What is the difference between systems and processes?
Although these two things sound the same, they are actually quite different! In this blog, we will cover the difference between these two core elements of your business, as well as how you can better leverage them to properly grow your business!
Processes
A process is a series of steps that need to be repeated to ensure that your business flows and nothing slips through the cracks. If you have a recurring task, setting up a process is the way to go. Businesses solve the problems of consumers. Often, these businesses are solving the same problems for many consumers regularly. This means they need a process to follow to ensure the problem gets solved efficiently and correctly.
An easy example of a process is how one goes about setting up a meeting with a potential client. Emailing them first, then sending a call to action, followed by a confirmation email equipped with a calendar link and booking date/time, and finally a reminder email before your meeting. These steps are a process that can be repeated. While consistently working through your processes, you will continually try to improve their effectiveness and flow. In a process, it is easy to spot where things go wrong. If clients are failing to respond after the first email, consider moving your call to action to the first email to boost engagement. If your clients are failing to attend your bookings, consider adding a reminder closer to the start time.
Systems
Systems are collections of processes, people, and technologies that come together to create structure within a business.
I will again use the example of booking meetings with potential clients. This is an excellent example of how combining processes, people, and technology come together to make something work. You have the process in place, which are the steps mentioned above that are used when booking a meeting with a potential client. Now, you need a system that reveals what technology is needed, who needs to be involved, who needs to be accountable, and what interfaces will come into play.
Understanding the difference between these two terms is simple, but what isn’t always so simple is how to integrate both systems and processes into your business. These are often the key pieces of a business structure that are not implemented, leading to frustration and overwhelm when the business is prepared to grow but can’t!
Sitting down with your team to uncover what processes are integral to your business’s operation and making that a standard practice will lead to less stress and more opportunity to grow!
If you are curious about whether or not you need to get started on your systems and processes, please download our FREE Systems Checklist. This will give you excellent insight into how to quickly improve your business for the better!