business development. If the workplace is boring, then in most cases there can be no talk of effective work. And you should remember one important nuance: the workspace is organized in this way by companies whose activities are not related to the daily reception of clients, or by companies that have a separate head office in the city center.

What are the stages of organizing a workplace?

Step 1: Define your goal.

To optimize the work process, you need to go from the opposite, that is, first formulate the result that needs to be achieved, and then think about what needs to be done for this.

Decide what daily results are required from employees. In this case, there is no need to operate with the concepts of “planned”, “done” or “will be completed” - use the words “is” or “done”. For example: “The work of painting the fence is done,” “There is income.”

Then determine what the employee must do an hour, a day, or a week earlier to achieve the required result. Choose the time period based on the specifics of the work. Then rewind the events one more time period and find out what actions are required from a person in order for him to be able to take a step leading to completing the assignment. Next, gradually return the employee’s steps to the very beginning, to the moment the task was assigned to him.

Describing the process of employee activity for an already operating business has its advantages and disadvantages. The first is that there is no need to create anything new - you just need to add existing stages of work to the formula. The downside is the latent desire of the manager to organize the work process, including in it actions and factors that are currently used in production, but which can be easily dispensed with. If we describe the actions of personnel according to the above diagram, from end to beginning, then the work process can be well optimized by simply removing all unnecessary things from it.

If you have a small or medium-sized business and you are not eager to describe the process in too much detail, then breaking it down into 10-20 steps is enough.

After you have fully formed the diagram, you will need to check it. It is necessary to analyze whether it is possible to start the next step after completing the previous one and whether the totality of all actions will lead to the company making a profit. Only proper organization of the work process will give the desired result. If the system starts to fail at some step, you will have to look for a workaround.

Stage 2. Write transitions between results.

Once the final goal has been developed and the steps leading to it have been identified, intermediate results need to be determined.

If you explain the diagram in simple words, it will sound something like this: “The part with number such and such is in the warehouse. By such and such a time she should be in such and such a workshop.” What needs to be done for this? That's right: find the part and move it to the right place.

Another example. It is impossible to put an equal sign between the concepts “Document completed” and “Document submitted”. We need a transition that should be described in detail: “Accept the document, have it certified by the responsible person, and then transfer it to its destination.”

Having developed the transitions, carefully review the entire diagram again. Surely there will be nuances in it that you do not understand enough. This needs to be corrected, otherwise the organization of the work process will not be one hundred percent effective. In most cases, the problem will not be unique; you just need to look for who and when this procedure was already formulated.

Many entrepreneurs may have a question: does creative work lend itself to such a description? Oddly enough, but this is the one with the least problems.

A rather difficult situation has developed in one company. It was provoked by specialists involved in web design. Having convinced their superiors that their work was classified as creative, the employees stopped fulfilling orders on time. Their justifications were not original: the work of an artist cannot be regulated. As it turned out, it is possible. Any process in business can be described step by step, including the process of creating design layouts, writing an article, composing music. When the work of web designers was divided into several successive steps, things got better.

In order for the company to work like clockwork, it is necessary to formalize all the actions of employees - from cleaning the premises to making phone calls to clients.

One person left for the USA. He hardly knew the language, but the company where he got a job gave him instructions in the form of a booklet with color images. Such brochures were given to all migrant workers, so that those who could not read English could figure out with the help of pictures what should be done and in what order. Foreigners received the right to start work only after they had memorized this instruction by heart.

Upon dismissal, it was not necessary to return the “gift”: in the USA, every serious company has a large supply of such instructions. For Western employers, distributing them to employees is much easier than persuading people to avoid all sorts of emergency situations and explaining to everyone what their responsibilities will be, almost hand in hand. On the other hand, our managers, if they are competent enough, employees always clearly know what is required of them and at what point in time.

Step 3: Develop instructions.

After all the intermediate steps and main results with the necessary connections between them have been thought out, the organization of the work process will need a breakdown of positions and functional responsibilities.

First, determine which phases of work require employees and which do not. Having calculated the stages at which you cannot do without workers, begin to distribute responsibilities between people.

Most often, the vertical principle of distribution is used for this, meaning that the person who performs a certain job from start to finish is responsible for it. This employee knows instructions at different levels; he can combine the responsibilities of both a top manager of the company and a performer. But this solution cannot be considered ideal, since not very pleasant consequences are possible:

• An employee with access to such instructions has a competitive advantage over his colleagues. One day he may “give” these instructions to someone.
• The requirements for this employee are increasing significantly.
• If a person suddenly decides to quit, this will have the most unfavorable impact on the work of the entire company, since it was this particular employee who was responsible for a significant part of the organization of work processes.

Therefore, instead of the vertical principle of distribution, it is more expedient to use the “Tetris” system. Each employee should do the job that he or she does best. And the final result must depend on the joint efforts of all personnel.

If you structure work in a company in this way, then all possible disadvantages can easily be turned into advantages. A person engaged in a job for which he has an undoubted talent works without unnecessary stress, without mistakes and with pleasure, which directly affects the efficiency of his work and saves the company money.

Remember: position and functional responsibilities are two different things. One position may involve performing several tasks at once.

After creating a list of positions and a list of requirements for employees holding certain positions, you need to start drawing up instructions according to which the corresponding division of the company (or an individual personnel officer) will select personnel. These documents need to be linked both to job descriptions and to the work process.

Let's sum up the intermediate results. The creation or reconstruction of a company involves organizing the work process, drawing up job descriptions, forming hiring rules and developing wage conditions.

And one more thing: when prescribing a workflow, do not forget to indicate in what form the documentation should pass from one employee to another.

Organization of technological processes of workplaces

The organization of the workplace means:

• internal, random interaction of workplace elements;
• the same interaction, only done purposefully;
• external irregular, random impact on the workplace and its elements;
• impact on the workplace that is purposeful, systematic and continuous.

From the above it follows that the organization of workplaces occurs not only thanks to instructions from above and rules prescribed in advance, but also as a result of the efforts of the employee himself, the influence of the environment and the influence of elements of the workplace on each other.

If the workplace is organized correctly, then a person spends significantly less time on performing certain actions, but at the same time the quality of the work performed increases. We can also talk about reducing the costs of raw materials, material, energy, which in turn helps to increase the profit and competitiveness of the company.

All elements of organizing the work process are closely interconnected, and the arrangement of workplaces is not the last place on this list. Their competent training includes the installation and securing of all the necessary tools and devices, monitoring the flow of the technological process, error-free operation of equipment, etc.

The forms of division and cooperation of labor adopted at the enterprise also largely influence the way workplaces are organized and maintained.

The better the arrangement of workplaces is thought out, the more comfortable the working conditions of performers become, the less the adverse effects of the production environment affect them. To ensure that an employee does not experience too much stress and, as a result, overwork in the course of his work, his workplace must be arranged in compliance with all existing standards.

Proper organization of labor processes and workplaces allows you to solve the following problems:

1. Make the most of available production space.
2. Equip a separate workplace with all possible rationality, conveniently arranging even its most insignificant elements.
3. Make the workplace convenient and comfortable.
4. Protect workers from the adverse effects of the external and internal production environment.
5. Ensure uninterrupted and synchronous functioning of workplaces, as well as their high-quality maintenance.

There is no unified system for arranging workplaces simply because each enterprise has its own specific activities. But if you follow a few general organizational rules that apply to a specific group of jobs, you can achieve a very good result. The main thing is to classify jobs according to certain criteria and, in accordance with them, find the optimal organization option.

But the classification criteria will depend on the direction of the company’s activities and the specifics of production. Depending on these details and many other factors, the organization and maintenance of workplaces is built.

However, there are also requirements that are common to any workplace, no matter what kind of enterprise or company we are talking about. They can be divided into organizational, technical and psychophysiological.

The first assume the most convenient arrangement of tools and equipment for the employee, the possibility of rational maintenance of the workplace, etc.

Technical requirements mean equipping the workplace with all the necessary equipment, technology, communications, etc.

Psychophysiological requirements imply compliance of the workplace with the specific characteristics of the psychology and physiology of workers.

The general rules for organizing workplaces are:

• in accordance with the equipment and specialization of workplaces with all necessary requirements;
• in proper placement of workplaces;
• in their regular maintenance.

• Improving enterprise management: areas worth paying attention to

How to control the work process in an organization

Without appropriate control, the company's achievement of its goals remains a big question. The task of control is to make business management as efficient as possible.

Control must comply with certain standards that are established during its implementation. It is also necessary to analyze the achieved results and, if they do not coincide with the set goals, make adjustments.

Control is designed to perform several tasks: assess the state of affairs at the enterprise, collect the necessary data, which is subsequently processed, and identify errors. Other control functions include analyzing the causes of failures and finding ways to correct the situation, developing methods for achieving goals, and preparing a standard reporting system.

The internal regulations of the organization contain a list of norms and rules of labor conduct that are mandatory. There are several options for violating labor discipline: failure to comply with subordination, failure of coordination in the process of completing a task, deviation from the rules defining working hours and rest, ignoring technological standards. Moreover, the latter implies not only going beyond the rules governing the use of means of production by the employee and the employer, but also making mistakes regarding the timing of the technical process. The regulation of an employee’s working hours and his rest period directly depends on the characteristics of the latter. Work can be permanent, involving certain breaks between stages of activity, night, divided into several parts during one shift, etc. During the work process in the organization, it is necessary to observe the norms of subordination and pay close attention to coordinating the actions of employees. If a person does not complete or improperly performs the task assigned to him, then this is regarded as a disciplinary offense.

Disciplinary offenses can be of three types:

• the employee neglected technological standards;
• the employee refused to comply with the norms of subordination and coordination in the process of labor management or did so inappropriately;
• the employee violated the working hours, that is, deviated from compliance with the norms of labor relations regulating work and rest time - Art. 100 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation.

The procedure for establishing circumstances indicating a violation by an employee of the norms adopted in the organization largely depends on the type of disciplinary offense.

Expert opinion

A developed work culture can significantly reduce discipline violations

Mikhail Plynsky,

General Director of the electrical engineering company Faber, Orel

Some of our employees violated labor discipline from time to time: some were late and skipped work, others shirked work, and others were caught stealing. We successfully dealt with these problems by personally talking with the guilty people and with the team - but only as long as the staff of our organization was 30-40 people. Subsequently, the business grew, new directions appeared, and we had many more employees.

After that, the problem arose in full force, and we realized that it needed to be solved using radical methods. But only a company that has a well-organized work process and a highly developed work culture can reduce the likelihood of violations. To form it, we used the Harzburg model of team management as a basis, studied the main tools used within its framework, and then began to apply them in our work.

• Efficient production and kaizen: application and results

Optimization of work process in the organization

Effective organization of the work process is impossible without carrying out a whole range of measures, the purpose of which is to increase business profitability. If everything is done according to the formula “Higher, further, better!”, then the return from the corresponding division of the company will be greater, costs will be significantly reduced, etc.

If, after all the efforts made, the situation only worsened, then we must admit that the optimization carried out was not very successful. It is necessary to improve the work of branches by following a certain order. Do the following:

1. Determine the need for optimization.

Having analyzed the work of a separate division, both the management of the company and the head of the corresponding department, who sees that the work of the sector under his control needs to be somehow improved, can come to this conclusion. In the latter case, most often we mean a general improvement of the system. If the idea of ​​optimizing the work process in an organization comes from management, then, as a rule, this is a very specific request aimed at reforming certain aspects. For example, the head of a company decided that the expenses of a certain department were too high and needed to be reduced. This usually applies to those services whose work affects the company’s profit only indirectly: the human resources department, the safety sector, etc.

But the desire to save money is only one of the motives for the planned reforms in the organization. Most often, the reason lies elsewhere: the service does not perform its assigned functions well enough.

As soon as the request is formulated, the process of restructuring the unit begins. And the first step in this direction will be to determine the mission and economic function of the department.

What does this mean? It would seem that there is nothing to think about here: the task of the sales department is to sell, the function of the courier service is to deliver, the concern of the advertising department is to promote the product. Unfortunately, everything is much more complicated.

Modern Russian business is different in that the job responsibilities of a person holding a certain position in a company are not always clear. Often the same position in different organizations involves performing completely different tasks. Take, for example, marketers: in one company a person in this profession is required to develop a concept for business development, in another - to engage in personal sales. In some places, HR managers train employees, instill in them a corporate culture, and in others they simply recruit people for work. And a similar situation now exists in most domestic companies.

Therefore, before you begin to improve the performance of a particular department in an organization, it is necessary to understand what role this department plays in the overall structure of the company.

To answer this question and further optimize the work process in the organization, you need to:

• determine the tasks the solution of which is within the department of this unit;
• find out the place he occupies in the company;
• establish the role of the division in the economic component of the company.

You can move on to the second point of improving the work process in an organization only after you have completely dealt with the first.

1. Find out the performance criteria.

This is one of the most important stages of optimization work. Moreover, all further steps will depend on what parameters you define as the main criteria. This is where the data obtained during the development of the previous paragraph will come in handy.

The analysis must be based on the goals that a particular unit must achieve. For example, the task of the security service is to prevent the theft of material assets owned by the company. That is, the criterion for the effectiveness of the department will be a reduction/increase in the number of such episodes.

Based on this, the effectiveness of the department’s actions can be assessed using previously formulated tasks.

If it is not possible to give a specific rating, this means that an error was made in the formulation of the tasks or they were written using vague phrases. In this case, you have to return to the previous stage of optimizing the work process in the organization.

But if everything is done correctly, then it’s time for the next step.

1. Assess how satisfied you are with the work of a particular department.

Here you can do without detailed explanations. The situation for each department must be assessed using previously selected performance criteria. The simplest assessment will be in the “satisfactory/unsatisfactory” format. If a deeper understanding of the situation is required, a report can be built based on numerical data. As a result, you will clearly see how this or that division meets your expectations. If everything is in order, good. If intervention is required, then the next stage of improving the work process in the organization must begin.

1. Formulate optimization problems.

Here, too, no special difficulties are foreseen. After analyzing all the points, increased attention should be paid to those that raise the most questions. When setting goals, try to use positive rather than negative terms. That is, set the goal for your employees to “improve the quality of work” and not “to minimize the percentage of defects as much as possible.”

Everything, preparations for optimizing the work process in the organization have been completed. The time has come to put decisions into action.

1. Carry out optimization activities.

In any situation, before starting any business, you need to conduct an indicative analysis. In this case, it will be aimed at determining the internal reserves of the organization. To do this, first make a general list of functions within the department.

1. Write down a list of its functions for each department.

This list will resemble a job description, only compiled not for a specific position, but for the entire department. However, so that the document is not particularly complicated, it can be divided into specialties. The result will be a list of responsibilities that employees of a particular department must perform.

1. Evaluate how well the job is being done.

In this case, it is necessary to evaluate not the overall success of the unit, but each function separately. Thanks to this, it will become clear whether they are correctly distributed among employees and what exactly needs to be “tightened up.”

It would be good if it turns out that all the problems arise due to the unsatisfactory work of one employee. All you have to do is take someone else’s place and all the difficulties will go away. Unfortunately, this happens extremely rarely, because the “weak link” in the team is noticeable at first glance and would have been identified long ago. Most likely, the point here is different: the work process in the organization suffers “thanks” to the weak work of the entire department.

But it also happens that it is not possible to assess the performance of functions. In this situation, you need to think about the effectiveness of existing controls and whether they work in principle.

1. Find out how much subjective factors influence the success of performing functions.

Determine how much the personal characteristics of employees affect the effectiveness of their work in the organization. A variety of examples can be given. If a person is slow in life, then he is unlikely to cope with work that requires making instant decisions. This means that it is better to offer this employee a position that requires balanced and deliberate actions.

1. Find the dependence on factors within the department.

The work process needs to be organized based on the existing atmosphere in the team. Keep in mind: deviations in any direction from the “golden mean” are extremely undesirable - both with a plus and a minus sign. If employees have not found a common language and behave aggressively towards each other, then you cannot expect effective work from them. This is hampered by the lack of interpersonal interaction. But an overly friendly team also has its drawbacks - staff who spend their working hours drinking a cup of tea and having leisurely conversations are also unlikely to be inclined to fruitful work.

We can note other factors that nullify even the most competent organization of the work process. Problems arise if:

• the process is not sufficiently automated. For example, filling out documents manually is time-consuming and unprofitable;
• employee functions are duplicated;
• job responsibilities are distributed without a clear system;
• employees report to several bosses at the same time.

1. Determine the extent to which the performance of functions is affected by factors outside the department's jurisdiction.

In order for the organization of the work process to be truly high-quality, special attention must be paid to external factors. It often happens that the work of a certain department is “slowed down” due to the negative influence of related departments. Is your purchasing service performing poorly? Check other areas: the problem may be that the accounting department is slow to issue paid invoices. It is clear that in this situation it is necessary to deal with accountants, and not with people working in procurement.

Or another example: an organization urgently needs a new employee, but they still don’t have one. There is a possibility that it is not the HR department that is to blame for this, but the manager who delayed too much in approving the proposed candidacy.

1. Take time to observe and then map out the time it takes to implement the features.

This procedure is not the least important in organizing the work process. How to do it? Take a pencil, a notepad and a stopwatch, and then “settle” in the department for a few days. Calculate how each department employee spends his time. The results of the study may surprise you. For example, it may turn out that one of the staff spends most of their working time looking for the necessary documents, which, due to a misunderstanding, ended up in another department.

The usefulness of this information can hardly be overestimated: it immediately becomes clear why certain work is not completed on time.

1. Conduct a survey based on the results of the time map.

After you have written down your observations regarding the previous point in a notebook, survey your employees: where do they think most of their working time is spent? Record all answers. For clarity, you can create a special table, the data from which can be easily correlated with the results of your observations.

1. Ask employees how the current situation can be improved.

The event is not only in a democratic style, but also very important for the future competent organization of the work process. Let each employee think and express his thoughts about what hinders him most in his work and what could be improved. Don't expect much depth of analysis - some may complain that they are annoyed by the lack of a smoking room on the floor. But from all that has been said, it will certainly be possible to draw certain conclusions.

1. Having isolated functions of the same type, find an opportunity to combine them.

The time for analytics has passed, the time has come to specifically improve the organization of the work process. How to combine similar functions? There's nothing complicated about it. You just need to assign the same type of tasks to one person - this way they won’t take up time from different employees. It is easy to give examples. A PC operator who enters primary documents into the system can relieve more qualified employees from this duty. The same can be said about telemarketers who make calls in sales departments, and researchers in recruitment agencies. There are actually more than enough options.

By combining functions, you can significantly save the time of highly paid specialists and increase the efficiency of the department.

1. Automate your workflows.

Modern business is becoming more and more technological, and in every organization there are many nodes that can be transferred to digital format. The main thing is to identify areas of work where automation will help improve labor efficiency. In some departments, the implementation of such systems can increase productivity by 100 percent, since the organization's employees will be freed from routine work, spending extra time on communications and searching for necessary documentation.

Of course, automation can play a significant role in organizing the work process, but here you need to start from the needs of a specific company. With the implementation of a common CRM, the main difficulties of departments will most likely be resolved. If the acquisition of such a system is not planned, then the problems of the unit will have to be solved in some other way. But you can always automate individual functions using self-written programs if you do not need 100% digital department management.

1. Engage in staff training.

For some organizations, staff training comes first. But here a lot depends on what is meant by this word. If learning is not an end in itself, but a means of improvement, then you need to pay attention to the following nuances:

• Personnel training does not always lead to optimization of work. The fact is that it is impossible to take into account all available factors. First, not all employees have the same ability to learn. Secondly, some of the staff may lack motivation. Thirdly, not all trainers are sufficiently qualified. Fourth, the training course may not be fully tailored to the organization's requirements. And the list of nuances does not end there.
• It makes sense to train an employee only if he is ready to work in the company for a sufficiently long period of time. Otherwise it will be a waste of time and resources.

But if in order to competently organize the work process, employees need a training course, then it must be carried out without fail. The main thing is to monitor the results, to be aware of how much this practice increases the efficiency of the department.

1. Assess optimization prospects

Timely optimization can significantly increase a company’s profits. But you will have to allocate certain funds to organize all of the above activities, and then find out whether the desired economic effect has been achieved. Here you may be in danger, namely financial costs that are incomparable with the return received. And here it’s worth thinking carefully about which transformations are worth doing and which ones are not. Workflow rules mean that it only makes sense to invest in positions that will pay for themselves over time. If you are not sure about something, then it is better to abandon innovations, since ill-considered actions only threaten with disappointment.

Information about the experts

Svetlana Grigorieva, Marketing Director of the NEOPOLIS business district. NEOPOLIS business quarter is the first lifestyle business center in Russia. One of the three largest office real estate projects in Moscow in 2016. Official website - neopolis.msk.ru. The block includes four 9-story office buildings and two surface parking buildings for 1,360 cars.

Mikhail Plynsky, General Director of the electrical engineering company Faber, Orel. "Faber". Field of activity: production of electrical equipment, metal structures, metal cases for electrical switchboard equipment and digital information communication equipment. Form of organization: LLC. Number of staff: 250. Length of General Director in office: since 2004. Participation of the General Director in the business: hired manager.