In the last five years the
complex rehab market
has undergone numerous
changes. We have all had to adapt and
overcome policy and funding challenges,
as well as skyrocketing commodity
costs. The recipe for success in the everchanging,
ever-challenging complex
rehab sector is simple: Grow revenue and
reduce costs.
However, adjusting a business model
to do just that can be difficult for even
those who are most driven to succeed. It
is human nature to resist change. Over the
years, many providers have come to believe
that they have perfected relationships,
contracts, practices and processes, and feel
that there is no way to make any significant
improvements. To succeed, it is essential that providers change the way
they view their businesses in order to open all opportunities. If you critically
evaluate and effect change in just three main areas, you will be
ready and able to adapt and succeed.
Remove the Walls that Prevent the Streamlining
Process
Streamlining your business processes sounds easy, and many believe
they have already mastered and completed this exercise in the past. There is nothing innovative or mind blowing about this practice, yet it is
an area where there is always room for improvement. It just requires a
new perception of your operations.
If you could knock down the walls of your business and have your
staff work in an environment of complete visibility, there would be
much to be learned. You’d gain better understanding of their daily
tasks and identify where there would be overlap within departments
that you did not intuitively realize. It may be surprising to find duality
within the processes of your billing department and receiving team, for
example. To get a fresh look, you must remove figurative walls.
If you create a cross-functional project team with a mix of star
employees and your most talented leaders, you can remove the figurative
walls that separate them. Within no time, you will be amazed
at how even their simplest observations can be turned into true timesaving
gems. If your project team effectively works together and truly
observes each other’s workflow, what comes from this group effort will
be exceptional. The numerous, seemingly simple suggestions you will
receive when your team collaborates will be astounding.
A good example of a simple suggestion coming from a project group
with real time- and cost-saving ramifications would be converting
multiple fax machines to a multi-functional printer. The time it takes for
multiple staff members to distribute faxes, not to mention the expense
of ink cartridges, paper and the cost of lost pages or misdirected information,
can be offset by this conversion. View interdepartmental walls
as obstacles to business efficiency, and work hard to build bridges to
remove them.
Effectively Measure Results to Enhance Performance
When was the last time you analyzed how effectively your company or
individual departments are at achieving their goals? The goals you set
for your business or staff are Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to grow
your revenue and reduce expenses.
As time and the market change, what is often measured becomes
outdated without notice. A great exercise to keep your internal analysis
up to date is to assign your department leaders to map out their
processes by creating a flow chart. The chart should indicate which
of their activities are automated within your systems and which are
manual.
It is essential that particular attention be paid to the processes
that are manual. Do they require information only possessed and
communicated by those completing the task regularly? It is during
these processes where we are most at risk for errors, revenue loss or
increased expenses.
Once all your flow charts are created and analyzed for manual
processes, challenge your leaders to put a time study to these
processes. How many errors can be traced back to them and at what
expense to your organization? Once your team gathers the time and
costs associated to their manual processes, you can match it up with
each team’s goals or KPIs. This information will help you better access
where goals can be adjusted, expectations raised and where improvements can be made. This process can be duplicated in the future
to access your progress or to make further enhancements to your
performance.
Invent New Revenue Streams
Adding new revenue sources is something that should always be at
the forefront of all business efforts. Most businesses have their sales
leaders continually working on developing new opportunities. What if
every member of your organization was given this challenge? Imagine
the ideas and possible new connections you could make.
Create a program that recognizes individuals within your whole
organization who advance your company’s goals and increase growth
opportunities. You will be surprised where inspiration and entrepreneurial
ideas will be created.
For example, if you send out a company-wide incentive that will
reward your staff for their 10 best ideas, you may learn that someone
on your staff is a volunteer firefighter whose firehouse regularly refills
their oxygen tanks, or that someone has an aunt or uncle in an assisted
living facility that is in need of new transport chairs. Someone from
your delivery team may suggest that you create a piece that highlights
your top five best-selling home aids as part of the delivery process.
As the market changes, we must be poised to stay ahead. It is not easy to predict what will happen in five years, let alone beyond that. Creating a dynamic in your organization that rewards adapting to
change will go a long way in preparing for the future.
One thing is certain: More challenges are yet to come. By looking at
your operation in a new way and accurately assessing where you stand,
you can create a team that works together to be more efficient, raises
the bar on company performance objectives, and embraces the entrepreneurial
spirit you are building as a foundation for future growth and
success.
