With System100, Philip Beyer and his team have created a fantastic platform to help business owners systematize their businesses. Following Michael Gerber's admonition to "Work ON your business and not IN your business," Philip and his team have spent the last 12 years fine-tuning a world class business systems development application to this end. This network software and/or online ASP application are now available to the general business community. I am extremely impressed with what Mr. Beyer has created at Beyer Printing using this platform. His passion for excellence and sharing his knowledge with other entrepreneurs will be immediately evident to any business owner that takes the time to read his business systems development book "System Buster" [About to go into second printing as "System Busters"] or do their own due diligence of System100. The videos on their website were some of the most inspiring material I've reviewed in years. Highly recommended!
…Calvin Cummings, President & CEO, Cummings Appraisal Group, Inc., Pasadena, CA
Our Declaration of Independence says that "all men are created equal."And yet at the time it was written there was slavery in America.Does this mean that the Declaration of Independence is of no use?Since the founding fathers were not totally living up to its standards, does that mean we should abandon it?God forbid!
Fredrick Douglas, the black orator during the Civil War, used the power of the Declaration's great words and ideals to hold our government accountable at one point, saying, "See, you are not living up to your own words, in your own written document!"This most coveted document, along with our Constitution, still guides our government today and points out whether our laws are on course.Our courts and judges measure our laws against these founding documents, for which many shed their very blood.
Your company's mission statement and code of ethics can act as your founding documents?your "Declaration."All of your policies should measure up against it.Everything in your company's written system?your operations manual?should strengthen your mission statement.
A Mission Statement can become mere words on a piece of paper and left to gather dust somewhere?or it can become a living document, guiding you through the years of building a great company or organization.
I remember one time I called the company of an author of one of the books that inspired me as I built my company's systems.I was put directly into voicemail.I thought, "This guy is so systematic, I'll bet I hear back from him immediately!"A week went by, so I called again.More voicemail.At this stage, I determined to hold up his document...his book...his words...in his company's face.So at the third voicemail prompt, I left the following message: "I am disappointed that no one has gotten back to me.I thought surely you would have had a simple system in place to check voicemails and return calls."Almost immediately, I received a phone call from one of the managers and an email from the author himself.I just used their own written document to remind them they should practice what they preach.
Have you dusted off your mission statement lately?Everybody in business has one, don't they?But once it's framed on a wall, or stashed in a drawer, do they ever bother to re-read it?Maybe they believe if they write it and wait awhile, it will all just happen.Like evolution?But I can tell you, after spending 12 years totally systematizing my business:Order from chaos doesn't just happen.Truth is...it takes a lot of creative planning, blood, sweat, and prayers, but the rewards are stunning!
A lot of business owners are doing the work of two or more people.They normally spend 8 to 12 hours a day working in one or more of the positions in their organizations."So where," you ask, "will I find time to work on developing systems to organize my operation?"You may not like the answer, but this is what I did?
I spent at least 2 to 4 extra hours each day, and a lot of weekends, on the most important systems.I worked on designing a system to fix the biggest leaks first. I call it System Buster...but I'll save that for another sitting.
After about two years, things really started to roll, and a former business owner who was counseling me observed, "Philip, you're spending your days taking in orders or acting as a customer service rep.You need to train someone else for those jobs and work on your business."
So I started to work on systems for customer service and order entry positions that took most of my time.When the systems were completed, I took my friend's advice.I hired my daughter-in-law for those positions.After three months she was doing about 80% of my work.Wow!I had six hours more each day to work on the business. I was finally at the top of the organization, and I couldn't believe the transformation that started taking place.
You see, I didn't think I would ever be free of those other positions.I didn't think I could trust others with them, so I kept my hands on everyone's work and every project to make sure my business survived until I learned the power of SYSTEMS.Now I know the solutions to your problems come as you install good systems.They free up more of your time, and they simplify your life!
So, to begin, you build a complete system for the position you are working in, then you need to hire someone, or train someone that's already on your staff, on the system for your position.Once you work it so you really are only at the top of the organizational chart and not trying to be all things to all people, you find you have the time to work on your vision of becoming a great organization.
Your new position is to work ON the business, not IN it!
Truth is...All those things that most business owners long to do are not as far off as you think...
I learned a lot about chickens when I was a boy. After my mother died suddenly, I went to live with my Aunt Ducy in Pearl River, Louisiana. I was nine years old, and the fact that my aunt raised chickens and other small farm animals helped to keep my mind off more serious things then.
Chickens can be very funny.But when Aunt Ducy's chickens got to a certain age, it was time to get them ready for market.My job was to catch the chicken (that was funny), and hand it to Aunt Ducy.Then I'd stand off a ways while she would calmly lay the chicken's head on the stump, raise her little hatchet, and WHACK!That was not so funny, but so goes farm life!
I learned that when a chicken loses its head, it will often run around in circles until it runs out of steam and keels over.Reminds me of some businesses I've observed!
A company without a good 'head' for systems is apt to flail around for awhile, ruffle a lot of feathers, but it will eventually collapse.In the same way, if a leader fails to download the systems he keeps in his head, eventually, if he should leave the company for any reason, the systems go with him and the business is in danger of collapsing.This is why a lot of second generation businesses fail.
Why download?Your vision, on paper, becomes readily available to your staff, so they won't feel the need to corner you every time you do a walk-through of your company or department.Are you weary of having one staff member after another pull you aside to ask you the same questions for the umpteenth time?Have you given your staff a manual where they can find the answers for themselves?No?Okay, so you have become "Mom!"And your "children" will continue to pull at your skirt while you have both hands in the sink, the phone ringing, and another 'child' is crying for attention:"Hey Bob!You think you could get me a...", "Hey Bob! My uncle is visiting.I would like to leave early?", "Hey Bob!Can you have this light fixed?" or "Hey Bob! Would you talk to so and so?"
Truth is...this gets old! The reason owners and managers get burned out is because they have no systems to handle all these questions and pressures. It's not very hard then to understand why some of them hide out, sneak in and out of their building, close their doors to employees and problems. No surprise if they have glassy, far away looks in their eyes, and erupt like Old Faithful regularly!
In Michael Gerber's book E-Myth he wrote:
YOU are the problem
YOU have always been the problem
YOU will always be the problem?
Until YOU change!
Mark Twain once said, "Denial ain't just a river in Egypt!"
Not long ago I was walking with a seasoned salesman at the largest manufacturer of printing presses in the world. He related how after years of visiting thousands of printing companies he was amazed that anything ever got through the printing process correctly.He and I agreed?a lack of good business systems is like flying high without a net.Yet so many companies remain chaotic, and even consider chaos in business "normal."
My own company was one of those.But at the end of my fifth year, I realized I no longer owned the business...it owned ME!I now call the operation of that kind of company the Anti-System Solution (or A.S.S.).The mindset of the A.S.S. is 1) Systems are for very large organizations only?or not necessary at all; 2) You just need good people and not good systems; 3) More people bringing in more money is the answer to your problems.
Just imagine if one of those Anti-System Solution companies was to be totally TRUTHFUL with its workers they might send out a series of Memos From Management that read like the following:
MEMO:Due to lost customers, a powerful marketing campaign will be launched to bring in more business.
MEMO:Due to more chaos, from all the new customers, more meetings will be needed to deal with employee frustrations, production and service problems.
MEMO:Due to production and service problems, new managers are being hired to handle the chaos.
MEMO:Due to a lack of profits from soaring marketing costs and upper management costs, we need to reduce budgets in the following areas:employee salaries, service maintenance, and new equipment acquisitions.
MEMO:Due to a lack of skilled employees from budget cuts, our managers will be expected to fill in the gaps.
MEMO:Due to budget cuts for maintenance and new equipment, we now have more equipment breakdowns, which have created employee frustration, which is creating employee turnover, which is creating missed deadlines, which is also resulting in lost customers.
MEMO:Due to lost customers, and red ink, a powerful marketing campaign will be launched to bring in more business.Also a new and improved consultant is being brought in to figure out what our problem is. P.S. Our new consultant has asked us not to call what we are experiencing "problems"...but "opportunities."
Maybe you know of a company that is experiencing those kinds of "opportunities!?"
Statistically, most businesses fail in the first 5 years due to lack of organization. Most businesses struggle with on-going chaos (what many deem "normal"), although they pour tons of money into "consultants" ... "experts" ... and every "how to" book they see (but "have no time to read"). Don't believe it! You CAN eliminate chaos from your business, eliminate undue stress, and gain the 'eyes' and 'ears' to know the status of all areas of your business, instantly.
Over the past 12 years, my company served as a model as we worked to totally systematize our operation. In that time, I saw my own attempts and frustrations reflected in the faces of others who dared to own their own businesses, only to find themselves stressed to the point of despair. It doesn't have to be that way! We did the ground work and the results have proved --- Great Systems Work! In 2005, our business operated 98.55% error-free! My hope is to see American and international companies work to strengthen the economy by becoming well-organized?saving time and money, and reducing employee turnover.
I have since developed a software program called System 100, based on the work we did here at Beyer Printing, Inc. in Nashville, Tennessee. The program is designed to revitalize any type or size operation in a matter of months, when a company's commitment to excellence is sure. You can learn more about that by viewing a tutorial at www.system100.com, but first you might want to read below to see if this sounds familiar?
A day in the life of an American business
Cranky opens business at 8:00 a.m. Bob, Sue and Mary wander in by 8:45. Bob and Sue answer phones until Jim decides to show at 10, then Cranky answers the phones while Sue goes to the bank, except on Tuesday's when she takes "Scooter" to Doggie Daycare. Then Jim goes to the bank, if he's not on call or Mary goes, if she can borrow Cranky's car (her teenage son wrecked hers). On Fridays, Cranky does payroll and takes job orders, unless there are more problems in production. Then Bob takes the orders. But Bob "hates" doing that, so he usually lets the phone ring until Cranky drops everything and picks up. But Cranky always writes orders up wrong as his desk (like all others in the building) is piled so high with back orders and good intentions he can't find his price lists. So Jim gets mad at Bob for not doing his job. Cranky gets upset at Jim and Bob for quarreling and says, "If Bob is too #&% busy, then Mary can help if her nails are dry ... except on Wednesdays when she scrambles to get the stupid invoices out." Cranky's blood pressure soars while Bob, Jim, Sue and Mary wonder, "What is Cranky so upset about?" Sound familiar? Chaos!
Truth is?most business problems can be remedied by implementing the right systems. In most businesses there are thousands of details and variables that most workers try to commit to memory, any of which, if botched or forgotten, eat up a company's profits each year. The right systems eliminate chaos by eliminating reliance on memorization with the implementation of vital checklists. When each member of your staff is provided with a Daily Routine Checklist, Quality Control Checklists, along with written procedures and policies that, by the way, coordinate with and reference other staff checklists ... time is then freed up for more creative endeavors in your business.
Great systems can allow even the most ordinary person to organize, build and grow an extraordinary business withoutchaos and costly mistakes. I know now it's possible to break down all facets of the most seemingly complex business systems into something easy to manage. Last year I wrote a book called System Buster detailing how we did it. You can do it, too!
How to get started? Think of your business as a sinking ship, find the biggest hole and create a system to stop the leak. Then find the next biggest hole, and keep filling holes with Cranky-proof systems until your operation is ship-shape.
Truth is ... great SYSTEMS work! It's in the book!
