Organizations that are maturing from a small start-up to a medium-size player in the marketplace experience numerous growing pains such as the development of corporate culture, the focus on accountability and, most importantly, the need for process.

What do we mean by process? It's a set of defined tasks needed to complete a specific function in the most efficient way, including who is responsible for completing each step, when and how they do so. Though processes can seem mundane, their importance to your successful business cannot be overstated.

Think of product development. There are key steps you need to follow to drive innovation, differentiation and other factors that lead to a successful product launch.

In her blog post "The Importance of Process," Kate Tingley of The Tingley Advantage explains these benefits of incorporating process in your business, as we explain in this issue of Promotional Consultant Today.

Processes make a business competitive: Companies with defined processes are better able to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and identify opportunities for improvement. They can improve the quality of their products and services, and deliver more consistently to their customers, thus increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty. They are better able to cope with the unknown and react swiftly to changes in the competitive landscape. In short, process companies know when they are doing things right, and can more quickly course-correct when they are not.

Processes enable growth: By leveraging defined processes, it becomes easier to deliver new products and services quickly and efficiently, without reinventing the wheel every time. Processes provide a blueprint for new employees, and enable cross-training to minimize business interruption in cases of illness or employee turnover. They enable your company to understand what roles to hire for and identify those skill gaps that are hindering success.

Processes drive profitability: A company with defined processes can find opportunities to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality and consistency. This, in turn, drives value and savings, which leads to profitability.

Look for opportunities to drive process in your organization and create an environment of efficiency, growth and profitability.

Source: The Tingley Advantage, Inc. is a big data and analytics firm providing strategic advisory and implementation services in the areas of marketing, human resources and performance measurement. With over 15 years of analytics experience, The Tingley Advantage delivers in-depth experience and knowledge to large- and medium-sized businesses.