OperationsAn Entrepreneurial Mindset
When it comes to your business operations you cannot rest on your laurels in the age of technology where information is easily accessible and comparable. The bigger and more complex the business, the harder it is for them to react to changes in the market or demand from customers. Being too attached to a way of doing things, lack an entrepreneurial mindset. Big business is getting disrupted by technologically savvy entrepreneurial businesses that are agile in their thinking, and short reaction times to changing situations. Success relies on recognising fluid situations and taking advantage of them.
You don’t need to be an entrepreneur to be entrepreneurial and agile. When you break it down, an entrepreneurial mindset is a relentless desire to do better. Curious people never run out of ideas. Asking questions, trying to stay optimistic and getting comfortable challenging the status quo are all traits shared widely by entrepreneurial thinkers. Nurturing businesses’ entrepreneurial mindset can help you develop the skillset you need to help you find ways to innovate, take more initiative and be more creative in your daily work.
Business SystemisationThe Formula for Success
Running a business should not be chaotic. Yes, there are always emergencies and unforeseen events that require “firefighting”, however, the majority of tasks and processes can be systemised and structured. A large part of business success is being able to manage high levels of activity on a daily basis with consistency and efficiency whilst maintaining quality standards within your operations. In order to achieve these aims, you want robust systems in place for all your key operating areas. These might include your sales team, supply chain, marketing, finance, people and risk management. A systemised business also has greater intrinsic value to any potential purchaser of your business, franchise opportunities or expansion plans.
Time and time again we see business owners, management and employees having their time taken away from them, disrupted from the job they are working on because of constant interruptions and a lack of good internal office communication systems. Entrepreneurship also includes the willingness to embrace technology especially by introducing CRM into your business operations, AI, and automation with productivity the priority to maintain competitiveness and deliver your customers a superior level of service. The controversy is around human job losses, but this will only see those businesses that fail to embrace the changes wither and die. Instead of losing 3 employees or re-training them your entire workforce may need to look for new jobs soon, and your customer will seek out the more efficient consistent business to service their needs. With all the buzz around deep thinking algorithms that will free workers up from the mundane elements of their work – and some of the not so mundane, partial automation will become more prevalent as machines complement human labour. As intelligent machines and software are integrated more deeply into the workplace, workflows and workspaces will continue to evolve to enable humans and machines to work together to cost-effectively serve their customers better. Warehouse design may change significantly as some portions are designed to accommodate primarily robotics and others to facilitate safe human-machine interaction.
Save Your Business Time, Energy and Money – and win more business by shoring your operations
CommunicationBuilds Relationships
Communication has always been a quintessential part of business operations, and the ability to connect effectively can be a catalyst for success. Good system’s implemented properly, should not only guarantee that your customers are receiving a consistent level of service, but they will also enable your business to operate more smoothly and profitably. So it is essential that you ensure that each system is reliable, self-correcting and scalable so as to allow it to evolve as your business does.
Business communication can take many forms, written and verbal. It can be between managers and employees within the business, or between a business and its customers, partners or suppliers. When executed effectively, business communication can build your businesses’ reputation, resolve and prevent conflicts, and contribute to healthy relationships between your business, its customers and your business network. Good communication can help foster cooperation within the business. For example: being able to react quickly and be agile to changing market condition or customer needs means that when you are giving instructions, planning a project or explaining a change in policy, it’s important to convey the rationalisations behind a request or decision. Such considerations help to promote understanding and build trust between you and your employees. Communication is also powerful when dealing with customers, suppliers, outsourced providers and your network. You can avoid many problems by clearly outlining your needs and expectations when you enter a relationship with a provider. In addition to negotiating a detailed service level agreements, maintaining phone, email or one-on-one communication throughout your business relationship will make it easier to implement changes or deal with issues.
Technology & Managed ServicesEnd-To-End IT Infrastructure Services
Collappor8 offers adaptable, cost-effective and risk managed outsourced I.T services. Many SME’s do not have an IT person or an IT person that can do all that needs to be done. Why add the headache when we can tailor plans to by using our remote Teams. Outsourcing gives greater flexibility and coverage for your business operations.
We can recommend IT strategies that meet your operating needs.
Risk ManagementEmbracing Risk as an Opportunity
The entrepreneurial mindset is not reckless, it’s calculated. Sometimes the biggest risk returns the highest return, and this is a calculated trade-off. Being willing and able to take risks is crucial for entrepreneurs. Risk management is a legal requirement for all businesses regardless of their size, but this relates to safety. Removing all risk from business is not only a waste of money, its a waste of time. Taking a calculated risk isn’t the same as gambling. It’s about understanding the risk and reward equation properly. A business needs to know their risk appetite, mitigates the risks that could be catastrophic or otherwise considers worth mitigating. Risks it has chosen to take needs to be clearly communicated, along with procedures that should be enacted in the event of its occurrence. An entrepreneurial mindset drives operational excellence and creates lasting results, and should be fostered and at all levels of business.
“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing” – Muhammad Ali
Service BusinessActions Speak Loudest
Operations management for services has the functional responsibility for producing the services that satisfy customers’ needs and providing them directly to them. When starting or expanding operations, businesses in the service sector must make a number of decisions: what, how, where and forecast when? Service providers must continuously look for ways to improve operational efficiency. The is no greater danger to a service business than spending so much time on managing your business and performing administrative tasks that your customers are not getting the level of the service you and they wish they did. Service Business is our rapport and perceived quality of your service.
There are Eight (8) steps to surviving and thriving as a service business. Firstly, finding the right people using proven and documented recruitment process, and a reliable network of consultants. Secondly, a nurtured and trusted network – a concentrated group of people who you would do business with. Third, retain clients as retention is easier than acquisition, a great source of referral and review. Forth, process map as much as you can, and properly embed them into your business. Fifth, learn from your mistake, hold it, teach it and install into the heart of your workers to avoid its reoccurrence. Sixth, Set learning target such as a certain amount of hours of learning that each worker hopes to achieve and a report on how this has contributed to the success of the business. Seventh is to avoid over-engineering and finding user-friendly systems to reduce time spent on administration that does not add value, remove concern, or cost exceeds the benefit. Finally, a succession plan, so your hard work is lost.
Service Ops. Management
Operations management for services has the functional responsibility for producing the services that satisfy customers’ needs and providing them directly to them. Businesses in the service sector must make a number of decisions: what, how, where and forecast when? Service providers must continuously look for ways to improve operational efficiency.
Service Ops. Support
To be successful in a service industry, you need to be accessible to your customers. A service business, owners and managers must invest a lot of time in selecting a location, determining its size and layout, and forecasting demand to be successful. Service providers can’t store their products for later use so they must always be aware of capacity and manage their resources rigorously.
Service Ops. Technology
AI and intelligent automation are optimising the distribution of work across people and machines for any process or experience. It can improve business performance while making work safer and more meaningful for employees. The administration of the business could introduce CRM, project management, collaboration, and accounting platforms.
Services Ops. Transformation
Change is driven by innovation in business models that come from the power shift from sellers to buyers who are demanding greater speed, quality and agility from service providers. Providers find themselves needing to adapt. Reacting to the situation, new operating models are needed that allow them to better connect, arrange and optimise their businesses.
Our Value Proposition
We ourselves are a service provider. We stay lean and focus on our core business functions while allowing ourselves to tap the right skills and resources at the right moment, without the larger investments of time and costs associated with recruiting, training and managing resources internally. Our business model maximises flexibility and speed while optimising costs, whilst embracing technology and digital. Our biggest challenge is to protect our brand and to keep our customers which remains our priority.
Knowing the struggles of service providers puts us in a unique position to help other service providers transform themselves and become more competitive, lean, and efficient so that more focus can be given to attracting your ideal customer.
Merchandising BusinessNo Kinks in Your Links
A merchandising business sells a product without changing its form. This type of business buys products at wholesale price and sells the same at retail price. They are known as “buy and sell” businesses. They make a profit by selling the products at prices higher than their purchase costs. This sector is being disrupted at alarming rates by restructuring inventory management, selling online and concentrating on Brand.
Merchandising operations are your purchasing, selling, collecting and payment activities. Although cyclical in nature, they are ongoing operations designed to improve your cash flow. Efficient merchandising operations keeps your store well stocked with inventory that your customers want to buy. Offering attractive credit terms to qualified buyers can increase your sales income. Collecting on your credit sales and paying your invoices promptly keeps the merchandise operations cycle functioning smoothly. Recently, merchandising business has been disrupted by drop shipping and online stores that do have the same overheads. You should nurture your network, securing favourable prices and pricing terms, enter into Service Level Agreement, seek out exclusive rights, bulk purchase discounts (e.g. on a yearly basis, rather than a per order basis).
Merchandising Ops. Management
The three parts of a merchandising business that determine profitability is purchasing (e.g. costs of goods); sales, which produces revenue; and administration – the overheads. With improved inventory visibility, businesses can spot opportunities for growth and profit, and then take full advantage of them quickly.
Supply Chain Management
Supply Chain Management should control the flow of finished goods from point of origin to point of consumption as efficiently as possible. Supply chain capabilities define the cost basis directly affecting your competitiveness. Supply chain management covers network planning, demand planning, supply planning, logistics, and distribution.
Merchandising Ops. Technology
A supply chain management (SCM) system software solutions that manage the flow of goods, data, and finances as your product moves from point of origin to its final destination. Cloud technology is on the rise. The cloud enables the transformation of a supply chain into a digital and scalable solution—integrated and ready for the connected marketplace.
Operational Transformation
Identify the areas that require improvement, and gather some recommendations on solutions such as technology that will help differentiate you from your competitors‘. Transformation for a merchandising business includes to your store (online or physical), training in technology, and efficient delivery of service including changing stock models.
Our Value Proposition
Consumers want to interact with products at any link of the value chain. Collappor8 bring together all the people, processes, and technology around integrated capabilities. The supply chain is not a chain anymore; it has evolved into a collection of webs, webs that can be accessed 24 hours a day. At the center of these webs are consumers waiting for their orders to be fulfilled. We help you stay connected with your client, building brand awareness and brand loyalty throughout their buying journey.
Collappor8 Operations Consultants work with your accounting and marketing teams to deliver solutions at every link, in every web. If you require, we also have strategy consultants and Banker on your Side to assist in acquiring further funds to help transformation or negotiate with suppliers to shore up your level of service via agreements.
Manufacturing BusinessThe Sum it its Parts
3D printing is turning manufacturing and distribution upside down,
The advent of emerging tech is recasting all industries and requires leaders
Smart Factory arms your shop floor with dynamic predictive data analytics, virtual reality and artificial intelligence to deliver unprecedented performance.
to embrace new capabilities to turn new tech into new competitive advantage.
A manufacturing business buys products with the intention of using them as materials in making a new product. Thus, there is a transformation of the products purchased. A manufacturing business combines raw materials, labour, and factory overhead in its production process. The manufactured goods will then be sold to customers.
Operations Management
Brand Strategy is not just a marketing team consideration, it is an organisational strategy. Ensuring your organisation keeps to the brand strategy will be the best support for cultural development. Speaking with your brand voice internally and externally will support your brand promise and provide your brand with authenticity.
Supply Chain Management
The culture of your workplace determines how people behave and interact with each other. A positive workplace culture will focus on trust, respect, and consideration. A champion team will always beat a team of champions. Therefore, managing habits, interactions, and expectations – success and a positive culture will be the byproduct.
Operational Technology
A supply chain management (SCM) system is a set of software solutions that manages and oversees the flow of goods, data, and finances as a product or service moves from point of origin to its final destination. Supply chain activities encompass everything from product development to logistics, including production and manufacturing, sourcing, transportation, inventory and warehouse management, and shipping.
Operational Transformation
Routinely communicating and enforcing a standard of conduct, will reinforce your culture and brand. A toxic workplace is a workplace that is marked by significant drama and infighting, where personal battles often harm productivity, so enforcing your culture by design is critical.
Our Value Proposition
In a business environment characterised by margin pressure and changing consumer demand, manufacturing performance is more critical than ever. The four key elements of success is operational excellence and improvement, scalability and speed of deployment, the internet of things return on investment, and building a performance culture.
Construction BusinessBuilt to Last
Buildings and construction jobs are becoming increasingly complex. There is an increasing fragmentation of the industry as can be seen from the growth of specialist suppliers and the growing number of contractors. Project relationships are short-term, and are usually informal/ad-hoc and focused on the project, not the business. Relationships between competencies vary from project to project, resulting in a lack of continuity preventing innovation and improvement of processes. Today, the client has an increasing impact on the procurement route and choice of strategic suppliers that lessens your control over the delivery of the project.
The first and second tier of the supply chain may sign up to fairly onerous agreements but as the chain develops, so to do the contractual liabilities, decreasing until suppliers or sub-contractors at the end of the chain are often not locked in at all. Changing the perspective from project to business will require delicate partnering, strategic alliances, and value-add customers cannot deny. Businesses offering continuity in construction have taken an increasing interest in establishing relationships beyond direct, first-tier suppliers. Consider, for example, bulk buying on a business basis, rather than a project basis. To accomplish this, greater collaboration between designers and trades to the advantage of all parties. Different project managers have different preferences, contractors have different experience with different materials and the problems are endless. Finding the path of least resistance combined with the desire to maximise profit is a matter of scenario exploration, which has a front end cost, but the exercise is worth it, and the technology is now available.
Construction Operations
The construction industry is characterised by fragmentation. Each participant in the delivery of the project having their own goals in the value chain, and usually responsible for their own supply chain. This means that Construction Project Managers have more moving parts out of their control than other business types. We can help you get projects completed on time, and on budget.
Supply Chain Management
Managing the supply chain within the construction industry involves understanding the breakdown and traceability of products and services, organisation, logistics, people, activities, information and resources that transform raw materials into a finished project. Collaboration and service level agreements are the secret, and they’re affordable.
Construction Ops. Technology
There is a vast array of software available for participants in the construction at varying price points, at differing levels of complexity. All of it takes advantage of cloud and mobile technology for projects that cover the city, state or country. Whether you’re an electrician, air conditioning installer, interior designer, or builder, if you transform your business will hirers find you more attractive?
Operational Transformation
Now is the time for the SME Construction industry to embrace new technology. Easily create workflows and enforce deadlines for common tasks and processes voiding penalties of a slipped schedule. Keep all communication with architects, consultants and contractors in one place, able to share correspondence with team members and access it from anywhere.
Our Value Proposition
In a highly competitive market characterised by margin pressure, customer expectations and the easy sharing of information, reputation management along with customer relationship management, accounting programs, and project management will increase your competitiveness. Collappor8 can help SME construction businesses choose, install, set up and implement systems and software and provide support to you at each stage. Provide staff training and help out with overflow when you reach capacity in busy times. We can also help with operational excellence, including risk management and compliance, and building a performance culture that is agile, so you don’t have to turn away good jobs.
Hybrid BusinessBeing Organised is being in Control
Hybrid businesses have flourished very quickly with the advancements in technology over the past couple of decades. Hybrid businesses may be classified as having more than one type of business. The most common in Australia being Service x Merchandising where retailing compliment products add an extra revenue stream to the business e.g. Hairdressers; and restaurants that combine ingredients in making a fine meal (manufacturing), sells a cold bottle of wine (merchandising), and fills customer orders (service). If you were to classify according to the major business interest, restaurants are more of the service type – providing dining services.
Hybrid business models may look ugly, but they work. Adopting a hybrid business model could be temporary or a transition from existing to new. The challenge for leaders is letting go of a product mindset enough to embrace a hybrid business model and see that there may be more value in the platform than the product, or a combination of the two. Having an expert on hand to help with any transition would beneficial in all instances, would it not?
“Even Steve Jobs is reported to have been sceptical of opening Apple Stores”.
Hybrid Ops. Management
The narrow view of business being shaped by a financial perspective is no longer adequate. New business models often pursue social demand in addition to or even before economic goals, e.g. gaining market share before profiting on individual transactions. Operating management with a hybrid business must follow the path of the overall strategic plan. This model cannot, and should not mould itself.
Hybrid Supply Chain
Hybrid businesses offer goods and services just as any “ordinary” businesses would, therefore, Supply Chain Management should control the flow of goods from point of origin to point of consumption efficiently. A Hybrid must develop their revenue streams, scale their business up and reach economies of scale, made difficult by the split in focus. Technology plays a vital role in finding these efficiencies economically.
Hybrid Ops. Technology
Hybrid businesses benefit greatly from system integrations and new cloud technologies that manages and oversees the flow of goods, data, and finances as a product or service. Supply chain activities are unique to a hybrid and hard to follow traditional methods, and must, therefore, be customer developed. Niche software is popping up every month – you just have to find the right one or build it yourself.
Hybrid Ops. Transformation
Hybrid businesses are oriented toward societal transformation much more deeply than other organisations, as they seem intent on conveying their philosophies by proving that business processes need not necessarily focus mainly on financial interests in order to achieve commercial successes. Many Australian businesses have morphed into a Hybrid to survive, but are yet to understand its full potential.
Our Value Proposition
Collappor8 understands the hybrid business model. We understand the blurry lines between for-profit and nonprofit and how hybrid businesses may serve as incubators for new practices that can gain scale and impact by infusion into existing operations, future proofing itself. Those businesses who find themselves in a Hybrid situation need counsel understand the path to success, introduce technology to shore up the supply chain and find economies of scale.
Yes. All businesses are unique in one or many ways. We thrive on challenges! You might think the learning curve is steep and that if you are paying by the hour to teach us before you get what you need – value, then know that we are remarkably fast, and we can enter into a Project Rate for your peace of mind. We will not drag out a project, or you won’t come back.
Our teams have a world-class pedigree of experience and have worked across many industries. We find the right team to deliver your project on time and on budget.
Yes. We find that we are needed both on location and virtually, however, on location does incur a surcharge. We work with you to find the most appropriate methods for getting the best results, but most importantly, we walk the walk, we are can train, mentor and act as an example to what a productivity culture may look like, a team striving to meet the business’s overall strategic goals. We can systemise and structure your business and prepare your staff to be flexible enough to respond to customer demands.
Whilst we wish to meet our contractual obligations, we understand that there may be concern occasions where we cannot. Because we can step in and out of your business as and when you need, we will rely upon our Charter of Success that will outline how you intended this to work. A set of parameters by which success is measured. It is on the Charter of Success that Guarantee our work. In the past we have either, continued work to reach the targets (for free), or offered to not to invoice the work done pertaining to that objective. We are so confident that we don’t over promise.
You set the budget. We have transparent fees and payment arrangement, and we are flexible and happy to negotiate. Fees will depend on the resources you require, internally and externally, your timeline and the project’s complexity. Collappor8 always offers options (less and more). We also guarantee our work by using a mutually agreed Charter of Success! A set of parameters by which success is measured.
Projects can be charged hourly, however, for large projects we suggest a fixed fee. We are always happy to provide a quote.