Simplify, Eliminate, then Integrate Everything!

To simplify means to reduce complexity, to eliminate means to rid yourself of something, and to integrate means to bring together. Now, more than ever, there is a need for companies to simplify, eliminate, and then integrate their business. In recent months (but really a trend for several years now...) it has become painfully obvious that for a company to survive in today’s fast-paced, ever- changing, and non-linear world it must be agile and you can only be agile, in the sense of rapidly responding to the present, by ridding yourself of operational baggage that adds only complexity and little to no business value.

History lesson...most companies on the planet have been cobbled together over time, without a ‘grand plan’ of either how best to design and/or manage their company. Consequently, and rather predictably, such ad-hoc design and planning (over time) comes back to kick the company squarely in the ass in that it makes the company less agile, less able to rapidly adapt to changes occurring either within or without.

So…what can a company do to address its cobbled, maverick past? Specifically, what can a company do to simplify (its operations)? What might be some areas to target for operational elimination?

Last, what might be good candidates for operational integration? Listed below are some things we (Henosis Partners) have learned from our Agile Transformation and Target Operating Model client engagements:

What to Simplify

• Creating/standardizing use of commonly used templates

• ‘Right-size’ and prioritize your project portfolio

• Remove the layers of complexity that are over-burdening your processes

• Root out the extra steps in your managing, core, and supporting processes

• Establish clarity on roles and responsibilities of both management and staff

• Reduce the number of management frameworks in use

• Reduce the number of improvement methods in use

What to Eliminate

• Needless variations in process

• Confounding products and services

• Excess status meetings and leadership ‘report outs’

• Excessive documentation (of/for anything)

• Overproduction of data, metrics, and mgmt. reports

What to Integrate (horizontally and vertically):

• Internal departments and units

• Technology

• Processes and activities

• Vision, objectives, and priorities

• Measurement systems

• Physical locations

• Change agendas

• Understanding of the customer

• Understanding of company’s products and services

As the above indicates, there is no shortage of simplification, elimination, and integration opportunities in the modern corporation - and the list could be expanded indefinitely. As such, I am confident if you look hard enough at your operations, you will find countless opportunities before you to become more agile; more responsive to an unrelenting, competitive world. Therefore, choose today to initiate efforts to identify what you can simplify, what you can eliminate, and what you can integrate.

Remember, as you do this, and regardless of how ambitious you get with the exercise, better is better. Now…get to work!

Related Reading

• The Genius of the 'And': Optimize, Integrate & Innovate

• Practice Simplicity

• Front Only the Essentials of Your Business

Facing a complex change challenge in your organization? Book an OD consultation with Henosis Partners.