Strategic Service Harmony
Support area functions are the hidden backbone of a company. Assuring they are not only functioning well individually but collectively, is a hidden key to a successful business.
Like any backbone, one that is straight and strong and functioning optimally is much preferred to one that its weak and out of alignment. Strategic service areas (finance, legal, human resources, facilities etc) have a vital role to play regardless of a company’s size. While smaller firms may not have the need for excessive support staff, ensuring dependable functioning of the areas is just as important as in a larger more complex organization.
When asked to review strategic service area efficacy, I have found one area that can yield insight is the seemingly simple act of hiring a new employee. The process would seem straightforward - develop a staffing plan during the budget process (finance), secure approval via a staffing requisition (human resources), develop an offer letter (legal), ensure there is approved equipment ready (IT), and secure seating and credentials (facilities). But this process can break-down in numerous ways. The budget may have been developed but open positions have not been tracked, the approval may have been secured but nobody informed legal to write up the offer letter, the offer letter may have gone out and been accepted but nobody has informed IT or facilities so there is no computer or desk waiting on the new employee’s first day. Multiply this process over time and it leads to a significant waste of resources.
The above example is just one instance where strategic service processes can get off track. And while there are robust SAAS systems available to improve workflow, they can be out of reach of many firms. So how can you improve the synching of support groups? Focus on two areas. Policies and communication.
Establish formal policies for both the individual department functions as well as policies that dictate the how, when and what around cross-functional processes. Having baseline guidelines around key activities that are communicated and shared amongst departments is critical, especially as a company evolves, key staff transition and change inevitably occurs. Encourage dialogue amongst departments about what is working and what is not. Establish “postmortems” to review how particular situations were handled and what can be done to eliminate pain points.
Support areas are there to do just that - support - not distract a company from its core goals. Businesses face enough challenges on a daily basis and an efficient, coordinated strategic service team is vital to helping meet them.